New Blog Template

I've changed the template for this blog along with upgrading to the 'new' Blogger using Google accounts. I didn't realize that I would lose all my links once I did this, but I tried to recreate as many as I could from memory. I have also added more content to the side, a feature I really liked on a friend's site.

Overall, I'm not blown away by the improvements in the new Blogger, but perhaps as I get used to the new tools I may change my mind. There are still many advanced features that I'm sure I'm not getting full use of, but I hope to start exploring these soon.

Audiobooks on iPod; iTrip

Audiobooks on iTunes aren't a bargain, with most of the ones I have bought costing more than a hard copy would. The technology doesn't seem to have been perfected yet -- I will often go back to a book (or segment of a book) only to find that the iPod has lost my place (there is supposed to be a virtual bookmark). Still, it's hard to beat the convenience, and it's a great way to take audiobooks with you wherever you go, especially when combined with an FM transmitter device such as the iTrip.

The iTrip is tiny, adding only about three quarters of an inch to the end of my video iPod, and the transmitter navigation couldn't be easier. However, it is tough to find an empty frequency in Los Angeles, and this causes a degradation of audio quality due to interference. I also find myself touching the iPod for better reception; perhaps a unit with a docking stand or cord of some kind would fare better.

New Look for Disney's Website in the Works

Disney to unveil website revamp
Much is riding on its Internet push to a wide age group that includes MySpace-style offerings.
By Joseph Menn, Times Staff Writer
January 8, 2007

The stakes could scarcely be bigger for Walt Disney Co. as it unveils a revamped flagship website today.

Reversing the company's past Internet stumbles is a top priority for Disney Chief Executive Robert Iger, whose reputation as a new-media leader in an old-media business could be tarnished if the site fails to attract more viewers.

Disney.com is already among the most popular sites with children, so company executives have tried to convey modest goals. They say Disney simply wants the current 25 million monthly visitors to stay longer, watch more ads and deepen their connections to Mickey, Pooh and mermaid Ariel.

But investors will be looking for more dramatic results.

"We've seen a lot of announcements out of Disney with respect to the Net. Now the expectations are higher," UBS analyst Aryeh Bourkoff said. "This year, the focus has to be on execution."

Since assuming the top Disney job from Michael Eisner 15 months ago, Iger has won praise for dropping Disney's previous antagonism toward Web innovations and striking such pioneering deals as being the first one to sell prime-time television shows and movies over Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes store.

But for all of Iger's proclamations about finding new ways to reach consumers over the Internet, Disney's own website has changed little, and the zealous policing of its creations has limited the Web environments that children can create using its characters.

At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas today, Iger will give a preview of the overhauled site that will be accessible to the public later this month.

"I believe we successfully strike the right balance between the huge strength of the existing business and the potential of new media," Steve Wadsworth, president of Walt Disney Internet Group, said in an interview.

More than any other big media company, family-oriented Disney must worry about navigating between the strict controls that appeal to parents and the increasing expectations of freedom held by their children.

Disney is aiming its site at preschoolers on their parents' laps to the 14- and 15-year-olds who populate MySpace, the enormously successful social-networking site News Corp. acquired in 2005.

The new Disney.com will present itself differently to various age groups, though all will get expanded video, games and other interaction. As on MySpace, visitors will be able to create their own websites, communicate with each other and mash together and share music and videos — as long as they're Disney music and videos.

Handheld Computing, revisited

The OQO Model 2 looks like a strong entry in the UMPC marketplace, weighing in at about a pound and including built-in mobile broadband capabilities. The tech specs are impressive: 1.5GHz CPU, 60 GB HDD, 1 GB RAM, 5" sliding WVGA LCD Screen, integrated thumb keyboard and track stick, and capacitive TouchScrollers (whatever those are). The model 02 is also Windows Vista ready and comes with a docking station which includes an optical drive.

Pretty cool, but it still looks like it has that "overgrown Blackberry" feel to it.

