nickname

Google+ finally allows nicknames, Priceline is killing Shatner, and a solar radiation storm crashes communication systems.

Links from Tuesday's episode of Loaded:

"Stoopid Andy"--not as stupid as his name implies (TM)--joins us on the show today along with MTI, otherwise known as Mark Licea, to fill in for Justin, who again is enamored by a printer.

You may not realize this, but Stoopid Andy is a bit of a computer genius. We spend a good portion of the first half of the show talking about how he transcodes Blu-ray movies that he owns over to an MKV file in H.264 using a variety of pieces of hardware and software. He does this just so that he can watch his movies in HD and Dolby Digital surround sound anywhere in his house. Kind of cool. But I think most consumers would rather just watch it on Netflix or rent it from iTunes.

Speaking of iTunes, Apple has changed the home page of its Web site with a mysterious message that reads: "Tomorrow is just another day. That you'll never forget. Check back here tomorrow for an exciting announcement from iTunes." As much of a fanboy as Wilson is, he's got nothing when it comes to speculation other than the rumors that have already been floating around the Web. We're hoping for iTunes music subscriptions or more streaming-media services from the cloud. We're going to be really disappointed if it is just the already announced iOS 4.2 download or the iTunes 10.1 download.

Facebook's new messaging service press conference started just right after the show was over today, so we don't have much feedback on that, except that tweens will certainly embrace it. We also mention that Wal-Mart will be offering free shipping to all its orders between now and December 22, but it's a little odd for everyone in the studio because there isn't a Wal-Mart within New York City!

Finally, we don't have time to get to the voice mails, but Wilson does point out that Jeff is dearly missed, and will hopefully be making his return tomorrow! *fingers crossed* He may have just decided to stay in sunny Hawaii and finish playing Call of Duty: Black Ops. You can leave him a message by calling 1-866-404-CNET (2638) or e-mail us at the usual address. Oh! And tell your friends about the show!