Off to a quick lunch, but first a posting of some of the articles in my reading pile, courtesy of del.icio.us. Keep in mind that many of the descriptions are taken directly from the articles.
Macworld 2008 coverage (CNET News) – By CNET staff, 1/15/2008 — “Macworld 2008 is under way, and CNET’s fleet of editors is blogging the keynote, scouring the show floor, and digging up the best and most novel Apple announcements, gadgets, hardware, and software coming from Macworld 2008.”
More info on the Apple Stores… saved by 25 other people …
More info on Windows Vista Team Blog : Windows Vista Power Management
Live from Macworld 2008: Steve Jobs keynote – Engadget… saved by 164 other people
Hardware hack: Silence Your Xbox 360 with a New Fan (lifehacker) – I’m not clear if such a mod will get you banned on Xbox Live, but here ExtremeTech walks through how to replace the stock fan unit on an this Xbox 360 (which they say “screams like a 747”) with a whisper quiet, $25 alternative.
Related: Want to know how the Xbox 360 is assembled? Then see this slideshow on CNET News for a look at the insides of the new Xbox 360 Elite: this slide link includes a look at the fan location and mounting.
Mark my words, Sony may well regret its victory in the video disc war – Times Online – “Sony faces a paradox: the impending success of Blu-ray could be bad news for the company because it will distract it from the real task of developing digital download systems. Blu-ray might well turn out to be the worst thing that ever happened…
What’s Your Pick for the Best and Weirdest of C.E.S.? – Bits – Technology – New York Times Blog
HD DVDs Fall Like Dominoes – Bits – Technology – New York Times Blog – By Saul Hansell — Nothing has been announced, but Variety is reporting that the last two major studios backing HD DVD — NBC Universal and Paramount — are opening the door for a switch to Blu-ray.
DVD Movies With an iTunes Copy: Worth More? – Bits – Technology – New York Times Blog – More interestingly perhaps, the studios are hoping to create “premium” versions of DVDs that include a copy of the movie that can easily be put on an iPod (and presumably a laptop with iTunes or an Apple TV).
Melinda Gates goes public – Jan. 7, 2008 (Fortune) … about living with Bill, working with Warren Buffett, and giving away their billions. By Patricia Sellers, editor at large… saved by 13 other people
Screenshot Tour: Early Look at Office Live Workspace Beta – Office Live is, at the moment, only worth your time if you prefer to edit words, spreadsheets, and other documents in Microsoft’s Office products…. saved by 9 other people
Featured Windows Download: Automatically Remove Ads from Recorded TV with Lifextender – Free, open source Vista application and Media Center plugin Lifextender removes commercials from Windows Media Center-recorded TV shows, cutting the average 30 minute show down to around 22 minutes… saved by 35 other people …
Microsoft enters the interactive TV market with DVR Anywhere – DMNews – “Microsoft Mediaroom Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) and multimedia platform. With DVR Anywhere, viewers can watch recorded programs from multiple TVs in the home while simultaneously recording other shows.
RIAA chief says ripping okay, Sony BMG lawyer “misspoke” during Jammie Thomas trial – Engadget – Posted Jan 4th 2008 6:59PM by Nilay Patel
Newegg.com – Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31000340AS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive – An additional HDD for your new HP Home Server EX470 or EX475
Conspicuous by its absence, Vista is a no-show at CES – Sharon Fisher and Scott M. Fulton, III — January 10, 2008 — One of the consumer electronics industry’s biggest brands has had an ever-diminishing presence at CES, and the trend continued this year. It’s Windows, which this year moved from the backseat…
Home Server Hacks: Upgrade the Memory in your HP EX470 or EX475 – HP claims that the RAM can not be upgraded, but that just isn’t so. The HP EX470/475 contains a single 512 MB stick of PC2 – 5300 667MHz memory.
The Gap In Google’s Defenses (Forbes.com) – Sramana Mitra 01.11.08 — “Google is powerful, with 64.5% of all U.S. searches (as of Oct. 27) and 79% of the click ad market. But is Google invincible? I’ve laid out Google’s strengths and weaknesses.”
