The Global Geek Podcast #085 :: i can haz paparazzi
You want it you got it. It doesn’t matter what I seem to do the show refuses to shrink. You guys have said time and time again that you would rather it big so this week it is well big. I am not going to add to it by making this any more than usual.
But I will say that we had a great time recording the show this week and there was as usual some very funny moments. In addition I am very pleased with the edit and mix, creatively I am pretty happy with it. I hope that it is all that you want it to be.
See Herne begging will get you everywhere 
Be sure to send us feedback, you can do that via email or leave us a voicemail. But if all that is too hard then a comment is tops!
Show Notes
Welcome
Tech News
- Reselling Software
- ASUS to Release Desktop EeePC
- A Little Bit of History
- MS Office to Support Open Document Format
- Google Domain Blunder
- D&D Goes Digital
- Napster Reinvents Itself, Again…
- Save XP Petition Update
- Good Gaming Badges
- Apple Store for Vancouver
Promo Spot – The Comic Review Weekly
Applications
- Dup Detector: Locate duplicate images
- Snackr: RSS ticker on the AIR platform
- Folder View: Add recent and favorite folders to Windows Explorer
- Fractal Explorer: Fractal Generator and manipulator for Windows
Firefox Extension
- PMOG: Gaming while you surf the net (I am sure Keith was playing it for 1/2 the show)
GGP Mac Lab Rat (Dave’s Wee Stop)
(Links Finally Added — The Lab Rat was being what Dave would call a Slack Bastard)
Sites and Services
- Eureka Science News: Algorithmic based science news aggrigator
- Remime: Reminder service for all those important dates
- Penzu: Simple note taking/ Journal service that your Mum could use
- YouTomb: Find out why that video was taken down from YouTube
- TweetBeep: Google Alert type service but just for twitter
Updates
FeedBack
Farewell
- Dave’s Blog (Second Life: Rooster Rubble)
- Cait’s Blog (Second Life: Knowledge Tomorrow)
- Keith’s Blog (Second Life: Maezik Darwin)
Lennon
“Infinitebeat2 Mix” (mp3)
from “Where Do I Fit In : REMIXES”
(John Galt Entertainment)
Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at Napster
Buy at Amazon
More On This Album
i can haz sleep now?
May 28th, 2008 at 8:26 am
weeee first,I’m king of the world !
great show(when i listen to it)
May 28th, 2008 at 10:15 am
Huzzah! Whining, it’s not just for cute chicks anymore!
May 28th, 2008 at 10:55 am
I played AD&D “online” a hundred years ago…
I wrote a character generator program and a random treasure generator program in Fortran on punch cards, for gawd’s sake!
I also used to run an RPG BBS on my C64 where someone would be the GameMaster to run the adventure. Then players would write up their moves and then the GM would roll the dice and write up the results every week. Then players would read the results and write up their next moves…
I used to have visions of having my computer in front of me when I was GM’ing…
May 28th, 2008 at 11:00 am
Toronto actually has 2 Apple stores… I used to live about 20 minutes from the northern-most store. Now I live about an hour from it!
Raf is from Manchester, UK; Herne is from Toronto, Canada! Get it right! Sheesh.
May 28th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Meh… at 4:00 in the morning I can’t be held responsible for my memory of time zones.
May 28th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
@Herne… sorry dude
(and Raf- but he is the one complaining!)
May 28th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
Bugger….I don’t think I clicked “Submit Comment”!!!
Here goes….again….
Good show, made my day a little easier (had the day off, bit under the weather, just like a lot of people at the moment!!)
The Asus eBox looks interesting….I reckon it would sell well….and I know a lot of people who would buy it!!
