Author: Alan Henry

Categories
Programming and Podcasts TWIT Archive

This Week In Tech [TWIT] // Episode 10

Hot on the heels of episode 9, This Week In Tech Episode 10 is delivered as promised, and much to the delight of people like me who love to have the podcasts to listen to at work or on the go. Leo must have really burned the midnight oil this time to edit two TWITs in a row and release them like this, and boy is the TWIT website getting absolutely hammered. Good thing you have us, isn’t it?

This week’s topics include PSP tricks, Google taking on eBay, a serious security breach for MasterCard holders, and of course, answered calls! Check out the full topic list (if you can make it through to the site) here:
[ http://thisweekintech.com/10 ]

Anyway, download it right now-don’t bother with the torrents right now, they’re fast, but good luck getting through to the site to grab one of the mirrors; thats’ why we have it right here. Enjoy!

TWIT Episode 10 // June 20, 2005 – [ download ]

Categories
Programming and Podcasts TWIT Archive

This Week In Tech [TWIT] // Episode 9

The long lamented Episode 9 of This Week In Tech (TWIT) is finally here! Through hard drive crashes, FTP server deaths, and all sorts of technical difficulties, Leo finally managed to finish editing and putting together the most recent episode of TWIT and bring it to us today; not to mention the fact that he promises that TWIT Episode 10 will be out in the next 24 hours! Yikes!

Well, I’m not complaining; this is something that the TWIT folks are doing for free and because they love it, and, like most things that people do for a loving community, when it’s not done perfectly or on time all the time people start to get angry about it (like when webcomic authors don’t update on time all the time-it’s really odd watching a community of people reading something for free that everyone does-and reads-because they just enjoy it get angry at someone for not giving them their free fix on time) and demand things like updates if it’s going to be late and whatnot. I mean, sure I miss it if it’s not on time, but I suppose my “just deal with it” level is higher than other peoples’. Regardless, I’m ranting, and that’s not what you’re here for, you’re here for the link, and here it is!

This week’s topics include Windows updates, the possible leakage of OS X for Intel systems, the end of DVD Decrypter, Knoppix and other Live CD Distros, and a ton more! Check out the entire topic list here:
[ http://thisweekintech.com/node/3857 ]

Download away, and enjoy! We’ll have Episode 10 up as soon as Leo releases it. Here you go:

TWIT Episode 9 // June 19, 2005 – [ download ]

Categories
People Programming and Podcasts

Another Web TV Show: Command-N!

Amber and Mikey, of Call for Help (Canada) fame, have put together their own weekly web tv show and do a wrap up of the week’s web and technology news wrap up, and called this bouncing baby show Command-N! It looks good so far, and I don’t know how it slipped under my radar, but they’ve already produced three episodes!

You heard me right, three eps, so go ahead and download them and catch up on your viewing! It looks like the TechTV that we all wanted has been all but reborn on the web in the form of online video and podcasting-this is definitely good stuff! Back to Command-N, however, the Amber and Mikey team have been working hard to improve their episodes every week, and it looks like they’ve got it down pat and pretty well refined. The shows are available in quicktime (large and small format) and downloadable directly or via bittorrent. Check out the first three episodes at Amber and Mikey’s respective blogs:

Command-N // Episode 1 – [ Amber’s Blog | Mikey’s Blog ]

Command-N // Episode 2 – [ Amber’s Blog | Mikey’s Blog ]

Command-N // Episode 3 – [ Amber’s Blog | Mikey’s Blog ]

Categories
Programming and Podcasts

Weezy and The Swish // Episode 2

Weezy and The Swish are at it again, and this one is much improved over the last one! (not to say the last one wasn’t hilarious in and of itself!) It’s up and ready for download now, thanks to our good friend Matt Hartley, co-host and technical director for the podcast (if I have your title wrong there, Matt, please correct me!)

Anyway, check it out and download it now:
[ Weezy and The Swish Episode 2 // June 19, 2005 – Download ]

And don’t forget to check out the homepage if you haven’t already- link’s in the sidebar for future reference, and right here if you want your fix now:
[ http://www.weezyandtheswish.com/ ]

Categories
Programming and Podcasts

Weezy and the Swish // Episode 1

Well well! It looks like there’s a new podcast in town to download and listen to, this time featuring the likes of Weezy, our girl Laura Swisher (Da Swish) and our friend Matt Hartley! The first episode of their podcast is up now, check it out:

[ http://www.weezyandtheswish.com/blog/_archives/2005/6/13/935961.html ]

I haven’t listened to it yet (I’m downloading it as we speak!) but all signs point to it being an awesome cast. Download it and check it out! Time to lump podcasts under “programming,” don’t you think?

