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Items of Note: Everyone have a happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy a special treat after the show.
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Feedback: Voicemail from Matt from Chicago about getting us a review of the Motorola Droid.
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Geek This Week:
Aaron and Gozer: Shhhta Wars in Concert!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Tech and Gaming News:
Google to track TiVo viewing habits
Google and TiVo know you accidentally watch a few ads while fast-forwarding through the commercial breaks of your recorded programs, and they’d like a little more data to back that up.
Google plans to add TiVo “television viewing data” to its existing Google TV Ads program, the two companies said in a press release Tuesday. Google TV Ads is the company’s attempt to re-create its AdWords and AdSense model on the small screen through a partnership with Dish Network, and it wants to use TiVo data to help its advertising clients measure how and when their ads are viewed.
DVRs like TiVo are not the favorite tech product of the television advertising business, as they allow viewers to watch shows whenever they like and skip the commercials. But most DVR owners (except for a few masters of the remote control) catch glimpses of ads as they whiz by, or overshoot the end of the commercial period and hit the 30-second rewind button, exposing them to the last ad shown before the program resumes.
That kind of viewing shouldn’t count as a full ad impression, since the advertiser knows the viewer didn’t watch the full ad, but Google seems to feel that it can’t be completely ignored, either. It plans to use “anonymous second-by-second DVR viewing data” to track how viewers see ads placed through Google TV Ads. It also gives Google more access to viewer behavior on sources outside of Dish Network, including cable, satellite, and over-the-air viewers.
That could presumably make Google TV Ads more attractive to potential advertisers, since Google will be able to assemble a wealth of data on the viewing habits of DVR owners. Google also has a deal with Nielsen for viewing data, although some feel the new TiVo partnership will put a lot of strain on that relationship. In a somewhat related move, TiVo has also partnered with MillerCoors to expose football fans to Coors Light ads when they are fast-forwarding through recorded NFL games.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-30684_3-10404396-265.html?tag=newsEditorsPicksArea.0
Black Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Amazon Black Friday Deals Week
Lightning Deals updating throughout the week (price varies)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 with $20 off 12-month XBL Gold Card ($59.99)
Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force ($29.99)
DJ Hero Renegade Edition 360 ($149.78)
EA Sports Active ($39.99)
Ghostbusters 360 Slimer box art ($29.75)
Madden NFL 10 PS2 ($38.99)
Resident Evil 5 PS3 ($36.99)
Free Wii game with system purchase ($199.99)
Target Pre-Black Friday Sale (11/22-11/25)
$20 gift card with purchase of Wii system
Assorted EA Sports games: EA Sports Active, Madden NFL 10, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10, FIFA Soccer 10, NCAA Football 10, NFL 10, NBA Live 10 ($44 each)
Borderlands ($44)
Brutal Legend ($44)
Dragon Age ($44)
Left 4 Dead 2 ($44)
Tekken 6 ($44)
