There's no justice

Two Great Tastes That Don't Go Great Together

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:40:15 GMT

Remember that old Coca-Cola slogan, "things go better with Coke?" Well, not everything does. Case in point: corn muffins. Coke tastes unpleasantly alkaline after eating a corn muffin. The effect doesn't go both ways: another muffin still tastes just fine.

Oenophiles can't be the only folks who think about pairings. I wonder if anyone's put together something analogous to a "color wheel" for foods?

Getting My Hands Dirty with DTV, Part 1

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 05:21:44 GMT

A few months ago, I was given a USB Tuner Stick. This is a small external device that allows a computer to receive over-the-air digital television signals. It has two obvious uses: (1) watching live TV; (2) recording programs for later viewing. (2) opens up the possibility of creating custom DVDs, which can provide better picture quality than a DTV Converter Box + a VHS VCR. Recordable DVDs are relatively inexpensive, and take up less storage space than videotapes. Having a digital copy of a television broadcast also makes it easy to skip unwanted material (which usually means commercial interruptions, but in the case of the Super Bowl means football).

Why is this interesting? Because, to the extent possible, I'm doing all this using only free, open-source software. My story begins with a secondhand PC, and a fresh installation of Ubuntu 9.04, a free Linux distribution.

The best-known Linux DVR software is MythTV, and I could have started with Mythbuntu. But the instant I saw MySQL was MythTV's first prerequisite, I knew this wasn't the approach I wanted to take. There's nothing wrong with an appliance if it does what you want; my fear was that I'd run into some complication that would end up frustrating me, and it seemed more productive to start with something lightweight.

My first challenge was to get the USB Tuner Stick to work at all. Since the one I have is XC3028-based, the driver's already included with Ubuntu, but I had to follow the procedure documented on www.linuxtv.org to obtain its firmware, which needed to be added to /lib/firmware/.

Like a digital television receiver or converter box, a PC tuner isn't useful until you've scanned local stations. The scan utility is part of the dvb-apps package. Now things start to get confusing. First of all, dvb-apps contains two scanning applications, scan and dvbscan. Even though the documentation would seem to suggest using the latter, you actually want the former. Second, scan requires an initial tuning data file, and the samples provided in /usr/share/dvb/atsc/ are suboptimal. I suggest making a copy of us-ATSC-center-frequencies-8VSB and paring it down. TV channels 2-6 are rarely used in the U.S. for digital television, so you should be able to delete everything below 177 MHz. Subsequent to the national DTV transition, channels 52-69 are gone, so you can definitely get rid of anything above 695 MHz. Channel 37 is reserved for radio astronomy use, so you might as well remove 611 MHz right now as well.

Scanning unused channels is a waste of time, so you can trim the list further. Sites like www.rabbitears.info list the stations actually operating in various markets. Locate the digital (or transmitter) channels (not the display or virtual channels), and look up the frequency in a table such as this one on the FCC's web site. For example, TV channel 44 ranges from 650-656 MHz. This is centered on 653 MHz, so your initial tuning data file would contain a corresponding line like this:

A 653028615 8VSB

Do this for each channel. Once you have a list of likely candidates, you're ready to scan.

scan -5 -t 1 initial-tuning-data-file >channels.conf 2>channels.errs

The scan may take several minutes to complete. If you leave off the -5 it will go faster, but you might miss some of the weaker signals.

When it finishes, you'll have a channels.conf, but it will probably need some hand-tweaking.

I like to reorder things by virtual channel, which you can list with:

fgrep running channels.errs|sort -t: -k2n -k3n

Then, make sure there aren't any "gremlins" in the file:

cat -v channels.conf|diff -n - channels.conf|fgrep :

Any lines that show up will need to be edited to remove the offending character(s).

channels.conf consists of lines that look like:

KTVU-TV:653028615:8VSB:49:52:3

There are six fields separated by colons. The first is the channel name. You'll recognize the second as the center frequency. Don't worry about the others right now. Go ahead and rename things to your liking; the scan (unfortunately) prefers "extended" names which aren't always reasonable or unique.

