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Items of Note: Alex who wrote RSS Player has released version 1.3 / 1.4 to the iTunes Store, with a feature I asked him about: Suggested Podcasts. When you go to add a podcast, you can have the app suggest a show. Even more exciting is that Alex included The Geekcast as a suggested show. A big thanks goes out to Alex!!!

We’re looking to help promote some podcasts out there! If you have a podcast and you’re interested in trading promos, hit us up at geekcast@gmail.com.

Listener Feedback:

Briresp from Twitter sent us some feedback: Hello, I enjoyed your previous podcasts. I like the geek! I am however, not a fan of the newer version. I don’t want to be negative, but since you asked… Gozer seems like a great guy and a good friend, but I don’t like his input. His presentation is a little awkward. This is probably due to inexperience. I don’t care for games, movies, pop culture ect… Obviously this is just my taste. I like how you used to “get right to it”, and not waste time on fluff. Sorry for the “hate”

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Geek This Week:

Aaron: This week I bought my first iPhone app ever: Tweetie. I’ve had the iPhone almost since day one and I’ve been getting by with free apps from the App Store. So many people talked about Tweetie that I figured to give it a try. The price was $2.99, which I honestly think is a sweet spot for apps. Previously I had been using Twitterfon for keeping tabs on Twitter. Twitterfon is free and has tons of features.

Tweetie for iPhone is nice and does a few things better than Twitterfon such as locating me quickly, giving me the ability to post my location without editing my Twitter profile location and image compression when posting pictures to Twitpic. It’s a really nice app and I recommend it. On the flip-side I installed Tweetie for OsX and I think it has a long way to go. Most importantly it has no notification system and doesn’t use Growl yet either. The app is also overpriced at $19.99 but it can be purchased for $14.95 until May. I’m giving it a trial-run instead of Twhirl but I don’t know which I’ll end up using. With the right improvements I may go Tweetie-only but I still don’t like the price.

Gozer:

Ghostbusters multiplayer

Two Multiplayer Co-op Game Modes:
- Instant Action: players can test their mettle in a variety of Job Types across a selection of 12 different maps

- Campaign Mode: players work through one of four different environments busting ghosts to earn cash and upgrade their equipment.

12 maps across four themed environments:
- Library
- Streets
- Cemetery
- Museum

Six Unique Job Types:
- Survival: Survive a paranormal onslaught
- Containment: Capture all the ghosts
- Destruction: Eliminate mysterious artifacts to prevent spawning ghosts
- Protection: Protect Egon’s devices
- Thief: Save the artifacts from being stolen by ghosts
- Slime Dunk: Dunk the most Slimers

2) Playing world of goo like crazy. Got it in the machiest bundle. Found it on the Wii. Soooo much better on Wii. I have always loved the Wii controls. They are perfect for this type of

game. Up to world 3.

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Tech & Gaming News:

Time Warner Is Moving Closer to AOL Spin Off

In a regulatory filing Wednesday, Time Warner said it was nearing a decision to shed America Online and put an end to the travails that began with the 2000 merger between the two companies, a deal that has resulted in the evaporation of more than $100 billion of shareholder value.

“Although the company’s board of directors has not made any decision, the company currently anticipates that it would initiate a process to spin off one or more parts of the businesses of AOL to Time Warner’s stockholders, in one or a series of transactions,” the company said in the filing.

The announcement, which was not unexpected, came on the same day that the company reported first quarter earnings, which surpassed Wall Street analysts’ expectations. The company, which in addition to AOL also owns the Warner Bros. movie studio, the cable networks TNT, TBS, CNN and HBO and the Time Inc. publishing unit, said revenue declined 7 percent to $6.9 billion, when compared to the same period last year.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/30/business/media/30warner.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

E3 “Progressing as Planned” Despite Swine Flu Concerns

Southern California close to reported cases, but ESA taking “appropriate steps.”By Steve Watts, 04/29/2009

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) isn’t going to let a little thing like disease stop their big show. Joystiq reports that despite E3’s Los Angeles location being relatively close to the Mexican border, where the “swine flu” originated, the event is still on. “The 2009 E3 Expo is progressing as planned,” said Dan Hewitt, a spokesman

for the ESA. “Public health officials are taking all appropriate steps and we continue to follow their direction on all measures. We look forward to a great event, and to seeing you in Los Angeles in June.”

As of last count, the swine flu has seen 91 reported cases in the U.S., with only one fatality in Texas. California is notably the third-highest state in reported outbreaks. The most concentrated area has been New York City, where crowded conditions lead to faster spread of the disease. It’s these conditions that have some concerned about E3, given that it also inevitably packs people in. The disease usually isn’t fatal and is generally treated like any other flu, but if you’re attending E3 this year, it can’t hurt to pack a few sterile masks and avoid shaking too many hands. Sure it’s impolite, but consider the alternative.

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3173988

Music Piracy Suit Against N.Y. Family Is Settled for $7,000

After battling a suburban family for four years over music downloads, the recording industry has agreed to accept $7,000 to settle a federal music piracy lawsuit. If approved by a judge, the settlement would end a four-year fight between record companies and the family of Patricia Santangelo.

She was accused of illegally downloading and distributing music, but she says she could not have downloaded anything because she did not know how. She was one of thousands of people sued in the Recording Industry Association of America’s antipiracy campaign, and she refused to settle. Instead, she took her case to national news outlets and became a heroine to supporters of online freedom. An Internet campaign raised about $15,000 for her defense.

The industry eventually dropped its suit against the mother. But it filed a new one against two of her children, Michelle and Robert, ages 20 and 16 at the time. Under the terms of the settlement, filed in court in White Plains late Friday, the Santangelos will pay $7,000.

“We are pleased to have reached an agreement with the Santangelos,” Cara Duckworth, a spokeswoman for the R.I.A.A., said in an e-mailed statement. Asked how much had been spent to win the $7,000 settlement, and whether it was a victory, she said, “We don’t break out costs per case, and it’s not a question of it being ‘worth it’ or a ‘victory.’ ”

She said the lawsuit had succeeded in showing that breaking the law has consequences and in steering music fans toward legal online services “that fairly compensate musicians and labels.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/28/business/media/28piracy.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

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The Geek’s View:

This past week I tried out Amazon’s Video on Demand in HD. The video was downloaded to my TiVo and was in 720p. Listen to the show to hear my full review of this great addition to Amazon’s service.

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The Day the Earth Stood Still – This is a remake of the 1951 film starring Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal & Hugh Marlowe. Won a golden globe for something. This new version stars Keanu Reaves as Klatuu, ( Klatu…..Veratta… cough cough) Jen Connelly as Dr. Helen Benson & Jaden Smith as Jacob Benson ( Will Smith’s son ) Beautiful 1080p picture with some amazing DTS – master audio sound. This is definitely an awesome movie to watch in high def and surround sound. This is like one of those movies that wasn’t bad but wasn’t very good either. Popcorn movie? Like Independence day.

Keanu Reaves isjust the same damn character in every movie. He is Klatuu and in order for him to walk around earth he has to be born in this weird placenta like goo. So his objective is to save the earth. Not humans…he just needs to save the earth. Then, inevitably, he changes his mind because he learns of this human love feeling that i guess he can’t feel. So of course things change and he bonds with the cute kid and

yeah…not very interesting. Special effects though are pretty awesome. There is this big Golem type thing that just stands in central park and only attacks when provoked. They try t capture it and then it like turns into these microscopic metal locust things that eat everything. These things are supposed to fly around and eat every man and man made things. Really cool when these things are flying around in surround sound. So, all in all, cool fun popcorn movie but don’t expect anything deep.

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