Audio is in MP3 format. To download
it to play later, right click on its link and opt to save the file
on your computer. To play a file
immediately, left click on its link (how immediate it plays depends
on the software on your computer and the speed of your Internet connection).
Shows consist of three segments: Technical Discussions for the first half hour, brief User Group
meeting announcements, then audience call-in for the second half hour. We thank
Streamload for hosting many of these files. Starting
in August 2005, WBAI archives shows in MP3 format and keeps them on-line for three months.
We also have text summaries of
recent shows and older shows.
A re-broadcast of three interviews. The first is with the author of a Lego robotics book, the
second is with the CEO of Craigs list and the third is with M. David Stone on printers.
Listen now: (24Kbps)
A re-broadcast of two interviews. The first is with Richard Stallman the man behind GNU an
integral part of Linux. The second is with Robin Raskin on how kids use the Internet.
Microsoft today released a fix for a critical bug in Internet Explorer.
Firefox also just had fixes released as did Mac OS X.
An Apple patch is causing more problems than it fixes.
A Microsoft patch to Internet Explorer also caused grief for people.
Best Buy profits are down by 77%. Free codecs for Windows Media Player.
Market share in Netbooks.
Fund raising. We have a new premium, a password reset CD. No listener phone calls.
Bailouts. The first annual Free Shipping Day.
It now costs more to buy a new computer with Vista and downgrade it to XP, something that
many people are doing. Joe bought a Vista computer.
Lenovo teamed up with Phoenix to add remote disabling to stolen laptops.
Fund raising. We have a new premium, a password reset CD. No listener phone calls.
Apple encourages the widespread use of multiple antivirus utilities.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer ordered to testify in a class action lawsuit over Vista Capable.
The topic was Dragon Naturally Speaking.
Guests were Peter Mahoney VP and General Manager of Nuance Communicatios Desktop Dictation unit
and Ross Greenberg (one of the original members of the Personal Computer Show. Listener phone calls.
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"Save Link As".
NOVEMBER
Topics
Hosts
MP3 Audio
November 26
A survey said people will buy a lot of electronics on black Friday.
Smaller flat panel TVs are more popular now bfads.net has ads.
A substitute teacher in Connecticut was unjustly accused installing porno pop-up ads on a computer
maintained by the school. She was wrongly convicted. There seems to be no lack
of incompetance in the state of Connecticut. Forunately she was exonerated.
Opera mini is now available on smart phones. There's a new version of Apple's Safari browser.
Joe reviewed a bluetooth headset. Microsoft patched a bug that they have know about for 7 years.
Atlantic Records now gets more than half their revenue from downloaded music.
Listener phone calls.
PC Magazine will no longer be published in hard copy.
In July 2009 Microsoft plans to release another free antispyware product. Intel released a new CPU.
The lawsuit against Microsoft regarding computers being "Vista ready" is revealing interesting emails.
Alfred explains some techie stuff about HDTVs. Listener phone calls.
Circuit City filed for Chapter 11 and will continue operating, for now.
Bfads.net alraedy has some Black Friday ads. Is Asus really phasing out their Netbook computers with the smallest
screens, 7 and 9 inch screens? Price fixing on LCD panels.
IBEC hired IBM to deliver the Internet over electric power lines in rural areas.
Panasonic is considering buying Sanyo. Hank had problems getting Windows XP drivers for an HP laptop after
downgrading it from Vista to XP. AMD is laying off 25% of their staff. Listener phone calls.
There was another recall of Sony batteries for laptop computers. Digital Railroad, a site for professional photographers, went out of business.
No more 7 and 9 inch Asus Netbooks will be sold. Windows XP can only be sold on Netbooks with a maximum screen size of 10 inches.
Circuit City is closing 20% of their stores.More ISPs are testing limits on download bandwidth. Steve Bass is now at techbite.com.
Vista Basic can emulate the Aero glass interface if you know where to zap the registry.For downloading YouTube videos, Hank likes the free YouTube Downloader Converter from Eusing.com.
Alfred prefers a competing free program from Real. Listener phone calls.
