PestPatrol detects and removes Sony's DRM software

The sign of the times....even trusted names can cause harm. I find it hard to believe that SONY didn't know what they where getting into. I would hope that upper management didn't really know what was going on and just trusted "don't worry the DRM thing will not cause any problems and people won't know about it for years" Welll...maybe that's just as bad.

read more | digg story

A guided tour of the Microsoft Command Shell

Nice to see Microsoft "beef up" the command shell.

OpenOffice.Org 2.0.0

Check it out. If you don't need all the extra MS Office fluff and don't want to spend $$$.

read more | digg story

The iWood nano: iPod case made from 100% nature....and Mrs.Gates has one!

The iWood nano looks differnt enough to make it. Not sure of how all the varieties of wood look. Nothing mentions price.

read more | digg story

Mac users can now use Gmail for storage.

gDisk is a software that turns your GMail account into a remote hard drive.

read more | digg story

Apple does it again....5 weeks later

So today as 5 weeks ago Apple announces some “slight” changes in their product line. The last iMac G5 was so cool. Basically just a flat panel monitor with a G5 in it. Well now the new iMac is thinner than the one just introduced about a year ago. It has a built in iSight camera, a remote control (to play movies,videos and photos from across the room) and a bunch of other improvements. The best part is...the same price as the outgoing one ($1,299). Apple finally announced what we have waited (or at least heard rumors of) a Video iPod as well as a new version of iTunes to go with it. The “new” iTunes features are listed below.

Music Videos
Browse more than 2,000 music videos available for $1.99.
TV Shows
Download full seasons or the latest episodes of your favorite ABC and Disney shows.
Customer Reviews
Post your own customer reviews and ratings, and read what other fans have to say.
Just For You
Get personalized recommendations tailored to your musical preferences.
Give Music and More
Buy and send music and videos as gifts. Give iTunes Music Cards and gift certificates.
The Complete Stevie Wonder
Download over 500 songs, a full-color digital booklet and three bonus videos in a single click.
The new iPod has the same pricing structure as before but a 30GB version replaces the 20GB color iPod. I didn’t see any mention of the U2 version of the iPod but now the “big” iPods come in black just as the iPod nano does. Again making things smaller seems to be the theme Apple is using. The new 30GB iPod is 31% smaller than the 20GB iPod it replaces. Even the new 60GB iPod is 12% smaller than the gen4 20GB iPod. I think I will stick with my 3G 20Gb iPod, 1GB iPod Shuffle and 2GB iPod nano for a while. I mean I like Apple products but I can’t afford to replace them for the sake of replacing them. I’m going to keep those until they stop working (physically or some software upgrade that makes them obsolete) So unlike the nano I don’t think the iPod’s ability to play video is going to make people dump their 4G iPod. There where plenty of people who DID NOT get a shuffle because it didn’t have a display. Well the nano changed that idea...small flash based player with a display...gotta get one of those. I don’t think that will be the case for the new “big” iPod. Granted if you where in the market for an MP3 player and didn’t know what you wanted...then this makes the choice a bit easier. If you want to playback video(s) you only have one iPod to choose from. Apple has made a deal with ABC/Disney to allow people to pay/download for current hit shows the day after they broadcast. So this means you can get LOST and Desperate Housewives the next day. This is one area I think Apple sorta messed up on. I can understand buying a music video ($1.99 - would rather it be $1.49) but why would you want to pay that for a TV show that you could record yourself? (Tivo/Cable DVR etc.) It doesn’t take much effort to get a show from your DVR to a PC which in turn you could import into iTunes.

The major downside with the iTunes videos is that they can not be burned to CD or DVD. You can only watch them on the computer or iPod. They have the same Fair Use play as their songs do. You own the video and there is no subscription to pay. I’m sure there will be a way to get around the burning issue. I’m going to get my copy of iTunes 6 now...

Life with my iPod nano (Almost a month now)

I’ve been using an iPod nano since the two days after it was available from the Apple store. No, I wasn’t one of those folks who ran down to the store to place an order. My wife “won” a 2GB iPod nano for a charity auction at work. She knew it was only a matter of time before I bought one and thought giving it to me through the auction was the only way to ensure that I wouldn’t be able to pick one up for myself beforehand. I have a tendency to buy things for myself just after she has purchased them as future gifts.

Anyway, back to the nano. If you haven’t seen one in person you can’t appreciate how small it is. Just as it was for the iPod shuffle. The thing with the nano is they where able to get a color screen and click-wheel in there as well. It is really amazing.

I have the 2GB black one. Now, if I were to buy one for myself I would have purchased the 4GB version (black as well...just to be different). Ironically 9 days before the nano was purchased I bought a 6GB iPod mini for my wife....hindsight is so 20/20.

The display is bright and clear. Audio quality is just as good as the other iPods. Click wheel seems a bit touchy compared to the other iPods we own but I’m sure I’ll get used to it. This device is so small/light.....I’m afraid I cold easily loose this. The black color does smudge easily. Design wise this should have been the shuffle. Granted lack of screen kept the price down but....if you are “looking” to listen to a particular podcast you’ll need to tweak the playlist of the shuffle to get those.

Overall, I LOVE the nano....faults and all. It looks good, sounds good.

