We celebrate the patent wars with Zynga while Google’s stock gets downgraded. TV Studios think its a good idea to pull back their content on the Web and if you’ve ever faked a phone call on your cell phone, you’re not the only one. Buzz Out Loud episodes are released in their original audio form. …

Read the full post →“BOL 1533: Happy 8,000,000th patent!”

Google buys Motorola Mobility! Once we figure out that it’s not actually a joke, we grabbed News.com senior writer Maggie Reardon to help break it all down for us. Upshot: patents, patents, and more patents, and a war with its hardware partners. And also, a sea change in the entire industry. So, no big deal. …

Read the full post →“BOL 1531: Introducing: Googorola!”

HTC spends $300 million to acquire some Beats Electronics awesomeness, but we have to admit: we’re befuddled. Also, Apple is now officially the world’s most valuable company, and we’re happy, because they’re slightly less evil than ExxonMobil. And in the worst idea we’ve heard in a while, the British Prime Minister floats the idea of …

Read the full post →“BOL 1529: HTC tries to buy some street cred”

Google gets into the social gaming biz, because it turns out that social gaming addiction is the key to all social media success. Well, and a 5% cut of the profits compared to Facebook’s 30%. Nice move, Google. Scotland Yard is using Britain’s huge network of spy cams plus facial recognition software to track down …

Read the full post →“BOL 1530: Google’s Got Game”

Amazon and Vudu both launch full-featured Web apps for Apple’s iPad to avoid the Apple tax and, in Amazon’s case, so that they can actually have a link to their store in their mobile experience. Is Apple accidentally driving people toward a device-agnostic tech future? I hope so! Also, Nokia is out of North America, …

Read the full post →“BOL 1528: Is Apple killing its own app business?”

On today’s show, RIM’s BlackBerry blog is hacked after it cooperates with police over BlackBerry Messenger’s role in coordinating the ongoing London riots. Also, lightning strikes an Amazon Web server and half the Internet goes down (or was it solar flares?). Plus, coolest use of a zip line ever, as China retains its status as …

Read the full post →“BOL 1527: London’s burning thanks to BBM”

The sun is throwing out magnetic storms that could disrupt your GPS, your cell phone signals, and maybe even cause soda machines to kill you in extremely violent 1980s movie style. Just … Google it. In other news, the World Wide Web turned 20 this weekend, the kids of today are learning to be hackers …

Read the full post →“BOL 1526: Prepare for Maximum Overdrive!”

Google and Microsoft continue their highly public patent-related catfight, which is either raising awareness of the issue of overbroad software patents or just turning into an embarrassing public battle that’s making us all uncomfortable. Also, facial recognition is a trap, and security researchers are rushing to unveil the real Shady Rat. Plus: Computer Love! Buzz …

Read the full post →“BOL 1525: Patent catfights and the hot rod plow”

On today’s show, Google is upset that its competitors are using a giant portfolio of patents to attack Android. Never mind that Google could have joined in the purchase of said portfolio or, more importantly, that it’s got the clout and cash to lead a fight against software patents in the first place. Good try, …

Read the full post →“BOL 1524: The finger wiggle patent portfolio attacks”

On today’s show, security researchers report that Anonymous and LulzSec are, if anything, just distracting us with their antics while the true threat is a years-long cyberwarfare campaign that’s stolen everything from private intellectual property to high-level government secrets. So, that’ll probably lead to some reasoned and logical cyber-security discussions, no? No. Also, is the …

Read the full post →“BOL 1523: Global cyber cold war imminent?”