Opinion

The 404 964: Where we ice the kicker (podcast)

It's our last week of 404 podcasts for 2011! We'll be back in the new year for a round of LIVE CES COVERAGE, but Wilson's not feeling well today so Joseph Kaminski fills in for an update on kid tech.

This year's most-wanted gift is the LeapFrog LeapPad, a junior tablet with games, e-books, and apps that helps kids learn...and also frees up the TV so Dad can watch the game.… Read more

The 404 963: Where we're not crying, it's just raining on our faces (podcast)

To wrap up the penultimate week (for the year) of the 404 Podcast, we're running through Apple's year in iTunes--from the best-selling apps to the most-downloaded movie online.

We'll also tell you about a woman who made $1,200 exploiting dudes on Match.com, give you a tour of Amazon's massive Costconian warehouse in Seattle, and question the artistic merits of photo-filtering apps like Instagram.… Read more

The 404 962: Where we play the waiting game (podcast)

AT&T earns the "worst carrier in the world" award for the second year in a row, so it's a good thing I just signed up for two more years of service with this new iPhone 4S.

According to Consumer Reports, prepaid phone subscribers are actually the most satisfied with their service, but that's probably because their burner phones don't have the Internet access necessary to lodge a complaint.

On today's show, we'll look at how the other carriers compare to AT&T, dispel rumors of Shigeru Miyamoto's departure from Nintendo, put in our our bid for RickPerry.com, Jeff demonstrates My Xbox Live for the iPad, and we'll show some incredible listener-submitted contest submission videos!… Read more

'Real or Onion': Can you spot the satire?

"Congress Accidentally Approves Arts Funding."

Did that headline come from a serious news outlet or did you just get duped by The Onion? A new addition to the AppStore called Real or Onion challenges you to a game of spot the satire.

Gelf Magazine co-founder David Goldenberg came up with the idea after pausing for a second to question the sincerity of a Reuters headline ("Rap music glamorizes drug use - study").

The game is simple. You're presented with a headline and it's your job to determine the source. Based on your guess, you'll either be taken to a mainstream news site or to the original article on The Onion, along with results that compare your overall score with that of to other players.… Read more

The 404 961: Where we've got a Twitch in our eye (podcast)

There's plenty of live video broadcasting platforms to choose on the Web these days, but today we're chatting with one of the pioneers.

Justin Kan is one of the co-founders of Justin.TV, and he drops by our studio today for a full episode about the origins of life streaming and how the site paved the road to Justin's new project for live video gaming, TwitchTV.

We'll also talk to Justin about his participation in Y Combinator, a start-up incubator that helps green entrepreneurs through the first three months of genesis.

The boot camp gives founders the seed funding they need for general living expenses, allowing them to focus on the business idea. YC also guides them through the media pitching process and how to grab the attention of venture capitalists and seed investors.

Some of the headline-grabbing companies to grow from Y Combinator include Scribd, Loopt, Grubwithus, and Justin.TV itself.

Tune in to hear about how TwitchTV is bringing competitive gaming to a much larger audience, not to mention a few tips on what it takes to earn a spot in the next Y Combinator batch!… Read more

The 404 960: Where we tweet from our seats (podcast)

Leaked from 404 Podcast 960:

Facebook exploit exposes Mark Zuckerberg's private photos. Theaters set aside tweet seats for Twitter users. Finally: an app that can detect Photoshopping. Rumor: Apple to release 32-55 inch TVs next year.… Read more

The 404 959: Where we lower our carrier IQ (podcast)

Today's 404 podcast topics include who to blame for the Carrier IQ bug, a digital rape whistle for shaming street harassers, a preview of tomorrow's Xbox Live update, and a quick game of "guess-the-Apple-iOS-dev-code-names!"

We're also running a contest all week, so send in your creative 404-related video voice mails to the404(at)cnet(dot)com for a chance to win an 16GB Apple iPad 2 or an 4GB Xbox 360/Kinect bundle! Thanks to Target.com for the prizes.

Video submissions should be thirty seconds or less, with you declaring lifelong loyalty to The 404. Or whatever.

Leaked from 404 Podcast 959:

Facebook increases status update character limit to 63,206. iHollaback is the new rape whistle: Shaming street harassers with cellphone pics. Here are a few funny code names Apple used for iOS version updates. Xbox Live update comes with 40 entertainment services and Live TV.… Read more

The 404 958: Where we lied our way into this job (podcast)

Our guest today is Emily Dreyfuss from CNET's newest tech gossip podcast, Rumor Has It!

We're learning all kinds of stuff from Emily, like to how to defeat an oncoming shark attack, the best way to win a burger-eating competition, and the backstory behind the Carrier IQ keylogging controversy.

Leaked from 404 Podcast 958:

How Carrier IQ was wrongly accused of keylogging. Controversy, confusion over Carrier IQ. Congress lifts five-year ban on the sale of horse meat. Thanks Obama! Rumor: Apple TV sets will be mighty pricey.… Read more

2013 GS sedan continues the evolution of Lexus

LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif.--After years of hearing that its cars are smooth and tech-rich while lacking the passion and fun that appeal to devoted drivers, Lexus might be getting it.

To prove it's headed in a new direction branded by "emotion" and "passion," Lexus gathered journalists at the Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel along the Pacific coastline between Los Angeles and San Diego to test-drive the 2013 Lexus GS on a route across the SoCal freeways, along the coast, and over mountain roads. The six-cylinder midrange luxury sedan will greet showrooms in three primary setups--the standard 350, the 450h hybrid version, and a tuned F Sport for the biggest performance fans. … Read more