Ping 161: Scroogled, Xbox sales, Windows Store wins, IE 10 trolls

Bring on the Holiday cheer and bring on the hard hitting news stories! Here's a sampling of stories that should keep you chatting:
Imagine Cup making dreams come true [08:02]
Send us your horror stories...[15:48]
Web based Win 8 app creator [03:41]
first comment. at the moment counter area shows:
Posted: 10 minutes ago
By: Laura Foy
1 View
no tons of tousands views yet :)
Nay Marijuana!
Commodore 64.
for stats only. counter (or page) does have some 30min cache. 1 views counted number was constantly stable for 30mins and jumped to 474 views (55mins after posting).
so it means something like ~500 views per hour
and in 24 hours it could come to above 10k.
so 10 000+ is quite plausible :)
Does it count as a view if I download the MP4 file and view it there rather than viewing it in the embedded window above?
I'd much rather freeze to death than burn to death. Burning sounds too painful. (Yeah, freezing is probably not too comfortable, either.) But I'm not in any hurry to try either one.
Personally, I don't care to use marijuana, but let the government tax it and make some money off of it. Better than spending a ton of money unsuccessfully fighting it, and it's arguably no worse than cigarettes or alcohol.
I'm with Yakko on this one. I don't use it but I don't think minor possession should ruin lives and taxing it makes sense.
Also, MS research never stops with the cool stuff. I'm going to have to try the app creator.
@Paul II
What type of guitar is in the case that was behind your left in this episode???
Um, on the pot issue,
I don't care. As long as the laws handle it like alcohol.
And Tax it like alcohol.
@Yakko Warner: Yep, downloading the MP4 counts as a view. We go off of requests for the video file, so if you play it there the file is requested and the same if you download it. If you do both though, that is a single view as we only count one download per day per IP address (yes, that could mean that two people in a company or household watch it and it gets counted once, but that is the only way to avoid counting the same person n times if they start and stop the video over and over again many times throughout the day)
5 hours ago, Duncanma wrote
@Yakko Warner: Yep, downloading the MP4 counts as a view. We go off of requests for the video file, so if you play it there the file is requested and the same if you download it. If you do both though, that is a single view as we only count one download per day per IP address (yes, that could mean that two people in a company or household watch it and it gets counted once, but that is the only way to avoid counting the same person n times if they start and stop the video over and over again many times throughout the day)
That's really interesting. I didn't know all of these de-duplication efforts. Very cool.
for stats only. counter (or page) does have some 30min cache. 1 views counted number was constantly stable for 30mins and jumped to 474 views (55mins after posting).
so it means something like ~500 views per hour
and in 24 hours it could come to above 10k.
so 10 000+ is quite plausible
Love it when data adds up!
8 hours ago, dtower wrote
Also, MS research never stops with the cool stuff. I'm going to have to try the app creator.
If you make something cool, let us know.
6 hours ago, Dirtbagg wrote
@Paul II
What type of guitar is in the case that was behind your left in this episode???
It's a black case...
Freeze to Death.
I'm not bothered about Marijuana but making a low class drug legal might prevent many people from seeking more dangerous drugs on the black market if they can get the "legal" high they want.
That TouchDevelop thing is pretty cool, lets get the kids into developing at an early age when they learn faster, I like it.
Edit: You need to work on the stars after the comments. Only 9 ratings out of 14 comments and 6755 views as of this posting. You are always a 5 star show, a view without a rating should auto-default to 5 stars
My first commend for the channel 9 show for more than a year.
Love the show *****
I noticed that even though Paul does not have a lot of cookware on display, his liquor collection is growing. So I guess a lot of take-out and booze? I would be interested to see exactly what Paul is hiding inside his fridge. Perhaps old hard drives or his PS3? Maybe a game where we can "spot the difference" between Paul's apartment last week and this week would be interesting too. Since the show content is so good, I don't yet have any suggestions other than this. Consider this then a positive comment.
I like it, how nice to Droid you are.
logging in means getting distracted by visual studio achievements.
Thanks Laura and Paul; This has always been one of the shows to watch. Its up there with "this week on channel 9" on shows I watch each week.
