Engadget Podcast 082 - 07.16.2006

After nearly two months hiding out in the wilderness, the Engadget podcast returns! This week we're on a strictly portable tip. We've got some hot-off-the-presses scoops on Microsoft's Zune -- its forthcoming iPod-hunting wireless audio/video media player. T-Mobile customers also finally get their hands on the Sidekick 3, Peter discusses his new relationship with the Treo 700p, and Palm announces a new Windows Media Treo for the European market. We'll be taking another brief break as Pete heads to Europe to hit up the Amsterdam meetup (and take a much needed vacation) but the Podcast is back, no doubt about it.

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Host: Peter Rojas and Ryan Block

Producer: Trent Wolbe

Music: Solvent - Instructograph (Ghostly International)

Format: 44:33, 20.4 MB, MP3

Program:
07:28 - Microsoft's media player dubbed Zune
25:24 - Sidekick 3 available to current T-Mobile customers
28:55 - Pete gets a 700p
33:06 - Palm announces WM5-powered Treo for Vodafone
21:34 - Record labels sue XM over Inno recording
30:00 - Sony gets official on new Vaio UX Micro PC
38:28 - Engadget Reader Meetup in Amsterdam on July 20th

LISTEN (MP3)
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Contact the podcast: 1-888-ENGADGET, Engadget (Gizmo Project) or podcast at engadget dawt com

[Gil @ Jul 16th 2006 9:49PM]

WHAT!!!?? What happened to Randall? What happened to the old intro music? Whatever, I'm just so happy to have my Engadget Podcast!

[BklynKid @ Jul 16th 2006 10:06PM]

Hurray, my prayers have been answered!

[jamms @ Jul 16th 2006 10:10PM]

sweet zombie jebus! good to hear you guys again.

[rmjb @ Jul 16th 2006 10:33PM]

YAY! You're back... I don't have to do step 12.

- rmjb

[Evan K @ Jul 16th 2006 11:07PM]

Thank god. I thought the Engadget podcast days were over after Ryan moved to SF.

Thanks Guys,

[steve @ Jul 16th 2006 11:28PM]

I've waited so long! Thanks for 82.

[ipodman715 @ Jul 16th 2006 11:59PM]

woohoo!

Thanks a lot guys!

[Matt @ Jul 17th 2006 12:15AM]

Thank you guys so much. I didn't think this day would ever come!

[iamdigitalman @ Jul 17th 2006 6:34AM]

just came over the wire this moring, bit slow for some reason, but it showed up in my PSP's feed. listening now.

when did you guys start adding commercials? please stop. I dont need another ad thrown at my face. luckily I can fast-foreward. guess I havnt listened to more than 5 minutes of the cast in a while.

keep it up. but drop the ads. what the hell does motor oil have to do with gadgets? take that to autoblog.

[jimmy B @ Jul 17th 2006 6:35AM]

Yes its back, its also different... have you guys dropped J+J+J? I got the album and its awesome

[Steve Sizemore @ Jul 17th 2006 6:50AM]

Awesome! This is one of the best birthday presents I've ever received. Seriously my birthday is Tuesday.

Thanks, Guys.

[psxp @ Jul 17th 2006 9:58AM]

wow.. cool.. I only had TWiT to listen to

[Mr.Kaiser @ Jul 17th 2006 10:34AM]

i can finally go outside again (the outside world is so boring without engadget podcasts), but is Ryan back from SF or is he still there? it didn't sound like a gizmo podcast

[Ryan Block @ Jul 17th 2006 12:27PM]

iamdigitalman, we've had commercials on and off for many months. I can understand not wanting to be advertised to, but if you like what we're doing we have to make money to stay afloat. Castrol liked our Podcast (lord knows why) so they are advertising, which, as you said, you can always FF through.

Jimmy, we haven't necessarily dropped them, but we want to keep the music fresh, so Trent's doing his thing.

Mr.Kaiser, I'm still in SF, we're experimenting with higher quality production methods. We didn't want it to sound like yet another Skypecast, so it seems like we're off to an ok start.

Everybody else, thanks so much for your support and patience!

Best, Ryan

[iamdigitalman @ Jul 17th 2006 5:08PM]

well, if your gonna do ads, could you atleast get some relivent ones? or, at the very least, possibly open up donations for people who dont want ads, and for people who dont donate get the cast with ads? just throwing some ideas at you.

[south @ Jul 17th 2006 8:10PM]

geez, do you guys call up a TV station to complain every time they show an ad for a product you don't want to buy? It's a podcast, for goodness sake. If someone offers them advertising dollars, they should take them.

great to see you guys recording again, btw. i was starting to wonder if your absence was a harbinger of doom for the whole podcasting thing.

[iamdigitalman @ Jul 17th 2006 8:29PM]

no, I understand ads are critical on TV, but a podcast used to be a free and independant medium, free of ads, corporate sponsorship, and chalk full of good stuff. now thier stuffed with ads. it's like product placement, "special" sponsored sections in a newscast, and sproting events. just trying to place an ad every where they can, until it is nothing but one big commercial.

[Ryan Block @ Jul 17th 2006 9:13PM]

iamdigitalman, I don't think you understand. Engadget is an ad-supported business, and if you think industry professionals work for free, you've obviously never worked with or for any. The donation model is nice in theory, but it would never support our overhead. It's better just to offer free content with ads -- how can anyone argue with free? Just fast forward if you need to.

And for what it's worth, advertising and editorial are totally separate at Engadget, so we have no say or consultation in who advertises with us, Castrol or otherwise.

[Karl Viklund @ Jul 17th 2006 11:16PM]

Thanks thanks!
Engadget feels more alive now, like before! :)

[David Slate @ Jul 18th 2006 7:43PM]

No Ambien needed after this one. 30 minute in and only talked about 2 products (zune and treo). I stopped listening.

[Eugene @ Jul 18th 2006 10:45PM]

Been missing you guys - great to see you're back!

[sysengr @ Jul 25th 2006 5:39PM]

Guys, this Podcast is really important to a lot of people - and you two have an excellent chemistry that people can listen to for a long show, unlike a lot of others. Please don't do anything to break this up again . . . . Thanks!