This week on the show The Drill Down team talk about a controversial new lawsuit that pits Yahoo against Facebook and a new suggested code for sharing on the Internet. Plus, super fast touchscreens, the end of Gowalla, Twitter buys Posterous, and Wikipedia kills the Encyclopedia Brittanica, and more.

Join us LIVE Tonight at 10PM EST/7PM PST here! [...]

This week on the show the TDD team explores Microsoft’s Windows 8 Consumer Preview, and of course, Apple’s latest tech offerings, the new iPad, Apple TV, and iOS 5.1. But first, this week’s latest tech headlines…

Devindra recaps Barcelona’s Mobile World Congress 2012, including Nokia‘s 41-megapixel 808 PureView, AT&T modifies their data throttling policy, Zynga launches a standalone destination, Google consolidates media sites into Google Play, EU says Google’s new privacy policy is bogus, Lulzsec is sold out by its own leader, Valve may be entering the console arena, and DARPA builds a robot cheetah [...]

Tonight on The Drill Down LIVE on Geeks of Doom, we explore Microsoft’s Windows 8 Consumer Preview, and we get a look at Apple’s latest update in their popular iPad tablet line, The new iPad. And of course this week’s latest tech headlines, including Yahoo’s plans for major layoffs, Valve’s plan to enter the game console market, and how Google’s new privacy laws are rankling European lawmakers.

Join us LIVE Tonight at 10PM EST/7PM PST here! [...]

Confirming the fact that we are creating the SkyNet/Terminator world that will inevitably spell the destruction of the human race, DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), the U.S. government experimental lab devoted to creating state-of-the-art tech weaponry, released a video demonstrating their “Cheetah,” a quadruped robot designed to mimic its flesh-and-blood counterpart.

The Cheetah, built by Boston Dynamics (previously responsible for the equally creepy four-legged Big Dog and humanoid PETMAN, and probably one of the basis for FRINGE‘s Massive Dynamic), reaches a top speed of up to 18 miles per hour (a new record for legged robots, btw). That’s nowhere near a real cheetah’s top speed of 70 mph, but it’s faster than the average human running speed of 15 mph. Not to mention, it never gets tired [...]

This week, TDD regulars Andrew Sorcini, Dwayne DeFreitas, and Lidija Davis join Venturebeat‘s Sean Ludwig as we talk to top contributors to Social news site Reddit.com as we find out what makes them do what they do to make Reddit so popular.

But first, the week’s top tech news…President Obama proposes a Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights, Apple acquires Chomp, iPhone user wins $850 in throttling case against AT&T, Apple announces iPad 3 event, Yahoo seeks to force Facebook into licensing patents, Google+ suffers low turnout, Reddit crafts an Internet privacy law [...]

This week, The Drill Down team and VentureBeat writer Sean Ludwig take a look the science of habit formation and how retailers and other businesses are leveraging that data to finely tune their marketing focus. Later, we look at how Google bypassed privacy settings in Apple‘s Safari and Microsoft‘s Internet Explorer to track users web browsing.

But first, the headlines…Facebook launches verified accounts and pseudonyms, Apple delivers new version of OS X to developers, Foxconn hid underage workers before Fair Labor inspections, Google to sell heads-up glasses by year’s end, and Flickr gets a major makeover [...]

The Kindle eBook deal of the day over at Amazon today is All About Steve: The Story of Steve Jobs and Apple from the Pages of Fortune for only $1.99 (that’s 82% off the list price of $10.99).

Note – this deal is valid only for today, Friday, February 24, 2012, until 11:59pm PST [...]

The Drill Down is a roundtable-style audio podcast where we discuss the most important issues of the week, in tech and on the web and how they affect us all.

Hosts are Geeks of Doom contributor Andrew Sorcini (Mr. BabyMan), VentureBeat editor Devindra Hardawar, marketing research analyst Dwayne De Freitas & Startup Digest CTO Christopher Burnor. Occasionally joining them are Geeks of Doom contributor/VentureBeat columnist Tom Cheredar & Techmeme editor Lidija Davis. [...]

Star Trek legend Leonard Nimoy made an appearance at the DEMO Enterprise Disruption event last night in San Francisco, where the actor talked in length about his career, his early fan encounters, space travel, first contact, and the SETI program, as well as Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (the one with the whales).

