The latest Tech News - posted at ChaseandSam.com: In a move that has already been met with heavy criticism, Yahoo announced today that they were shutting down their popular Unlimited Music Service, and migrating their customers over to Rhapsody’s Real Player based system. Considering that Stopbadware just tagged Real Player as “badware” a week ago, this seems like an almost insane move by Yahoo!

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A scathing review of Microsoft’s planned acquisition of Yahoo, which gives several reasons the merger will cause both to topple. It will increase Google’s dominance and open the door for greater market share by Apple. Why? Because this will give M.S. a third huge albatross that will weigh it down. Bonus points: written by a Ron Paul guy. Vote up!

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Okay, show of hands: Who out there is addicted to World of Warcraft? I certainly am - I even have WoW dreams sometimes - many of which make no sense whatsoever. Hopefully I won’t need psychotherapy to quit. Apparently I’m not the only one hooked either, as Digital Battle is reporting that the brand new WoW expansion (The Burning Crusade) sold almost 2.5 million copies in the first 24 hours it was on sale! Devon, our intrepid roving reporter, claims that one local Gamespot store here in Central Alabama was inundated by customers who showed up at midnight to claim the game. With over 8 million players generating 90 million dollars per month for Blizzard has a runaway success on its hands unparalleled in the history of computer gaming. A word of advice: If you haven’t played World of Warcraft yet, don’t - hang onto your life. As for me - why am I typing this blog like a sucker when I could be adventuring?? (click the pic below or the link above for more on The Burning Crusade)

Here’s an interesting article leading into the 20 year anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster. I imagine everybody 30 and over remembers where they were when they first heard the news that the Shuttle had blown up - I know I do. I was walking between first period and second period classes at O.G. Gresham Jr. High, when the ruckus started. Many of the teachers got television sets, and students in the halls poured into classrooms - not necessarily their classrooms - to watch the news. It was very, very sad.

The Seven Myths dispelled:

1. Very few people in the U.S. saw the tragedy happen live - (most networks had switched away when the disaster happened, and viewers were shown a tape delayed broadcast when the networks switched back)

2. Challenger Didn’t Explode!

3. The Crew likely didn’t die 73 seconds into the mission during the fireball pictured above - it likely happened 2 minutes after that when Challenger splashed down into the water at 200 m.p.h.

4. The dangerous solid rocket booster flaws were not the result of political meddling

5. An environmental ban didn’t lead to a weaker O ring sealant.

6. Political pressure didn’t force the launch that day.

7. The disaster was not an unavoidable price for progress - in fact, if the mission hadn’t launched on a record cold day (for a launch) it’s likely the disaster would never have happened. The low temperature’s that day were more responsible for the O ring failure than most other factors.

See the article for more details - it’s a good read!

Here’s an interesting read on the possible struggles that Sony is having with bringing the Play Station 3 to market quickly. While any new console in this day and age is going to be difficult to develop (How in the world did Microsoft only have 600,000 units ready to go last year?), but I wonder if this article represents an attempt by one major competitor to sow fear about the prospects of the other. This article has the direst predictions I’ve read about the PS3. If it’s accurate, then Sony is in big trouble, and the PS3 may well be remembered as the crack that caused the dam to break. On the other hand, if this is merely a bit of corporate propaganda - it doesn’t say much for Forbes, and even less for Microsoft/MSNBC.

For at least 20 years, many people have wondered about the health effects of using cell phones.
I remember a study a few years ago that showed cell phone waves killed brain cells in rats. Well, the good news for this week is that a recent study shows no evidence that using a cell phone has an effect on the development of tumors. Now, I would sleep a whole lot easier if this particular study wasn’t funded by T-Mobile, Vodafone, The Mobile Manufacturers Forum and the GSM Association! Anybody care for a steaming hot cup of Conflict of Interest with their scientific study?

/Chase Funny Videos Sports Videos Amazing Videos

Looks like Konica/Minolta has been assimilated by the Borg, er… Sony, and won’t be making any more cameras, SLR or Digitial. Bummer if you just bought a Konica or Minolta, but it looks like Sony will support them for at least a little while. Only from the minds of Minolta….

Okay, so this isn’t Tech related, at all, really - but it’s a good enough tip, and a good enough read that I thought i’d pass it along anyway. Did you know that the best (and most authentic) cappuccino that Starbucks has to offer isn’t on the menu - AND -it’s cheaper than the others? Wanna know to get this magical cappuccino? Read on - but be sure to come back when you’re done!

Here’s a great article - the 50 greatest gadgets since 1950, with pictures. You’ve got the first remote control, first portable phone (a brick), first stylish cell phone (the Star-Tac) The Sony Walkman, and one of the ultimate time wasters of my adolescence: The Commodore 64 computer! This will give younger readers a good perspective on where we’ve come from, and the old timers a pleasant bit of nostalgia.

I’ve added some more videos to the new Safevideo.com site, There’s now over 300 videos on the site - no pop ups either!

Check out our funny videos: Trunk Monkey, Funny Commercials, The Steve Ballmer Developers Video, The Kanye West and Mike Myers Video (SNL) , Napoleon Dynamite, DJ Southpaw, Baby Got Book, and some Classic SNL videos

We also have Music Videos: Switchfoot/Meant to Live, David Crowder, Delirious, Matt Redman, Tim Hughes/Here I am to Worship , and Eisley Telescope Eyes

We are also working on a computer help / computer advice section with a how to remove spyware video coming soon! You’ll find a good (article on removing spyware there now)
/Chase