The 404 372: Where we don't stop 'till we get enough
We all had busy weekends, especially since it was so sunny in New York, but we wanted to thank our buddy Juan Garzon of MOUSE Squad for inviting us to speak at the first annual Digital Youth Media and Technology Festival on Saturday. We definitely do a lot of damage on The 404, so we felt the need to give something back to some of our younger listeners. Kids can't live on toilet jokes alone, after all. We each had the chance to speak to several groups of young people interested in pursuing a career in technology. Listen in to the first half of the show to hear how we all managed to sneak our way into CNET. Somehow, two years later, we're still here!In usual fashion, Wilson blindsides us with the news that his weekend was spent desperately trying to track down an iPhone 3GS to replace his broken Nokia. You really need to listen to Wilson justify spending money on an iPhone after holding out for two years. Anyway, for some reason, AT&T refuses to do business after 6 p.m. and shuts down all its servers, so two separate Apple stores told him to head over to the 24-hour Apple cube store on Fifth Ave., but the lines ended up being 3 HOURS long! I won't give away what happened, but based on Wilson's prior Apple fandom, I think you guys can predict what he did.All this plus a bunch of awesome Calls From the Public, including several Michael Jackson tributes and a touching story from Jeff about a spinal implant that'll give you a very surprising, very delightful surprise. If you want to hear YOUR voice on The 404, give us a call at 1866-404-CNET! EPISODE 372Download today's podcast Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) |Subscribe in RSS Audio |Subscribe in RSS Video This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlayCNET review of the LG enV3"Transformers 2" blows up the box officeMan "420 friendly" on Craigslist caught by policeFollow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuWilson TangAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff BakalarWilson Tang
Make It Rain- The Love of Money soars to No.1 on iTunes
Make It Rain: The Love of Money soars to No.1 on iTunes
Money, greed, politics, and corruption are apparently appealing to mobile gamers -- at least in the US. A new app called Make It Rain: The Love of Money has gone viral in the past seven days -- hitting the top of iTunes' free charts -- without any promotion from the app's developers. They can't seem to figure it out."We don't know why it's only popular with Americans," Make It Rain lead developer Ari Kardasis said in a statement. "Maybe it's because we only have US currency, or maybe it's because Americans have a love-love relationship with money."Just seven days ago, Make It Rain hadn't even made the Top 200 apps, and now it appears gamers can't get enough. As of Tuesday, the app had nearly 1.9 million users who had played nearly 30 million sessions. The game was created by US-based indie mobile game company Space Inch, which also made Say the Same Thing and Disco Bees.Make It Rain isn't your typical cartoony game, its premise is for players to be as corrupt, crooked, and manipulative as possible in order to make beaucoup virtual money. The game's creators designed it to be a tongue-in-cheek satire about wealth obsession, but it appears to be striking a nerve with players.Related storiesThe search for an awesome Flappy Bird replacement2048 is the new Flappy Bird in so many waysCandy Crush: The one-hit wonder worth billions?"Make It Rain is a lot of fun to play on a superficial level," Space Inch CEO Josh Segall said. "But what makes it particularly fun for players is the concept: you only get insanely rich in the game if you get into insider trading, subprime mortgages, and bribing political officials." Segall is a criminal lawyer for his day job and he even once ran for Congress in 2008. He says that it's a bit unsettling that the game's highest selling in-app purchase is a FBI "bribe pack."The app makes money with ads and by selling virtual items like the FBI bribe pack, which costs 99 cents. For now, Make It Rain is played only with US dollars but the company plans to start adding Euros in the near future.Make It Rain's usage chart over the past month.Space Inch
Money, greed, politics, and corruption are apparently appealing to mobile gamers -- at least in the US. A new app called Make It Rain: The Love of Money has gone viral in the past seven days -- hitting the top of iTunes' free charts -- without any promotion from the app's developers. They can't seem to figure it out."We don't know why it's only popular with Americans," Make It Rain lead developer Ari Kardasis said in a statement. "Maybe it's because we only have US currency, or maybe it's because Americans have a love-love relationship with money."Just seven days ago, Make It Rain hadn't even made the Top 200 apps, and now it appears gamers can't get enough. As of Tuesday, the app had nearly 1.9 million users who had played nearly 30 million sessions. The game was created by US-based indie mobile game company Space Inch, which also made Say the Same