Toys “R” Us Pre-Black Friday Sale (11/22 – 11/26)
Buy one, get one half off DS and PSP games
Wii, Xbox 360 Arcade with $15 gift card to Wendy’s, Subway, Cold Stone Creamery (in-store only)
DS Lite, carrying case, accessories, two pre-selected games ($157.95)
Select games bundled with $25 iTunes gift card (in-store only)
Beatles: Rock Band software-only ($49.99)
Beatles: Rock Band ($134.99)
Microsoft Xbox 360
$199 – Arcade with Madagascar 2 game and Madagascar DVDs (Wal-Mart)
$299.99 – Elite Holiday Bundle (Lego Batman, Pure) with 4 games (Best Buy)
$299.99 – Elite Holiday Bundle (Lego Batman, Pure) with Call of Duty 4 GotY or Bakugan (GameStop)
$299.99 – Elite Holiday Bundle (Lego Batman, Pure) with Halo: ODST (K-Mart)
$299.99 – Elite Holiday Bundle (Lego Batman, Pure) with XBL 12-Month Card (Sears)
Xbox Live Gold Deals of the Week
Fable 2 “See the Future” (400 Points – $5)
Peggle (400 Points – $5)
Death Tank (800 Points – $10)
Nintendo Wii
$199.99 – Wii System with Nerf Racing Wheel (Sears)
$249 – Wii Value Bundle with 2 games, Nyko controllers (Wal-Mart)
Sony PlayStation 3
$299 – PS3 Slim with Infamous, Batman: Arkham Asylum and Dark Knight (Wal-Mart)
$299.99 – PS3 Slim with Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time and Little Big Planet GotY (Best Buy)
$299.99 – PS3 Slim 120 GB with Little Big Planet GotY, God of War Collection (GameStop)
$299.99 – PS3 Slim 120 GB with Blu-Ray Remote (Sears)
PlayStation Network Sale
Bomberman Ultra ($4.99)
Comet Crash ($4.99)
Flower ($4.99)
Invincible Tiger: The Legend of Han Tao ($7.49)
The Last Guy ($4.99)
Prince of Persia Classic ($4.99)
Smash Cars ($7.49)
Nintendo DS
Price Varies – $25 Nintendo Game Coupon with any DS Purchase (K-Mart)
$98 – DS Lite (Wal-Mart)
$154.98 – Brain Age or Mario DSi (Amazon)
$169.99 – Brain Age or Mario DSi with $20 gift card (Best Buy)
Software (arranged alphabetically)
A Boy and His Blob ($29.99) – Sears
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? PS2 ($7) – Wal-Mart
Assassin’s Creed PC ($19.99) – Best Buy
Assassin’s Creed 2 Free with Bloodlines Entertainment Pack (PS3) – K-Mart
ATV Offroad Fury 3 ($14.99) – K-Mart
Avatar The Last Airbender: Into the Inferno Wii/DS ($9.99) – Toys “R” Us
Bakugan Battle Brawlers with Download Code Wii ($25) – Wal-Mart
Bash Party ($14.99) – Best Buy
Batman: Arkham Asylum ($39.99) – GameStop
Batman: Arkham Asylum ($39.99) – K-Mart
Beatles Rock Band 360 game only ($49.99) – GameStop
Ben 10 Alien Force DS/Wii ($9.99) – GameStop
Big Beach Sports Wii ($10) – Wal-Mart
Ben 10 Alien Force ($19.99) – K-Mart
BioShock PC ($19.99) – Best Buy
Bolt DS ($9.99) – Best Buy
Brutal Legend ($34.99) – Best Buy
Brutal Legend ($39.99) – K-Mart
Brutal Legend ($39.99) – Sears
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare GOTY PS3 ($25) – Wal-Mart
Call of Duty: World at War 360/PS3 ($39.99) – GameStop
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood ($19.99) – Best Buy
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood 360 ($19.99) – GameStop
Chicken Blaster with Wii Rifle ($19.99) – GameStop
Cars Race O Rama ($29.99) – K-Mart
Celebrity Sports Showdown Wii ($7) – Wal-Mart
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 360 ($7) – Wal-Mart
Club Penguin ($17.99) – Toys “R” Us
Civilization IV PC ($19.99) – Best Buy
Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena ($19.99) – Best Buy
Crysler Classic Racing ($9.99) – Toys “R” Us
Cooking Mama DS ($9.99) – Best Buy
