after using the required tuning adapter with my tivo s3 recorder for a couple of months now, i can definitely say that this piece of equipment did not improve my cable service. in fact, it completely sucks. there are a couple of problems.
the first is that it reboots on almost a daily basis. and when it does, if i happen to be recording something, even if the source is a hd signal from my outdoor antenna and not a cable channel, it cancels my recording.
the second problem is that on many occasions, the hd channels that i do watch from the cable source are coming in very pixelated, to the point of dropping audio completely and making the video entirely unwatchable. before the tuning adapter was installed, my hd signals from cable were rock-solid. if the point of the sdv tuning system is to ease up on bandwidth usage, why is the picture quality now worse than before?
20091004
Microsoft Security Essentials
Microsoft Security Essentials is officially out for the public. If you haven't heard, this is free anti-virus, anti-spyware, and nti-malware software from Microsoft. I have been using Avast for years and have finally switched when it became available. I decided to switch because reviews have been generally positive, especially since it uses very little resources such as disk space and ram, and it works just as well as any other anti-virus software out there.
However, the auto-update mechanism has to be tweaked when it comes to new virus defintion files. I'm sure that it does auto-update. I'm just not sure what the schedule is since I don't leave my computer on all the time. I would prefer for it to check whenever it comes out of standy/hibernation, or when it boots/reboots, which Avast has already implemented (in my experience). This is something that must be implemented by Microsoft if they hope to have it widely adopted as the primary malware protection of users.
It can be downloaded at the Microsoft Security Essentials page.
One last thing. Your copy of windows must be validated in order for you to download the software.
However, the auto-update mechanism has to be tweaked when it comes to new virus defintion files. I'm sure that it does auto-update. I'm just not sure what the schedule is since I don't leave my computer on all the time. I would prefer for it to check whenever it comes out of standy/hibernation, or when it boots/reboots, which Avast has already implemented (in my experience). This is something that must be implemented by Microsoft if they hope to have it widely adopted as the primary malware protection of users.
It can be downloaded at the Microsoft Security Essentials page.
One last thing. Your copy of windows must be validated in order for you to download the software.
20091003
flip minoHD review
i have used a flip minoHD for a few months now. the video quality is terrific if you have adequate lighting. with 1280x720 resololution, the quality is definitely better than that of the iphone or the new ipod nano. there's 8GB of flash memory, good enough for an hour of recording.
on the negatives, there is no memory expansion slot if you need more recording time. you simply have to offload video to a computer to gain more recording time. and there is one more negative aspect of this recorder that i consider to be huge for me. in order to charge the recorder, you have to connect it directly to a usb port on your computer. this isn't bad per se. but if it's the one and only way to charge it, then i would say it's a bad thing. to be fair, they do sell a separate charger that you can plug directly into a wall socket. however, that's another $30 on top of the $200 i've already spent.
since it charges exclusively via usb, i thought that a usb hub with its own independent power supply would be able to charge it. but it won't. i also tried an ipod power adapter. no go. then i have a griffin power block, made for charging devices that charge via usb. this charges my ipod and every other device i have that charges via usb. but it won't charge the minoHD. since all three of these options that i have available to me supply its own power, i don't understand why it won't charge. the blinking light indicates that it is charging, but it's not. and not only will it not charge, but it actually drained power from the minoHD. that's right. according to the battery indicator, i started out with a half-charged battery. leaving it plugged in overnight drained it completely.
the only explanation i can come up with is that the flip minoHD has some kind of built-in circuitry that prevents you from charging without a computer. but they do sell that charger as an accessory. so the conclusion i have come to is that they did it on purpose just so that you have to buy their charger, designed to bypass this no-charge circuitry, if you want the option of charging without a computer. what a racket.
yes, i can always use a computer. but think about this. the power needed to charge this device is miniscule. but it forces me to waste a lot more power by using a computer. i do not leave the computer on 24/7. that's just a waste of power and perhaps shortens the life of its components and i don't understand why people do it. i turn it on when i need to use it, then it's off when i'm done.
