You are currently browsing the monthly archive for February, 2007.
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VMware throws down the gauntlet. Civil disobedience by people like me is probably what’s required to continue pushing the virtualization of MS server products.
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Via Brad Sucks, regarding the Gizmodo RIAA boycott in March. Good points are made about what the RIAA isn’t.
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“Do you think that when Viridian, Microsoft’s hypervisor, eventually comes out and has ‘live migration’ that they’ll find a way to decouple licenses from physical hardware?” Yes.
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US Patent 7,065,417 reads like a team of lawyers salivating over an iPod, Nomad, or other ground-breaking MP3 player. Yes, it’s that dumb.
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We just ran across The Killers on Austin City Limits and I noticed their bassist uses a GLJB with an Ampeg stack and gets a great tone.
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I abandoned MT for my personal blog because of the load caused by comment spam. I only use it as a CMS with no comments or trackback enabled now.
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“When quizzed on Microsoft’s plans, Mr. Ballmer replied, ‘Our view is that virtualization is something that should be built into the operating system.’” Interesting timing.
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“McGahee didn’t spend any time in Buffalo last offseason learning the new playbook under coach Dick Jauron. The Bills are expecting more of the same this offseason.”
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I find it interesting that the “little people” are featured in the anti-copying propaganda on DVDs and theaters but are supposedly not going to be honored during tonight’s Oscar telecast.
Blog Maverick: The Future of TV Programming - In High Def vs For High Def
Content shot for TV today is shot and protected for its biggest possible audience, which for today and at least the next 7 to 10 years is going to be an audience watching on a 4×3 TV. Even with the analog cutoff coming in Feb of 2009, most people who watch TV will watch on a regular, non HDTV.
[..]
Because TV Networks, whether broadcast or cable want to sell ads and reach the largest possible audience, they have to produce their content so that it is viable on the lowest common denominator of TV reception, the 20″ analog TV. The conventional wisdom is that dramas and high end shows are shot in film while comedies are shot on HD Tape, and reality shows are regular tape. But all are shot “protected” for regular 4×3 TVs.
I disagree with this assessment (and HDNet commercial), assuming that the analog TV shutdown happens as planned in 2009.
When only ATSC signals are available over the air (OTA), either standard-def (usually 4:3, sometimes letterboxed) or high-def (always 16:9, sometimes windowboxed) programming will be available though those channels. The major broadcast networks are committed to HD, and at this point I think it’s unlikely that HD ATSC broadcast stations won’t be the norm. As a result, we should be able to assume that through those pipes 16:9 content will flow. OTA ATSC set-top boxes (STBs) intended for 4:3 analog TVs may offer a zoomed crop for 16:9 programming, but I think it’s more likely that they’ll letterbox it, like a DVD player does for a 4:3 TV when it plays anamorphic widescreen content. That would mean that it’s a lot less likely that new programming, the majority of which should be broadcast 16:9, whether native widescreen or windowboxed, would be viewed on an analog 4:3 TV as native 4:3, This would negate the lowest common denominator that Mark Cuban describes.
I continue to wonder what the cable companies will do with their analog service once OTA NTSC goes away. I think that if they continue providing analog service, they’ll take the OTA HD ATSC channels and letterbox them as well. However, there’s the chance that they’ll stop offering analog cable service all together and customers with analog non-HD TVs will have to use a STB just like their OTA brethren.
And what will the satellite companies do? Who knows?
I have nothing against HDNet or Mr. Cuban, but I read that post as FUD-mongering and wanted to give it a little of my perspective.
Update: Apparently this article isn’t published on the Blog Maverick site right now. I was reading it through Bloglines’ cache and reacted to it based on reading it there. We’ll see if the article re-appears, although I have the content cached if it isn’t.
Update 2 (6:45am 2/25): The referenced article is public now. Reading it again this morning, I see he’s referring to both broadcast and cable networks. My points obviously apply to just the broadcast networks, who should pull the overall trend towards 16:9 programming (or at least, presentation) once the analog shutdown is complete.
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Microsoft ordered to pay $1.5 billion in MP3 patent lawsuit
Shoulda used Ogg Vorbis!
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TeraTerm 3.1.3 - Telnet, SSH2, SSL Client with built in Web Server
Don’t know if it’ll work on Vista Ultimate, but it supports serial connections.
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WIRED Blogs: Listening Post: RIAA Fights Back, Threatens Open Wi-Fi
I have not changed my opinion that the RIAA is loco.
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Wired News: MP3’s Loss, Open Source’s Gain
“Vorbis is not a slam-dunk, however. Notably, its royalty-free claims have not been sanctioned by MP3 patent-holders and companies that adopt it could wind up with exactly the same legal headaches that Microsoft suffered this week over MP3.” I bet Microsoft would pay for an Ogg Vorbis patent search…
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Steve Jobs’ iTunes dance | Salon Technology
“If DRM is designed to prevent copying, why is it that vendors always end up building “security” systems with all the integrity of a wet paper bag?”
