I probably do watch more television than I did pre-TiVo. But, I only watch what I want to watch and I skip commercials. I also only watch television when I want to watch television. Never again does a scheduled show dictate what I'm going to be doing that night.
I don't even know when some of my favorite shows come on. It's in my 'Now Playing' list, that's all I need to know.
My iPaq seems to be determined to fall apart. I had a problem with the headphone jack, Compaq fixed that. Now the stylus won't stay clicked in. I found out that the latch used to hold the stylus is plastic. Eventually it wears down and no more clicky stylus. A 3rd party aluminum latch is $50. I think I'll just order the Sony. The only advantage of the iPaq that I use on a consistent basis is PocketWord and PocketExcel. Transcriber just doesn't work for me.
Try expertsatellite.com. I bought one of my two DirecTiVo boxes from them. No complaints at all.
DirecTiVo system (w/ dish) for $29.95: http://www.expertsatellite.com/dircomsyswit.html When I bought mine, I got the Hughes receiver. This is the Philips receiver. Exact same thing, but the Philips is a black box and the Hughes is silver. I would have preferred black, but I LOVE being able to record 4 shows at once. Can't say I've ever had to (I think I've recorded 3 at once), but it's great to never have to worry about conflicts. Survivor, Friends and Family Guy all get recorded.
Watching sports is great too. Pause one game, hit one button and you're now watching another game. After a while, pause it and switch back to the first game. Watch it (fast-forwarding through commercials of course) and when you catch up to live TV, repeat.
Well since the TiVo is constantly streaming the data from it's hard drive, it's NEVER live TV. You're always a second or so behind.
The point it that you can start watching a show X minutes after it starts, using the FF to 'catch up' to live TV during commercials, between plays, etc.
The FF is so smooth that it's very easy to zip through the replay, huddle, etc. and stop right at the next snap.
AiboPet's software also helped Sony sell more accessories. Aibo memory sticks are $35 a pop. As far as memory stick reader/writers, Sony's are VERY recommended in the Aibo community.
Not only is AiboPet helping sell more Aibos, but the sale of accessories you need to use his software is money in Sony's pocket too.
Remote control not a new feature.
on
New AIBO Demo'd
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· Score: 1
As others have pointed out, Sony still hasn't made the aibohack situation right, so screw Sony's new Aibo products until they do. For that matter, screw all of Sony's products.
But I digress...
The remote control via a video link feature isn't new to the 220 series. The 210's can do the same thing with an Aibo wireless card (apparently just an Orinoco Silver card shaped so only it will fit into the Aibo and they can charge $200), the Navigator software and a PC with a wireless card.
Actually, the 210 (previous version, not counting the Pokemon-lookin' 310) and the new 220 are pretty much the same underneath all that chrome. Sony is going to offer a kit that will allow the 210 to become a 220. The brick inside is the same, just the appendages are different. The new software will work with the 210 or the 220, as well as accessories (it looks like the 210 charging station will work with the 220).
Based on the humorous jabs at Palm sprinkled throughout the article, it seems that the author feels that this is the application that Pocket PCs need to really overtake Palm.
A lot of Pocket PC owners turn their nose up at Palm handhelds, declaring them unfit for use due to a lack of color, high resolution display, multimedia capabilities, etc. And yet this app appears to be the holy grail of the Pocket PC world. Strange.
So do the more extreme zealots in the Pocket PC camp look forward to using the Palm to-do list? Probably not. I think they feel that this is going to open the floodgates and people are now going to swarm to the Pocket PC camp. Do they really think that this is going to influence that many people into buying a Pocket PC over a Palm handheld? I just can't see that many everyday users passing on the Palm and purchasing a Pocket PC based on the fact that this emulator exists. Sure, some people will, but I don't see it making that much of a difference.
I have an iPaq and I admit that this emulator interests me, but I think it's because I miss the Palm core apps. IMO, the only thing my iPaq has over the new Sony is Pocket Word and Excel. If I had it to do over again, I'd stick with the Palm OS.
I think this is a fairly common reaction. IMO, until people read more about this case and really look at the big picture, the typical reaction is "what's the big deal?".
A monopoly is not illegal. It's using that monopoly to further detriment your competitors that is illegal. Everyone says "gee, so they're successful, good for them". Do some research on WHY they are successful.
