Also, UNC probably has a lawyer, right? And the C&D letter probably used magic words like "in good faith" and "under penalty of perjury," right? They are not acting in good faith and there is that penalty they talk about right there.
Although I understand if you can't afford to fight back, at least invoice them for your time, or ignore them.
Thanks for the pointer to Outclass, that program seems to be exactly what I was looking for. I need something that will help classify e-mail for my users, but none of them are skilled enough to be trusted to even install a program (unless it's Hotbar... sigh.)
So, I've searched and searched on my own but Outclass seems to be pretty much perfect... I'm testing it out now. I thank you, kind sir or madam.
i think eventually the Internet will help change lots of things, but it is going to take a long time. our (the US) Democracy is slow to change, which is a good thing. and things may get worse (DMCA) before they get better (shorter copyrights?)
for example, in presidential elections (to choose the most famous but not necessarily most important election, for these issues anyway) i don't think the Internet has yet played a major role. i don't think Bush was elected because of his use of a new medium to access voters; rather i think he probably stands at the end of a long line of politicans who have crafted their elections around old media and the ways to use it effectively. (one could say manipulate it, if you were going to be cynical about things.)
the next election i think will be helped along more by innovative uses of the Internet, but i don't even have high expectations for this upcoming election - i think the real changes (in politics) won't happen for a few more years at least - and continue to change as tactics are refined.
so, saying "the online community seems utterly paralyzed," is looking at things using an Internet-based timescale. the political timescale is much, much longer, and i think we will see the effects eventually. don't lose hope because democracy moves slowly - be glad our government doesn't move faster, lest we be even more screwed in the short term!
The Astro... game was Astrosmash. I am related to the person wrote that game, although you'll never believe me. It was my favorite game as a kid, and still holds up really well, especially due to the fact that the game speeds up when you gain points, but slows down as you lose points.
Wanted to mention about the "9" thing - it's actually programmed into the Intellivision hardware. If you press 1, 2, or 3 to start the game instead of the disc, it played at a slower speed. You could also pause the game by hitting 1 and 9 while playing. This sort of put a damper on the "high score" contest, since you could play slowly if you wanted and pause the game whenever it occured to you. The other problem was that the score would roll over into non-number characters above 9,999,999 points.
a lot of information here, and on the downloads page you can get a copy of Astrosmash that will run on Windows/Macs for free. Or you can buy the ROMs on CD, if you want more than the few free ones.
I'm always amused to see people talking about the Intellivision. I had one when I was a kid but I don't think anyone else I ever knew did. There were a few really great games for that system. By the way the overloading glitches you mentioned I haven't heard before.. cool! Someday I will buy another working console and see if my games still work. And that speech-synthisizer thing...
interestingly enough the lawsuit was quickly withdrawn and the statement i heard from the person suing was something along the lines of "I made my point." i didn't think much of it because although i had heard of the lawsuit i didn't notice any changes happening. i assume he meant his point was made through all the national news coverage.
and then yesterday Kraft announced that they are cutting portion sizes, fat and sugar from all their products, including Oreos.
so while a lawsuit might not be the correct way to go about seeking change (i agree with you on that), it did get him into the news, and shortly after there WAS a change. not saying it was good or bad (nor does correlation imply causality), but i do think it is interesting.
ah, that is a great pad, i got 3 of 'em at compgeeks as well when they were there, like $5 each.
my question: i was never able to get 3 to work at once! i can get two to work, and all the pads work alone or in combinations of two, but never got that third one working. do you actually use 3 or 4 of them at a time?
i'm using a regular gameport on a SB Live 5.1 somethingorother. i was thinking maybe there just isn't enough voltage in the gameport to pass through to the third controller, but eventually i gave up and never did get anything past the 2nd controller working. if you did or have any tips i'd love to hear them.
to anyone else reading, the old 6 button (8 w/shoulder buttons) MS Sidewinder Gameport-plug pads are great generic gamepads. especially if you can find 'em for $5...
Someone already mentioned Tool's "Undertow," but I actually like their most recent releases the best. At first I didn't like the move from regular-length songs to 19 minute epics, but I wouldn't have anything else anymore. Granted, "Undertow" and "Opiate" are both excellent albums still.