The XP petition has my vote!!! I was messing around with my iPod touch today and vista just didn’t like it, so I pulled out my trusty eee with XP and it worked a treat…
May 28th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
The thing about Twitter is not that I am complaining about a free service. I am complaining about the way their problems are handled. If they have a scaling issue they should cut the non essential resources so that the basic form of the service has full operational status! If the API is giving so many problems to clients like twhirl they should disable the APIs and bring the web interface to the full speed until they get the rest of it done. One by one. The problem is they are keeping it all on and they don’t have enough resources to do so apparently.
and lol, I didn’t know many people noticed the post about the fridge
I opened it, no light, still cool but could’ve broken few minutes before that. Checked the bulb, end of story. Still, quite amusing to hear your take on it.
The compressor wasn’t kicking in because it turns on every 10 minutes or so and you cannot actually hear my fridge most of the time. I don’t want to know what kind of a loud beast you have at home, Dave
Raf
May 29th, 2008 at 4:47 am
Great show everyone.
I love fractals too, but the thing is, if youve seen one bit, youve seen it all.
In looking at Eureka, I think part of Daves concern about it comes from the ‘commerical’ way of thinking. Eureka seems to covering research sites mostly at universities. The authors are not commerical news article writers or reports for a new agency..So having the bulk of the article on the rss feed is just fine. following to the link would not generate revnue for the host site. As for the original article, there is none as such. The soures appear to be the researchers themselves, and the research papers, which would be dull reading and full of statitics and data and such.
Keith, Great effort in dealing with the timezone issues with the show. Its nice to have you for the full show. But if you dont make the show time, and dont send in a mac lab report, I think Dave has shown the type of stuff he would put in its place…please dont subject us to that
Dave, Loved the sound effects. Hope you didnt hurt yourself…sounded like true pain in one of them.
Cait, I had such at good laugh at your excitment about having a pink filter on your email client/reader. good stuff. is that a feature of Vista?
I think your hardware take on things is a great added attribute to the show. Dave has his mouse click, and Keith has his keyboard. Your screwdriver and hammer make the show complete.
Andy.
May 29th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Hey guys (and gal), good show. I agree with you with the whole “I use twitter and don’t pay a cent! that’s it!” and this whole supposed migration to friendfeed, which will never happen. The good thing about twitter is that it is simple to use. Friendfeed is handy, but a completely different website.
Oh, slight nerd alert. There are a few online versions of D&D. There’s the official online game (which gets eclipsed over WoW, of course) and there’s also a single player adventure game which follows the D&D rules called Neverwinter Nights (which also has a good up to date sequel which I have lost somehwere in this house). I think the reluctance to go more online from the official crew is for the old school fans. They enjoy sitting around a table when pens, paper and those strange die.
I think they’re starting to realise with the success of WoW and other adventure games that the old fans won’t be round forever (and are probably annoyed at the constant updates). This may be only version 4, but there’s revised editions of version 3 etc, which from what I hear is a bit of cash buying all the books again.
May 29th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
Didnt one of the ‘Fathers of D&D’ just pass away? Wonder if that has something to do with timing of the acceptance of digit media.
May 29th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
@Burritoe Gary Gygax passed away just a couple months ago.
@GGP I meant to post these comments yesterday, but I got too busy and forgot…
Re Laptops; Who would buy a laptop today with less than 2 GB of RAM anyway? I have to laugh at these so-called “cheap” laptops they sell now–Sure they’re cheap, they’re cheap because they have a lousy 1 GB of RAM, no video card, a cheap-assed DVD and a tiny HD. What good is a laptop with anything less than 2 Gigs of RAM, a decent video card, a DVD-RW and at least a 160 GB HD? Add extra points if the HD is 7200 rpm, and the DVD is dual-layer. I’m not really interested in a laptop unless it comes with a real Intel Pentium dual-core chip, none of this Athlon or Centrino crap for me, and at least 2 GB of RAM to run the resource pig called Vista. I’d prefer not to have Vista at all, but if you’re buying a new PC-based laptop these days, you’re pretty much stuck with Vista…
Re PMOG; Can you say “tracking your surfing habits disguised as a game”? I knew you could…
@Dave; Raccoon-assed? Wha? Were you looking at a Seesmic logo or something when you made that comment?
