Time for another Roku post... in case you didn't hear elsewhere, they've now come out with a whole slew of channels for their little box. As you might expect, some are pretty cool (I see myself making good use of that Revision3 channel), some just aren't my cup of tea (TWiT looks like nerd talk radio, which is a disturbing combination to consider), and others are real head-scratchers (bring up my Facebook photos on my TV? Really?). The best part, though, is that these new channels are available through a "channel store", so you don't have to have hundreds of channels you'll never use cluttering up your interface.
One thing that doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense, based on the currently-available channels, is that you now have to sign up for an account with Roku to get these extra channels... and then, on some sites, you have to sign up with an account for their site, as well. Unless Roku is setting itself up to accept payments for sites that don't stream publically otherwise, it just doesn't make sense... but, if that's what they're setting up for, things could get a *lot* more interesting in short order (paying a monthly fee to Roku for a few "premium" (i.e. only available on cable/sattellite otherwise) channels could be a tack that providers will support, while keeping out of the actual payment-collections end of the business).
If you've got a Roku box, these new channels are available to you right now... but your box might not know it. Apparently, there may be some glitch in the updater, either on the box end or the server end... but, if you run the update once, then immediately run it again, it should come through for you.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
DVD Pick: Hot Fuzz
This film's premise is pretty straightforward: top cop gets shuttled off to a sleepy little village, mainly because he's making the rest of the local force look bad, where he runs afoul of the more "relaxed", rustic atmosphere expected by the locals, before discovering that all isn't well in the village. Of course, if that were the entire story, I wouldn't be recommending it...
The funny thing about this film is, for all it's set up mimics any of a number of "cop working outside the system" films, it lulls you throughout the majority of the film into thinking it's just a comedy about a big city cop trying to cope with the "rigors" of working in a small village... then it lulls you into thinking there's just one madman out there causing havoc. Only in the final half hour do you get the "big reveal"... and, honestly, it's something irrational to somebody who hasn't been watching the film up to that point, but makes sick, perfect sense in context... enough so that I wondered, more than once, whether the hero was suffering some kind of psychotic break, instead of finally digging up "the truth". Beyond that point, all sorts of fun ensues, including some takes on standard action-movie tropes with a small village bent to them... it had me laughing out loud more than once, which is really quite rare for a film.
So, if you've got a couple hours to spare, and are looking for a laugh (especially if you liked Shaun of the Dead, which is where some of the players came across my screen first), give Hot Fuzz a go... if you stick it out to the end, I don't think you'll regret it.
The funny thing about this film is, for all it's set up mimics any of a number of "cop working outside the system" films, it lulls you throughout the majority of the film into thinking it's just a comedy about a big city cop trying to cope with the "rigors" of working in a small village... then it lulls you into thinking there's just one madman out there causing havoc. Only in the final half hour do you get the "big reveal"... and, honestly, it's something irrational to somebody who hasn't been watching the film up to that point, but makes sick, perfect sense in context... enough so that I wondered, more than once, whether the hero was suffering some kind of psychotic break, instead of finally digging up "the truth". Beyond that point, all sorts of fun ensues, including some takes on standard action-movie tropes with a small village bent to them... it had me laughing out loud more than once, which is really quite rare for a film.
So, if you've got a couple hours to spare, and are looking for a laugh (especially if you liked Shaun of the Dead, which is where some of the players came across my screen first), give Hot Fuzz a go... if you stick it out to the end, I don't think you'll regret it.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Great idea! Err... maybe not.
As a tech guy, I'm generally attracted by new, shiny things, even while they're still in development. As an engineering type, I immediately consider how useful the new, shiny thing can be, and pick out any glaring problems with the idea. Rarely, the engineer in me shouts down the tech in me... this is one of those times. Somebody's working on adding circuitry to contact lenses, to allow image overlays on the real world... think heads-up display without any obvious equipment, that sort of thing. Here's a link to an article about the current work.
So, cool idea, augmented reality and all that, maybe a neat gaming interface... but then there's the problems I see. Start with the basic interface... it's light-emitting, but inside your eyelids, so there's no way to get away from it, short of removing the things from your eyes. Also, if you wanted to be able to read text, your software has to track your eyeballs and head motions to match up what you see in the lenses with what you see of the world outside, unless you want a truly hurl-inducing experience.
Suppose you take care of those problems... it's still a powered circuit on your eyeball, so, if you overload the power to the circuits, you get heat generation, quite possibly beyond what your eyeball will withstand comfortably. Contrariwise, you could use some sort of fuse circuit to limit the power... but, unless they're exceptionally cheap to produce, you're going to be pissed about your new toy breaking because you got too close to your power supply (or somebody was actively trying to shut down your toy...)... and, if they're cheap, I don't know of too many cheap things you want sitting on your eyes.
