Monthly Archives: August 2008

My review of the Roku Netflix Movie Player

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This excerpted review of the Roku player appears in its entirety at Moving Pictures.

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The small, innocuous-looking device (roughly paperback book-size) takes less than ten minutes to set up. Clear and concise instructions assume little or no technical expertise. The player connects to almost any television either directly or through an RF modulator, which is readily available at most electronics retailers. The videos can be accessed by a direct ethernet or wi-fi connection. Depending on your Internet access speed, the video will play at VHS (tested at 384/kbps) or DVD (8.0 Mbps) quality.

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The Roku’s main strength comes primarily from the extensive and varied Netflix library and the player’s ease of use. Although numerous, many of the Netflix selections resemble the dredges found in Wal-Mart dollar bins: long-forgotten TV shows, inferior 1980s John Hughes knockoffs, third-tier chop sockey and made-for-cable documentaries. Among the detritus, however, several gems emerge, including Oscar winners, recent feature films, classic comedies, quality kids fare and popular television shows, both U.S. and British. These videos contain none of the DVD extras or commentaries and, surprisingly, lack closed-captioning. The interface allows for rewind/fast forward and scene selection, and remembers where the viewer stopped watching, even days or weeks later.

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While not perfect, the $99 Roku Netflix Movie Player grants a tantalizing glimpse of television’s future: viewer-controlled content. Buoyed by the persistent Internet rumors of Roku including Hulu.com and YouTube connections by the end of the year, this affordable option presents one of the most exciting advancements in home entertainment since the advent of the DVD.

My review of the Roku Netflix Movie Player was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

Why do these things happen when I am broke?

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[ Very SadMood: Very Sad ]
THE AUSTIN BOOKS LABOR DAY SALE IS HERE!

The long wait is over. Starting tonight at 8pm (until 11pm), and running through Monday 7pm, take advantage of the Austin Books & Comics Annual Labor Day Sale!

Sale Hours:

Thursday 8pm-11pm
Friday 11am-7pm
Saturday 10am-7pm
Sunday 12pm-6pm
Monday 11am-7pm

Two Locations For the Sale

Each section will have its own checkout location.

The main store will have all of the discounted tpbs, manga, bagged sets and showcase comics.

The back store (outside and around the corner) will host the back issues, $3 posters, Marvel DVD-Roms and discount toys / statues.

WHAT’S ON SALE?

In the Back Store:

Half Off Backstock Comics — over 200,000 back issue comics bagged & boarded and priced $10 and less.

Toy and Statue Clearance — Save big on dozens of statues and hundreds of toys.

Posters: $3 each — Select posters featuring really solid images from Marvel and DC (and Vertigo).

Marvel DVD ROMS — Buy One, Get One (of equal or lesser value) Free in the ANNEX LOCATION ONLY! I stress only in the back area because only our overstock is available for this savings. Choose from Spider-Man, FF, Ghost Rider, Avengers, X-Men and Hulk.

In the Front (main) Store:

Manga Sale — Huge amounts of manga at crazy discounts will be in the main store. The beginning of the alphabet is located by the front counter with the rest available towards the back of the store. Save big! BUY ONE MANGA, GET ONE (of equal or lesser value) FREE. Better yet, BUY FOUR MANGA, GET FIVE (of equal or lesser value) FREE. And the best value; BUY TEN MANGA, GET FIFTEEN (of equal or lesser value) FREE!

Trade Paperback Sale — Save 50-90% on thousands of trade paperbacks and graphic novels. How many? Almost 5000. Seriously, it took me three days just to make the stickers. We have over 700 different volumes to choose from. These are located in the front section of the store along the north wall. Each book is marked with the sale price.

Showcase Comics (selected): 50% off — We’ve pulled 5 long boxes of our high-end collectible comics available for half-off the graded value. They are separated from the other stock and specially marked on the Showcase Comics counter (where the variant covers are normally).

Bagged Sets — Over 20 long boxes of comics marked down from true value for huge savings! These are complete sets often including one-shots, annuals and even bonus series! Each is clearly marked with the true value, our price and the books included. Find these in the front alcove by the right windows.

Why do these things happen when I am broke? was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

The Space Cube Arrives

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The PC Pro Blog ruminates about the world’s smallest functional computer, The Space Cube, that measures around two inches square:

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There’s a surprisingly capable CPU packed away in the tiny chassis with a top clock speed of 300MHz. It’s arrived with us clocked at a slightly more modest 200MHz,but a simple jumper built in to the case enable the processor to be clocked up to either 250MHz or the full 300MHz that it’s capable of.

It’s fair to say that the Space Cube isn’t overloaded with storage space, either. Sixteen megabytes of flash memory is included on-board, and the OS – a version of Red Hat, the popular Linux operating system – runs off a 1GB CompactFlash card that slots into the side of the Space Cube. There’s also 64MB of DDR SDRAM that, admittedly, doesn’t even match up to the lowliest of netbooks – let alone a desktop PC.