Coca-Cola owns the carbonated soft-drink business, but in the non-carbonated world of beverages, Pepsi is the leader. Besides, I don't think Coke is telling Safeway that if they don't move the Pepsi display out of the building then they won't get any Coca-Cola Classic.
But the Worm light relies on the system for power. Wouldn't a backlit display draw about the same about of power?
Aren't backlit displays a bit better about power consumption than they used to be?
According to portablemonopoly.com, lighting accessories are selling at almost a 1:1 ratio with the GBA. Something's not right.
I have a GBA (probably going to sell it) and the screen is way too dark, IMHO. I would rather have a backlit display with an on/off switch and sacrifice some battery life.
PSO version 2.0 is due to be released in a few weeks. Sega has indicated that they are going to charge to play this version. European and Japanese players have been paying for the original PSO. ~$10 for 3 months IIRC.
It never crossed my mind to use a TiVo without the service. I did some research before buying one and realized that it just didn't offer that much without the service (granted, it apparently used to offer more). I think TiVo is covered legally due to the disclaimer in the manual stating that they can change the service at any time. That may be perceived as sleazy to the people who bought the device with the intention of never subscribing, but I don't think they've broken any laws.
IMO, the service is easily worth $10/month or $250/lifetime. The new features in the recent 2.0 software are just gravy. Now that we're into repeats being aired, I just went through and changed all of my season passes from 'Repeats and first run' to 'First run only'. If the show is a repeat, it doesn't record it. When the new season starts up, it will record my favorites automatically. That's just one example of why I think TiVo sometimes gets overlooked. It's hard to describe everything that you get for $10 in a few sentences, so TiVo is sometimes perceived as a glorified VCR.
Check out all of the features that $10/month gives you. It may not be worth it to you, but do that research before buying a TiVo. IMO, it's easily worth it (I bought 2).
This is mainly in response to all of the 'Bah! My Cocker Spaniel can do the same thing with a video capture board' posts. TiVo's software & service do offer some pretty advanced features.
That's the first thing I thought of when I read this story. I have fiber to the curb, but can't get DSL. Distance to the CO is 45,000 ft+, but a friend in the next neighborhood over had DSL installed a couple of months ago so I'm assuming that there's a DSLAM nearby.
By brother-in-law works for BellSouth and he recommended IFITL. I did some checking and found out that a co-worker has it.
From what I understand (which isn't much), if you have fiber to the curb, IFITL is the only solution.
I wasn't aware that it was only a BellSouth thing though. My brother-in-law did say that it was something that was going to get canned (not intended for mass market), but some BS VPs have it at home and kept it alive.
In the meantime, I'm getting good performance from my Ricochet wireless modem (not DSL performance, but better than 56k dial-up).
I recently started using the Ricochet wireless modem and so far, I love it. I can't get DSL or Cable modem service yet and this is an alternative that is much better than a dial-up 56k connection. I'm in an Atlanta suburb and I'm getting 150-180Kb/s downloads and ~85Kb/s up.
Is Dvorak's pedestal getting shorter...
on
Calling Out TiVo
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· Score: 1
... or am I getting taller?
Based on reading the article, here's what we know:
Dvorak has no idea that NBC, CBS, and AOL (among others) are investors in TiVo. Maybe they know something that he doesn't? I know, it's hard to get your head around that concept, but let's just pretend for now. Maybe advertising as we know it is about to change? TiVo doesn't have a 30 second skip button, mainly to appease it's investors who provide content (NBC, CBS, etc). You can fast-forward through commercials quickly, but you can easily go back and watch something if it catches your eye.
Here's a scenario that might keep all of us TiVo owners out of the pokey and help John C. sleep at night:
I'm watching TV and I fast-forward through a group of commercials. I notice and ad for that new SUV that I'm thinking about buying. I go back and watch the 30 second spot. During the commercial, a TiVo IPreview icon pops up (currently used by NBC and a couple of other networks to allow me to record a show with one button press). I click the thumbs-up button and continue on to my show. That night, my TiVo downloads a 3 minute infomercial about that SUV.
Yes, that download of a 3 minute infomercial wouldn't really be feasible using the current TiVo's modem, but we're talking about future plans and we're also in the hypothetical realm here (see reference to Dvorak possibly being unaware of some aspect related to this issue).
I'm happy because I get more info on a product that I'm interested in. SUV's-R-Us is happy because they have just sent info to someone they KNOW is interested in their product, vs. a mass mailing or buying more commercial time.