Recipe Time pt. 2

(from allrecipes.com)

Welsh Rarebit

INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
DIRECTIONS
In a 2 quart saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Stir in and blend the flour, salt, mustard and pepper. Stir in the milk and Worcestershire sauce. Continue stirring the mixture for 10 minutes, or until thickened.
Stirring continuously, melt the cheese into the mixture and blend well. Serve immediately over warm toast.

(alternate version from epicurious.com)

Welsh Rarebit Fingers

10 firm white bread slices (each about 4x4 inches), toasted, crusts trimmed
2 1/2 cups (packed) grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces)
5 tablespoons beer
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 cup soft fresh white breadcrumbs

Arrange toast so that sides touch on large baking sheet. Combine cheese, beer, butter and mustard in medium saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat; stir in breadcrumbs. Spoon over bread slices to cover. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Chill.)
Preheat broiler. Broil until topping begins to brown, watching to avoid burning and turning baking sheet around, if necessary, for even broiling, about 2 minutes. Cool 2 minutes. Cut each slice into 5 strips. Transfer to platter; serve.


...I used to make this quite a bit when I was growing up. It's sort of like a poor man's fondue, and is very heavy and rich but really yummy if you like cheddar cheese. I prefer using sourdough bread for the toast.

Recipe Time

1. buy package of Top Ramen
2. boil 2 cups of water
3. dump noodles in water
4. boil until noodles are done
5. dump in seasoning packet

OK, I'm in a snarky mood...

CBS, Disney to Push Movies, TV at Electronics Show

from Bloomberg.com

By Andy Fixmer and Ari Levy

Jan. 5 (Bloomberg) -- CBS Corp. and Walt Disney Co. will use next week's Consumer Electronics Show to expand efforts to get more of their movies and television shows onto the Web and mobile devices.
Disney Chief Executive Officer Robert Iger will announce an overhaul of the company's Web site at the Las Vegas event, which kicks off Jan. 7. He joins CBS's Les Moonves as the first media company CEOs to give keynote speeches in the conference's 40- year history. Moonves plans to broaden the ways CBS offers its shows.
``We have our toe in the water of 100 different lakes,'' New York-based Moonves said in an interview yesterday. ``Some will work out, some won't.''
The presence of Moonves and Iger underscores the entertainment industry's need to counter traditional advertising declines and lower DVD and box-office sales. Disney and CBS have forged partnerships with phone, cable and Internet providers as well as companies including Apple Computer Inc.
``Hollywood has a great opportunity for things like digital distribution and greater flexibility in how consumers use the content they've created,'' said Kurt Scherf, an analyst at Dallas-based Parks Associates, who plans to attend the show along with about 10 other researchers from the consulting firm who study the use of technology in the home.

Easing Relations

The past year marked a détente between media and technology companies that typically attend the Consumer Electronics Association's annual convention. The two industries have sparred over copyright and fair-use issues, Gary Shapiro, chief executive officer of the association, said in an interview. In 2006, Apple's iTunes began selling Disney films, and New York- based CBS started providing TV programs to Google Inc.'s YouTube.
``The content community wants to keep exhibiting control,'' Shapiro said. ``We want to make sure consumers have the right to do what they want in their home with content. That's something that's very important to us.''
Media companies are replacing several of the 2006 headliners at CES. Google Inc., which used last year's event to announce the introduction of free software programs and TV shows on its video service, won't have a booth at this year's event. While Intel Corp. and Yahoo Inc. plan to talk about new products at CES this year, their CEOs won't be giving speeches.
Iger, 55, will announce plans to add more social networking features such as personalized pages, games and chat rooms onto Disney's Web sites, spokeswoman Michelle Haworth said in an interview. The company will also sell merchandise, DVDs, travel packages and theme park tickets on the redesigned site, she said.

