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User: james_orr

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  1. Re:Similar to Vista. on Some Blu-Ray, HD DVD Discs Sell Only 200 Copies · · Score: 1

    Well, I don't particularly care about DRM either, but I still don't have any inclincation to purchase HD-DVD or Bluray.

    For one thing, I don't have an HD TV. I don't feel a need to get one either. For me, my 32" SD TV is perfectly good enough.

    When going from VHS to DVS, one of the best things about it for me was the simple fact I didn't have to rewind tapes anymore! The special features are nice too, but they are usually only watched once and not even all my DVD movies have them. The only thing HD-DVD/Bluray offers me is improved picture quality and it's just not worth the expense right now.

  2. Re:TiVo wins of course... on MythTV Vs. TiVo, Round 2 · · Score: 1

    That's funny, my MythTV box has uptime measured in months, even over a year and has never had any issues like that.

    The only time it's ever down is due to hardware upgrades or a power outage.

    Oh yeah, I don't particularly care about HD but I do have three tuners, two going to digital cable boxes. Those are controled via USB->serial cables, no need to mess around with IR blaster, if your cable box doesn't have a serial port call them up and ask for a replacement with one.

  3. Re:The thing that bugs me the most with Myth... on MythTV Vs. TiVo, Round 2 · · Score: 1

    "I wish it would have the option of just browsing the directories."

    It does.

  4. What's the big deal? on iPhone Faces Uncertain Market · · Score: 1

    I don't really see the big deal. As far as I can tell my current phone does just about all the same stuff and I didn't spend a penny for it with the Verizon new phone every two years program.

    The only thing that sounds mildly interesting is the voice mail features allowing you to view and select your messages, and that's certainly no deal breaker.

  5. Re:Duh on 100 Things We Didn't Know Last Year · · Score: 1

    Because most people have seen a 1 litre bottle and have never seen a 400 litre bottle.

  6. Re:Cheers! on HD-DVD and Blu-Ray AACS DRM Cracked · · Score: 1

    I still have a VCR, hooked up and everything. I can't remember the last time I actually watched a movie on it though. I did use it a few weeks ago to record something ... the VERY unusual situation where all 3 tuners on my MythTV were busy and there was still something else I wanted to see. That's the first time that has happened in a long time too.

    My point is, DVD ownership just surpassed VCR ownership, but a lot of people still had/have their VCRs even if they were not using them often.

  7. Re:Advertising on mobile phones on Verizon to Allow Ads on Its Mobile Phones · · Score: 1

    I don't pay for KBs downloaded on Verizon. Maybe it's jusy my plan though, don't know what the others offer.

  8. Re:Brilliant on WarGames Sequel Now Filming · · Score: 1

    I've observed the same thing.

    If it's something that will likely require people to type the domain name (as opposed to just clicking a link) I will usually set up www.home.theirdomain.com as well as home.theirdomain.com

  9. Obsolete on How 'Games for Windows' Will Change PC Gaming · · Score: 1

    The last 4 or 5 games I've purchased I have done so on-line. No box or disks needed or wanted, just download it.

  10. Re:New and lost? on How 'Games for Windows' Will Change PC Gaming · · Score: 1

    Dungeons & Dragons Online has built in voice chat. I hope more PC games in future include this, it really is nice not to have to exchange teamspeak/ventrilo information ... which rarely goes smoothly.

  11. Re:If they can pull it off... on How 'Games for Windows' Will Change PC Gaming · · Score: 1

    Yup, I remember being particularly proud of my boot disk I created especially to play Falcon 3.0.

    It loaded up mouse drivers and various other TSRs I needed (one was an anti-cheat one required for a ladder run off a BBS) and still had something like 612K base memory free.

  12. Re:Suckitude? on Last Chance to Help Free Ryzom · · Score: 2, Informative

    Sure, you could do that. But that monster would only be on your own server, so you and your friends can kill that monster as much as you like.

  13. Re:Mice on Near-Complete Cure For Diabetes In Two Years? · · Score: 1

    Actually, yes. Used to have a dog with diabetes. She actually *liked* getting the injection though ... strange dog.