Right click to download a show to your PC. In IE use "Save Target As". In Firefox use
"Save Link As".
OCTOBER
Topics
Hosts
MP3 Audio
October 29
Google book scanning lawsuit settled. No more hard copies of the Christian Science Monitor.
Netbooks are selling well. An interview with Jonathan Daudelin co-author of FIRST LEGO League - The Unofficial Guide.
Listener phone calls.
Microsoft, yet again, extended the life of Windows XP Professional. XP is fighting Microsoft's battle against Linux on
Netbook computers. Apple has patented the look and feel of OS X. Open Office version 3 was released: it can read the new
file formats from Office 2007 and can output PDF files. Open Office runs on Linux, Windows and Macs. What to do if you
install XP or Vista and find you don't have drivers. Hank bought an MSI Wind barebones machine at Newegg. It comes with
an Intel Atom processor and is very small and quiet. He loved it.
Our guests were photography experts Sally Grotta and Daniel Grotta who have their own show was WS Radio.
They discussed the new Panasonic G1 camera which offers the first major revolution in SLR cameras in over 50 years.
Dell is trying to trademark "cloud computing". Real Networks is getting sued over their DVD
copying software. Verizon's rollout of FIOS faces problems.
Panasonic says the Intel Atom processor is too slow for Vista so they won't use it in
their computers. Should you install Windows XP SP3? See
Michael's take.
Hank found a free duplicate file finder program that he liked.
Joe discussed an undelete program from Diskeeper.
Flyakite OSX by Greg Kite is a program that makes Windows XP look like Mac OS X Tiger.
HP is laying off thousands. HDTune runs speed tests on USB flash drives.
Fund raising. We offered the same premiums as the prior 3 weeks of fund raising, a DVD Toolkit with many free programs
for $55 and Gold Card technical support for a year from the guys on the show. Also, Gold Cards come with a bonus
CD that can be used to change the Windows password.
Right click to download a show to your PC. In IE use "Save Target As". In Firefox use
"Save Link As".
SEPTEMBER
Topics
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MP3 Audio
September 24
Apple released bug fixes. Review of the bluetooth Jawbone earset.
Review of scan cafe, a service that for 24 cents per negative will scan film negatives.
Digital picture frames. Fund raising including a bonus CD to change the Windows password.
United Airlines stock nosedived on very old news. Comcast is capping bandwidth. Verizon's data network now reports
connectivity by street. Installing Windows XP onto a USB flash drive. Chrome web browser.
New patches from Microsoft. Wireless microphone problems. Fund raising. No listener phone calls.
Right click to download a show to your PC. In IE use "Save Target As". In Firefox use
"Save Link As".
AUGUST
Topics
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MP3 Audio
August 27
No show this week.
N/A
August 20
The first generation of Apple Nanos had an overheating problem.
The MIT students can now talk about hacking the Boston subway system.
A survey found that one third of new computers that sold with Vista were downgraded to XP.
People are buying smaller TV sets. Hank discussed System Mechanic version 8 from Iolo.
Alfred discussed a book called Slide:ology about creating great presentations.
The next weeks the show is pre-empted on the air for coverage of the political conventions.
Listener phone calls.
An update on color laser printers from last weeks show. Yesterday was patch Tuesday with many fixes to critical
bugs in Windows, Office and other Microsoft software. Windows Media Player 11 is buggy and was not fixed.
The new Latitude E6400 laptop can run for 10 hours on a single battery charge and you can an external battery
that clips onto the bottom and powers the machine for another 9 hours. There were a number of recent cloud computing
failures such as the closing of The LinkUp and a Gmail outage. Is it legal to report on security problems with the fare
cards for the Boston subway system? No Bossie awards coverage. Listener phone calls.
All about printers. Special guest M. David Stone discussed how to figure what they really cost, which costs less, ink jet
or laser and much more including how to choose between price, technology, and performance when it comes to picking a printer
for your computer. Stories in the news. Listener phone calls.
Right click to download a show to your PC. In IE use "Save Target As". In Firefox use
"Save Link As".
JULY
Topics
Hosts
MP3 Audio
July 30
This was a fund raising show, there were no caller questions.
