Category : internet

“I installed it, I started it, and in 5 seconds I was watching television.”

That’s a good start. TV might never be the same.

2007 is shaping up to be the year of TV on the internet (TVoIP?) with the closed-beta unveiling of Joost, the new application from the creators of Skype and KaZaA. Until yesterday it was referred to by its codename “The Venice Project.” Well, now it’s Joost for better or for worse, and it looks like we may have a world-changing app on the order or Napster (or Skype) on our hands. Read on for a full review.

But Joost isn’t the only game in town. I haven’t gotten my hands on Joost yet, but I’ve already been playing around with SopCast on my old PC. SopCast merges Windows Streaming Server, WM Encoder and the BitTorrent protocol to provide an open format for home TV watching, and TV streaming. Basically, anybody with a TV capture card and some decent bandwidth can start their own stream of their favorite TV show or the big football game on sunday. As viewers join in they simultaneously become broadcasters, similar to the way BitTorrent downloaders automatically become uploaders.

TVUplayer is another TV over IP client/server setup, but I haven’t tried it yet. Please leave some comments if you’ve installed it.

I’ve watched a few games on SopCast and although the quality is pretty poor, the concept works. The main thing holding TVoIP back is the stingy upload caps most ISPs put on their customers’ lines. 384 kbps is simply not going to cut it. We need at least a megabit, preferably more. If TV on the internet is going to become a reality the ISPs need to loosen the choke chain on our bandwidth.

Apple Computer became Apple, Inc. today as the computer maker dropped the “Computer” from its name to more closely reflect its recent forays into consumer electronics with the iPod, and now the iPhone.

The phone features a radical new interface which they’ve named MultiTouch. Basically, there is no keypad on the phone. You do everything with your fingers on the touchscreen interface. The screen overlays a number pad or a full keyboard when you need it, which then disappears when it’s not needed. The phone plays movies in widescreen and can be used to surf the internet (for real, not that hokey shit on most phones).

According to Steve Jobs, the phone is actually a combination of 3 devices: An iPod, a smartphone and an internet communicator (since it can surf the web). Oh, and it has a 2 megapixel camera built in. So you can surf the web, take pictures, call your friends, listen to music, send emails (with attachments) and watch TV/movies all on one little device. Now, I may be jaded and cynical, but that’s pretty fucking cool. And at 500 bucks, it damn well better be.

Now, I won’t be getting one of these anytime soon because I hate cellphones, but I appreciate the idea and the coolness factor of this thing. It’s about time we got some real innovation going on in that space. This device is damn close to a tricorder. You know, we won’t be getting flying cars anytime soon, but I think that we could come close to the tricorder. If it’s doesn’t analyze the atmosphere for its gaseous makeup… well, that’s okay as long as it has the web.

This isn’t a problem at this low-ranked blog, but apparently it is for Dean Hunt, owner of DeanHunt.com and the blog that resides there. He has recently received vaguely threatening letters demanding that he give up his domain because:

You have to understand Dean that an online business should be higher in Google than a blog.

Don’t forget that Google is a business as well, they obviously make more money from other businesses than they do from blogs, so it is in their interest that I am higher than you for certain searches.

I have also contacted my lawyer about this issue, so you should expect a letter in the post very soon.

Let me be the 472nd to say, “AAAAAhahahahahahaaaaaaa!!! Haahahahaa! What a fucking moron!

Yes, Google is a business, but no, they don’t think businesses should be ranked higher than blogs. In fact, I bet they love it when that happens because then the business is compelled to start buying Google AdWords to bump up their ranking (well, really, they’re a “sponsored result” at that point).

This guy (who hasn’t been “outed” yet by Deano) is clearly a bully, and a particularly stupid one at that. Dean intends to stand strong and I support him all the way. People shouldn’t have to fear success on the internet, nor should bloggers be preyed upon by ruthlessly inept businessmen who seem to view the world only in terms of money and power. Fucking moron. I’ve got your back, Dean, and I know a lot of other bloggers do too.