But if you haven't heard their more recent albums, "Lateralus" (newest), "Salival" (mostly live with DVD), and "Aenima" (released in 1996, so we're getting old now) are all excellent. It would really be hard for me to pick a favorite out of those three, but at this point Lateralus and Salival would be slightly edging out Aenima; but having heard Aenima God-knows-how-many times since 1996, that might explain some of it. But I think their progression as a band throughout their career is really stunning, and Lateralus is an amazing example of that.
And the packaging of all three albums is really as good as the music; that is, the packaging is awesome and fully-realized (for packaging) as well as the music is for music. If that makes sense.
i remembered that a joystick came with some licensed Capcom ROMs, so i went searching.
it's the HotRod Joystick which you can see on that page. Hanaho owns the rights to the following Capcom ROMs and you get a copy of "Capcom Arcade Classics" if you buy their joystick. i have heard good things about the joystick but have not used one myself.
the games included are: 1941 - Block Block - Commando - Exed Exes - Ghouls'n Ghosts - Magic Sword - Mercs - Sections Z - Side Arms - Son Son - Street Fighter (Hyper Fighting) - Strider - U. N. Squadron - Varth
i don't know if they will sell the Arcade Classics separately, but you could always ask. if you really wanted to get into this as a hobby you would probably want a joystick like the HotRod anyway, but the cost is out of "impulse purchase" range. i did search google and froogle for "Capcom Arcade Classics" and could not find anyone selling it, although the google search turned up this forum page announcing a review of the games released for PocketPC, and you also get the desktop versions included. the actual review link, however, is broken.
so, i think this exists somewhere, but other than with a HotRod joystick I haven't been able to find out where you can get it. the only other thing i could find were CD-based console rereleases, for PS2/PS/Dreamcast, etc. Namco makes one (perhaps a few), for example.
ah, OK, even further searching turned up this page on capcom's site where you can buy individual arcade games for PocketPC (which I think based on the forum linked above should also work on PCs)... but each game is $15, so it's not a great deal. but, the link is here.
i see you got many replies, just thought i'd add one of my own.
i'm not really against GM foods/things in general; it is pretty close to breeding. it gets a little stickier when we move genes between species, but probably no big deal. i'm not terribly worried about the destruction of the planet. not from that, anyway.
the part that bothers me is related to the crap that Monsanto pulls, for example suing a Canadian farmer for patent infringement because (the farmer says) pollen from Monsanto's plants blew into his farm and contaminated his canola. now his canola is infringing and he has to pay Monsanto $100,000. he is appealing to the Canadian supreme court. here's a link for you, but it might be some whack-job enviro-nut site, i don't know much about them, just found the article.
things in that article, like this:
"Researchers at the University of Manitoba are shortly to publish findings that 32 of 33 supposedly GE-free seed lots in Canada were contaminated by as much as 5 percent genetically engineered seed."
are a little frightening on multiple levels. first, they are already having a lot of trouble keeping their Round-Up-resistant seed and pollen contained, which is not encouraging, and second, because it means the wind can make everyone infringe on Monsanto's patents, opening up random farmers to lawsuits against a corporate giant. i also read about an organic farmer in... I want to say Washington or Oregon, who had her crops contaminated with the same Monsanto Round-Up resistant pollen. so the seed she has been using and saving for years is now contaminated, to an extent, and of course she's now infringing on their patents if she continues to be a farmer using her seeds. i'm not sure what the solution to this problem is, exactly. it is tricky.
so, i realize i probably don't have the same concerns over GM food that some people do, but i do think there are some valid concerns. i would like to add that a glowing zebra fish would kick some ass, though.
go read Fast Food Nation. it talks about meat packers and RSI, and about thirty other very interesting things. it is a great book.
