What missing from Internet TV?

Internet TV is threatening to turn cable TV’s subscription model on its head with on demand programming and rentals, but there is a key component that’s missing: content discovery. There is still no better way to find out what’s on than to flip through channels.

Apple TV, the Boxee Box, Google TV, Hulu, Roku, and a sundry of desktop (and now mobile) applications comprise a compelling alternative to traditional cable TV service. My colleague Harry McCracken has them all pretty well covered.

I know many people who have “unplugged” themselves from the shackles of costly year-long contracts. Why pay for channels that you don’t watch? Those people are typically more technically savvy than most of the population. I just recently upgraded my mother’s 1980s big screen TV to an HDTV.

My mother and I find what’s on TV in much the same way: we channel surf or use a “guide.” There are more than a few shows that drew me in by happenstance. AMC’s “Breaking Bad” is my favorite “accident.” Internet TV is surfing with a net, keeping us in the familiar, and not venturing out into the unexplored.

That’s from David Worthington from the Technologizer.

Here’s a crazy idea, talk to friends, talk to neighbors, go to TitanTV or the TV Guide web site…  All of these are neat ways to get ideas on what is on TV, and or to schedule your TV viewing.

Or check your daily newspaper, or subscribe to the Sunday newspaper, they both use to include (I assume they still do) TV listings for your area…

But, if you want to find accidential gems of TV shows.  I have two words.

YOU TUBE!

Go over to youtube, type the keyword “TV” and add a random word.  I guarantee you will find something to watch, and possibly find some interesting TV shows you would never watch normally…

Now the question changes, to are these shows still available.  Well…  That I can’t help with.  But if you want the ultimate in pain, then type in “Reality TV shows”.

Microsoft Office 2011 & Exchange limitations…

Well, this doesn’t seem to be very clear on the Microsoft site(s) that I have looked at…

But, Office 2011 only supports Exchange 2007 or higher. So if you run Exchange 2003, the only way you’ll be able to connect to the Exchange server is through IMAP, which will eliminate your ability to use your Calendar, Contacts, Public Folders, and Delegation features through the exchange server.

You could still use your local calendar, and contacts, but no server based resources. So Outlook for the Mac is really not that useful for Exchange 2003 users….

In addition, Outlook for the Mac, does not have any interoperability with iCal. You will need to export your iCal calendar and import it into Outlook & cease updating in iCal… If you wish to do your calendaring through Outlook.

This is the second version of Office that Microsoft has virtually crippled in one form or another.

Office 2008 completely removed VBA, which is thankfully returned in Office 2011… But that broke cross-platform functionality, and seriously hampered anyone that uses any sort of macro functionality….

Office 2011 doesn’t work with the main calendaring solution on the Macintosh. Which I suspect that doesn’t have iSync functionality, and that is a large step backwards from Office 2008. Why is it important?

Simply, iSync is a synchronization tool that is built into the OS. It is often leveraged to synchronize Calendar, and Address book data between different applications… This way NOW X can simply sychronize to the iSync database, and not have to know how to read a CSV, Tab deliminated file, or some other more exotic file format. So Office 2008 can then synchronize to that Database and not have to be concerned with who modified it last, and just use the data.

Office 2011 thus can only export a calendar as a Tab-delimited text file, or as a Outlook for Mac Data file… One format that probably will take some effort to import into anything without any issues (Tab-delimined), or another format that nothing else can read (.olm).

For now, I wouldn’t recommend moving to Office 2011 for email purposes. The other applications (Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Document Connection) are solid enough, to deserve to be upgraded. But if you are using email, stick with your current email application.

Driving & texting bans not effective… Of course, not…

Texting bans for drivers not putting a dent in accident rates from Ars Technica:

Study after study shows that distracted drivers are far more likely to get into accidents, which has led a number of states to craft laws intended to limit one of the most significant distractions: the cell phone. Initial efforts focused on keeping both hands on the wheel by mandating hands-free use, but more recent versions have cracked down on texting while driving. Now, a study of accident rates indicates that the bans may not be having the desired effect, as accident rates may actually be increasing in some states that have enacted them.

The study was done by the Highway Loss Data Institute, a nonprofit that is supported by auto insurers and has access to their data on accident claims. This isn’t the first time that the HLDI has waded into this territory; earlier this year, it performed an essentially identical study on accident rates that followed cell phone bans, and also concluded that the legislation had little effect. (Other studies indicate that there may be strong regional effects that are missed in statewide analyses.)

Here’s my view point.  It’s virtually impossible to enforce, after all, here in NY State it is also illegal to be on a cell phone without a handsfree device.  Does that stop anyone?  Not at all, I see plenty of people just talking away with their phones craddled inbetween their ear & shoulder while driving.

If the law is not enforceable, then don’t pass it.  There are already way too many non-enforceable  laws in place as is.  A 1% (a made up percentage!) enforcement rate doesn’t encourage other people toobey the law.  For anyone to be concerned about the law, they must know that they will be caught, or believe that it is likely that caught.

