Geek culture

The 404 947: Where we are the keyboard cowboys (podcast)

Apple's update to iTunes 10.5.1 brings a new scan-and-match service for music that gives users a way to stream their entire collection across multiple devices in the Apple family.

Even better, Apple will actually fill in the blanks of your files' metadata and replace your "matched" files with high-quality 256k-encoded AAC files--an audiophile's dream!

The three of us are so excited that it sounds like we're hosting an infomercial, but check out today's episode to hear more details about iTunes Match.

Also leaked from today's episode: LivingSocial gets into home food delivery with Room Service, PETA puts Mario and his Tanooki suit in its crosshairs, and more events unravel in the ongoing War Against Infographics!… Read more

'Toy Story' aliens invade fashion runway

Buzz Lightyear is flying into high fashion, and he's taking Woody, the Aliens, and the rest of the Pixar-inspired crew with him, thanks to a new "Toy Story" fashion line from Bossini of Hong Kong.

A set of photos on Bossini's Facebook page show off the new line, which includes dresses, men's shirts, kids' costumes, and accessories.

Obviously, clothes that tap into the "Toy Story" motif are nothing new, as Disney and Pixar merchandise their movies faster than Kim Kardashian seeks out divorce lawyers. But from what I can make of Bossini's captions, it's laying out prices as high as $1,000 per three-eyed-alien tunic. … Read more

The 404 946: Where our hand is on Fire (podcast)

We're going hands-on with the Amazon Kindle Fire tablet, released ahead of schedule to a few lucky customers today.

Also leaked from today's 404 podcast: Apple replacing original iPod Nanos, breaking up on Facebook, waging war on infographics, and tap-to-pay apps coming to Ultrabook laptops.

Also, a big congrats to CNET's Bonnie Cha, the new chief correspondent at Crave!

Stream the podcast on audio or video after the page break!… Read more

Polaroid Z340 Instant Digital Camera: Say cheese!

Polaroid instant cameras conjure up images of bell bottoms and avocado-colored appliances from the boom days of the 1970s. You can get in on the retro wave with the new Polaroid Z340 Instant Digital Camera.

The Z340 pretty much takes the original Polaroid concept and updates it. It's a 14MP camera with a 2.7-inch LCD display and an integrated printer that spits out 3x4-inch color prints.

The printer part uses inkless printing technology from Zink Imaging. The special Zink paper has embedded dye crystals with a polymer overcoat for protection. Heat activates the crystals to form the image.… Read more

YouTube plays host to Canadian Loch Ness Monster

We here at CNET love a good monster sighting almost as much as we love a good iPhone 5 rumor.

Earlier this year, a 24-year-old kayaker by the name of Tom Pickles used his cell phone cam to snap what he claimed was a picture of "Bownessie," the lesser-known, English cousin of Scotland's headline-hogging Loch Ness Monster.

Now a Canadian man has video that he says could prove the existence of "Ogopogo," another member of (Loch) Nessie's ever-larger extended family of marine mischief makers.… Read more

The 404 945: Where wow, you guys are a lot taller than I thought you were (podcast)

Big thanks to everyone who came through last night's 404 Meet-up at the CNET Gotham holiday gift guide. Friendships were made, business ideas launched, and plenty of stickers were given; it was one of our most productive meet-ups to date!

We'll wrap up last night's event and show a quick interview segment on today's show, then launch into the headlining news of the day: Logitech has announced that it made a huge mistake with its Revue Google TV set-top box, and the company has no plans to upgrade or reinvent the existing hardware. Tune in to find out your other options for streaming Web content to your TV.

We'll also chat about near-field communication (NFC) chips making their way to luxury goods like Louis Vuitton wallets, Prada bags, and Nike sneakers to battle bootlegers, a six-year project to tweet the events of the second World War, and Jeff gives us his quick-take of "Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword."

We've been talking about games like Battlefield 3, Batman: Arkham City, and Uncharted 3 a lot on the show, and Blockbuster just gave us two copies of each game to give away in conjunction with Blockbuster's promo running through Nov. 22 where if you buy a copy of the game in-store you receive a free month of unlimited game and movie rentals!

We have PS3 and Xbox 360 copies for Battlefield 3 and Batman: Arkham City and two copies of Uncharted 3 for PS3 to give away. Here's how to enter:

Follow The 404, Justin, Wilson, and Jeff on Twitter. Tweet out a message that includes #GimmeFreeGames and @The404.

And that's it! Just remember that you need to be a U.S. resident to be eligible and the contest ends November 22. We'll select the winners at random, so good luck!

Stream or download today's show after the break!… Read more

How are you celebrating 11/11/11?

One of my proudest moments happened a few years back, when I met Nigel Tufnel's instrument flight case backstage at a Chris Isaak show. For me, 11/11/11 is a day of celebration of Spinal Tap's earnest, but not-too-bright, lead guitarist. He's famous for having a special amp with a volume knob that goes up to 11, one louder than the typical 10.

Tomorrow, I'm turning my amp up to 11 in his honor.

11/11/11 is also the launch day for Motorola's new Droid Razr on Verizon. The Android smartphone will go on sale at 11:11 in the morning. At least you'll never forget the exact moment you bought your new cell phone.… Read more

The 404 944: Where Skyrim? We hardly know him! (podcast)

We predicted that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 release would cause some trouble, but there's three stories in particular we report today that put a dent in Jeff's argument that video games don't cause violence in real life.

If you're looking for a way to distract your kids while you play said games, though, Toys 'R Us is offering an Android tablet made just for kids that can browse the Web, read e-books aloud, among other time-wasters. It can even play 1080p HD video using a dual-core processor and a build-in Wi-Fi antenna.

Other stories leaked from today's podcast episode include Ashton Kutcher finally taking a step back from Twitter, the strange celebrity photos from the SKYRIM launch party, and the start of super-inflated hard drive prices as a result of the floods in Thailand.… Read more

Philips urban beehive is sweet as honey

You wouldn't normally consider keeping a beehive on the second floor of your loft apartment in the middle of the concrete jungle, but Philips' urban beehive concept just might change your mind.

The urban beehive consists of an outside flower pot with a bee entryway above it. A glass container full of honeycomb frames sits on the inside to tempt the little buzzers into making a home.

A pull on the bottom of the hive is a smoke actuator that lets you calm the bees down before you pop off the cover or collect honey. Bees are incredible creatures, but you don't want to piss them off.

The beehive sports a sleek look that will fit right in with your modern sense of style. Philips touts the benefits of pollination, a fresh honey supply, and the educational interest of having a hive at your fingertips.… Read more