The 404 908: Where we level up with Fitocracy (podcast)
A self-described "ex-fat kid," Dick tells us about his high-school RPG career that developed an unhealthy lifestyle and dietary habits, and the light bulb moment when he realized he could combine his love for video games with the success of online social networks to get into shape. Instead of typical workout routines you get from personal trainers and fitness magazines, Fitocracy takes cues from games like World of Warcraft and Chrono Trigger to present "quests" that must be completed to earn achievement points and "boosts."After each workout, Fitocracy makes it easy to check in online, update your progress, and even send "props" to your fellow Fitocrats--the whole process is really motivating and takes the chest puffing out of your daily gym experience.Check out today's episode to see Dick's incredible before and after photos, which should be enough to get you out of your computer chair for at least a few sit-ups. Also, the site is in private beta right now, but Dick is extending a generous invite to 404 listeners--just head to Fitocracy.com and enter in "The404" as a promo code and you'll be able to sign up ahead of everyone else.Enjoy the service, and let us know what you think, and don't forget to send us your before and after photos!The 404 Digest for Episode 908DragCloseThis content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.Head over to Fitocracy and enter "The 404" into the promo code section to try it out!Fitocracy brings games and social to your workouts.Follow Fitocracy on Twitter.My workout partner is a role-playing game.Xkcd comic about Fitocracy.Most popular fitness tracking Web site: Fitocracy.Twitter break video of the day: HEYYEYAAEYAAAEYAEYAA (AND HE PRAYS)Episode 908Listen nowYour browser does not support the audio element. Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video  Follow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuWilson TangAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff BakalarWilson Tang
Podcast tip- Special characters will break your podcast feed
Podcast tip: Special characters will break your podcast feed
Often, I receive the title and description of a podcast direct from the people who host their own show, written by them in Microsoft Outlook.In the past, I would copy and paste these blurbs from the e-mail and paste them into the XML feeds before publishing live.Now, however, I have to be a bit more careful because Office 2007 does some automatic formatting on the fly as you type.This formatting creates special characters that can be very tough to spot in the context of a block of text. They are a bit easier to spot when compared side by side with their valid equivalent.These special characters will result in ? marks within the Firefox feed reader in place of each instance.In other readers, such as Internet Explorer 7 and even worse, in aggregators such as iTunes, the feed URL will return an error message saying that the feed is either invalid, or doesn't even exist!If you are using Microsoft Office 2007 to type out anything that might end up in your podcast feed, make notice when you type a punctuation.Notice that a special character is inserted.Hit CTRL-Z immediately after typing the character.This will not undo the last character entirely, but rather it will remove the special formatting and revert to it's "dumb" equivalent.Make sure you have corrected all of these special characters before copying this text into your feed and publishing it.You should always check the validity of your published podcast feed by visiting Feed Validator.There, you can plug in the URL to your podcast feed and it will report right back to you with any errors that the feed currently contains.It even gives you the ability to check out why a specific rule exists, and what you can do to fix each problem.So please, do what I didn't do.Validate your feed before assuming that your work is done.
Often, I receive the title and description of a podcast direct from the people who host their own show, written by them in Microsoft Outlook.In the past, I would copy and paste these blurbs from the e-mail and paste them into the XML feeds before publishing live.Now, however, I have to be a bit more careful because Office 2007 does some automatic formatting on the fly as you type.This formatting creates special characters that can be very tough to spot in the context of a block of text. They are a bit easier to spot when compared side by side with their valid equivalent.These special characters will result in ? marks within the Firefox feed reader in place of each instance.In other readers, such as Internet Explorer 7 and even worse, in aggregators such as iTunes, the feed URL will return an error message saying that the feed is either invalid, or doesn't even exist!If you are using Microsoft Office 2007 to type out anything that might end up in your podcast feed, make notice when you type a punctuation.Notice that a special character is inserted.Hit CTRL-Z immediately after typing the character.This will not undo the last character entirely, but rather it will remove the special formatting and revert to it's "dumb" equivalent.Make sure you have corrected all of these special characters before copying this text into your feed and publishing it.You should always check the validity of your published podcast feed by visiting Feed Validator.There, you can plug in the URL to your podcast feed and it will report right back to you with any errors that the feed currently contains.It even gives you the ability to check out why a specific rule exists, and what you can do to fix each problem.So please, do what I didn't do.Validate your feed before assuming that your work is done.
