Microsoft, AP Team on Online Video Venture - Yahoo! News
This is an interesting volley across Apple's bow. Microsoft is not much of a hardware company, but with the video iPod I could see this as a step toward teaming up with a company to offer some kind of iTunes/Disney thing.
As I said before, the video iPod makes video on demand (VOD) a new game. We not only need to shift time but location as well. Streaming is only 1 way in which we are going to want to get videos. In the future if you want to remain competitive you are going to have to offer some way to make things mobile, and on a variety of devices. Digital rights management (DRM) is going to have to get used to that as well.
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Evolution Critics Score Win in Kansas - Yahoo! News
Evolution Critics Score Win in Kansas - Yahoo! News
Even the Catholic church admits that you must consider theories when backed by some evidence. The next step backwards is to go back to the idea of the universe revolving around the Earth.
Even the Catholic church admits that you must consider theories when backed by some evidence. The next step backwards is to go back to the idea of the universe revolving around the Earth.
Senators, oil execs to debate profits - Yahoo! News
Senators, oil execs to debate profits - Yahoo! News
Unfortunately it will turn into a dog & pony show with no real results. Senators will talk tough but in the end do nothing.
Unfortunately it will turn into a dog & pony show with no real results. Senators will talk tough but in the end do nothing.
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
NBC, CBS to offer shows on demand for 99 cents - Yahoo! News
NBC, CBS to offer shows on demand for 99 cents - Yahoo! News
Not sure how much sense this makes. I like the idea of $.99 episodes, but the limited nature of who can get these shows does not make sense to me.
I think the video iPod takes video on demand to a whole new level. We need to be able not only time shift, but device shift as well.
Not sure how much sense this makes. I like the idea of $.99 episodes, but the limited nature of who can get these shows does not make sense to me.
I think the video iPod takes video on demand to a whole new level. We need to be able not only time shift, but device shift as well.
Monday, November 07, 2005
Some thoughts on aggregation
I have been a thinking about aggregation of late. In part because I have been working with Flickr and in part because I have been working with some people who are not overly tech savvy.
I am a big user of Bloglines. It is not necessarily that I find them any better than any other service, but they are web based and free. The web basis makes it easy for me to synch my reads between home & work. There are many feeds that I are techie enough that I may read them at work or at home.
Dave Winer has talked about the idea of a river of news. Instead of the email-ish UI where each feed shows if it has new items, all the new items are displayed in a way to show the stories directly. The Google Reader approximates this approach.
I find the Google reader pretty cool, and if they would use actual arrow keys for navigation it would be great. If you really want to rip through your unread entries in the order in which they were posted this is great.
However there are times I want to do both kinds of reading. At work I want to see my feeds and select individual feeds to read. At home I would prefer the river of news approach.
Feed Demon by Nick Bradbury can, or will be, able to handle both types of reading. I got Feed Demon 1.5 and it is an interesting piece of software. The problem is synching feeds between multiple computers. When version 1.6 comes out and it is integrated with NewsGator it will solve a big problem. I like that you can group your feeds, which would be nice so that I could group my techie feeds and, presumably, do the river of news with that group. It would even be better if the groups could at least note there is at least 1 new item to read. I may have some option setup wrong to get this though. Feed Demon is feature rich and if you are looking for a desktop reader and have some money to spend it is well worth it. Feed Demon works right now with NewsGator, but with 1.6 it will be one fee instead of 2.
The one thing I have not tried yet is off line reading in FeedDemon. This would be useful when I am on the road and need to snag my feeds where I am paying for connectivity by the hour.
Of course now that I have looked at it, NewsGator is free and offers some of the same features as BlogLines.
What else would I like to see? More scripting abilities to keep things open for future stuff. Many handle enclosures with no problem, some do not do auto downloads, some will not shot the enclosure to another program, etc.
I am a big user of Bloglines. It is not necessarily that I find them any better than any other service, but they are web based and free. The web basis makes it easy for me to synch my reads between home & work. There are many feeds that I are techie enough that I may read them at work or at home.