Categories
People Programming and Podcasts

Systm // Episodes 1 and 2

If you haven’t checked out Kevin Rose and Dan Huard’s new digs yet, called “Systm,” then you definitely need to. All that time and energy they put into getting the right camera equipment and prepping for it turned out well, and the two episodes available now are absolutely stunning. Kevin’s said several times he believes that IPTV is where it’s at, and the first two episodes of Systm are looking really sharp, well polished, and definitely fun to watch.

Download em via BitTorrent (no hosting these ones guys, they’re way too big. BitTorrent is definitely the way to go to get em), start up your favorite media player and full-screen those puppies. Definitely fun to watch, and educational too. Those two are awesome-someday I’ll be that cool.

Check out the two most recent episodes over at the Systm website and download them in whatever format you choose:
[ http://www.systm.org/ ]

Categories
Programming and Podcasts TWIT Archive

This Week In Tech [TWIT] // Episode 8a

Well well, what do we have here? Looks like a mid-week TWIT, starring Leo and Patrick! I think this one was spawned from the need to comment on the announcement that Apple is going with Intel processors for it’s Macintosh line of desktops and laptops, and sure enough that’s one of the foremost topics.

Leo says over at the TWIT website:
[ http://thisweekintech.com/node/3809 ]
that they recorded this next door to the site where the Apple World Wide Developer’s Conference was going on, and specifically so they could get some information on the developer reaction to the announcement, as well as discuss with the creators of iPodderX what they think of the new iTunes moving in on their territory by allowing users to manage podcasts from within iTunes; one of the more ignored announcements that came out of the WWDC keynote speech, completely overshadowed by the MacIntel announcement.

Well, go grab the torrent if you like, but if you don’t like, you can snag it right here:

TWIT Episode 8a // June 8, 2005 – [ download ]

Categories
People

Weezy & The Swish: Podcast Fever

Looks like the Podcasting meme is taking off! Laura Swisher, everyone’s favorite curly-haired ball of hilarity from Unscrewed, is looking at doing some podcasting of her own with Louise Palanker, a comedian and friend of Laura’s who testified in the Michael Jackson trial.

Not many details right now, but it looks like there might be another podcast to add to the list of regular downloads; and this one might just be your weekly dose of hilarity. Stay tuned!

[ http://lauraswisher.blogspot.com/2005/06/weezy-swish-podcast-fever.html ]

Categories
TechNews Bytes

Apple Switches to Intel Processors

On Sunday I woke up feeling lost, confused, betrayed, alone-and then I realized what happened. I checked my email and saw it there, first brought to me by the Wall Street Journal, and then later corroborated by other established media outlets, that Apple was making the grand switch to Intel chips to drive it’s Macintosh computer lineup. Now before you start cheering about being able to have MacOS on your home-built PC, know that while they might be using Intel’s chips, that doesn’t mean that the software will support x86 architecture.

At first, I thought the rumors were just rumors. I didn’t even mention or report them a while ago because the Apple moving to x86 rumors happen every year or so; so I wasn’t fooled, and neither was my man Leander Kahney, content editor for Wired News, as he says clearly:
[ http://wiredblogs.tripod.com/cultofmac/index.blog?entry_id=1111006 ]

I, for one, completely agreed with him. I thought it was the nail in the coffin and dismissed the rumors outright. But we were both wrong. Apple is indeed making the huge switch. I’m skeptical; every time Apple makes a huge architecture shift like this, they lose developers, customers, and support. But there is hope, and time will tell whether things will pan out for Apple and this grand endeavor. Read all about it:

[ http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/06/technology/06apple.html? ]

It’s all true. And Leander, my trusty source of excellent Apple related commentary, points out why Apple is doing this and what hope there is for Apple; and I can tell that he, along with the rest of the Apple community (including myself) is meeting this new announcement with some skepticism about the future of Apple and it’s hardware development and lineup:
[ http://wiredblogs.tripod.com/cultofmac/index.blog?entry_id=1125226 ]

Categories
Programming and Podcasts TWIT Archive

This Week In Tech [TWIT] // Episode 8

Hot off the presses, TWIT Episode 8 is up and ready for download here at TechTV Forever!

