Episode 848

==Delayed gratification==
We're getting Windows 7 at the end of 2009! Although Microsoft won't make that official. We're getting USB 3.0! Though not until 2010. Songbird is almost out in a full version. But it's still just a release candidate. Microsoft is going open source! OK, they said they're interested in looking at Webkit. Prostitutes can advertise on Craigslist! But they have to give a phone number and credit card...
Man, nothing's quite what it seems today
==Stories==
Ballmer rules out new bid for Yahoo
*Ballmer rules out new bid for Yahoo
*Yahoo shares plummet post Ballmer comments
Microsoft ‘interested’ in open source browser: Ballmer
*Microsoft 'interested' in open source browser: Ballmer
*Hell freezes over: Ballmer considering open-source browser?
Microsoft aims Windows 7 for 2009 holiday season
*Microsoft aims Windows 7 for 2009 holiday season
Change.gov you can believe in?
*Change.gov you can believe in?
The Real Story On WPA's Flaw
*The Real Story On WPA's Flaw
Project Turns GPS Phones Into Traffic Reporters 
*Project Turns GPS Phones Into Traffic Reporters
Craigslist to crack down on ads for erotic services
*Craigslist to crack down on ads for erotic services
Songbird taxis to the runway
*Songbird taxis to the runway
Worldwide broadband prices drop 20% in less than a year
*Worldwide broadband prices drop 20% in less than a year
Microsoft shows off USB 3.0 (thanks, Chris)
*Microsoft describes USB 3.0 delays
==Voice Mail==
Joe from Westside: How to get BOL regardless of 10MB cap!
==E-Mail==
A future Jason doppleganger
Just a short story Jason might find amusing. I’m currently 13 weeks pregnant and while we don’t yet know the gender of our little one, my husband and I were sitting and trying out some different names. We stopped at the name Jason and tried it out with our last name, Howell.
“Jason Howell, That sounds really nice together!”
We were both repeating it for a while before we connected the dots as to why this name sounds so familiar. We were laughing at ourselves after that. We haven’t completely abandoned the name yet so we may be creating a future Jason doppleganger.
Love the Show!
Jamie & Dodge Howell
from Michigan
Section 20, “Energy Standards”
In show 844 you said you’d really like to know how all the digital-to-analog converter box manufacturers decided that they should setup the boxes to shutoff automatically after 4 hours. Well, they didn’t! The National Telecommunications and Information Administration decided for them.
In order to qualify for the government’s Converter Coupon Program, manufacturers have to meet the specifications listed in this Technical Appendix 1 of the “Final Rule, ?301.5″:
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/dtvcoupon/DTVmanufacturers.pdf
Specifically, section 20, “Energy Standards”:
“…Eligible equipment shall provide the capability to automatically switch from the On state to the Sleep state after a period of time without user input. This capability shall be enabled at the factory as the default setting for the device. The default period of inactivity before the equipment automatically switches to the Sleep state shall be four hours…”
Now you know!
Keep up the great show,
Jeremy from Brooklyn