Archive for: November 26, 2007

DVDInfO Professional is a Windows Application It provides information and useful tools for CD DVD BD media
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Changelog in 4 75
Added ldquo DVD Download rdquo as a media type
Added ldquo DVD Download rdquo to QFlix detection string
Added HD DVD compatibility to RPM Speed test feature
Increased RPM Speed first scale from 18x to 20x
Added Rotational Control option to RPM Speed feature
Added Speed choice option to RPM Speed Feature
Added an AACS detection tick box on DriveInfo
Added an TSR detection tick box on DriveInfo
Removed ldquo book type rdquo display under MediaInfo for HD DVD
Started incorporating the letters ldquo HD rdquo in the title showing support for HD drives
Fixed some bugs in DVD RPM Speed test feature
Fixed some alignment issues in MediaInfo for HD DVD and Blu ray
Fixed a bug in IBG Graphing where if data was lsquo verify rsquo only it didn rsquo t show
Fixed a bug in IBG Scale coloring introduced when fixing the flicker
Fixed a problem where some drives in RPM speed could stick in CLV mode
Fixed a bug in RPM Speed where the ldquo Show Speed rdquo option did not work properly
Fixed a spurious spike in the RPM line in IBG Graphing
Fixed some missing Tool Tips
Fixed missing icon in main dialog preventing ALT TAB switching
Fixed a bug in IBG Graphing causing odd graphs after multiple loads
Fixed a bug where some UDF Volume names could be blank under media info
Fixed an issue with the ldquo activation rdquo build that caused a crash in manual Activation mode

In what can perhaps be seen as another example of the burgeoning kinship (or at the least eroding of intense animosity) between Apple's iTunes and The Beatles, December 4 will mark the release of the new John Lennon Video Album on iTunes.

Available as a physical "Digital Release" card in Starbucks, the video record will be priced at $24.95, and will feature the music video versions of 21 of Lennon's best loved songs, including "Imagine," "Watching the Wheels," "Give Peace a Chance," and "(Just Like) Starting Over."

Between this and Paul McCartney's recent comments that the band's music would likely be available digitally within the next year, it looks like both parties may, in fact, be able to work it out, after all.

Nero 8 is a software solution that brings the digital world to your PC with features that make it fun and easy to create multimedia projects with high quality professional results Create MP3 mixes and edit vacation videos in High Definition format Share content around the world with simple Internet upload functions Burn a disc with just one click and then enjoy it in any room in your house with versatile streaming features Rest easy knowing your data is safe in the event of a system crash or a damaged disc Nero 8 lets you live the digital life with cutting edge technology and world class features
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New and Improved Features in Nero 8
Direct access to all features from the project launcher
High Definition format support
Xbox 360 trade and PlayStation reg 3 streaming features
Blu ray Disc and HD DVD burning support
SecurDisc data protection support
Copy a disc with just one click
Graphics optimized for Windows Vista trade
Continual free updates

Many of us have gotten into a flame war in the comment section of someone's blog. Hopefully most of us have also experienced interesting and useful discussions in that context, as well. Either way, if you want to see what's been said after you left, you have to go back to the site and catch up to stay in the loop. That can be difficult if the blog is popular. CoComment has a solution.

The service allows you to stay on top of all of the comments you place on any blog, anywhere, subscribe to comment threads so you can read them later, and even provides tools you can use on your own blog to help people stay on top of the conversations they start on your site.

Update (already!): Today (November 27) CoComment announced 2 new ways to have (even more) fun on Facebook. According to the release: "The first application allows coComment users to display all the conversations they are participating in on blogs and sites, on their Facebook profiles. The second application allows blog or site owners to share the latest comments posted on their blogs or sites directly on their Facebook profiles, gaining exposure to the Facebook community."

I'm not always a fan of blog comments. Sometimes they come with more snark than intelligence. At the same time, some blogs that I read actually have interesting and thoughtful readers, and the comments form a kind of community that makes me want to come back and read more.I found CoComment to be most useful on those sites.

If ...

You've got to respect the tenacity of the music industry and all those who dwell within it. If at first they don't sue right, they sue and sue again. Many folks are using the same creativity they once funneled into the construction of songs into the concoction of new interesting ways to sue the proprietors of new technology.