When you have something you're happy with, move it to its permanent home:

mkdir ~/.azap mv channels.conf ~/.azap

(You can delete the channels.errs file)

One of the easiest ways to watch live TV is to use the me-tv application. The version released with Ubuntu 9.04 isn't the latest, but installing that ensures all its dependencies are satisfied. Then go to its home page to find the latest version. You should be able to upgrade using a command like:

sudo gdebi me-tv_1.0.0-0ubuntu1~jaunty1_i386.deb

Me TV appears on the Applications menu under the Sound & Video category. The first time you run it, it will bring up a Scan Wizard. You'll want to choose Import a channels.conf, select .azap/channels.conf, click Next, click Add, then click OK. Select a channel, and you should see video within a few seconds. Pless the V key (or right-click on the video) to cycle through the various displays. F toggles full-screen mode. Ctrl-Q exits.

(to be continued)

The only "green" BART wants is yours

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:23:28 GMT

BART's service reductions take effect today. While there's been plenty of media coverage about the schedule changes, the "buried" news story is that they've simultaneously discontinued all of their remaining offline "QuickPlanner" offerings (Palm, iPod). They still offer a PDF version of their Fares and Schedules brochure (which I'm sure is great if you have a Kindle DX, and not so much otherwise).

They seem to be assuming that, in these recessionary times, after imposing an onerous fare increase half a year early, their riders are now eager to shell out big bucks for a smartphone with an unlimited data plan ... or are willing to pay up the wazoo for WiFi (BTW, their new BFF WiFi Rail thinks you'll be happy to hand over as much as $10 a day just as soon as they can finish becoming the exclusive provider on BART property). [Uh, which part of "monopolies are bad" is the difficult concept here?] If, for whatever reason, you don't have Internet access at the very instant you want BART information, tough!

Fortunately, the "dead tree" version is still available free of charge. For now.

Paved with Good Intentions

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 06:19:01 GMT

Users who install the latest Firefox 3.0.x release are greeted with a "what's new" page that invokes a script (http://en-us.www.mozilla.com/js/detect-flash.js) intended to check if the user is running an old, buggy version of Adobe's Flash Plug-in, and, if so, display this dire warning:

You should update Adobe Flash Player right now.

Firefox is up to date, but your current version of Flash Player can cause security and stability issues. Please install the free update as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, their script doesn't understand that Flash Player version 9.0.246.0 is a "fixed" version, and no update is necessary or appropriate. (Source: APSB09-10)

Shame on you, Mozilla, for needlessly frightening your customers.

Montréal Science Centre photos posted

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 22:52:17 GMT

(Read this post in anticipation_09 if you haven't already.)

I made a brief visit to the Montréal Science Centre (I got in free thanks to ASTC). Photos are here.

Admission to the Science Centre also included one timed entry to Aqua, a temporary exhibition produced by the One Drop Foundation. Billed as "A Journey Into the World of Water," it starts off in a room with a waterfall on the right, and what looks like some sort of sculpture on the left. This objet d'art has a cluster of cylindrical metal pedestals, each of which has a large blue plastic teardrop-shaped light on top. The guides direct each visitor to pick up and hold onto one of the drops for the remainder of the presentation. The glowing drops appear to have no openings, so the cylindrical pedestals must obviously house inductive chargers. That's so cool.

Then the presentation begins, and it's OK. They project onto the waterfall, which is a pretty nice effect. Then, after you think that's all there is to it, the waterfall parts, and an entrance to another room is revealed.

This room is circular, with screens all around. In the center there's a brick well with what looks like a hand pump, although it's pumping all by itself, and water is flowing into the top of the well, whose base is lined with large, smooth stones. The entrance seals, forming a 360-degree screen.

Video projectors beam images onto the outside walls, and a translucent circular screen drops around the pump; images are projected there as well. Parts of the video presentation turn out to be interactive; you can wave your drops in front of the wall, and things move around in perfect synchronization. There are strobe lights hanging from the ceiling, which simulate lightning.