(this isn't intended at the parent post, directly; sounds like you already know. but you should read it too, if you haven't. it's one of those books that everyone should read.)
if you spend an evening telling 13 year olds addicted to warez to piss off, and that no you won't send them CrossOver for free, then maybe you get a slightly more realistic perspective.
the grandparent post wondered how much sharing leads to buying, indicating that s/he did that exact thing. you countered with your own opinion from IRC, etc., which I will say I generally agree with.
however, it was pretty clear that the grandparent isn't 13 and can afford his own games. i wonder how much those 13 year-olds can afford to spend on a game? maybe they will become attached to EA games (or whoever's) and become a good purchasing fan when they have a job in the near future?
like i said, i agree with you, but i think the huge mass of 13 year-olds pirating software isn't the problem (same with music) - they don't really have the money to buy those things. it's like the photoshop piracy thing, most people can't afford it, but when they can (in an office setting) they get their company to pay for many copies. when these kids are grown up (or at least a little older) they can afford their games, and then you can criticize them harshly for copyright infringement.
to add my own experience, i pirated dozens (perhaps hundreds) of games when i was 13. my room was also full of boxes of purchased games (from birthdays, christmas, etc.), and my house today as an adult is full of boxes/CDs for games and music that i spent a great deal of money on. i don't think harsh punishment when i was 13 would have helped; i couldn't afford the games then, and the ones i did like i asked for when my birthday/x-mas came around. if anything it just encouraged me to continue playing games into adulthood, where i can comfortably afford whatever games i want.
so, don't be so harsh on those kids. i'd say most of them will grow up, begin to work for a living, and enjoy encouraging game companies with the fruits of their own labor.
Ah, I read that story years ago and I mention it whenever I try to explain the fourth dimension (hmm, happens more often than you'd think) but I couldn't ever remember what the heck that story was called. I believe I read it in an anthology edited by Asimov, but that doesn't put you on much of a course towards finding the actual author and story.
So, thanks! Totally unexpected. Now I'm off to find it and read it again. It's been many years.
Well, I had to jump through a hoop or two to get to the message (linking there gave me a 404, searching found it) - but, in the end it looks like there is a WASTE page here.
Re:Penny Arcade to the rescue
on
Neuros Review
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· Score: 1
Aww, dude, I love PA as well and thought today's comic was great, but how about linking the Slashdot hordes to their comic page proper, rather than directly to the GIF?
It's no big deal really, but come on, PA would love the ad impressions frankly they deserve it.
For those who still haven't heard, you can program Radio Shack and One For All brand remotes (among others) using those six pins you see under the battery door. If you hit the sales properly you can get a $40 remote for $20 at Radio Shack or Wal-Mart, spend $5 on parts (or use what you have if you have it), and some free software to program your remote to do whatever you want.
For example, if your DVD player isn't programmed into the remote (you know, look in the manual, find your manufacturer, enter a code) you can make your own, assign your own number, and upload it to the remote. Or do nearly anything else you want. Macros, keymoves, etc. It's complicated, but if you're reading/., you should love it.
User experience is "getting there.":) It used to be difficult, it is getting better. There is a wizard you can use for first-time setup. For simple things, for example, your MP3 (or OGG, or whatever) collection, it's easy enough, if you have them organized in some way on your HD.
You can set up a Music module (basically, a menu choice) and set it to let you browse folders. You can tell it that JPGs are covers, and it will pull the first JPG it finds in each folder and use it as the image - so there are your covers. You can tell it that MP3 and OGG are your media types for this module, and it will display those and let you queue them/play them. If you want more information (for your movies, for example) you can use the included.my file editor -.my files are metadata files about your videos/music/etc. The program will generate.my files for you, though, so unless you want to add a lot of metadata you don't have to.
There is no interface to, say, IMDB, out-of-the-box. People unrelated to this program are writing their own cover downloaders, one I remember is called Gotcha Covered which I found on the AVS Forum but I think it is mentioned in the myHTPC forums as well - it will help you download covers for CDs and DVDs, although for just one or two covers I go to walmart or buy.com on my own. Walmart has good covers for CDs - 500x500, and a good selection. Just drop a JPG in your album folder and that's it, essentially.
I have been using the software for a month or a month and a half. But, the program has come miles since then, and it is not very old at all. Electronic Program Guide is the newest big addition and a fully skinnable interface is coming soon (XML based; you can set up icons rather than buttons, for example, and trigger programming based on button presses.)
So, there is setup involved. Go check out the forums for some help if you need it - I don't remember how good the wizard is, since I had mine set up before the wizard was introduced. The price is right and Pablo is amazing with the amount of work he's done for it - it's come farther than any other HTPC/menu program I've seen in a matter of months. If anything, you should keep your eye on it while you use Showshifter. It is coming along quickly.