Thing and Disco Bees.Make It Rain isn't your typical cartoony game, its premise is for players to be as corrupt, crooked, and manipulative as possible in order to make beaucoup virtual money. The game's creators designed it to be a tongue-in-cheek satire about wealth obsession, but it appears to be striking a nerve with players.Related storiesThe search for an awesome Flappy Bird replacement2048 is the new Flappy Bird in so many waysCandy Crush: The one-hit wonder worth billions?"Make It Rain is a lot of fun to play on a superficial level," Space Inch CEO Josh Segall said. "But what makes it particularly fun for players is the concept: you only get insanely rich in the game if you get into insider trading, subprime mortgages, and bribing political officials." Segall is a criminal lawyer for his day job and he even once ran for Congress in 2008. He says that it's a bit unsettling that the game's highest selling in-app purchase is a FBI "bribe pack."The app makes money with ads and by selling virtual items like the FBI bribe pack, which costs 99 cents. For now, Make It Rain is played only with US dollars but the company plans to start adding Euros in the near future.Make It Rain's usage chart over the past month.Space Inch
Confused about iTunes Match- Apple tries a new explanation
Confused about iTunes Match? Apple tries a new explanation
Hey, iOS users! Are you still scratching your heads over what exactly iTunes Match is supposed to do for you? Apple has done its best to come to your rescue with a new Web page designed to answer your lingering questions about the service.Launched last month, the $24.99-per-year iTunes Match service lets you store your iTunes collection in Apple's cloud-- even content you've ripped from CDs or purchased from other music sites. From the cloud, you can then sync and listen to your music across an array of devices, including an iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Mac, PC, and Apple TV.But there's at least one area of confusion that Apple has attempted to address on its new page: Does iTunes Match stream songs or download them? Well, it depends.iOS devices will start playing songs from iCloud as they download, though they'll also store them locally for you to play without a network connection. PCs and Macs will stream your songs, but you can download them by clicking on the iCloud download button. And Apple TV will only stream your songs.Further, you can store as many as 25,000 songs in iCloud, or more if you buy them from iTunes. But only the tracks you want to play are stored on your device.Related storiesiTunes Match arrives, as does a new Apple board memberHow to use iTunes MatchHow to use iTunes Match to upgrade audio qualityApple also explains that iTunes Match can handle any music format iTunes itself uses, including AAC, MP3, WAV, and AIFF. The service will support up to 10 different devices.You also have the option of downloading and playing music via your 3G connection or only Wi-Fi.And for people who purchased or ripped songs at a low quality, iTunes Match will automatically match your music with a higher-quality 256-Kbps AAC DRM-free format.To learn more about setting up and using iTunes Match, you can check out CNET's helpful how-to guide.
Hey, iOS users! Are you still scratching your heads over what exactly iTunes Match is supposed to do for you? Apple has done its best to come to your rescue with a new Web page designed to answer your lingering questions about the service.Launched last month, the $24.99-per-year iTunes Match service lets you store your iTunes collection in Apple's cloud-- even content you've ripped from CDs or purchased from other music sites. From the cloud, you can then sync and listen to your music across an array of devices, including an iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Mac, PC, and Apple TV.But there's at least one area of confusion that Apple has attempted to address on its new page: Does iTunes Match stream songs or download them? Well, it depends.iOS devices will start playing songs from iCloud as they download, though they'll also store them locally for you to play without a network connection. PCs and Macs will stream your songs, but you can download them by clicking on the iCloud download button. And Apple TV will only stream your songs.Further, you can store as many as 25,000 songs in iCloud, or more if you buy them from iTunes. But only the tracks you want to play are stored on your device.Related storiesiTunes Match arrives, as does a new Apple board memberHow to use iTunes MatchHow to use iTunes Match to upgrade audio qualityApple also explains that iTunes Match can handle any music format iTunes itself uses, including AAC, MP3, WAV, and AIFF. The service will support up to 10 different devices.You also have the option of downloading and playing music via your 3G connection or only Wi-Fi.And for people who purchased or ripped songs at a low quality, iTunes Match will automatically match your music with a higher-quality 256-Kbps AAC DRM-free format.To learn more about setting up and using iTunes Match, you can check out CNET's helpful how-to guide.
