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Contact info: | Feed: feeds.feedburner.com/geekcast | Website: TheGeekcast.com | geekcast@gmail.com | Skype & Gizmo: Geekcast | 206-98-geek-1 | Show notes: send blank e-mail to geekcastpodcast-subscribe@yahoogroups.com |
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Items of Note:
Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Stay tuned at the end of the show for a special non-podsafe treat. For me and many people in New York, this is a tradition for turkey day.
The next episode of The Geekcast begins the official holiday season time. To help you all out, there will be a whole bunch of product reviews to assist in your gift-buying.
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Tech news:
Microsoft removes Sony rootkit. A new beta for Windows AntiSpyware, soon to be renamed Windows Defender, was released yesterday. Changes in the new beta are very subtle, with one exception. This release supports the removal of the Sony DRM rootkit. The December release of the Malicious Software Removal Tool will also remove the rootkit. Microsoft recommends that anyone using the current version of Windows Antispyware should upgrade to the latest build.
TiVo to enable transfer to the iPod and PSP. TiVo said Monday that it will be testing a version of its TiVoToGo software that will be able to transfer programs from TiVo boxes to portable devices via a PC. Tests begin in a few weeks with only a handful of TiVo subscribers, the company said. If successful, TiVo plans to roll out the service to its more than 3 million subscribers by the first quarter of 2006.
Microsoft Loses $126 Per Unit on XBox 360. BusinessWeek has taken a look at the insides of the XBox 360 and with the a little help from market researcher iSuppli determined that Microsoft is losing money on each 360 sold. “…the materials inside the unit cost Microsoft $470 before assembly. The console sells at retail for $399, meaning a loss of $71 per unit — and that is just the start. Other items packaged with the console — including the power supply, cables, and controllers — add another $55 to Microsoft’s cost, pushing the loss per unit to $126.”
Xbox 360 keeps crashing. According to postings on Xbox-Scene and other fan sites, the game consoles are allegedly crashing during a variety of games and reporting a range of error messages. Check out the flickr link below showing the 360 crashing. Not only are there pictures but video as well. It looks like waiting on line for over 10-hours means you’re now an official Microsoft beta tester.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/80491849@N00/
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Test a geek:
–Last Episodes Question–
What does the “SUN” in SUN Microsystems stand for?
Answer: Stanford University Network
–New Question–
This is a two-part question:
What video game console was named after a move made in a board-game?
1. What is the console?
2. What is the name of the game.
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How To: Get better recommendations from your TiVo
When using a TiVo, one of the fun hidden features is what TiVo refers to as a ‘suggestion’. The concept is that even when you haven’t scheduled a recording there should still be something on the TiVo for you to watch. As you use TiVo, the recommendations get better but they aren’t always perfect. Here’s how to get the most from your TiVo’s suggestions.
All suggestions are based on ‘thumbs ratings’. Every time you set a program to record it is automatically given one thumb up. TiVo will choose to record a show because it has a thumb-up rating or it will record based on existing shows you like that it thinks are similar. You can give a show up to three thumbs up or three thumbs down. Additionally it can have no thumb and be neutral. Just like spam filtering, you cannot just let TiVo know what is good but you also need to tell it what you don’t like.
Every time a suggestion is recorded that you don’t like, be sure to give it a thumb down before you delete it. Additionally, you can give paid programming two thumbs down as infomercials aren’t fun to watch. When recording a show that is not on a season pass, perhaps a new show you want to check out, be aware its 1-thumb-up rating that was set when you asked TiVo to record it. Clearing this thumb or giving a thumb down after watching it (if you don’t like it) can help tune this feature more. Additionally, you can tell TiVo that you do not get any spanish-speaking channels so you never have to worry about shows in a language you don’t speak.
Here’s the basic breakdown for how you should administer the thumbs:
- NEVER give a show three thumbs up or three thumbs down. This skews the whole system too much and throws it all off.
- Shows you like should get only one thumb up.
- Shows you don’t like should get one thumb down.
- Shows you can’t live without such as Lost or 24 should get 2 thumbs up.
- Shows you aren’t sure about should just have a neutral rating where no thumb is present.
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Ask A Geek:
John asks:
I bought a CD that came with a free download for a bonus song. I got that song but it is only in WMV format. I, of course, dont boot up my Windows Media Player to listen to music- especially for one song- I use iTunes and my iPod. Is there a way that I can change it from wmv to mp3 so iTunes can recognize it?
Answer:
To convert the files to mp3, you will need to go through a couple of steps. Using Windows Media Player, you should burn the file to an audio CD. Once this process is complete, you can then take the CD and rip it back to your computer using iTunes or any program. When you do this, you can import it as mp3.
You can also check some message boards for WMV DRM cracking or find this file via BitTorrent to download a non-DRM copy.
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Hack: This segment will return on a future episode of The Geekcast.
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The geek’s view: This segment will return on a future episode of The Geekcast.
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