Technology News

Netflix On XBox 360

8:21 pm EST December 1st, 2008 | Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Its sort of rare when a piece of technology acts almost exactly as advertised. As someone who had been in the Windows world for about 15 years I think I’m mighty skeptical. I remember lining up for Windows ’95 and then realizing that while better than Windows 3.1, better is a term of art rather than a hard and fast law. When I switched to being mostly Mac-based in the last couple years, I’ve seen tech work closer to how its been touted, ditto for the iPhone and iPod.

But this is Microsoft here, and while the XBox is – in my opinion – the best next generation system out there, it hasn’t been flawless (I have had two red rings of death). And I really wish I could play Blu-Ray on it somehow. But the recent rollout of the new dashboard (and I could do without the cutesy Mii-knockoffs) has been pretty slick and the streaming both from my desktop and via the Netflix service has been awesome. It’s actually easier to navigate than the Comcast On-Demand system in my horribly noisy cable box. The only big drawback I see is that I have to go to my computer and log in to Netflix to add video to the queue. I don’t see why they couldn’t build a way to flip through Netflix via the XBox.

But it’s still a pretty sweet feature. It’s no Gears Of War 2, but then…

Topic: Technology, Video Games

Folding Plane Fits In A Garage? So What.

6:18 pm EST June 12th, 2008 | Uncategorized | 5 Comments

I don’t want a silly folding plane.

I want a jetpack.

George Jetson Jetpack

Topic: Technology

Microsoft Is Not Trying Anymore

2:21 am EST May 28th, 2008 | Uncategorized | 7 Comments

About a year ago I made the switch from PC to Mac. I long ago gave up gaming on a PC because I don’t have the kind of budget required for it, and frankly my XBox 360 is one of the most fun gaming machines I’ve had since the Genesis. I use a computer now for my writing, graphics, and some video. I like having a good machine, but I don’t need a top shelf machine.

I was always interested by the Mac but I didn’t use one or entertain the idea of one for a day to day machine. Now, there’s really no way I would go back. I’ve used Vista and see nothing special about it, it feels mostly like Windows XP wrapped up in glossier clothes. From what I’ve read about it it’s essentially a flop who’s only saving grace is that its installed on every new PC by default.

The Mac, out of the box, does everything I want to. Apps like AbiWord do word processing for free, and the built in iMovie is all I need for quick web video – if I needed to do more I’d spring for Final Cut (which is what we use at Media Matters, which is all Mac in the web production dept. nowadays).

So it’s kind of amazing that the big thing Microsoft showed off about Windows 7 was freaking multitouch. Seriously. I like multitouch on my iPhone, and the application they have that uses it at the Newseum is neat, but it ain’t exactly what I would want to see if I were a Microsoft shareholder or someone who wants to see the company do better. This is Microsoft getting into the sluggish phase of a mature company. They have these tools and applications (like IE) that sort of work, and sort of is good enough for them. In a strange way I’ve always kind of rooted for Microsoft (I was against the antitrust action). I liked when they would get something wrong then Bill Gates would rock like a madman in his chair and get stuff done – like when IE became a legit alternative to Netscape Navigator. They are never going to be Apple and Apple is never going to be Microsoft, but with Apple’s products you get the sense that they are trying. They don’t always knock it out of the park, but when they do the user gets something for the investment.

Right now the only thing Microsoft makes that’s kind of interesting is XBox 360 and besides the giant glaring error that is the red ring of death (I’ve had to send mine back twice), its a good machine with great software, and that’s because Microsoft knows that Sony and Nintendo are nipping at them. In the article linked, Ballmer essentially sees no need to compete because Apple is so much smaller than them. But that’s not the point. Microsoft shouldn’t accept suck.

Topic: Technology

Web 2.0 Bubble In Song

5:13 pm EST December 4th, 2007 | Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Sing it loud.

Topic: Technology

Sony Should Fire Whoever Buys Ad Space For Them

12:51 am EST November 8th, 2007 | Uncategorized | 7 Comments

So, I subscribe to MacLife magazine and I got the most recent issue in the mail today. I just opened it up and started flipping towards the table of contents where smack dab on page three is a two-page advertisment from Sony. At first glance I assumed it was for one of their home electronics products but then I looked closer.

