CNET UK Podcast 246: The second coming of TV

The television: teacher, babysitter, friend. Gathering family and friends around the telly has been a time-honoured ritual for many years, but the Internet looked set to change that -- until now. But before we take a look at the rise of the second screen, the CNET UK podcast team grab the remote and channel-surf the latest news in the world of technology.

There's a blast from the past in this week's podcast, as regulars Rich Trenholm and Luke Westaway light up the Rory-sign to recruit former podcast legend Rory 'Reckless' Reid. The triumvirate of tomfoolery discusses whether BlackBerry is down with the kids, what's new in Lion, and why WhatsApp is the new hotness. And fighter jets and death and stuff.

News

• Nokia loses whopping £427m as phone sales slump

• Computer learns to play Civilization by reading the instruction manual

• TEDGlobal: Worshipping at the church of TED and Lytess 'cosmetotextiles'

And the most popular news story on the site this week is:

• BlackBerry PlayBook isn't making any money as cunning plan backfires

Crave

The team submit the week's coolest technology to the discernment of Judgement Deyoncé -- which gadget will our mysterious arbiter of tech taste be crazy in love with?

Rich: New MacBook Air and Mac mini are official, packing Thunderbolt and Lion

Rory: FIA tests fighter jet canopy on F1 cars, but teams object

Luke: Sony S1 and S2 tablet photos show off titillating turned-off mode

Feature -- The second coming of TV

Once, television was a communal pastime. Families, lovers, friends would gather around the glowing screen, bathing in the warmth of cathode rays and community -- but always at set times, dictated to us by the box in the corner of the room. The fast-paced world of digital entertainment changed all that with its on-demand this and online viewing that.

But communal telly-watching is undergoing a renaissance, and it isn't just about gathering on the sofa. The phenomenon of the 'second screen' means telly addicts can watch together with other people all over the world, using their phones and tablets and laptops to enhance their viewing pleasure with services such as Twitter, TV.com and GetGlue. From Eurovision to the record-breaking Women's World Cup final, is this a new dawn for the goggle box?

Feedback

Podcast listeners have been getting in touch to look back at all the phones they've owned, compare browsers and beg iTunes for mercy. And stick around to find out why Rory eats everything from a mug -- even cake.

Don't forget you can always get in touch by commenting on this story, dropping us a line on our Facebook page, or hitting us up on Twitter.

WTF

A skydiver drops his iPhone -- in an Incipio case -- from 13,500 feet. And it still works!