Mind Over Matt'er - All Entries
What Ever Happened to the Basic Audio Tower?
Since the day my child was born, I knew I'd inevitably have to take measures to protect my home theater gear once she was mobile enough to press buttons and turn knobs. My taste in style has always been what I would call "understated contemporary," meaning plain, simple, and functional. I'll also admit I have little desire to spend a fortune on something that holds my A/V components. I'd rather buy new gear. My prior solution was the pinnacle of cheap, yet functional. Many of my components are stacked on top of my big 55" CRT rear-pro HDTV, while the others are stacked neatly under my left and right speakers using a stackable desktop wire shelf/organizer system I picked up at an office supply store. It doesn't support the bulk of my larger components, like my 65 pound receiver, but it does handle my light weight devices like my cable... More »
Last Post: August 11, 2009 9:59 AM by Matt Whitlock
Google Voice Rejection Ignites FCC Probe Into AT&T/Apple iPhone Exclusivity Agreement
Earlier this evening, word spread that the Federal Communications Commission is investigating Apple and AT&T regarding the recent rejection of Google's Voice application for the iPhone. At the heart of this investigation is the very nature of the exclusivity agreement between AT&T and Apple, and whether or not that agreement is hurting consumers, limiting choice, and hindering innovation. According to reports, the FCC sent a letter to each of the three involved companies, in which contain all of the tough questions Slingbox owers have been asking since the SlingPlayer app for iPhone was apparently stripped of any ability to use AT&T's 3G network in order to be approved. Here are just a few of the tough questions being asked: Does AT&T play a hand in which apps ultimately get approved? Does Apple and AT&T have standing contracts or agreements in regards to what apps can use the AT&T 3G network?... More »
Last Post: November 16, 2009 12:18 AM by Starfury
Xbox LIVE Should Never Be "Down" for Maintenance
A few days ago, Microsoft took the entire Xbox LIVE Service down for around 24 hours to complete scheduled maintenance and perform upgrades. Sounds innocent enough, but for a paid service like LIVE, I'm finding it more and more difficult to accept these scheduled downtimes. Xbox LIVE is no longer a niche service for hardcore gamers to frag each other in HALO 2. Today it's the backbone to an entertainment experience that families, moms, dads, and kids rely on. Now, I'm a reasonable guy. I understand that systems like LIVE, which are always being pushed to their limit, need maintenance, patches, and expansions. However, Microsoft's approach needs to change; they need to ensure a basic level of service for all their paid customers. What do they need to do exactly? 1. Tell Users Xbox LIVE is Down for Maintenance on Their Console I'm not even sure why I have to... More »
Last Post: June 18, 2009 5:45 PM by Matt Whitlock
Matt's Tech Law #5 - Filter Your Own Spam Without Punishing Others
Spam. It's the e-mail you don't want, but is sent to you anyway. In fact, Spam has been around since before the Internet and e-mail became mainstream. They even celebrated the 30th birthday of the first known Spam message last year. I've been able to watch the evolution of Spam fighting techniques over the years, and while I understand the need for inbox protection from nefarious spammers, I'm fed up with the laziness of e-mail users. More and more I find myself being challenged to send someone an e-mail. I fire off an e-mail, and you send be back something automated that makes click through to a website and pass a Captcha (the box with a picture of letters, words or numbers that look scrambled where you have to recognize it and enter it into a box), fill out a form, or reply to some automated e-mail by sending you... More »
Last Post: June 9, 2009 12:14 PM by Peter Redmer
See Ya Firefox, I'm Switching Back to Internet Explorer
Yep. You read that right. I know, everywhere else you're reading that Firefox is soooo much better, and that people are switching to it in droves. For me that was three years ago, but now I'm going back. I'll admit that I don't rag on Microsoft anywhere near as much as other people do. I just don't hate them merely because they're big and control the majority marketshare of desktop and notebooks PCs worldwide, nor do I despise them because Mac people say I should. That doesn't mean I "love" everything Microsoft does or every product they make. For example, one thing I idn't like was Internet Explorer, which (at the time I originally switched to Firefox) had stagnated at version 6 for quite some time. And I didn't look back... even when Microsoft (finally) added things like tabbed browsing in IE 7. I was happy with Firefox, and though... More »
Last Post: July 15, 2009 6:40 PM by ozzybex
Apple: 'A PC is no bargain when it doesn't do what you want.' Huh?
