Engadget Podcast 163 - 09.20.2009

We're a couple days late, but the podcast is back, people. Join Josh, Paul, and Nilay as they run down another hectic week in news, including the Zune HD, some hands-on impressions of the Motorola CLIQ, and the latest in the ongoing Apple / Google saga. Get clicking!

P.S.- Josh recorded this on on the road, so he had some audio troubles -- thanks for bearing with us.

Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul Miller
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Song: NOISEWAVES - As Days Go By (Family Matters Theme Song)

Hear the podcast

00:03:00 - Google says Phil Schiller himself rejected Google Voice from the App Store
00:13:35 - Zune HD review
00:37:50 - Archos 5 Internet Tablet makes an honest PMP out of Android
00:44:04 - HP's new DreamScreens pack Pandora and Facebook into a wireless photo frame
00:50:00 - HP ENVY 13 and 15 bring luxury to the everyman, look like MacBooks
00:59:39 - HTC Hero for Sprint hands-on and impressions
01:04:05 - Motorola CLIQ

Subscribe to the podcast

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC).
[RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.
[RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator.
[Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace

Download the podcast

LISTEN (MP3)
LISTEN (AAC)
LISTEN (OGG)

Contact the podcast

1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com.

Twitter: @joshuatopolsky @futurepaul @reckless @engadget

[CoffeeCoffee Posted Sep 20th 2009 4:29PM]

Boom Shake!

[newreformation Posted Sep 20th 2009 4:38PM]

Mmmmmm Shake...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oD9hXHgZeac&feature=channel_page

[Templarian Posted Sep 20th 2009 4:34PM]

They need to smooth out the audio in the post processing. Other than that good pod cast.

(one of the mics goes a little high and has light static spikes).

[soccersgreat Posted Sep 20th 2009 4:40PM]

finally! seriously, i should sue-

[Meditron Posted Sep 20th 2009 4:56PM]

Yeah they need to get back to a regular schedule.

[newreformation Posted Sep 20th 2009 4:43PM]

Were you inside? If so I might be interested...

[mattman6 Posted Sep 20th 2009 4:50PM]

Hurray, I've been waiting all weekend to hear Josh's dreamy voice.

[DanJ01 Posted Sep 20th 2009 5:14PM]

Is something going on with Josh's mic? Im getting some weird and annoying clicking static stuff...

[richro Posted Sep 20th 2009 6:15PM]

Yea, the audio quality on this one is not great. Have you guys forgotten how to podcast since the inception of The Engadget Show?

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 20th 2009 5:35PM]

Nothing about the Leo.... seriously?

[PapaSteveZ Posted Sep 20th 2009 5:37PM]

I love the discussion but sweet jesus....you all need to take a speech class. The stuttering....
Ta-Ta-today Junior!
This podcast would be 40 minute affair if you could FREAKING SPIT IT OUT!!!!!!!!!!

[PapaSteveZ Posted Sep 20th 2009 5:47PM]

Also, I cant understand a word ANYONE is saying when there are three people talking at the same time.
Guys, i understand this is starting to feel to you like a chance to sit around and relax with your friends and geek out but it really starts to sound like crap when you just free ball it.

[McPOW Posted Sep 21st 2009 1:45AM]

I don't think "free ball it" means what you think it means.

[DestrictoEnse Posted Sep 20th 2009 6:36PM]

Trent, the files are named Engadget_Podcast_163, which is contrary to the article title. Whether you're acknowledging the lost episode or not, I don't know, but it's confusing.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 20th 2009 7:05PM]

It's 163, the hed was in error. Fixed now!

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 20th 2009 6:45PM]

Josh, I thought you were at a hotel in Pittsburgh? Why did you bring your dog along? Or was that the TV?

[tankgunk Posted Sep 20th 2009 6:51PM]

R.I.P. Podcast 163...

[jupigare Posted Sep 20th 2009 8:18PM]

Thanks for that, by the way. I like comparing your rip with the official (edited) podcast.

[RickJames Posted Sep 20th 2009 8:18PM]

I had to skip the first 1/4 of this pod cast, Joshua Topolsky voice skipping and cracking (the audio not his voice) was just to much for me. Glad it fixed itself during the podcast

[tech head Posted Sep 20th 2009 11:12PM]

25 seconds to go, cant wait to hear it. I love the podcast, but didn't hear the live one. too bad about podcast 163. All of this make it seem like a plane that dissapered in the Bermuda triangle.

[Xenon Posted Sep 21st 2009 12:16AM]

Guys, welcome back from your summer hiatus. It's been a while since your last podcast.

BTW, loved the new Engadget show. It was electric!

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 21st 2009 2:00AM]

THANK YOU!!! My withdrawals are now over.