Great space photos are available at nasaimages.org.
Yahoo music online store is shutting down and taking some of its DRM with it.
About the current DNS flaw on the Internet.
Assorted other stories, ripped from the headlines. A review of some of the software on our DVD toolkit,
a collection of free software we offer as a membership premium.
This was a fund raising show, there were no caller questions. A problem installing software on Windows
Vista. Sandisk is losing money as the price of flash ram falls so they are expected to temporarily close
a factory to limit supply and stabilize prices. A new scam email message purports to be from UPS.
Andrew Cuomo is after Comcast to block 88 Usenet newsgroups that have carried child porn.
eBay will make the identity of counterfeiters available to the legitimates manufacturers.
Alfred will be on Fox Business news network discussing
How to buy an HDTV. Centrino 2 is a marketing ploy. Two more ISPs will block newsgroups.
A new fast computer from IBM. Is it time yet to install Windows XP SP3?
Price drop on the Asus 900 Eee PC.
ZoneAlarm knocked Windows XP users offline, there is a fix from vendor.
eBay is changing their business model, they signed a new agreement with buy.com.
The MagicJack terms of service. Who is responsible for fakes being sold on eBay?
Kodak released a new camera sensor. Microsoft will provide bug fixes for
Windows XP until 2014. Microsoft started renting Office for $70/year. Heat problems with
nVidia graphics processors. Joe reviewed Magic Jack, a USB thumb drive that does VOIP for cheap.
Joe reviewed the Amazon Kindle. If you use ZoneAlarm and installed bug fixes from Microsoft yesterday,
you may no longer be able to get online.
To be a computer technician in Texas you have to be a licensed private investigator.
Intel is not going to install Vista on the computers of their 80,000 employees.
Microsoft has to change their business model. There is a big demand for the desktop Atom CPU from Intel.
Rhapsody, a download music site, will now sell non-copy protected MP3s. Prices of flash ram memory.
Huge patch day yesterday for OS X Leopard.
The 50 ways to still get Windows XP.
Windows Vista turns off some features if your computer doesn't have enough horsepower.
The difference between backing up and synching.
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"Save Link As".
JUNE
Topics
Hosts
MP3 Audio
June 25
A Vizio 32-inch plasma TV that sells for under $600. More on Verizon blocking usenet.
A proposed FCC rule change. The Atom CPU was just released in laptop and desktop versions.
Gartner estimates 35 million PCs will end up in landfills this year. We discussed re-cycling.
Hank saw a new high end Toshiba laptop that's very fast because it has lots of processors.
A new Sony 32 inch Bravio TV uses less power and LED backlights.
Plasma TVs look great in a darker environment, not so much in a bright room.
Alfred wouldn't buy a plasma TV for his own use due to noise in the image.
Alfred prefers HDMI connectors for HDTVs.
The first GA version of Wine was just released, it lets you run Windows applications on Linux or the Mac OSX
without Windows and without VMs. AMD will release a new CPU to compete with
the Intel Atom. IBM's version of Open Office, called Symphony, just came out of beta.
We finally know why so many Xbox 360s died - bad heat dissipation from the graphics
chip. Sharper Image gift certificates. Despite the popular videos, you can not cook popcorn with the
radiation from four cellphones. More about Verizon blocking usenet newsgroups. David Perry from Trend Micro
discussed why the company no longer submits their product to the VB100 anti-virus test.
LG sued Quanta. Apple announced a new version of OS X, v10.6 that will run only on Intel CPUs
and adds support for Microsoft Exchange. There is a new iPhone coming in July. The Sharper Image is closing all of its
stores, use your gift cards now. Three ISPs will block child porn. We interviewed Kathy Davis of WBAI about audio
editing using Adobe Audition. Windows XP SP3 changed
the meaning of the "date modified" field for a folder.
No more fund raising, this was a normal show.
Newegg and Amazon are charging tax to NY state residends as of June 1st.
A couple cable companies are testing charging based on the amount of data downloaded every
month. Download a lot, pay more. Sandisk will release new SSDs for ultra cheap laptops.