The images begin to change ... from an abundance of clean water to pollution to drought and desolation. The drops of water the we're holding begin to extinguish one by one, until only one remains illuminated. Water no longer flows from the pump: it's now spitting out sand. Wow.

At the end of the presentation, the drops relight, and the guides direct us to place them gently in the well. Then, the wall opposite the one we entered opens, where there's yet a third space. This one showcases various facts about water usage, and features interactive kiosks where visitors can pick one of several different ways to conserve water or otherwise protect the resources we already have.

This is activism for the infomercial generation, and whether or not you agree with the message, the design and production values are outstanding. Aqua would be right at home at a major theme park.

The Montréal Science Centre is located at the bottom of Saint-Laurent Boulevard, on the south side of King-Edward Quay, in the Old Port. All of the exhibitions and activities are open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily, and the exhibitions are open until 9 p.m. six days a week. There's plenty of ($$$) parking available. The building also houses an IMAX theatre, priced separately from Science Centre admission (although discounted combo packages are available).

Enough with the downsizing already!

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 06:56:39 GMT

Two of my local supermarket chains have Post cereals on sale this week. I figured Cocoa Pebbles would make a great ice cream topping ... and was astonished to find Post's new overlords shrunk the mainstream product from Kraft's obnoxious 13 oz. to a measly 11 oz. (>15% less cereal / >18% price increase)

I walked away, disgusted.

Your Tax Dollars at Work: Linux-Bashing

Sat, 25 Jul 2009 18:51:46 GMT

The Federal Citizen Information Center's Publication of the Week is Stop. Think. Click., which admonishes readers:

Hackers also take advantage of Web browsers (like Internet Explorer or Netscape) and operating system software (like Windows or Linux) that are unsecured.

Of course, the fact that the PDF version was produced on a Macintosh in no way suggests a certain bias...

What's the opposite of "Economic Stimulus?"

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:17:29 GMT

BART jacks up their fares today, with the biggest slap-in-the face going to air travelers.

BART from Civic Center station (i.e. 7th-8th St. & Market) to SFO (or vice versa) now costs a whopping $8.10 (a >51% price increase), and takes half an hour.

In comparison, the SamTrans KX bus from 7th and Mission (a block away) costs $4.50, and gets you to SFO in around 22 minutes.

Other than running twice as frequently — that is, until the announced service reductions that will take effect in September — what exactly does BART have going for it? Oh yeah, they'll transport baggage most airlines used to let you check for free. Big ouch there.

This isn't just another greedy soak-the-tourists revenue scheme; it hurts people who live here more.

And Then, There Were Two

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 03:01:20 GMT

One of the more surprising things on June 13 was just how many analog stations were still on the air. Today, KFTL-CA flash cut to digital, and KNTV-TV's "night light" went dark. KAXT-CA and KMMC-LP are still broadcasting NTSC.

KFTL's digital signal is defintely harder to pull in than their analog signal was. At least they're still there. KTNC and KTLN popped in briefly during the past few weeks, but they're gone now. I never managed to get a signal for KTFK.

It's old enough to be President

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:03:02 GMT

Bar code turns 35 today

Wikipedia: Universal Product Code

Linux users no longer feeling the love from Yahoo!

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 23:27:52 GMT

Yahoo! Messenger has started popping up this dire warning:

SYSTEM Message
Warning: This version of Messenger will expire on August 15, 2009. Please upgrade to the latest supported version: http://messenger.yahoo.com/download .

That link then offers me a Windows version of their software, even though my browser is sending a User-Agent: that clearly and unequivocally reveals that I am not running Windows.

I fired Microsoft years ago, and in the decades I've been using computers, I can't think of anything else I've ever done that has produced such a phenomenal increase in my "customer satisfaction," productivity, happiness and general well-being. Ubuntu Linux has proven itself completely adequate for all my mundane needs. (I also run FreeBSD to do "real work," and make frequent use of its excellent Linux emulation.) So, I'm deeply saddened that Yahoo! has chosen to abandon users of their official native Linux client and offer no reasonable upgrade path. (Do I really need to explain why their Flash-based "solution" does not qualify as "reasonable?")