Put those problems aside, suppose the things work perfectly. How long do you think it will take for somebody to decide they want to watch a movie... while driving in the dark? I mean, a cell phone, you can at least see the handset... if you look closely enough, from the right angle, you can even see most hands-free earpieces. Unless these things light up your eyes with an unholy glow visible from a few feet away (which, mind you, would be another point in their favor...), nobody's going to know you're using them until it's much, much too late. No... there's some fun potential with this idea, but it just needs to go away, the sooner the better.
So, cool idea, augmented reality and all that, maybe a neat gaming interface... but then there's the problems I see. Start with the basic interface... it's light-emitting, but inside your eyelids, so there's no way to get away from it, short of removing the things from your eyes. Also, if you wanted to be able to read text, your software has to track your eyeballs and head motions to match up what you see in the lenses with what you see of the world outside, unless you want a truly hurl-inducing experience.
Suppose you take care of those problems... it's still a powered circuit on your eyeball, so, if you overload the power to the circuits, you get heat generation, quite possibly beyond what your eyeball will withstand comfortably. Contrariwise, you could use some sort of fuse circuit to limit the power... but, unless they're exceptionally cheap to produce, you're going to be pissed about your new toy breaking because you got too close to your power supply (or somebody was actively trying to shut down your toy...)... and, if they're cheap, I don't know of too many cheap things you want sitting on your eyes.
Put those problems aside, suppose the things work perfectly. How long do you think it will take for somebody to decide they want to watch a movie... while driving in the dark? I mean, a cell phone, you can at least see the handset... if you look closely enough, from the right angle, you can even see most hands-free earpieces. Unless these things light up your eyes with an unholy glow visible from a few feet away (which, mind you, would be another point in their favor...), nobody's going to know you're using them until it's much, much too late. No... there's some fun potential with this idea, but it just needs to go away, the sooner the better.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Windows 7 Starter netbook
Back on Windows 7 launch day, I snagged myself a shiny new netbook, so I could play with the new Windows (especially so I could check for installation/operation problems with software out at work). On the whole, I'm well-pleased with both the netbook and Windows 7... but, as is often the case, there's some niggling little annoyances.
I understand the theory of tiered pricing, not that I entirely agree with it, but, in the case of netbooks, there's good sense in keeping the cost of Windows low, what with all those Linux distributions looking to get a foothold. Microsoft did a pretty good job of paring things down, too... no DVD playback (which, without optical drives, is not an issue), and no shiny new display tricks (which, with the limited graphics hardware, is no great loss) as examples. But then, they also cut support for streaming media (on a network-oriented device...) and even spent the resources to restrict users from personalizing their desktop colors and wallpaper. That last bit is just downright petty on Microsoft's part... and Asus (the maker of my netbook) apparently agrees, since they put out a tool to let you change your wallpaper.
What I can report, after a few weeks' use, is that Windows 7 seems to work well on the limited hardware a netbook provides... so long as you don't try anything too graphics-intensive, like games. That may even change, as newer graphics hardware takes over the market... but, for simple tasks like web surfing, email, and typing up documents, a Windows 7 netbook is a viable option. Just make sure to get some hands-on time with one before you buy... the limitations of keyboard spacing and screen size may be too much for some to endure.
I understand the theory of tiered pricing, not that I entirely agree with it, but, in the case of netbooks, there's good sense in keeping the cost of Windows low, what with all those Linux distributions looking to get a foothold. Microsoft did a pretty good job of paring things down, too... no DVD playback (which, without optical drives, is not an issue), and no shiny new display tricks (which, with the limited graphics hardware, is no great loss) as examples. But then, they also cut support for streaming media (on a network-oriented device...) and even spent the resources to restrict users from personalizing their desktop colors and wallpaper. That last bit is just downright petty on Microsoft's part... and Asus (the maker of my netbook) apparently agrees, since they put out a tool to let you change your wallpaper.
What I can report, after a few weeks' use, is that Windows 7 seems to work well on the limited hardware a netbook provides... so long as you don't try anything too graphics-intensive, like games. That may even change, as newer graphics hardware takes over the market... but, for simple tasks like web surfing, email, and typing up documents, a Windows 7 netbook is a viable option. Just make sure to get some hands-on time with one before you buy... the limitations of keyboard spacing and screen size may be too much for some to endure.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Netflix on PS3
Regular readers of this blog have likely gotten sick of hearing me praise the Roku box, which started out life playing Netflix streaming content, and has since expanded its repertoire to other video sources... so, for a change of pace, let me introduce a new alternative.