Cooking Mama Wii ($14.99) – Best Buy
Cooking Mama ($14.99) – Sears
Crash ($9.99) – Best Buy
Crash Bandicoot: Mind over Mutant DS ($9.99) – Toys “R” Us
Crash Time / Battle Fantasia 2-pack ($24.99) – Sears, 4 a.m. – Noon
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII ($9.99) – GameStop
Dead Space: Extraction ($19.99) – GameStop
Dead Space Extraction ($24.99) – Toys “R” Us doorbuster
Dirt 2 ($49.99) – GameStop
Dirt 2 ($39.99) – K-Mart
Dragon Age console versions ($34.99) – Best Buy
Dragon Age ($39.99) – K-Mart
Dragon Age ($39.99) – Sears
Drawn to Life ($19.99) – GameStop
Drawn to Life ($19.99) – K-Mart
Drawn to Life ($19.99) – Sears, 4 a.m. – Noon
Drawn to Life Wii ($39.99) – GameStop
Dynasty Warriors 6 360 ($19.99) – GameStop
EA Sports Active: More Workouts ($29.99) – GameStop
Excite Bots Trick Racing ($14.99) – Best Buy
Facebreaker ($14.99) – Sears
Fallout 3 360/PS3 ($19.99) – Best Buy
Fallout 3 GotY 360/PS3 ($49.99) – GameStop
Family Game Night 360 ($19.99) – Best Buy
Far Cry 2 PC ($4.99) – Best Buy
FIFA Soccer 10 console versions ($34.99) – Best Buy
Forza 3 ($39.99) – GameStop
Forza 3 ($39.99) – Sears
Forza 3 ($34.99) – Toys “R” Us Doorbuster
Game Party ($9.99) – K-Mart
Game Party 2 ($9.99) – K-Mart
Godfather 2 PS3 ($10) – Wal-Mart
Grand Theft Auto IV 360/PS3 ($19.99) – GameStop
Grand Theft Auto IV 360 ($10) – Wal-Mart
Guild Wars Trilogy ($24.99) – GameStop
Guinness World Records DS ($9.99) – Best Buy
Guitar Hero 5 360/PS3 ($39.99) – GameStop
Guitar Hero wired controller ($9.99) – Toys “R” Us doorbuster
Guitar Hero On-Tour/Decades bundle ($29.99) – Toys “R” Us doorbuster
Guitar Hero World Tour w/ Guitar ($49.99) – Sears, 4 a.m. – Noon
Golf Clubs / Ultimate Board Game Collection 2-pack ($14.99) – Sears, 4 a.m. – Noon
Halo 3 ODST ($39.99) – GameStop
Halo 3 ODST ($39.99) – K-Mart
Halo 3 ODST ($39.99) – Sears
Halo 3 ODST ($34.99) – Toys “R” Us doorbuster
Hawx ($19.99) – Best Buy
High School Musical 3 Dance Bundle ($9.99) – K-Mart
Hot Shots Golf Open Tee ($14.99) – K-Mart
iCarly ($23.99) – Toys “R” Us doorbuster
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs DS ($9.99) – Toys “R” Us
Imagine Family Doctor DS ($9.99) – Toys “R” Us
Imagine Party Babies Wii ($9.99) – Toys “R” Us
Jak and Daxter ($14.99) – K-Mart
Jewelry Design ($19.99) – GameStop
Jillian Michaels Workout ($29.99) – Sears
Kawasaki Jet Ski Wii ($9.99) – Toys “R” Us
Left 4 Dead 2 360 ($34.99) – Best Buy
Left 4 Dead 2 360 ($39.99) – GameStop
Left 4 Dead 2 PC ($29.99) – GameStop
Left 4 Dead ($39.99) – Sears
Left 4 Dead 2 ($39.99) – K-Mart
Lego Batman ($14.99) – K-Mart
Lego Games (Half Price, 360/DS) – OfficeMax
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga ($14.99) – K-Mart
Lock’s Quest ($7) – Wal-Mart
Madagascar 2 Wii ($14.99) – Best Buy
Madden NFL 10 console versions ($34.99) – Best Buy
Madden NFL 10 PS2 ($25) – Wal-Mart
Marker Man DS ($9.99) – Best Buy
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 DS ($17.99) – Toys “R” Us
Marvel Ultimate Alliance Wii ($14.99) – Best Buy
Midnight Club L.A. 360 ($10) – Wal-Mart
Monsters vs Aliens ($9.99) – Toys “R” Us
MX vs ATV DS ($10) – Wal-Mart
MySims Agents Wii ($19.99) – GameStop
MySims Kingdom DS ($9.99) – Toys “R” Us
MySims Kingdom Wii ($9.99) – Best Buy
MySims Kingdom ($14.99) – K-Mart
MySims Party Wii ($9.99) – Toys “R” Us
My Word Coach DS ($9.99) – Best Buy
Naruto Shippuden Ninja Destiny 2 ($19.99) – GameStop
NBA 2K10 360 ($25) – Wal-Mart
NBA Live 09 Wii ($9.99) – Best Buy