Penguin finally settles with EU over e-book pricing
Penguin finally settles with EU over e-book pricing
Penguin, the last major holdout in the antitrust probe involving Apple and publishers over e-book pricing, is now in line with its competitors.The European Union's European Commission announced on Thursday that it has approved conditions it agreed to with Penguin in April. The book publisher agreed to terminate agency agreements that allow a publisher, not a retailer, to set prices on titles, as well as end the "most favored nation" pricing clauses that offered different prices based on location.Penguin and the European Commission's agreement comes after other book publishers, including Harper Collins and Hachette, agreed to essentially the same terms back in December. Penguin was conspicuously missing from that deal and has consistently said that it did nothing wrong.The case relates to alleged e-book price fixing on the part of Apple and book publishers that drove prices up and hurt Amazon's e-book business.
Penguin, the last major holdout in the antitrust probe involving Apple and publishers over e-book pricing, is now in line with its competitors.The European Union's European Commission announced on Thursday that it has approved conditions it agreed to with Penguin in April. The book publisher agreed to terminate agency agreements that allow a publisher, not a retailer, to set prices on titles, as well as end the "most favored nation" pricing clauses that offered different prices based on location.Penguin and the European Commission's agreement comes after other book publishers, including Harper Collins and Hachette, agreed to essentially the same terms back in December. Penguin was conspicuously missing from that deal and has consistently said that it did nothing wrong.The case relates to alleged e-book price fixing on the part of Apple and book publishers that drove prices up and hurt Amazon's e-book business.
Paris court to Apple Stores- No more breaking 9 p.m. curfew
Paris court to Apple Stores: No more breaking 9 p.m. curfew
Apple has been hit with a fine and new regulations by a Paris court that has taken aim at the company's alleged after-hours work in France.According to the AFP, which was first to report on the ruling, the Paris Court awarded the unions that sued Apple 10,000 euros ($13,005) for its alleged violations. The court said that in some Apple stores in France, the company was asking employees to work past the 9 p.m. local time curfew in violation of the country's labor laws.France bans companies from making employees work between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. unless those activities are necessary to maintain economic success or they provide a social service. Although Apple's stores close at 9 p.m. in France to accommodate that regulation, the labor unions that sued the company argued that it forced employees to clean up and close down the store after 9 p.m. That meant some employees didn't actually leave work until as late as 11 p.m.According to the AFP, seven of Apple's stores in France have violated the law.Although Apple has lost one case, the company isn't quite out of the woods yet. According to the AFP, another court plans to make a ruling on the matter on April 16.CNET has contacted Apple for comment on the legal action. We will update this story when we have more information.(Via The Verge)
Apple has been hit with a fine and new regulations by a Paris court that has taken aim at the company's alleged after-hours work in France.According to the AFP, which was first to report on the ruling, the Paris Court awarded the unions that sued Apple 10,000 euros ($13,005) for its alleged violations. The court said that in some Apple stores in France, the company was asking employees to work past the 9 p.m. local time curfew in violation of the country's labor laws.France bans companies from making employees work between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. unless those activities are necessary to maintain economic success or they provide a social service. Although Apple's stores close at 9 p.m. in France to accommodate that regulation, the labor unions that sued the company argued that it forced employees to clean up and close down the store after 9 p.m. That meant some employees didn't actually leave work until as late as 11 p.m.According to the AFP, seven of Apple's stores in France have violated the law.Although Apple has lost one case, the company isn't quite out of the woods yet. According to the AFP, another court plans to make a ruling on the matter on April 16.CNET has contacted Apple for comment on the legal action. We will update this story when we have more information.(Via The Verge)
To get MTV doc sneak peeks, Miley fans can't stop tweeting
To get MTV doc sneak peeks, Miley fans can't stop tweeting
MTV is betting Twitter hasn't exhausted a fervor for Miley Cyrus yet. After the singer's provocative performance at the Video Music Awards had Twitter in a tizzy, MTV is leveraging the star's social presence to drive more people to its MTV app. After broadcasting a 60-minute documentary about Cyrus Wednesday night, MTV said it would release two clips from an extended 90-minute version of the film "Miley: The Movement" ahead of its slated airtime Sunday -- provided enough fans tweet the hashtag #UnlockMiley.The catch is that the clips will only be available through the MTV app for iPhone and iPad. It's the first time MTV is deploying a "flock to unlock" approach to stoke mobile usage of its MTV app, which first rolled out to iOS in June. Colin Helms, senior vice president of connected content at MTV, said the network viewed the "flock to unlock" idea as similar to a modern-day "applause-o-meter." And using its app to release exclusive content or premiere new content altogether is something MTV plans to do more, he said.A couple hours after the original Cyrus doc aired on the East Coast, tweeting fans were 2 percent of the way toward unlocking the first clip. Brings back memories of trying to download iOS 7.