Sweet…

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Most intriguing, though, is the Space Wire port. It may sound like a mere science fiction fantasy, but this incredibly thin socket is a crucial part of the Space Cube’s armoury. That’s because it’s a type of proprietary interface use by the ESA, NASA and JAXA when the Cube actually goes into space. It’s useful for connecting various sensors and processing units to the Space Cube, as well as the complicated-sounding Downlink Telementary Sub-Systems, which sounds like something more akin to Battlestar Galactica or Star Wars than anything used in real life. It turns out that Space Wire is also used as a common interface for linking together modules and electronics that are often designed in different institutions.

Wonder if it comes with tiny Borg?

The Space Cube Arrives was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

Hopefully the most absurd rumor ever!

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From the August 24 Telegraph:

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Cher ‘to play Catwoman’ in next Batman film

The 62-year-old singer and actress is reported to be in talks to play Catwoman opposite Christian Bale in the third Batman film from British director Christopher Nolan.

We’ve gone from Lee Meriwether, Julie Newmar, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Halle Berry to Cher?!?!?



The article goes on to claim:

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A studio executive said: “Cher is Nolan’s first choice to play Catwoman. He wants to her to portray her like a vamp in her twilight years.

"The new Catwoman will be the absolute opposite of Michelle Pfeiffer and Halle Berry’s purring creations.”

This is absurd!

The piece further claims that Johnny Depp as been cast as The Riddler.

This is the first I’ve seen or heard of either of these rumors. Let’s hope at least the Cher one is false.

Hopefully the most absurd rumor ever! was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

Too Many Crooks Spoil the Broth – A Quick Review

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[ Cool Mood: Cool ]
Magdalena Yoder runs a B&B in Pennsylvania. Being of Mennonite descent, she has decided to name her B&B PennDutch Inn. She offers an "Amish Lifestyle Package" for her guests where they can clean their own rooms.

Into this world comes a weekend full of guests for hunting season. A senator, his wife and staff, a group of anti-hunting activists and a journalist. Add to that Magdalena’s divorced and vain sister, and the elderly Amish cousins who help run the Inn and you have a rich cast of characters.

It is really too bad that author Tamar Myers doesn’t use them better. Magdalena is bitter, jealous and judgemental of all around her. This makes her a completely unsympathetic main character, which in turn makes it difficult for the reader to get invested in the book. So I found this book to be a little on the meh side. I will give the next one a chance, but if it falls flat, to the curb this series goes.

Like many of the culinary mysteries out there are recipes in the book so you can cook what the characters eat. Your choice to include the arsenic or not.

Things you discover while researching an article

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Apparently, the Apple TV runs inordinately hot, reaching 44° C (111° F). There is no off switch for the device and the only only way to power down is to unplug it.

I see that as a big, wasteful, and potentially hazardous flaw.

(The Roku Netflix Player doesn’t have an power switch either but it doesn’t run hot.)

Things you discover while researching an article was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

Why My Mother-in-law Cannot Have Email

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She already gets into far too much trouble with the Home Shopping Network.

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29% of Internet Users have Purchased from Spam, According to New Research from Marshal

London, 19 August, 2008 – 29 percent of internet users have purchased goods from spam emails, according to new research by Internet security company Marshal. The most commonly purchased items include sexual enhancement pills, software, adult material and luxury items such as watches, jewellery and clothing.

Why My Mother-in-law Cannot Have Email was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

Strippergate!

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[ Distorted Mood: Distorted ]
So Thursday night saw me join my City of Heroes Supergroup, the Strippers of Paragon City for a little smashing of bad guys. But there was a problem. I didn’t recognize many of the other characters’ names. Something had happened.

NC Soft had cracked down on the Srippers as being innappropriate.

But why? We have been around for two years and are a little infamous on the Justice server. Heck, our photo was on the front page of this website.

Near as anyone can figure out it stems from the last SG night. The Strippers sponsored a costume contest in honour of our second anniversary as an SG. We think a disgruntled loser complained. Or maybe the broadcast of the contest offend someone.

Whatever happened, justice was swift. The group’s name was gone. Any of the supergroup characters that were present during the costume contest had their names taken away. They also lost all their costumes. There was no warnng. There was no appeal. The message was labled "final notice".

And here I was upset that I missed the costume contest.

Strippers was started as a parody of the physical representation of women in the comic genre (and in the game). Our tongues are firmly planted in our cheeks. The SG has at least two, if not more, women with strong feminist leanings. Yet NCSoft did not ask about this. They did not even want to talk.

Now I know this is NCSoft’s world and they set the rules, but their reaction was a little harsh for me. The costumes are made from pieces that the developpers make available. (There is a mini-skirt with holes cut out of the back and front.) The body types are also at the developpers command. Why freak out if you make this stuff possible?

The message I got is clear.

You can look like a skank, but don’t draw attention to yourself.

Paragon City got a little darker that night.

Hugo Award for Graphic Novels

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This comes from ICv2:

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The World Science Fiction Society, which sponsors the Hugo Awards (and the annual World Science Fiction Convention), has added a category for Best Graphic Story to the awards. “Any science fiction or fantasy story told in graphic form appearing for the first time in the previous calendar year” will be eligible.

SWEET! It’s about time.

Hugo Award for Graphic Novels was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon