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October 31, 2006
Take YouTube to go!
So in the past you haven't been able to take Youtube videos with you or save youtube videos to your hard disk very easily. Now you can.
I'm guessing someone has decompiled their flash application and now makes it really easy to save the videos.
Step 1:
Go to http://www.youtube.com - Find the video clips you want to save.
Step 2:
Go to http://www.youtubex.com - Paste in the URL to the video clips you want to download
Step 3:
Use a FLV player to play your videos on your computer, or get an FLV converter to convert files to a format that you can play on your computer or on your favorite portable media device
Posted by Bryant at 01:04 AM | Comments (4)
October 26, 2006
Hiro is my Hero
So I've been following Heroes on NBC this season. I feel the show is built on a great premise and has exceptional potential, but still has not been quite living up to it. The best part of the show thus far has been a Japanese man named Hiro Nakamura who can teleport.
Found out today not only is he my favorite cast member on Heroes but he is also a fellow programmer and fellow Brown Alumni.
Posted by Bryant at 01:23 PM | Comments (6)
October 25, 2006
Straight out of Lynnwood
Good Ol' weird Al Yankovic is back. His latest release "straight out of lynwood" has a few amusing parody tracks including "White and Nerdy", Canadian Idiot, Trapped in the Drive-Thru, Confessions Part III and a good polka remix of a bunch of recent hits.
Here is the video to White and Nerdy:
Posted by Bryant at 10:44 AM | Comments (31)
October 24, 2006
Discriminav
To add another great GPS unit to the list today, we have Discriminav. As Seen on TV. On an unrelated note, this ifilm player is pretty cool. It's pretty sad that iFilm lost its place because some other video website was less discriminating about its content.
Posted by Bryant at 12:58 PM | Comments (0)
This Bear Cares
So it seems like there are about 100 million different GPS devices out there.
Gizmodo did a lovely video showing this, however amongst the fray, one GPS navigator sits apart. This GPS bear from Japan has no display. Instead it sits on your dashboard and raises its furry paw and points you in the direction you need to go.
If you miss a direction, he'll turn around and mock you and when you get to your final destination, he'll do his little bear dance for you.
Posted by Bryant at 10:58 AM | Comments (0)
October 17, 2006
Sony to Recall its own batteries
YES! finally!
For weeks I've been eharing news about Dells, Thinkpads, and just about every known computer maker recalling Sony made batteries because they had been exploding.
All the while, I kept a close eye on my own laptop which being a Sony, had a Sony battery, and as far as I knew, had a good chance of bursting into flames as well.
But as millions of other manufacturer's batteries were recalled, I never heard a mention from Sony that they were recalling their own.
Finally today I got the news I was waiting for. Sony is going to recall 300,000 of its batteries. Not only does this mean I can start worrying less about the ticking time bomb in my bag, but I can also replace a battery that only keeps about 60% of its charge now for free!
Score 1 for me, 0 for exploding battery manufacturers.
Posted by Bryant at 09:53 AM | Comments (0)
October 15, 2006
2006 McDonalds Monopoloy Rare Pieces
A few annual traditions in the food industry is going to shorten my life by about 30 years.
First you get the never ending pasta bowl at Olive Garden. This year I packed away about 4 bowls of pasta plus salad and breadsticks.
Soon after Red Lobster comes along with their shrimp feast. I tried it for the first time this year, and due to some misunderstanding with the waitress, I ended up shaming myself and eating ~120 shrimp.
Stumbled upon the third one a week later. Tony Roma's has never ending ribs. Being as I was still recovering from exhibit A and B and the greatest all you can eat sushi buffet known as Minado, I decided to just observe as my eating companions devoured an unhealthy amount of ribs.
Now we are upon Monopoly Season at McDonalds, as French Fries, Happy Meals and Big Mac's weren't enough to get tubby American's in the door, they also make it a contest to try and eat your way to 5 million dollars. This year they're forgoing the usual prizes and instead only offer cash and Best Buy bucks.