it takes just 2.5 watts to charge the flip minoHD, but the power source is using up anywhere from 30 watts (let's say a netbook) to 300+ watts (full desktop), which puts efficiency under 10% at best. how would you like it if the company providing your electricity charges you 100 watts for every 10 watts of light your light bulb outputs?
on the negatives, there is no memory expansion slot if you need more recording time. you simply have to offload video to a computer to gain more recording time. and there is one more negative aspect of this recorder that i consider to be huge for me. in order to charge the recorder, you have to connect it directly to a usb port on your computer. this isn't bad per se. but if it's the one and only way to charge it, then i would say it's a bad thing. to be fair, they do sell a separate charger that you can plug directly into a wall socket. however, that's another $30 on top of the $200 i've already spent.
since it charges exclusively via usb, i thought that a usb hub with its own independent power supply would be able to charge it. but it won't. i also tried an ipod power adapter. no go. then i have a griffin power block, made for charging devices that charge via usb. this charges my ipod and every other device i have that charges via usb. but it won't charge the minoHD. since all three of these options that i have available to me supply its own power, i don't understand why it won't charge. the blinking light indicates that it is charging, but it's not. and not only will it not charge, but it actually drained power from the minoHD. that's right. according to the battery indicator, i started out with a half-charged battery. leaving it plugged in overnight drained it completely.
the only explanation i can come up with is that the flip minoHD has some kind of built-in circuitry that prevents you from charging without a computer. but they do sell that charger as an accessory. so the conclusion i have come to is that they did it on purpose just so that you have to buy their charger, designed to bypass this no-charge circuitry, if you want the option of charging without a computer. what a racket.
yes, i can always use a computer. but think about this. the power needed to charge this device is miniscule. but it forces me to waste a lot more power by using a computer. i do not leave the computer on 24/7. that's just a waste of power and perhaps shortens the life of its components and i don't understand why people do it. i turn it on when i need to use it, then it's off when i'm done.
it takes just 2.5 watts to charge the flip minoHD, but the power source is using up anywhere from 30 watts (let's say a netbook) to 300+ watts (full desktop), which puts efficiency under 10% at best. how would you like it if the company providing your electricity charges you 100 watts for every 10 watts of light your light bulb outputs?
20090428
the great 2009 lay offs...it's my turn
well, i got my notice today. after 13 years and some months, they had to let me go. kind of glad, since i've been wanting to stop doing work with marketing data and transition into programming instead. this was the kick i needed.
20090325
cigarette tax 2009
i hate that not only did the federal government raise the cigarette tax, but that california also did it as well. do they think that the added revenue will lift america out of this recession? why are smokers singled out to pay this extra tax? how would you like it if your habbit is going to sporting events and every time you enter a stadium, they charge you an extra tax? what about a tax on every drink you order in a bar?
they justify it by saying that it will discourage people from smoking. that's true enough. but if they want to raise revenue, why would they want anyone to quit? it's a contradiction.
last year california voters also approved a tax increase on cigarettes. the revenue goes to keeping emergency rooms open. are smokers responsible for keeping emergency rooms open? what percentage of emergency visits are accounted by smoking-related problems? why don't they tax purchases of guns for this. afterall, gun shots will certainly land you in an emergency room. and what about people who participate in sports? they should be taxed for participation because they are more likely to suffer injuries that land them in an emergency room. how do you justify NOT taxing them?
they justify it by saying that it will discourage people from smoking. that's true enough. but if they want to raise revenue, why would they want anyone to quit? it's a contradiction.
last year california voters also approved a tax increase on cigarettes. the revenue goes to keeping emergency rooms open. are smokers responsible for keeping emergency rooms open? what percentage of emergency visits are accounted by smoking-related problems? why don't they tax purchases of guns for this. afterall, gun shots will certainly land you in an emergency room. and what about people who participate in sports? they should be taxed for participation because they are more likely to suffer injuries that land them in an emergency room. how do you justify NOT taxing them?
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