NBC is happy because the SUV company still pays for the production of more episodes of "Fightin' Fitzgeralds". NBC's gotta be happy about something. Never mind that they are the only ones who are happy about it.
John C. Dvorak is happy because no laws are being broken (thank you St. Dvorak) so he can move on to another clueless diatribe. Maybe he can even invest some time and figure out how these oh-so-complicated devices work.
C'mon, if he can't figure out a TiVo, do you really think you should trust his opinion on all things technical? Of course, you don't, it's the Forbes readers that I worry about.
There's a lot more to it than just pausing live TV. I agree, it's currently a bit too expensive for the masses to embrace it, but hard drive prices are dropping. TiVo recently announced that they are planning on developing a new model that will cost less to produce (and therefore cost consumers less). TiVo is one of those devices that you have to spend a few minutes with to truly appreciate it. You can't describe all of the features in just a few minutes. Sure, it's not for everyone, but there's more to it than just pausing live TV.
How is that relelvant? Weren't those two distinct cases? So it's an all or nothing thing. You have to agree with ALL U.S. judicial rulings or NONE of them. I'm guessing that your point is that you shouldn't just take with the U.S. government decides in a court as the absolute best judegement. Even so, I don't see how you can say that the courts are wrong about Mircrosoft because they are wrong about Napster.
Did anyone read any of the testimony in the Microsoft case? Based on what I read, it wasn't even close. Economists who had previously testified on behalf of Microsoft in other cases testified against them in this case. The testimony by Gates and other Microsoft execs was at times laughable. I'm paraphrasing here, but...
DOJ attorney: "Did you write this email Mr. Gates"
BG: "No."
DOJ attorney: "Then who did?"
BG: "A computer."
Slashdot Mirror
The opposite for me.
I probably do watch more television than I did pre-TiVo. But, I only watch what I want to watch and I skip commercials. I also only watch television when I want to watch television. Never again does a scheduled show dictate what I'm going to be doing that night.
I don't even know when some of my favorite shows come on. It's in my 'Now Playing' list, that's all I need to know.
I did my part. I bought one this past weekend.
I've been researching the Zaurus this week, thinking it might be my next PDA.
From what I've read, this is exactly the problem that Mossberg encountered. The XP firewall must be disabled in order to sync the Zaurus.
It's a shame the Zaurus is getting slammed for this.
Your point still stands, but Aibos are $1,000 after a $300 rebate. This is for the 210 model that is pictured in the article.
My iPaq seems to be determined to fall apart. I had a problem with the headphone jack, Compaq fixed that. Now the stylus won't stay clicked in. I found out that the latch used to hold the stylus is plastic. Eventually it wears down and no more clicky stylus. A 3rd party aluminum latch is $50. I think I'll just order the Sony. The only advantage of the iPaq that I use on a consistent basis is PocketWord and PocketExcel. Transcriber just doesn't work for me.
My DirecTiVo boxes have s-video and optical digital audio out.
Try expertsatellite.com. I bought one of my two DirecTiVo boxes from them. No complaints at all.
DirecTiVo system (w/ dish) for $29.95: http://www.expertsatellite.com/dircomsyswit.html
When I bought mine, I got the Hughes receiver. This is the Philips receiver. Exact same thing, but the Philips is a black box and the Hughes is silver. I would have preferred black, but I LOVE being able to record 4 shows at once. Can't say I've ever had to (I think I've recorded 3 at once), but it's great to never have to worry about conflicts. Survivor, Friends and Family Guy all get recorded.
Watching sports is great too. Pause one game, hit one button and you're now watching another game. After a while, pause it and switch back to the first game. Watch it (fast-forwarding through commercials of course) and when you catch up to live TV, repeat.
Well since the TiVo is constantly streaming the data from it's hard drive, it's NEVER live TV. You're always a second or so behind.
The point it that you can start watching a show X minutes after it starts, using the FF to 'catch up' to live TV during commercials, between plays, etc.
The FF is so smooth that it's very easy to zip through the replay, huddle, etc. and stop right at the next snap.
AiboPet's software also helped Sony sell more accessories. Aibo memory sticks are $35 a pop. As far as memory stick reader/writers, Sony's are VERY recommended in the Aibo community.
Not only is AiboPet helping sell more Aibos, but the sale of accessories you need to use his software is money in Sony's pocket too.