NBA Live 10 360/PS3 ($34.99) – Best Buy
NCAA Football 10 ($49.99) – GameStop
Need for Speed: Nitro ($19.99) – GameStop
Need for Speed: Nitro ($29.99) – K-Mart, 6 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Need for Speed: Shift ($34.99) – Best Buy
Need for Speed: Shift ($39.99) – GameStop
Need for Speed: Shift 360/PS3 ($34.99) – Toys “R” Us Doorbuster
Need for Speed: Shift ($39.99) – Sears
Need for Speed Undercover PS3 ($10) – Wal-Mart
Neopets Puzzle Adventure ($7) – Wal-Mart
Nerf N Strike Wii ($14.99) – Toys “R” Us midnight doorbuster
NHL 10 360/PS3 ($34.99) – Best Buy
Petz Rescue Ocean Patrol ($14.99) – K-Mart
Pikmin Classic ($14.99) – Best Buy
Prototype ($29.99) – GameStop
Rainbow Six Vegas PSP ($9.99) – GameStop
Rayman Raving Rabbids ($9.99) – Best Buy
Resident Evil 5 ($19.99) – Best Buy
Rock Band 2 ($99.99) – K-Mart
Rock Band 2 with free Rock Band Guitar – K-Mart
Rock Band Special Edition 360/PS3 ($50) – Wal-Mart
Scooby Doo Wii ($23.99) – Toys “R” Us doorbuster
Shrek’s Carnival Craze PS2 ($7) – Wal-Mart
Slots PC ($19.99) – Best Buy
SOCOM 3 ($14.99) – Sears
SOCOM Fireteam Bravo ($14.99) – Sears
Sonic Chronicles ($9.99) – Best Buy
Spider-Man Web of Shadows 360 ($19.99) – GameStop
SpongeBob’s Truth or Square ($29.99) – K-Mart
Spore Hero ($19.99) – GameStop
Spore Hero (29.99) – K-Mart, 6 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Spore Hero $24.99) – Toys “R” Us doorbuster
Spyro DS ($9.99) – Best Buy
Spyro DS ($9.99) – Toys “R” Us
Stalker PC ($4.99) – Best Buy
StormRise / Bionic Commando 2-pack ($24.99) – Sears, 4 a.m. – Noon
Style Lab Makeover ($19.99) – GameStop
Sudoku Ball DS ($9.99) – Best Buy
Suzuki TT Superbikes: Real Road Racing PS2 ($7) – Wal-Mart
Tak Big Dose of Gross Wii ($7) – Wal-Mart
The Biggest Loser ($29.99) – Sears
The Biggs 2 ($19.99) – Best Buy
The Price is Right ($19.99) – GameStop
The Price is Right Wii ($9.99) – Toys “R” Us
The Sims 3 ($29.99) – GameStop
The Sims 3 ($25) – Wal-Mart
Tekken 6 360 ($39.99) – GameStop
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 Wii ($25) – Wal-Mart
TMNT Smash-Up ($29.99) – GameStop
TMNT Smash-Up ($29.99) – K-Mart
TMNT Smash-Up ($29.99) – Sears, 4 a.m. – Noon
TMNT Smash-UP ($29.99) – Toys “R” Us doorbuster
TNA Impact $14.99) – K-Mart
TNA Impact ($14.99) – Sears
Tony Hawk’s Motion ($9.99) – Toys “R” Us
Transformers DS ($17.99) – Toys “R” Us
UFC Undisputed 360 ($25) – Wal-Mart
Wii Fit accessories (50% off) – Toys “R” Us doorbuster
Wii Sports Snowboard ($14.99) – Best Buy
Wii Sports ($9.99) – Best Buy
Wii Sports Resort with 2nd MotionPlus Free ($49.99) – GameStop
World of Warcraft ($4.99) – Best Buy
World of Warcraft Battle Chest ($19.99) – GameStop
World of Zoo ($29.99) – GameStop
World of Zoo ($29.99) – K-Mart
World of Zoo ($19.99) – Sears, 4 a.m. – Noon
WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2010 ($39.99) – K-Mart
WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2010 PS3 ($25) – Wal-Mart
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3176807
Kindle gets better battery life, native PDF support
Just in time for the holidays and facing heavy competition from Barnes & Noble’s upcoming Nook e-book reader, Amazon has announced that it has improved the Kindle’s battery life when the wireless connection is turned on and will now be offering native PDF support for its e-book reader. Both the battery-life boost and native PDF support will be available to owners of new Kindles and some older models via a firmware upgrade.