Apple finally responded to Microsoft's latest ad campaign for Windows, which shows various fake shoppers walk through the computer buying process, and finally settling on Windows PCs made by HP. I don't want to get too off topic here, but while the MS ads are obviously scripted and fake, I do think they are accurately highlighting the computer shopping experience for many consumers. Macs are expensive, and if the OS isn't what you're shopping for, you'll definitely get a much wider variety of hardware and price points to choose from on the PC side. Apple's comment took me back a bit. "A PC is no bargain when it doesn't do what you want." It's a pretty stupid comment if you ask me. Other than run OS X, name one thing a Mac can do that a PC can't . Go ahead. Hit me in the comments area... More »
Last Post: April 21, 2009 1:35 PM by Peter Redmer
Build a 'Watch Anywhere' Baby Monitor Using Slingbox or Skype
Those who know me or follow my blog here at TechLore.com will attest, I have a fair amount of older gadgets and gizmos I've collected over the years. Some sit on shelves behind a glass door museum-style, but most would be surprised by the sheer number of old devices I've found new uses for. So, when the need arose to put together a nursery for my up-and-coming newborn, I went to work putting a few of my older gadgets back into service. One of our goals was to have the option to monitor the baby visually, and after pricing out some $200+ baby video monitors, I decided to slap something together from several devices I already own that are no longer in use. I actually came up with two different solutions, but ended up settling on using an old Slingbox Classic I had tucked away in a closet. I've posted... More »
Last Post: by
FCC Goes Soft on DTV Transition, Won't Accomplish Anything
Since digital TV broadcasting began back in the late 1990s, the path to analog's inevitable extinction has been a long and rocky one. Did I say inevitable? Perhaps the word "impossible" may be more accurate. After several delays in the announced date for the end of analog broadcasting, Congress eventually settled on February 17th, 2009 as the "firm" deadline for turning off analog broadcasts in the United States. Now, about 12 days before that date, Congress has passed a bill to delay the DTV transition yet again, this time to June 12, 2009. The problem, though, is Congress has gone soft on the date, meaning that broadcasters are now allowed to transition to all digital broadcasts anytime they choose between now and June 12th. It is believed this new "phased" approach be better for those not prepared for the DTV switch, since some, if not all of their analog stations... More »
Last Post: February 5, 2009 8:37 PM by Brandon C.
Microsoft Confirms Six Different Windows 7 Editions... But Only Two Really Matter
Since Microsoft introduced four different SKUs of Windows Vista into the marketplace, would be Windows buyers have been... confused. Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, and Ultimate offered different features at each level, taking away some and putting some back depending on which edition you bought. There are actually six different flavors of Vista (excluding the 32-bit vs. 64-bit variants of all but Starter) all together. The fifth was Windows Vista Starter, an edition limited in functionality for emerging markets with basic needs. The sixth, and less known version is Vista Enterprise, a business specific edition only available through Microsoft's Software Assurance program. With the beta of Windows 7 going extremely well for Microsoft, soon-to-be buyers have been holding out hope there would be fewer flavors of Windows 7 to choose from. Today Microsoft confirmed that they're pushing forward with six editions of Windows 7. Users around the net are screaming.... More »
Last Post: September 27, 2009 5:44 PM by Wah-hoo Robotics
Sorry Netflix, Hulu, Vudu, Blockbuster, and iTunes... We're Out of Internet
In just the past few months: Netflix has struck more deals with more and more CE partners, now offering on-demand movie streaming capabilities through both the XBOX 360 and TiVo set-top DVRs. Blockbuster has teamed up with 2-Wire to create their own set-top receiver, where customers can stream rented movies instead of getting them on disc by mail or in one of their stores. Sling Media, creator of the Slingbox, let loose the SlingCatcher and Sling.com web portal. SlingCatcher lets Slingbox owners watch their home cable or satellite box on other TVs around the house, or over the web at a remote location. Sling.com is a lot like Hulu, poised to offer on-demand TV and movies to a PC web browser and (eventually) their SlingCatcher set-top. Uniquely Sling, it also offers an online SlingPlayer app that let's Slingbox owners watch their own TV right on the site. Speaking of Hulu,... More »
Last Post: February 28, 2009 9:53 PM by Scott McGrath
Black Friday is Almost Here - Are You Ready?
