Golden Goaties: Kotaku's 2008 Games of the Year Awards
If you or someone you know received a game console for Christmas, you need to check out this list and forward it to your friends. This list was compiled by video game blog site http://kotaku.com and is chalked full of great games based on everything from music to art to multiplayer mode and more. The best of the best of 2008 live here! Good place to start a collection.
--Slick Geek
Monday, January 5, 2009
Streaming Video: Sweet, Sweet Flash Coming to Your HDTV, via Intel
Streaming Video: Sweet, Sweet Flash Coming to Your HDTV, via Intel
Ha. And just as I posted about earlier, the Intel boys are teaming up with Adobe for the very things I discussed in a previous blog post an hour or so ago. Internet video streaming, not to a PC mind you, but STRAIGHT into your TV, and at HD quality. Yeah, it's about time, really. With the price of HDTV sets barrelling well below the $1000 mark, it's no wonder that the idea of streaming internet video(read: free video from the internet) is becoming a hotter concept by the minute. As it is, I setup the Xbox360 to stream HD content from various sites using Windows Media Center and Play-On, which I highly recommend. Play-on for the Hulu capabilities, and Windows Media Center for it's Youtube content among other things.
The only problem is what I alluded to in the earlier blog-post, Comcast(and other ISPs) are beginning to limit users who pull too much of their bandwidth in a given timeframe. It's a shame, really. You are already paying a lot of money for the service, and now they want to limit it. Nice one Comcast. Welcome to my Hate List of 2009. Heck...
Welcome to the TOP of my Hate List for 2009. And so quickly, too. Quite the achievement.
--Slick Geek
Ha. And just as I posted about earlier, the Intel boys are teaming up with Adobe for the very things I discussed in a previous blog post an hour or so ago. Internet video streaming, not to a PC mind you, but STRAIGHT into your TV, and at HD quality. Yeah, it's about time, really. With the price of HDTV sets barrelling well below the $1000 mark, it's no wonder that the idea of streaming internet video(read: free video from the internet) is becoming a hotter concept by the minute. As it is, I setup the Xbox360 to stream HD content from various sites using Windows Media Center and Play-On, which I highly recommend. Play-on for the Hulu capabilities, and Windows Media Center for it's Youtube content among other things.
The only problem is what I alluded to in the earlier blog-post, Comcast(and other ISPs) are beginning to limit users who pull too much of their bandwidth in a given timeframe. It's a shame, really. You are already paying a lot of money for the service, and now they want to limit it. Nice one Comcast. Welcome to my Hate List of 2009. Heck...
Welcome to the TOP of my Hate List for 2009. And so quickly, too. Quite the achievement.
--Slick Geek
HDTV: How to Get the Best Free HDTV Reception
HDTV: How to Get the Best Free HDTV Reception
I don't know how many of you might have picked up one of the HDTVs that were discounted pretty spiffily before and after Christmas, but for those of you that did you should know that you also should consider picking up a HD Antenna from Best Buy. I'm currently using the Terk indoor HD antenna that runs around $75 at Best Buy and it works really well. Yes, I'm plugging something that actually works. Anywho.
For those of you who have an HDTV and have or are getting an HD Antenna, you should check out the site linked in the article. Using your address it will help you figure out how best to aim that antenna to get the strongest signal from the highest number of stations.
--Slick Geek
I don't know how many of you might have picked up one of the HDTVs that were discounted pretty spiffily before and after Christmas, but for those of you that did you should know that you also should consider picking up a HD Antenna from Best Buy. I'm currently using the Terk indoor HD antenna that runs around $75 at Best Buy and it works really well. Yes, I'm plugging something that actually works. Anywho.
For those of you who have an HDTV and have or are getting an HD Antenna, you should check out the site linked in the article. Using your address it will help you figure out how best to aim that antenna to get the strongest signal from the highest number of stations.