Dave Winer has talked about the idea of a river of news. Instead of the email-ish UI where each feed shows if it has new items, all the new items are displayed in a way to show the stories directly. The Google Reader approximates this approach.
I find the Google reader pretty cool, and if they would use actual arrow keys for navigation it would be great. If you really want to rip through your unread entries in the order in which they were posted this is great.
However there are times I want to do both kinds of reading. At work I want to see my feeds and select individual feeds to read. At home I would prefer the river of news approach.
Feed Demon by Nick Bradbury can, or will be, able to handle both types of reading. I got Feed Demon 1.5 and it is an interesting piece of software. The problem is synching feeds between multiple computers. When version 1.6 comes out and it is integrated with NewsGator it will solve a big problem. I like that you can group your feeds, which would be nice so that I could group my techie feeds and, presumably, do the river of news with that group. It would even be better if the groups could at least note there is at least 1 new item to read. I may have some option setup wrong to get this though. Feed Demon is feature rich and if you are looking for a desktop reader and have some money to spend it is well worth it. Feed Demon works right now with NewsGator, but with 1.6 it will be one fee instead of 2.
The one thing I have not tried yet is off line reading in FeedDemon. This would be useful when I am on the road and need to snag my feeds where I am paying for connectivity by the hour.
Of course now that I have looked at it, NewsGator is free and offers some of the same features as BlogLines.
What else would I like to see? More scripting abilities to keep things open for future stuff. Many handle enclosures with no problem, some do not do auto downloads, some will not shot the enclosure to another program, etc.
Phil Collins Says Genesis Reunion Possible - Yahoo! News
Phil Collins Says Genesis Reunion Possible - Yahoo! News
This would be cool. I think I saw them during the "We Can't Dance" tour at Cleveland's old Municipal stadium. This is when both the Indians & Browns played at the same stadium. I never saw them with Peter Gabriel singing, but I have listened to some of their CDs from that time frame and like it.
This would be cool. I think I saw them during the "We Can't Dance" tour at Cleveland's old Municipal stadium. This is when both the Indians & Browns played at the same stadium. I never saw them with Peter Gabriel singing, but I have listened to some of their CDs from that time frame and like it.
Sunday, November 06, 2005
What does your birth date mean
| Your Birthdate: December 20 |
 You are a virtual roller coaster of emotions, and most people enjoy the ride. Your mood tends to set the tone of the room, and when you're happy, this is a good thing. When you get in a dark mood, watch out - it's very hard to get you out of it. It's sometimes hard for you to cheer up, and your gloom can be contagious. Your strength: Your warm heart Your weakness: Trouble controlling your emotions Your power color: Black Your power symbol: Musical note Your power month: February |
A catchup meme
Since Katherine said she had no one to tag with this meme, I thought I would go ahead and do it.
Three names I go by:
Howard
Woody
Hey you (for some reason people have trouble with my name so I tend to resond to just about any name)
Three screen names I have had:
hhill
hhilliii
MysticOne (back in the old BBS days)
Three physical things I like about myself:
My eyes
My hands
My legs
Three physical things I don't like about myself:
The settling around the waist
My nose
My hair
Three parts of my heritage:
Irish
German
Scottish
Three things that scare me:
Religous fanatics
Modern business practices
Never finding love
Three of my everyday essentials:
Tea or hot chocolate
The Internet
A walk
Three of my favorite musical artists:
Styx
Phil Collins
Meatloaf
Three of my favorite songs:
Come Sail Away - Styx
Don't Stop Believing - Journey
Beautiful - Christina Aguilera
Three things I want in a relationship:
Trust
Understanding
Respect
Three LIES:
I know what I want to be when I grow up
I have a kick-ass car
I love brussel sprouts
Three TRUTHS:
I was extremely extroverted, but then became introverted
I hate watching football on TV
I believe magic exists
Three physical things about the opposite sex that appeal to me:
Eyes
Legs
Hair
Three of my favorite hobbies:
Walking
Reading
Genealogy