Dual View LCD Finds First Customer - General Motors

General Motors will begin production of the new dual view SHARP LCD which will allow the driver to view GPS Navigation, while the passenger can enjoy DVD entertainment.

read more | digg story

46 Freeware utilities

Nothing really "new" here but at least they are in one spot.

read more | digg story

Photo from the Shuttle (Really Large)

Ever take a picture of yourself with the EARTH in the background?

read more | digg story

New Daylight Saving May Cause Tech Problems

The joys of technology.

read more | digg story

Yahoo acquires Konfabulator

Hoping to pave a new path to its popular Web site, Yahoo has acquired Konfabulator, a tiny software maker that provides a computer platform for monitoring the weather, stock prices and a wealth of other customized information without opening a Web browser.

read more | digg story

Indestructable keyboard!

The Super Kool Keyboard is a Virtually Indestructible Keyboard, a silicon-based flexible computer keyboard, features a unique combination of durability and soft, comfortable feel. The washable, roll-able keyboard has been called "the best thing to happen to typing since the backspace key."

read more | digg story

Hybrid Car - Real world experience

It has been about 2 months since we took delivery of our 2006 Lexus RX400h hybrid. Toyota has done a very good job at minimizing the transition of going from gas engine to just battery power. You will notice that the engine will turn off when you come to a stop but it is very subtle. Unlike my experience with the Honda Accord Hybrid. In the Honda Accord the whole car shakes when the engine engages. One thing that I wish the Lexus could do like Honda is to switch off half the cylinders when you're cruising on the highway. Overall we are averaging between 25-26MPG which may not some like much but the gas only version of the car (RX 330) gets around 18-19MPG. So there is a big difference. In comparison our 2005 Lexus ES 330 hasn't achieved more than 20MPG. Granted the ES has around 1,500 miles on it while the RX has 3,500 so time will tell if they get closer in average MPG as the engine "breaks in". Bluetooth works fairly well and I think the connectivity issue I've had are more related to Cingular than to the car itself.

The power steering has a different feel to it since it is powered by an electric motor. The torque of the motor tends to pull the wheel to the left. It does take more effort to turn the wheel to the right then to the left because of this. The dealer performed a 4-wheel alignment which minimized this effect. Since the RX400H is relative new most people aren't familiar with its specs compared to the RX330 which means most RX400hs' are aligned as RX330s at the dealership. I'm sure this will change (if it hasn't already) as the dealers get more of these in.

Overall the car has been great to drive (although it has taken some time to adjust to the "automatic wipers" since there is no longer an intermittent setting just AUTO/LOW/HIGH)and fairly nimble (for an SUV...my first one) It isn't like the Audi I turned in a few months ago. I'll see how it handles the first snowfall.

Apple announced move to Intel Processors starting in 2006

OK I'm as confused as the next guy here. Apple has always implied that it is a "software" company (now that iPods have spun off on their own I guess that can still be true). However, I just don't understand why the need to change from the PowerPC to Intel. Not that macs are gaming machines but the next gen gaming consoles are based on RISC/Cell processors so why wouldn't Apple continue to ride the wave they started? It seems to me there is more stuff going on behind the scenes. Perhaps Apple and IBm have been reluctant partners as of late. Maybe Apple felt that it would be held hostage by IBM in future processor designs and should make the break now while Apple hardware/software is making a slight comeback. I go back to the tag-line Apple had many years ago "Think Different". To me this isn't different enough. Personally what does this mean for the Apple computers that I have now? (Dual 2.5 G5 PowerMac and G4 PowerBook) I guess software updates will continue for a while. The first Intel based PowerMac isn't scheduled until 2007 (while an Intel Mac Mini is rumored to be ready by 2006 (late 2005?)) Apple has changed processors before and still survived but they didn't change to the same chip-set as their competitors. Time will tell. As a tangent Apple was criticized when it dropped support for the Floppy Drive and when they adopted USB/Firewire at times when peripherals using those interfaces where not common. Even Apple's adoption of PCI didn't hurt it. Like the rest of us...I'll wait and see but can't help to be worried for their future.

Broadcast Flag - Will not be enforceable this July

About a month ago it was announced that the Broadcast Flag will be dismissed. So this means no changes to new recording hardware or how we use existing hardware. The DC court ruled that the FCC does not have the jurisdiction to control how a signal is to be used once it has entered the communication device. Now that is a very broad explanation I gave but more or less correct. Will this stop premium content providers from seeking what they want?...No, they will either ask for the same thing again OR change the avenue in how they ask. I can see both sides here. Those providing content want to make sure that they receive all potential revenue from the content they are providing. Would you want to pay for your cable service just to have your neighbor leach off your signal. At the same time I see fair use as something that shouldn't be messed with or else no one will want to buy any premium content. (Why buy something that you can't modify (view in different locations/formats etc.))

Anyway, things will be OK for now.

Which Revenge of the Sith Character are you?

Something I found at one of the BLOGS on the Star Wars BLOG site My results aren't exactly what I expected.

XBOX 360 or PS3?

So Microsoft and Sony have made their announcements. XBOX 360 will come out in Fall 2005 and PS3 will be available Spring 2006.

MS finally announced that XBOX 360 will be backward compatible with XBOX. [b]What do you think of the designs?[/b]

I saw the unveiling of the XBOX 360 on MTV and I was like "That's it?????!!" it looks like a Windows Media Center PC want-to-be. And why the all WHITE design? That's just opposite of the original XBOX. The styling doesn't match any A/V equipment I own. I want this stuff to blend in more.

I like the PS3 look. Seems like something Apple would make.

