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Episode 50: EU Fines Microsoft, Zune, Wi-Fi & More!

7/17/2006 6:29:36 PM

Host: Kristin Hatcher
This week we burn through some tech news, including (but not limited to) the EU slaps Microsoft with a ton of fines, the house votes to crack down on internet gambling and it turns out a majority of podcast listeners are Star Trek fans (is that true gang?). Also Microsoft makes an "iPod killer" called the Zune to which we (or at least Kristin) responds with a resounding "meh".

In gaming news we discuss a Sony "anti-used game" patent, inform you that Oblivion has come out with a new expansion pack and laugh at Uwe Boll. No wait, we laugh with him. Yet another console is getting ready to hit the streets and Microsoft's Zune will hook into the 360 but won't play games. Huh?

This is episode 50 folks. A big shout-out to our IRC peeps and all those who post on the forums and give us love. If it wasn't for you we'd...be talking to ourselves. Thank you!

Important Links:
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78 Comments

Segments : Episode 50: Tech Segment Episode 50: Game Segment

Corris

7/17/2006 6:30:44 PM

w00t

Sraf

7/17/2006 6:31:40 PM

Happy 50th!

tehStealth

7/17/2006 6:31:53 PM

Hurrah! Finally...*wipes face of food

and befoe anyone else gets to...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEREK!
http://artpad.art.com/gallery/?j2jvhs1671hs

ellianth

7/17/2006 6:32:00 PM

happy episode 50. Happy birthday derek

klo2k

7/17/2006 6:34:17 PM

Arh right! Sweet 50th!

Sraf

7/17/2006 6:35:43 PM

Happy birthday Derek!

Rick--SA-

7/17/2006 6:44:10 PM

Woot!, Happy 50th ep and of course Happy birthday Derek!

Hugo M

7/17/2006 6:47:18 PM

Yay finally its here!! *removes finger out of F5 key*

Happy Birthday Derek.

And it's going to be the podcast first year in two weeks, how awesome is that?

Anyway, i'm off to listen to the show.

stoomp

7/17/2006 6:53:07 PM

Happy birthday Derek!

Another fab show......yipeeeeeee

Stoo... IRC gimp!

stoomp

7/17/2006 6:57:12 PM

btw... Amiga OS4 is still alive...

See http://os4.hyperion-entertainment.biz/

tehStealth

7/17/2006 8:03:24 PM

No Mac, no Trek, no nike, I really could care less about my shoe brand, it's just a shoe.

If making a vidcast is so hard, just fly me, Corris, Rian, Stoo, and Smackle over there to do your camera work. i'm sure we'd all do it...

With finding podcasts. the 3 main one I listen to (Pu.tv, Engadget, VGDJ) I've all found from their main site (Wincustomize.com, Engadget.com, and Ocremix.org) I really don't go out "looking" for them. If one of my favorite sites starts one, then I'll start listening.

LOL@ringtone incident

And Joel, you forgot to mention the GAMECUBE...and COMMODORE 64...no wait...

I guess I would understand the bi-weekliness...despite me not liking it, but I accept it. But I'm sure you can forsee the potential crazier IRC sessions as people go mad waiting an extra 7 days...

Yay 50th!

ellianth

7/17/2006 9:12:19 PM

first the survey..
mac = no
star trek = yes
nike = shoes are shoes are shoes.

This weeks show as REALLY GOOD!! untill the ending. That goodbye to joel sounded kinda permanent. He's not going to be on the show anymore? Is there going to be a show next week? What am i going to do with those 2 extra mondays now? I feel so lost and i have so meany questions

Which part of the show costs a lot of money, and how much is a lot? Again happy birthday derek, happy 50th putv.

P.S. Derek i was gonna draw you a picture, but how can i compete with what stealth drew?

georgie poorgie puddin pie

7/17/2006 9:44:37 PM

By this post, i would like to show my gratitude, support and total affection towards this podcast. I love you guys, i really do, i mean it ... seriously.

About the whole MS vs EU thing, i don't get it.
I mean, i'm european, and to be honest, don't give a f*ck about what MS puts in their OS. All i care about is that when i buy a computer, it better work. I sure as hell don't wanna spend hours of looking for software on the net, that should have been part of the OS in the first place.

On another note, the European Commission did say (in an interview i saw on tv) that the initial antitrust complaints came from American companies. Not sure if that is true tho, but thats what they said. The only objective the EU has, is protecting the european consumers (isn't that nice of em).

Oh, and about the podcast demographic:
- mac user : yes
- trekkie : eww NO
- nike shoes : nope
so uhm, they're wrong

I download my podcasts via iTMS and at the moment i'm subscribed to 3 podcasts
- Poweruser.tv
- Comedy Central : Stand-Up (video)
- Happy Tree Friends (video)

About the same sex marriage
i live in Belgium, we have gay marriage, adoption for gays couples, ... and look ... we're still alive, we haven't exploded or suddenly become retarded or anything

About the online gambling, i can understand they're trying to protect US citizens, but i mean, come on, we're dealing with adults here, not 5 year olds. I think adults should be able to make their own decisions.

Polygamy, i would never be able to do that, but if you're one of those guys that has too much love, then why not, you know, heh

georgie poorgie puddin pie

7/17/2006 9:49:25 PM

Oh and ... Oprah is not gay Link
(thought you might wanna know)

Thebib62

7/18/2006 12:00:50 AM

This was the 1st audio show i heard from you guys, and i absolutely loved it

, I subscribed to you guys, at www.podcast.yahoo.com. Keep doing more show!

