Archive for February, 2012

Roger’s plan for living in containers needs a new foundation. But thankfully superheroes and magic distract us.

http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/www.archive.org/download/EastMeetsWest277-ContainerHome/eastmeetswest277.mp3

Current Geek Episode 191: Disney can do more than you think

Hosts: Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Iyaz Akhtar and Jason Howell

VeriWho needs a 36 megapixel Nikon D800? Google Chrome now on Android, Apple iTV might arrive through ISPs like a phone, and more.

Guest: Derek Colanduno and Trey Ratcliff

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Running time: 43:13

In 1971 – 10 years after the SEC suggested automation could solve the problem of fragmentation in over-the-counter stocks, the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations or NASDAQ index began trading, the world’s first electronic stock market.

In 1996 – “24 hours in cyberspace” event inspired by photographer Rick Smolan, took place, with 150 photojournalists documenting how people around the world used the Internet.

Also In 1996 – The U.S. Congress passed the Communications Decency Act, part of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. It attempted to hold website operators responsible for anyone younger than 18 seeing porn on the Internet. That provision was later struck down by the Supreme Court, however Section 230 which provides safe harbor to service providers is still in force.

Hosts: Tom Merritt and Scott Johnson

Also you’ll need an email address in the future, but not necessarily and ID.

Guests: Nicole S. Young and Glenn Rubenstein

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Got a prediction of your own? Guest you’d like to see? Question for the show? Email us at [email protected].

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Running time: 52:07

Hosts: Brian Brushwood and Tom Merritt

Lilyhammer debuts on Netflix. how to measure the box office, Verizon’s Redbox video streaming service, and more.

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Running time: 53:27

Veronica: 2007 Alois Lageder Pinot Noir Alto Adige

Tom: Courvoisier VSOP Cognac

QUICK BURNS

Another Chain Says It Won’t Carry Amazon Books, But Does It Matter? 

“Provacative” Publisher Creates Book That Lets You Talk Back To The Characters

How to Fake Being An Expert in Any Major Media Character, In 7 Easy Steps  

CALENDAR

BARE YOUR SWORD

Buy some John Scalzi books, support breast cancer screenings!

The strangest thing found left in a book? 

Eastercon 2012  

TV, MOVIES AND VIDEO GAMES

New GAME OF THRONES trailer 

Hunger Games Trailer 2 is out – Super Bowl Trailer 

Sugar Inc. Launches DistrictSugar, their portal for all things Hunger Games

BOOK CHECK-IN

Tom finished Rule 34 – liked it much better the last 2/3 Veronica is about 65% of the way through, is enjoying it much more now as well. Officially wrap-up coming next week.

Tom obtained UK version of Blue Remembered Earth by Alistair Reynolds through Amazon.

Veronica is also reading Silent in the Grave, by Deanna Raybourn, for Vaginal Fantasy

EMAIL

I have always loved to read, but ten years ago I lost my sight andhave since become a voracious audiobook listener. I use the term“read” when discussing books all the time which has on occasion causedsome to try to correct me by telling me that I did not read the book Ilistened to it. For which I always reply… The eyes are a medium inwhich the brain reads they’re merely a way to input externalinformation not the body part that reads it and yes I understand thatdifferent parts of the brain are used to identify such externalinformation, but in the end it is the brain that reads no matter theway in which one obtains the information. So when a blind person oraudiobook listener says that they’ve read a book it doesn’t matterwhether they used their eyes, ears or fingers because no matter theway they did it it is still their brain that read it.

Love the podcast and keep up the good work!

-Aaron

—

Dear Veronica and Tom,

I was catching up on my Sword and Laser listening last night and two of the conversations in the last podcast inspired me to write in with a book suggestion. Another Email mentioned On Basilisk Station, first book in the Honor Harrington series by David Weber. We’re big Weber fans in my household, and most recently my husband and I have been working through Weber’s Safehold Series, which begins with Off Armageddon Reef. In this series Weber has combined his typical Military Sci-fi setting with a Historical setting. There are swords, and yes, there are lasers, though there is no magic (but there are dragons, kinda) so your mileage may vary.

Unfortunately Off Armageddon Reef is not available as part of the Baen Free Library, but it is available on Audible. I’ve read it and listened to it, and enjoyed it greatly both ways. I know it’s not the only book out there to tackle a fantasy styled setting from a sci-fi point of view, but I think it’d be a great way to introduce some David Weber to Sword and Laser.

Thanks as always for the great podcast, I’m excited to see what book you all pick next!

Cheers, Jenn

NEW MEMBER HELLOS

Cristian AKA Grizz, BillTheBloody, Leo, Matthew, Dean, Joe, Phillip, Greg, Andrew, Zack, Steff, Aimee, James, Gregg, Brian, Julia, Luca, Mike, Morgan, Lucas, Jason, Patrick, TJ, John, Megan, Dan, Jordan, Matt, Jake, Marcus, Mick, Paul, Craig, Brad, Stephanie, Doug, Euan 

ADDENDUMS

This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com the internet’s leading provider of audiobooks with more than 100,000 downloadable titles across all types of literature and featuring audio versions of many New York Times Best Sellers. For listeners of this podcast, Audible is offering a free audiobook, to give you a chance to try out their service. For a free audiobook of your choice go to audiblepodcast.com/sword. 

Hosts: Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Iyaz Akhtar and Jason Howell

Verizon and Redbox joined at the kiosk, Amazon opening a retail store? Your deleted Facebook photos are not deleted, and more.

Guest: Peter Ha

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Running time: 47:18

In 1817 – The first public gas street light in the U.S. was lit in Baltimore, Maryland at the corner of Market and Lemon streets.

In 1915 – The first completely successful tests of the wireless telephone from a moving train were conducted on the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad when spoken messages were clearly heard twenty six miles from Lounsberry to Binghamton, NY.

In 1984 – The first untethered spacewalks were made by Challenger astronauts Bruce McCandless II and Robert L. Stewart

In 1957 – MIT introduced the cryotron, the first practical demonstration of superconductivity, invented by Dudley Allen Buck. The Cryotron paved the way for the intergrated circuit which used semiconductivity.

In 1959 – Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments filed a patent for miniaturized electronic circuits, the first patent for what we now call integrated circuits.

In 1971 – Apollo 14’s Lunar Module lifted off from the moon returning astronauts Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell to the Command Module. Shepard had made extra history by becoming the first human to hit a golf ball on the moon.