What are my alternatives? The "800-pound gorilla" of open-source instant messaging software is Pidgin. Trying to be all things to all people makes it horribly bloated, and from what other people have told me, it's not all that great. Coincidentally, none of Ubuntu's official Pidgin packages work any more, since Yahoo! has already started locking out their users. Instructions on how to work around this are here, but there's no guarantee Yahoo! won't try to sabotage this (or any other third-party client software) in the future.

A Generation Apart

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:04:03 GMT

In 1986, the hottest thing out of Cupertino was the IIGS: the Apple IIGS. It was the fastest Apple II ever, available with more memory than its predecessors, and borrowed heavily from its Macintosh cousins — offering a graphical user interface with Cut, Copy & Paste capability. Introductory price: $999 (~$1944 in today's dollars).

Twenty-three years later, the hottest thing out of Cupertino is the 3G S: the iPhone 3G S. It's the fastest iPhone ever, available with more memory than its predecessors, and borrows heavily from its Macintosh cousins — offering a graphical user interface with Cut, Copy & Paste capability. Introductory price: $299 if you sign up for a new 2-year AT&T contract, which will commit you to spending at least another $2100. Total: $2400+ (possibly much more).

Andrew Carnegie must be spinning in his grave

Sat, 09 May 2009 02:45:09 GMT

Ms. Calendar: It was your book that started the trouble, not a computer. Honestly, what is it about them that bothers you so much?
Giles: The smell.
Ms. Calendar: Computers don't smell, Rupert.
Giles: I know. Smell is the most powerful memory trigger there is. A certain flower or a whiff of smoke can bring up experiences long forgotten. Books smell — musty and rich. Knowledge gained from a computer has no texture, no context. It's there and then it's gone. If it's to last, the getting of knowledge should be tangible, it should be smelly.
—Buffy the Vampire Slayer, "I, Robot... You, Jane"

In 1996, San Francisco opened a new Main Library to a chorus of cheers and jeers. The new structure was architectually stunning (and certainly put to good use as a movie set in 1998's City of Angels). But there was a major problem: they didn't leave much room for books. Some of the collection that had been on publicly-accessible shelves in the old building (which now houses the Asian Art Museum) moved underground into Brooks Hall. Brooks Hall, together with the Civic Auditorium, had been a popular site for conferences and conventions (now pretty much all held at the expanded Moscone Center these days; Brooks Hall has been closed ever since). Some of the old books were given away, while others were sold off or destroyed.

The City Librarian, who had been one of principal forces driving the design of the new Main, envisioned a technologically advanced facility for the 21st century, featuring more than 300 computer terminals and PCs available to the public. He resigned less than a year later.

Fast forward to 2009, where today and tomorrow the Main Library is championing eMedia: eBooks, audiobooks ("spoken eBooks"), music, etc., many of which are tied to evil Microsoft-proprietary technologies. Don't have your own computer? You're shut out. (You can't even use the library's public computers to access much of this stuff, let alone download it.) Use a Macintosh? Your choices are severely limited. Want to listen to audio on your iPod? Ditto. Run Linux on your shiny new netbook, or the free desktop computer you got from ACCRC (or MCRC) because you're disadvantaged, low-income, disabled, a senior citizen, at a non-profit organization, or a school? You're screwed. Totally, completely, utterly screwed. Your tax dollars that support the Public Library may be just as green as the next guy's, but unless you're willing to open yourself up to viruses, worms, credit card and identity-stealing malware, no new media for you!

