Jacky Bauer's Blog

The Blu-ray Disc, the high-definition successor to the DVD, was one of the few products that did well in the just-ended holiday season, with sales tripling from the previous year. The figures were released this week at the Consumer Electronics Show, which last year was the scene of what proved to be a decisive victory for Blu-ray over a rival format, HD-DVD. Just before the 2008 CES opened, Warner Bros. withdrew its support for HD-DVD, giving Blu-ray a strong majority of support among Hollywood studios. A few months later, Toshiba, the creator of the HD-DVD, said it would stop making players for the discs. That left Blu-ray as the lone high-definition disc. U.S. consumers bought 28.6 million of them in the fourth quarter of 2008, according to The Digital Entertainment Group, a consortium of movie studios and electronics manufacturers. That’s up from 9.5 million in the previous year.

The biggest seller was “The Dark Knight,” which was also the first Blu-ray disc to sell more than 1 million copies, said Andy Parsons, president of the Blu-ray Disc Association, which promotes the format in the U.S. By Parsons’ count, Blu-ray is showing a faster adoption rate than the DVD, the CD, high-definition TV sets and several other common household technologies. At the end of last year, 2½ years after they first became available, there were 10.7 million Blu-ray-capable players in United States, according to research firm DisplaySearch. Three years after the DVD launched in the 90s, there were 5.4 million DVD players.But the 10.7 million Blu-ray players includes more than 6 million Sony PlayStation 3 game consoles, bought mainly for gaming. With those taken out of the comparison, sales of standalone Blu-ray players are similar to those of DVD players at the same point.

Source: Mercury News

Dell got things rolling this morning with an announcement on the software distribution side. Where Dell.com recently began offering music and movies, there will now be downloadable software as well. Next up was a subsidized netbook partnership with AT&T similar to the one the company announced with Vodafone in September. The next announcement was where things began to pick up steam. Adding to Dell’s Mini line of netbooks, the company unveiled the Atom Z530-powered Inspiron Mini 10 this morning. Their “perfect 10″ netbook offers a 16:9 720p HD display, a full edge-to-edge keyboard, a built-in TV tuner, built-in mobile broadband connectivity, GPS, 802.11n, a multi-touch and gesture touchpad, and design studio customizability.

Aesthetics was an important theme in today’s Dell gathering, with the hallways lined by artists’ design studio laptop shell creations, and Kidrobot artist Tristan Eaton putting his trademark designs on Dell products in the background. Dell is drawing a sharp line between performance and design in its product line, the company’s peak performers fall under the Alienware line, and the peak examples of design will come under the new Adamo line. The product which had various accessory leaks happen several months ago has caused a great deal of speculation among fans of the company. Today, a production model of Adamo was shown off, ever so briefly, ever so distantly, and with no information regarding specs. We do know that there is both a black model and a white model.

Source: Betanews, AP

Web sites saw visitors deserting Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser in favor of Apple’s Safari, Mozilla’s Firefox and Google’s Chrome in December, according to Web analytics company Net Applications. Internet Explorer was used by 68.15% of Web surfers monitored in December, down from 69.77% in November and 71.27% in October, according to preliminary figures published by Net Applications on its Hitslink Web site Friday. IE’s share has slipped from around 75% since the start of 2008. Safari, Firefox and Chrome all profited from the slide in IE’s popularity. Firefox’s share rose to 21.34%, from 20.78% in November and 19.97% in October, while Safari’s climbed to 7.93%, from 7.13% in November and 6.57% in October.

Google’s Chrome browser topped the 1 percent mark in Net Applications’ survey for the first time, with a share of 1.04%, up from 0.83% in November and 0.74% in October. Opera’s share remained steady at 0.71%. Net Applications warned that decreased workplace use of the Internet in December may have biased its results. “The December holiday season strongly favored residential over business usage. This in turn increases the relative usage share of Mac, Firefox, Safari and other products that have relatively high residential usage,” it said. However, Internet Explorer’s market share actually declined more slowly in December than it had done in November, according to the company’s figures.

Source: Network World

Breastfeeding or nursing represents a way to feed infants and it’s also a natural part of being a mother. But the popular networking Facebook removed all the photographs which showed this type of mothers nursing their infants. And this wasn’t left unpunished as on Saturday many activists gathered round in front  of Facebook’s Palo Alto headquarters in order to make protests connected to this censorship. Yet, the Website clearly stated that they had no problems with breastfeeding and that they only try to keep away images of fully exposed breasts. But the activists think that the images aren’t obscene and shouldn’t be taken off the Website, even if Facebook’s decision is irreversible.