Three things I want to do really badly now:
Get my dinner started
Get my house completely cleaned up
Fix my back door
Three careers I've considered:
History Teacher
Botanist
Accountant
Three places I want to go on vacation:
Sedona, AZ
Mexico
Scottland
Three kid's names I like:
Heather
Abigail
Alexander
Three things I want to do before I die:
Travel extensively
Visit the pyramids in Egypt
Learn to play guitar
Three ways that I am stereotypically a boy:
My slobbish house cleaning
My clothes
My love of fart humor
Three ways that I am stereotypically a girl:
I am in touch with my feelings
I am a pretty good listener
I am a sucker for a good romantic comedy
Three celebrity crushes:
Nicole Kidman
Sandra Bullock
Mare Winningham
Three names I go by:
Howard
Woody
Hey you (for some reason people have trouble with my name so I tend to resond to just about any name)
Three screen names I have had:
hhill
hhilliii
MysticOne (back in the old BBS days)
Three physical things I like about myself:
My eyes
My hands
My legs
Three physical things I don't like about myself:
The settling around the waist
My nose
My hair
Three parts of my heritage:
Irish
German
Scottish
Three things that scare me:
Religous fanatics
Modern business practices
Never finding love
Three of my everyday essentials:
Tea or hot chocolate
The Internet
A walk
Three of my favorite musical artists:
Styx
Phil Collins
Meatloaf
Three of my favorite songs:
Come Sail Away - Styx
Don't Stop Believing - Journey
Beautiful - Christina Aguilera
Three things I want in a relationship:
Trust
Understanding
Respect
Three LIES:
I know what I want to be when I grow up
I have a kick-ass car
I love brussel sprouts
Three TRUTHS:
I was extremely extroverted, but then became introverted
I hate watching football on TV
I believe magic exists
Three physical things about the opposite sex that appeal to me:
Eyes
Legs
Hair
Three of my favorite hobbies:
Walking
Reading
Genealogy
Three things I want to do really badly now:
Get my dinner started
Get my house completely cleaned up
Fix my back door
Three careers I've considered:
History Teacher
Botanist
Accountant
Three places I want to go on vacation:
Sedona, AZ
Mexico
Scottland
Three kid's names I like:
Heather
Abigail
Alexander
Three things I want to do before I die:
Travel extensively
Visit the pyramids in Egypt
Learn to play guitar
Three ways that I am stereotypically a boy:
My slobbish house cleaning
My clothes
My love of fart humor
Three ways that I am stereotypically a girl:
I am in touch with my feelings
I am a pretty good listener
I am a sucker for a good romantic comedy
Three celebrity crushes:
Nicole Kidman
Sandra Bullock
Mare Winningham
Beacon Journal | 11/06/2005 | New trail is way to get more places
Beacon Journal | 11/06/2005 | New trail is way to get more places
This is great news! Our area has some great parks, and some good trails but few of the trails hook together.
Now we need to get some more inter-city trails. We have a number of abandoned-looking rail beds that would make great bike trails. Even here in NE Ohio I don't think we can overlook the need to encourage people to use bikes for transportation. Problem us our roads are pretty crappy for bikers, and a few dedicated cut throughs might help draw in some people. If they can get some hook ups from neighborhoods to both the Bike & Hike trail or the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath then you have the best of both worlds.
This is great news! Our area has some great parks, and some good trails but few of the trails hook together.
Now we need to get some more inter-city trails. We have a number of abandoned-looking rail beds that would make great bike trails. Even here in NE Ohio I don't think we can overlook the need to encourage people to use bikes for transportation. Problem us our roads are pretty crappy for bikers, and a few dedicated cut throughs might help draw in some people. If they can get some hook ups from neighborhoods to both the Bike & Hike trail or the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath then you have the best of both worlds.
Saturday, November 05, 2005
Becky's T*blog: What Flickr clusters say about you
Becky's T*blog: What Flickr clusters say about you
An interesting little meme, and I learned something about Flikr.
So what does Howard "mean"?
"bush, blair, streetart"
"politics, john, dean"
"chicago, train, redline"
"soma, sanfrancisco"
"england, castle"
Apparently Howards are pretty politically involved, leaning either right or left, enjoys street art, and travels a lot, many times by train.