Product	Windows	Macintosh	Linux
Adobe EPUB eBook	ADE for 2000, XP, Vista	ADE for Tiger, Leopard	not supported (but Windows ADE may run under WINE)
Adobe PDF eBook	Adobe Reader support for eBooks discontinued 3/2009; must now use ADE
Mobipocket eBook	Mobipocket Reader for 2000, XP, Vista	not supported	not supported
OverDrive WMA Audiobook	OverDrive Media Console for 98SE, ME, 2000, XP, Vista	not supported	not supported
OverDrive MP3 Audiobook	OverDrive Media Console for 98SE, ME, 2000, XP, Vista	OverDrive Media Console for Tiger, Leopard	not supported
OverDrive Music	OverDrive Media Console for 98SE, ME, 2000, XP, Vista	not supported	not supported
OverDrive Video	OverDrive Media Console for 98SE, ME, 2000, XP, Vista	not supported	not supported
NetLibrary eAudiobooks	NetLibrary Media Center for XP, Vista + .NET + Windows Media Player 11	not supported	not supported
NetLibrary eBooks	requirements not published
Safari Techbooks Online	requirements not published
Gale Virtual Reference Library	requirements not published

ADE = Adobe Digital Editions + Adobe Flash Player

More information:

Windows Media for Mac
(note that Windows Media Player 9 is PPC-only, and hasn't been updated since 2003)
Thoughts on Music
Steve Jobs' conclusion that DRM is a failure
Changes Coming to the iTunes Store
Two years later, Apple's iTunes went 100% DRM-free
Defective By Design
What's wrong with Digital Restrictions
Creative Commons
Making it easier for people to share and build upon the work of others

The DTV Transition Continues to Suck

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 02:34:07 GMT

What's happened since my last DTV entry?: Consumer Reports finally got around to updating their ratings of Digital converter boxes.
What hasn't changed?: The Carefree CB8899, HOME.TEL RC-HT888L, SUMC LSA-801L, and TRT TACB-2009 are still unavailable.

I went ahead and purchased a Channel Master CM-7000 for live viewing.

Channel Master CM-7000

Pros:

S-Video output
Awesome picture quality ... better than I've ever seen out of a cable box (and no monthly fees, ha!)
Can respond to Pioneer cable box codes
Good sensitivity

Cons:

Ugly "industrial" appearance
No Analog Pass-Through; requires a splitter (or second antenna)
Poor user interface; difficult to navigate
No way to add channels directly; must rescan (it took ten attempts to register all my local stations)
Added one channel with its "real" channel number rather than its virtual one
"Delete" hides channels rather than deleting them
Small text for closed caption display and channel guide
Volume levels can vary considerably when changing channels
Channel Banner doesn't always time out
Zoomed picture seems scrolled too far left (noticeable when HD broadcaster pillarboxes SD content)
Ventilation holes on top let dust in

Conclusion: If they made a "version two" with Analog Pass-Through, a Smart Antenna interface, and fixed most of the little annoyances, I'd trade up

Compare with...

DISH Network DTVPal Plus

Pros:

VCR Timers
Excellent Electronic Program Guide
User-friendly controls
Allows you to rename channels
There's a Picture Format setting that Just Works Right

Cons:

External power supply blocks adjacent outlet on power strip
Can take a long time to come out of standby
Can't select Analog Pass-Through as a Timer channel
Gets really confused if a station broadcasts the wrong time-of-day
Completely locked up twice in the first month I had it, necessitating hard resets
One of the crashes occurred when I had five timer events programmed: it recorded the first two OK, but the VCR recorded no signal for the rest; I suspect disabling the inactivity standby would have prevented this
Suffers EPG "amnesia" ... I'm guessing this model has too little RAM and/or there's a memory allocator bug in the firmware
One day, it mysteriously decided to renumber channel 38-1 to 70-1 (leaving 38-2 untouched); deleting both subchannels and re-adding them fixed that
Nauseating to view under marginal signal conditions
Too easy to accidentally change volume setting on remote

Conclusion: Great concept, poor execution

Put me down for an "I told you so"

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 08:18:16 GMT

Well, the "original" DTV transition date is upon us, and in the San Francisco Bay Area, three stations (KCNS, KICU, and KOFY) have decided to turn off their analog signals in advance of the revised June 12 deadline. I predict they're going to get hammered in the next two Nielsen sweeps periods, and their advertising rates (and revenues) will suffer accordingly.

I've had my first converter box (a Dish Network DTVPal Plus) for a week and a half now. I'll write more about that later, but first I want to note how digital stacks up against analog so far.

