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As an aging gamer (I cut my teeth on the ColecoVision), the Xbox has me much more interested.

Why? I don’t play as many games as I used to. When my 360 is on, it’s 90% for Windows Media Center extender duties, Netflix, and other apps. For Microsoft to extend those capabilities (please, please give us a WMC integration in this Live TV biz) makes it that much more of an attractive console.

If games were the only thing I’d use it for, the PS4 is taking a much more gamer-centric approach with cloud gaming, instant gaming, and Vita integration. That’s just not my, or my family’s bag anymore.

I’ll probably get both, because I’m a sucker.

3 days ago on Xbox One vs. PlayStation 4: the next console war pits living room against cloud 3 recommends

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Yup… WMC on my 360 is what it gets used for 50% of the time.

3 days ago on Live TV on the Xbox One: Microsoft learns nothing from Google TV's mistakes 1 recommend

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That would be awesome. Where did you find that Q&A?

3 days ago on With Xbox One and PlayStation 4, Microsoft and Sony rekindle the war for your TV

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As exciting as the live TV concept appears to be, how will it tie into those of us who have built Windows Media Center systems? I already watch live TV on my 360, but watching the announcement makes me think I’ll need a cable box to take advantage of that.

I don’t want a frickin’ cable box… I want media center capability, or the ability to use network tuners on the Xbox One.

3 days ago on With Xbox One and PlayStation 4, Microsoft and Sony rekindle the war for your TV 2 replies

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Agreed, it’s not spendable capital. But, like any investment, it’s capable of producing returns on it’s basis. Not meant to recoup, but to add to the value of, the investment. They may lose, or they could sell it later and win big. Risk, return, etc. Point being, that money is not gone… Just reallocated.

4 days ago on Fountain of youth: with Tumblr, can Yahoo buy a new generation of users?

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You speak as if $1.1 billion has evaporated into thin air. That $1,100,000,000 just goes from “cash” to “property”. They aren’t planning to recoup the purchase price, that’s not the point here.

4 days ago on Fountain of youth: with Tumblr, can Yahoo buy a new generation of users? 1 reply

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Because they DO have something to do with it! They are advertisers and distributors, and they deserve their cut of the overall pie. Digital distribution cuts them out and leaves them in the cold, which leads to the end of that industry.

That’s their whole BUSINESS. Why wouldn’t they fight tooth and nail? What else could they do? Sell video games? That worked well for B&M record stores…. My suggestion keeps theater owners part of the process, allows them to continue improving their equipment/experiences so that the average moviegoer doesn’t see a 300% increase in their ticket fare, and allows those that want early access to flix in their homes an avenue to do that.

No family is going to pay $60 ($15*4) to see Iron Man 3 when they could get it for $60 in an early access download that they would then own. The price structure would be at least that high (I’d suggest more like $100) to keep people from completely giving up on theaters.

4 days ago on Showing Hollywood the way: how 'Upstream Color' hit iTunes without leaving theaters

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Like the article said, the biggest problem is the theater owners. They’d go the way of Tower Records if we could just download the content on iTunes or Amazon.

If theater owners were part of the distribution deal, there might be a middle ground here. The studios distribute to the major owners, theater owners distribute to the content providers, and everyone gets a cut of a highly inflated “get-it-early” price. After 90 days, the price gets reduced to normal ($20-$30) levels. It’s in the same vein as the 2929 Entertainment idea, but with a larger spread to more providers.

I very much doubt that would happen as everyone wants a big slice of the pie, and adding one more fork in there makes everyone else unhappy.

In the meantime, I’ll wait for it to come out on blu-ray.

4 days ago on Showing Hollywood the way: how 'Upstream Color' hit iTunes without leaving theaters 1 reply

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Quick, someone get ICQ on the line. It used to handle my AOL, Yahoo, ICQ, and Messenger accounts in one nice neat package.

8 days ago on Pick your poison: messaging will be fragmented, expensive, or locked-in 1 reply

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There’s merit to the health and safety issues, but unless you’re working in the building codes and understand the difference between a residential occupancy and a hotel occupancy it’s not immediately evident.

I’m not saying that it’s completely out of line to house guests in a residential occupancy, but the codes are written to assist short-term occupants in the proper exiting of buildings during emergencies. Long-term occupants (renters, owners, etc.) are familiar with their surroundings and don’t require the same amount of preparation.

14 days ago on Landlords beware: Airbnb is booming in big cities, but many users run legal risks

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My Ouya “shipped” last Thursday, and it’s currently sitting in Compton. Really guys? Compton?

15 days ago on Ouya delays retail launch until June 25th to ensure it can meet demand

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If you preordered after the kickstarter drive, then you have ordered a retail unit that will be shipping (now) around June 25th.

15 days ago on Ouya delays retail launch until June 25th to ensure it can meet demand 1 reply

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I’d be pissed that my Lumia 920 doesn’t work on whatever they’re putting into a Starbucks, but by the time it gets settled I’ll be well on my way to whatever phone comes down the pike next.

In the meantime, I just set my phone on the wireless charging pad. I’m doin’ just fine.

16 days ago on Did the future of wireless charging get decided by a coffee cup? 1 recommend

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NIN was an extremely important part of my growth during my teenage and college years. The skepticism and morbid imagery spoke to my thoughts and feelings during that time. But that’s the past. I’ve grown past the cynicism and morbid needs that fed my imagination and I no longer need/want those things.

It’s not that NIN is bad music, it’s just that I don’t want to be in that place in life anymore. And lets not even touch what happened to Corgan. That’s just sad.

17 days ago on Nine Inch Nails' 20-year old 'Broken' film is too violent for Vimeo (update)

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I love NIN, but I’ve come to realize how negatively the music affected me over the years. I still listen to it from time to time, but it makes me more sad than anything.

Enjoy the desensitizing video folks! I won’t be joining you, this time.

18 days ago on Nine Inch Nails' 20-year old 'Broken' film is too violent for Vimeo (update) 1 reply 2 recommends

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I think there’s quite a few of us who can relate to your story Paul. And as this last year has shown, the internet isn’t the cause of our problems, we are. If anything, the internet allows a more vibrant life for us, those that aren’t willing to climb mountains or travel the world.

Welcome back, I’ve enjoyed the last year of posts. Especially the honesty that came with them. As someone who is also searching for who/what/how I fit into this narrative, I hope you are a little closer to finding yours.

23 days ago on I’m still here: back online after a year without the internet

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It’s easy to swap out, just use the supplied cover plate to cover where the original thermostat was. Hook up the wires and you’re good to go.

Just don’t forget to take it with you. My property manager said I could leave it if I wanted, to which I replied, “Hell no! Do you know how much I paid for that stupid thing?”

25 days ago on Nest thermostat update tracks the sun to keep temperatures steady