I admit, I had my doubts that they’d manage to get this one up so quickly after the last one, but they came through with no problem, and now that Leo’s put it up, we’ve got it and you can get it. This week’s topics include the proposed .xxx top-level domain for adult websites, Apple’s groundbreaking announcement that it’ll be shifting it’s systems to Intel chips, WiMax, and more!

Go ahead, download it. You know you want to.

TWIT Episode 8 // June 5, 2005 – [ download ]

Categories
Programming and Podcasts TWIT Archive

This Week In Tech [TWIT] // Episode 7

The delayed yet much anticipated and waited-for TWIT Episode 7 is finally here! Leo posted it just a few hours ago, so head on over and download it, or, if you’re reading this, go ahead and download it here! We know there’s been high demand for this week’s podcast and people have been anxiously waiting for it, so save Leo and the gang some bandwidth and download the mp3 directly from us! (Don’t forget to subscribe and donate to TWIT anyway though, and support their efforts!)

For detail on the topics covered in this week’s podcast, head over to the original posting here:
[ http://thisweekintech.com/node/3790 ]

Anyway, enough banter; download and sync with your mp3 player or just listen to it in all of it’s glory on your computer!

TWIT Episode 7 // June 4, 2005 – [ download ]

Categories
Programming and Podcasts TWIT Archive

Patrick Norton Explains This Week’s TWIT Delay

Patrick to the rescue! Patrick Norton has posted on the TWIT collaborative blog as to why the TWIT podcast for this week is running so late and what the story is; namely that Leo has been travelling and when your recorder and editor is on the go and away from home, you don’t have much in the way of backup, at least not yet. But it looks like they’re working on that! Read all the details here:

[ http://thisweekintech.com/node/3779 ]

Leo posted a followup shortly thereafter with a bit more information, the poor guy scrambling to edit the audio as quickly as possible. Personally I just suspected that they would go ahead and call it a week and release a new on on Sunday and apologize for missing a week just to get back on track, but it looks like they’re a little more devoted than I am a slacker! Leo has more info, too:

[ http://thisweekintech.com/node/3780 ]

But don’t you worry, as soon as it’s available, we’ll have it up here as well. Cheers!

Categories
Gear and Gadgets Tips and Tricks

Build an $800 Gaming PC!

In the true spirit of the old Screen Savers segments when you would build either the Ultimate Gaming Machine or that memorable time when Patrick Norton managed to cobble together a pretty damned swanky gaming system for only 500 bucks, ExtremeTech has a how-to on how to build your own gaming PC for $800 bucks. And who says having a powerful gaming system has to cost a ton of money?

The article takes you from start to finish, from choosing a case to pricing out hard drives and picking the right video card, and finally puts the whole thing together, slaps Windows on it, and does some performance testing. It’s a pretty good read if you’re in the market for a budget gaming PC that still runs well enough to play your favorite games! Check it out:

[ http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1822693,00.asp ]

Categories
Programming and Podcasts TWIT Archive

TWIT Episode 7 Delayed

As you may have noticed, the most recent TWIT isn’t up yet. Well, that’s because it hasn’t been released yet! So if you come here to get your TWIT fix for the week, just hold on tight-it’ll be up as soon as we can download it from Leo, and Leo says he was going to have it sometime yesterday, so that means we should be expecting it any moment now! So just hold on tight and you’ll have it soon!

I know, I know, waiting sucks, but it’ll be worth it. I’m looking forward to it myself. You can count on us having it up as soon as possible after it’s released!

Categories
Sites and Downloads

Cool Download: RipEditBurn

Finally-an application that’ll help me with my CD and vinyl archive project. RipEditBurn is an application that essentially replaces a handful of audio burning and editing applications; it’ll rip any kind of CD (including copy protected ones, so use it for backups only, please), edit the music you got, convert the file types, re burn it to something else, and still offers a variety of features that the advanced and savvy user would appreciate, but equally offers enough of the basics that any potential ripper and burner might find useful.

With any luck, the application could become your one stop shop for all of your ripping, archiving, and burning needs when it comes to audio. Give it a go!

