oprah

Can Howard Stern save Sirius XM?

No matter how you look at it, Sirius XM Satellite Radio is in sad shape. The stock has been stuck around 11 cents for months, and now there's talk about bankruptcy.

I don't get it, the satellite company claims 19 million subscribers, and if they were paying the same rate as I do, $12.95 a month, that works out to close to $3 billion a year in income. They also have ads on all the nonmusic channels, which have to be generating income as well. Oh, wouldn't you think the ads on Howard Stern's show … Read more

The 404 265: Where there's a gateway out that's not too rough

Sun leen fai lok! For all you non-Chinese speakers out there, that's "Happy New Year" in Chinese--go hug something yellow. We kick off the Year of the Ox with a ban on Jeff's Engrish impressions and cruise through a few No Duh stories from the Internet. Turns out alcohol has a hand in unwanted sex and gamers are antisocial!? Whodathunk?

To celebrate the Chinese lunar Year of the Ox, Wilson and I pull Jeff through another show. Ohhhhh. Just kidding, we give Jeff a hall pass and explain a few things about the new year customs. … Read more

Celebrities are not very bright, suggest scientists

We live in times when celebrities become mayors, governors, even presidents. They use their good looks and power to speak out about all the important things in the world. Like cancer. And fur.

Which is, perhaps, why Sense About Science, an organization that exists to give a little scientific perspective in the midst of our madness, has published the Celebrities and Science Review 2008.

This delightfully downloadable pdf shows celebrities for what they really are: somewhat deficient. Scientifically speaking.

The report barely conceals its glee at what it sees as some of the magnificent nonsense that has emerged from celebrity … Read more

Kindle: Great gift for Washington's Birthday?

As reported by The Wall Street Journal this week, Amazon.com's e-book reader, the Kindle, is out of stock.

The Journal credits Oprah Winfrey, who recommended the Kindle on her show in October.

I saw this effect myself in the page views for old blog posts here--the daily view count for some of my old Kindle posts, especially my comparison of the Kindle with Sony's Reader, spiked the very next day, and it remains higher today than it was before that show aired.

Amazon's Web site reports delivery delays of 11 weeks to 13 weeks, which means … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 839: Is 12 inches too big?

What? What's wrong with you people? We're talking about Netbooks. Dell has a new "Mini" Note, but it's a 12-inch laptop. So, the question is: what is going on in the Netbook world these days? Also, the Internet makes you both smarter AND dumber, Google Earth shows up for iPhone, and Oprah gives out a Kindle discount. And Natali and Molly love Oprah. Deal with it.

Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 839

Sling.com launch http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/10/26/slingcom-to-launch-on-november-10/

Google Earth for iPhone/Touch http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10075543-37.html … Read more

What impact did Oprah have on Kindle?

LOS ANGELES--I'm guessing that Oprah Winfrey helped boost Kindle sales over the weekend after giving a glowing review of the device on her TV show Friday. I'll also give odds that her endorsement pays off big for Amazon in the future.

On Friday, Winfrey, a daytime TV fixture for decades and one of the richest women in the world, dedicated a significant part of her TV show to recommending the Kindle, Amazon.com's digital-book reader. An ebullient Winfrey called the e-reader "life changing" and her "new favorite device."

Winfrey's recommendations of book … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 838: Hot troll-on-troll action

On today's show, it appears that the person who caused Apple's stock to drop like a stone on reports of a Steve Jobs heart attack was just "doing it for the lulz." So, he didn't even short-sell the stock? Wow. Stupid trolls. Also, Oprah declares the Amazon Kindle her most favoritest gadget of all time. Wow. Kindle for President?

Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 838

Report: Teen planted fake story about Steve Jobs http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10074401-37.html

Will the Kindle Get an Oprah Bump? http://www.nytimes.com/external/gigaom/2008/10/24/24gigaom-will-the-kindle-get-an-oprah-bump-26376.html… Read more

Will Kindle sales spike because of 'Oprah effect'?

Oprah Winfrey, the empress of taste makers, is about to anoint the Kindle.

Oprah, who became a force in book publishing in the mid 1990s when she began recommending her favorite titles on her TV show, said during Friday's broadcast that the Kindle, Amazon.com's electronic book reader is her "new favorite gadget." She also called the device "life changing."

There's nobody in publishing who hasn't heard of the "Oprah effect." This is the term given to how the daytime TV star's recommendations can send book sales soaring. She … Read more

The 404 123: Where DUCK! It's a defective thong!

Would you believe that the 404 gets a little serious on today's show? We push the buttons of the Texas Republican convention, pick apart militant veganism, complain about the PS3, and blow off Jeff's bout with Empathy Deficit Disorder. Don't worry though, it's not all serious--we also introduce a ridiculous new segment in the second half of the show. EPISODE 123 Download today's podcast