Peanut Butter Jelly Time

Still funny no matter how many times I see it...

iPod Powers Apple's Finances

iPod, not Mac now leads Apple's revenues

EE Times Computing Blog

by Rick Merritt
Computing Editor

The hidden story in Apple's latest SEC filings has nothing to do with the fuss over back-dated stock options and everything to do with its transformation into a consumer electronics company.
Apple sold $7.67 billion in iPods in its last fiscal year ending in September 2006, edging out for the first time revenue from Macintosh computers which hit $7.37 million. In 2005, Mac sales were still the biggest slice of Apple's pie at $6.2 billion versus $4.5 billion for iPods. But sales of iPods increased a whopping $3.1 billion or 69 percent during 2006 while Mac sales increased $1.1 billion or a more stately 18 percent during 2006 compared to 2005.
The iPod has long outsold the Mac in terms of raw units. In 2005 Apple was approaching sales of 20 times more iPods than Macs. Today the ratio is approach 40 to 1.
Money talks, and the heady $3.1 billion growth in iPod sales in 2006 is amazing. So it's official, Apple—the first successful computer company--is a consumer electronics company now.

Windows Sound on Piano

now this is dorky!

What's in my iPod Now

'The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl'
'Tombstone'
An episode of South Park
Texas Hold'em game
'Bejeweled' game
Audiobooks of 'The Martian Chronicles', 'Artemis Fowl', 'Fantastic Tales of Ray Bradbury'
An episode of 'Mythbusters'
An episode of 'Dr. 90210'
About half of the Beatles' albums
U2's 'Boy', 'War', 'October' and 'The Joshua Tree'
18 episodes of 'A State of Trance' by Armin Van Buuren
Pink Floyd's 'The Wall' -- original and demo versions
20 episodes of 'Hearts of Space' radio broadcast
Green Day's 'Dookie' and 'American Idiot'
Japan's 'Gentlmen Take Polariods' and 'Tin Drum'
Nirvana's 'Nevermind'
Smashing Pumpkins' 'Siamese Dream'
ESPN Mason and Ireland Podcast
Disney Insider Podcast
Aldous Huxley's 'The Doors of Perception' Audiobook
...and about 1800 individual songs not mentioned above

Surf the Web in Your Car

The Autonet Mobile In-Car Router promises coverage of over 95% of the U.S. with seamless, secure connectictvity to the internet in your car.

As if cell phones weren't enough of a distraction...

I'm in Love WIth My iPod

I mean, I really really love this thing. I've had the 30 G Video iPod for about 6 months, but I am just now fully taking advantage of it. I now have movies, TV shows, trailers, games, and of course my entire music library on the iPod and I can't imagine being without it.

I know this isn't news to those that have these devices, but the iPods are just way too cool.

Definition of Irony

In trying to pull up the 'Gift Exchange' ad (the one with the PC guy gifting a C++ GUI Programming Guide to the Mac guy) in QuickTime from the Apple website, my PC crashes.

Every time.

No, I'm not getting a Mac for Christmas.

Don't Expect a Wii for Valentine's Day Either

Video game console shortage could linger into '07

By Lisa Baertlein

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Shoppers are standing in lines to snap up Sony Corp's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s Wii video game consoles as they become available, and some analysts do not expect shortages to ease until March or later.
Shoppers are finding lots of PlayStation 2s and Microsoft
Xbox' Xbox 360s, expected to do well as substitutes for the newest machines that are in short supply.
One employee at a Target store said the retailer issues a memo a couple of days in advance of Wii and PS3 shipments and passes the information on to shoppers, who sometimes stand in line to secure their booty.
As he spoke, shoppers snapped up PlayStation Portables and Apple Computer Inc.(Nasdaq:AAPL - news) iPods.
American Technology Research analyst Paul-Jon McNealy said that since Sony (6758.T)(NYSE:SNE - news) shipment numbers include units in transit or in warehouses, the company's target of 1 million could translate to 600,000 to 800,000 units at retail by year end.
McNealy said investors and game makers tempered their forecasts for the PS3s since initial numbers fell short. He added that the PS3 will likely remain scarce through the June quarter.
"They have to launch in Europe, and they're stretched," said McNealy.
Wii shortages could ease in the March quarter, he said.
Workers at a dozen Southern California stores, including Best Buy (NYSE:BBY - news), GameStop (NYSE:GME - news) and Target (NYSE:TGT - news) outlets, said PS3 shipments were small and sporadic this shopping season, ranging from as few as 1 or 2 to 25, and that shoppers snapped up consoles as they arrived.
"We get 1 or 2 every week to week and a half," said a weary Los Angeles GameStop employee.
Nintendo's (7974.OS) Wii was selling out fast but reaching stores in greater numbers than the PS3, store clerks said.
The $250 Wii, known for its motion-sensitive controller that can be swung like a tennis racquet or a sword, and the high-end $600 PS3 both launched in the United States in mid-November and take on the year-old Microsoft Xbox 360 in the new generation video game console battle.
Sony's PS2, which has sold more than 106 million units globally, is expected to be a top seller this season.
Toys "R" Us said its 587 U.S. stores expected more than 6,000 PS3s, thousands of Wiis and over 30,000 Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq:MSFT - news) Xbox 360s in the week leading up to Christmas.