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Last night’s Heroes episode was great. Multiple plotlines moved significantly; I only wish Lost would sometimes move at this speed.
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I haven’t read these yet.
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A great read.
I’m going to have some good stuff to listen around the time our new baby arrives. New Porcupine Tree (April 24th) and Rush (May 1st) albums are due in the few weeks before the baby is due (May 9th-ish).
I’m hoping neither album suffers from “louder is better” syndrome…
Update: Can’t hurt to throw a few links out there if you don’t know what I’m referring to.
Harrisburg Patriot-News, Thursday, February 15, 2007:
[PennDOT District 8 spokesman Greg] Penny stressed PennDOT does not have a bare-pavement policy. “Our policy is to make the roads passable and safe,” he said.
Based on the condition many side streets in Lower Paxton and Swatara townships are still in days after this storm, I’d say the municipalities don’t have a bare-pavement policy, either. It’s quite a bumpy ride around here; packed snow and ice partially or fully covers many roads. I don’t think we’ve seen a plow or salter on my street (Harvest Drive) for days.
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Watch one of the Atlantis’ solid rocket boosters fall from outer space.
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“Under league rules, teams are allowed to spread guaranteed signing bonuses over the duration of a contract to reduce the cap hit. The Bills, however, count bonuses as dollars spent for that season no matter the contract’s length.”
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+1 to everything Jeremiah says in this comment.
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Free VST plugins. Haven’t tested them yet.
Ryan and I are back in after shoveling around 5 inches of slush off about half the driveway. I didn’t want us to overdo it, since the storm’s not done yet. I think it’s interesting that PennDOT doesn’t want to plow the current slush off due to the possibility of creating slick roads. The temps are high enough that salt should keep the roads wet. Is it just that PennDOT doesn’t have enough salt or non-skid materials to effectively coat the roads?
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Most interesting “guitar bling” I’ve seen in quite a while.
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“The following is an article Dave [Marsh] has put together to address the misconceptions in the paper, followed by answers to what we expect will be the most frequent questions in the minds of our customers.”
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The analog VGA was the standard for such a long time, some of us just got used to it.
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Looking forward to Barcelona.
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Via Bruce Schneier
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This is the first non-Intel, non-AMD test I’ve seen that pits the Xeon 53xx series against the Opteron 8xxx series using VMware workload. The Xeon 5300 fares extremely well.
Peter King: Monday Morning Quarterback, Sunday, February 11, 2007
Late in the afternoon, we visited the physical therapy center [at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center] and chatted with soldiers getting used to their new prostheses. Just before we were going to leave, one soldier called me over.
“You’re Peter King, right?” he said.
“Yes,” I said.
“You guys ever going to put Art Monk in the Hall of Fame?”
“We’re trying,” I said.
If you don’t feel that after watching this video, you aren’t a football fan:
Scott (he’s given me the fever) and I will remind people of this until Art Monk gets in. He should be the next wide receiver in the Hall Of Fame, and deserved to get in well before Michael Irvin. Others feel similarly.
If Irvin chooses to use his HOF induction speech in August to call for Art Monk’s induction, that might help matters. The sports writers who vote for the Hall obviously hold him (Irvin) in high regard.
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I’ll never forgive Wade Phillips for benching Doug Flutie when the Bills were going into the ‘99 playoffs.
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The US mint’s new money-making scheme - 4 new presidental gold dollars per year starting this year.
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I’ve liked OpenID since I heard of it. My new homepage will have an associated OpenID. When I get around to it.
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Jobs’ open letter to the music industry to drop DRM.
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There are artists on iTunes whose creative work is Creative Commons licensed. Colin Mutchler is one. When his stuff first went into iTunes, he requested the DRM be turned off. The request was refused. But if no-DRM is Apple’s preferred policy, then let
Just watched tonight’s Heroes and loved the Star Trek reference they threw in. The car carrying Hiro’s father (played by George Takei) has a NY license plate, number NCC 1701. Saw it in real time and flipped back to re-watch to make sure. 
Update (2/6): It’s mentioned on the Heroes Wiki: Star Trek page.
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Where’s Ed Hochuli?
Former Buffalo Bills running back Thurman Thomas’ Wikipedia entry has already been updated to reflect that he’s been selected for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2007. Congratulations!
Go watch some Terry Tate, Office Linebacker commercials. 
Go Colts!
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This is hilarious.
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“The Dolphins were one of six teams willing to move a home game next season, and were chosen over San Francisco, Seattle, Buffalo, Kansas City and New Orleans.”
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Save money if you’re going to purchase Windows Vista.
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Go Brett!
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I think it’s ironic that this suit comes after Dell has started using AMD processors.
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