My intention is not to advertise for Netflix, but some videos look better than your ordinary DVD. I began watching videos from Netflix by just the VGA hook up from the computer to the TV. Then I got a Blu-Ray with internet capability. For that to work, I needed a router. By the way, if you are having trouble getting your Blu-Ray to go online you probably need a Flash Drive for the player.

I did a test and the results were somewhat surprising. I watched a movie in DVD format and then played the same movie on the free play of Netflix. Since, the free play featured HD, the movie from Netflix looked way better. Not as good as a Blu-Ray, but better than DVD. The future for movies are changing. So, if you are one of those people who like to record your rented DVDs for a large personal library. You might want to rethink your cost and efforts. The internet can play a better looking picture and take up less room.

Standardization Longover Due For Mobile Devices

Collaborative Class Partner Post

Michael Sargeant’s and Steve Chambers Collaborative blog post

Standardization is a necessary part of any industry. In my opinion, it prompts for a superior product by companies that have the best ideas and manufacturing capabilities. For example, when IBM came out with MCA (micro channel architecture) it had a great deal of potential. It later became one of IBM's downfalls because MCA was incompatible with ISA; that meant the earlier ISA cards would not work at all in an MCA system. The PC market did not like not having backwards-compatibility, as seen by the number of older standards that we still use to this day, such as ISA.

IBM decided to make the MCA bus proprietary. It in fact did this with ISA as well; however in 1981 IBM could afford to flex its muscles in this manner. The clone makers, at that time, were starting to come into their own and were not interested in conforming to IBM's vision.

I wanted to convey this story to the blog audience to prove that non-standard does not guarantee for longevity in any marketplace.

On that note, if battery chargers are not standardized, I am predicting the same fate for companies that will not adapt.
This blog fits in our technology section of our class. We should be interested in this new technology because it will save us time and money in trying to look for a charger that will fit our specific device, for example, a cell phone.

Well, I am a little disappointed so far with After Dark Horrorfest. I have seen 3 of them so far and none were very good. "The Final" was interesting and probably had the best acting so far. "The Graves" had a couple of pretty girls in it, but not really worth watching. And, "Zombies of Mass Destruction" which had the worst acting and directing, but was kind of funny. I just don't get it, the first couple of seasons were good. Now, that we are up to the fourth, it seems like they just don't want to put the effort or money into it. The first season in 2006 was the best with the exception of "The Hamiltons" they were all good. The second season they got a little weird, but they were still good. "Unearthed" was good enough to watch again and "Mulberry Street" was better than "Quarantine". The third season had some good actors, but the movies seemed slow and drawn out. I still watched them and enjoyed the movies though. Season four, I still have five more to go and I am not really looking forward to them. Hopefully, I will write back in AH and say I was wrong. Wish me luck.

The information-service business model is costing us dearly

“Politics”, this is what our Internet service providers have accomplished with their somewhat Monopolized service-based business model. By separating with both costly plans and technology of Internet, telephone, text-messaging, basic television, premium television, voicemail, and other services, we are the ones who pay dearly. It can be witnessed that the Internet has not caught up with the speed of television or cable. Ethically, is the service-oriented business model going to mitigate the futures overall goals of social technology?

Five Images

I don't just watch scary movies. As a matter of fact I have been trying to find classic spy movies. I have found a few good ones. These are mostly comedy and thriller classics, but I wanted to let you know encase you get into the mood I did. Fathom with Raquel Welch was fun and exciting. She was a female James Bond. Another one with a pretty face and fun thrilling action was Caprice with Doris Day. I always thought she played in movies that percieved her as a bumbling blond. In Caprice she was still a bumbling blond, but she was also a cunning spy. Audrey Hepburn was also a sneaky theif / spy with Peter O'Toole in How to Steal A Million. This was a good movie, both stars are young and beautiful, also I can't think of anything that quite compares to it today. The last two have a small series of movies to watch. If you like Dean Martin as a spy and not a music man, the Silencers is one of four to the series. Lastly, The Thin Man, with William Powell and Myrna Loy also with four to the series and all good. The Thin Man is in black and white, I realize some people may not like this. The last two series also have lots of drinking involved, so if you are a heavy drinker and trying to stay off the sauce, these two movies may not be the best for you.

Re: Television: single service; Internet: multiple services

I completely agree with Larry Press on this one. There is too much differentiating between information services like Internet and Television. Being somewhat older as I am I was surprised that the phone still costs money even when someone else calls me, years ago that was free. I admit I don’t understand the whole thing. To me it seems as if air should be free.
I am a full time student in college and feel I need some way of getting onto the internet for my studies, but of course it is much too expensive. The comparisons of water and gas should hopefully get people worried enough to do something about it.
At this time I am currently choosing between cable Internet and DSL. Cable Internet on one hand is a little faster, but on the other hand it doesn’t slow down from 7 to 10:00 at night, while they both seem to accomplish mainly the same things.
Within our class outline the post would fit under technology and on my part it would fit all skills and concepts.

The information-service business model is costing us dearly
A Larry Press Post, dated Tuesday, June 09, 2009
http://cis471.blogspot.com/2009/06/information-service-business-model-is.html

Zombies Are Back

Saw a few new movies this week. A couple of them were zombie movies. One, The Mad, was comedy like and a B movie. It reminded me of Black Sheep and Slither. Although, Slither had nothing to do with zombies it seemed to have the same feel about it, but Slither was better. Second, was Zombieland, this movie I would suggest getting the Blu-Ray. I do plan to watch it again. It would be a good movie to watch with friends who are into that sort of thing. The Oohs and Aahs could be loud and fun. Another scary movie I watched was Cabin Fever 2, it was pretty gross. A flesh eating virus that can be transmitted through even sharing of lipstick. This time the second one was just as good as the first. Not like the disappointment of Wrong Turn 3. One more movie I wanted to mention was Shattered Lives 2009, this movie was what I call "not a real movie". The type of movie that some made with the camera from their dad's garage.