MTV is betting Twitter hasn't exhausted a fervor for Miley Cyrus yet. After the singer's provocative performance at the Video Music Awards had Twitter in a tizzy, MTV is leveraging the star's social presence to drive more people to its MTV app. After broadcasting a 60-minute documentary about Cyrus Wednesday night, MTV said it would release two clips from an extended 90-minute version of the film "Miley: The Movement" ahead of its slated airtime Sunday -- provided enough fans tweet the hashtag #UnlockMiley.The catch is that the clips will only be available through the MTV app for iPhone and iPad. It's the first time MTV is deploying a "flock to unlock" approach to stoke mobile usage of its MTV app, which first rolled out to iOS in June. Colin Helms, senior vice president of connected content at MTV, said the network viewed the "flock to unlock" idea as similar to a modern-day "applause-o-meter." And using its app to release exclusive content or premiere new content altogether is something MTV plans to do more, he said.A couple hours after the original Cyrus doc aired on the East Coast, tweeting fans were 2 percent of the way toward unlocking the first clip. Brings back memories of trying to download iOS 7.
T-Mobile G1- What we didn't get
T-Mobile G1: What we didn't get
With the new T-Mobile G1, aka the HTC Dream, the Google Android OS is now a reality. The touch-screen device with the QWERTY keyboard offers a host of intriguing features but there a few things left off the list, some of which are surprising. Here's what we noticed so far.Exchange server support Sure, this may come later, but this is a glaring omission on any handset that's hoping for a slice of the smartphone pie. Of course, that also means there's no Outlook calendar and contacts syncing, either.Video recording We've raked Apple over the coals for not including this on the iPhone, so we'll have to to the same for the G1. Video should just be standard on a phone with a 3-megapixel camera.Stereo Bluetooth The support for the new Amazon MP3 Store shows that the T-Mobile G1 is not taking its music player lightly. Stereo Bluetooth is a common feature these days, and the G1 should have it, particularly since there's no 3.5mm headset jack (that's next). 3.5mm headset jack Seriously, HTC and T-Mobile, no 3.5mm headset jack? The port uses a proprietary connection? Wow...that's just wrong. Even if you can use your own headset with an adapter, you shouldn't have to.Interface The G1 won't have Apple's multitouch interface either, but that's something we can live without.No tethered modemApparently, the G1 will not offer modem capability. That's pretty low on our list, but it's worth noting just the same.What else were you hoping for? Is there anything that you think that the G1 should have?
With the new T-Mobile G1, aka the HTC Dream, the Google Android OS is now a reality. The touch-screen device with the QWERTY keyboard offers a host of intriguing features but there a few things left off the list, some of which are surprising. Here's what we noticed so far.Exchange server support Sure, this may come later, but this is a glaring omission on any handset that's hoping for a slice of the smartphone pie. Of course, that also means there's no Outlook calendar and contacts syncing, either.Video recording We've raked Apple over the coals for not including this on the iPhone, so we'll have to to the same for the G1. Video should just be standard on a phone with a 3-megapixel camera.Stereo Bluetooth The support for the new Amazon MP3 Store shows that the T-Mobile G1 is not taking its music player lightly. Stereo Bluetooth is a common feature these days, and the G1 should have it, particularly since there's no 3.5mm headset jack (that's next). 3.5mm headset jack Seriously, HTC and T-Mobile, no 3.5mm headset jack? The port uses a proprietary connection? Wow...that's just wrong. Even if you can use your own headset with an adapter, you shouldn't have to.Interface The G1 won't have Apple's multitouch interface either, but that's something we can live without.No tethered modemApparently, the G1 will not offer modem capability. That's pretty low on our list, but it's worth noting just the same.What else were you hoping for? Is there anything that you think that the G1 should have?
