ZuDfunck

The day Bill Gates didn’t call me a communist

Not sure what this Apple 2.0 is. Its monniker or tagline is:

Mac news from outside the reality distortion field

By Philip Elmer-DeWitt

But he seems to be in the middle of MS vs Apple

It was not going well. And it reached a low point when, in my memory, the chairman of Microsoft called me a communist. Later, reading the transcript, I realized he didn’t really say that — although he was pretty feisty. To my editors’ credit, they printed the juiciest parts of the interview — including a brief mention of Apple (AAPL) — as a sidebar to the cover.

In honor of Gates’ last days at Microsoft (MSFT), it’s pasted below:

ZuDfunck Finds Holy Media Grail

Check out this post and tell me your not geeked:

a media center that makes life easier

general — davem on June 17, 2008

why do we collect? it must be our nature. whether it be nick-knacks, paddy-whacks or my favorite, digital content. most of us have hundreds of CDs and DVDs, but now the world of media has gone virtual, with 500GB drives the norm rather than exception. we realize that carrying a portable hard drive full of content is a lot easier than lugging so called compact discs around with us, hence the popularity of portable media players with more than a two-hundred million units sold, most of those as we all know from Apple.

before making its way to a digital appliance, this electronic content starts out somewhere, and that is within your PC. managing music in iTunes or WinAmp is not a very compelling user experience, and there is a lot more than just audio spinning within your computer hard drive these days. photos, movies and discovery of content through the world of Internet streamed video have changed the way people are entertained. cable & satellite TV just don’t cut for the on-demand generation it any longer.

while users have embraced digital content, the players and media center platforms have not kept up. Apple iTunes only (easily) plays “their store-bought” video and Microsoft Media Center requires third party applications and Codec’s (that fun geek term which means a playback decoder) to be complete. other platforms require you to buy a new box specifically designed to go along with a service (like VuDu, Roku’s Netflix box, or the like) and then require you to pay again for the content licensed specifically for it. we consider that “being had” twice, and that’s not nice. besides, those early adopters of Akimbo boxes now have a nice paperweight once they closed their proprietary service down.

this inadequacy in media playback led us to create boxee, where your local content is as important as what is available from the Internet. you will re-discover your “comfort content” (which is what I call the stuff you might have owned maybe since CD’s came out) in a new visual format, effortlessly. all this for free, with no monthly fees or proprietary service.

your digital media collection will never look the same with boxee running on your computer. it’s a whole new visual media world and the time has come for you to upgrade your media player. you know you want to, no, make that need to. head over to www.boxee.tv and get boxee! it’s time.

iPhone Pro Gets ZuD's Vote, How 'bout you?

Wired put together some iPhone Freaks desired designs for next weeks announcement of what the iPhone 2 will look like. Which one appeals to you?

 

ZuDfunck's Baby Boomer Jukebox From August '05

powered by ODEO I was googling ZuDfunck just to make sure I still exist and I found this oldie but goodie from August of 2005 that was when I was in my vlogger phase here is the description from the Odeo post and yes there is a video entry of it, but I would ask you not view it as I am under witness protection and like Crabman it just opens up too many issues.

 You must be a certain age to appreciate the whole ‘cast. What is unique about this podcast is the fact it was video taped and appears as a vlog entry at www.zudfunck.com.

ZuD is so ahead of his Time! A vlogging of a podcast! A first!
But isn’t that why you listen?
Here is the Vlog Post

There Is More Than Wikipedia When It Comes To Pedias

Lostpedia
"The Lost encyclopedia"
Episode synopses, island maps, fan theories, and flash-forward recaps. Nothing on Sleestaks, though — and they were, like, featured creatures, right?

Uncyclopedia
"The content-free encyclopedia"
A parody site inspired by inaccurate but hilarious Wikipedia entries. Jimbo's creation is defined here as a massively multiplayer online editing game played by redundancy experts.

Chickipedia
"The wiki of hot women"
Learn that Scarlett Johansson is known for "her popularity with up-and-coming celebrity men" ... and going-nowhere Web surfers.

Wookieepedia
"The Star Wars wiki"
Did you know that "snot vampire" is slang terminology for the Anzati species? Of course not. No one did.

Dickipedia
"A wiki of dicks"
Sample entry: Gerald "Geraldo" Rivera is a TV journalist, noted egotist, former talk-show host, and a dick.

Dealipedia
"The business deal wiki"
Michael Robertson, founder of MP3.com, started this archive of M&A activities, IPOs, bankruptcies, and scoops on who made money (including him) on the deals.

Congresspedia
"The citizen's encyclopedia on Congress"
Fourteen members of the US House and Senate are currently under investigation. Know of others who should be? Add 'em!

Pedialyte
"Helps kids feel better fast!"
Flavors include grape, cherry, apple, and bubble gum!