Conan O'Brien rips Apple's Final Cut Pro X on show
Conan O'Brien rips Apple's Final Cut Pro X on show
Late-night talk show host Conan O'Brien took time out of his show Thursday to take a crack at Apple's latest video-editing software, which the company released on Tuesday."Apple just released a new version of their famous editing software Final Cut Pro, but apparently it's so different from the last version of Final Cut, video and film editors all over Hollywood are having a hard time adjusting to it," O'Brien said. "Well our editors here at 'Conan' are some of the best in the business. They actually like the new software, in fact they prepared this video statement voicing their support for the new Final Cut Pro." What follows is a video that O'Brien's staff jokes was made with Final Cut Pro X. It contains numerous hiccups, from ill-timed cuts, to problems with audio and video synchronization and color matching, to media showing up as offline.While the joke may be inside baseball to most viewers, it comes at a time when Apple is receiving considerable criticism about the software from longtime Final Cut Pro users due to some of the drastic changes made. Final Cut Pro X represents a complete rewrite, and rethink, of the platform used by what Apple says is about 2 million customers. As a result, many features available in legacy versions of the software have not made the transition, keeping some professional outfits from making the jump.Final Cut Pro X currently sits as the second most popular paid application on Apple's Mac App Store, just behind the company's 99-cent FaceTime application. So far it's amassed more than 900 customer reviews, 421 of which are one star out of five. On Wednesday--the day after the software's release--some reviews briefly disappeared, returning a day later, prompting speculation that Apple was trying to shape perceptions.You can catch the whole segment from O'Brien's show below:(via @1001noisycamera)
Late-night talk show host Conan O'Brien took time out of his show Thursday to take a crack at Apple's latest video-editing software, which the company released on Tuesday."Apple just released a new version of their famous editing software Final Cut Pro, but apparently it's so different from the last version of Final Cut, video and film editors all over Hollywood are having a hard time adjusting to it," O'Brien said. "Well our editors here at 'Conan' are some of the best in the business. They actually like the new software, in fact they prepared this video statement voicing their support for the new Final Cut Pro." What follows is a video that O'Brien's staff jokes was made with Final Cut Pro X. It contains numerous hiccups, from ill-timed cuts, to problems with audio and video synchronization and color matching, to media showing up as offline.While the joke may be inside baseball to most viewers, it comes at a time when Apple is receiving considerable criticism about the software from longtime Final Cut Pro users due to some of the drastic changes made. Final Cut Pro X represents a complete rewrite, and rethink, of the platform used by what Apple says is about 2 million customers. As a result, many features available in legacy versions of the software have not made the transition, keeping some professional outfits from making the jump.Final Cut Pro X currently sits as the second most popular paid application on Apple's Mac App Store, just behind the company's 99-cent FaceTime application. So far it's amassed more than 900 customer reviews, 421 of which are one star out of five. On Wednesday--the day after the software's release--some reviews briefly disappeared, returning a day later, prompting speculation that Apple was trying to shape perceptions.You can catch the whole segment from O'Brien's show below:(via @1001noisycamera)
ComScore- Verizon iPhone was top phone in Feb.
ComScore: Verizon iPhone was top phone in Feb.