FiOS tops satisfaction survey; worth moving for? (arstechnica) – In Consumer Reports, Verizon’s fiber optic FiOS service was rated best of breed, and the FiOS television service trumped all comers, including DirecTV, AT&T, Comcast, and Time Warner. By Nate Anderson, January 10, 2008
Analysis: Will streaming HD movies bypass Blu-ray? (betanews) – by Scott M. Fulton, III, January 10, 2008 — It may not be exactly possible for high-definition discs to pick up where their lofty goals of 2005 left off. Transmission technology has evolved very rapidly during that time…
New Year’s Resolutions for Web 2.0 (businessweek) – There will be lots to watch in 2008, as Web sites struggle to turn a profit. The fallout won’t be pretty, written by Sarah Lacy
Sony’s Blu-Ray Breakthrough businessweek – Jan 8, 2008 — Warner Bros.’ decision to back the format makes buying a PS3 less of a gamble for gamers—and promises licensing fees in the future by Kenji Hall
Oops, I Screwed Up My Negotiations (businessweek) — January 10, 2008, — “Can I tell my boss of three months that I didn’t ask for enough money or the correct title when I agreed to take the job?” by Liz Ryan
Bringing Passion to Starbucks, Travelocity (businessweek) — Jan 9, 2008 — Two companies are trying to take employee engagement and customer service to new levels. Your small business can learn a lot from them, by Carmine Gallo
Five Mobile Trends for 2008 (businessweek) Jan 9, 2008 – Among them: wireless carriers sharing networks and pushing data services, and the release of more multimedia devices like the iPhone, by Natasha Lomas
So You Want to Publish That Novel (businessweek) January 9, 2008 — Blurb lets you create any sort of book—even one with photos—for as little as $20, by Stephen H. Wildstrom
Kitchen Timesavers That Speed Up Dinner (lifehacker) – To help you plan, prep, and cook better food, I’ve put together some of my favorite food and kitchen hacks, from the nuts and bolts (like faster tomato de-seeding) to bigger organizational tips… saved by 301 other people
PCMag.com’s CES 2008 Photo Blog – News and Analysis by PC Magazine — PC Magazine’s slideshow of the sights and technology on display at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show. by Kyle Monson, Lance Ulanoff, Cisco Cheng, Sascha Segan, Craig Ellison, Brian Heater, Dan Costa and Chloe Albanesius
The Bill Gates Exit Strategy BS – Columns by PC Magazine — The idea that Bill Gates is going to run that foundation of his full-time is a joke. by John C. Dvorak
Watch Full-Length TV Online with Fancast — Fancast goes “well beyond simple video streaming by integrating movies and other services into the site…” directing you ecommerce sites to buy a DVD, rentals or to buy tickets (if what you searched is still in theaters)… saved by 64 other people
Best Buy’s Anderson “Nervous” About US DTV Changeover : Dealerscope Today — A little over a year before analog television signals are turned off, the CEO of America’s largest CE retail chain admits that he is “very nervous” about the transition, especially the enormity of supplying customers with converter boxes.
Identity Theft Protection — By Internet Infrastructure Features Staff — A variety of services are available to consumers for identity protection and remediation, but the most effective solutions lie elsewhere. Even if you’re careful, you can still be a victim of identity theft.
Dell Unveils Curved Gaming Monitor — PCs — InformationWeek — The monitor has a resolution of 2,880 by 900 pixels, which is the equivalent of two 24-inch monitors. By Antone Gonsalves InformationWeek January 8, 2008 06:39 PM
Microsoft’s ‘Extender’ for Vista and HDTV reaches reality by Jacqueline Emigh, January 7, 2008 — Microsoft’s Extender for Windows Media Center isn’t altogether new. But the extender products announced at CES 2008 — from Samsung, HP, Linksys, and others — are a different kettle of fish due to their use of Vista…
Seat entertainment system crash on (Les’s space) “Yes, you read that right: I was on an airplane that crashed. Well, OK, the *whole* plane didn’t crash, just the Linux based seatback entertainment system. (But I had you going for an instant, didn’t I??)”
Canon’s Nine New SD Camcorders Smack Sony (PC Magazine) — Canon added to its camcorder line today with the announcement of 9 more SD offerings. Broken up into 3 categories, flash drives, and MiniDV, Canon has updated it own line of recorders and fired back at Sony’s 16 new offerings they announced yesterday.
Tags: misc, articles, what I read.
One reply on “What I’ve read this week (through 011508)”
Off to a quick lunch, but first a posting of some of the articles in my reading pile, courtesy of del