T-Mobile customers to get Google Music freebies
T-Mobile customers to get Google Music freebies
T-Mobile got to stand alongside Google as the search giant officially unveiled its music service. For its part, T-Mobile will be offering free music content to its subscribers, as well as carrier-billing support. For T-Mobile, the partnership gives the carrier an inside track into the new cloud music service, which directly targets Apple's iTunes. T-Mobile, the only national carrier without Apple's iPhone, could use the advantage and a little buzz as it struggles to preserve its customer base. "We believe Google Music will completely change the experience--allowing customers to not only discover and buy music in a new way, but also share their favorite tracks with friends on Google+," Andrew Sherrard, senior vice president of marketing for T-Mobile, said in a blog posting. T-Mobile said customers with an Android phone running version 2.2 or later will get free exclusive content from a range of artists including Drake, Maroon 5, and Busta Ryhmes. Customers will get new free content each week through the end of the year.T-Mobile customers, meanwhile, can buy music on their Android phone and have the purchase show up on their monthly cellphone bill.The wireless industry has been attempting to wed music to cellphones, with the iPhone coming the closest through its integration of iTunes and iPod capabilities. More recently, HTC is packing Beats headphones with its Rezound smartphone for Verizon Wireless, while Nokia is looking to pack a comprehensive music service with its Lumia Windows Phone devices.
T-Mobile got to stand alongside Google as the search giant officially unveiled its music service. For its part, T-Mobile will be offering free music content to its subscribers, as well as carrier-billing support. For T-Mobile, the partnership gives the carrier an inside track into the new cloud music service, which directly targets Apple's iTunes. T-Mobile, the only national carrier without Apple's iPhone, could use the advantage and a little buzz as it struggles to preserve its customer base. "We believe Google Music will completely change the experience--allowing customers to not only discover and buy music in a new way, but also share their favorite tracks with friends on Google+," Andrew Sherrard, senior vice president of marketing for T-Mobile, said in a blog posting. T-Mobile said customers with an Android phone running version 2.2 or later will get free exclusive content from a range of artists including Drake, Maroon 5, and Busta Ryhmes. Customers will get new free content each week through the end of the year.T-Mobile customers, meanwhile, can buy music on their Android phone and have the purchase show up on their monthly cellphone bill.The wireless industry has been attempting to wed music to cellphones, with the iPhone coming the closest through its integration of iTunes and iPod capabilities. More recently, HTC is packing Beats headphones with its Rezound smartphone for Verizon Wireless, while Nokia is looking to pack a comprehensive music service with its Lumia Windows Phone devices.
TiVo adds Web video--but there's a catch
TiVo adds Web video--but there's a catch
TiVo has added the ability to view downloadable Web videos on the company's DVRs, making good on its announcement at January's Consumer Electronics Show. The update will allow Web videos such as video podcasts to be downloaded with the same Season Pass functionality used by TiVo viewers to record their favorite TV shows. But don't expect to just punch in a URL or an RSS feed into the TiVo remote. Videos must first be downloaded to your PC's hard drive, after which they'll be transferred to your TiVo via your home network. That's a departure from Amazon Unbox videos, the Rhapsody subscription music service, and TiVo's forthcoming YouTube service, all of which are accessible online straight through TiVo's onscreen interface without the need to have a PC running elsewhere in the home. (By contrast, the Apple TV can pull down PC-free video podcasts, so long as they're indexed on the iTunes Store.) The Web video functionality requires TiVo's Desktop Plus 2.6 software, available for download today ($25 for new users, or a free upgrade for users of the existing software). For now, it's a Windows-only solution, though TiVo says that the company is continuing "to work with Roxio on delivering equivalent functionality on the Mac platform." With any luck, perhaps the new Desktop Plus software will also swat those TiVoToGo bugs that have been afflicting some TiVo users for the past several months.