Becky said it hit about 40%, for me even less. I will say I am sort of middle of the road politically, but I have not been to Chicago, San Francisco or England.
An interesting little meme, and I learned something about Flikr.
So what does Howard "mean"?
"bush, blair, streetart"
"politics, john, dean"
"chicago, train, redline"
"soma, sanfrancisco"
"england, castle"
Apparently Howards are pretty politically involved, leaning either right or left, enjoys street art, and travels a lot, many times by train.
Becky said it hit about 40%, for me even less. I will say I am sort of middle of the road politically, but I have not been to Chicago, San Francisco or England.
CommonMedia Launches DRM-Free Music and Video Stores - CommonMedia.org
CommonMedia Launches DRM-Free Music and Video Stores - CommonMedia.org
An intesting idea. BitTorrent is a great way to disribute large files, but only really works when there are lots of people downloading the same file. I grabbed a file from CommonFlix that was free just to see how it worked, but only 1 other person had downloaded the file so it was painfully slow. It will be interesting to see what people do with this with TV shows.
Via Geek News Central
An intesting idea. BitTorrent is a great way to disribute large files, but only really works when there are lots of people downloading the same file. I grabbed a file from CommonFlix that was free just to see how it worked, but only 1 other person had downloaded the file so it was painfully slow. It will be interesting to see what people do with this with TV shows.
Via Geek News Central
Scripting News: 10/29/2005
Scripting News: 10/29/2005:
I find the name Old Farts Genius Network. Not sure about the genius part, but at work I am an old fart.
Hey we're having a Old Farts Genius Network breakfast at Denny's in Palo Alto, tomorow at 9:30AM. You don't have to be a club member to join the party. Permanent link to this item in the archive.
I find the name Old Farts Genius Network. Not sure about the genius part, but at work I am an old fart.
Tarot quiz results: The Moon
You are the Moon card. Entering the Moon we enter
the intuitive and psychic realms. This is the
stuff dreams are made on. And like dreams the
imagery we find here may inspire us or torment
us. Understanding the moon requires looking
within. Our own bodily rhythms are echoed in
this luminary that circles the earth every
month and reflects the sun in its progress.
Listening to those rhythms may produce visions
and lead you towards insight. The Moon is a
force that has legends attached to it. It
carries with it both romance and insanity.
Moonlight reveals itself as an illusion and it
is only those willing to work with the force of
dreams that are able to withstand this
reflective light. Image from: Stevee Postman.
http://www.stevee.com/
Which Tarot Card Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla
Friday, November 04, 2005
Been awhile
I have been AWOL for awhile here. Things usually get out of control around the For Purpose Conference, and it just completely throws off my schedule.
The conference itself was great. The speakers were great, even the one's whom I did not necessarily connect with what they were saying. One thing I have learned to appreciate is that a speaker can do a great job but you may not connect with their particular symbology. Sometimes it is important to look for themes and to see if you can translate the speaker's symbology to your own.
The real pleasure for me though was participating in the Saturday healing ceremony. This is an energetic healing with Reiki or similar techniques. I was a "catcher". Catchers have two basic jobs. The first is to escort people to a healers tables, kind of keeping the process moving. The second, and more important, is to help people after they are done on the table. People can get stiff from being on the table, plus sometimes they need some grounding. There are others who help with the grounding, but the extra hands (and muscle) is usually appreciated.
I drove to VA Beach, which I always like as a nice bugger between the regular world and the coccoon we put ourselves in while in VA Beach. It is about a 10 hour drive, but it is worth it to me.
Bloglines is showing I have over 70 saved posts for me to do something with. A fair chunk of that is a book that is being released through RSS that I am 20+ chapters beind in. I am going to go through those tomorrow so I will probably be doing a lot of posts tomorrow.
