Things Smackie Thinks You Need to Know...

This week is a violence prevention week and the students are encouraged to wear their own violence prevention clothing.

My favorite so far:

Hit Blunts Not Babes.

Honorable Mention:

FRONT: She wasn't asking for it…..
BACK: You didn't phrase the question properly!

vansmack wrote:
Hit Blunts Not Babes.

brilliant!  reminds me of flight of the conchords:

Redheads not warheads
Blondes not bombs
We're talkin' about brunettes not fighter jets
Oooh Oooh it's got to be Sweet 16's not M-16's

This one's for my good friend Kosmo:

Netflix Streaming coming to Wii next?

vansmack wrote:
This one's for my good friend Kosmo:

Netflix Streaming coming to Wii next?

My Wii hasn't been on in a long time, just nothing interesting game wise out at the moment for it.  Even the PS3 is feeling a bit lonely these days.

sweetcell wrote:
dunno where else to dump this:

Google to launch music search service

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/10/22/google.music/index.html

Google opens OneBox music service
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8331290.stm

Live From Hollywood: Google?s Music Onebox Launches, Powered By MySpace And Lala
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/10/28/live-from-hollywood-googles-music-onebox-debuts-powered-by-myspace-and-lala/

and while we're on the topic of disruptive google offerings:
Google Redefines GPS Navigation Landscape: Google Maps Navigation For Android 2.0
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/10/28/google-redefines-car-gps-navigation-google-maps-navigation-android/

Google?s New Mobile App Cuts GPS Nav Companies At The Knees
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/10/28/googles-new-mobile-app-cuts-gps-nav-companies-at-the-knees/

sweetcell wrote:
Google opens OneBox music service
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8331290.stm

Live From Hollywood: Google’s Music Onebox Launches, Powered By MySpace And Lala
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/10/28/live-from-hollywood-googles-music-onebox-debuts-powered-by-myspace-and-lala/

Seems like a very odd choice from my perspective for google to take this route.  I don't think users are having any difficulty finding music - the difficulty comes from the other side which is artists/companies getting paid for their music.  Sure Lala and Myspace stand to benefit because their services will see more traffic, but this is far from the "saviour" it's being hailed as.  People want tracks for their iPods, not for listening to in front of/while sitting at their computer - that's why they steal music from Bit Torrent sites.

I still think Pandora's model of paying a penny per song with ad's mixed in is a much better model for both sides to get what they want.   

sweetcell wrote:
and while we're on the topic of disruptive google offerings:
Google Redefines GPS Navigation Landscape: Google Maps Navigation For Android 2.0
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/10/28/google-redefines-car-gps-navigation-google-maps-navigation-android/

Google’s New Mobile App Cuts GPS Nav Companies At The Knees
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/10/28/googles-new-mobile-app-cuts-gps-nav-companies-at-the-knees/

Google had a helluva day yesterday, but there is so much misinformation in this….

First, Google Nav has been out for other operating systems for some time now (going back to Windows Mobile 5).  It's not exclusive to Google (though it's only now being included in google software 2.0)….

Secondly, it's not the software that's going to kill Tom-Tom, it's the hardware.  The software has been ported to mobile devices for a long time, but the fact that the mobile phone with turn by turn nav is almost ubiquitous in the hands of 20% of mobile users in America and is expected to double in the next 2-4 years is what is going to be the death of the Tom-tom's out there.

Google is one of many players here in the Nav business and reporters are simply regurgitatiting their press release without doing any homework.  Lazy, Lazy Lazy….. 

So let's talk about what Google did do right and why they deserve the accolades they got yesterday.

First off, 2.0 is huge improvement from the original Android software.  Google found themselves in a bit of a quandry- they gave MS a hard time for having "bloated" software and wasted processor power.  But when the 2.0 version was tested on the typical ARM mobile processor that was in the original Android phones there was consistent lag.  So they worked hand in hand with a manufacturer (Motorola) to produce the right phone for the new software.  They started with the ARM A8 processor with a dedicated video chip so that it's functions were snappier.  It's probably the clearest screen I've seen yet and there is virtually no lag.  They also made it as thin as an iPhone and added a full qwerty keyboard with expandable storage.  That's a game changer in my eyes.

They also chose to put Droid on a new network.  This gives Google 3 of the big 4. Smart move and I expect at&t to follow shortly by adding a Google phone in Q1 2010.  It's about time consumers have choices.