Check out some specs:

XBOX 360 Fact Sheet

PS3 Fact Sheet (near bottom of press release)

Darth Sideous has a Blog Site!

I've posted this in other forums might as well post it here. I stumbled accross this site (http://sidious38.blogspot.com/) and it is very well done. Some good laughs to be found there....even funnier if you're a Star Wars fan.

New arrivals - Tiger & RX400h

It's been a few days running Apple's Tiger and I haven't had any major issues. (I did have some trouble with my printer settings but that's resolved now) What do i like about it? Well spotlight is very handy as are smrt folders (the ability to create virtual folders that contain user defined items (e.g. all pictures file in the last 3 days etc.) The system automator takes AppleScript to the next level. QuickTime 7 video playback is better than before. The downside for me: i bought the QT 6 Pro version and Tiger just dumps itself on top of that basically causing me to purchase anotehr PRO license since the QT6 license is no longer valid. Rather annoying for having QT6 Pro for only 4 months prior. The other interface thins I'm still working on. I'll come back with more comments.

I picked up our new car yesterday. (2006 Lexus RX400h) The fact that we where able to get it so early floors me. We put a deposit down in January and where told that we where 172 on their list (out of then 9,000 pre-orders/deposits). The dealer didn't expect to get our car to us until November and possibly January 2006. Well after my first drive on Friday the dealer offered me the car. Still can't believe it is in our garage. The car is loaded with every option available now (some options will not be available until much later in the vehicles life cycle). Being a Hybrid SUV makes this car a bit more acceptable to use as far as fuel economy goes. EPA rated 31 city / 29 highway. It is still strange not to have the engine turn on until you: a) go above 20mph or b) need immediate power by pressing down on the accelerator). The engine turns off and random times to help save fuel. Those who own Prius' already know the cener dash consumption gauge. You can't help but stare to see yor fuel economy and wattage regeneration rate is. So far in it's second day....it is doing fine. I'll post picture later.

Apple announces Tiger

So Apple is releasing Tiger (OS X 10.4) on April 29th. I have already ordered my copy. Looking forward to it!

New York Auto Show, QM2, Duran Duran and Star Wars

I'll state the obvious...I've been away for a bit. So what do those items in this post title have in common...things that occupied my time. I missed the Auto show this year since I was on the Queen Mary 2 for a vacation. Check this site out for more info: New York Auto Show
Infiniti showed their new M35/45 autos which look very promising. Lexus displayed their Hybrid GS variant (on sale next year). Their hybrid RX 400h will be on sale starting April 18th. I'm on the waiting list for that one. Don't know the expected delivery date as of yet. I thought the NY Auto Show was rather uneventful. I don't feel like I missed out to much.

My trip on the QM2 was OK. It was the biggest cruise ship I've been on (partly because IT IS the biggest cruise ship out there!) but not the best. The yachts of Seabourn was the best cruise line I've been on. Comparing those is like night and day though. The Seabourn Legend carries 208 passengers and has about a 1:1 passenger to crew ratio. The QM2 carries 2,620 passengers and 1,300+ crew. Overall I think the QM2 is a nice ship. The planetarium on board was cool. The food was good. The beverage service was very, very slow. One night we weren't asked for a drink order until mid-way through the final dinner course. Anyway, it was a good trip. We didn't have to fly anywhere. It left right from New York and returned to New York.

There really isn't a segway to the next topic so I'll just start. The last Star Wars movie will be released on May 19th (Revenge of the Sith). For some reason my early childhood hormones have kicked in and now I'm becoming obsessed with ROTS. The official ROTS merchandising kicked off April 2. Toy R Us had their Midnight madness sale and Walmart had 72 hours of Star Wars (in select stores). Now I wouldn't consider myself a serious collector of Star Wars merchandise (I can fill a floor-to-ceiling bookcase with stuff but I don't own a Yakface!) but I find myself on the hunt to collect the new action figures and Topps trading cards. At first I was just going to buy the ones that I thought where interesting to me. Then I found out more about the exclusives that stores where carrying (Target's Lava Vader, TRU Holographic Yoda, KB's 12' Chewbacca etc.) and found myself caught in the hype. Now days before the April 2nd launch I joined this great fan site www.snowtroopers.ca. Yes, a Canadian based fan site. I know, odd since I'm not a Canadian but I found their postings to be very helpful and the people seemed nice. Hey, they like Star Wars...they have to be good. This will be the last Star Wars movie made (according to Lucas he will redo a version of the original trilogy in 3-D starting in 2007 and perhaps continue with TV animation (like the Clone Wars cartoon)) so might as well go out with a bang. Now I haven't been to successful with getting all the exclusives since the weekend opening was also the time my wife and I saw Duran, Duran. Their songs brought back memories of High School. The sound was OK but I thought it was mixed wrong in a few songs...vocals where overpowered by guitar.

2006 BMW 530xi

BMW is finally offering all-wheel drive for their 5-series passenger car. They offered all wheel drive on the 3-series in 1991 but took a break until the 2001 model year. They never offered this on other sedan offerings. That always surprised me since Audi has been doing very well in this segment. Mercedes-Benz got into the arena in 1990 for their E-Class but they bowed out for several years. As of 2004 they (MB) offered 4matic for all their sedan offerings. So now it seems all preium/luxury marques have some AWD sedan offering. (Infiniti, Lexus, Cadillac etc.)

