Dr. Bill | The Computer Curmudgeon

Speaking of Dr. Bill.TV, I have added a new feature to the Dr. Bill.TV site! You can now watch the episode on-line via a flash media player right on the page! Check it out! (Just click on the link below, and then choose the “Episode” option n the upper right hand of the page in the menu line.)

Dr. Bill.TV

This is a neat “how to” article! I have used Ghost4Linux, and it does rock! Check it out!

How to Backup and Restore Hard Drives with Ghost4Linux

“This tutorial shows how you can back up and restore hard drives and partitions with Ghost4Linux. Ghost4Linux is a Linux Live-CD that you insert into your computer; it contains hard disk and partition imaging and cloning tools similar to Norton Ghost. The created images are compressed and transferred to an FTP server instead of cloning locally. I do not issue any guarantee that this will work for you!”

This is an “opinion piece” from your friendly, neighborhood Doctor about the current “state” of IPTV. As I have told you before, “IPTV” is the delivery of TV content over “TCP/IP”, or the Internet. Now, there are many views of just what IPTV actually is. I recently heard on the “Cranky Geeks” netcast from Ziff-Davis (which some folks would call “IPTV”) that John C. Dvorak said that IPTV would be “real” only when it was available via a set-top box and not through a computer interface of any type. That day is coming as well. Here’s a Press Release that I was sent recently by Aaron Keogh, of Matrixstream, due to the Computer Curmudgeon Podcast being such an advocate of IPTV:

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“MyTVPal.com is ready to launch a new video on demand service for TV starting with ‘North America’s Best Independent Animated Shorts.’ The 84 minute animated short compilation feature film will be made available free for a limited time via user paid targeted advertising starting on January 1st 2007. MyTVPAL.com delivers DVD and HD quality streaming movies instantly on demand via a high definition IMX 1020 HD set top box directly to a television set. No downloading or PC is required in this process.

Unlike most movie download service providers that only offer sub-DVD quality picture and sound not compatible with most home theater receivers, MyTVPal.com will provide full DVD 720 x 480 resolution for standard definition video with AC3 sound – thus delivering the DVD home theater experience over the Internet. This service is currently being made available in North America to anyone with a broadband connection.

MyTVPAL.com is now also making available 100 movie trailers prior to the release of its movie subscription package offering coming in January 2007. Titles include Born To Win staring Robert De Niro, If Tomorrow Comes starring James Franco, Wake starring Martin Landau and Gale Harold, and classic thrillers like Night of the Living Dead, and Corrupt Lieutenant staring Harvey Keitel. These films along with many other titles can be viewed for a low monthly subscription fee.

MyTVPal.com is aiming to be the largest video service provider in North America with a goal of obtaining up to 100,000 DVD quality and High Definition video titles and producing a channel line-up that will range from 700 to 1000 plus channels. This will include sports, news, music, entertainment, film, and other programming genres from around the world. On the backend, MyTVPal.com is planning to scale service to millions of users by using MatrixStream’s patent pending xms video on demand technology in 34 data centers across the US connected via a fiber network.

Those interested in taking a test run may download a free PC Player at www.mytvpal.com.”

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Now this exciting stuff… and I have provided a photo of the set-top box to illustrate where we are heading… but the other side of this is that the IPTV phenomenon is growing “organically” as more and more people “get into” the field across the Internet! Just as Podcasts have been growing exponentially since there inception in 2004, I see “VODcasts” (Video-On-Demand,) or “VIDcasts” (Videocasts) growing as well! Our old friend “The Ninja” on “Ask a Ninja” has a funny compelling videocast. And, many such funny, or other “special interest” content is coming out regularly on the ‘net! This is an exciting and growing area! I am excited about the future! Perhaps it IS time to take Leo LaPorte’s advice and call “Podcasts”, “VODcasts”, AND “Vidcasts” the “generic” term “Netcasts!”

Either way, whether a subscription service for “high end” content is your thing, or “freebie” content from Internet denizens is what you are looking for, there is already a lot of IPTV to be had, and more is coming… expect to hear a LOT about this in the coming year! 2007 may be the “Year of IPTV!”

“digg” this article

The largest richest software company in the world, Microsoft, had a product that was used by 90% of the market, and yet it was UNSAFE 284 out of 365 days! Ouch!

Internet Explorer Unsafe for 284 Days in 2006

“Security Fix spent the past several weeks compiling statistics on how long it took some of the major software vendors to issue patches for security flaws in their products. Since Windows is the most-used operating system in the world, it makes sense to lead off with data on Microsoft’s security updates in 2006. First, a note on the methodology behind this blog post: The data presented here builds on a project I began in late 2005 looking back on three years of efforts by Microsoft to address only the most severe security holes in its software. I conducted that same research again last month, individually contacting nearly all of the security researchers who submitted reports of critical flaws in Microsoft products to learn from them not only the dates that they had submitted their findings to the company, but also any other security trends or anomalies they observed in working with the world’s largest software maker. Several weeks prior to posting this information, I shared the data I had gathered with Microsoft. The officials I dealt with helpfully concurred or quibbled slightly with some of my findings, but the company raised no objections that would materially affect the results presented in this particular study of IE flaws.”

If you have taken my advice and moved to OpenOffice… be sure to download and install the new version (V2.1) immediately! There is a serious security issue with earlier versions that has been patched in V2.1. Do yourself a favor… upgrade today!

Security Flaws Haunt PDF, OpenOffice Users

Adobe Reader Version 8.0 has a serious bug as well. But it has been patched, so if you do an update on it, you will be OK. Another option is to download and use the new, improved Foxit PDF Reader. I REALLY like the new version! Here’s that link:

Foxit Reader 2.0 for Windows

Check this out, you have to see this video from the BBC! Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos has funded the creation of a spacecraft to pioneer commercial space tourism. Here’s a launch of the new craft:

BBC Video of Goddard Spacecraft Launch

I like the way it takes off then come back down to settle safely on earth. This looks like the old science fiction shows method of landing a spacecraft! Cool!

Back on the Dr. Bill Podcast number 2, I reported on the Million Dollar Home Page, where a guy was trying to “work his way through college” by selling a pixel on his web site page for a dollar each. I predicted that he wouldn’t do it because his “fifteen minutes of fame” would be up before he did it. Well, I was WRONG! He did sell out! So, he is now an Internet millionaire! Dewd!

The Million Dollar Home Page

Weird. Wish I had thought of it!