Lost in yesterdays annoucement was that they also released an HTC phone called Eris.  It was downplayed because it runs Android 1.5 (old processor) but has HTC's SenseUI, which is the only drawback to the Droid phone.  It's user interface is fairly plain vanilla.  If I were a Verizon customer, I would wait for the next HTC phone with the same processor as the HD2 (Snapdragon) that will run Android 2.0 and have the SenseUI skin overlay.  To illustrate:

Droid Homescreen on 2.0:



HTC SenseUI on 1.5:



As soon as SenseUI is ported to 2.0, HTC will be the clear leader, but it really will need a better processor.
 
Either way good for the smartphone market that Google could come up with such a quality competitor so quickly.

I've never been a big fan of Apple's business practices, but I've always said their marketing was genius.  This news bummed me out a little.  His 1984 commercial still has a place on my board of inspiration.



Apple's main ad man, Lee Clow, thinks different, steps down as Macs battle PCs like it's 1984

@GaryJBusey I plugged in the Duck Hunt gun and played the Beatles' Rockband game as Mark David Chapman.

Here is a classic example from two headlines in Engadget this morning of competing business practices and why I get so annoyed:

Apple killing Atom support, dreams of netbook hackintoshers in next Snow Leopard release?
by Tim Stevens  posted Nov 2nd 2009 at 6:59AM

Nobody said running a netbook hackintosh would be easy – but nobody said they'd make it this hard. Apple is currently engaged in a war of compatibility with Palm and, if the developer build of Snow Leopard version 10.6.2 is any indication, the Atom processor is next on the smack down list. Word on coder street is that the upcoming revision of OS X will kill support for Intel's little powerhouse. That could certainly change before it hits the world at large, but we wouldn't bet on it. So, if you're viewing this on an netbook install of your own devising, you may be stuck at version 10.6.1 (or earlier) for awhile – or you may need to do a little custom kernel building. Either way, we're thinking that if Apple ever gets around to making a netbook it probably won't be an Atom-powered one.


Unfinished Windows 7 feature exploited for virtual WiFi hotspots
by Donald Melanson  posted Nov 2nd 2009 at 2:19AM

It wasn't all that long ago that Microsoft was talking up the Virtual WiFi feature developed by Microsoft Research and set for inclusion in Windows 7, but something got lost along the road to release day, and the functionality never officially made it into the OS. As you might expect with anything as big and complicated as an operating system though, some of that code did make it into the final release, and there was apparently enough of it for the folks at Nomadio to exploit into a full fledged feature. That's now become Connectify, a free application from the company that effectively turns any Windows 7 computer into a virtual WiFi hotspot – letting you, for instance, wirelessly tether a number of devices to your laptop at location where only an Ethernet jack is available, or even tether a number of laptops together at a coffee shop that chargers for WiFi. Intrigued? Hit up the link below to grab the beta.

ah music and the law, gotta BlueBeat kudos for having the gumption, but some how don't think this one will go very far..

http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2009/11/beatles-beat-back-bizaare-bluebeat-legal-defense.html

Beatles Beat Back Bizaare BlueBeat Legal Defense

(UPDATED) Earlier this week, we reported that a little known U.S. based download site BlueBeat.com had begun selling previously unavailable tracks from The Beatles for just $.25. Everyone knew something strange was going on, but no one knew just how strange. Perhaps this message at the bottom of the company's web page should have been a tip-off:

All audio-visual works copyright © 2009 (reg. # PAu 3-407-524) BlueBeat, Inc, a subsidiary of MRT.BlueBeat transmits simulated live musical performances for free at 160 and 320 kb/s.

image from spacesuityoga.files.wordpress.com Uh?  BlueBeat owns The Beatles' copyrights, as well as, those of Abba, ACDC, Ace Of Base and… those are just a few of the "A's" that are in in company's extensive catalog? EMI and the RIAA df course disagreed and filed a lawsuit to stop the download sales.

The Psycho-Acoustic Defense

Then came the company's unique response according to copyright attorney Ben Sheffner:

    "Plaintiffs are not likely to succeed on the merits because Defendants' website markets and sells an entirely different sound recording than that copyrighted by Plaintiffs."

    BlueBeat says it "independently developed [its] own original sounds" that consist of "entirely different sound recording" through a technical process it calls "psycho-acoustic simulation." BlueBeat even says it obtained copyright registrations on such "new" recordings (which, as the plaintiffs point out, are exactly the same as the original recordings).

In short, by some mystical process that also adds a few pictures to the file, Bluebeat claims to have created a brand new recording that sounds remarkably like the original.

BlueBeat claims it is protected by 17 U.S.C. § 114(b):

  <legal stuff snipped>

The law was intended to protect artists doing cover versions of somebody else's tracks ;not someone who is cloning them and adding a few pictures. A judge agreed and yesterday issued an injunction to stop Bluebeat. As of this morning, the site was still up.