TiVo has added the ability to view downloadable Web videos on the company's DVRs, making good on its announcement at January's Consumer Electronics Show. The update will allow Web videos such as video podcasts to be downloaded with the same Season Pass functionality used by TiVo viewers to record their favorite TV shows. But don't expect to just punch in a URL or an RSS feed into the TiVo remote. Videos must first be downloaded to your PC's hard drive, after which they'll be transferred to your TiVo via your home network. That's a departure from Amazon Unbox videos, the Rhapsody subscription music service, and TiVo's forthcoming YouTube service, all of which are accessible online straight through TiVo's onscreen interface without the need to have a PC running elsewhere in the home. (By contrast, the Apple TV can pull down PC-free video podcasts, so long as they're indexed on the iTunes Store.) The Web video functionality requires TiVo's Desktop Plus 2.6 software, available for download today ($25 for new users, or a free upgrade for users of the existing software). For now, it's a Windows-only solution, though TiVo says that the company is continuing "to work with Roxio on delivering equivalent functionality on the Mac platform." With any luck, perhaps the new Desktop Plus software will also swat those TiVoToGo bugs that have been afflicting some TiVo users for the past several months.
Tiny Wings still flying high on App Store
Tiny Wings still flying high on App Store
You may want to remember the name Andreas Illiger. He's the sole creator of Tiny Wings, a simple yet addictive iOS game that's exploding on the charts. In fact, the bird-jumping game is so popular that it's dethroned Angry Birds from the top of the paid-apps list on Apple's App Store--for several weeks now. Angry Birds had dominantly held the top spot for many months before Wings took flight last month. Illiger, a first-time App Store author, says on his Web site that he's "overwhelmed" at the incredible reception to his 99-cent game, in which players use one finger to help their winged character fly into the clouds (with the help of the hilly terrain) before nightfall. The German developer's Twitter page mentions an update coming soon that fixes a variety of issues: push notification (SMS, battery, etc.) crashing; sounds disappearing; iPod multitasking playback snags; and timing issues that may arise during the three-jump fever mode. Game Center, iPad, and Retina display support are in the works, according to Illiger's site. There's also brief mention of a downloadable content update in the future. Unfortunately, it appears Android and other versions of Little Wings are not currently in development. This game really has the opportunity to be the next big hit based on its meteoric rise in popularity, cool style, and quick gameplay. I admit that I'm a fan; my personal best score is a paltry 147,900 (with 24x multiplier), which is nothing compared with the 275k scores and beyond in the Openfeint high-score list.Hopefully I'll learn how to fly one of these days.
You may want to remember the name Andreas Illiger. He's the sole creator of Tiny Wings, a simple yet addictive iOS game that's exploding on the charts. In fact, the bird-jumping game is so popular that it's dethroned Angry Birds from the top of the paid-apps list on Apple's App Store--for several weeks now. Angry Birds had dominantly held the top spot for many months before Wings took flight last month. Illiger, a first-time App Store author, says on his Web site that he's "overwhelmed" at the incredible reception to his 99-cent game, in which players use one finger to help their winged character fly into the clouds (with the help of the hilly terrain) before nightfall. The German developer's Twitter page mentions an update coming soon that fixes a variety of issues: push notification (SMS, battery, etc.) crashing; sounds disappearing; iPod multitasking playback snags; and timing issues that may arise during the three-jump fever mode. Game Center, iPad, and Retina display support are in the works, according to Illiger's site. There's also brief mention of a downloadable content update in the future. Unfortunately, it appears Android and other versions of Little Wings are not currently in development. This game really has the opportunity to be the next big hit based on its meteoric rise in popularity, cool style, and quick gameplay. I admit that I'm a fan; my personal best score is a paltry 147,900 (with 24x multiplier), which is nothing compared with the 275k scores and beyond in the Openfeint high-score list.Hopefully I'll learn how to fly one of these days.
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