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How Apple, Microsoft can stop NBC's Olympic contempt

If you watched Ryan Lochte's gold medal-winning swim live, you were in the vast minority. Or you simply don't live in the U.S.

While so many in the world, regardless of what time it was in their parts, watched and enjoyed, Americans could only watch online, and then hope their browsers wouldn't seize up -- a problem reported by readers, and experienced firsthand by yours truly.

Naturally, complaints have rained down on NBC like frogs at the end of "Magnolia."

Those who understand sports and the world have been quick to condemn. The Dallas … Read more

Testing NBC's Olympic live-stream: It works (I think)

I got up early this morning, just to try NBC's Olympics live-stream.

That's a lie. I have jet lag. But NBC's traditionally brilliant coverage would have got me up anyway.

That's something of a lie, too. As my colleague Ben Dreyfuss explained on his deeply engaging Twitter feed: "Bob Costas: Here's Bangladesh, which is just overflowing with terrible athletes! #OpeningCeremonies."

Look, I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd see whether NBC's live-streaming was slightly better than its live, steaming nonsense about not showing the opening ceremony live.

Here's my … Read more

@NBCOlympics: 'Great opening show; too bad you can't see it'

It's something of a tradition for NBC to ensure that the U.S. is even further cut off from reality.

In previous iterations of its Olympics coverage, the network's insistence on refusing to show events live -- favoring instead tape-delayed, saccharine soap opera -- put many people off watching at all.

But not enough people, obviously. NBC seemed to believe that, without competition during the summer viewing season, it could create this false programming and people would watch by default, which quite a few did.

This year promised to be different. Every event was to be live-streamed. Oh, … Read more

World's saddest TV pitchman loses his marketing department

Regular readers -- at least those with a heart -- might remember the saddest man at this year's CES.

He was selling Sharp's televisions. No one was listening. And now I hear of more woes that might impact his performance next year.

For AdAge is reporting that Sharp has eliminated its whole marketing department. Entirely.

There were reportedly 12 people in Sharp's marketing. Now they have been entirely blunted.

Sharp's PR agency offered this commentary to AdAge:

The functions of (Sharp's) Marketing and Communications Department will now be contained within its individual business units. These … Read more

Google's Olympic doodle (with no reference to the Olympics)

I fear that Google might be afraid of being treated like the butcher of Weymouth.

You might not have heard the meat of this, but Dennis Spurr tried to put sausages up in his butcher's shop in Weymouth, England. They were in the shape of the Olympic rings.

The Olympic thought police came and ordered his rings unhung.

I mention this because, in celebration of today's Olympics opening ceremony (no, of course it's not being transmitted live in the U.S., not even online), Google has created a doodle.

It is lovely little thing. But in order … Read more

Passenger films 737 in frightening aborted landing

Some things don't entirely make sense.

Why did a passenger film a plane's landing on what may have been his or her smartphone, when passengers are supposed to have all their gadgets turned off? Well, because people do such things, I suppose.

And why would an airline claim that the very same aborted landing was caused by a mixture of fog and sun turning everything white for the pilot, when the video doesn't seem to show that at all?

I have no answer to that one, but I can, at least present some evidence.

The flight was … Read more

The songs remain the same (but louder), say scientists

It isn't true until the numbers say so.

That is the mantra of the modern world.

So I bring you news that the figures have been counted and the declaration has been made by unimpeachable scientists: pop songs are becoming noisier and increasingly homogenized.

Yes, should you wonder, on hearing a Lady Gaga song: "Gosh, haven't I heard that somewhere before?" you might well have, but this time it's accompanied by a few more decibels.

You might be wondering what sort of scientists have taken time out of their busy schedules to put a number … Read more

Did Chick-fil-A really pretend to be a teenage girl on Facebook?

Never having sampled the product, I am not sure which of one's A's Chick-fil-A is supposed to fill.

However, the company is currently being accused of Class A filling of a slightly misleading sort by those who believe the fast-food chain is pretending to be a teenage girl on Facebook.

The general kerfuffle began when Chick-fil-A's president, Dan Cathy, declared that he supported "the biblical definition of the family unit."

He then went on a radio show and reportedly offered: "I think we are inviting God's judgment on our nation when we shake … Read more

Greece kicks out Olympian for 'contrary' tweets

The Olympic movement will not tolerate politics.

Well, when I say "politics," I mean public political statements that might make things a little embarrassing around Olympics time.

So it is, perhaps, no surprise that Greece has removed champion triple jumper Voula Papachristou from its team, after she mocked African immigrants and retweeted a tweet from right-wing party the Golden Dawn.

I am grateful to Business Insider for offering me a Google translation of her own tweet. It apparently read: "With so many Africans in Greece...At least the mosquitoes of West Nile.. will eat homemade food."… Read more