BMW could out-Audi in this offering. Leaving in the NorthEast I'm more reliant on all-wheel drive. My 2002 A6 2.7t was the first Audi (as well as my first all-wheel drive) I had. I don't know how I managed to drive around here without AWD. The car is basically unstoppable. This doesn't give me license to drive like an idiot but makes me feel much more comfortable that I won't get stuck somewhere. This self-confidence makes the commute home much easier.

Next Gen XBOX announced at GDC 2005

Be sure to check out the next generation XBox guide Hi-Res photos.

Motorola to announce new iTunes capable phone this week?

It was announced in MacWorld this year that Motorola would announce a phone that would work with iTunes. What's next Kohler will announce an iTunes enabled toilet? Anyway, I'm sure this will spark interest. Odds are more people carry cell phones with them on a daily basis than an MP3 player. (or PocketPC/Palm OS device-my wife has a Treo 600 and will never go back to a "plain" phone...but that sounds like a topic for a different post) So I guess people will see the benefit if they only have to carry one device but retain the same form factor that they are used to. Not sure how Apple's CLICK WHEEL functionality will be ported over to a cell phone.

Disposable DVDs - The end of rental returns?

Here something that I found today. The BLOG author makes reference to an article that is over a year and half old (as he states himself) but the issue is still relevant. Seems like the company flexplay is like a lazy man's NetFlix. I'm all for recycling but this seems like a deliberate way to put strain on the environment rather that eliviate it. To me they are answering a question no one is asking. There is a "What is Flexplay?" video stream on the Amazon.com site. After looking at it, I just can't understand how then can allude "Watch what you want, when you want". Every rental place allows you to "watch want you want" as far as the claim "when you want"...if the when is within 48 hours of you opening the package then OK...they're correct. They also state that a movie can be viewable up to one year if the packaging hasn't been opened. Who's going to want to prove that wrong. I know in the early days some players worked like some demo software works today. (e.g. Allowing you a certain number of starts before the program stops working). After poking around a bit more while writing this I found another article that shows this is still a current topic.

NOTE: It looks like I'm having an issue with trackbacks. I'll see what I can fix...my apologize to the orignating BLOG author. I may just do a direct link if I can't resolve this issue.

Audi Celebrates its 25th Year offering quattro

Be sure to check out the videos of the Audi driving up a ski jump ramp at 60 kmph. Granted studded tires where used but still impressive. (the original commerical was aired in 1986 and they repeated the event in Jan. 2005 to introduce the all new Audi A6)

2005 Geneva Auto Show (3-Mar until 13-Mar)

It is nice to see the product intros in Europe. They have some unique cars that will never bring over here.

Scopetech.net - Up and running

Dan Huard's site has been open since 01-Mar-2005. Kevin Rose posted a link on his site announcing this as well. Should be a good hangout for those loyal TechTV viewers (Call for Help, The Screensavers etc.) before Comcast bought them out to create the short-lived G4TechTV. (As of Feb. 2005 Comcast dropped the "TechTV" part and is now known as G4 once again. If you like games (and I mean LIKE games....like as in every show having gaming in it) not a bad place to visit once in a while but they no longer offer the tech stuff they had before. Well with sites like Dan's Kevin's and Leo's there should be enough tech discussions to go around.

Captive Motion Picture Audience of America

I stumbled accross this and I totally agree that being forced to watch commercials before the movie plays is SO ANNOYING! It isn't as though movie prices have been lowered by these. Anyway, read the article. At least I don't feel like I'm alone on this.

iPod Shuffle Update (After applying iPod Updater Software)

Long title...short story. It appears the latest version of the iPod software for the shuffle (1.1 versus the orginal 1.0) has corrected the eratic behavior we experience. My wife has now maxed out the shuffle and was disappointed that the 1GB only took 255 songs. I'm glad I didn't get the 512MB version!

Bluetooth Motorcycle Helmets

Dainese and BMW have been offering these in Europe for some time. The concept makes sense. not only can they be used with phones but between riders (on the same bike....it's bluetooth not 802.xx!) I can't read Italian (or German for that matter) but the BMW model uses a DSP unit to combat noise at high speeds.

2006 Porsche Cayman S

Rumor has it the car will appear in dealerships in the 3rd week of August. The car is positioned between the Boxster and the 911. (Basically it is just the coupe version of the Boxster)

Issues with our iPod Shuffle

At this time my wife took her shuffle "on the road" for the first time. A journey to New York city (about an 80 minute train ride). She loaded up another 4 CDs before leaving. She now has about 140 songs on the shuffle. She was excited to use it and still marveled at home small/light the device is. However, after an hour into the ride the unit just stopped. At first she thought it was a gap before the next song would start to play. She hit the play/pause button....nothing. She pressed the Battery Indicator light....nothing. She turned it off and then pressed the battery indicator light....nothing. Then she turned to me and said "This stupid thing isn't working." I looked at it turned it on and it began to play again (but not at the same point the unit stopped). It worked for another 20 minutes and stopped again. She was disgusted and decided to take a nap...thinking the battery died (even though she charged it before leaving and the indicator light was at maximum)

Next Day (after charging it overnight) she began using it again. Within 45 minutes the unit stopped working. Same symptoms as before. Now the kicker here for me is I was told by her "This is my device and I don't want you messing with it. I'll never learn how to use it if you do everything." So now when asked "Why isn't this working. I think it is defective" I had to say "What does the manual say about troubleshooting?" The response of "I don't know. I don't have time for this" was to be expected. I can't blame her...the device is supposed to be pretty simple to use. So later that night I "broke the law" and acquired her manual to the device to read the troubleshooting section. Sure enough there was a catch all listed that instructed you how to reset the device (turn off for 5 seconds and then turn on) and "If that doesn’t work, you may need to restore iPod shuffle software." Great...just great. I then went to Apple's support forums and luckily(?!) found others having the same problem. Most people said the 5 second power off seemed to do the trick but others stated that it didn't fix it. (Now while I was online I was listening to the shuffle hoping that I could re-create the issue my wife had so I could put an SOS out there....needless to say the unit behaved fine for the entire time I was using it.)