For example, Heather Farley put a photo of hers while breastfeeding her infant around Halloween, but the picture was removed in November. In addition, Farley was warned that she would have her account erased if another photo of this kind would have to be removed again. Barry Schintt, spokesperson for Facebook, stated that the pictures which show a nipple or areola are considered to be vulgar and violate the policy of the site. Thus, any kind of photo which presents such images has to be removed.

Source: Efluxmedia

The U.S. intelligence community is concerned that terrorists might use micro-blogging tool Twitter to coordinate attacks, according to a purported draft Army intelligence report posted on the Web. The report–present by the 304th Military Intelligence Battalion and posted to the Federation of American Scientists Web site–examines the possible ways terrorists could use mobile and Web technologies such as the Global Positioning System, digital maps, and Twitter mashups to plan and execute terrorist attacks. The report (PDF), which appears to have been first presented earlier this month, was reported Friday by Wired magazine’s Noah Shachtman.

A chapter titled “Potential for Terrorist Use of Twitter,” presents general, introductory information on Twitter and how it works, and describes how the service was used to report details of a recent earthquake in Los Angeles and by activists at the Republican National Convention. “Twitter has also become a social activism tool for socialists, human rights groups, communists, vegetarians, anarchists, religious communities, atheists, political enthusiasts, hacktivists and others to communicate with each other and to send messages to broader audiences,” the report said. The report describes hacktivists as politically motivated hackers. However, the overview notes that the research used to generate the report was gathered from open source intelligence and not compared with information in classified venues.

Source: Cnet, ABC

A few years ago Nike was the company advertising on mass while producing par products. Puma was sitting in the back making nice clothes and became one of my favorite brands.

Now it seems that Puma is everywhere and Nike is starting to sit back. It also seems Nike's quality is up a tad.

gLyo: Nike is not sitting back from anything; they are still milking the Nike SB Dunks for all they are worth (which is $1000+ for some pairs). Some of their shoes are pretty solid, and some totally suck.

The same goes for Puma(i like puma shoes badly, lol), but they don't have an ultra-popular streetwear brand like Nike SB.

Addidas recently "stepped up their game" with the Adicolor line, which has some very interesting colorways, but not many are actually very wearable.

My personal favourites are Asics Onitsuka and Vans. Very solid wearable shoes with a nice amount of flair.

aseq: I think Nike is still huge in the US. I haven't got any numbers on it, but over here i see more adidas and puma. I think both Puma and Adidas are better looking than Nike, but i also support wearing sports stuff because it's functional, not because it looks good. Puma are worn as day-to-day sneakers, while pretty much all nike shoes are running or training shoes.

Should make a bigger poll, missing also: Reebok, Asics, Fila, Lotto, Coq Sportif, Ellesse, etc.

Step 1.

Convert DVD to iPod video with Cucusoft DVD to iPod Converter(Suite)

Tools required:Latest Cucusoft DVD to iPod Converter or iPod Converter suite

Launch DVD to iPod Converter, you will see the right UI.
1. Select the button "Open DVD",you also can click "File" to open the ifo file or vob file directly.

2.choose the title you want to convert. You can right click to "uncheck all".As usual, the longest title is the main file of the movie.

3.(optional) Set your preference.

4. Click the "Convert" button to start the converting.

Done.

Are you seeing the message "Your CD key is disabled from realm play"?

• If you are receiving the error message, “Your CD key is disabled from realm play.” when trying to join or create a realm game, this indicates the CD-Key installed has been temporarily or permanently banned from playing realm games on Battle.net. Even though the CD-Key is restricted from playing realm games, you are still able to play Open Battle.net games.
• Diablo 2 CD Keys are regularly banned and accounts are closed due to hacking on Battle.net. In the case of the CD-Keys that were banned, at least one account tied to each CD-Key was identified as having used such a program while playing on Battle.net. First time offenders are banned from realm play for one month and repeat offenders are banned from realm play permanently. Users who are unsure if their CD-Key was temporarily or permanently banned will have to wait one month from the time the CD-Key was banned to determine the status.

Are you seeing "CD-Key in use by (Your Name)"?