Regarding the Bob Marley / Pulp Fiction screen shot... Couldn't tell ya. Probably an accident.:)
This ended up long. I don't have a lot of time to proof it for coherency:)...get your feet wet with the program and I'm sure you can feel your way around. The forums on myHTPC.net would be a good place if you have trouble; plenty of people there, including myself when I have time.
If you're running Windows try myHTPC. It already does, can do, or will do nearly anything you want.
Play videos, MP3s, view the weather, XMLtv guide information, launch emulators like MAME and any others (see the forum for myGames), view visualization plugins with Winamp or Windows Media Player 9, launch executables, write your own plugins... view your MP3s by cover art, your games by screen shot, control it with a remote or a gamepad... (find a joy2key program in the forums to use a gamepad for now.)
Really, just check out the screen shots on the homepage. It's only been around for a few months and new releases come fast and furious thanks to Pablo's hard work. It is basically "like XP Media Center Edition, but better, and free." (as in beer, for now.)
Really it comes down to the question of: why should library records be inadmissable?
Library records are admissable - that's not really the issue. If you suspect someone of a crime, you must have reasons for your suspicions. You can get the records from Home Depot where they bought the supplies and the records from the library where they checked out the how-to book, after you get a warrant from a judge.
The problem is, they no longer have to have a warrant to find out what you (and everyone) checked out from the library. They don't need evidence. They don't need to ask a judge for a warrant - they can just take the records from the library and, further, it is illegal for the library to say that the FBI was in checking records.
I think it's fine to admit purchases as evidence, if a crime has been committed. It's also fine to admit your Blockbuster rentals or your library check-out list after you've been accused of a crime. But you can't just get the list of what everone at the library checked out just because you are the FBI. You need a warrant issued by a judge first.
It's the difference between investigating one person for a crime and casting a net out to find "undesirables," IMO.
Doesn't XP require you to activate eventually? That's how it is with the copies of Access 2002 I've used. You can install it (still need the CD key to install it) but after installing it you MUST register/activate the program within 50 program-starts, or the program will stop functioning until you activate it.
If this program only requires "activation" in order to download updates and doesn't disable the program if you fail to activate it, then that's a big difference. Stardock is using a carrot (extra goodies) while Microsoft is using a stick (activate or the program will stop working.) Also letting you download the full game if you have a serial number is nice, there is at least one game I have where the CD stopped working and I don't think there's much I can do about it. (Under a Killing Moon, it's a bit old at this point.)
This is just how I know Access works; I haven't used XP myself.
Why would it be important that the programs do not otherwise control the performance, display or reproduction of copyrighted works?
I believe they're just asking for an exemption because Lexmark is using the DMCA and access-control mechanisms to prevent competition that has been traditionally allowed. You can't work around the access-control because of the DMCA, which is a law that is supposed to be about controling the illegal reproduction of copyrighted works.
Basically they are saying "This protection doesn't stop the reproduction of copyrighted works, it only prevents competition, so we should be able to work around the protection." That would be an exemption to the DMCA which says it is a violation to break any access-control mechanism. They aren't asking for the DMCA to be thrown out in whole.
Although, I thought the DMCA said you could break access-control mechanisms for the purpose of interoperability, which is exactly what SCC is doing. I'm a little surprised they aren't taking that route. Maybe it doesn't apply though. Like most, IANAL.
Slashdot Mirror
Also, UNC probably has a lawyer, right? And the C&D letter probably used magic words like "in good faith" and "under penalty of perjury," right? They are not acting in good faith and there is that penalty they talk about right there.
Although I understand if you can't afford to fight back, at least invoice them for your time, or ignore them.
So, I've searched and searched on my own but Outclass seems to be pretty much perfect... I'm testing it out now. I thank you, kind sir or madam.
for example, in presidential elections (to choose the most famous but not necessarily most important election, for these issues anyway) i don't think the Internet has yet played a major role. i don't think Bush was elected because of his use of a new medium to access voters; rather i think he probably stands at the end of a long line of politicans who have crafted their elections around old media and the ways to use it effectively. (one could say manipulate it, if you were going to be cynical about things.)
the next election i think will be helped along more by innovative uses of the Internet, but i don't even have high expectations for this upcoming election - i think the real changes (in politics) won't happen for a few more years at least - and continue to change as tactics are refined.
so, saying "the online community seems utterly paralyzed," is looking at things using an Internet-based timescale. the political timescale is much, much longer, and i think we will see the effects eventually. don't lose hope because democracy moves slowly - be glad our government doesn't move faster, lest we be even more screwed in the short term!