Hurray for longer shows!
May 29th, 2008 at 10:18 pm
That’s it – FeedDemon has been given the arse. This podcast still hasn’t shown up but it shows up in Google reader without a problem (except GR only gives a link to the podcast page not the podcast itself).
May 30th, 2008 at 1:29 am
@Matt I am telling you – there is something kooky with the feed – I know it is showing up elsewhere in other formats – but NewsGator have some weird rules – we are working on it. But it ain’t the reader
More from me later – thanks for the comments and the insights guys – have to go to bed – just fell asleep on the lounge – a sure sign that I need some sleep – plus the dog snores… and it should NOT be on the lounge… that is another story… maybe one for the podcast
May 30th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Never realised how alluring it is to hear Cait demand that she needs a fucking powerful computer.
Nice!
Suggest a swear jar for Cait
May 30th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
It’s not just your podcast that is messing up. I have a couple from Triple J that aren’t updating either.
Cait keep up the swearing (and rest of you). Sometimes you’ve just got to let it out. It’s refreshing to hear some heart felt passionate swearing, not just swearing for the sake of it. Some American Podcasts go over the top trying to keep it clean.
May 30th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Hmm where to start??
Meh let’s go with Napster. Sounds like could be a good idea in theory but how many people are going to use it. Cait was saying $9.99 for albums and comparing it to $16.99 albums in iTunes but I am not sure that is fair. She is comparing two different price structures, that being $9.99 being prices for USA and $16.99 being prices here in Aus for albums. Non USA residents are not eligible to use Napster so really that isn’t a valid argument. Using an iPod all the time I don’t have any real issues with DRM though I would prefer it wasn’t there for sure.
Saving XP would be a great idea. I know Microsoft will probably ignore it but I would much rather have XP on my mac instead of Vista but then again I got Vista for free so I can’t complain too much. That UAC crap on Vista is annoying but it can be turned off much easier than I thought and it just gives u a warning when you turn machine on or boot up that it’s turned off and that’s it, much better than hitting OK 3-4 times to run an app you have already an 100 times before.
There are 2 official Apple stores opening in Aus very soon. There is one in Sydney CBD and I believe one in Melbourne area, I think Chadstone. You can see a pic of the big sign at Sydney at http://mactalk.com.au/
Where are the links for the mac apps??? I have a program installed called Tubesock that lets you download youtube vids but it doesn’t allow you to just strip audio that I am aware of. There is also another program I think called Tubeloader that lets you paste in a bunch of youtube URL’s and it will download them all for you. I am sure they were mentioned back when the good looking banner guy was still doing the show
Did Dave call Cait a science slut
That site does sound rather intriguing though.
I think that will do for now. if I think of anything I will let you know.
May 31st, 2008 at 1:19 am
@BlogSlut thanks for the info on Apple stores for Oz. Not sure did I call her a science slut?
@Matt yeah I agree – squeaky clean for the sake of it is a bit hohum… but totally crass is over the top. We here at the GGP like to express ourselves and we do that however it comes… come to think of it Cait did let fly a few times this show…
@Herne sounds like your a bit of a closet D&D junky. Thanks for the info.
One thing I would like to say is thanks heaps for all the top commenting and involvement from everyone. We have had a few emails this week as well. Top stuff! And I found an email in the mailbag that got lost – We shall remedy our stuff up this week.
Thanks again guys and keep em rolling! If you have not commented before please jump in, good or bad – we can take it.
May 31st, 2008 at 2:53 am
Uhm. It sucks! And, uhm, you need to focus more on Linux!
May 31st, 2008 at 1:46 pm
@travis and @matt Please don’t talk to them about swearing on the show. Last time I did they stopped it all together. Dave was using words like heck and friggen. Its an email I wish I could take back.
Don’t make the same mistake I did.