Improved Reception

KRON-TV 4 / KRON-DT 57 [San Francisco]
KPIX-TV 5 / KPIX-DT 29 [San Francisco]
KBCW-TV 44 / KBCW-DT 45 [San Francisco]
KCSM-TV 60 / KCSM-DT 43 [San Mateo]

Comparable Reception

KTVU-TV 2 / KTVU-DT 56 [Oakland]
KQED-TV 9 / KQED-DT 30 [San Francisco]
KNTV-TV 11 / KNTV-DT 12 [San Jose]
KOFY-TV 20 / KOFY-DT 19 [San Francisco]
KTSF-TV 26 / KTSF-DT 27 [San Francisco]
KMTP-TV 32 / KMTP-DT 33 [San Francisco]
KCNS-TV 38 / KCNS-DT 39 [San Francisco]
KTEH-TV 54 / KTEH-DT 50 [San Jose]
KKPX-TV 65 / KKPX-DT 41 [San Jose]
KFSF-TV 66 / KFSF-DT 34 [Vallejo]

Degraded Reception

KGO-TV 7 / KGO-DT 24 [San Francisco]
KDTV-TV 14 / KDTV-DT 51 [San Francisco]
KICU-TV 36 / KICU-DT 52 [San Jose]
KSTS-TV 48 / KSTS-DT 49 [San Jose]

Lost Entirely

KTNC-TV 42 / KTNC-DT 63 [Concord]
KTFK-TV 64 / KTFK-DT 62 [Stockton]
KTLN-TV 68 / KTLN-DT 47 [Novato]

Analog-only

KAXT-CA 22 [Santa Clara]
KFTL-CA 28 [San Francisco]
KMMC-LP 40 [San Francisco] (plans to flash-cut to LD 40)

I'm staying with Sprint

Sat, 31 Jan 2009 23:45:40 GMT

My contract is up, so the obvious question became: do I join the lemmings and switch to an iPhone, or do I keep something that's been serving me pretty well?

The Number One argument against the iPhone is it's tied to AT&T, unquestionably the worst major player in the U.S. wireless market. Yes, they have rollover minutes, but that's all they have going for them. There's no question in my mind that if I had to pick a GSM carrier, I'd go with T-Mobile.

There's a lot not to like about the iPhone itself, which has less to do with the technology than Apple's obnoxious "control freak" attitude toward third-party applications and application developers — not to mention the enormous barriers to entry for anyone who actually wants to join their bleating flocks.

Until this month, the "obvious" alternative was to pursue something Linux-based, but there really aren't any good choices ... yet. Yes, there is an Android product out there, but it's still "crippled." I don't consider OpenMoko stable enough. No ALP-based products have been announced.

Then there's Symbian, which is going open source. Unfortunately, Symbian's development tools require an unreasonable hardware/software configuration (Windoze-only, boo!).

Which leads us to this month's Big Announcement: the Palm Pre. Everyone who's seen it describes it as an "iPhone killer." We've heard that before, but it might actually be true this time. They've had plenty of time to look at the iPhone's shortcomings, and not repeat Apple's mistakes. Plus, after the Foleo fiasco, they're highly motivated to knock one out of the park.

Unfortunately, pretty much everything about the Pre is shrouded in secrecy. Palm says it runs a new OS — why? One of the reassuring things about the iPhone is that it doesn't use something unproven: it's basically running a stripped-down version of Mac OS X.

Palm now has a browser based on WebKit — the same underlying technology used by the iPhone's Mobile Safari and Google's Chrome — so it can't be that weird at the API level. They're touting the ability to create "web apps" — the same line of crap Steve Jobs offered up when he introduced the iPhone. Supposedly, they'll be doing something to mollify Palm OS developers, but just what that will be remains unannounced.

Will the Pre implement PACE? A little over two years ago, Palm paid ACCESS $44M for a perpetual license that allows them to meld Palm OS Garnet with other technologies in future devices. The ability to run existing Palm OS applications would instantly stomp the iPhone into the ground. On the other hand, that might be enough to pursuade Apple to lift their opposition to StyleTap. (Seriously, though, Apple should work with ACCESS to get GVM on the iPhone.)

