season

Did you know that my birthday is on St. Patrick's Day? It is; it's true. And did you know that my favorite iPhone game (though it's on other platforms now) is Angry Birds? Also true. I was hoping that Rovio, makers of the game, would continue the holiday theme it's been on lately with Angry Birds Seasons and publish a St. Pat's version of the game for my birthday. And The Unofficial Apple Weblog says that, according to Rovio CEO Peter Vesterbacka, it's doing just that.

Vesterbacka said the game should be "very … Read more

I'm going to let you all in on a little secret: I love math. It may seem out of character for someone who spends her days manipulating the English language, but there you have it. This is a roundabout way of explaining that I actually enjoy tinkering with budgets, which is why I'm a big fan of the Mint app for Android and iOS.

I know financial software isn't the most titillating subject for most people, but Mint's mobile app is worth a download no matter what your predilections. This handy program lets you track all … Read more

You can thank today's guest Natali Del Morris for the clever show title that incorporates two of Jeff's favorite things: Angry Birds and Hanukkah! Actually, only one of those statements is true.

Topics for today include the arrival of Angry Birds Seasons, Mark Zuckerberg's upcoming interview on "60 Minutes," Michael Jackson's new song release, the top searches in Yahoo Search and Microsoft Bing, a Playboy external hard drive, and a 3D porn channel launching in France. The rundown is packed today, so enjoy the show!

If you're as obsessed with Angry Birds as Wilson, you'll be happy to hear that Rovio, maker of the top-selling smartphone game, plan to release a console version for PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii next year. For non-players like Natali and me, here's the gist: the video game tests your accuracy with a slingshot; it's one of the most popular smartphone games right now, with more than 36 million downloads as of November.

Even better, Rovio will also release Angry Birds 2, a follow-up to the original game that will feature more of the same characters but with even more pigs to shoot with a slingshot. No word on whether Angry Birds will support motion control on those consoles, but if you can't wait another year, the holiday expansion pack titled Angry Birds Seasons is now available for your addiction in the App Store.

It's going to be a lot harder to hide this from your partner/parents/roommates, but imagine holding 56 years of Playboy magazines loaded onto an external hard drive. That won't mean much to the kid with a hundred gigs of bootleg skinema buried in a system sub-folder, but surely some of our listeners remember analog porn and will appreciate the entire Playboy catalog in a 2.5-inch portable enclosure!

And while we're on the subject, you should also check out the FleshDrive, a similar peripheral for the more "selective" consumer, and France's new 3D on-demand porn channel.

Just after the break we wish a very happy birthday to Richard from Atlanta, who sent us this video voice mail!

If you'd like to leave a comment for the show, record a YouTube video and send the link to the404(at)cnet(dot)com! You can also leave an audio-only voicemail at 1-866-404-CNET (2638), or just shoot us a note at the404(at)cnet.com!

Those hoping for an easy, browser-based system to manage TiVo recordings are in luck: a new tool is coming to the DVR maker's Web site.

Dubbed the Season Pass Manager, the new service will let people modify Season Pass recordings from the Web. Season Pass is TiVo's service for recording all new episodes of a TV series. The new tool will let people prioritize their Season Pass recordings, as well as transfer specific recordings from one TiVo box to another on their account. In addition, TiVo owners can delete series from their Season Pass list.

Season Pass Manager … Read more

According to a report by AppleInsider, sources with direct knowledge of Apple's product plans claim that production of a FaceTime-capable iPad could be available in time for the holiday shopping season.

Although Apple has maintained a fairly predictable 12-month release cycle for its mobile devices, the source claims "that as of last month, there was an ambitious push inside Apple to verify the refresh for a possible launch ahead of this year's holiday shopping season.

Typically Apple will release updates to its iPod lineup in September (as we saw last week) and then update its Mac lineup … Read more

We are now in the thick of development season in the TV business.

The process of getting a show on the air resembles a pyramid: it starts with our programming executives meeting with writers, producers, and agents to listen to pitches of new show concepts.

Television is a business of ideas, which makes new show development a thrilling experience; you never know where the next great project will come from, or the indelible mark that a resulting TV series could have on our culture.

Past performance, buzz, and the general zeitgeist all play a role in grabbing early attention. And … Read more

As April 15 approaches, U.S. citizens preparing to file their taxes are susceptible to online scams designed to steal their personal information and, ultimately, their money. Here is a roundup of tips for how people can protect themselves.

First off, the Internal Revenue Service does not initiate taxpayer communications through e-mail, and the agency does not request details on personal information via e-mail. The IRS has detailed information on how to report and identify phishing and e-mail scams and bogus IRS Web sites here. More information about specific tax fraud schemes is here.

Microsoft's Security Tips & Talk blog … Read more

I figured since I'm acting like your grumpy old driver's ed instructor this week regarding how to pioneer your vehicle safely in rough winter weather, today I will present the second installment of the Michelin Tires' series on this subject. Whereas yesterday's video concerned braking techniques when driving in winter weather, today's clip is all about accelerating safely and efficiently on snowy and icy roadways.

Yes, I know a lot of what's covered here may seem like common knowledge to most viewers, the main reason I wanted to post this video is because of its … Read more

In yesterday's video blog, we all got a brief glimpse into the impact good winter-specific tires can make when driving on snow and ice. Today's video from Michelin goes into deeper detail on how good winter tires and proper braking techniques can keep you safer when driving on winter weathered roads.

This demonstration video covers comparisons of braking distance between different tire types, emergency or threshold braking techniques, the difference in braking with ABS, cornering, and everything in between. Once again, even if you think you know everything about how to drive your car in the snow, there … Read more