I thought it would be silly to restore the shuffle from the software that shipped with it since my wife did that not to long ago. Talk about the alignments of the planets the following update is announced by Apple.

iPod Updater 2005-02-22, which includes updated versions of the software for use with various iPod models. According to the release notes, the update includes new software for the iPod mini (v1.3), iPod with Dock Connector (v2.3), iPod shuffle (v1.1), and iPod with Touch Wheel or Scroll Wheel (v1.5).

The iPod shuffle software update adds support for the iPod shuffle Battery Pack and offers "increased software stability."

So I downloaded the update (after telling my wife what I found out and what I wanted to try) and applied it. (to her shuffle and my 20GB 3rd Generation iPod). I'm hoping this addresses her problem. If not, I think I'll buy her an iPod mini since they just dropped the price of the 4GB model to $199 (versus the $149 shuffle). For the additional $50 one would get 4 times the capacity, a display and choice of color.

Microsoft Research: MSR-TR-2004-71 Strider GhostBuster:

File hiding is an advanced stealth technique that is becoming popular among system monitoring software such as RootKits, Trojans, and keyloggers.

Another article I read mentioned how you could use Windows PE to create a Bootable CD image of Windows XP to compare against your existing installation to assist in discovering if any rootkits where installed on your system.

X-BOX Power Cord Recall

Better safe than sorry....

States Mull Taxing Drivers By Mile

At first I thought this was a hoax. (Like years back when the rumor of the USPS stating that would begin charging for sending/receive e-mails) At closer inspection is does look like something that is actually being worked on. This is even more intrusive then the potential of using EZ-PASS/FAST-PASS to issue speeding tickets. (by calculating the speed a motorist averaged between toll plazas. ) There are so many "What about..." questions in my head. Infrastructure wise: equipping all cars and gas stations with compatible equipment. Logistics: How would you calculate road usage with interstate travel in non-participating states? (Out of state commuters, tourist, Rental cars, Delivery services (FedEx, UPS etc.) Conceptually (revenue wise) it might be seen as something similar that is done in London today. Charging motorists a commuter fee to limit the amount of traffic in the city center. The London situation appears to be more focused on reducing traffic than as a way to make revenue. Maybe CA would focus this just on particular areas. Even so, I hate the idea. Let's find a way to better use the money we have rather than just through more money at the problem. The article ends with a comment in how imposing this tax sends the wrong environmental message. "Everybody, we thank you for purchasing more fuel efficient vehicles and reducing the amount of emissions into our atmosphere but because you are using less fuel (i.e. lowering our revenue from gasoline tax) we will have to charge you by the mile regardless of what vehicle you drive." This might force more people to use public transportation which I bet would end up becoming more exspesnsive since fewer people would be driving.

Napster TO GO - How to "break" DRM posted.

It was only a matter of time before stuff like this would be posted.

Napster's Response

Another site's rebuttal that the method described is not just copying audio from the soundcard. And so the DRM game of cat & mouse(or my case Squirrel and Bird Feeder) continues.

House-keeping Notice - New Links

I modified my BLOG template to include a LINKS section. They deal with (surprise) automobiles. Even if you're not a car buff the link to VW's Transparent Factory is pretty interesting. Which might explain why the Phaeton is so expensive. Speaking of Phaeton surprises (sarcastically said) it is rumored that VW will drop the Phaeton from the US market soon. They claim sales haven't been good at all. Really, let me see you charge about $65,000 for a base V8 and about $100,000 for a W12 model and are surprised that people don't want to spend that money on a VW? What kind of US market research did you do? Now I must admit I thought VW was totally crazy with the Phaeton but the more I read about the car (and seeing them in person) it is a shame the car isn't doing well. It really is a very nice car it is just missing the prestige associated with other manufacture's. You just need a strong ego to buy one of these. The Passat W8 ($40,000) didn't do to well here either (hence it only latest one model year). However, the Touareg is doing quite well (even the $58,000 V10 diesel). Well enough that VW will introduce a long wheelbase model to provide US customers a 3rd row seating option that Americans seem to want in their SUVs.

Microsoft's Security Chief Says Windows Safer Than Linux

Wow. Why would you want to egg on more people with this topic? Wouldn't you wait until the sting of the security bulletins released on Tuesday had a chance to diminish? Now I think things have improved at MS in this regard but I would hardly say they're are safer than anything else out there. I thought it was rather odd that the focus was on the number of patches issued and not the severity of the vulnerabilities. Maybe I didn't read the article close enough...

Who owns BLOG content?

Some highlights below but does make you think. The question of whether RSS readers vilotate copyright is also mentioned since they do format content differently than the author's intended format.