Wanted to mention about the "9" thing - it's actually programmed into the Intellivision hardware. If you press 1, 2, or 3 to start the game instead of the disc, it played at a slower speed. You could also pause the game by hitting 1 and 9 while playing. This sort of put a damper on the "high score" contest, since you could play slowly if you wanted and pause the game whenever it occured to you. The other problem was that the score would roll over into non-number characters above 9,999,999 points.
a lot of information here, and on the downloads page you can get a copy of Astrosmash that will run on Windows/Macs for free. Or you can buy the ROMs on CD, if you want more than the few free ones.
I'm always amused to see people talking about the Intellivision. I had one when I was a kid but I don't think anyone else I ever knew did. There were a few really great games for that system. By the way the overloading glitches you mentioned I haven't heard before.. cool! Someday I will buy another working console and see if my games still work. And that speech-synthisizer thing...
someone already mentioned but i will too: what game? what's the link? we're curious now that you've piqued our interest :)
and then yesterday Kraft announced that they are cutting portion sizes, fat and sugar from all their products, including Oreos.
so while a lawsuit might not be the correct way to go about seeking change (i agree with you on that), it did get him into the news, and shortly after there WAS a change. not saying it was good or bad (nor does correlation imply causality), but i do think it is interesting.
here is a link for you. or a google news search if you'd rather.
my question: i was never able to get 3 to work at once! i can get two to work, and all the pads work alone or in combinations of two, but never got that third one working. do you actually use 3 or 4 of them at a time?
i'm using a regular gameport on a SB Live 5.1 somethingorother. i was thinking maybe there just isn't enough voltage in the gameport to pass through to the third controller, but eventually i gave up and never did get anything past the 2nd controller working. if you did or have any tips i'd love to hear them.
to anyone else reading, the old 6 button (8 w/shoulder buttons) MS Sidewinder Gameport-plug pads are great generic gamepads. especially if you can find 'em for $5...
That's what I meant - it's not HTML, it's "HTML," like there's cheese, and there's "cheese." If I offer you "cheese" crackers...
It saves in "HTML"
But if you haven't heard their more recent albums, "Lateralus" (newest), "Salival" (mostly live with DVD), and "Aenima" (released in 1996, so we're getting old now) are all excellent. It would really be hard for me to pick a favorite out of those three, but at this point Lateralus and Salival would be slightly edging out Aenima; but having heard Aenima God-knows-how-many times since 1996, that might explain some of it. But I think their progression as a band throughout their career is really stunning, and Lateralus is an amazing example of that.
And the packaging of all three albums is really as good as the music; that is, the packaging is awesome and fully-realized (for packaging) as well as the music is for music. If that makes sense.
it's the HotRod Joystick which you can see on that page. Hanaho owns the rights to the following Capcom ROMs and you get a copy of "Capcom Arcade Classics" if you buy their joystick. i have heard good things about the joystick but have not used one myself.
the games included are: 1941 - Block Block - Commando - Exed Exes - Ghouls'n Ghosts - Magic Sword - Mercs - Sections Z - Side Arms - Son Son - Street Fighter (Hyper Fighting) - Strider - U. N. Squadron - Varth
i don't know if they will sell the Arcade Classics separately, but you could always ask. if you really wanted to get into this as a hobby you would probably want a joystick like the HotRod anyway, but the cost is out of "impulse purchase" range. i did search google and froogle for "Capcom Arcade Classics" and could not find anyone selling it, although the google search turned up this forum page announcing a review of the games released for PocketPC, and you also get the desktop versions included. the actual review link, however, is broken.
so, i think this exists somewhere, but other than with a HotRod joystick I haven't been able to find out where you can get it. the only other thing i could find were CD-based console rereleases, for PS2/PS/Dreamcast, etc. Namco makes one (perhaps a few), for example.
ah, OK, even further searching turned up this page on capcom's site where you can buy individual arcade games for PocketPC (which I think based on the forum linked above should also work on PCs) ... but each game is $15, so it's not a great deal. but, the link is here.