Satellite Movie Downloads

(from engadget.com)

DISH Network looking offer movie downloads via IPTV?

Posted Dec 20th 2006 12:07PM by Darren Murph

With all the zany competition going on in the television world, it's not too surprising to see DISH Network hopping on the (quickly growing) movie download bandwagon. Apparently, the satellite provider is readying an IPTV service to offer "SD and HD quality movies, music, adult programs, entertainment news, and other services such as CinemaNow." While some of the content would presumably be free, other things like download-to-keep films would demand a one-time charge, and while the on-demand offerings could be accessed whenever you desire, "certain programs such as international channels and music services will be streamed in real time." Of course, the eventual success (or failure) of the program will likely depend on how zany (or reasonable) the pricing structure ends up being, and if all goes as planned, the service will reportedly go live on February 15th, 2007

Handheld Computing

I've been waiting for the first truly viable handheld computer -- something that bridges the gap between a Blackberry and a laptop and could also serve as a gaming device and MP3 player. Is the Sony UX it? It sure looks like it could fit the bill, as the specs are well within reasonable expectations for a laptop:

Intel® Core™ Solo Processor U1400 (1.20GHz).
Genuine Windows® XP Professional
4.5" Wide SVGA LCD, Touch Screen 1
Integrated WLAN, WWAN, and Bluetooth® technology
1GB3 RAM and 40GB4 (4200 rpm) hard drive

The device is about the size of two decks of playing cards. The keyboard slides out instead of the typical clamshell design for a laptop, which leaves the screen exposed at all times and would seem to prohibit comfortable use on a lap or tabletop. The device seems to be designed to either be held or to lay flat, which doesn't seem ergonomically ideal to me (YMMV).

The integration of wireless communications appears to be a key design feature -- the UX is ready for use with Cingular EDGE WWAN, WLAN and Bluetooth. Indeed, the most practical use for the computer may be web browsing and e-mail capabilities, but the bells and whistles (camera, fingerprint sensor, stylus etc.) don't seem to push it over the edge to make it more than a glorified (and pricey) Blackberry.

Internet Explorer 7

Pros:

Tabbed Browsing
RSS Feeds
Search bar

Cons:

Menus are hidden

Welcome to the Social

The Zune is here. Apparently there are many cool features to make it more than an iPod rip-off.

Back from Hiatus

I am back, hopefully to post on a more regular basis.

Plug 'n' Play

UK firm to unveil wall-socket PC

Colin Barker
ZDNet UK
May 31, 2006, 13:45 BST

Newcastle-based Jade Integration will launch one of the smallest thin-client computers available in the UK to date, the Jack PC, next month.


Containing all the electronics needed to run as a low- to medium-power PC, the Jack PC, as its name suggests, will fit into a standard size wall socket. The entire PC sits on two layered circuitboards. It contains an AMD RISC processor to help reduce power consumption and heat output.

Wow.