In a press release, Amazon says the Kindle now has battery life of up to seven days with wireless turned on compared with four days previously. However, battery life with wireless turned off remains the same (around two weeks).
“Battery power management for portable wireless devices is a complex technical area, and the battery life improvement announced today is the result of a six-month firmware improvement and testing program,” the release notes.
As for the native PDF support, Amazon says you can now “read professional and personal documents in their original PDF format without conversion.” To read PDF files, you either e-mail them to your Kindle e-mail address or move them over using a USB connection. If you prefer to have your PDF documents converted to the Kindle format, you type “Convert” in the subject of the e-mail when sending documents to your “@kindle.com” address.
All new Kindles will ship with the battery-life improvements and native PDF support in place, but if you bought an earlier Kindle you may be eligible for both enhancements via a firmware upgrade that will automatically download to your Kindle when you turn its wireless connection on.
We’re still trying to determine which models will get the upgrade (we have an e-mail into Amazon’s PR team). In the meantime, if you have an older Kindle 2 or the original Kindle, let us know if you got the upgrade.
Update 12:30 p.m. PST: We have confirmed with Amazon that the latest Kindle, released in October, as well as the Kindle with U.S. wireless (released in February) now have native PDF support and the improved battery life. However, as suspected, the original Kindle is not eligible for the upgrade.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10404507-1.html?tag=newsLatestHeadlinesArea.0
Large Hadron Collider’s 1st collisions recorded
Researchers at the Large Hadron Collider successfully smashed together two beams of protons in the machine’s particle accelerator for the first time on Tuesday.
The low-energy collisions were conducted to test the $10-billion machine’s enormous detectors, following successful tests of the proton beams on Friday and Saturday.
The energy of the proton beams was increased from 450 billion electron volts to 540 billion over the weekend, said James Gillies, spokesman for the European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN.
That’s still a fraction of the power capabilities of the Large Hadron Collider.
“They set in process the procedure to ramp the machine up to the 1.2 TeV [trillion electron volts] that we want to get to this year,” Gillies said.
That energy level would make the LHC the most powerful particle collider in the world. The Tevatron at the U.S. Department of Engery’s Fermilab near Chicago operates at one trillion electron volts.
The European collider is intended to eventually collide proton beams at an energy of seven trillion electron volts.
The first experiments in the LHC are scheduled to take place in early 2010, when researchers will smash subatomic particles into each other at high speeds in order to break them down and allow the discovery of smaller, more fundamental particles.
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2009/11/24/tech-physics-large-hadron-collision.html
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Test a Geek:
1. What is the made up name of the big shopping day that takes place after Black Friday? A: Cyber Monday
2. How much turkey is consumed during Thanksgiving? A: About 45 million turkeys(15%, or about 675 million pounds) are consumed at Thanksgiving.
3. What makes everyone so tired after their Thanksgiving meal? A: Contrary to popular thinking, it’s not the turkey’s fault. Actually carbohydrates, are more likely to make people sleepy and overeating also contributes to feeling tired at Thanksgiving.
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How To: This segment will return on a future episode of The Geekcast
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Ask A Geek: This segment will return on a future episode of The Geekcast
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Open Source Software: This segment will return on a future episode of The Geekcast
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Hack: This segment will return on a future episode of The Geekcast
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The Geek’s View: This segment will return on a future episode of The Geekcast
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