The issue of who owns the copyrights to Weblogs, in particular, seems to
have caught some people off guard. Mark Potts, chief technology officer for
Hewlett-Packard's management software business, says that he would be surprised
if his Weblog, which is hosted on HP's Web site, was copyrighted by his employer.
"That's an interesting question," he says.
But, after checking the company's policy, an HP spokeswoman discovered that the rights to Potts' content belong to the company and not the CTO. "HP owns the copyright for anything written by an HP employee published on an HP Web site, including blog entries," the spokeswoman says via E-mail.

The terms of use for Microsoft's MSN Spaces service claims "all contents of
the MSN Web Sites" are copyrighted by Microsoft or its suppliers and that users
grant Microsoft permission to copy, distribute, edit, and sublicense their
postings. Does that mean MSN bloggers relinquish some of their own copyrights?
Despite multiple requests for clarification, Microsoft has been unable to
provide any.

Napster vs iTunes

Sorry if my recent postings have just been linking to someone else's content. However, why reinvent the wheel. In light of Napster Superbowl commercial...I knew Napster was greatly exaggerating the point as to why one should rent their music but this posting summed it up well.

WinFS Data Model

This posting is just about a year old. I wonder how relevant it is?

Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary for February, 2005

It's that time of month again. I'll be attending the briefing tomorrow and then get to decipher what "critical" updates are critical for us. I"m almost at the point where it would be easier for me to tell our IT folks "Apply all the critical updates. I don't have time to read every one of these"

iLife '05 - Worth the upgrade?

So if you already have iLife '04 should you upgrade to the latest version? SHORT ANSWER(S): Yes (if you want a speed boost in iMovie and need to record up to 8 separate audio tracks in Garage Band) or No (if you find the performance in iLife '04 OK).

LONG ANSWER: First to bore you with my background. I've been using iPhoto, iMovie on my beige G3 PowerPC Macintosh and found the applications decent "freebies". I could never run iDVD on that machine and never paid for updates to these applications. My machine (even though I upgraded the CPU from a G3 to a G4) really wasn't meant to be used with the newer releases. I made due with the old mac and the ThinkPads issued to me at work (eventually broke down and bought a 1.5Ghz Athlon Compaq Presario).

Then my wife's PowerBook came in last year (Feb '04) iLife wasn't out....until a week after the machine arrived. So I had to pay the $19.95 to upgrade to iLife even though if I waited a week all new macs would have this included. I thought the price (of the upgrade) would justify Garage Band. (Which to me was the only NEW app included in iLife....the others just minor fixes) Well the PowerBook didn't have the storage space I needed to do the home movie editing that I needed. I didn't want to spend money on upgrading my PC when I could go out and buy a new Mac (dual 2.5Ghz G5, 2GB RAM, 2x250GB hard drives, 2 external Maxtor OneTouch 300GB Firewire/USB 2 drives, 20" Apple Cinema display).

So the new G5 arrived with iLife '04 and I was a bit disappointed in how iMovie performed on it. Granted much quicker than my old Beige G3 but not that much faster than my wife's PowerBook. I thought the G5 CPUs, extra gig of memory, second processor and faster drives would give me a bit more improvement. So I guess I got caught up with all the MacWorld frenzy and paid ($79) for the new release of iLife.

I must say that iMovie HD (iLife '05) is noticeably quicker when rendering transitions. iDVD is also quicker during video rendering before "burning" to disc. So, the upgrade was worth it to me since I've been doing a lot of movie processing lately. I began using Garage Band 2 and wonder why I bought Apple's Soundtrack utility (which appears to be Garage Band on steroids...more than I need now). So my creative fix is being craved for now.

BTW: I also purchased the upgrade to Final Cut Express HD even though I don't have a HD camcorder (My Canon can shoot in 16:9 aspect but that is the closest thing I have) I started using Final Cut Express but was overwhelmed with the interface and went back to iMovie just to create something. I'm supposed to receive the upgrade by Feb 14th (my 1GB iPod shuffle should come at the end of this week. Sorry Jack - I actually went out and bought one of these. Something small and easy to use for my wife) Once I get the HD version I'll begin to learn how to use that. Final Cut allows for much more accuracy with editing controls. Reminds me of Adobe Premiere on my PC. This post went on way to long....sorry. (You would think I would edit this thing but no....I just keep on typing!)

Google does maps

Yet another online mapping and directions website. Mapquest still doesn't have my road listed while both Yahoo and Google do. The Google offering has the moving graphical feedback that map24 offers.

2006 Lexus GS 300/430

Take a look at this article and see the Clever hidden compartment I love details like this..

2006 Lexus RX400h Review

The latest issue of Car & Driver and Road & Track have articles as well but this Canadian "Newspaper" article had more real world driving impressions. I can't wait for ours to come in...i do hope it is by November of this year.

Yahoo's News Story, Edmund's First drive with video

2006 BMW 7-Series Cosmetic Makeover!

About time!

Front , Rear , Rear 3Qtr and Side

The car always performed well but visually this platform really had to grow on you OR if you squinted at it....while wearing sunglasses....at night.

2005 Detroit Auto Show

So here are a few highlights from the show. Everyone of these will make into production (some sooner than later):

Audi allroad concept - Check out the article link for their use Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) technology. In addition to Audi Road Vision (Audi road vision combines laser and infra-red spectroscopy to scan the road in front of the vehicle.) - cool


GM Sequel-Hydrogen fuel-Cell (funky looking)

But look what it is riding on....Awesome! No longer are you confined by convential vehicle design. With the Engine compartment and drivetrain utilizing little space you can build almost anything on top of this.