Marginal enforcement will not change people’s attitudes, all it does is act as a slight penalty, and give the state additional funding (via the fines).  It also allows the law to be used retroactively.  For example, someone was caught speeding, and the officer see’s the person on the phone without a handsfree device, or texting, he now has two charges instead of one.

via Google Reader (602).

Single Father: Episode 1 – LastBroadcast.co.uk

single_father.jpg

The LastBroadcast has a review online for the first episode of “Single Father”. Single Father returns David Tennant to the Television screen, possibly in his most chilling and challenging role ever… A single father of 4 young kids.

Okay, I maybe exaggerating slightly, but I have enough trouble with a Wife & a 6 year old… (Honey, I’m kidding!)

New four-part drama Single Father tells the story of Dave Tyler (played by Tennant), a photographer facing the seemingly impossible job of bringing up four kids alone after the sudden death of his wife, Rita (Laura Fraser). On hand to help out is his her best friend, Sarah; played by another familiar televisual face, Corrie’s Suranne Jones.

This opening episode spends no time, and pulls no punches, in addressing the death of Dave’s wife – it’s an horrific moment, further emphasised by the familial joy we witness beforehand.

Take a look at the review, and see for yourself. Single Father: Episode 1 – LastBroadcast.co.uk

Banned Books?

Do you realize the number of books that are challenged, and/or banned every year?  Or even more so, does anyone care?

Censorship is a problem, a major problem, it prevents people from communicating, talking, and bringing opposing view points to the foreground.  Yes, sometimes the debates that stem from the opposing views go to far, but without the ability to bring two sides together there is no chance in solving problems.

But the biggest issue with Censorship is simply that someone doesn’t want you to see something.  I admit, I cherry picked this list, but almost every list of censored books have a similar story.  Almost every story was banned or challenged because someone didn’t want someone to see something.

Often, it is due to being “Not Suitable for Children”,  “Too Offensive”, or “Obscene”.  But isn’t one persons Obscene, another persons “Porn”?

Yes, I believe there are books out there that I won’t read.  And I agree we don’t need a picture book explaining how to build a nuclear bomb.  But the same book that describes how to build a nuclear bomb, can be used to build a nuclear reactor.  (The major difference is simply in add moderating material/rods that prevent the reactor from going out of control and exploding).

But no one is saying that you must read Alice’s adventures in Wonderland, or any other book.

Here’s some examples:

Title Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass
Author Lewis Carroll
Type of Literature Children’s Novel/Adventure
Reason

Banned in the province of Hunan, China, beginning in 1931 for its portrayal of anthropomorphized animals acting on the same level of complexity as human beings.

Yes, the very popular Children’s book by Lewis Carroll has been banned for over 90 years, because Animals can talk in it…

 

Title Black Beauty (Unabridged Classics)
Author Anna Sewell
Type of Literature Fiction
Reason Chances are this wasn’t even read before being banned.  South Africa in 1948 to 1994 was banned due to the title, White National Party leaders mistakenly thought the book was about a black woman.  Chances are they didn’t even see the cover of the book…

 

Title The Satanic Verses: A Novel
Author Salman Rushdie
Type of Literature Novel
Reason

Banned in the following countries for alleged blasphemy against Islam: Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Iran, Kenya, Kuwait, Liberia, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan, Senegal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and Thailand.

Not to mention, the Death Threats, and other small issues, for a Fictional novel…  The summary of the novel (See Wikipedia) doesn’t interest me, but really.  Do we need to threaten people over a book?

 

Title Ulysses
Author James Joyce
Type of Literature Novel
Reason

Banned in the UK during the 1930s and in Australia during the 1930s and 1940s.  Challenged and temporarily banned in the US for “sexual content”.  In the 1933s the ban was overturned.

Yes, I seem to recall reading this in High School…



Title United States-Vietnam Relations: 1945-1967
Author Robert McNamara & US Department of Defense
Type of Literature Government Study
Reason

Also known as the Pentagon Papers. US President Nixon attempted to suspend publication of classified information. The restraint was lifted by the US Supreme Court in a 6-3 decision.

 

I want to get attached, but mail won’t allow me….

I have to make a resolution to try to stop coming up with bad puns, or word gags for my blog posts… But I do it so unfrequently….

Sorry, I got off on a tangent there…

Have you run into a situation where Apple mail just seems to reject any attachments that you add?  For example, through the Attachment button, or drag and drop?

If so, try turning off “Always Insert Attachments at End of Message”.

If that solves you problem, then you have run into a bug…  The console window will probably report:

  • Canceling drag because exception ‘DOMException’ (reason ‘*** NOT_FOUND_ERR: DOMException 8’) was raised during a dragging session.

It seems that in some situations you can’t drag and drop an attachment into a completely blank email message.  Simply add content to the message body seems to resolve the issue…