The touch develop bit reminds me of the visual programming language of Microsoft's Robotics Studio (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb483088.aspx) but probably more user friendly. I cant see that I will be running to it any time soon as I prefer to get a little dirtier. Great for those learning to develop though, if you can get them past the visual representation.
Keep it up.
Another nice episode of Ping. Thanks Laura and Paul.
Que tengas un buen viaje a Colombia, Paul.
Hello... Am I on? First time commenter, long time listener.
First of all I Love the show. Haven't missed an episode. I normally come to Channel 9 to listen to the developer talks but this show is more of a guilty pleasure for me. Kinda like watching Honey Boo Boo. Well maybe not that guilty. Keep up the good work. Your comment count does not reflect your audience engagement.
One other thing, Paul you need to give your 9 guy a hand. He was trying to get something to eat out of your fridge the entire show. I'm sure now that the law passed he probably has the munchies.
Thanks for the GREAT info that you share
I'm against the legalization on marijuana. We have enough problems in the world. Why create more for ourselves?
ALL : Firstly, does anyone know the name of the channel 9 guy?
Paul + Laura: Great show, I'm always online just never comment, ill start today;
Laura: Whats your favorite app of all time?
Paul + Laura: With the Droid competition, does it count if your droid is a tablet? or must it be a phone?
My view on marijuana
Other legal substances create more problems than marijuana, especially Alcohol.
Marijuana can have some varying affects in people, and as long as it is controlled and not abused you will find that it is more contributing to our society than detrimental.
Also a standard cigarette is more harmful in the long term, there are more chemicals and tar.
I'm not saying its a perfect substance but its not as dangerous as history wants us to believe.
If we take the saying "Everything in moderation" I'm sure we have the capacity to see this predicament clearly.
Just some further reading if you are interested;
http://mphdegree.org/2010/marijuana-vs-alcohol-25-enlightening-studies-and-infographics/
http://www.saferchoice.org/content/view/24/53/
great show as always... don't really care about marijuana... I get my fix with chocolate
Great Show! I don't want to incriminate myself, so I'll just say; Why not legalize marijuana?
20 hours ago, Von Bern wrote
My first commend for the channel 9 show for more than a year.
Love the show
*****
Thanks! Looks like eBay ratings are coming up next... A+++. Would buy again.
20 hours ago, InvisibleLurker wrote
I noticed that even though Paul does not have a lot of cookware on display, his liquor collection is growing. So I guess a lot of take-out and booze? I would be interested to see exactly what Paul is hiding inside his fridge. Perhaps old hard drives or his PS3? Maybe a game where we can "spot the difference" between Paul's apartment last week and this week would be interesting too. Since the show content is so good, I don't yet have any suggestions other than this. Consider this then a positive comment.
Actually, I've been cooking a lot. I recently made some Benihana-style fried rice which required me to get my wok out of storage (AKA boxes off camera). Unfortunately, the wok is so big, I can't put it in any cabinets... so I improvised and put it on top of them.
The alcohol accumulation is because we throw monthly mixers in L.A. to get to know more people in the startup, VFX, and creative communities. We usually provide some and sometimes people bring their own to share and then leave them afterward.
"spot the difference" would be fun... but "find the 9 guy" stumped everybody last week since it was only included in one segment.
Thanks for your thoughts!
13 hours ago, matt4446 wrote
logging in means getting distracted by visual studio achievements.
Must... resist ... temptation ... to earn meaningless internet karma.
13 hours ago, jvs_ca wrote
Que tengas un buen viaje a Colombia, Paul.
Gracias!
13 hours ago, Nick.C wrote
Hello... Am I on? First time commenter, long time listener.
First of all I Love the show. Haven't missed an episode. I normally come to Channel 9 to listen to the developer talks but this show is more of a guilty pleasure for me. Kinda like watching Honey Boo Boo. Well maybe not that guilty. Keep up the good work. Your comment count does not reflect your audience engagement.
One other thing, Paul you need to give your 9 guy a hand. He was trying to get something to eat out of your fridge the entire show. I'm sure now that the law passed he probably has the munchies.
Thanks for breaking the ice!
Yeah, the 9 Guy really wanted some go-go juice.
This is my second attempt at a comment. The first failed with the message "We're sorry. Something has gone terribly wrong." The Reference value was blank.