A new report from analyst ComScore says that the Verizon iPhone was the "most acquired" handset during the month of February. ComScore's sampling, which consisted of more than 30,000 U.S. mobile subscribers, notes that the surge of handset buyers responding to the phone's launch earlier this year helped give Apple the strongest gain of market share in the OEM category. That gain amounts to an additional 0.9 percent between November 2010 and the end of February 2011.Nonetheless, Apple remains below competitors at 7.5 percent overall in terms of OEM market share. Leading the way is Samsung at 24.8 percent, followed by LG at 20.9 percent, Motorola at 16.1 percent, and Research in Motion at 8.6 percent. Breaking down the platforms running on those devices, ComScore has Google's Android topping the charts at 33 percent, growing an impressive 7 percent in that three-month period. Google is trailed by RIM at 28.9 percent, which ComScore says dropped 4.6 percent. Coming in at third place is Apple at 25.2 percent, gaining 0.2 percent. Both Microsoft and Palm saw drops of just more than 1 percent, bringing Microsoft down to 7.7 percent and Palm at 2.8 percent. One other tidbit from the report notes that users are increasingly accessing social-networking sites, downloading apps, and using their phones' Web browsers, with gains in all three of those categories topping 3 percent. The firm also says that 68.8 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers text message with their phones, which was up just 1.7 percent compared to November's numbers.
A new report from analyst ComScore says that the Verizon iPhone was the "most acquired" handset during the month of February. ComScore's sampling, which consisted of more than 30,000 U.S. mobile subscribers, notes that the surge of handset buyers responding to the phone's launch earlier this year helped give Apple the strongest gain of market share in the OEM category. That gain amounts to an additional 0.9 percent between November 2010 and the end of February 2011.Nonetheless, Apple remains below competitors at 7.5 percent overall in terms of OEM market share. Leading the way is Samsung at 24.8 percent, followed by LG at 20.9 percent, Motorola at 16.1 percent, and Research in Motion at 8.6 percent. Breaking down the platforms running on those devices, ComScore has Google's Android topping the charts at 33 percent, growing an impressive 7 percent in that three-month period. Google is trailed by RIM at 28.9 percent, which ComScore says dropped 4.6 percent. Coming in at third place is Apple at 25.2 percent, gaining 0.2 percent. Both Microsoft and Palm saw drops of just more than 1 percent, bringing Microsoft down to 7.7 percent and Palm at 2.8 percent. One other tidbit from the report notes that users are increasingly accessing social-networking sites, downloading apps, and using their phones' Web browsers, with gains in all three of those categories topping 3 percent. The firm also says that 68.8 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers text message with their phones, which was up just 1.7 percent compared to November's numbers.
Communist Chinese media mouthpiece bashes Apple again
Communist Chinese media mouthpiece bashes Apple again
Three's usually a charm -- but not when you're talking about the government of China and Apple. For the third day running, the country's state-controlled media has taken a swipe at Apple, ostensibly over its warranty policy. The Wall Street Journal refers to an article in the People's Daily, which describes Apple's defense of its policy as "arrogant." While that description might not shock people who follow the company closely, it's unclear why the official state organs have decided to cuff Apple around.Under the heading "Apple unmoved by repairs complaints" in its March 26 edition, the People's Daily complains that Apple's "Chinese consumers are being given a rough ride" when it comes to dealing with the company's repairs and warranty policies.In China, consumers can have the electronics replaced but not the outer-casing. Some think that's unfair. In an announcement on its website on Saturday, Apple denied discriminatory practice in China. But the company didn't refer to the specific allegations over the non-replacement of the outer casing.According to The Wall Street Journal's dispatch, the financial magazine Caijing followed up on the People's Daily piece with its query:Playing on the title of the People's Daily article -- "Smash Apple's 'Incomparable' Arrogance" -- Caijing wrote on its account early Wednesday morning: "As a consumer, which arrogant company or companies do you want to smash? Please give specific names so that we can announce a top 10."Meanwhile, Apple has been on a nonstop tear in China. During the company's first fiscal quarter of 2013, the Greater China region's quarterly rose to $6.83 billion from $4.08 billion a year earlier. Indeed, China, which is Apple's fastest-growing region, accounted for 15 percent of the company's revenue last quarter.