  14. The first generation with gamer parents? on The Video Game Generation Grows Up · · Score: 1

    My parents played a LOT of atari 2600 when I was a kid. Possibly even more than my brother and I did. Of course a lot of it was together as a family, but they played when us kids weren't around as well. Warlords was fantastic because all four of us could play at once.

    My mother even had the local hospitals very first gaming related injury when she got tennis elbow (or "atari elbow" as they called it) after too many hours of asteroids.

    They even played Shades, which was a MUD on the UK prestel network.

  15. Re:I'm all for it! on New Stargate Series In the Works · · Score: 1

    Would that be the same if you tried to read, say, traditional Chinese? I think that would be a more accurate analogy for an english speaker rather than something like spanish, french or german.

  16. Re:Virgina on Sex Offenders to Register Emails in Virginia · · Score: 1

    You don't need to go that far ... Hell is in Michigan.

  17. Some of the ideas not so new on Silly String Goes to War Against IEDs · · Score: 2, Informative

    Also, soldiers put condoms and rubber bands around their rifle muzzles to keep out sand.

    That particular trick dates back to world war 2.
  18. Re:I'll try to record the conversations on How To Tell If Your Cell Phone Is Bugged · · Score: 1

    I really don't get many calls from telemarketers, I do get calls from telephone interviewers doing surveys, and I have no problem doing that. I had one about health care providers yesterday actually, I don't remember the last time a telemarketer called.

    Also, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act prohibits dialing a cellphone with an auto-dialer or pre-recorded message. Which is why my land line rang 5 times a day in the weeks before the election and my cell phone didn't get a single political call.

  19. Re:Something isn't right on The Warhammer Online Team Responds · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Where does it say WAR will have instanced PvP combat? My impression from reading the above is that it won't, or if it does it will not be exclusively instanced.

    I do agree that instanced PvP sucks. Even in Guild Wars I do not care for the PvP, but I do like the PvE.

    DAoC is 5 years old now and people still play that. Not everybody will play for 5 years of course, but I think that shows it is possible for Mythic to create an RvR game with long-lasting appeal.

  20. Re:Remember the MUD? on Saga of Ryzom, Free and Open Source Software? · · Score: 1

    Ryzom already supports player created content.

  21. Carol Vorderman on Top Ten Geek Girls · · Score: 0, Troll

    I would have thought Carol Vorderman would have been a good candidate, but maybe that's a bit too UK centric.

  22. Re:Uses: on New Phone Uses GPS To Locate Your Contacts · · Score: 2, Insightful

    A lot of cell phones can already show yourself and 911 where you are. The difference here is you are seeing where other people are. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing, in fact it could be a good thing, but I would want a lot of control over it. An easy way to turn it on/off (1 or 2 button pushes max) and being able to specify who on my contact list I would want to see where I am.

  23. Re:greater or lesser evil on Google Under Fire Over Racist Blogs · · Score: 1

    The GP said good AND bad, not good OR bad.

    Meaning that those things are a mixture of good and bad ... in other words exactly what you are saying.

  24. Re:But Honestly... on Battlestar Galactica 'Webisodes' Conflict Brewing · · Score: 1

    Well, they couldn't make the webisodes an essential part of the story-line, because not everybody will see them. But, they can and did use them to give a bit more depth to the characters, particularly Duck who had only been in about 3 previous episiodes as a background Viper pilot.

    The webisodes aren't and can't be about essential plot points, they are and should be about character development. In my opinion they accomplished that task well.

    As for the visual quality, well it wasn't that great, but I'm sure they'll put these on the DVD and I expect better quality there. I didn't see any problems with the production quality, obviously there's no budget for SFX in them and they are shot between takes of the real episodes, but the acting is good as always and the sets are the same sets ...

  25. Profit on Hans Reiser Arrested On Suspicion of Murder · · Score: 1

    In fact, one could argue that the best "white collar" criminal would be a clinical psychopath in a position of corporate power - they'd make a great CEO in the short term.

    Ever see a show "Profit"? It was a short-lived series from about 10 years ago that was about exactly that. It starred Adrian Pasdar (now the older flying brother in Heroes).

    It would probably have faired better on HBO or Showtime, a bit too controversial for network TV. It is available on DVD.