The 404 454: Where this is not really an Asian podcast
On today's show, we recant what we said about Sony yesterday.The company managed to botch up a feature that would have leveled the playing field with the Xbox 360.For those of you who didn't listen, Sony and Netflix announced the arrival of streaming on the console. Sounds great?Not so fast.Apparently, you'll need to plug in a BD-Live disc every time you want to watch Netflix.We know it's only temporary, but come on! It's accessible from the dashboard on the Xbox 360, and you don't need no stinkin' disc.Audio Draft Pick: RancidWikipediaIt's Jeff's pick today for the Audio Draft, and while traditionally we usually pick smaller bands or unknown acts, Jeff has decided to go the other way and picked Rancid.They've been around for a while, and released a couple of albums.According to Mr. Bakalar, their latest is turning heads.We play "The Bravest Kids" and "L.A. River" from their latest album.Stay tuned for the last Audio Draft pick of the month on Friday from Wilson!It won't be country music this time.To round out the show, we talk talk a little bit about Droid from Verizon, the company's first Google Android phone.Wilson still thinks the phone is a pretty ugly design, but that it may change the market around considering it's the first non-BlackBerry-Storm smartphone on the network.Still, Apple seems to be the one still innovating in the smart phone market.In other news today, Kenley tells us that it's the 15th anniversary of the birth of Internet advertising.That's right on October 27th, 1994, Hot Wired ran the world's first banner ad, and surprisingly, it was pretty effective!Mark gets excited about the Tekken 6, while Wilson can't really tell the difference between Tekken 5 or Tekken 6.Jeff adds snidely, "Tekken 4."Think it's hot that Kenley likes to watch guys play videogames?Well send her a message as usual through voice mail at 1-866-404-CNET (2638).EPISODE 454PodcastYour browser does not support the audio element. 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.PlayFollow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuWilson TangKenley BradstreetAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff BakalarWilson Tang
MP3 Mailbox Monday
MP3 Mailbox Monday
A: Unfortunately, not many MP3 players are compatible with Linux, and perhaps even fewer use hard-drive-based memory nowadays--the iPod Classic is one of the few ultra-high-capacity players on the market today. Still, there are some worthwhile choices for those who use the Linux OS. The first brand to look to is Cowon. Based on your list of wants, I would go with the Cowon D2, which has a 2.5-inch touchscreen, a compact design, and a hugely impressive 50 hour battery life for audio. Its sound quality is noticeably superior to that of the iPod, and it has a nice, solid feel to it. There are two minor drawbacks to this player. First, it only goes up to 8GB, but it also has an SD card slot that allows for memory expansion. Also, the interface isn't as "friendly" as that of the iPod, but that's going to be a hard feature to match in a Linux-compatible device. Another option is the TrekStor Vibez, which offers up to 12GB internal memory and a 22.5-hour battery life. The 1.5-inch screen probably won't satisfy your eyes, though.Q: I use SanDisk flash-based MP3 players and like simple software for managing my CNET podcasts. Juice has been great for Windows XP, but I need a recommendation for Windows Vista. I don't want/need iTunes nor want to deal with the Zune software digital rights. So is there anything small and sleek for Vista you can suggest? -- Chris, via e-mailA: We don't use Vista yet here in the office, so I don't have a lot of personal experience with that operating system or the software that works on it, but I found a couple of potential programs by scouring forums. The first is Miro, which looks to have a nice, user-friendly interface and a lot of features, but it appears that it may be a bit more than what you are looking for. The other is Feedreader, which seems to be more simple and perhaps a lighter program. It states "Windows 2000 and newer" in the requirements, which may or may not include Vista.
A: Unfortunately, not many MP3 players are compatible with Linux, and perhaps even fewer use hard-drive-based memory nowadays--the iPod Classic is one of the few ultra-high-capacity players on the market today. Still, there are some worthwhile choices for those who use the Linux OS. The first brand to look to is Cowon. Based on your list of wants, I would go with the Cowon D2, which has a 2.5-inch touchscreen, a compact design, and a hugely impressive 50 hour battery life for audio. Its sound quality is noticeably superior to that of the iPod, and it has a nice, solid feel to it. There are two minor drawbacks to this player. First, it only goes up to 8GB, but it also has an SD card slot that allows for memory expansion. Also, the interface isn't as "friendly" as that of the iPod, but that's going to be a hard feature to match in a Linux-compatible device. Another option is the TrekStor Vibez, which offers up to 12GB internal memory and a 22.5-hour battery life. The 1.5-inch screen probably won't satisfy your eyes, though.Q: I use SanDisk flash-based MP3 players and like simple software for managing my CNET podcasts. Juice has been great for Windows XP, but I need a recommendation for Windows Vista. I don't want/need iTunes nor want to deal with the Zune software digital rights. So is there anything small and sleek for Vista you can suggest? -- Chris, via e-mailA: We don't use Vista yet here in the office, so I don't have a lot of personal experience with that operating system or the software that works on it, but I found a couple of potential programs by scouring forums. The first is Miro, which looks to have a nice, user-friendly interface and a lot of features, but it appears that it may be a bit more than what you are looking for. The other is Feedreader, which seems to be more simple and perhaps a lighter program. It states "Windows 2000 and newer" in the requirements, which may or may not include Vista.