• If you get the message that your "CD-Key in use by [Your Name]", then you should only have to wait 15-30 minutes before reconnecting to Battle.net. This is usually caused by a recent disconnection from Battle.net. The [name] listed in this error message is not a Battle.net account name - it is the name entered when the game was installed. If this [name] is the one you entered, then Battle.net has not yet recognized that you have logged off of Battle.net. Also remember that each Diablo 2 CD Key can only be logged into Battle.net once, so be sure you have only installed your CD-Key on one machine.
• If the problem persists, please try restarting your computer or powering your modem/router off and then back on. If you are unsure how to do this; please check the hardware documentation or contact the manufacturer directly for assistance.
• If you have waited 30 minutes and the error still occurs, you may need to replace the CD-Key. Follow the steps below to request a replacement CD-Key.

Are you seeing "CD-Key in use by [another player]"?

• If you get the message: "CD-Key in use by [another player]", then someone else may have used your CD-Key to install the game. The [name] listed in this error message is not a Battle.net account name - it is the name entered when the game was installed. If this [name] is not the one you entered, please reinstall the game to ensure the correct key is entered. If the CD-Key is still in use, you may need a replacement key. Follow the steps below to request a replacement Diablo 2 CD-Key.

Receiving an Unhandled Exception Error during game launch or while actually playing can be caused by a few problems. As always, please patch the game first. The patch includes several fixes that may correct this type of error. You can patch the game by connecting to Battle.net for the auto-patch or you can download and run the stand-alone patch from our patch page at http://www.blizzard.com/patches/. After installing the patch, please reboot your computer and test the game again. If the patch does not correct the problem, please follow the steps below.

The first step is to reinstall the game, but before reinstalling, you may want to back up your single-player character files. These files are stored in the Diablo II\Save\ folder on your hard drive. The character files have the same name as the character. Save these files to another directory or to a floppy disk and then restore them once you have reinstalled the game.

Uninstall Diablo II by going to Start, Programs, Diablo II, and choose Uninstall Diablo II. Once the game is uninstalled you can delete the Diablo II folder from your hard drive.

Now, run a thorough scandisk and defrag of your hard drive(s). You will probably find it helpful to disable your screen saver and power management features before you scandisk or defrag. Sometimes Windows will restart the defragmentation and/or scandisk if your screen saver or power management kicks in.

(Windows 98/Me)

- Click on the Start button and go to Run.
- Type in "scandisk" (without quotes) and click the OK button.
- Follow the prompts and select "Thorough" scandisk and let it run.
- This will tell you if there are any problems on the hard disk.

- Click on the Start button and go to Run
- Type in "defrag" (without quotes) and click the OK button.
- Follow the prompts to defrag your hard drive.
- This will make the available space more usable by your programs.

(Windows 2000/XP)

- Open My Computer, and select the local disk you want to check.
- On the File menu, click Properties.
- Click the Tools tab.
- Under Error-checking, click Check Now.
- Under Check disk options, select the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors check box and the automatically fix file system errors box.
- Select yes to schedule after restart if a dialog box comes up prompting you to do so.
- Restart your computer

- Open My Computer, and select the local disk you want to check.
- On the File menu, click Properties.
- Click the Tools tab.
- Under Defragmentation, click Defragment now.
- Select volume to Defragment.
- Click Defragment.

Reinstall the multiplayer or full version of Diablo II and then install Diablo II: Lord of Destruction. You will need your original Diablo II play disc for the first part of the installation and the Expansion disc to finish the installation. You will also need to have your original Diablo 2 CD Key for Diablo II and the Lord of Destruction Diablo 2 CD Keys accessible while you install. Windows 2000 users need Administrative rights to run the Diablo II program.

Bugged CD-Key Explained
Many people get this error because Diablo II overlaps itself and keeps it logged in your Processes. When overlapped, your Diablo 2 CD Key is still logged with Battle.Net, disabling you from connecting with the same CD-Key. The removal of this is very easy if you carefully follow the instructions below:

Questions and Answers

Q: Why, when I try to log onto Battle.Net, does it say I’m in use of my own CD-Key?
A: This is known as the “Bugged Diablo 2 CD Keys.” This is because Diablo II has overlapped itself.

Q: What steps must be taken to remove the bugged usage and give me validation to log on?
A: There are a few steps you can take to reset your usage. Read the following:

Manual Removal

• Close your Diablo II window.
• Press CTRL+ALT+DEL and move to your “Processes” tab.
• Look for a program called “game.exe”.
• Once you’ve located this, press “End Task”.
• Retry logging onto Battle.Net after “game.exe” is terminated.

*Note: If you are unable to follow the instructions above, simply restart your computer.*

(0) Inappropriate account or character name
Blizzard Entertainment has rules for account and character names on Battle.net. The name you are inquiring about was disabled because it was deemed inappropriate according to these rules. We are attempting to create a Battle.net environment that is enjoyable and inoffensive for all Battle.net users. Thank you for your understanding.

