Innerdimension.net

Over on PlanetSoldner they have just posted a FAQ regarding the US Beta Demo for Soldner: Secret Wars. It answers connection issues and alternate connection problems as well as some item / inventory questions and firing modes as well. You can find the faq here.

Over on SpamBlogging there is a recent post regarding a Irish Linux User Group user who caught a Spammer inside of the Internet Cafe he works at. It’s a pretty interesting read, and includes the attempt to eat a USB thumb drive, lol. You can read the article here.

Microsoft presents TechNet Radio, which is aimed at IT Professionals, that features the latest Microsoft information on trends and technologies in the IT Industry. Their first edition is in regards to IT security at Microsoft. You can get to the TechNet Radio site here.

OMG Microsoft bought Google AND Yahoo!!! Read it here!

It’s a pretty funny tech read for an April Fool’s joke.

I came across an article in The Daily Californian by Anna Kaufman discussing the social aspects of her iPod. She brings up how the iPod is becoming a prominent identifiable characteristic in everyday society, and its social implications, both positive and negative. Although her reliance on the iPod is at a much higher level than I can say I am at this point, most of the points in her article ring true.

The Broken just released episode #3 this week, with 30 minutes of footage. Features include another “Hacking with Ramzi” segment where they incinerate a laptop with thermite, Windows password basics, basic console modding, and an interview with Kevin Mitnick. Definitely worth checking out.

With the passing of SeventhGear, I’ve found a good successor in OffCamber.net. These ChampCar oriented forums have a lot of the big posters from 7G as members / posters on OffCamber. They have discussion forums for ChampCar, Formula 1, Ladder Series, Other Racing, Gatherings, and a Community forum as well. They even have a chat room, but I’ll probably still be sticking around on #7thgear on irc.xworld.org for raceday and general chat.

SeventhGear.com was sold to Crash.net and they officially made the transition final, squashing 7G’s forums forever. Being more of a forum “lurker” than a poster in the forums over there, I think that anyone who attended an “At the Track” event will miss 7G just for that level of interaction and involvement between members of the forum, as well as some acknowledgement around the paddock of what 7G members did as fans of the sport.

The #7thgear chatroom on the XWorld IRC network is the only item left of what was THE premier place to go for CART news / gossip / banter / and interaction that can only dream of being filled by one entity.

I know that I’ll be hanging out in #7thgear during raceday, but I plan on making OffCamber.net my new racing home. After looking around at the alternatives, this looks like the place I think that has the mindset and moderators to keep things sane and view bashing to a foam pugil stick instead of a sharp mace.

Here’s to the passing of a good friend, and the beginning of a great future at OffCamber.net.

I came across an article in Wired discussing the concept of “jacking”, the act of going up to fellow iPod users and offering your headphone jack to take a listen. The basic concept turns your iPod into a DJ of some sorts, and also is an open sharing of your music style, and a bit of your personality as well. It’s a very interesting social concept that in the article, opened one person’s mind to a whole new genre of music as well as created a fellow bond between iPod users in that area.

Today at CES, TiVo unveiled several new services and products.

Products:
First off is the DirecTV HDTiVo. This first High Definition DVR from TiVo features not one, not two, but four tuners and can automatically identify whether an incoming signal is satellite or from off-air, and use the appropriate tuner. TiVo says this will be released Q1 of this year. Other hardware includes DVD/TiVo combo units from Toshiba and Humax, both available in the fall, and Humax stand alone Series 2 units in 80 and 250 hour units in Q2 of this year.

Home Media Option additions
TiVo also announced additions to its Home Media Option service that allow new photo and music options integrated into the TiVo experience. Two photo additions and two music additions encompass the new additions to HMO. On the audio side, TiVo will now be able to access XM PC Radio devices over the home network, scroll through all of the XM Stations and the digital quality using the TiVo menus and the TiVo remote. There is also support with Moodlogic that automatically categorizes and manages music based on Genre, Artist, Tempo, Year, and Mood using it’s internet based service. You can access your MoodLogic properties, as well as create playlists from within TiVo. On the photo side, album publishing capabilities from Adobe and Picasa help make it easier to manage and publish photo albums for viewing on your TiVo either as a slideshow or a one-by-one presentation.

TiVoToGo
The most exciting thing for me was the announcement of TiVoToGo, a new service release (now is this an included update or an add on like HMO, that’s the question) for subscribers with Home Media Option can move programs from a TiVo DVR to any PC for viewing as well as burned to a DVD. TiVoToGo utilizes Sonic Solution MyDVD and CinePlayer to playback and record TiVo programs, as well as requiring a TiVo Content Security Key. The key is used on the PC to unlock the files for playback or burning, preventing files from being shared online (for now 😉 ), outside of the user’s home network. TiVo is planning extra services and capabilities developed by themselves and third parties to extend or work with TiVoToGo, including such products like those from BravoBrava! that allow TiVo owners with HMO to program their TiVos remotely from a PDA or cell phone. TiVo says the key and software bundle will be sold at TiVo’s website, www.tivo.com, and is expected to be available in fall 2004.

All in all a very large announcement from TiVo, and it makes me want to plunk down the extra $99 now for HMO, so I can be first in line for TiVoToGo!

Press Releases:
TiVo CES Product Press Release
TiVo Home Media Option additions
TiVo TiVoToGo Product Announcement