Get Skip Tunes' play controls back in the menu bar
Get Skip Tunes' play controls back in the menu bar
I finally got around to updating Skip Tunes this week (unbeknownst to me, the update was released months ago) and discovered that the play/pause and fast forward buttons disappeared from the menu bar. Now, instead of one click to pause or skip to the next track, it took two: one to open the Skip Tunes window from the menu bar and a second to then pause or skip. (Granted, the controls could have been hidden by default in the previous version I have been using, but it's been so long since I installed the app, I can't remember. I just know that I was initially scared that, by updating the app, I had gotten rid of them in the process.)Thankfully, there is a way in settings to show these controls in the menu bar. To do so, click on the Skip Tunes icon in the menu bar to open the window. Mouse over the album art to show the play controls in this window. Next, click the settings button and choose Preferences.Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNETFrom the Preferences window, check the box at the top for Display controls in menu bar. Now, next to the music-note icon for Skip Tunes in the menu bar, you'll see a play/pause button and another to skip to the next track. If you are new to the app, then I should point out that you can choose the default music app from the settings drop-down menu: iTunes, Rdio, or Spotify. This means that if you have more than one of these apps open, Skip Tunes will let you control the app you selected as the default. Otherwise, it will let you control any of the three if it's the only one running. In related news, Skip Tunes now provides a shuffle button. Play/pause and skip forward buttons back in their rightful and useful place in the menu bar.Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNETLastly, the price has gone up from 99 cents from when I first found it to $2.99. The update for previous users, of course, is free. To get a sense of Skip Tunes in action before making a purchase decision, I submit to you a video from the developer:
I finally got around to updating Skip Tunes this week (unbeknownst to me, the update was released months ago) and discovered that the play/pause and fast forward buttons disappeared from the menu bar. Now, instead of one click to pause or skip to the next track, it took two: one to open the Skip Tunes window from the menu bar and a second to then pause or skip. (Granted, the controls could have been hidden by default in the previous version I have been using, but it's been so long since I installed the app, I can't remember. I just know that I was initially scared that, by updating the app, I had gotten rid of them in the process.)Thankfully, there is a way in settings to show these controls in the menu bar. To do so, click on the Skip Tunes icon in the menu bar to open the window. Mouse over the album art to show the play controls in this window. Next, click the settings button and choose Preferences.Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNETFrom the Preferences window, check the box at the top for Display controls in menu bar. Now, next to the music-note icon for Skip Tunes in the menu bar, you'll see a play/pause button and another to skip to the next track. If you are new to the app, then I should point out that you can choose the default music app from the settings drop-down menu: iTunes, Rdio, or Spotify. This means that if you have more than one of these apps open, Skip Tunes will let you control the app you selected as the default. Otherwise, it will let you control any of the three if it's the only one running. In related news, Skip Tunes now provides a shuffle button. Play/pause and skip forward buttons back in their rightful and useful place in the menu bar.Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNETLastly, the price has gone up from 99 cents from when I first found it to $2.99. The update for previous users, of course, is free. To get a sense of Skip Tunes in action before making a purchase decision, I submit to you a video from the developer:
Get over 100 free songs from Google Music
Get over 100 free songs from Google Music
Usually when I see the words "free music," I expect a smattering of indie tracks from artists I've never heard of. And that's exactly what I expected from Google Music's free songs promotion on Android Market.Boy, was I wrong.Google Music is giving away more than 100 tunes from the likes of Kelly Clarkson, Joss Stone, Busta Rhymes, Modest Mouse, John Mayer, Elvis Presley, and Kenny Chesney.Don't have an Android smartphone or tablet? No problem. As long as you have a Google Music account, you can download all the tracks you want.The songs are divided into four categories: country, pop/hip-hop, rock, and a free songs sampler. There's about 150 tracks between them, but because there's some overlap, the total is closer to 100.Want to listen to a song before "buying" it? Just click the play button that appears when you mouse over the track number. If you decide to keep it, click the Free button, then follow the prompts.Alas, there's no way to grab all the songs in one fell swoop; you have to "buy" them individually, one at a time. Each time you do, the song gets added to your Google Music library, where you can listen to it in your browser or on your Android smartphone or tablet. You also have the option of downloading it to your PC (where you can add it to, say, iTunes).I'm not sure how long Google's planning to run this promotion, but the good news is that whatever songs you add to your Google Music library are yours to keep forever.So, what's worth getting? My top picks: "Let It Be" by Bill Withers, "Wonderwall" by Oasis, "Superman (It's Not Easy)" by Five for Fighting, and "Shining Star" by Earth, Wind, and Fire. (Yeah, I have eclectic tastes.) Hit the comments and let me know which freebies you're grooving to.