Andy
May 31st, 2008 at 8:23 pm
@Burritoe it all started with an Armatron
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armatron
@Travis I’ve been swearing a lot this week and while I’d love to blame jjprojects, I’m really just an Aussie who swears sometimes, mostly when I get fired up
@Matt thanks
@blogslut I don’t think that science slut was a direct reference to me, but I am a bit of a science nut for some subjects, rockets and robots mostly. I read New Scientist and Technology Review (when I can get my bloody hands on TR here in Oz anyway). Re: buying music, that was Keith who compared, I refuse to buy music of any kind until the whole industry changes. They need us more than we need them.
May 31st, 2008 at 8:27 pm
Oh, and for any adventure/role-playing gamers out there, one of the more obscure games I have loved over the years is Realmz http://www.fantasoft.com/realmzdivinity.html
The website looks dodgy, but I first bought this off a promo diskette, via snail mail! Simple and fun.
May 31st, 2008 at 8:58 pm
Oh geez, Cait, I remember those fondly. Aahh those claws. Someone put db25 connector on one of those and controlled it thru the printer port.
My first programmable device was the Big Trak.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Trak
I still have the center wheels and tranmission in box somewhere from it. Allways meant to get……oh man.
I remember as kid trying to build a program with it to hit all the hiding places our cat would hide and fire its lazer cannon……poor sugar.
June 1st, 2008 at 11:16 pm
@Herne – I have to say, I like those little laptops. Not for a main PC though. I have myself a 2 gigger laptop already, but It’s a pain in the arse to take away with me. When I was stuck at Sydney airport last time, it was a hassle lugging the thing around all of the time. Plus staying in Sydney I had a worry that something was going to happen to the thing. I’d like something like an eee to have handy with me. And I’d get to mess around with some version of linux as well.
Ah, I’m a gadget junky, I admit it. I don’t NEED the eee, but I want one anyway…
June 2nd, 2008 at 2:06 am
@Burritoe: The swearing won’t ever go away on the show, trust me on that. It’s too hard to turn on the swearing filter at 04:00.
@Herne: The EEE isn’t intended to be a primary machine. You need to have data “in the cloud” or on a portable device (like an 8GB USB stick) so that it’s accessible.
@Cait: D/L’d that game last night
@Knotwise: Did you EVER listen to the show? Geez…
@Burritoe: Thanks for the props on dealing with the timezone… unfortunately, for this week’s show I wasn’t quite as successful (as I’m sure Dave will point out)
June 2nd, 2008 at 5:25 am
Listened to the first 20 minutes on a road trip. Your show has the best audio quality of everything I listen. I think more countries need strict laws against renting and leasing in all but a few cases like housing and autos. I believe some products you buy at electronics stores are technically not owned. I recall that being an issue with hardware mods/hacking. bye
June 2nd, 2008 at 5:49 am
@Terry, I agree with you. Those EEE devices are not designed to be the primary computer for 99% of the people.
Frankly I was pretty tired of hearing all the media bitching about the mac book AIR. Nice machine for sure, but the critics kept reviewing it out the purpose it was designed for. The same thing is happening with EEE to some extent.
@Knotwise: Knot=twisted -wise=ish
Bah, I think Dr. Evil has tried to cleaverly disguise himself.
June 2nd, 2008 at 6:45 am
@Cait: OMG! I allllllways wanted an Armatron and my parents refused to buy me one because it was “stupid.”
And the Big Trak too! Holy crud! Memories flooding back! I knew someone who had a Big Trak and I would always play with it whenever I went to see them.
The Big Trak always reminded me of that TV show that was out around the same time where this team of scientists where tooling around on a planet somewhere in this pimped out Winnebago-type vehicle that always pulled a trailer. What the heck was the name of that show? (Quickly searching Google…) Ark II! That was it!!
http://www.quickstopentertainment.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/ark2.jpg
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/miscgfx/covers2/ark2dvd.jpg
That was a happening show…
@Keith: My laptop comment wasn’t about the eeePC, it was about the “cheap” laptops that places like FutureShop are selling for about $600 that are way underpowered and yet ship with Vista. I wouldn’t mind having an eeePC, actually, they do the job that they’re advertised to do and they do it quite well.