--Slick Geek
Comcast: Comcast's Internet Slowdown System Fully Armed and Operational (and Avoidable)
Comcast: Comcast's Internet Slowdown System Fully Armed and Operational (and Avoidable)
Not that I necessarily condone copyright infringements, but let's face it the numbers on internet downloading and P2P sharing don't lie(well, they do, but that is a whole nother article altogether). There is a new system Comcast is using that will probably end up adopted or adapted by all other ISPs around the country to ensure bandwidth is properly shared between everyone. The problem is that those of you who use say YouTube on a daily basis for watching videos online, Netflix to stream HD content to your TV for High-Def watchery, iTunes for downloading(legally) music and podcasts, and the thousands of other(legal) downloading and streaming capabilities the internet has allowed us, are susceptible to being slowed down. The article from http://lifehacker.com explains that Comcast's system will simply mark those who use over 70% of their bandwidth in a given timeframe in a way that will give them a lesser priority for their packets(data downloaded).
The big problem here is that if you are marked, the system is still supposed to let your downloads through, just taking longer timeframes to do so. Essentially, Comcast is neutralizing the supposed threat of P2P and torrents by throttling those who download too much at once. My concern is that it is becoming nearly common place for folks to stream content to their TVs for viewing on a larger screen than their monitor or desktop. Not to mention that there are those families with video gaming kids who play over the internet with their friends.
To me it just seems there are some questionable issues here that don't seem to get addressed by Comcast. It's the same old cookie-cutter approach to internet control that has been called "net neutrality" for years now, and is shunned by the internet community at large. I guess this is the future we're all told is to come, being slowed down because you choose to use the internet for what it's become.
*sigh*
--Slick Geek
Not that I necessarily condone copyright infringements, but let's face it the numbers on internet downloading and P2P sharing don't lie(well, they do, but that is a whole nother article altogether). There is a new system Comcast is using that will probably end up adopted or adapted by all other ISPs around the country to ensure bandwidth is properly shared between everyone. The problem is that those of you who use say YouTube on a daily basis for watching videos online, Netflix to stream HD content to your TV for High-Def watchery, iTunes for downloading(legally) music and podcasts, and the thousands of other(legal) downloading and streaming capabilities the internet has allowed us, are susceptible to being slowed down. The article from http://lifehacker.com explains that Comcast's system will simply mark those who use over 70% of their bandwidth in a given timeframe in a way that will give them a lesser priority for their packets(data downloaded).
The big problem here is that if you are marked, the system is still supposed to let your downloads through, just taking longer timeframes to do so. Essentially, Comcast is neutralizing the supposed threat of P2P and torrents by throttling those who download too much at once. My concern is that it is becoming nearly common place for folks to stream content to their TVs for viewing on a larger screen than their monitor or desktop. Not to mention that there are those families with video gaming kids who play over the internet with their friends.
To me it just seems there are some questionable issues here that don't seem to get addressed by Comcast. It's the same old cookie-cutter approach to internet control that has been called "net neutrality" for years now, and is shunned by the internet community at large. I guess this is the future we're all told is to come, being slowed down because you choose to use the internet for what it's become.
*sigh*
--Slick Geek
Clever Uses: Coke Can Clean Your Toilet in a Pinch
Clever Uses: Coke Can Clean Your Toilet in a Pinch
Yeah, I realize this isn't a tech tip or anything, but let's face it even the techies have to clean the bathroom every once and a while. Well, who would've thought that if you are out of toilet bowl cleaner you could substitute a Coke? And if you can leave it overnight before using the brush to wipe down the bowl, it'll be practically like new. Really. Check out the article and see for yourself!
--Slick Geek
Yeah, I realize this isn't a tech tip or anything, but let's face it even the techies have to clean the bathroom every once and a while. Well, who would've thought that if you are out of toilet bowl cleaner you could substitute a Coke? And if you can leave it overnight before using the brush to wipe down the bowl, it'll be practically like new. Really. Check out the article and see for yourself!
--Slick Geek
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