Usually when I see the words "free music," I expect a smattering of indie tracks from artists I've never heard of. And that's exactly what I expected from Google Music's free songs promotion on Android Market.Boy, was I wrong.Google Music is giving away more than 100 tunes from the likes of Kelly Clarkson, Joss Stone, Busta Rhymes, Modest Mouse, John Mayer, Elvis Presley, and Kenny Chesney.Don't have an Android smartphone or tablet? No problem. As long as you have a Google Music account, you can download all the tracks you want.The songs are divided into four categories: country, pop/hip-hop, rock, and a free songs sampler. There's about 150 tracks between them, but because there's some overlap, the total is closer to 100.Want to listen to a song before "buying" it? Just click the play button that appears when you mouse over the track number. If you decide to keep it, click the Free button, then follow the prompts.Alas, there's no way to grab all the songs in one fell swoop; you have to "buy" them individually, one at a time. Each time you do, the song gets added to your Google Music library, where you can listen to it in your browser or on your Android smartphone or tablet. You also have the option of downloading it to your PC (where you can add it to, say, iTunes).I'm not sure how long Google's planning to run this promotion, but the good news is that whatever songs you add to your Google Music library are yours to keep forever.So, what's worth getting? My top picks: "Let It Be" by Bill Withers, "Wonderwall" by Oasis, "Superman (It's Not Easy)" by Five for Fighting, and "Shining Star" by Earth, Wind, and Fire. (Yeah, I have eclectic tastes.) Hit the comments and let me know which freebies you're grooving to.
iOS ups lead over Android in Web traffic, says analyst
iOS ups lead over Android in Web traffic, says analyst
Android may be the smartphone champ, but Apple's iOS is tops in mobile Web traffic, at least according to a report out today from analyst Gene Munster.For the second month in a row, iOS held the lead over its rival as a source of mobile traffic, meaning that more iOS devices were tracked on the Web sites examined in the report. For April, iOS captured 69 percent of all the traffic analyzed by Piper Jaffray, leaving Android in second place with 26.5 percent.Those numbers showed an increase from March when iOS accounted for 66.4 percent and Android for 28.7 percent.So if Android is the dominant smartphone platform, why does iOS surpass it in Web traffic? Munster offered three possible reasons.First, the report covered just the United States. With the iPhone winning 80 percent of all smartphone sales at AT&T and just under 60 percent at Verizon last quarter, the analyst considers iOS the most popular smartphone platform in the U.S.Second, Munster believes that iOS users are more "engaged" with their phones than are Android users on a daily basis.Third, the report encompassed both smartphones and tablets. Munster thinks that tablets yield more Web traffic than do smartphones. As such, the iPad's chunk of mobile Web traffic is greater than that of all Android tablets.The data hardly offers a full picture of overall Web traffic. The report itself looked at just 10 of the top 100 mobile Web sites, which included Answers.com, Tumblr, ChaCha, Examiner, LinkedIn, Bleacher Report, Hubpages, White Pages, Squidoo, and Dictionary.com.Still, other reports have uncovered similar results. A December report from Web analytics firm Chitika pegged iOS's share of mobile traffic at 67 percent and Android's at 33 percent.