You can watch the 24-minute video of Nimoy on stage here below.

The actor, who’s best known for his role as Spock in the original Star Trek television series and movies, was the special guest speaker at the Technology & Innovation Talk, hosted by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who later joined Nimoy on stage [...]

Marvel Comics announced this week that the popular comics company would be bringing collected digital editions of their line of graphic novels to both the upcoming Barnes and Noble Nook tablet, as well as the Nook Color.

With the release of Barnes and Noble’s Nook tablet hitting stores (and digital storefronts) next week, considering the success of digital comics, it was only a matter of time before we heard some news regarding comics on the device. Do you remember when DC Comics took their digital collections exclusively to Amazon’s Kindle line, and then how Barnes and Noble got all mad that they didn’t get to play with DC’s toys? Well, it looks like Marvel has stepped in to fill the hole in Barnes and Noble’s heart [...]

Age of Bronze: Seen #1 (for iPad)
By Eric Shanower
Colors by John Dallaire
Reader’s Guide by Thomas Beasley
Published by Throwaway Horse and Hungry Tiger Press
Release Date: October 14, 2011
Price: $.99

Eric Shanower’s epic Eisner-Award-winning series Age of Bronze has been praised by comic book fans, historians, and educators alike. Currently at 31 issues (and counting), the title began in 1989 with an ambitious goal: merge literary sources and historical/archaeological data on the Trojan War into a singular cohesive story. The fact that it’s an entertaining read on top of that is just icing on the cake.

Now the team at Throwaway Horse has brought Age of Bronze into the digital age by combining the original stories with a comprehensive reader’s guide by Yale classics scholar Thomas Beasley. The result is an even more in-depth look at the Trojan War that includes maps, character guides, internet resources, and even a reader’s commentary forum… all without leaving the app (helpful hint: the forum can be reached by tapping “Reader’s Guide” when it’s active). [...]

Take a look at the two images above. Go ahead, study them a bit…I’ll wait here. All set? OK then—what do you think? If someone were to ask you which of these two images was an actual photograph and which of the two was a demonstration of what the future of video games might look like, would you be able to answer correctly?

Some of you may unleash your eagle–eye skills and be able to tell, but for the vast majority of us (myself included), it’s very, very difficult to discern the difference between the two.

Video game company Square Enix, publisher of the excellent Deus Ex: Human Revolution, was in Japan recently for a press conference where they showed off a tech demo for their Luminous Engine, which they hope will become the future of gaming as we know it.

Continue reading for more and to see a few side–by–side comparisons! [...]

At the end of August, many were stunned when it was revealed that Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was stepping down as CEO, and that Tim Cook would be taking his place. It wasn’t the first time that Jobs had stepped away, and many feared the worst given that he had battled numerous health problems, including pancreatic cancer and a liver transplant.

Now those fears have become a reality, as Apple has announced via a short statement on their website that Steve Jobs has passed away at the age of 56.

The statement read:

Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple. [...]

DC Comics announced last week that they will be bringing at least 100 collected works exclusively to Amazon‘s brand new Kindle Fire eReader.

Contrary to the thoughts in my head, the Kindle Fire is not an unfortunate malfunction of the popular eReader. It is, in fact, a brand new model that allows full-color appreciation of digital media. And with this new device’s announcement, it was only a matter of time until we started seeing information about comics. The interesting thing about this, though, is that DC will be offering these 100 books exclusively to the Kindle Fire. This sounds like a really big deal as it abandons the comiXology model and the extremely iOS devices from Apple. Well, at least it sounds like it’s interesting [...]

Today Amazon.com has announced the release of four new models of their Kindle e-Reader: the all-new Kindle; the Kindle Touch; the Kindle Touch 3G; and the Kindle Fire.

The Kindle is lighter, smaller, and faster than previous models with a weight less than 6 ounces. The E-Ink display is the most advanced yet and reads like actual paper. New features on the Kindle include built-in Wi-Fi, a book selection of more than 800,000 titles retailing for $9.99 or less, and a feature that allows you to borrow Kindle books from your local public library. The price for the new Kindle is $79 [...]