Merceds-Benz CLS 55 AMG - Video of CLS500


Ferrari Superamerica

Glass convertible top


Jaguar Advanced Light Weight Coupe


Chrysler Firepower


Ford Shelby GR-1


Lexus LF-A


Saturn Sky Roadster

Readers Pick Apple in 2004

After a two-year hiatus Apple has returned to win the 2004 Readers’ Choice Awards for the brand with the most global impact—a title held by Google since 2002.

Microsoft's Improved MSN Search Site

A letter from Bill Gates asks you to try out their new search site. It just so happens that my Cable company's user portal page is associated with MSN. I haven't been a big fan of their search engine before. (google and yahoo are fine by me) Will I stop using my "tried and true" for theirs?...I doubt it.

Wireless Battery Charger?

They say coming in 2005....the little thing I noticed is that the device must support the SplashModule in order to recharge devices. Don't know how much cost that will add to the product Or how many vendors will support the SplashModule. Still, a neat idea.

digg this...

OK, I really thought that anyone that could stumble across this BLOG would be the kind of person that would already know about the digg site. It's been out many months now (almost an enternity in the Internet world!) but I still see other sites touting this "new site". So, if you haven't looked at take a gander..

Next Gen Consoles

Not much meat with this one.

QuickTime 7 supports H.264

Can one get really excited about video codecs? Uhh...yes. Apple tends to be a bit ahead of the curve when it comes to video codecs. They didn't invent this (see International Telecommunication Union ) but they also stated that both BluRay and HD DVD will support this. So no matter what format the next generation of DVD players pervails this codec will be viable.

OWC Mercury-on-the-Go Portable storage

I just placed an order for one of these drives yesterday. I'm using Maxtor's OneTouch II (300GB) firewire drives for my Desktop System (PowerMac G5) but those are physically to big to lug around for my wife's PowerBook . Besides her PowerBook only has a 40GB hard drive. That would be way to small for me...but for her use it suits her just fine. I know OWC (Otherworld Computing) is known more for their Apple hardware upgrades but I've read many reviews that also had good things to say about using this drive family on Windows machines.

This drives weighs in around 11 ounces and can be bus powered (USB 2.0/Firewire). Capacities range from 20GB to 100GB. I'll let you know what I think when it comes in. I was mainly looking for something small and easy for her to use to back up with. Backing up to DVD-Rs wasn't very appealing to her....so she didn't back up at all! Of course guess who would be responseable for recovering that lost data?! So I thought I would make it easier for me. Even if I can sneak a backup in once a week while she is not using it would be good. BTW: My rationale for getting a 60GB drive rather than a 40Gb that would match her internal hard drive is: I can partition the drive (40GB & 20GB) and use the Dantz Restrospect to make a bootable backup copy on the 40GB and use the other 20GB to transer large files to another machine (or even use that partion for my Windows laptop)

How do you backup your laptop? (hardware/software used)

UPDATE: 28-Jan-2005
Drive came in yesterday and is working out great. It even comes with a "leather" case to transport the drive and cable (in my case the 6-pin firewire (no need for the power supply if you use that))

Richard Hatch on Battlestar Galactica Tonight...

Airbus 380

So is there such a thing as to much of a good thing? That hasn't stopped the introuduction of the Airbus 380 . It must be hard to predict the airline industry. I know the design on this plane was already in progress prior to 9/11. I'm sure Airbus was worried that all the time and money spent would have been wasted.

From their website "The A380, which will seat 555 passengers in a typical three-class interior layout, will enter airline service in 2006. The A380 will allow airlines a really competitive advantage in passenger comfort. The main deck of the A380 is the widest in the world. Its floor area has 49% more floor space and 35% more seats than the 747-400. So airlines can make their seats wider and provide each seat with its own separate armrest; a frequent passenger demand.

The A380 also gives airlines a lower deck on which lavatories, sleeper cabins, crew rest-areas, business centres -- or even a crèche -- can be placed, so there is yet more space for more passenger amenities or seats, to make the aircraft more comfortable and so more attractive to passengers in economy, club or first class"

See what Boeing is up to.

IE users continue to drop

Check out this eWeek article . Slowy but surely people are switching to a browser other than IE. Patch this, patch that....it is getting old fast. Have you made the switch yet? If not take a look at Firefox





For reference (but not a truly fair comparision since Firefox 1.x hasn't been out as long as IE 6)

Do we really need more Game console choices?

So yet again the rumor is that the next generation of gaming consoles will be coming out in 2005. The trend here is to combine the benefits of a dedicated game console (insert game and play...no installs/few lockups) with the larger iventory of PC games. Here is info on the three companies that are leveraging Windows XP Media Center technology: Phantom or direct from them at (Infintium Labs), ApeXtreme and the only one currently shipping Alienware DHS or direct from them at (Alienware Web Site).

The Alienware device seems to be positioned as more of a "I can do everything you want" whereas the Phantom seems to be dedicated more to Games and using a subscription service to access additional games. Phantom has been delayed year after year. So much so that people that it really was a phantom but they did show up as CES this year.

Do you think devices like these will strike a chord with consumers Or do you think it will just confuse people?