As others have pointed out, Sony still hasn't made the aibohack situation right, so screw Sony's new Aibo products until they do. For that matter, screw all of Sony's products.
But I digress...
The remote control via a video link feature isn't new to the 220 series. The 210's can do the same thing with an Aibo wireless card (apparently just an Orinoco Silver card shaped so only it will fit into the Aibo and they can charge $200), the Navigator software and a PC with a wireless card.
Actually, the 210 (previous version, not counting the Pokemon-lookin' 310) and the new 220 are pretty much the same underneath all that chrome. Sony is going to offer a kit that will allow the 210 to become a 220. The brick inside is the same, just the appendages are different. The new software will work with the 210 or the 220, as well as accessories (it looks like the 210 charging station will work with the 220).
Have they managed to improve his driving skills?
Oops. Should've been posted to the Palm emulator thread. Time for more caffeine...
Based on the humorous jabs at Palm sprinkled throughout the article, it seems that the author feels that this is the application that Pocket PCs need to really overtake Palm.
A lot of Pocket PC owners turn their nose up at Palm handhelds, declaring them unfit for use due to a lack of color, high resolution display, multimedia capabilities, etc. And yet this app appears to be the holy grail of the Pocket PC world. Strange.
So do the more extreme zealots in the Pocket PC camp look forward to using the Palm to-do list? Probably not. I think they feel that this is going to open the floodgates and people are now going to swarm to the Pocket PC camp. Do they really think that this is going to influence that many people into buying a Pocket PC over a Palm handheld? I just can't see that many everyday users passing on the Palm and purchasing a Pocket PC based on the fact that this emulator exists. Sure, some people will, but I don't see it making that much of a difference.
I have an iPaq and I admit that this emulator interests me, but I think it's because I miss the Palm core apps. IMO, the only thing my iPaq has over the new Sony is Pocket Word and Excel. If I had it to do over again, I'd stick with the Palm OS.
I think this is a fairly common reaction. IMO, until people read more about this case and really look at the big picture, the typical reaction is "what's the big deal?".
A monopoly is not illegal. It's using that monopoly to further detriment your competitors that is illegal. Everyone says "gee, so they're successful, good for them". Do some research on WHY they are successful.
Coca-Cola owns the carbonated soft-drink business, but in the non-carbonated world of beverages, Pepsi is the leader. Besides, I don't think Coke is telling Safeway that if they don't move the Pepsi display out of the building then they won't get any Coca-Cola Classic.
But the Worm light relies on the system for power. Wouldn't a backlit display draw about the same about of power?
Aren't backlit displays a bit better about power consumption than they used to be?
According to portablemonopoly.com, lighting accessories are selling at almost a 1:1 ratio with the GBA. Something's not right.
I have a GBA (probably going to sell it) and the screen is way too dark, IMHO. I would rather have a backlit display with an on/off switch and sacrifice some battery life.
I would attribute it to ReplayTV's deceptive advertising. They take advantage of the fact that most people are too stupid to do the math.
30 hour Panasonic Showstopper with no monthly fee: $550 (after rebate).
30 hour TiVo: $300.
Lifetime subscription: $250.
Total $550.
Why is this so hard??
PSO version 2.0 is due to be released in a few weeks. Sega has indicated that they are going to charge to play this version. European and Japanese players have been paying for the original PSO. ~$10 for 3 months IIRC.
It never crossed my mind to use a TiVo without the service. I did some research before buying one and realized that it just didn't offer that much without the service (granted, it apparently used to offer more). I think TiVo is covered legally due to the disclaimer in the manual stating that they can change the service at any time. That may be perceived as sleazy to the people who bought the device with the intention of never subscribing, but I don't think they've broken any laws.
IMO, the service is easily worth $10/month or $250/lifetime. The new features in the recent 2.0 software are just gravy. Now that we're into repeats being aired, I just went through and changed all of my season passes from 'Repeats and first run' to 'First run only'. If the show is a repeat, it doesn't record it. When the new season starts up, it will record my favorites automatically. That's just one example of why I think TiVo sometimes gets overlooked. It's hard to describe everything that you get for $10 in a few sentences, so TiVo is sometimes perceived as a glorified VCR.
Check out all of the features that $10/month gives you. It may not be worth it to you, but do that research before buying a TiVo. IMO, it's easily worth it (I bought 2).