20th Century Fox has tapped into the works of the great science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov twice before — Fantastic Voyage (1966) and I, Robot (2004). Hoping that the third time will be the charm the studio is turning the author’s 1954 novel The Caves of Steel into a major motion picture and have already hired newcomers Henry Hobson and John Scott 3 to respectively direct and write the film [...]

Area 51
An Uncensored History of America’s Top Secret Military Base
Hardcover | Kindle
Written by Annie Jacobsen
Little, Brown and Company
Release date: May 17, 2011

Area 51: An Uncensored History of America’s Top Secret Military Base is an interesting read, as it provides an abundant history of the invention of nuclear weapons and spy planes, most of which took place at a military base that technically never existed: Area 51 in Nevada.

Annie Jacobsen provides fascinating insight and thorough history into the motives of the world’s most powerful men before, during and after the Cold War, that ends in the present day by explaining how unmanned drones save the lives of our many service members in the Middle East and, ultimately, every one of us back home on relatively safe ground.

Okay, so now we know the truth: The United States government does things we don’t know about in places that don’t officially exist. Revelation! Not so much. I’m sure by 2011, most Americans are aware that our government engages in all manner of secret shenanigans in the name of national security. And that sits just fine with me; I don’t have a “need-to-know” about exactly how the CIA, the U.S. Armed Forces, and all the President’s men (and women, but, let’s face it, mostly men) keep one step (and hopefully more) ahead of anyone who may wish to do us harm any more than I have a need-to-know about which fabric softener my favorite rock star uses. But way back in 1951 when Area 51 was created, though certainly not the first top secret government playground, the public had unlimited trust and faith that their leaders always told them the truth. Thanks to Watergate, of course, now we know different [...]

In one of the more shocking and unexpected announcements in recent memory, Steve Jobs has stepped down as CEO of Apple Inc.—the company he established in 1976 along with Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne—leading many to grow worrisome of his decreasing health.

Jobs has battled pancreatic cancer and other health issues over the years, one leading to a liver transplant in 2009. It’s unclear whether his health issues are in fact directly responsible for his departure as the head of Apple, but he has been on medical leave since January 17, which he said was so that he could concentrate on his health. It is for this reason that those involved with Apple and its many fans and consumers are understandably worried for the well–being of Jobs.

The man who stepped in as the CEO of Apple over the course of Jobs’ various medical leaves, Tim Cook, has once again been named the new man in charge. Jobs, however, isn’t completely stepping away from the company he’s led in making many incredible technological advancements over the years, including the iPhone and iPad, both of which are the industry standard. Jobs will remain involved with the company as a chairman of the board. [...]

Gene Roddenberry is a name synonymous with science fiction. The former Los Angeles police officer is responsible for creating one of the biggest sci–fi franchises known to mankind, Star Trek, which continues to thrive to this very day, well over four decades after its initial premiere.

Roddenberry created many other things in his life along with Star Trek, but he also started a production company called Roddenberry Entertainment, which to this day strives to find revolutionary ways to bring science fiction to the masses.

In keeping with that goal, today it was announced that Roddenberry Entertainment will be teaming up with technology lab Social Animal to create the first–ever 360° film titled White Room: 02B3. The movie will see six strangers forced to take part in an experiment that could change the face of humanity as we know it.

Continue reading for more and to see a video demonstrating how the technology works. [...]

A student at Chicago’s University of Illinois’ Electronic Visualization Laboratory named Arthur Nishimoto has developed a pretty impressive new Star Wars strategy game called Fleet Commander, but unfortunately it’s not one you’ll get to play anytime soon. Unless you’re friends with Arthur, of course. Which I am, despite the fact that Arthur does not yet know it yet.

Basically the game is like Angry Birds on your iPhone, except the fact that there are no birds, it’s played on a touch screen big enough to take up a large wall (I can’t WAIT until every home has a wall–sized touch screen for movies and gaming!), and that it’s really not like Angry Birds at all.

If confused, the best way to see what the game looks like is to just continue on below now and see it for yourself. Once there, you’ll find two videos: the first is the latest version of the game on said gigantic touch screen; while the second video is an earlier version on a tabletop–like touch screen. [...]