[thephatness Posted Sep 21st 2009 3:24AM]

So I've been listening to a few of these now, and I have to say while it's nice to get all of your takes on the weekly happenings, you guys really need to pass the mic around a bit more evenly and have each person take control of it for more than 10 seconds. Same applies for when you're on stage.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 21st 2009 3:35AM]

Excellent theme choice. Everyone loves the Winslow family

[vman81 Posted Sep 21st 2009 6:42AM]

Please stop interrupting each other, it is extremely annoying. ½ of the time you guys are about to make a point, you interrupt each other. :(

Also, the new Hero rom kicks ass soooo hard :)

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 21st 2009 7:10AM]

C'mon guys, First you don't know much about spotify offline and secondly slacking off the Archos. They would make a sweet combination with it's DVR plugin to your home cinema system!

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 21st 2009 7:12AM]

that said, awesome podcast as usual :-)

[BucksterMcgee Posted Sep 21st 2009 7:31AM]

Ah, I wanted to scream at the Zune HD part. Microsoft has already said that they didn't to make two ecosystems from Zune and WinMo, and that at one point there will be a singular place for both. You guys talk about how Microsoft has to combine their seperate devisions so that it isn't Zune by itself. That is EXACTLY what MS has done. They combined Zune, Windows Media, Xbox, and Windows Mobile into one place. They all now work together. MS has said there is going to be this new singular video market place with Xbox, where a video you buy on one device isn't stuck there, where you can watch it on any device, from Xbox, to Zune, to your PC to your phone. Zune has also been explain to be a platform not just a device anymore. They will put the Zune software on upcoming phones. Listening to you guys you say that they device would be killer if only these things would happen. Well they are happening! If anything, it's a just not yet thing. One week after Zune and these services aren't ready on all the other platforms. But Microsoft has already thought about all this. They've been working on it for months, to combine everything into an awesome platform. Certain parts haven't been given dates because those parts aren't ready to reveal themselves yet. Other parts, like the intergration with Xbox video is happening in this Fall. What I think is amazing is that the Zune HD is appealing even without all these advantages yet. As a media player without great apps or a great web browser is makes one stop and really decide between it and an iPod. And for many a better media experience trumps having more apps or functionality. So then the thought is what happens when all this intergrations happens? When there are thousands of apps connected through WinMo. When there is a video platform where you can rent from Netflix and watch it on any device you want, whether it be an Xbox, PC, Zune, or Phone. When the Zune platform isn't just one device, the Zune HD, but on Windows Mobile phones accross the board. That's when the true genius of this platform comes out. And yes you are right that it would be awesome if that's what happened. Guess what? That's what's happening, it just takes time for everything to be built together.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 21st 2009 9:01AM]

I enjoy integration sometimes, but paragraphs is where I draw the line.
:)

[BucksterMcgee Posted Sep 21st 2009 9:08AM]

I guess my "enter" key is broken... Too bad I can't go back and edit it. Or can I?

[btrap Posted Sep 21st 2009 10:00AM]

Iphone app ported to Zune HD Dark zune link

http://darkzune.com/zune-hd/iphone-app-ported-zune-hd-12-hours-1140/

[phearme Posted Sep 22nd 2009 7:48AM]

great podcast as usual.

just one thing about the photo frames : I share all my pics on picassa, and I can see a huge utility for a photo frame getting my pics automaticly without loading an SD card or copying my photos on somewhere else. just my 2 cents.

[SpongeBobPistolPants Posted Sep 22nd 2009 11:47AM]

oooooo. Josh just said this Zune interface on the 360..... i would LOVE to see a Zune tile on my 360. i would love love love this. I like the windows media center extneder part but I would much enjoy a zune interface with quicker access.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 23rd 2009 11:37AM]

I just listened to the podcast and one thing jumped out at me.. Josh, how could you NOT know a thing about Spotify? You should hang your head in shame sir!!! LOL...

They DO have a practically unlimited offline mode for downloading playlists but only for paying accounts (fair enough I think).

You were right that under normal circumstances Apple execs would have approved their all teeth being pulled out with pliers before they approved this app. The spotify company played a blinder though.

They announced that they had submitted the app for approval just as it started kicking off when Google Voice had just been rejected. Also, they released a video of the finished app on youtube showing all the features, offline mode and all, so basically everyone and the press had seen what the functionality was so Apple couldn't make stuff up to reject it. THe the stars aligned a little with the FCC looking into the Google Voice rejection so i guess they didn't want another high profile rejection while that was still on the cards. In the end, Apple had no choices that wouldn't leave them looking stupid! An so we have spotify on the iphone!

[DestrictoEnse Posted Sep 25th 2009 7:41AM]

It possibly also has something to do with the fact that Spotify is being released on Android and Symbian, and it's the kind of app that would sell phones.

I agree that Josh should be drawn and quartered for not being aware of Spotify.

[dishbreak Posted Sep 27th 2009 5:49AM]

For lack of a better arena to ask this question: Where the heck is this week's podcast? Did I miss a notice or something?

[tront Posted Sep 27th 2009 10:51AM]

It's coming today. There was a tweetster about it, but it's OK if you missed it. Sorry for the delay!