One other thing that came out of the Conference was I somehow got tagged as the eBay guy. I have an eBay credit card that I applied for while fulfilling some online offer. I have not been a huge user of eBay. Sure I have picked up a few items here and there, but checking eBay has never been my first inclination. I have been doing some searching on eBay and finding a variety of things. The biggest surprise was finding clothes in my size. I normally shop in a big & tall shop, which is never cheap. I actually found a pair of jeans that will fit. When I loose the weight I will probably keep going back. Unfortunately I am between inseam sizes and a 32 inseam (which is really too long) is not something most stores carry. Even if I get down to a "normal" size I will still be getting my pants in the big & tall shop. At least eBay might get me some cheaper clothes!
The conference itself was great. The speakers were great, even the one's whom I did not necessarily connect with what they were saying. One thing I have learned to appreciate is that a speaker can do a great job but you may not connect with their particular symbology. Sometimes it is important to look for themes and to see if you can translate the speaker's symbology to your own.
The real pleasure for me though was participating in the Saturday healing ceremony. This is an energetic healing with Reiki or similar techniques. I was a "catcher". Catchers have two basic jobs. The first is to escort people to a healers tables, kind of keeping the process moving. The second, and more important, is to help people after they are done on the table. People can get stiff from being on the table, plus sometimes they need some grounding. There are others who help with the grounding, but the extra hands (and muscle) is usually appreciated.
I drove to VA Beach, which I always like as a nice bugger between the regular world and the coccoon we put ourselves in while in VA Beach. It is about a 10 hour drive, but it is worth it to me.
Bloglines is showing I have over 70 saved posts for me to do something with. A fair chunk of that is a book that is being released through RSS that I am 20+ chapters beind in. I am going to go through those tomorrow so I will probably be doing a lot of posts tomorrow.
One other thing that came out of the Conference was I somehow got tagged as the eBay guy. I have an eBay credit card that I applied for while fulfilling some online offer. I have not been a huge user of eBay. Sure I have picked up a few items here and there, but checking eBay has never been my first inclination. I have been doing some searching on eBay and finding a variety of things. The biggest surprise was finding clothes in my size. I normally shop in a big & tall shop, which is never cheap. I actually found a pair of jeans that will fit. When I loose the weight I will probably keep going back. Unfortunately I am between inseam sizes and a 32 inseam (which is really too long) is not something most stores carry. Even if I get down to a "normal" size I will still be getting my pants in the big & tall shop. At least eBay might get me some cheaper clothes!
Vatican: Faithful Should Listen to Science - Yahoo! News
Vatican: Faithful Should Listen to Science - Yahoo! News
This is a big deal, at least in my view. It always seemed like the Catholic church puts on its blinders, sticks its fingers in its ears and screams "LALALALA" at lound as possible. I think they are realizing they are not the only game in town.
This is a big deal, at least in my view. It always seemed like the Catholic church puts on its blinders, sticks its fingers in its ears and screams "LALALALA" at lound as possible. I think they are realizing they are not the only game in town.
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Google Offers Index of Public Domain Works - Yahoo! News
Google Offers Index of Public Domain Works - Yahoo! News
This is nothing new. Project Gutenberg has been around for years.
This is nothing new. Project Gutenberg has been around for years.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Geek News Central Revealing Links & Useful Technical Information
Hollywood Studios Fair Use Public Enemy Number One
The truth is no matter what the MPAA does, people will find a way around it. DVDs are, buy and large, cheap and probably not worth pirating.
I know that Hollywood has been complaining about the drop off of box office sales. There are two parts to that. By and large a lot of what is coming out lately flat out sucks. It is not worth even the $6 (roughly) matinee price. It MIGHT be worth a $3.50 rental. This year seemed to be the year of remakes: Longest Yard, Bewitched, Herbie, etc. Where are the original ideas??
The second problem is the movie going experience. My brother, nephew and I went to see Star Wars III. It was $8.25 for my ticket (my brother had passes), $19.75 for pop, popcorn and candy and THAT was with a special they were running that day. Without the passes, it would have been around $42 for 3 of us to see a film, sharing a tub of popcorn and two drinks between us. My brother's family of 6 could not afford a night at the movies at a first-run theater, and even has trouble getting everyone in at the local second-run theater. At least it is only $18 for everyone there.