This is mainly in response to all of the 'Bah! My Cocker Spaniel can do the same thing with a video capture board' posts. TiVo's software & service do offer some pretty advanced features.
That's the first thing I thought of when I read this story. I have fiber to the curb, but can't get DSL. Distance to the CO is 45,000 ft+, but a friend in the next neighborhood over had DSL installed a couple of months ago so I'm assuming that there's a DSLAM nearby.
By brother-in-law works for BellSouth and he recommended IFITL. I did some checking and found out that a co-worker has it.
From what I understand (which isn't much), if you have fiber to the curb, IFITL is the only solution.
I wasn't aware that it was only a BellSouth thing though. My brother-in-law did say that it was something that was going to get canned (not intended for mass market), but some BS VPs have it at home and kept it alive.
In the meantime, I'm getting good performance from my Ricochet wireless modem (not DSL performance, but better than 56k dial-up).
I recently started using the Ricochet wireless modem and so far, I love it. I can't get DSL or Cable modem service yet and this is an alternative that is much better than a dial-up 56k connection. I'm in an Atlanta suburb and I'm getting 150-180Kb/s downloads and ~85Kb/s up.
... or am I getting taller?
Based on reading the article, here's what we know:
Dvorak has no idea that NBC, CBS, and AOL (among others) are investors in TiVo. Maybe they know something that he doesn't? I know, it's hard to get your head around that concept, but let's just pretend for now. Maybe advertising as we know it is about to change? TiVo doesn't have a 30 second skip button, mainly to appease it's investors who provide content (NBC, CBS, etc). You can fast-forward through commercials quickly, but you can easily go back and watch something if it catches your eye.
Here's a scenario that might keep all of us TiVo owners out of the pokey and help John C. sleep at night:
I'm watching TV and I fast-forward through a group of commercials. I notice and ad for that new SUV that I'm thinking about buying. I go back and watch the 30 second spot. During the commercial, a TiVo IPreview icon pops up (currently used by NBC and a couple of other networks to allow me to record a show with one button press). I click the thumbs-up button and continue on to my show. That night, my TiVo downloads a 3 minute infomercial about that SUV.
Yes, that download of a 3 minute infomercial wouldn't really be feasible using the current TiVo's modem, but we're talking about future plans and we're also in the hypothetical realm here (see reference to Dvorak possibly being unaware of some aspect related to this issue).
I'm happy because I get more info on a product that I'm interested in. SUV's-R-Us is happy because they have just sent info to someone they KNOW is interested in their product, vs. a mass mailing or buying more commercial time.
NBC is happy because the SUV company still pays for the production of more episodes of "Fightin' Fitzgeralds". NBC's gotta be happy about something. Never mind that they are the only ones who are happy about it.
John C. Dvorak is happy because no laws are being broken (thank you St. Dvorak) so he can move on to another clueless diatribe. Maybe he can even invest some time and figure out how these oh-so-complicated devices work.
C'mon, if he can't figure out a TiVo, do you really think you should trust his opinion on all things technical? Of course, you don't, it's the Forbes readers that I worry about.
There's a lot more to it than just pausing live TV. I agree, it's currently a bit too expensive for the masses to embrace it, but hard drive prices are dropping. TiVo recently announced that they are planning on developing a new model that will cost less to produce (and therefore cost consumers less). TiVo is one of those devices that you have to spend a few minutes with to truly appreciate it. You can't describe all of the features in just a few minutes. Sure, it's not for everyone, but there's more to it than just pausing live TV.
How is that relelvant? Weren't those two distinct cases? So it's an all or nothing thing. You have to agree with ALL U.S. judicial rulings or NONE of them. I'm guessing that your point is that you shouldn't just take with the U.S. government decides in a court as the absolute best judegement. Even so, I don't see how you can say that the courts are wrong about Mircrosoft because they are wrong about Napster.
Did anyone read any of the testimony in the Microsoft case? Based on what I read, it wasn't even close. Economists who had previously testified on behalf of Microsoft in other cases testified against them in this case. The testimony by Gates and other Microsoft execs was at times laughable. I'm paraphrasing here, but...
DOJ attorney: "Did you write this email Mr. Gates"
BG: "No."
DOJ attorney: "Then who did?"
BG: "A computer."
I had always thought that the case against Microsoft was iffy at best. Then I read more about it. Read the November Wired article (among other things): The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nothing But The Truth
But Crazy Taxi 2 isn't (unless something has changed).