Man…now I’m trying to remember all the cool toys that I used to want when I was a kid. I always got Lego when I was a kid and I ended up building my own cool toys out of that.
Please keep your swearing to “frakkin” or “fraggin”. Thanks.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:46 pm
I just love it when Cait goes swearing and shit. what a sweet voice and what a foul mouth ! ! !
Don’t agree on the Vista thing, but you all know how I feel about the resource hungry, overbloated,unsecure sad peace of overpriced spaghetticode we call Vista.
@keith : How in FRACKS NAME do you LOSE an ipod touch ! Its not like its a nano.
@Dave : you keep talking about your extension, you do mean an extension to your house right ? Not to some bodypart that desperately needs it .. There are little blue pills for that.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:47 pm
@Knotwise .. You want a piece of me bro ?
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:35 am
sad PIECE not sad PEACE. Sorry bout that
June 3rd, 2008 at 2:58 am
KW gets confused when he gets belligerent…
June 3rd, 2008 at 10:48 am
I heard my name. So i checked the site and found an interesting article on how NASA has misled on global warming. I also signed up to the rss feeds. I read a few articles with most having a summary or precis. A few did not which i thought they should. Bit like when you are looking up a journal article or similar. Im a size nerd/geek so i like this stuff and read most of it anyways.
@ Dave – was it your dog i heard whinging during the show? Im sure i hear a few “oi look at me, im a dog, give me a pat” noises.
Re XP, i use XP and am yet to migrate to Vista, although im getting a new laptop for my wife with Vista, so here goes. 99% of our work computers also run XP so im unsure why, apart from profit, would microsoft can it.
I have major issues with the latest version of office, that is, wtf were they thinking, i have lost so much productivity trying to write new macros to do basic tasks, and when i do, they still don’t work. How hard does it have to be to freaking paste unformated text. It works fine as long as its not in a macro. Idiots.
That will do now, keep up the good work.
June 3rd, 2008 at 2:28 pm
I agree with you about the twitching (twitter bitching). Okay so, unlike TPN, they’ve raised squillions of dollars and Evan is filthy rich to begin with, so they at least can afford to hire lots of smart kiddies to build their shit properly, but still, it’s free, it rocks, I look at it like this – when Twitter is down, it’s the universe’s way of telling me to get some work done.
Great show gan.
June 3rd, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Herne tends to get sick when he looks in the mirror too long.
June 4th, 2008 at 12:10 am
The only parallel between Twitter and the TPN would be the downtime they both experience sometimes
… (only kidding Cam !)
June 4th, 2008 at 4:48 am
On of the best things about the GGP is the fact that the audio has no back ground car noise.
June 4th, 2008 at 4:50 am
err um, *One
At least we know Knightwise uses his turn signals.
June 4th, 2008 at 7:02 am
Great show though I had a hard time listening to the bit on Autocad. I saved that particular rant for the feedbaack line. Exec summary is that I have been dealing with Autodesk (the people who make autocad) for most of my professional life and the act of bastardry you discribed on the program is what I would expect from these ‘people’. They make it really difficult to maintain or sell the product once you have brought off them.
hanging out for this weeks episode guys……. its wednesday, where is it ??
J
June 4th, 2008 at 8:21 am
@KW Ha! Shows what you know! Mirrors are not allowed in my house!
Speaking of the odd things that Knightwise does in the car… where the heck is the next Knightcast, eh!?
June 4th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
Its coming
Recovering from post-moving stress. Would you like to leave my turn signals on or off ?
June 4th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
@KW That sounds vaguely salacious…
“Gee Mister President… would like like me to leave my signals on… or off? on… or off? on… or off?”
“Just git’ out of the car, Barbara!”
June 6th, 2008 at 1:37 am
@herne : There must be some kind of medication to fix what is wrong with you.