We're but mere days away from our turkey feasts, and that can only mean one thing - Black Friday, the kickoff of the holiday buying season and craziest retail shopping day of the year, is almost upon us. Given the current economy, it couldn't come quicker. If your budget for Christmas gifts has shrunk along with your 401k, then it may be a good idea to take advantage of the deep discounts and great in-store sales while you can. If you're looking to shop the door busters on Black Friday, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of your local newspaper tomorrow and Thursday to get all the store fliers. Start circling the products you're interested in and planning your strategy. If you're an online junky, like me, there are a number of resources available online to see all the good deals. Our friends at Retrevo have put... More »
Last Post: by
Matt's Tech Law #4 - Cure Yourself of iSyndrome Before It's Too Late
Over the last year, I've watched several friends develop severe cases of what I'm calling 'iSyndrome.' Not sure what that is? It's a disease... a terrible, awful illness with the horrible side-effect of making everyone you know hate you. Sounds serious doesn't it? iSyndrome targets a small, but rapidly growing segment of the population - iPhone owners. If you or someone you know owns an iPhone, listen up. The iPhone is cool. It does a lot of neat things like let you check your e-mail, catch up on news, post to twitter, play games, surf the web, and even just mess around with. The problem is that iPhone usage can become addictive, eventually leading to iSyndrome, which is a severe case of iPhone addiction that leads to several physical, mental, and social problems. How to tell if you or an iPhone user you know has iSyndrome iPhone user: experiences pain... More »
Last Post: November 18, 2008 12:48 PM by Peter Redmer
Letter to Apple: Way to Stick It to iPhone Developers
Apple's business model is built on strict control of their products, both hardware and software based. It's the reason why the iPod is so tightly integrated to iTunes, and why you can't install their OS on whatever computer platform you wish (though there's a company called Psystar that's pushing those limits right now ). However, Apple's rediculous, unfair actions against Podcaster is making me wonder why they bothered opening up the iPhone to developers in the first place. The short story is that not long ago, a developer came up with an application called Podcaster that let the iPhone pull down podcasts directly over the air. Apple rejected the application from hitting the AppStore, claiming that encroached something that Apple's iTunes software already did (which it didn't). Today, screenshots of Apple's next iPhone firmware hit the scene , and Apple's version of Podcaster is present. In my opinion, that's complete... More »
Last Post: September 28, 2009 9:57 AM by Matt Whitlock
Convoluted Family Tree of Telecommunication Companies
I understand the reasoning behind the Feds decision to breakup the AT&T monopoly, and on January 1st of 1984, AT&T's local operations split into seven independent Regional Bell Operating Companies (you've heard the term 'baby bell' right?). Since then, the telecom industry has slowly been playing a game of renaming, mergers, partnerships, and takeovers. In fact, what was left of AT&T after the breakup and a failed business segway into computer systems, ended up getting purchased by one of their own spin-offs. For a fascinating look at what's happened to the telecom industry since the big break up, check out this Family Tree of Telecommunications Companies over at neatorama.com . You may be surprised who owns who, and if you're like me, chuckle after seeing some old logos that you used to pay bills to. Any surprises there? Anything missing? Post your thoughts in the comments. More »
Last Post: October 12, 2009 1:13 AM by Vicente
Microsoft's 'I'm a PC' Ads Fuel the PC vs. Mac Debate
In the blogosphere, on YouTube, and anywhere else PC and Mac users share the same space you'll see and endless barrage of "mine is better than yours" posts from those who claim to be Mac or PC. In recent weeks, Microsoft has kicked off an aggressive marketing campaign intended to change user perception about Windows, and Microsoft in general. Apple has been dominating the advertising wars over the last few years, and their long running PC Guy and Mac Guy skits have been seen by almost everyone at this point. Microsoft is now firing back, and we've seen three distinct flavors of perception changing, debate raging campaigns come out of Microsoft. The Mojave Experiments Starting with the 'Mojave Experiement,' Microsoft seemingly sat users down in front of a Vista computer, but told them it was their next in-development OS. After many users exclaimed how great it looked, they were told... More »
Last Post: September 21, 2008 2:25 PM by Paris is for hotties
Apple Shows Off New iPods, iTunes 8 - Underwhelms?