HTH.
i'm not really against GM foods/things in general; it is pretty close to breeding. it gets a little stickier when we move genes between species, but probably no big deal. i'm not terribly worried about the destruction of the planet. not from that, anyway.
the part that bothers me is related to the crap that Monsanto pulls, for example suing a Canadian farmer for patent infringement because (the farmer says) pollen from Monsanto's plants blew into his farm and contaminated his canola. now his canola is infringing and he has to pay Monsanto $100,000. he is appealing to the Canadian supreme court. here's a link for you, but it might be some whack-job enviro-nut site, i don't know much about them, just found the article.
things in that article, like this:
"Researchers at the University of Manitoba are shortly to publish findings that 32 of 33 supposedly GE-free seed lots in Canada were contaminated by as much as 5 percent genetically engineered seed."
are a little frightening on multiple levels. first, they are already having a lot of trouble keeping their Round-Up-resistant seed and pollen contained, which is not encouraging, and second, because it means the wind can make everyone infringe on Monsanto's patents, opening up random farmers to lawsuits against a corporate giant. i also read about an organic farmer in... I want to say Washington or Oregon, who had her crops contaminated with the same Monsanto Round-Up resistant pollen. so the seed she has been using and saving for years is now contaminated, to an extent, and of course she's now infringing on their patents if she continues to be a farmer using her seeds. i'm not sure what the solution to this problem is, exactly. it is tricky.
so, i realize i probably don't have the same concerns over GM food that some people do, but i do think there are some valid concerns. i would like to add that a glowing zebra fish would kick some ass, though.
go read Fast Food Nation. it talks about meat packers and RSI, and about thirty other very interesting things. it is a great book.
(this isn't intended at the parent post, directly; sounds like you already know. but you should read it too, if you haven't. it's one of those books that everyone should read.)
some info, screenshot, and history of I, Robot at mame.dk
the grandparent post wondered how much sharing leads to buying, indicating that s/he did that exact thing. you countered with your own opinion from IRC, etc., which I will say I generally agree with.
however, it was pretty clear that the grandparent isn't 13 and can afford his own games. i wonder how much those 13 year-olds can afford to spend on a game? maybe they will become attached to EA games (or whoever's) and become a good purchasing fan when they have a job in the near future?
like i said, i agree with you, but i think the huge mass of 13 year-olds pirating software isn't the problem (same with music) - they don't really have the money to buy those things. it's like the photoshop piracy thing, most people can't afford it, but when they can (in an office setting) they get their company to pay for many copies. when these kids are grown up (or at least a little older) they can afford their games, and then you can criticize them harshly for copyright infringement.
to add my own experience, i pirated dozens (perhaps hundreds) of games when i was 13. my room was also full of boxes of purchased games (from birthdays, christmas, etc.), and my house today as an adult is full of boxes/CDs for games and music that i spent a great deal of money on. i don't think harsh punishment when i was 13 would have helped; i couldn't afford the games then, and the ones i did like i asked for when my birthday/x-mas came around. if anything it just encouraged me to continue playing games into adulthood, where i can comfortably afford whatever games i want.
so, don't be so harsh on those kids. i'd say most of them will grow up, begin to work for a living, and enjoy encouraging game companies with the fruits of their own labor.
So, thanks! Totally unexpected. Now I'm off to find it and read it again. It's been many years.
Well, I had to jump through a hoop or two to get to the message (linking there gave me a 404, searching found it) - but, in the end it looks like there is a WASTE page here.
It's no big deal really, but come on, PA would love the ad impressions frankly they deserve it.
sheephead
SCO's stock symbol, if anyone was wondering, is SCOX.
sheephead
For example, if your DVD player isn't programmed into the remote (you know, look in the manual, find your manufacturer, enter a code) you can make your own, assign your own number, and upload it to the remote. Or do nearly anything else you want. Macros, keymoves, etc. It's complicated, but if you're reading /., you should love it.
