PowerUser.TV e50: EU Fines Microsoft, Zune, Wi-Fi & More!

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This week the team burns through some tech news, including (but not limited to) the EU slaps Microsoft with a ton of fines, the house votes to crack down on internet gambling and it turns out a majority of podcast listeners are Star Trek fans (is that true gang?). Also Microsoft makes an "iPod killer" called the Zune to which the team (or at least Kristin) responds with a resounding "meh".

In gaming news the team discusses a Sony "anti-used game" patent, inform you that Oblivion has come out with a new expansion pack and laugh at Uwe Boll. No wait, they laugh with him. Yet another console is getting ready to hit the streets and Microsoft's Zune will hook into the 360 but won't play games. Huh?

This is episode 50 folks. A big shout-out to our IRC peeps and all those who post on the forums and give us love. If it wasn't for you we'd...be talking to ourselves. Thank you!

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(3 replies) #1 Saadu on 18 Jul 2006 - 01:00

Hey i thought you guys were gonna do a vid cast for Ep50?
What happened to that plan?

#1.1 DJ_Myth on 18 Jul 2006 - 01:10

Do you really wanna see those 4? lol

#1.2 Saadu on 18 Jul 2006 - 01:21

Quote - DJ_Myth said @ #1.1

Yeh id like to see at least someone getting strangled.

#1.3 DJ_Myth on 18 Jul 2006 - 04:22

Ah, I thought I saw a photo of Kristin strangling Brad >..>

(4 replies) #2 Frogboy on 18 Jul 2006 - 01:34

PowerUser.TV: The most violent podcast on the net.

#2.1 Express on 18 Jul 2006 - 02:02

Completely agree with you on the EU issue. Good job.

#2.2 MrCobra on 18 Jul 2006 - 02:54

EU sucks @ss.

#2.3 theyarecomingforyou on 18 Jul 2006 - 03:05

Quote -

What an eloquent arguement.

#2.4 MrCobra on 18 Jul 2006 - 03:35

Quote - theyarecomingforyou said @ #2.3

Why thank you.

(1 reply) #3 Audhumla on 18 Jul 2006 - 02:53

Bah, too much tech news, not enough discussion on Iraq

#3.1 LOC on 18 Jul 2006 - 03:13

Maybe next week they can talk about the "**** heard round the world" !!!

(1 reply) #4 Frogboy on 18 Jul 2006 - 03:30

Well I know one thing we should talk about next week..

We've been trying to come up with a name for a new art unit at Stardock for the creation of graphical content and such.

Kristin put forth the name "Stardock Creative".

I thought, well, Put an X in front of it which will make it cool and call it Stardock XCreations.

With the tagline -- Stardock Xcreations - Look what I made.

It didn't get a lot of support.

#4.1 dp123 on 18 Jul 2006 - 04:04

Because... well... you do realize that sounds like excretions?

(3 replies) #5 Xavien on 18 Jul 2006 - 07:00

Brad, the EU isn't wanting ANY FORM of source code, they only want the API's FULLY DOCUMENTED, to allow other companies use the API's in the same way microsoft does, geez.

Prehaps, you should write a media player application with stardock and see how easy it is to have it open, run and play as fast as windows media player.

What does it take for you americans to get it?

but thanks for the comment about the UK though

#5.1 Frogboy on 18 Jul 2006 - 18:07

I'm not sure I understand the gist of your comment.

But Stardock has written a media player application and it comes with Object Desktop. Are you suggesting it is somehow hard to write a media player?

#5.2 Xavien on 18 Jul 2006 - 21:29

nope, im suggesting it may be hard to write a media player with all the features of windows media player and the speed of Windows Media Player without using some of the undocumented API's within windows (maybe WMP is a bad example though, The Microsoft Office Suite maybe?).

Microsoft uses these undocumented API's to make software that can leap ahead of its competitors simply because microsoft has proprietary knowledge of these API's and thus they are unwilling to release information about them.

The EU wants documentation on these API's rather then any form of source code, to allow competition in case microsoft enters certain market and uses its proprietary knowledge of the Windows API's to gain an unfair advantage in that market and thus create a monopoly in the new market.

Its called a Horizontal Monopoly and there are laws in the EU to stop it from happening.

Sorry for sounding rude and abrasive earlier, its simply that so many people dont seem to understand what the EU wants, that its causing a great deal of mis-information all over the place (helped along by microsoft itself by giving vague comments to news reporters) and causing people to defend microsoft.

#5.3 Frogboy on 19 Jul 2006 - 01:37

I've heard Windows Media Player called many things but "Fast" isn't one of them. There's nothing particularly special about Windows Meida Player.

#6 b0m8er on 18 Jul 2006 - 07:17

yey!! yet another episode of my favorite podcast

#7 neomilan on 18 Jul 2006 - 08:55

IRC://irc.stardock.com/poweruser

#8 timw on 18 Jul 2006 - 12:13

I don't like Nike, Star Trek and am a Windows user!

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