You know, the internet really does have the power to change things for the better. We’re more connected now than ever before, and that gives power to “the little guy” who would’ve been steamrolled as little as 10 years ago. This inevitably must have a profound affect on our society, including the political realm. People are going to start demanding more transparency in government and business, and people are less likely to be cowed by bullying demands from the elite and those who dream of becoming the elite (like this fucktard).

Consequently, there are no more excuses. Is there something you don’t know that you wish you did? Have you encountered a challenge that is beyond your present abilities? Well, it’s time to step up to the plate. You’ve got an incredible resource like at your fingertips if you’re reading this, so don’t let limitations that would’ve previously been crippling get in your way! You now have the power to change your lot in life. Educate yourself. Better yourself. Rally your allies. Stand up to your enemies. Embrace the change that now must come. In previous centuries most of us would be nothing but peasants, living under the rule of some despotic king or lord. With no access to learning, no power to organize resistance or communicate with distant allies there was no way to fight against the yoke of oppression. But now, most of us are “free” and we have been given a great gift — a gift that our ancestors would have died for. The internet is the greatest gift to democracy in 200 years. Use it!

Update: Some folks on slashdot are saying that this is a hoax by Dean Hunt. That’s certainly a possibility. Let’s wait to see for sure that he’s telling the truth, but I think my rosy description of the potential of the internet is still valid. Just gotta remember to check our sources, verify info and don’t forget our assumptions. As for Dean, let’s hope he wouldn’t resort to something like this, but his blog is about SEO, which is about as respectable a profession as prostitution. Perhaps less so.

His name is Peter. Somehow, his videos have caught on and his popularity has shot up to the level that Reuters is now covering his ascent to internet fame.

I’ll post one of his videos below. He shows off his video editing skills, along with his love of motorcycles and the blues. He begins a series of videos that tell the story of his life: Telling it all, part 1.

Perfect Porridge blogger Greg has finally cracked the spine of the beast. Sony ponied up the tracks and a settlement check!

UPDATE #2 (6/22): Would you believe we got 28,000 hits on this post yesterday? That’s a lot of people reading/talking/blogging about Sony and their incompetence. Would you believe that as a result, Sony somehow got their act together to e-mail iTunes settlement codes AND a settlement check the next day? Guess it only took 232 days of persistence and a blog swarm of 8,500 unique user hits to get them moving. Thanks Sony!

This is why everyone needs a blog, people! Do you want a voice? Because without a blog you don’t really have one (unless you are the CEO of a Fortune 500 company). You can bitch and whine all you want, but without the power of the internet, not many people are going to hear you.

When it’s time to take a stand will you be armed with a megaphone or a ballgag?

Ask a Ninja takes on the Matrix

AskaNinja.com has a new episode (okay, it’s over a week old) taking on the Matrix. Pretty funny stuff! Click the play button above to view.

Blogger Exposed: As a Lawyer!

I just found out about the outing of Armando over at DailyKos. There’s a good discussion over at Pandagon.

Personally, I could give a fuck. I’ve tangled with Armando before and I was shocked to discover that he is the worst kind of internet troll. I thought as a guest blogger he might try to stay above the fray, but no. He jumped in and quickly made an ass of himself in the single discussion I participated in (DKos is good for little more than Bush-bashing. I fucking hate partisans). He resorted to personal attacks right away, belittled and troll-modded people who disagreed with him and generally acted like his shit didn’t stink.

I’m shocked to hear he’s a lawyer. From what I could see he couldn’t argue his way out of a paperbag if you didn’t let him use troll methods. Well, he’s one more chunk of damage to the reputation of lawyers everywhere, I guess.

I suppose it’s too bad he was outed (I didn’t know he was anonymous), but it couldn’t’ve happened to a better guy. He’s a total prick and I don’t believe he’ll actually stop posting over at DKos for long. This is just a pity-party for a self-obsessed partisan hack with more arguments than brains.

The thing that pisses me off is that he represents Walmart and presumably other shitty corporations, while he takes Bush to task for being a corporate stooge. What rank hypocrisy! Bush couldn’t’ve done better himself.