Take the Romantics. You may know the 80s power-pop bands from such hits as "What I Like About You" and--well, honestly, that's probably the only thing you actually know them for.

If you weren't around to fully appreciate the song the first time around, the odds are pretty good that you've experience the song via the various outlets its been licensed to since, from TGI Fridays to Barbie to the Hampton Inn to Esurance. Most recently, the song was heard in the game Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s. The only thing is, that's not actually The Romantics singing the song in the game.

Activision, the makers of Guitar Hero, licensed the use of a cover version of the song. That much The Romantics are totally cool with. The band was paid for the songwriting, but not performance of the song.

The only thing is, the band is claiming that the cover used for the song is so faithful to the original that it constitutes infringement. People might get the impression that The Romantics actually endorse the game. Clearly, they don't condone the playing of the game in the same way way they do, say, enrolling in Esurance on your Barbie phone from the TGI Fridays that you eat at whilst staying at the Hampton ...

Google Checkout is getting into the Cyber Monday spirit with a holiday promotions page highlighting special deals offered by Checkout partners.

Travel incentives are first on the list for Checkout, a one-stop shopping portal for a variety of electronic retailers. For every dollar spent on the site from now until Dec. 31, users will earn two frequent flier miles from one of seven participating airlines: Alaska, Continental, Delta, Midwest, Northwest, US Airways and United. Unless you're a shopoholic or sans budget, that won't likely translate immediately into free plane tickets, but many airlines allow customers to fork over about 400 flier miles on smaller items like magazine subscriptions. Just be careful that you don't let your accumulated miles expire.

The promotions page also promises savings of up to $50 at participating stores like CompUSA, Buy.com and tigerdirect.com. PCSuperstore is offering $5 off orders over $30 while CompUSA will give you $10 off order over $100, according to Google

Users can also opt to donate to various causes rather than purchase the latest gadget. Among those signed up for Google Checkout for Non-Profits are the Salvation Army, the Red Cross, the March of Dimes, the William J. Clinton Global Initiative, and the One Laptop Per Child program.

Here's some fun Monday-morning linkage for you. I enjoy anything that lets bloggers flex their creativity while poking some good-natured fun at a company like Microsoft. Over at Google Blogoscoped, they've asked a simple yet fascinating question: "What If Gmail Had Been Designed by Microsoft?"

Small mailboxes, irritating UIs, gigantic banner ads--it's all there, along with a slightly maddening step-by-step explanation, culminating in the above image of Windows Live Gmail Beta.

Honestly, I think the whole thing is improved by the addition of an animated dog. Just something to think about as you roll out Gmail 2.0, Google.

Having conquered the world of social poking, America's number-two social networking site, Facebook, has opted to toss its hat into the political arena.

The site has established a formal partnership with ABC News that lets users "electronically follow ABC reporters, view reports and video and participate in polls and debates, all within a new 'U.S. Politics' category," according to a story published today by The New York Times.

ABC News and Facebook started working together several weeks back, setting up profiles for ABC reporters such as The Note's Rick Klein and in-house Obama reporter, Sunlen Miller.

Just in case anyone doubted the commitment of these strange new political bedfellows, both organizations are jointly sponsoring Democratic and Republican presidential debates on January 5th in New Hampshire, three days before that state's primary.

Four days post-Turkey Day, and I still feel full--yet I couldn't help taking a gander at foodtube.net. It's exactly what it sounds like: a YouTube knock-off for foodies. Every uploaded video--most embedded from other video sharing sites, including YouTube--features food, glorious food.

Naturally, it's a got a social network component as well, so sharing your vid-captured recipes is a breeze, once you 'friend' some folks. Right now, however, there only appears to be about 62 members.

The proprietors have embedded all they can find, such as video reviews of restaurants--I'd recommend my colleagues in NYC visit Soto on Sixth Avenue, if they're into sushi, just based on the well-done review I watched. Multi-cultural meals and how to prepare them are a big selling point, in fact. Where else could a white-bread guy like myself go to find a video on creating the ice cream-esque Indian dessert called kulfi? The site's top page breaks down video searches by a food's ethnicity/origin as well as by type (vegetarian, BBQ, pizza, and cocktail--all the major food groups).

I'm off to watch someone show me what to do with leftover fowl that does not involve two piece of bread and mayonnaise.

Post by Eric Griffith