The End of Pilot Season

Pilots That Crash

Forbes.com
Lacey Rose, 05.15.06, 6:00 AM ET


New York - A single mother turned bounty hunter. A small town facing a natural disaster. A man who loses his memory for an hour every day.

Sound like compelling television? Network executives thought it did--or at least they did five months ago. But there's a good chance viewers will never get to find out for themselves.

This is the week the broadcast networks put on their "upfronts" in New York City--a series of hype-heavy presentations where they parade their wares in front of advertisers in hopes of convincing them to spend billions.

But though the networks commission some 100 pilot episodes of new shows every year, at a cost of more than $300 million, they will only end up adding 30 or so to their 2006-07 schedules. That means shows like Julie Reno, Bounty Hunter, which News Corp.'s (nyse: NWS - news - people ) Fox ordered up this year, Jericho, which CBS (nyse: CBS - news - people ) commissioned, and Sixty Minute Man, which The Walt Disney Company's (nyse: DIS - news - people ) ABC paid for, may never be seen by the viewing public.

Seems like a big waste of money. What if the failed pilots were available for download? How about a cable channel dedicated to failed pilots and short-lived series?

iLoad

Should your computer be nervous?



From the product's website:

"iLoad devices connect directly to the source of your media: CDs, cable TV or satellite box and cell networks and allow you to easily take that content, along with all music, album and video data, directly to the iPod without using a computer or requiring an Internet connection."

Guilty Pleasure Movies

Dumb and Dumber
Caddyshack
Starship Troopers
Airplane!
The Bad News Bears
Not Another Teen Movie
Wild Things
Armageddon
The Breakfast Club
Conan the Barbarian
Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure
The Wedding Singer
Die Hard
The Brady Bunch Movie
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Dude, Where's My Car?
There's Something About Mary
American Pie
Joe Versus the Volcano
Last Action Hero

Idea Before Its Time?

Portable DVD Player with a (virtual) viewing area larger than a deck of cards



Connect to your PC, laptop or video game console





Stylish and Sleek?




"able to project an image equivalent to a 52-inch television viewed from 6.5 ft away"


Why didn't these personal video displays catch on when Sony and Olympus tried to market them a few years ago? They weren't cheap, but they weren't outrageous compared to many new gadgets before and since then... reviews from the time weren't stellar, but I've seen worse for far more popular products. With some sort of proven market, there would have been successive generations with improvements addressing key complaints (fair picture quality, short USB cable, "not immersive enough" -- black areas to the sides of the viewable area meant the experience was more like sitting close to a big screen TV than sitting in an IMAX theatre).

Only one manufacturer seems to be making and selling these devices -- the iVisor. Don't know if they are worth the $999 price tag or not...

Video iPod 2.0

As Apple retools new video iPod, release rolls back

(from ThinkSecret.com)

By Ryan Katz, Senior Editor

April 13, 2006 - The roll-out of Apple's forthcoming video iPod has been delayed substantially after the company encountered problems with the display and touch-screen interface, Think Secret has learned. As late as early February plans were in motion for Apple to deliver the most innovative iPod to date in April, possibly a tie-in with its 30th birthday, sources said. Instead, Apple's birthday came and went without fanfare.

...

The larger, widescreen display will deliver an improved video viewing experience and herald the arrival of feature-length movie sales as the iTunes Music Store. In hindsight, the fact that Apple remained so far from striking a deal with two leading Hollywood movie distributors, as Think Secret reported in March, suggests the company might have been aware of technological problems facing the new iPod at that time and saw no need to aggressively push for an agreement.

Multiple sources have stressed that Apple will not launch the video iPod without a movie agreement in place, and that a movie store will not open without the video iPod. The impasse in negotiations lies in the terms of sale: Apple wants to sell movies affordably a-la-carte as it does with music, but Hollywood wants a subscription deal.