Today at Apple's "Rock Live" Event in San Fransico, Jobs and Co. took the opportunity to debut the iPod lineup for the holiday selling season, as well as highlight some additional updates and goodies for the juggernaut's existing products like iPhone 3G and iTunes. Before you take to heart the numerous reports of how "underwhelming" Apple's announcements were, it's important to keep in mind that Apple is held to a much higher standard of expectation. Granted, what Apple had to talk about today hardly justified an entire event. Thank goodness Jack Johnson showed up to play a tune at the end to fill some space. It wasn't underwhelming; it wasn't overwhelming... more just 'whelming.' At the end of the day, you have a slight refresh of it's two larger iPod products, a redesigned Nano, and a feature of considerable 'genius' value if it works. Pepper in an update or two,... More »
Last Post: September 9, 2008 5:20 PM by Peter Redmer
Comcast Offers Free Wii to New Triple Play Subscribers - Fine Print Costs You $400
In a press release today, Comcast announced they have partnered with Nintendo to offer a free Nintendo Wii to new Comcast Triple Play subscribers who sign up for service between today and August 17th. However, don't let them fool you. It may be a "Free Wii," but it will really cost you a little less than $400 in the end. Funny story, it just so happens I signed up for a new Triple Play package last week (I'm moving to a new area, and they're pretty much the only game in town for now). In fact, it hasn't even been installed yet. After reading the press release, the first thing I did was call Comcast. Between "no free Wii" and "Free Wii" I'll take the freebie every time. After being connected to a customer service rep, I explained I just signed up for a Comcast Triple Play package, and that... More »
Last Post: November 8, 2008 1:03 PM by Jodi rn
Opera Mobile 9.5 Beta Released - Hold Out for Beta 2
There's been a lot of activity in the mobile web browser game since Apple's iPhone completely redefined the web experience on a handheld. For the Windows Mobile user (like me), there isn't much out there that works like the desktop browsers. Opera Mobile has been one of the few decent ones (far better than Mobile IE), but still nowhere near the iPhone. I normally wouldn't complain, but Opera Mobile isn't free like Mobile Safari; I expect more from a paid product. Opera has been stroking the buzz machine since they previewed their newest version of Opera Mobile some months back. It first appeared pre-loaded on the HTC Touch Diamond, but WinMo users with different hardware have had to wait to get their mittens on it. Today they've finally unveiled Opera Mobile 9.5 Beta, their newest mobile web browser for Windows Mobile 5/6 touch screen devices. I just installed it and... More »
Last Post: July 17, 2008 2:48 PM by Peter Redmer
XBOX 360 Dashboard Redesign - Before and After
Microsoft will be significantly changing the way the XBOX 360 looks. No, not the outer physical form factor. We're talking about the dashboard here, the software you interact with when you power on the console. A lot has changed since our pals at Redmond shipped the first 360 thanks to numerous updates that has brought a full marketplace, TV, movies, casual games, better streaming media support, and lots more. So much, in fact, that the current dashboard, your gateway to browse all this stuff, has added enough dizzying blades, drop downs, and other menus that it was getting painful to use. Shown for the first time yesterday during the E3 video game expo in LA, Microsoft's new design will make your dashboard go from hardcore business to teddy bears, fluffy bunnies, and Nintendo-esque Mii-like avatars. Before: After : And you know what... I like it . Don't get me wrong,... More »
Last Post: August 23, 2009 3:41 AM by Xbox 360
Apple Unleashes iPhone 3G on America - 2 Minute Overview and Review Roundup
With the enormous amount of media coverage regarding Jobs' latest wonder toy, you probably already know the newest version of Apple's iPhone hit stores today. If you're not the type to read the 15,000 different reviews on it for every teeny, tiny detail, here's everything you need to know in this 2 Minute Overview and Review Roundup. iPhone 3G Goes 3G (though you probably guessed that one) The major difference between the original and Apple's latest iPhone is the inclusion of a 3G radio (hence the name), moving from AT&T's aged (and slower) EDGE network to their faster 3G service. This allows the iPhone to download data at speeds 2 to 3 times the original based on current reviews, but with the drawback of increased power usage and shorter battery life . Form Factor On the form factor side, iPhone 3G is largely similar to the first, but with a... More »
Last Post: July 14, 2008 11:46 PM by Peter Redmer
Sponsored Links
Copyright © 2009
Capable Networks LLC.. All Rights Reserved.
RSS |
Privacy Policy |
Advertise With Us |
Terms of Use |
About Us |
Contact Us |
Site Map
Our Capable Community Network:
DVR playground |
MediaSmart Home |
MotoDash |
My DigitalEntertainer |
My Open Router |
Pogoplugged |
Robo Community |
Sansa Community |
Sling Community |
TechLore |
TiVo Community |
TouchSmartDevZone