Sraf

7/18/2006 12:21:44 AM

Half as many episodes,

Video episode

Stats:
OS: Vista B2 (It's more useable for me on my Desktop than XP)
Browser: FireFox
Trekker: Up to Voyager
Podcast aggregator: ZENcast
DAP: Zen Vision:M (And lovin' it)
Other PodCasts I listen to: CBC's quirks and Quarks (Radio show cut up and put online, makes me happy since I am never around to hear the show)
CNet Buzz Out Loud
CNet MP3 insider
Used to have RocketBOOM
And The Onging History Of New Music (another radio show cut up and put in a podcast, which is good because I am in the wrong city to listen to it

)

Nike: WTF I don't need that, nor do I want it

Another link for you guys for more info on Zune, if you care (I want to wait and see how it it works, how useable it is, and how nice it is in my hand before I pass judgement, I do think that the "We'll scan your iTunes accound and give you all the music you have there for free on our service" feature is nifty)
http://www.engadget.com/search/?q=Zune

Geckomind

7/18/2006 6:48:29 AM

What a shame... I actually thought the last few episodes were getting better. But I just can't stand listening to this anymore. So I won't.

I mean, Brad, come on! You pretend to be so informed on politics and then you ask what is the difference between Microsoft and Iran? I mean, one is a *sovereign state* that is protected under the UN Charta and the EU regulations and the other is *a private company*. Those are legally two VERY diffrent things, you must know that. Or was all of that a joke? Like the one about Iran's nuclear missiles? If it was, then it was a very bad one. In every episode you label other people's ideas as being "crap", but somehow your own stand above all criticism?

I am only writing this, because you *explicitly requested* listener feedback here. I acknowledge that you can do what you want on *your own podcast*. I just thought I'd let you know that there are people out there that might think different than you and not all of their ideas and beliefs are *crap*, just because they don't fit into your own personal worldview. I mean, I am usually the last to defend the EU. I hate the EU. I told the people in many politics courses on many occasions what a bloated, burocratic mess I think the EU is. Still, when someone like you comes along, who confuses countries and nationalities left and right on the way and is even proud about it, and portraits the perfect stereotype ignorant, self-centered American I always wanted to believe doesn't really exist, even I defend the EU sometimes. You say things like "We coded all the OSes out there, what did Europe do?" and when there's a counter example, you just say "Oh yeah? That country? I like that. Let's just exclude that, shall we?". How arbitrary can it get?

OK now... There you have it. The fanboys can flame me now. Or you just ignore me in your private, little universe. You just lost one unimportant listener today.

superscaper

7/18/2006 8:10:58 AM

Geckomind: I haven't listened to the podcast yet but what has Iran got to do with EU regulations???

superscaper

7/18/2006 8:11:50 AM

Happy 50th btw.

Imperceptible

7/18/2006 8:23:44 AM

Congrats on the 50th episode. Love the show, as well as the humour and especially the rants. Also, No mac (<3 for Microsoft), No Star Trek (Hate it), No Nike (Better things to spend money on)

Keep up the good work! Oh and Happy Birthday Derek.

Geckomind

7/18/2006 9:10:55 AM

"Geckomind: I haven't listened to the podcast yet but what has Iran got to do with EU regulations???"

Well, ask Brad that. He said how come the EU can penalise Microsoft but not Iran. Iran is an independent country with all rights and responsibilities attached to that as layed down in the UN Charta and since the EU has *laws* which state they have to adhere by that and respect the rights of independend states inside and outside of the EU, I see no way in which the EU can fine Iran for alledgedly building nuclear weapons. They could try to legislate an embargo by EU-countries against Iran, but that is on a whole different legal level.

superscaper

7/18/2006 9:21:36 AM

Well in that case all the EU could possibly do is place embargos on trade. Anyway whether Iran is responsible enough to have nuclear weapons or not, we can't really dictate that they shouldn't develop them while at the same time polishing our fine trident missiles.

superscaper

7/18/2006 9:39:28 AM

I've got lots more to say about the more political stuff but I don't think this is the comment forum for that.

I'll only say that the EU is completely incompetant in so many ways that I don't think they should have the power to do anything to corporations, let the individual countries do something if they wish to but I don't see how fining microsoft the way they have is serving the public good at all.

palestinian

7/18/2006 11:08:50 AM

No mac here, just mess with it in vm to be able to support friends with macs

TREKKER, YES !!! I ADORE IT ALL

I wear Nikes......

jamesAntenne

7/18/2006 12:14:23 PM

Chung - chung...

Always love to hear a rant from Brad, but the UK is part of Europe as a continent and the European Union. We've obviously not got the European Constitution or single currency.

I think I commented on this on Neowin, but I think some podcasts from broadcasters still have space. I'd agree completely if every single show out of the BBC's 11 national and 46 local radio stations were made available as a podcast. However, with just a few good Radio 4 shows and ones like Digital Planet from the World Service - which started podcasting when they changed the name and format slightly - I think that's fair. Obviously no adverts or anything, and some of the best correspondants going, they're pretty good. One:click from Radio 1 actually sounds more like a very cool techy/game podcast than a radio show.

The first podcast I downloaded was a commercial one from Virgin - the first from a UK broadcaster I think, and was a daily highlights package of the breakfast show. It introduced "podvertising", apparantly.

Anyway... to answer the question, yes I think I can still find the indie ones. I don't look for them alot, you guys and the Beeb cover everything anyway. But when I look for something, I can normally find it. I don't tend to have time to browse and try all sorts of different ones.

Again, I do agree with Brad though - all the podcasts I listen to in the week, apart from this one, come from the BBC.

Keep up the great work.