Given that many people have big screen TVs, DVD players, surround sound watching a video at home is almost as good as being in the theater. You can buy the same snacks for a fraction of the cost at a store. Unless you enjoy sticky floors (and just about every theater I have been in has them) and people's cell phones going off, why not save a few bucks?
If Hollywood is really worried, maybe if they gave us a product worth our time we would spend the money. I still go to the theater for select films - some things just look good on the big screen. But there is so much out there that I am willing to wait for it to come out on DVD, if I want to spend the time at all.
The truth is no matter what the MPAA does, people will find a way around it. DVDs are, buy and large, cheap and probably not worth pirating.
I know that Hollywood has been complaining about the drop off of box office sales. There are two parts to that. By and large a lot of what is coming out lately flat out sucks. It is not worth even the $6 (roughly) matinee price. It MIGHT be worth a $3.50 rental. This year seemed to be the year of remakes: Longest Yard, Bewitched, Herbie, etc. Where are the original ideas??
The second problem is the movie going experience. My brother, nephew and I went to see Star Wars III. It was $8.25 for my ticket (my brother had passes), $19.75 for pop, popcorn and candy and THAT was with a special they were running that day. Without the passes, it would have been around $42 for 3 of us to see a film, sharing a tub of popcorn and two drinks between us. My brother's family of 6 could not afford a night at the movies at a first-run theater, and even has trouble getting everyone in at the local second-run theater. At least it is only $18 for everyone there.
Given that many people have big screen TVs, DVD players, surround sound watching a video at home is almost as good as being in the theater. You can buy the same snacks for a fraction of the cost at a store. Unless you enjoy sticky floors (and just about every theater I have been in has them) and people's cell phones going off, why not save a few bucks?
If Hollywood is really worried, maybe if they gave us a product worth our time we would spend the money. I still go to the theater for select films - some things just look good on the big screen. But there is so much out there that I am willing to wait for it to come out on DVD, if I want to spend the time at all.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Boing Boing: Principal says students can't keep blogs or MySpace profiles
Via Geek News Central
Boing Boing: Principal says students can't keep blogs or MySpace profiles
The given reason is to safegaurd the children from predators. Given the problems that the Catholic church has had of late it comes of as sounding like the schools want to save the children for themselves. Maybe I am just being pessamistic on that.
I do believe that parents should take some responsiblity teaching their kids how to behave on line, just like they tell children to not talk to strangers they likewise need to teach them to be leary of anyone on line. Cyber space is no different than meat space. In fact cyber space is worse since people can track people easier online and from anywhere. I would hope that parents would keep some tabs on what their kids do online, at least in the home.
Boing Boing: Principal says students can't keep blogs or MySpace profiles
The given reason is to safegaurd the children from predators. Given the problems that the Catholic church has had of late it comes of as sounding like the schools want to save the children for themselves. Maybe I am just being pessamistic on that.
I do believe that parents should take some responsiblity teaching their kids how to behave on line, just like they tell children to not talk to strangers they likewise need to teach them to be leary of anyone on line. Cyber space is no different than meat space. In fact cyber space is worse since people can track people easier online and from anywhere. I would hope that parents would keep some tabs on what their kids do online, at least in the home.
My blog is not worth much
Thanks to John I found out how much my blog is worth. Good thing I do this for love and not money ;).
My blog is worth $2,822.70.
How much is your blog worth?
Beacon Journal | 11/01/2005 | Smoking debate lights up Summit
Beacon Journal | 11/01/2005 | Smoking debate lights up Summit
As a non-smoker I support this ban whole heartedly. Having just come from VA Beach where smoking is allowed everywhere I hate trying to enjoy a meal while people around you smoke. I might get out more and go to places to enjoy live music if I did not have to put up with smokers everywhere there is live music.
As a non-smoker I support this ban whole heartedly. Having just come from VA Beach where smoking is allowed everywhere I hate trying to enjoy a meal while people around you smoke. I might get out more and go to places to enjoy live music if I did not have to put up with smokers everywhere there is live music.
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