The new Netflix set-top box.
Right click to download a show to your PC. In IE use "Save Target As". In Firefox use
"Save Link As".
MAY
Topics
Hosts
MP3 Audio
May 28
This was a fund raising show. To donate to WBAI go to wbai.org/donate.
As usual, we offered a Gold Card for one year of tech support for $150.
We also offered a DVD toolkit - with lots of our favorite software for $55.
We discussed the software on the DVD as well as a document by Hank about troubleshooting a
computer. No listener phone calls.
This was a fund raising show. To donate to WBAI go to wbai.org/donate.
As usual, we offered a Gold Card for one year of tech support for $150.
We also offered a DVD toolkit - with lots of our favorite software for $55.
Much of the show was discussing the software on the DVD.
Also on the DVD is Hank's guide to troubleshooting computer problems. It's a decision table.
Joe installed Windows XP SP3 on a number of machines and had problems on one of them, so many
problems that he suggested waiting before installing SP3.
No listener phone calls.
At laplink.com on May 15th they will be giving away free copies of PC Mover and
other commercial software will be drastically reduced.
Beware of computer-to-computer WiFi networks.
HP tech support was rated poor by Consumer Reports.
Microsoft offers free tech support for problems with XP SP3.
This was a fund raising show. To donate to WBAI go to wbai.org/donate.
As usual, we offered a Gold Card for one year of tech support for $150.
We also offered a DVD toolkit - with lots of our favorite software for $55.
No listener phone calls.
Our guest was Paul Eng, Senior Web Editor for Consumer Reports who was here to discuss the recent
survey, in the just-released June issue of the magazine, on technical support and computer
repairs. This was a fund raising show. To donate to WBAI go to wbai.org/donate.
As usual, we offered a Gold Card for one year of tech support for $150.
We also offered a DVD toolkit - with lots of our favorite software for $55.
No listener phone calls.
Right click to download a show to your PC. In IE use "Save Target As". In Firefox use
"Save Link As".
APRIL
Topics
Hosts
MP3 Audio
April 30
A lawsuit about solid state hard disks. Can you really get Windows XP on the new
HP min-note laptops? Michael suggests waiting before installing Windows XP Service Pack 3.
Affiliate marketing. Paying taxes in New York on Internet purchases. Lenovo introduced a new ulta-small
laptop. No listener phone calls.
Our guest was David Perry of Trend Micro. Alfred was in the New York Times discussing
HDTVs, so we discussed them a bit too. Skype lets you call overseas for a flat $10/month.
Mac users may get access to a virtual clone for cheap. David warned that online banking in the US is not
nearly as secure as in other countries. Listener phone calls.
The Torrentspy search engine shut down. A Macbook laptop was hacked easier than Windows Vista or Linux.
Sony BMG in France got caught using lots of stolen software. Apple is being sued for mis-representing the technical
specs of a 20 inch monitor. Dell is closing a plant in Texas. Finding the free ZoneAlarm firewall.
The NLite and VLite programs help lower the disk space used by Windows. What will Microsoft do about low-cost
laptops that now run Linux?
Right click to download a show to your PC. In IE use "Save Target As". In Firefox use
"Save Link As".
MARCH
Topics
Hosts
MP3 Audio
March 26
Many laptop computers may go begging for a battery due to a fire at a plant owned by LG Chem.
Some problems with Windows XP SP3 and Vista SP1.
Our guest was Jim Buckmaster, CEO at
craigslist.org. The show format was a bit unusual, we took phone calls for most of the show, but only calls
about craigslist.
There is very dangerous Spyware in digital picture frames.
Hank reviewed Windows XP Service Pack 3, he liked it.
Alfred reviewed a thing that does TV on a USB flash drive. Officialy called the PCTV HD Ultimate Stick, it
offers both a digital and analog TV tuner, includes software to make your computer a Tivo and video
editing software. Alfred also discussed the Logitech G15 gaming keyboard, which is not just for gamers.
Alfred loved the extra function keys that can be programmed like macros. He finds it a tremendous productivity booster.
Help us design an official T-shirt for the show. Arthur C. Clarke passed away.
