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Supermoon Tonight
Ditch Your Universal Remote for Multiple Remotes
Sony NGP Games To Get Digital Release From Day One
New MobileMe To Launch April, Revamped And Free
Adult Entertainment .XXX Domains Get ICANN Approval
iPhone 4, iPad 2, and iMovie Make Breaking News Footage

Posted: 19 Mar 2011 02:05 PM PDT

Sometimes having the Internet in your pocket is convenient other times it is extremely useful. This story is an example of the latter. Some context first, I grew up in Silicon Valley, one of the more well known tech hubs in our country. I also grew up completely immersed in technology because my father, Tim Bajarin, was one of the first PC industry analysts on the scene. I’ve had a PC of some kind in my life as far back as I remember, which is what makes this story all the more interesting.

I’m about as obsessed with technology and gadgets as possible. I started my career in the technology industry jumping right into the hustle and bustle of Silicon Valley and had start up fever. However several years ago my wife and I decided we wanted to raise our kids not in a city / fast pace environment but out in the country where the pace was slower and we could have some land. So we moved just outside of San Jose to a farming town near the garlic capital of the world.

We also decided it would be fun to take up hobby farming and use some of our land to have chickens, goats and a big garden where could grow a lot of our own food, organically of course. Considering I grew up immersed in technology not farming I had some studying to do for best practices, tips and tricks etc. So naturally I turned to technology and most importantly the Internet. Now to the point of the story.

Last year I wrote on my personal blog about how having the Internet in my pocket helped me detect early signs of labor in one of my goats. While on the scene I was able to use my phone’s browser to access a wealth of information useful to me as I assisted (if you can call it that) one of my goats deliver her babies. I was able to get information on what possible warning signs to look for as well as positive signs that healthy baby goats should exhibit. Luckily for me everything went smoothly.

This year was different however because this time around things didn’t go so smoothly, this time she gave birth to triplets. Triplets in goats aren’t rare but are relatively uncommon (like twins in humans) and even more so our breed. At four in the morning several days ago I heard some babies crying in the goat pen and knew delivery was happening. As I assessed the scene all three babies had been born but two weren’t looking so good. So I quickly accessed the Internet on my phone and immediately starting searching for what to do about the symptoms I was seeing.

It turned out there was a wealth of information on “weak kid syndrome” which is what I was seeing. I read a long list of detailed instructions on what to do in order to give your baby goats the best shot at living. One of them was severely dehydrated, suffering from low body temperature and on the verge of death and the other needed assistance getting its first few doses of food because it was to weak to eat on its own. Current status is all babies are doing great thanks in large part to the information I found on the web.

Had I not had this valuable resource of the Internet, a city boy like me would have had to tell his daughters some fairly bad news about their beloved goats. Had I not had the Internet in my pocket I wouldn’t have been able to act as quickly to take preventative measures to help the babies survival.

My point here is that there is no “app for that.” That’s not to say one couldn’t be developed but given my situation I needed the depth and breadth of the full internet. This I feel is why the Internet needs to stay open and not closed as far as the debate goes.

Apps are great and sometimes walled garden experiences with the web are great but sometimes only the full power and knowledge base of the World Wide Web will suffice.

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Supermoon Tonight

Posted: 19 Mar 2011 01:21 PM PDT

Tonight it’s a Saturday night. It’s going to be beautiful tonight. Huge moons everywhere. I mean, sometimes the moon might seem big because it’s low on the horizon and there’s a tree in the way or something, but that just doesn’t even hold a candle to what’s going on tonight. It’s what’s called the perigee of the moon’s elliptical orbit. That’s an antonym of apogee. But I digress, the perigee is the point in the moon’s orbit where it’s closest to the earth. That’s tonight, and it’s pretty much going to be a full moon. Technically, it’s not going to quite be a full moon here in the Northern Hemisphere, but what are ya gonna do?

This particular astronomical occasion, when the moon is both full and at it’s perigee, only comes on once every twenty years or so. The last time it happened was in March of 1993. While the perigee is about 50km closer to the earth, it’s still 356,577 km away. This does make a siginificant impact to the moon’s visual appearance here on earth. The light reflecting from our lunar companion is going to be brighter, and the apparent visual size of the moon is going to be larger by 14%. I’m going to be howling extra loud tonight.

Take a look at this video, it explains everything. Then go outside tonight and take a look at the moon.

[via NASA]

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Ditch Your Universal Remote for Multiple Remotes

Posted: 19 Mar 2011 12:25 PM PDT

Most people want to find a way to replace all their remotes for a single universal remote that can do it all. They reason that with a single remote, they can cut down on confusion and annoyance.

Oh, how wrong those universal remote seekers are.

Like many others who have several devices hooked up in the living room, I've tried to find some help organizing my life with a universal remote. I've bought some of the most highly acclaimed remotes on the market in an attempt to find a solution, and I've spent hours programming all my products to work with them. Needless to say, I'm a veteran when it comes to universal remotes.

But each and every time that I've bought a universal remote, I've done away with it in a matter of months. In some cases, they don't provide all the features I'm looking for. In other cases, they become a pain to use. And at times, I'm left wanting more. I've simply never been happy with a universal remote. And my most recent search for the suitable solution has turned up empty. I have nothing left to try.

So, I've decided that it's time I share with you all that the best solution for controlling all the devices in the living room is to use multiple remotes. Sure, that might run against conventional wisdom, but trust me, you'll be much happier (and wealthier) if you follow my lead.