Get started here.
sheephead
You can set up a Music module (basically, a menu choice) and set it to let you browse folders. You can tell it that JPGs are covers, and it will pull the first JPG it finds in each folder and use it as the image - so there are your covers. You can tell it that MP3 and OGG are your media types for this module, and it will display those and let you queue them/play them. If you want more information (for your movies, for example) you can use the included .my file editor - .my files are metadata files about your videos/music/etc. The program will generate .my files for you, though, so unless you want to add a lot of metadata you don't have to.
There is no interface to, say, IMDB, out-of-the-box. People unrelated to this program are writing their own cover downloaders, one I remember is called Gotcha Covered which I found on the AVS Forum but I think it is mentioned in the myHTPC forums as well - it will help you download covers for CDs and DVDs, although for just one or two covers I go to walmart or buy.com on my own. Walmart has good covers for CDs - 500x500, and a good selection. Just drop a JPG in your album folder and that's it, essentially.
I have been using the software for a month or a month and a half. But, the program has come miles since then, and it is not very old at all. Electronic Program Guide is the newest big addition and a fully skinnable interface is coming soon (XML based; you can set up icons rather than buttons, for example, and trigger programming based on button presses.)
So, there is setup involved. Go check out the forums for some help if you need it - I don't remember how good the wizard is, since I had mine set up before the wizard was introduced. The price is right and Pablo is amazing with the amount of work he's done for it - it's come farther than any other HTPC/menu program I've seen in a matter of months. If anything, you should keep your eye on it while you use Showshifter. It is coming along quickly.
Regarding the Bob Marley / Pulp Fiction screen shot... Couldn't tell ya. Probably an accident. :)
This ended up long. I don't have a lot of time to proof it for coherency :) ...get your feet wet with the program and I'm sure you can feel your way around. The forums on myHTPC.net would be a good place if you have trouble; plenty of people there, including myself when I have time.
sheephead
Play videos, MP3s, view the weather, XMLtv guide information, launch emulators like MAME and any others (see the forum for myGames), view visualization plugins with Winamp or Windows Media Player 9, launch executables, write your own plugins... view your MP3s by cover art, your games by screen shot, control it with a remote or a gamepad... (find a joy2key program in the forums to use a gamepad for now.)
Really, just check out the screen shots on the homepage. It's only been around for a few months and new releases come fast and furious thanks to Pablo's hard work. It is basically "like XP Media Center Edition, but better, and free." (as in beer, for now.)
sheephead
Library records are admissable - that's not really the issue. If you suspect someone of a crime, you must have reasons for your suspicions. You can get the records from Home Depot where they bought the supplies and the records from the library where they checked out the how-to book, after you get a warrant from a judge.
The problem is, they no longer have to have a warrant to find out what you (and everyone) checked out from the library. They don't need evidence. They don't need to ask a judge for a warrant - they can just take the records from the library and, further, it is illegal for the library to say that the FBI was in checking records.
I think it's fine to admit purchases as evidence, if a crime has been committed. It's also fine to admit your Blockbuster rentals or your library check-out list after you've been accused of a crime. But you can't just get the list of what everone at the library checked out just because you are the FBI. You need a warrant issued by a judge first.
It's the difference between investigating one person for a crime and casting a net out to find "undesirables," IMO.
sheephead
If this program only requires "activation" in order to download updates and doesn't disable the program if you fail to activate it, then that's a big difference. Stardock is using a carrot (extra goodies) while Microsoft is using a stick (activate or the program will stop working.) Also letting you download the full game if you have a serial number is nice, there is at least one game I have where the CD stopped working and I don't think there's much I can do about it. (Under a Killing Moon, it's a bit old at this point.)
This is just how I know Access works; I haven't used XP myself.
sheephead
Basically they are saying "This protection doesn't stop the reproduction of copyrighted works, it only prevents competition, so we should be able to work around the protection." That would be an exemption to the DMCA which says it is a violation to break any access-control mechanism. They aren't asking for the DMCA to be thrown out in whole.
Although, I thought the DMCA said you could break access-control mechanisms for the purpose of interoperability, which is exactly what SCC is doing. I'm a little surprised they aren't taking that route. Maybe it doesn't apply though. Like most, IANAL.
sheephead