Ziff Davis media, owner of PC Magazine filed for Chapter 11 bankrupcy. The New York Times had a
scalding article that described the bigest of bigshots at Microsoft at their bad experiences with Vista.
Two big dangers on the Internet are auction fraud and identity theft.
You can file your taxes for free online if you grossed under $50,000 but be careful doing so.
Beware of malicious emails bearing Hallmark eGreetings cards.
GoBack can be purchased for $30 but only as part of Norton SystemWorks.
The $360 laptop running Windows Vista basic. Joe reviewed Turbo Type and liked it.
Alfred reviewed the Sony eBook Reader.
Intel is working on new processors called Atom that consume less power.
The very few people that buy Vista at retail are getting a price cut.
No more Sony Trinitron TVs. Zapping the firmware on a router. Free SteadyState software
for Windows XP from Microsoft can be used to roll back changes to the C disk. Michael's Lenovo gripes.
Right click to download a show to your PC. In IE use "Save Target As". In Firefox use
"Save Link As".
FEBRUARY
Topics
Hosts
MP3 Audio
February 27
Both Hotmail and Yahoo mail suffered outages. A bug fix for Windows Vista created a bug rather than fix one -
the system constantly re-boots. Microsoft is fined $1.5 billion. The Air Force is developing a big
brother computer system. We discussed some of our favorite software programs that are included in
our Toolkit CD premium.
You can donate to WBAI at any time at wbai.org. Our membership premiums are also available there.
HD will NOT be the dominant format for High Definition DVDs. Who is affected by the upcoming elimination of analog over the
air broadcasts. Hank reviewed the Cradlepoint WiFi router that supports three inputs; Evdo, wired Ethernet and some 3G
cellphones. All your computer stuff can be examined or seized when crossing a border into the U.S. Microsoft is giving
away all their development software to college students. This includes Windows 2003 server. See channel8.msdn.com for more.
Membership drive. You can donate to WBAI
by check or at WBAI.org. Donations at WBAI.org can be of any amount to the station or you can donate either $25 or
$55 to your favorite show. Our Gold Card for technical support can also be purchased at wbai.org at any time.
Membership drive. You can donate
to WBAI by check or at WBAI.org. Donations at WBAI.org can be of any amount to the station or you can donate either
$25 or $55 to your favorite show. This new feature just went live today. Our Gold Card for technical support can also be
purchased at wbai.org at any time.
Right click to download a show to your PC. In IE use "Save Target As". In Firefox use
"Save Link As".
JANUARY
Topics
Hosts
MP3 Audio
January 30
Reviews of the XO laptop from One Laptop Per Child and Pinnacle PC2TV (somewhat like Slingbox).
A broken underground cable caused large disruptions in Internet access in Egypt and India.
Bargains in rear projection TVs. A new 35mm CMOS image sensor from Sony. A huge amount of Apple
iPhones were sold but not activated. InfoWorld has a petition to keep Windows XP alive.
Our topic was Microsoft Unified Communications and our guest was Steven Chirico, a senior technical specialist at
Microsoft. Also, Alfred reviewed an OCR (Optical Character Recognition) product from ABBYY called FineReader 9.0
Professional Edition. He loved it.
Our guest was Ben Patterson, the "gadget hound" at Yahoo Tech.
We discussed the new Apple ultra-thin laptop, the Macbook Air. There are quite a problems with it such
as a non-removable battery, a single USB port and no Ethernet, Firewire or Express card ports.
Both Ben and Alfred were at the recent CES show in Vegas and reported on the latest.
We also discussed the current state of HD TV and a bit about gaming.
Ben was very impressed with a video headset that is great for gaming.
Our guest was David Perry, the Global Director of Information at Trend Micro.
In a recent test all anti-virus software did a poor job at detecting new viruses. Malicious software (malware) is now
very big business with organized crime behind some of it. Trend Micro gets 2,000 to 3,000 new malware samples every
hour. Their new approach is to dynamically analyze the Internet connection looking for suspicious activity. At CES
David was most impressed with robots, video goggles and a Sony OLED 23 inch television with stunning picture quality.