Via Wired Magazine

NASCAR Nation Lets Build the Biggest Twitter Account Ever

Not related to NASCAR but a good summary of why NASCAR fans should use Twitter as well as anyone who uses SMS to stay connected with their posse. In fact that is what we should do ZuDDies. Create a twitter account named NASCAR Posse, can it be that many characters? Then we all sign up and we have this big huge NASCAR nation conduit that would rival the accounts of anyone on Twitter today! What do you say to that gang. What do say?          <crickets>

Ok,   then... Here is a reason to use twitter even if you guys don't want to take it to the next level and have more followers than any Twitter account active today!         <crickets>

Here's the quote from Robin Bloor who oddly enough started following ol' ZuD on the Twitter service today. He has a magnificent Blog with a title that is almost as good as mine:  Have Mac Will Blog
I just love that title it's like the old TV show: Have Gun Will Travel
Staring the great Richard Boone, I encourage you to research him as he made some drop dead performances that scared even me.

About a month ago, a technology analyst concluded that Twitter was a waste of time because it suffered from an incurable signal/noise problem. You had to scan swathes of meaningless “tweets” to find anything of value. He vowed not waste his time with the troublesome web site. So he signed off with a single dismissive remark. It read: “Real analysts don’t tweet.”

That was me and I was wrong.

I read a post on the Technobabble 2.0 blog the next day that quoted my remark; “Robin Bloor says real analysts don’t tweet” and under it was published a list of 50 or so analysts, all of whom were registered on Twitter and tweeting regularly. So, just for fun, I decided to follow them all. After a while I realized that this was a useful information feed. So I continued….

Since then I have found other reasons why Twitter is not just a good idea, but imho destined to grow much larger than it is now. Here’s a list:

Isn't This the Craziest Site Ever?

This has to be the craziest site ever for as far you know this is the dudes pride and joy stop on the web and here it is date titled entries into infinity. It's so Novel!

So I click through from some other google alert where I found this aforementioned majestic aggregation of web design that is stretched into a realm I think I might want to subscribe to. Here is a post I found unique in it's portrayal, as if it was coming from page 257 of your favorite book.


In case your too lazy to click over to his site here's a taste of his style at something that happened:

The months roll by. Months turn into years; you find out about things you've been missing. For example, a couple of new releases (which are, of course, not so new anymore) by one of your favorite recording artists (The Orb). You haven't spoken with friends in ages -- it's nearly hostile the way you've stopped speaking with anybody. (On the phone, at least, since you still kinda/sorta communicate using the 'Net.) You're angry all the time, and you feel like you shouldn't be: fer Chrissakes you've been seeing a shrink for three or four years now! Shouldn't you be sane already? Or a bit less mad, at least.

You keep telling yourself that you'll return to something that happened, in one way or another. You know it's okay that you disappear; you don't need anyone to tell you that. But still, Hurley wants to know: Where've you been, dude?

Been studying. Yeah, studying. Programming, mainly, but also some web design stuff -- you know, graphics applications like Photoshop and Fireworks and Dreamweaver. Currently you're learning Visual Basic in class and Ruby on your own, and today you enrolled in one class to learn PHP and another to learn Excel (because the C Programming course was full). This is the current direction of your careerseeking, and you hope it helps you find that fun vocation that you desire (rather than that horrible customer service-by-phone stuff you absolutely loathe).

Pretty Cool Huh? Check him out!

ZuDfunck Needs Feedback on Talk Digger Application

Blogging issue totally unrelated to NASCAR
For my blogging gurus to answer please
What in the hell is Talk Digger and what is a conversation? I have a screen grab of what a Google alert gave
me or you can click here and wait awhile...
Just wondering what it's purpose is and if anyone uses it and to what effect, now back to your regularly scheduled NASCAR babble:

 

At&t and Verizon Up Rates

Shame on folks who allow this to happen, Vonage is cheap, Skype is practical, Lots of options don't act like it is 1982 dump em, of course if you have an iPhone its not as easy but if you have options that is the only way to Squelch this kind of monopolistic pricing!

AT&T and Verizon are raising prices for caller ID and other popular phone services by as much as 300%, even as they continue to push regulators to loosen up because of increased competition.

AT&T (T) and Verizon (VZ) have argued they need pricing flexibility to compete with cable TV and others offering Internet-based phone services. Dozens of states have acquiesced, giving carriers freedom to jack up prices.

In California this month, AT&T raised prices for several stand-alone features: Anonymous call rejection now costs $5 from $1.90; caller ID rose to $9.99 from $6.17. Some local toll calls — calls that aren't considered long-distance but don't qualify as local — jumped by more than 200%.

In Ohio, AT&T raised the price of call forwarding and three-way calling from $4 each to $5.99. Automatic call back now costs $1.99 per use, up from 70 cents.