Yes, folks, Sony bought a two page spread in MacLife magazine advertising the Sony Vaio Laptop. In big letters it says “Sony recommends Windows Home Vista Premium”. Is there any way they could waste their money any more than burning it?

This isn’t said as an Apple fanboy but at someone practically interested in advertising and marketing. You don’t advertise the Dallas Cowboys Fan Club in the pages of Washington Redskins Monthly, do you? How many people who have already made the commitment to read MacLife magazine are going to see this ad and say “You know, I’m clearly an Apple fan, and I have this spiffy Macbook laptop but I’m going to junk it and buy this overpriced Sony laptop with the widely panned Windows Vista on it”? None!

Also, even in the world of PCs, does anyone actually fall for Sony’s marketing spin on their machines? I’ve looked at them lots of times (there’s a Sony Store in the Pentagon City mall) but for the life of me I can’t figure why you would pay Sony so much more for a laptop when right across the street there’s a Best Buy with machines that are just as good for less.

Topic: Technology

OS X Leopard: Upgrade?

11:35 pm EST October 27th, 2007 | Uncategorized | 13 Comments

My main home machine nowadays is mostly a Macbook. I haven’t looked up the info very strongly, but is there really a compelling reason to upgrade to OS X Leopard? I tooled around for it a bit at the Apple Store today, but I couldn’t see anything cosmetic worth $100+ dollars. No, universal “cover flow” doesn’t do it for me. I’m really wary of unnecessary OS updates that slow down your system that’s working just fine (Microsoft I’m looking right at you) and I don’t have the high-end Macbook with all the RAM and horsepower of the Pro.

So anyone think it’s a worthy upgrade?

(I’m planning in the next 6-8 months to replace my HP desktop with one of the new tricked-out iMacs, though if anyone wants to gimme a Mac Pro with a gigantic cinema display for free I’m down with that as well)

Topic: Technology

Celebrity Nudes & The Plague Of E-Mail Viruses

11:59 am EST October 3rd, 2007 | Uncategorized | 6 Comments

Talk about your social hacking.

Fake emails claiming to offer nude photographs of Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman, Natalie Portman, Milla Jovovich and pixelated videogame babe Lara Croft are behind 80 per cent of computer viruses last month, according to experts.

For, though claiming to contain shocking pictures of female celebrities, the emails, once opened, install a malicious rootkit.

“These emails are masquerading as pornographic content, tempting the unwary into opening a file on their Windows computer which will install a rootkit and download further malicious code from the internet,” said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos.

Jolie, Kidman, etc. I kinda get – but are people really so desperate for cheesecake shots of the not real Lara Croft? Sheesh.

Topic: Technology

Michael Arrington Talks About Himself Without Noticing

9:32 pm EST October 2nd, 2007 | Uncategorized | 2 Comments

On TechCrunch, Web 2.0 guru Michael Arrington discusses analyst Henry Blodget:

The problem is that Blodget, like all analysts, build authoritative sounding but essentially bullshit predictive models to back up whatever prediction they’ve just pulled out of their ass.

Which leads me to wonder if Arrington has ever read his own site, Techcrunch, in which every day some Web 2.0 app is going to be the nail in the coffin of Microsoft, Adobe, or some other tech giant. I don’t dispute the very real, very true value of a lot of the stuff coming out nowadays, but the fact of the matter is a lot of it is unmitigated crap that smells like Web 1.0 and is being cheerleaded by sites like Techcrunch just like The Industry Standard, Business 2.0 and Wired did back in the old days of 10 years ago.

Topic: Technology

AT&T Goes Brownshirt

12:54 pm EST October 1st, 2007 | Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Idiots.

AT&T has brought down new Terms of Service for its network customers. From now on, AT&T can terminate your connection for conduct that “tends to damage the name or reputation of AT&T, or its parents, affiliates and subsidiaries.”

Topic: Technology