[ http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,25053,tk,hsx,00.asp ]

Categories
TechNews Bytes

Microsoft: New Netscape Breaks IE

Just what we all needed, the absolutely new Netscape 8 comes out, vulnerabilities are noticed out of the gate to which Netscape quickly and quietly patches to 8.1, and then Microsoft gets word of and publishes that Netscape-which allows a user to switch between the Firefox and Internet Explorer engines to view pages-breaks Internet Explorer in the process.

Why am I not surprised?

Seriously-Netscape has a proud, long tradition of breaking stuff, and in my frank opinion the last decent browser they produced was the Netscape Communicator 4.x series. Netscape 6 and up tended to be bloated, over-featured, slow, and buggy applications that were the dread of many IT professionals who were forced to deal with them. Regardless, getting back to point, the folks at AOL (who bought Netscape) have managed to put together a browser that breaks the XML rendering capabilities of Internet Explorer, which will render some websites completely unviewable in Internet Explorer as long as Netscape 8 is installed. Now normally I’m all about browser competition, as it can only mean more features and more functionality for users, but AOL’s official statement is absolutely wonderful:

“This issue affects a very small number of users who visit sites that require that advanced technology.”

That’s customer service for you. What? Problem? Well, it only affects people who USE that, duh! Meanwhile an official fix IS on the way. The new Netscape life cycle is off to an amusing, if not predictable, start.

[ http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,121023,tk,dn052705X,00.asp ]

Categories
TechNews Bytes

Database Hackers Reveal Tactics

Admittedly these guys broke the law and should be prosceuted for it, but I have to admit a bit of sympathy for them. The teenage hackers responsible for the break-ins at LexisNexis and the theft of hundreds of thousands of social security numbers and other personally identifiable information confess their tactics and admit that, contrary to the assertions of federal authorities, they had no intention to sell the information or defraud the individuals whose information they obtained, they simply wanted bragging rights (common in the hacking and cracking community) and they wanted to see if they could do it.

Regardless, it’s very possible they’re just saying this now that they’re caught and wrapped up in a federal investigation, and they had ever nefarious intention when they actually had the information, or that the power and ability to get the information could have very well been enough lure to do something else illegal with the information, but regardless, I would definitely feel more than sympathetic for a few guys who were talented and curious beyond the limits of the law. But now that they are caught and being investigated and possibly facing criminal charges, they’re cooperating with authorities and showing them the methods they used to breach the security of data warehouses as tightly controlled as LexisNexis.

Wired news naturally has the much longer scoop, with incredible detail. Read all about it:
[ http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,67629,00.html ]

Categories
Opinion TechNews Bytes

Ground Rules for the Windows-Macintosh War

Not my opinion this time, but I have to say that David Pogue does bring up some really amusing (and all too true) points with this article. I for one try to stay out of this particular battle altogether: I use a Macintosh at work (by choice, I have a PC available) and a PC at home (also by choice, I have an old powerbook I could use if I wanted to), so I tend to think that both PCs and Macintoshes are good for anyone who would want them and they’re equally good for most things, so there’s no point in debating at all. Pogue however, admits there’s a debate, and sets a few valuable ground rules for making the discussion as productive as it possibly can be.

Check it out:
[ http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/26/technology/circuits/26POGUE-EMAIL.html ]

Categories
Programming and Podcasts TWIT Archive

This Week In Tech [TWIT] // Episode 6

You know the drill guys, this week’s TWIT is up and available for direct download in mp3 format. Grab it and enjoy!

TWIT Episode 6 // May 22, 2005 – [ download ]

Categories
TechNews Bytes

Apple vs. TigerDirect; Winner: Apple

Remember that nonsense drummed up around the release of MacOS 10.4 where the horrible technology distributer TigerDirect [ http://www.tigerdirect.com/ ] filed suit against Apple over the use of the word “Tiger?” Yeah, we thought it was ridiculous, too, which is why we’re only making mention of it now: I mean, if TigerDirect actually had a case, they would have filed suit months ago, when the codename was originally published and not have waited for the week of the OS release, this making their case obviously a PR stunt. If TigerDirect put as much money and effort into resolving their complaints with the Better Business Bureau and their disgruntled customers, or into fixing their horribly tarnished image as a hack, late-night-infomercial, sells cruddy PCs at exorbitant prices image as they do into publicity stunts like this, then maybe they’d get some actual business.

But don’t just take my word for it, I got the scoop from MacBlog:
[ http://macblog.org/archives/2005/05/19/apple_vs_tigerdirect.php ]

And AppleInsider has the whole story:
[ http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=1076 ]