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)?