journal: toy

Format Shootout: Blu-ray vs. HD DVD

By shempzilla, May 3, 2007

Blu-ray's advantages should have lead to better quality, if anything, but instead they seem to have stumbled out of the gate like a drunken jockey riding a heavily-tranquilized derby horse.

If history has taught us anything, it’s that most tech companies don’t play well with others. In this way, they are a lot like teenage girls or film producers. Sure, they work together because they have to, but none of them ever seem very happy about it. This helps to explain why the buying public is so often forced to choose between products and media formats that are generally incompatible with each other in every possible way. Often times, this incompatibility is engineered and thrust upon us by the competing companies as a way to ensure that they won’t have to share any more than necessary. So here we are, yet again, this time looking at two major formats vying to replace your stack of DVDs and show you everything you didn’t know you’d been missing: HD DVD and Blu-ray.

I should state right off the bat that I do not own any players or titles from either camp, although in my defense I’m pretty sure nobody else does either. In fact, that’s one of the many problems faced by supporters of both formats, but we’ll get into that later. In preparation for this article, I went to the local electronics store to check out as much as I could in person and I will be discussing my findings. For the most part, however, I’m going to be focusing more on the factors involved in the current format wars1, as well as a little historical perspective.

Uploaded ImageUploaded Image
In the coming years, Blu-ray…
(Continue)


shempzilla's Avatar 4 5744
shempzilla shempzilla's Profile comments views

Back to top

iPod responsible for downfall of Western Civilization

By Nick, April 1, 2007

After being blamed for a rise in theft, an increase in noise-induced deafness, and the lowering of what is considered high-end media (link), the iPod is today being blamed for the fall of Great Britain, France, Canada, the United States, Italy, and other western nations, whose governments fell yesterday evening.

Details are scarce at this time, but according to extremely reliable news reports, western civilization began to unravel around 3 PM Pacific Daylight Time. The culprit is allegedly iPod owners who don’t give a damn about whether there is a Western Civilization, so long as the latest Fall Out Boy single makes its way onto their iPod. Also, several governments fell after blowing their entire treasuries on the latest iPod, which features a telepathic interface (you think it, iPod plays it).

“Despite causing the fall of modern Western culture and sending us back 300 years, this is certainly a win-win scenario for Apple,” analyst A.P. Rulfulse of research firm Lawson, Mayer, Aldridge, and Owens LLC told Deep Thought. “Once again, Apple leads the way. Apple’s products are truly innovative, and as we have seen, a huge commercial success. Never before has a single product taken down an entire society.”

It is hard to tell what the fall of Western Civilization will mean in the long run, but rumors have surfaced that Steve Jobs plans to declare himself Global Emperor for Life at a press event scheduled for this coming Tuesday. Also expected is an announcement that Apple is planning to return…
(Continue)


Nick 2 5659
Nick Nick's Profile comments views

Back to top

The AOL CDs that time forgot!

By Nick, March 12, 2007

This article is dedicated to the memory of all those CDs that gave their life in the valiant struggle to bring the computer users of the world free hours of AOL service. May all those fallen CD souls rest in peace.

Here’s a quickie…

For the past nine years or so, I have built a collection of various online service signup CDs. It’s not a huge collection, but it’s amusing to take a stroll down memory lane. I will share with all of you a few of my favorite online service signup CDs (AOL is by far the most common).

This article is dedicated to the memory of all those CDs that gave their life in the valiant struggle to bring the computer users of the world free hours of AOL service. May all those fallen CD souls rest in peace.

Anyway, on with this freak show!

A rare specimen

I would like to start by sharing this beautiful rare specimen: a CompuServe 4.0 signup CD, complete with the amazingly clever tagline, “For those serious about internet online.” As opposed to...what? Usenet online?

Uploaded Image

Fresh lemon scent!

This is one of many AOL 3.0 CDs circa 1998 I have laying around. I like this one because it evokes the visual style of a box of laundry detergent. “Faster web browsing action! Cleans deep stains without fading colors!”

Uploaded Image

The Gold Collection

What do you do when you want to make some of your customers feel special? Why, you give them a gold version of your product! If you’re Visa, it’s the Gold Card. If you’re AOL, it’s the Gold signup CD. I have a few of these from the AOL 3.0/4.0 era.

Uploaded Image

AOL CD or sour apple candy?

I don’t know why AOL decided…
(Continue)


Nick 2 2850
Nick Nick's Profile comments views

Back to top

WTF? Printer Lies

By SogniX, March 2, 2007

After replacing the “Empty” ink cartridges from my printer, I decided to take one apart to see just how much ink was really left after my printer said it was out and forced me to replace it.
What I found was enough to really piss me off!

DSCN0127.JPG

It seems the electronics in the ink cartridge has nothing to do with how much ink is really in the cartridge - other than how many times it has printed, being wasteful of the valuable ink inside by deciding when to change the ink. Maybe the chip is really a communications device from the printer/ink manufacturer, to force you to buy new ink when they are running low on money. :p

Why has the decision of when to replace the ink been taken out of our hands?
If I want funky colors on my map & driving directions - so be it, it’s only lines and text! I really don’t need it to be in perfect life-like color!

How about replacing the forced “Ink out, replace ink now” message with a “Ink may be running low, if you continue to print your printouts might be faded. To prevent fading, replace the ink ASAP” and allow me to forge on and print with whatever is left?

Considering the cost of ink, seeing how much is actually left is very infuriating! 


SogniX's Avatar 0 1606
SogniX SogniX's Profile comments views

Back to top

Cisco Sues Apple Over iPhone Copyright Infringement

By Jay, January 11, 2007

Yesterday, Cisco Systems, Inc. filed a law suit against Apple Inc. for copyright infringement over the “Apple iPhone”. Cisco has owned the trademark to the name since they acquired the company Infogear, who had obtained the rights to the name on March 20, 1996. Mark Chandler the vice president of cisco said:

Cisco entered into negotiations with Apple in good faith after Apple repeatedly asked permission to use Cisco’s iPhone name.

He also stated:

There is no doubt that Apple’s new phone is very exciting, but they should not be using our trademark without our permission.

Cisco is said to be seeking injunctive relief to prevent Apple from copying their trademark. Cisco’s official press release can be found here.


Jay's Avatar 3 3992
Jay's Profile comments views

Back to top

Page 10 of 39 pages « First  < Prev  6 7 8 9 [10] 11 12 13 14 Next >  Last »

more stuff

Page 1 of 6 pages
 [1] 2 3 4 5 Next >  Last »