Three's usually a charm -- but not when you're talking about the government of China and Apple. For the third day running, the country's state-controlled media has taken a swipe at Apple, ostensibly over its warranty policy. The Wall Street Journal refers to an article in the People's Daily, which describes Apple's defense of its policy as "arrogant." While that description might not shock people who follow the company closely, it's unclear why the official state organs have decided to cuff Apple around.Under the heading "Apple unmoved by repairs complaints" in its March 26 edition, the People's Daily complains that Apple's "Chinese consumers are being given a rough ride" when it comes to dealing with the company's repairs and warranty policies.In China, consumers can have the electronics replaced but not the outer-casing. Some think that's unfair. In an announcement on its website on Saturday, Apple denied discriminatory practice in China. But the company didn't refer to the specific allegations over the non-replacement of the outer casing.According to The Wall Street Journal's dispatch, the financial magazine Caijing followed up on the People's Daily piece with its query:Playing on the title of the People's Daily article -- "Smash Apple's 'Incomparable' Arrogance" -- Caijing wrote on its account early Wednesday morning: "As a consumer, which arrogant company or companies do you want to smash? Please give specific names so that we can announce a top 10."Meanwhile, Apple has been on a nonstop tear in China. During the company's first fiscal quarter of 2013, the Greater China region's quarterly rose to $6.83 billion from $4.08 billion a year earlier. Indeed, China, which is Apple's fastest-growing region, accounted for 15 percent of the company's revenue last quarter.
Coming soon to air travel- the iPad
Coming soon to air travel: the iPad
Bluebox Avionics, a company that offers in-flight entertainment products to airlines, said this week that it will start delivering its service on Apple's iPad in July.Dubbed Bluebox Ai, the company's in-flight entertainment will run on iPads given to travelers to use while on the plane. Through iPads with Bluebox Ai, passengers can watch "first-run" movies, play games, read e-books and magazines, and even gamble in an in-flight casino. They can also access Apple's App Store and download any of the more than 200,000 apps available, Bluebox asserts on its product page.Bluebox Avionics is marketing Bluebox Ai to airlines. Although details are scant, the company apparently wants airlines to offer Bluebox Ai-equipped iPads during flight to travelers. They are meant to replace typical in-flight entertainment systems that force travelers to watch a movie chosen by the airline on a screen either on the seat in front of them or overhead.Although the iPad is the flashy part of Bluebox Avionics' new service, it is the software running on the iPad that airlines would covet. The service streams content wirelessly to the iPad based on what the traveler chooses to view. Bluebox also points out that its software comes bundled with security that will allow travelers to view content throughout the flight, rather than at specified times when using electronic devices is allowed.Bluebox Ai for the iPad will be rolled out in July. So far, Bluebox has inked a deal with an international airline, though it wouldn't divulge the name. It hopes to bring its Bluebox Ai-equipped iPads to more airlines in the future.
Bluebox Avionics, a company that offers in-flight entertainment products to airlines, said this week that it will start delivering its service on Apple's iPad in July.Dubbed Bluebox Ai, the company's in-flight entertainment will run on iPads given to travelers to use while on the plane. Through iPads with Bluebox Ai, passengers can watch "first-run" movies, play games, read e-books and magazines, and even gamble in an in-flight casino. They can also access Apple's App Store and download any of the more than 200,000 apps available, Bluebox asserts on its product page.Bluebox Avionics is marketing Bluebox Ai to airlines. Although details are scant, the company apparently wants airlines to offer Bluebox Ai-equipped iPads during flight to travelers. They are meant to replace typical in-flight entertainment systems that force travelers to watch a movie chosen by the airline on a screen either on the seat in front of them or overhead.Although the iPad is the flashy part of Bluebox Avionics' new service, it is the software running on the iPad that airlines would covet. The service streams content wirelessly to the iPad based on what the traveler chooses to view. Bluebox also points out that its software comes bundled with security that will allow travelers to view content throughout the flight, rather than at specified times when using electronic devices is allowed.Bluebox Ai for the iPad will be rolled out in July. So far, Bluebox has inked a deal with an international airline, though it wouldn't divulge the name. It hopes to bring its Bluebox Ai-equipped iPads to more airlines in the future.
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