Today should be a much bigger deal in my eyes, and I'm sure it is in Europe.

20 years ago I was a sophomore in high school, sitting in history class with a German teacher, when there was a knock on the door.  A second history professor came in and informed Tomas that "The Wall has just come down - East Berliners and pouring into West Berlin as we speak!"  Tomas openly wept and we spent the rest of class listening to Tomas talk about his experiences and what this meant to him right through second period.  The bell rang for morning break and nobody left the class.  After word was getting around about the wall, more faculty and students who knew Tomas came to seek his opinion during morning break and joined our listening party.  Eventually the party outgrew our tiny classroom and the principal, who was also in the room, moved the listening party to the auditorium where students were given the option of staying through 3rd and 4th period to listen to Tomas talk about the past and predict the future.  Again nobody left.   

After lunch, it was business as usual at the high school, but history class was never the same.  Everyday was a new update from Tomas with people had spoken to that night or that morning about what was happening.  It was all surreal.  Friends of Tomas sent us pieces from the wall, which I still have with a picture of the friend who chisled it away for us.

6 years later when I decided to go to law school with an international focus, I spoke with Tomas, who gave me very simple advice:  many people are focusing on the financial aspects of the post communist countries.  Don't be that person.  Somebody needs to start focusing on the political freedoms we enjoy in America.  Be that person.

So throughout law school and seven years afterwards, I dedicated my life to building those political freedoms in the post-Soviet Republics.  It was because of Tomas, and it may never have happened had the wall not come down while I was sitting in second period history.

Anyhow, today should be a bigger day.   

What an incredibly touching story! Thank you Smackie for sharing that with us. With all of the crap going on in our lives, this is one to help lift the spirits, just as, I'm sure, Tomas would want.

As a former teacher, I'm also happy to see that your principal had the foresight and common sense to turn that morning into an impromptu assembly. I can tell you that most would be commanding, "All right now, let's break it up! Everyone, get to your classes! Mrs. Smith, take your children (Yes, some still call teenagers 'children' which drives me nuts!) into your classroom."

Recognizing the importance of this all important opportunity and being able to turn this into a true, life long, learning experience is something that is all too often lost in the general mechanics of today's teaching. You were fortunate; very fortunate, indeed!

Now I just truly wish that the rest of the world (the USA included!) would learn a bit more from this and practice in action instead of word only. DO NOT BE SO EAGER AND QUICK TO GIVE YOUR RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS AWAY!!!!!

I hate Jon Fischer.  But in his defense, I wasn't sitting in front of my computer at the time anyway.

On an impulse purchase, I just ordered me up a Chumby One.  It's not as "cute" as the original Chumby, but at half the price I'll live.

I primarily hope to use it to stream pandora through my stereo, and now that it has an optional battery pack, I might even find some FB and twitter use for it while on the couch.

Anybody else have a chumby?

http://www.chumby.com/

vansmack wrote:
On an impulse purchase, I just ordered me up a Chumby One.  It's not as "cute" as the original Chumby, but at half the price I'll live.

I primarily hope to use it to stream pandora through my stereo, and now that it has an optional battery pack, I might even find some FB and twitter use for it while on the couch.

Anybody else have a chumby?

http://www.chumby.com/

Report back on this…I always wanted to get one of the originals but just seemed to expensive for what it was.  For $99 it's cheap enough to buy on a lark but i like the bean bag thing the old one had going on.  Might make a great alarm clock/bedside radio.  But really, if I'm going that route I'd get this a squeezebox radio - http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/speakers_audio/wireless_music_systems/devices/5847&cl=us,en
which when bundled with squeezecenter (which I'm already running) makes it insanely easy to tune in thousands upon thousands or radio stations…

chaz wrote:
But really, if I'm going that route I'd get this a squeezebox radio -

I looked at the squeezbox radio but it really came down to one thing: twice as expensive, half, if not a third, as useful.  I've looked for a long time at both the squeezebox system and the sonos system, and they both just seem way overpriced for what you get.

I'll let you know how the Chumby goes (backordered until 11/25).

I'd def agree that sqeezebox is less a jack of all trades.  But I'm a huge fan of the products and their usability and interface is 2nd to none.  There's really no need to go sonos in this market.  Just get a squeezebox receiver for $150 and buy the $10  ipeng app to control it with your iphone or touch, if you have one.

For anyone interested download the squeezebox server to your computer for free and check it out - does a great job cataloging collections and thousands upon thousands of internet radio stations right out of the box.

I know most of you weren't even aware, but at midnight last night, Cal-State Fullerton beat UCLA in double overtime for what will already be the greatest college hoops game Smackie will see all year.