geekosystem

Marc Maron hosts one of the best podcasts on the Internet, WTF with Marc Maron, and now he's hoping to parlay some of that success into the world of television with a new show on IFC. It premieres this Friday night, but because waiting for things is the worst they've put the first episode up online already. Check it out right here.

When we heard there was a SHIELD Act working its way through Congress right now, we only had one thing in mind, but it turns out that the SHIELD in question doesn't stand for Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. It stands for Saving High-tech Innovators from Egregious Legal Disputes, and it's looking to keep America safe from patent trolls by making them cover the legal fees for their frivolous lawsuits if they lose. It could be the only thing standing between podcasts and certain doom, so I guess it's still a little bit like Nick Fury.

You all listen to the Judge John Hodgman podcast, right? RIGHT? Good. In case you missed last week's episode, it featured one of the greatest moments in the show's history. The show is hosted by occasional Daily Show correspondent, professional PC, knower of all things, and eccentric millionaire John Hodgman with co-host "Bailiff" Jesse Thorn. Hodgman sang the cover of "Baby Got Back" featured in an episode of Glee that was stolen from Jonathan Coulton, who was in the audience. Hodgman and Coulton are friends, and unlike Glee, Hodgman at least gave Coulton implied credit.

Patent trolls have been a problem in the tech industry for years, but now they're branching out and trying to ruin more things. A company called Personal Audio is waving around an incredibly vague patent that it claims virtually every podcast on the Internet is violating. They've already gone after some big names in podcasting like Adam Corolla, and they pose a serious threat to the medium.