Android may be the smartphone champ, but Apple's iOS is tops in mobile Web traffic, at least according to a report out today from analyst Gene Munster.For the second month in a row, iOS held the lead over its rival as a source of mobile traffic, meaning that more iOS devices were tracked on the Web sites examined in the report. For April, iOS captured 69 percent of all the traffic analyzed by Piper Jaffray, leaving Android in second place with 26.5 percent.Those numbers showed an increase from March when iOS accounted for 66.4 percent and Android for 28.7 percent.So if Android is the dominant smartphone platform, why does iOS surpass it in Web traffic? Munster offered three possible reasons.First, the report covered just the United States. With the iPhone winning 80 percent of all smartphone sales at AT&T and just under 60 percent at Verizon last quarter, the analyst considers iOS the most popular smartphone platform in the U.S.Second, Munster believes that iOS users are more "engaged" with their phones than are Android users on a daily basis.Third, the report encompassed both smartphones and tablets. Munster thinks that tablets yield more Web traffic than do smartphones. As such, the iPad's chunk of mobile Web traffic is greater than that of all Android tablets.The data hardly offers a full picture of overall Web traffic. The report itself looked at just 10 of the top 100 mobile Web sites, which included Answers.com, Tumblr, ChaCha, Examiner, LinkedIn, Bleacher Report, Hubpages, White Pages, Squidoo, and Dictionary.com.Still, other reports have uncovered similar results. A December report from Web analytics firm Chitika pegged iOS's share of mobile traffic at 67 percent and Android's at 33 percent.
iOS continues to top Android in mobile Web traffic
iOS continues to top Android in mobile Web traffic
Android holds the dominant market share in the U.S., but Apple's iOS is tops at generating mobile Web traffic, according to Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster.Tracking data across 70 different mobile Web site, Munster's team found that iOS's slice of traffic rose 2.6 percent over the past four weeks, giving it a 63 percent share. Over the same time, Android's cut rose 0.2 percent to give it a 28 percent share.In an investors note released Monday, the analyst cited three reasons why he thinks Apple leads in mobile traffic.Pointing to iOS's 80 percent share of smartphone sales in the first quarter through AT&T and 50 percent in the second quarter via Verizon, Munster said he believes iOS is the most popular smartphone platform in the U.S.The analyst also feels that iOS users are "more engaged" with their phones than are Android users. Finally, iOS's share is boosted by tablets, which are likely to snag more Web traffic than do smartphones, says Munster. And Apple's iPad still holds the market lead over Android tablets.So, is iOS now the most popular smartphone platform in the U.S.? Not according to other research reports, at least the latest ones available.Android won 52 percent of all U.S. smartphone sales from March through April, Kantar Worldpanel ComTech said on July 8. Over the same time, iOS earned 41.9 percent of those sales. For the three months ending May, ComScore pegged Android with a 52 percent market share and iOS with 39 percent.
Android holds the dominant market share in the U.S., but Apple's iOS is tops at generating mobile Web traffic, according to Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster.Tracking data across 70 different mobile Web site, Munster's team found that iOS's slice of traffic rose 2.6 percent over the past four weeks, giving it a 63 percent share. Over the same time, Android's cut rose 0.2 percent to give it a 28 percent share.In an investors note released Monday, the analyst cited three reasons why he thinks Apple leads in mobile traffic.Pointing to iOS's 80 percent share of smartphone sales in the first quarter through AT&T and 50 percent in the second quarter via Verizon, Munster said he believes iOS is the most popular smartphone platform in the U.S.The analyst also feels that iOS users are "more engaged" with their phones than are Android users. Finally, iOS's share is boosted by tablets, which are likely to snag more Web traffic than do smartphones, says Munster. And Apple's iPad still holds the market lead over Android tablets.So, is iOS now the most popular smartphone platform in the U.S.? Not according to other research reports, at least the latest ones available.Android won 52 percent of all U.S. smartphone sales from March through April, Kantar Worldpanel ComTech said on July 8. Over the same time, iOS earned 41.9 percent of those sales. For the three months ending May, ComScore pegged Android with a 52 percent market share and iOS with 39 percent.