In this generation's seemingly endless struggle of competing video game consoles, I've stuck with Wii, for it's unique user interface, and PS3, for its power and adaptability, while steering clear of the XBox360 for a variety of reasons... but one item the 360 faithful always tout is its ability to stream Netflix video (so long as you pony up for Microsoft's annual network service fee). Roku has me covered there for now... but Netflix just made available a way for PS3 owners to use their service, using a disc you can request from them, at no additional cost, so I decided to give it a go.
Setup is at least as easy as on the Roku... insert the disc, which gives you a code to enter at the Netflix website, and up comes the interface. At first glance, the interface is a dead ringer for the interface on Roku's box (and why not, since it's Netflix on the other end in both cases), with your streaming queue laid out pictorially, where opening up any item gives you controls to start a movie or episode, select an alternate episode, rate the item, or remove it from your queue. However, that is where the similarities end... going "up" from the queue display on the Roku takes you to a screen where you can choose other channels to view, but, on the PS3, you get additional options, including a couple of "what's new" sections, category breakouts, and "recently viewed" sections, which you can use to browse items not already in your queue and view them immediately or add them to your queue, a feature that the Roku box currently lacks.
As far as viewing goes, I didn't notice any great difference between Roku's regular output and the PS3 when I watched an episode of South Park (apart from the lack of "quality dots" when the stream was getting set up), but, admittedly, that's not the most complex video to display... but I would still say the PS3 does the job as advertised. All in all, if you already have (or are in the market for) a PS3, this looks to be a fine way to get your Netflix stream to your TV. Myself, I will still be sticking with the Roku box for my regular viewing... it's quieter (no moving parts), and plays more than just Netflix (and adds more to view all the time). The categorized view of items on the PS3 is a nice touch, but I already have well over 100 items in my queue... and, if I was wanting something specific, the lack of an actual search feature means I would be getting on the Netflix website to find it anyways.
In this generation's seemingly endless struggle of competing video game consoles, I've stuck with Wii, for it's unique user interface, and PS3, for its power and adaptability, while steering clear of the XBox360 for a variety of reasons... but one item the 360 faithful always tout is its ability to stream Netflix video (so long as you pony up for Microsoft's annual network service fee). Roku has me covered there for now... but Netflix just made available a way for PS3 owners to use their service, using a disc you can request from them, at no additional cost, so I decided to give it a go.
Setup is at least as easy as on the Roku... insert the disc, which gives you a code to enter at the Netflix website, and up comes the interface. At first glance, the interface is a dead ringer for the interface on Roku's box (and why not, since it's Netflix on the other end in both cases), with your streaming queue laid out pictorially, where opening up any item gives you controls to start a movie or episode, select an alternate episode, rate the item, or remove it from your queue. However, that is where the similarities end... going "up" from the queue display on the Roku takes you to a screen where you can choose other channels to view, but, on the PS3, you get additional options, including a couple of "what's new" sections, category breakouts, and "recently viewed" sections, which you can use to browse items not already in your queue and view them immediately or add them to your queue, a feature that the Roku box currently lacks.
As far as viewing goes, I didn't notice any great difference between Roku's regular output and the PS3 when I watched an episode of South Park (apart from the lack of "quality dots" when the stream was getting set up), but, admittedly, that's not the most complex video to display... but I would still say the PS3 does the job as advertised. All in all, if you already have (or are in the market for) a PS3, this looks to be a fine way to get your Netflix stream to your TV. Myself, I will still be sticking with the Roku box for my regular viewing... it's quieter (no moving parts), and plays more than just Netflix (and adds more to view all the time). The categorized view of items on the PS3 is a nice touch, but I already have well over 100 items in my queue... and, if I was wanting something specific, the lack of an actual search feature means I would be getting on the Netflix website to find it anyways.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Another Halloween in the bag
...and again, 3 bags of candy for 3 trick-or-treaters. One of these years, I'm going to have to start picking up some good, dark chocolate for handing out instead... :)
On the bright side, I found that Disgaea 3 (a PS3 game) is fine fodder for Halloween night... it's turn-based, so you can set it down on a moment's notice, it's theme-appropriate, what with all the little freshman demons you control... and, at the rate I'm making progress through it, I may well still be playing it next Halloween. It's a fun game, to be sure, and you'll definitely get your money's worth out of it if turn-based strategy-RPGs are your thing.
On the bright side, I found that Disgaea 3 (a PS3 game) is fine fodder for Halloween night... it's turn-based, so you can set it down on a moment's notice, it's theme-appropriate, what with all the little freshman demons you control... and, at the rate I'm making progress through it, I may well still be playing it next Halloween. It's a fun game, to be sure, and you'll definitely get your money's worth out of it if turn-based strategy-RPGs are your thing.
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