Verizon has made similar moves. Call forwarding now costs $3 a month in Ohio, a 300% increase from 75 cents. Call waiting is now $5 a month, up from $3.

Via USAToday

ZuD acquires MS Office:mac 2008

iPhone Recording Video

Link to Application

Blu-Ray Disc The Adjunct to your HDTV

To go along with your newly purchase HDTV you may want to consider this site that makes a case for ts Purchase if DirecTV or Cable doesn't scratch:

Slap Your Mac to Change Applications, Must See

Don't tell Steve...Pictured below

TriFecta of Topics Does Work: Tech, Sports and Pop Culture

To contradict the comment left on Fark.com for ZuD:

wrek

2007-12-17 01:03:14 PM

Pick a topic. Sport, Tech AND Pop Culture? WTF? The sites that succeed out there pick one and go with it. You don't see gizmondo interviewing the 49er's quarterback.. pick a topic, pick an audience. Anyway, welcome to Fark... we don't like you.

I take exception based on the success ZuD has experienced in covering the triumvirate. As I said the other day Fark.com has a sour and caustic way of addressing the issues and topics of the day and as such negates their value and importance. Glad it only cost me forty bucks to find that out...

Ridiculously Luxurious Earphones a Work of Art & Madness

SE110 Sound Isolating Earphones

Sound isolating, modular earphones featuring Balanced MicroSpeakers deliver a rich, lifelike listening experience.
Also available in black.

$119.99 MSRP

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SE210 Sound Isolating Earphones

Sound Isolating, modular earphones featuring Hi-Definition MicroSpeakers for full range audio.
Also available in black.

$179.99 MSRP

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SE310 Sound Isolating Earphones

Modular earphones with Hi-Definition MicroSpeakers for extended range audio and enhanced bass.
Also available in black.

 

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SE420 Sound Isolating Earphones

Modular earphones with Dual MicroSpeakers (dedicated tweeter and woofer) for defined lows, mids and highs.
Also available in black.

$399.99 MSRP

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SE530 Sound Isolating Earphones

Sound Isolating, modular earphones with a dedicated tweeter and dual woofers for an expansive soundstage and full-bodied bass.  View Demo

$499.99 MSRP

Learn More

Shifter A Bloggers Dream Tool

If you're a Wordpress Blogger you should get this software that modifies Templates easily. Firm says more blogging platforms coming soon. Shifter is a powerful Wordpress Theme System that allows you to choose virtually any functional look or layout for your site with the flip of a switch. No longer do you have to struggle for hours searching theme after theme for the right look and layout for your site. Just watch the movie and see how

DirecTV's High Definition Channels

With all the bombast and Beyoncé signing 'bout upgrading your HD service you may be curious just which channels make up that number. Here is a partial list:

My bias against satellite remains strong but that's a pretty powerful selection...

NFL Network on a Blimp Above You

Pic from SPORTSbyBROOKS ("SbB")

From the Sports Media Guru USA Todays Michael Hiestand:

DirecTV, a satellite TV provider, will announce Wednesday the most imaginative tactic in the hubbub over how viewers might get NFL games that air on the NFL Network. DirecTV will show them on the giant video screen on its blimp as it flies above towns whose cable operators don't carry the league's channel.

Don't laugh. TV sports on a blimp probably will be as good as other platforms for TV sports — such as the tiny screens on cellphones — that have emerged through the miracle of technology. The appeal of DirecTV's idea could blossom, eventually, if viewers would be able to shadow its blimp on giant inflatable couches.

But for now the blimp is just trying to exploit the hubbub over most U.S. households not having access to the NFL Network's games. DirecTV, which carries the network, is trying to tout the appeal of its games — including the New England Patriots potentially going for a perfect season against the New York Giants in the regular-season finale — to try to win over cable TV subscribers who can't get the channel from their cable operators. (Only about one-third of U.S. households get the NFL Network.)

So, for the network's prime-time Denver Broncos-Houston Texans game Thursday and Cincinnati Bengals-San Francisco 49ers game Saturday, the DirecTV blimp will air the games — its first live video — on its 70x30-foot screen, which is billed as "the largest aerial digital screen."

The blimp, which can fly as low as 1,000 feet, will sail over the Tampa-St. Petersburg area showing those games and next week will show NFL Network games while floating above Orlando. Those locales, DirecTV senior vice president Jon Gieselman says, were picked partly because the blimp was slated to be in Florida anyway — and also because cable operators in those areas don't carry the NFL Network.

AddiTune Software Analyzes your iTune Playlists and Recommends Additions

If you have a Mac and use iTunes you may want to see what this program makes of your playlists and what new music fits your tastes. ZuD would have but was reluctant to allow such an invasion, you may not mind. Let us know how it works out...

Imus Streaming Worth A Listen

Did I tell you how mornings are more tolerable now that he is back?