The biggest issue with universal remotes is the cost. Any worthy device on the market will set you back at least a couple hundred dollars. I don't know about you, but the thought of buying a $200 or $300 remote for the sole purpose of controlling devices in my living room that came with free remotes in the first place doesn't appeal to me. I'd much rather save that cash for the next big thing, rather than on a remote that's overpriced.

But it goes beyond pricing. Even if you get a high-quality universal remote, you won't always get the same functionality you can expect from the remote that goes with a specific device. More popular devices will have ample support from universal remote makers. But try something a bit more obscure and chances are, you'll be left wondering why you can't perform at least a couple functions.

And then there's the set-up time. Call me crazy, but I don't like spending an inordinate amount of time searching for my devices, ensuring it's the right version, and programming that into a universal remote. And I especially don't like doing so every single time I buy a new device. To me, it's simpler to break out the batteries and pop them into the remote for the respective product. I can then sit down, relax, and enjoy my new gadget.

Plus, let's face it: in order to watch a movie, do you really need to juggle more than two remotes at a time, anyway? And don't forget that once the movie is playing, you can put the remote back and not think twice about all the remotes you have.

Sorry, but I'm not seeing so much value in universal remotes. Are there fine options out there for those who are? Of course. But if you ask me, the cheaper and best option is to buy all the devices you want and use the remotes that come with them.

Over time, you'll realize it's the right move.

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Sony NGP Games To Get Digital Release From Day One

Posted: 18 Mar 2011 05:52 PM PDT

Sony’s PSP successor, the NGP, is readying to launch later this year and sure to have a great line up of games. The manufacturer is promising that from day one digital release games will be available for download at the same time the physical games become available.

In an interview with MCV, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe President Andrew House discussed their new game distribution strategy.

“One thing we learnt from PSP, is that we want to have simultaneous delivery in digital and physical for NGP. Just to clarify that, all games that appear physically will be made available digitally. Not necessarily all games have to be made available physically. And having the option of a digital-only method affords more creative risk-taking, and that's because you don't-have that in-built risk of physical inventory.”

The emphasis on having a strong digital game distribution means that there will be a hierarchy of games. Big high-end premium games are likely still to be purchased mostly in physical form, but lighter more experimental games are more likely to be downloaded digitally. This saves physical inventory on these types of games and allows for more experimentation in new game development.

[via PlayStation Lifestyle]

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New MobileMe To Launch April, Revamped And Free

Posted: 18 Mar 2011 04:54 PM PDT

I’ve always wanted to try Apple’s MobileMe service but have balked at the $99 a year cost. Yes, I have a hard time parting with my money. So I’m very excited now about the rumors that the revamped MobileMe service is not only going to the cloud, but also going to be FREE.

iLounge claims that the new MobileMe will be launched next month before Apple’s big WWDC event. The new version will add cloud-storage which could mean a shift towards a cloud-based media locker system from which i-device owners can access their photos, music, and movies from anywhere via the internet.

The new version will be a complete departure, with the current version to be supported for only one more year before it goes away. Apple has already removed payment methods for the current MobileMe service and is reportedly telling suppliers that they will no longer be selling MobileMe subscriptions. The 60-day trial option is still available and is said to cover the gap between now and the new MobileMe’s launch.

[via Cult of Mac]

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Adult Entertainment .XXX Domains Get ICANN Approval

Posted: 18 Mar 2011 04:10 PM PDT

ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, today officially approved the .XXX top level domains (TLD) to be enforced on pornographic websites. This controversial topic has been debated back and forth since it was first proposed in 2000 and then approved in 2005 only to be overturned in 2006 and once again reconsidered in 2007.

Opposition to the decision surprisingly came from both the Family Research Council (FRC) as well as the porn industry. The FRC believed that the TLD would help pornographers “expand their evil empires on the internet” while pornographers believed that it would lead to more censorship.

Companies, such as ICM Registry, which plans to sell the .XXX web addresses obviously welcome the decision but believe its for the good of minors and general online security. ICM Chief Executive Stuart Lawley stated that, "For the first time, there will be a clearly defined Web address for adult entertainment, out of the reach of minors and as free as possible from fraud or malicious computer viruses.”

[via LA Times]

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iPhone 4, iPad 2, and iMovie Make Breaking News Footage

Posted: 18 Mar 2011 03:45 PM PDT

With the iPad 2 having just touched down a week ago, with many still without the device, creative feats are already surfacing from the first music video to now the first breaking news footage. A Minneapolis resident, Robert Stephens, who also happens to be co-founder of Geek Squad, was on his way to work when he recorded a gas explosion on his iPhone 4, which he then edited using iMovie on his iPad 2. The footage then made it onto CNN and MSNBC.

Stephens was on his way to work when he spotted the fireball and immediately began recording with his iPhone 4 as he drove towards the explosion site to see if anyone had called 911 yet. He then drove to a nearby parking lot, transferred the footage to his iPad 2 and began editing with iMovie, inserting a map of the location, subtitles, and a voiceover. The clip was then uploaded to YouTube and iReport, with Stephen tweeting permission for others, including the media, to use his footage.

Had he not had the iPad 2, Stephens says he probably would have just uploaded the raw footage from his iPhone. But with the iPad 2 and now the ability to run iMovie, Stephens was able to put together a pretty slick “citizen-journalism” report.