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Items of Note: This edition of The Geekcast features a co-host, my good friend Gozer. Gozer is a big Ghostbusters fan and avid gamer. Together we tackle this episode of the show and there is the possibility of him being a full-time co-host. Send your feedback, thoughts and suggestions on to us!
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Tech news:
From AppleInsider:
Apple prepping iTunes Replay on-demand video service
Apple is believed to be wrapping up a new feature in iTunes 8 that will allow users to stream their iTunes video purchases directly from the company’s servers for playback anywhere, anytime without eating up local storage.
Dubbed iTunes Replay, the service would allow iTunes shoppers to build out their digital video collection without worrying about the space needed to store the often hefty media files. It’s unclear whether Apple plans to charge for the service, which is said to support both iTunes Movie and TV show purchases.
One of the main complaints users have with video purchases on iTunes is that they are forced to either throw away their files after watching them, or find a place to store the large files either on their hard drive or by burning them to DVDs. By storing their video content for them and allowing users to stream it for viewing as often as they want, Apple would essentially be offering a media center alternative.
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/02/11/apple_prepping_itunes_replay_on_demand_video_service.html
From ArsTechnica:
Blockbuster Total Access to add games for $5 bump
Blockbuster is going after both Netflix and Gamefly with a new strategy: add the option of renting games as well as movies when you subscribe to the Total Access service. Games will cost a little more, and you can only have one title at a time, but this could give the company a leg up in a crowded field.
Blockbuster Video wants a larger slice of the video game rental pie and has announced that it will begin to offer game rentals through its mail-based rental service, Blockbuster Total Access. This upgrade to the service will be added to select markets across the country soon, and is aimed for wide release by the second half of the year. This would give Blockbuster the only through-the-mail subscription rental service that allows customers to rent both movies and video games.
“We already rent more video games than any other company, store-based or online, in the nation, so we know our core customer loves games as well as movies,” VP and general manager of blockbuster.com Bob Barr said in a statement. “With this pilot program, we’re laying the groundwork for offering Blockbuster Total Access customers easy online access to the movies and games they want, through an integrated subscription offering. Plus, according to their plan, they’ll continue to be able to exchange their by-mail rentals both for free in-store movies as well as half-price in-store game rentals.”
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2009/02/blockbuster-total-access-will-add-games-for-5-extra-a-month.ars
From Computerworld:
Survey: 40% of hard drives bought on eBay hold personal, corporate data
Buyers found data on everything from corporate spreadsheets to e-mails and photos
A New York computer forensics firm found that 40% of the hard disk drives it recently purchased in bulk orders on eBay contained personal, private and sensitive information — everything from corporate financial data to the Web-surfing history and downloads of a man with a foot fetish.
Kessler International conducted the study over a six-month period, buying up disk drives ranging in size from 40GB to 300GB from the United States and Canada. The firm, which completed its research about two weeks ago, bought a total of 100 relatively modern drives, the vast majority of them Serial ATA.
“With size of the sample, I guess we were surprised with the percentage of disks that we found data on,” said Michael Kessler, CEO of Kessler International. “We expected most of the drives to be wiped — to find one or two disks with data. But 40 drives out of 100 is a lot.”
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=storage&articleId=9127717&taxonomyId=19&intsrc=kc_top
From NY Times:
Sirius XM Prepares for Possible Bankruptcy
Sirius XM has hired advisers to prepare for a possible bankruptcy filing, people involved in the process said. That would, of course, be a grim turn of events for the normally upbeat Mr. Karmazin, Sirius XM’s chief executive, who had hoped to create a mobile entertainment juggernaut with stars like Howard Stern.
It is unclear how a bankruptcy would affect customers. Service is unlikely to be interrupted, but the company might have to terminate contracts with high-priced talent like Mr. Stern or Martha Stewart.
A bankruptcy would make Sirius XM one of the largest casualties of the credit squeeze. With over $5 billion in assets, it would be the second-largest Chapter 11 filing so far this year, according to Capital IQ. The filing by Smurfit-Stone, with assets of $7 billion, has been the year’s biggest to date.
Sirius XM, which never turned a profit when both companies were independent, is laden with $3.25 billion in debt. Its business model has been dependent, in part, on the ability to roll over its enormous debts — used to finance sending satellites into space and attract talent like Mr. Stern (who was paid $100 million a year) — at low rates for the foreseeable future until it could turn a profit.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/11/technology/companies/11radio.html?_r=1&ref=technology
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Test A Geek: A new edition of Test A Geek is featured in this episode.
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How To: This segment will return on a future episode of The Geekcast
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Ask A Geek: This segment will return on a future episode of The Geekcast
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Hack: This segment will return on a future episode of The Geekcast
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The Geek’s View:
For this episode we feature two Geek’s View segments. The first is Gozer’s review of the LG BD – 300 Blu Ray player. In the second, Aaron talks about the recently-announced Kindle 2 from Amazon.
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