Sounds like the invisible controls on the touchscreen might have been too good to be true after all. Touching the viewing surface seems like it would have to be an invitation to smudges and scratches...

iTV

Networks Rush to Offer TV Shows Online

Friday April 7, 9:31 pm ET
By Gary Gentile, AP Business Writer
Networks Rush to Offer Individual Programs, Season Subscriptions Online As TV Viewership Drops


LOS ANGELES (AP) -- These days, there's more than one way to get "Lost," visit "The Office" or keep "Law and Order." Six months after ABC struck the first deal to sell commercial-free TV episodes online, networks are rushing to offer everything from individual programs to season subscriptions.

...

Analysts say networks have little choice but to try multiple strategies as viewers watch less TV in primetime and embrace technology that lets them watch shows whenever and wherever they want, including on computers and portable devices, such as an iPod.

Studios also want to offer a legal alternative to the many file-swapping services that offer pirated copies of shows.

"Technology is moving ahead with or without them, and if they don't try to find a new business model, they're going to be stuck with the old business, which is in decline," said Harold Vogel, media analyst and author of the book "Entertainment Industry Economics."

"The problem is nobody really knows what the new business model should be yet," he said.

In its deal with Apple Computer Inc.'s online media store iTunes, The Walt Disney Co. has sold programs from its ABC and ESPN networks and the Disney channel for $1.99 each. Revenue from those sales has been minuscule compared with advertising sales for television.

...

ABC said it has learned important lessons so far about offering online content. Among them is that TV ratings of hit shows haven't been hurt.

"We've only increased overall media consumption for some of our hit shows and some of the shows we're trying to promote," said Albert Cheng, executive vice president of digital media for the Disney-ABC television group.

One analyst said digital delivery can be more valuable for promoting shows than generating revenue.

...

The growing online availability of TV shows and original video produced by Yahoo, MSN and other sites has led some to predict the demise of traditional TV watching.

But some analysts aren't ready to write off network TV.

"Five years from now, we'll have a much better idea of how it will shake out," Vogel said.

Lemur

Should your mouse be nervous?



I'd bet that just about anyone who has used audio, video and/or photo editing programs such as ProTools or Photoshop has wished that they could just reach into the screen and tweak the controls directly instead of fiddling with a mouse. The Lemur touchscreen is an interesting device which graphically recreates the controls of digital audio workstation programs in the configuration specified by the user. While this is designed for a fairly specific and narrow use, it does give an interesting view into a possible future direction for the graphical user interface of many types of programs -- if this type of touch-sensitive screen were to be merged into the actual display screen, the need for a mouse should be reduced quite a bit, and the experience should seem more direct and satisfying. Even better would be a virtual 3-d display which could respond to hand movements within the display area.

Or a holodeck.

OK, I want one

So this is the video iPod, eh?

Engadget Posted Feb 10th 2006 2:28PM by Ryan Block

Ok everyone, what do you think the odds are that Apple so nonchalantly let loose some images of the full-screen iPod video the very day after ThinkSecret's supposed confirmation on the video iPod hit the wires? Did we mention the Photoshop metadata in the images' EXIF tags? No, we're not at all prepared to call this a "leak," but we'll definitely attest to this being a very nice rendering of what we hope could be the 6G iPod.

Indeed.

Why I don't buy gadgets within the first year

money.cnn.com/2006/03/21/technology/apple_ipod/index.htm

Analyst: Apple's 60-gig iPod 'at risk'
Company may phase out 60-gig Video iPod, which retails for $399, in favor of a new model, analyst says.
March 21, 2006: 10:20 AM EST
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - Apple may be phasing out its 60-gigabyte Video iPod, according to one analyst who tracks the company.
The company has told its distributors that the 60-gigabyte iPod, which launched in October and retails for $399, is "at risk" until the end of April, meaning that it could be discontinued or replaced, according to Shaw Wu, an analyst for American Technology Research,
Apple launched its video iPods in October
...
In a note to clients, Wu said he believes the company is readying a wide-screen video iPod with Bluetooth headphones that could be ready as early as the June quarter. The analyst said his checks indicate that Apple is working on such a product.

This just has to drive people nuts... the coolest and latest toys seem as exciting as yesterday's soggy breakfast cereal within a year or less.