Broadcast Flag - July 2005

Now this is nothing new but recently I've heard more and more people/sites mention this since it becomes effective July 01, 2005. At that time it will be possible (not to say that it will happen then) for your cable company to control how long you can retain your (digital) recording if you use their DVR cable box. HBO could instruct the cable companies to remove content that is older than 6 weeks from the DVR. Now this also impacts TiVo and PC based PVR software as well. I haven't read the actual legislation but this doesn't seem to bode well for the fair use act. Today you can copy VHS and CDs for you own personal use but can't do this with DVDs (legally). This seems like a step in the wrong direction. What do you think?

For more info look at this PC World Article
Overview below comes from here:
"Digital rights management (DRM) technology is rapidly becoming a concrete reality, built into the products that consumers buy and affecting the way people obtain and enjoy movies, music, books, television programs, and other digital content. It is natural that the creators and owners of content are seeking technical locks to protect that content from the piracy that digital networks have made easier than ever. At the same time, those digital locks on content will have a profound effect on how people view, watch, use, and share information - especially through the new and powerful forms of communication offered by computers and the Internet.

The "broadcast flag" - a method for protecting digital television broadcasts - has emerged as one of the first major debates over government mandates for DRM copy protections. As the result of a Federal Communication Commission decision issued in November 2003, starting in July 2005 it will be illegal to manufacture or sell devices that receive over-the-air digital television broadcasts unless those devices include certain copy protection technologies."

KOTOR2 - Claimed 30 hours of my life thusfar...

I was given Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 - Sith Lords as a Christmas gift. I played KOTOR the year before and loved it. What scares me is when you go to save your game it tells you how many hours of play the current save is assoiciated with. I can't imagine spending an entire day doing nothing but laying around playing KOTOR2 but when you add up the hours it is actual worse than that! I still haven't finished the game. For those of you who don't know anything about the game it is basically a TURNED BASED roll playing game. You get to pick out your character and design certain apsects. (race,sex,uniform color,initial character skill sets) From then on you are presented with choices during your journey. The choices you make will influence the outcome of your game. Some of them are obvious...if you want to be a Dark Jedi then kill anyone in your way, lie to everybody. On the other hand the Light side is also equally as obvious. Help everyone on your way and put other people's needs before your own. Now each association (Dark & Light) has their advanatges in terms of Force powers. Needless to say it is easy to get lost in the multiple worlds you travel in. I've heard that people who aren't Star Wars fans actually enjoy the game. However, if you are a fan....then you are already playing the game.

When I'm done with KOTOR2 I have Halo 2 to take up more of my time. I've played some of it already and it looks great. The XBOX live aspect just extends the game to another level.

So what games are taking your time these days?

Macworld 2005 Announcements

So it looks like most of the rumors came true. Macworld isn't over yet let's see what else is announced. In the meantime check out Apple's main site or look at these links: Apple iPOD Shuffle, Apple Mac mini, Apple iLife 5, Apple iWork and last but not least Apple Final Cut Express HD

I purchased a Dual 2.5GHz PowerMac G5 in late September (2004). I also purchased Final Cut Express, Soundtracks (which is no longer being sold by Apple...but now part of their Final Cut product) and Adobe PhotoShop CS. So, it looks like my Final Cut Express is already out of date! The upgrade price for Final Cut Express doesn't look to bad for the stuff they now included. However, the upgrade price for iLife 5 is not done fairly. Apple is only covering computers purchased on or after January 11, 2005 as eligible for the upgrade from iLife 4 (which came with my mac around 4 months ago). So I would need to fork over $79 to get the updatediMovie HD, iDVD, Garageband 2 etc. Well I'm sure once I get over the hissy fit I'll end up getting it. I would think a 6 month grace period for upgrades would be reasonable.

I'm waiting to see if there are any product changes to the iMAC G5. We're about to buy one for my mother-in-law and want to make sure we ride out the technology curve as long as possible.

So which Apple announcement got your interest?

Battlestar Galactica - SciFi Network this Friday!

Catch Battlestar Galactica on January 14, 2005 I wasn't to excited about hearing when SciFi decided to air a mini-series last year at this time. I thought it was "wrong" to write a story that basically ignored all that happened in the original series. (Check out Battlestar Pegasus for more info on original series stuff)

However, after I began watching and LET GO of the past it wasn't to bad. So I guess Sci-Fi channel got good feedback to start the series up again. Richard Hatch (no, not the naked guy on Survivor but the actor who played Apollo) is actually making a guest appearance early on in the show. (3rd episode?) He was very outspoke with Paramount to launch a movie based on Battlestar Galacatica. That never happened even though he was willing to back it with his own money. He even got some of the original actors involved in the trailer that he shot. To this date he can't even show the trailer that he made for his idea since Paramount owns the rights to the characters etc. You can read more at Richard's Website Are you going to watch?

Hybrid it is!

So we decided to wait for the Lexus RX 400h. The car will not arrive into dealerships until April and because of the large (9,000+) number of people who have already put down a deposit....they don't expect to fullfill our need until November 2005! I've never waited this long for a car before. However, the technology looks good and if nothing else we can send a message that people will by a Hybrid if there is no sacrifice to styling and performance. In fact the Lexus RX 400h is quicker to 60 than the RX 330 (while having EPA ratings of 36 City/31 Highway-City driving is where electric motor kicks in more which is why the city EPA is higher than highway-Opposite for most cars). Check out Lexus Hybrid for more info. What do you think will happen with Hybrid Technology? Is it (Toyota Prius, Honda Insight etc.) just a fad? Do you think if the price was closer to the non-hybrid variants that more people would buy them OR do Americans need to suffer the pain Europeans have with Gas prices (and CO2 taxes)?