Sprint will be the first U.S. carrier to offer the Palm Pre. (Rumor has it they also have an Android device in the pipeline.)

Hershey's Kiss of Death

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 22:32:13 GMT

Scharffen Berger, Schmidt plants to be closed

But wait, this isn't a desperate act by a failing company; these are evil corporate raiders destroying two highly-regarded and successful businesses.

"Hershey released fourth-quarter earnings Tuesday that were above analyst expectations and projected growth of up to 3 percent for 2009."

Spend your money elsewhere this Valentine's Day!

Stuff I Like: Hot Pockets Twisted Stix

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 17:23:40 GMT

Sometimes you just "need" a quick snack, and microwaveables are great when you don't want something cold. As frozen foods go, Hot Pockets aren't bad, but they're not as convenient as, say, a microwave burrito, since you have to fuss with a crisping sleeve. They also take two minutes to cook, and if you don't let them cool down enough before eating, you could burn yourself.

Twisted Stix fixes all that. Instead of two 4½ oz. stuffed sandwiches, you get five 2 oz. stuffed breadsticks. There's nothing complicated about them. Even three at once take less time than one regular Hot Pocket, and they're just as satisfying. Two of these, and a can of Coke, and you've got your four essential Geek Nutrients: salt, fat, sugar, and caffeine.

For the first time since 9/11/2001

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 17:53:25 GMT

... our government has done something that actually made me feel safer.

Where's our bailout?

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 01:20:37 GMT

Well, the "big news" is that the converter box coupon program ran out of money ... a little earlier than expected. And those of you who waited until January because of the 90-day expiration got a nasty surprise. Of course, the "early adopters" got shafted since the first CECBs on the market, for lack of a better word, sucked. Some of the later products were introduced with buggy firmware that wasn't field-upgradable. If you bought the "wrong" box, you had few (if any) options to exchange it without losing the value of your coupon. Reputable reviews (e.g. CNET, Consumer Reports) never materialized for most of the boxes on the market. And there was always something better just around the corner. So waiting made a lot of sense. It's probably going to fall on Congress to "fix" this ... good luck with that.

Since I last wrote about the disenfranchised, the feds relented somewhat on nursing homes. They can't apply through the normal means, and are limited to one coupon per person (as opposed to the two the rest of us can claim). This still leaves a lot of people living in "nontraditional housing" out in the cold.

On January 15, Hawaiians become the next sheep to the slaughter. Hopefully things will go a little better for them than they did for the residents of Wilmington, NC. If not, President-elect Obama's call to delay the Transition for the rest of us might actually gain some serious traction.

My CECB recommendations remain unchanged for now, since the possible challengers to the Channel Master CM-7000 still haven't materialized:

Carefree CB8899: S-Video + Smart Antenna I/F + APT
SUMC LSA-801L: S-Video + Smart Antenna I/F + APT
TRT TACB-2009: S-Video + Smart Antenna I/F + 14-day EPG

...and the MaxMedia LuTRO hasn't been reviewed (as a competitor to the DTVPal Plus).

Season Finale

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:48:13 GMT

Vote Tuesday; results show Wednesday.

Oh, the Horror

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 17:41:36 GMT

What are you doing for Halloween?

This noncommercial parody uses a copyrighted image from Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. No infringement is intended.

You Haven't Seen the Last of Her

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:33:00 GMT

Now that we know what the "Plus" is

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:49:23 GMT

I'm revising "which CECBs would I buy if I had to choose today?" to substitute the DISH Network DTVPal Plus for the TR-40 CRA. It's worth the extra $30 for the more sensitive tuner, since the OTARD rule doesn't help me.

Another CECB features list

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 09:19:49 GMT

The FCC has some nice tables comparing DTV Converter Box Features. Between this and the previously-mentioned pages on Wikipedia and EZDigitalTV.com, you should be able to piece together a better idea of the various boxes' advantages and shortcomings.

You'll still want to read reviews for evaluations of picture quality, receiver sensitivity, etc.