For those of you who don't know, the way the game works is, there are essentially 9 winning game pieces, the rest are filler.
The winning game pieces this year are
Mediterranean Avenue - Win $50
Vermont Avenue - Win $500
Virginia Avenue - Win $1,000
Tennessee Avenue - Win $1,500
Kentucky Avenue - Win $5,000
Ventnor Avenue - Win $10,000
Pennsylvania Avenue - Win $50,000
Boardwalk - Win $1,000,000 ($50,000 per year for 20 years)
Short Line - Win $5,000,000 ($250,000 per year for 20 years)
So best of luck to everyone and remember, only one of these eating contests has a payout.
Posted by Bryant at 01:52 PM | Comments (2)
October 13, 2006
Connexion FREE till end of the year
Earlier this year, I hapily surfed the web miles up in the ski aboard a jet to asia. At the time, I thought that the experience was great and that it was a glimpse of the future of air travel.
In august, Boeing quickly crushed that dream of mine by announcing that they were planning on shutting down Connexion service for good due to a global lack of interest.
Today, I just received an email from Connexion that tells me that although Connexion is shuttig down at the end of the year, they will continue service until then. Furthermore, their service will be completely free.
So if you're one of the lucky few that gets to ravel overseas on a Connexion equipped plane, bring an extra battery, a airplane power adapter or both because you'll have something free to look forward to other than the great airline food.
The full text of the email is included after the jump
Dear Customer,
On August 17, 2006, the Boeing Company announced that after a detailed analysis of the Connexion by Boeing business, the company has decided to exit the high-speed broadband communications connectivity market. Boeing is now working with its customers to facilitate an orderly phase out of the Connexion by Boeing service. Passengers traveling on Internet-equipped flights will be able to use the service until it is phased out which will occur between now and the end of the year, depending on the airline. For the full text of the company's announcement click here.
Starting on Oct. 2nd, 2006, the in-flight Internet service will be free of charge.
If you have any questions about the service termination, please review the frequently asked questions listed below. You may also contact our Customer Care Center via e-mail or telephone (information listed below) with any questions or comments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are you shutting down?
Although the product works well and customers who have used it have a high regard for the service, the global market for the service has not developed satisfactorily and the company has decided to discontinue offering the service.
Will the service be taken over by another company? Will the service be provided by someone else?
The Connexion by Boeing service will discontinue. There are currently no plans to transition the service to another provider.
Do I need a special promotional offer to obtain free service?
No, your existing credentials can still be used to obtain free service. You will need to enter a credit card number for user validation purposes only. Your credit card will not be charged after the service becomes free on October 2nd, 2006.
When is the last day you will have service?
The service to the commercial airlines will cease at the end of the year although individual airlines may choose to terminate the service on their aircraft prior to that date.
Will service continue to be available on advertised flights?
Passengers traveling on Connexion equipped airline flights may continue to use the Connexion by Boeing service until the end of 2006, unless an airline determines that it wishes to terminate the service earlier.
What will you do with my personal information stored in your systems?
The personal data will be stored for a time to ensure customer support can be provided and transaction history requirements met. After that time, both online data and backups will be destroyed according to industry best practices for disposal of sensitive information.
What will happen to my stored personal account information?
Any information provided to Connexion by Boeing during user registration will be under strict protection by The Boeing Company in accordance with the privacy terms and conditions of the service and will not be shared with any third party.
I have a Connexion by Boeing promotional card good for a discount, free minutes, or a free flight. Is it still valid?
You may continue to use any non-expired discount card while the service remains activated. When the free service period begins, in no event shall a combination of service discounts or free service result in a balance due to any user. Once the service is terminated, cards may not be redeemed or exchanged.
Posted by Bryant at 11:06 AM | Comments (7)
October 04, 2006
Overheard in the office
Overheard a bad joke about Congressman Foley in the office today. Thought it would be funny to make a bookmark, here it is.
Posted by Bryant at 01:12 PM | Comments (1)