August 2, 2008

The August 2 show catches Dr. Dave and Evil Steve in several revealing moods. A Palm interview briefly becomes a portrait of Evil Steve, who always gets to unbox a new device and subjects it to a look, rub and sniff before he ever turns it on. A failing printer inspires the brothers' theory that computers can sense when a task really matters, so the only defense is to act calm and indifferent—the computer-whisperer approach. The beginning of football season produces genuine warmth as the desert air seems cooler, the grass fresher and memories of putting on pads return; the Redskins' first preseason game is also the show's traditional cue to bring back its football music. The technology history is equally vivid: Dr. Dave evaluates Microsoft's costly effort to improve Vista's reputation against the experience of connecting real peripherals at home, then gives the iPhone 2.0 credit for major improvements while criticizing outages and battery life. The full episode also contains a period Palm Centro interview and extensive caller support, including a careful warning that bypassing a forgotten password requires ownership verification.

Back to years and months

Proposed air date. The available recordings may not contain the entire broadcast.

Recordings preserved for this date