I don't care about marijuana. However, I don't think it should be illegal. I'm big on States rights and I'm interested to see how the feds will respond to it. I see their reaction being a backdoor approach -- perhaps something tied into the Obamacare blackhole.
I hope future show questions are more technically oriented.
I'm only leaving a comment as I have watched 99% of these videos and keep the good information coming.
Freeze.
Imagine cup is awesome. I am always amazed at the results. I find it both inspiring and motivating. I'm impressed by Microsoft's continued support to highlight the next generation of technologist.
It certainly has been a couple years since I wrote code. That said, picked up VS2012 and looking forward to developing "something" for Win8 and WinPho8.
On the pot issue, as long as it is regulated in an acceptable manner I don't have any issues with it being legal. It will be interesting to see how the industry grows and expands from the illegal to legal status change. I am also curious to see what the impact on the laws in states that still maintain pot as illegal.
I always watch the show now I guess I have to comment so you feel needed
So we don't let anyone smoke any place due to second hand smoke and cancer now we want to legalize smoking something else. My vote is No lots of other reason as well.
3 days later... better late then never.
1. Either way, probably better off if legal in the long run.
2. Freeze to death. (subliminal???s)
I was going to comment on the droidrage but apparently I can't here, so instead I'll ask. What's up with the phone chord? (or is that an Ethernet cable). Time to hide it! I'm curious to read up more on this touch development. As a non-developer I've always wondered why it was so complicated (maybe not so much for you app folks) but for me on the infrastructure side... the eyes gloss over.
Later...
I watch every episode of Ping, but I have to admit that I don't often comment on these posts. Like the show though.
I wonder if it possible to buy the Channel9 mascot somewhere. Would be great to have a couple of them on my desk or on top of my computer screens.
Great show.
It's great to see how dispensaries in the USA are at least taking care of the medical need for marihuana. Of course there's people smoking it without medical need, and this way they are at least decriminalized.
The stuff is given by nature or god, pick your choice. 10.000 years ago we "all" sat down next to a fire, and smoked...People all around the pre-historic world got buried with a small stash. As with everything; chocolate. McD's, alcohol, social networks, gaming... you can get addicted to marihuana.
Here in Amsterdam, it's more likely to find someone in your company who is smoking marihuana regularly, then a regular drinker. Somehow the regular drinkers stop working and loose their jobs. The regular smokers turn up at the most unexpected places.. it seems to me.
I wish more was done to prevent alcohol addiction, as you see it destroy people from the inside out at unbelievable pace. Painful to see good people fall in the alcohol trap.
From a European perspective, it is great to see MSFT dare touch such topics. I can't remember any company ever asking my opinion on this matter. Looking at the topic "from deep Space" Í'd have to say that if alcohol is found to be "OK" legally , then surely marihuana should be OK also. Did legalising alcohol after the "dry period" make more people drink (more) ?
As I look around and take a long good look at what the problems are that I either hear of, or see, it's never about mary jane, but always about money, cheating the wife/hubby, alcohol, divorces, foreclosures, general unhappy feelings, stress. I really don't think legalizing marihuane will create "more problems". If at all , it will make some go away, or have less impact.
As a final "piece de resistance" : a human body has some 70 different, extremly complex amino receptors built in from birth, that ONLY accept the 70 different cannaboidic molecular substances found in marijuana plants. It's medicine first.
Laura & Paul,
It's Thursday, December 26th, 7:42 PM eastern time in Greenville, New York...
Where are you?
It's been too long since you've done an episode. I'm having Ping withdrawal and I don't like it.
21 hours ago, JustinMSalvato wrote
Where are you?
It's been too long since you've done an episode. I'm having Ping withdrawal and I don't like it.
I'm having withdrawal, too! I'm hoping we can film next week and have an episode published on Jan 7, 2013. In the meantime, I'll see if I can write a blog post or some tweets or something... maybe just a nap. We'll see.
@Paul II: The January 7th deadline has passed. Are you and Laura playing hookie at CES?!
3 hours ago, JustinMSalvato wrote
@Paul II: The January 7th deadline has passed. Are you and Laura playing hookie at CES?!
We filmed it... it's been edited... just needs to be posted. I can't wait, either!