iOS 7.1.1 untethered jailbreak revealed in new video
iOS 7.1.1 untethered jailbreak revealed in new video
The latest version of Apple's iOS has successfully been jailbroken, as seen in a new video that surfaced on Wednesday.Popping up on YouTube, a new video posted by iPhone security expert Stefan Esser (aka i0n1c) takes us on a tour of an iPhone 5C running iOS 7.1.1 as he taps into various iOS apps and features. The tour includes a trip to the Cydia suite, which jailbreakers use to tweak their device and download apps not available through or approved by Apple.Esser then goes on to shut down and power up the phone, after which he's still able to access Cydia, evidence that the jailbreak is untethered and still in full force after restarting the device. Jailbreaking an iPhone 5C shows that the process works on one of Apple's latest phones.Video proof of an iOS 7.1.1 jailbreak actually surfaced a few days ago, as reported by Redmond Pie. Fellow iPhone security expert and hacker "winocm" posted a video demoing an untethered jailbreak of an iPhone 4 last Saturday.In just a few months, though, iOS hackers will likely turn their attention away from iOS 7 and toward iOS 8. Apple is expected to take the wraps off the upcoming new version of iOS at its Worldwide Developers Conference on June 2. Assuming Apple follows the same pattern as last year, we should see iOS 8 roll out in September.Apple is hardly a fan of jailbreaking and has warned users that the practice violates the end-user license. But the company apparently is a fan of some of the talent behind jailbreaking. Hacker winocm has reportedly landed a job with Apple to start later this year, Cult of Mac and other sites said in February.(Via Redmond Pie)
The latest version of Apple's iOS has successfully been jailbroken, as seen in a new video that surfaced on Wednesday.Popping up on YouTube, a new video posted by iPhone security expert Stefan Esser (aka i0n1c) takes us on a tour of an iPhone 5C running iOS 7.1.1 as he taps into various iOS apps and features. The tour includes a trip to the Cydia suite, which jailbreakers use to tweak their device and download apps not available through or approved by Apple.Esser then goes on to shut down and power up the phone, after which he's still able to access Cydia, evidence that the jailbreak is untethered and still in full force after restarting the device. Jailbreaking an iPhone 5C shows that the process works on one of Apple's latest phones.Video proof of an iOS 7.1.1 jailbreak actually surfaced a few days ago, as reported by Redmond Pie. Fellow iPhone security expert and hacker "winocm" posted a video demoing an untethered jailbreak of an iPhone 4 last Saturday.In just a few months, though, iOS hackers will likely turn their attention away from iOS 7 and toward iOS 8. Apple is expected to take the wraps off the upcoming new version of iOS at its Worldwide Developers Conference on June 2. Assuming Apple follows the same pattern as last year, we should see iOS 8 roll out in September.Apple is hardly a fan of jailbreaking and has warned users that the practice violates the end-user license. But the company apparently is a fan of some of the talent behind jailbreaking. Hacker winocm has reportedly landed a job with Apple to start later this year, Cult of Mac and other sites said in February.(Via Redmond Pie)
iOS 7, OS X banners spotted at WWDC preshow setup
iOS 7, OS X banners spotted at WWDC preshow setup
In case it wasn't clear that Apple planned to show off the next major version of iOS and OS X at next week's WWDC, there are now banners for both.Spotted by MacStories on Friday, a very simple and minimal banner with colored "7" on it set against what looks much like the dotted aluminum found on the Mac Pro tower. Apple later put up one for OS X, which simply says "X" with a wave on it. Apple typically keeps some banners hidden ahead of official announcements at WWDC, though had ones for major new versions of iOS and iCloud in recent years.9to5Mac has also posted a handful of better photos of the banners, which have gone up in the entry area to Moscone West:9to5Mac / Andrew Stern9to5MacApple began decorating the venue for next week's show on Wednesday, wrapping the outside of the three story building with enormous Apple logos, and color banners. The annual conference is the company's largest event, and sold out in less than two minutes this year. Monday's press conference, where the company has promised a first look at both pieces of software, kicks off at 10 a.m. PT. You can tune in to the live blog here:CNET's live coverage of Apple's WWDC 2013 keynoteUpdate, at 12:14 p.m. PT: Notes the OS X banner going up as well.Update at 1:30 p.m. PT: Here are some shots we snapped that show a closer view of the two (click to enlarge):Josh Lowensohn/CNETJosh Lowensohn/CNETApple sets the stage for WWDC (pictures)See full gallery1 - 4 / 18NextPrev
In case it wasn't clear that Apple planned to show off the next major version of iOS and OS X at next week's WWDC, there are now banners for both.Spotted by MacStories on Friday, a very simple and minimal banner with colored "7" on it set against what looks much like the dotted aluminum found on the Mac Pro tower. Apple later put up one for OS X, which simply says "X" with a wave on it. Apple typically keeps some banners hidden ahead of official announcements at WWDC, though had ones for major new versions of iOS and iCloud in recent years.9to5Mac has also posted a handful of better photos of the banners, which have gone up in the entry area to Moscone West:9to5Mac / Andrew Stern9to5MacApple began decorating the venue for next week's show on Wednesday, wrapping the outside of the three story building with enormous Apple logos, and color banners. The annual conference is the company's largest event, and sold out in less than two minutes this year. Monday's press conference, where the company has promised a first look at both pieces of software, kicks off at 10 a.m. PT. You can tune in to the live blog here:CNET's live coverage of Apple's WWDC 2013 keynoteUpdate, at 12:14 p.m. PT: Notes the OS X banner going up as well.Update at 1:30 p.m. PT: Here are some shots we snapped that show a closer view of the two (click to enlarge):Josh Lowensohn/CNETJosh Lowensohn/CNETApple sets the stage for WWDC (pictures)See full gallery1 - 4 / 18NextPrev
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