(1) Advertising an inappropriate website
Inappropriate websites may include sites that promote or provide game hacks, programs with embedded virus code, pornography, or other destructive or intrusive materials that are not appropriate on Battle.net.

(2) Spamming in a channel
Please be advised thatBlizzardEntertainment has an aggressive stance against any account that is used to spam a Battle.net chat channel. Spamming a Battle.net channel disrupts the normal flow of dialogue in the chat room and violates the Battle.net Terms ofUse Agreement and/or End User License Agreement of the game.

(3) Attempting to obtain passwords
Please be advised that Blizzard Entertainment has an aggressive, zero-tolerance stance against any account being used by someone to obtain or steal passwords or to con or trick users into giving out their passwords on Battle.net. This offense violates the Battle.net Terms of Use Agreement and/or End User License Agreement of the game.

(4) Attempting to obtain CD-Keys
Please be advised that Blizzard Entertainment has an aggressive, zero-tolerance stance against any account being used by someone to obtain or steal Diablo 2 CD Keys or to con or trick users into giving out their CD-Keys on Battle.net. This offense violates the Battle.net Terms of Use Agreement and/or End User License Agreement of the game.

(5) Harassment of other users
Please be advised that Blizzard Entertainment does not support or condone the use of any account to harass or threaten other users on Battle.net. This offense violates the Battle.net Terms of Use Agreement and/or End User License Agreement of the game. Harassment may result in the closure of the account or even the temporary or permanent banning of the associated CD-Key.

(6) Inappropriate use of a bot
Blizzard Entertainment does not tolerate bots spamming chat channels or the use of bots to congest channels, which disrupts the normal flow of dialogue. This directly violates the Battle.net Terms of Use Agreement and/or End User License Agreement of the game.

(7) Offensive or racist comments
While Battle.net is a mature environment, we will close accounts that are used to violate the Battle.net Terms of Use Agreement and/or End User License Agreement of the game. We firmly believe that Battle.net's strength lies in its community, and racist or extremely offensive comments are not tolerated.

(8) This account was detected using a third-party program (hack) with one of our games on Battle.net. This account is now permanently banned
Any third-party program that is designed to affect the way the user interacts with Battle.net is considered a hack program. This includes seemingly harmless third-party utilities that work with the game to provide functions that were not included by the game designers. While many of these utilities might not have been created to disrupt the balance of the game, they alter the original design of the program. The detection of any such program by Battle.net may result in the closure of the user's account or even the temporary or permanent banning of the associated Diablo 2 CD Key.

(9) Impersonating a Blizzard representative
Please be advised that Blizzard Entertainment has an aggressive, zero-tolerance stance against any account used in an attempt to impersonate a Blizzard or Battle.net representative. This offense violates the Battle.net Terms of Use Agreement and/or End User License Agreement of the game.

(10) Inappropriate Activities
Accounts may be removed when a Blizzard Representative witnesses activities or behaviors that violate the Battle.net Terms of Use Agreement and/or End User License Agreement of the game. (such as ladder abuse, forum abuse, spamming, etc.) Note: This is a "catch all" reason number. To find out the reason you were banned, you must email support@blizzard.com.

(11) Under 13 years old
The minimum age to play on Battle.net is 13. Your account has been temporarily suspended. Please either email us at support@blizzard.com or call us at 949-955-1382 for further information. You will need to fax in a form signed by your parent or guardian giving permission to play on Battle.net.

YouTube said it will begin showing full-length television programs in addition to its shorter video offerings to generate ad revenue. The Google Inc.-owned Web site said the new program is to begin with shows from CBS Corp., including “The Young and the Restless,” “90210,” “Dexter” and “Californication.” YouTube said it is in discussions with other media partners, but declined to elaborate. The Web site plans to start selling commercial slots for advertisements that are to run before, during and after full-length videos. The content provider—CBS, initially—has the option sell the ads and YouTube will take a cut of the revenue.

YouTube previously resisted selling this ad format because the Web site feared turning off viewers of its shorter clips. But marketers have been slow to warm to advertising adjacent to the usual user-created videos that make up a majority of the videos on YouTube; some larger advertisers say they would prefer to run their ads alongside more-predictable online video content. Web sites that show full-length videos—such as ABC.com, owned by Walt Disney Co., and Hulu, a joint venture between News Corp.’s Fox and General Electric Co.’s NBC Universal—can charge high rates for their ads and frequently sell out their available inventory.

Source: WSJ