harikari.com

Here’s a quick note to update my ongoing struggle to ensure that my Apple TV doesn’t fall out of usefulness before its time. As you may remember I posted several months ago a wishlist for Apple’s next Apple TV update. It included some of the obvious things like responsiveness, performance, and video playlists. Unfortunately, none of these luxuries were included in the last update.

Apple TV 2.3, however, does actually seem to address many of the issues I pointed out in my last Apple TV post. The remote actually elicits an almost immediate visual response from the unit. There aren’t quite so many moments where I’m asking myself, “did that button press register?” It still happens, but I would say it’s quite less frequent now.

Two great features have been added with this update: 3rd party remote control support and video playlists.

Video playlists: Now you can play uninterrupted video through all of your day’s video podcast subscriptions. You can also set a video playlist to last through your New Year’s Eve party. Just create a playlist of videos on either a shared library or on your Apple TV’s main linked and synced computer.

This feature is great because now you can play each of your 2 or 3 minute podcasts from your favorite sources back to back as you turn to jello on the couch after a long day of hard brain stuff. You can create channels based on content and sit, motionless until every last one of those suckers has played.

3rd Party Remotes: Let your inner couch potato rejoice. Finally you can assign 6 of those extra buttons on ANY remote control littering your coffee table to the 6 functions of that little white remote that came with your Apple TV. Just enter Settings, Remotes, and start pushing buttons. It doesn’t matter which button you push on whatever infrared remote you have, as long as it doesn’t interfere with the main function of the device the 3rd party remote came with, you can repurpose the button for your Apple TV.

One sad note, Boxee was wiped out. I no longer have access to Hulu, Comedy Central, MySpace TV, and Torrents. And from what I’ve read, it’s not re-installable at the moment. However, I’d venture that most Apple TV users will enjoy the new features enough to make the update worth it anyway. While the Boxee crew will likely be hard at work creating a new installer and have you back on the Internet TV IV before the DTs have a chance to give you dead ceiling baby nightmares.

Also, I’ve got a few Boxee invites, so let me know if you’re interested in the comments.

While I was never a fan of the show (only watched maybe 1.2 episodes which were sufficiently violent and hateful to turn my stomach), I appreciate the fact that it was well loved by so many people. Plus the fact that it has been in the news non stop for a week has compelled me to become interested.

Not really in watching the show, but understanding the horror and outrage following the series finale. As I read along, I kept hearing about the “cut to black” which brought on a nationwide, anguished scream. But, like they didn’t want to spoil it for people who hadn’t seen it, nobody was describing the “cut to black” scene sufficiently.

Until I read this (over at Canada.com, so if I’m spoiling it for you, blame them)

“In the feverishly anticipated finale to the HBO series, considered by many to be the best television show ever made, the screen suddenly faded to black as Tony and his wife and children gathered in a diner for supper surrounded by a series of shady characters who seemed ready at any moment to unveil their semi-automatics and blow the family away.”

And then, from my friend Julie:

“They are in the middle of a scene…Tony looks up as he hears the ring of the diner door as it opens again…CUT SCENE..all black. No more sound, no more picture…just black screen for like 20 seconds.

Then the credits silently start to roll.

Keep in mind the whole scene had been building up and building up like there was going to be some kind of major event…then cut.

They may as well just had a picture of a hand flipping off people.”

I am glad to not be a fan of the show because this allows me to appreciate the genius and artistry behind one of the funniest “fuck you!” to fans I have ever seen. And it’s not even a full on fuck you, it’s a “haha…look what I can do to you.”

Anyone who visits this site regularly has probably noticed I haven’t posted much of anything for the past couple weeks.  It could be because I’ve been extremely busy with real work, or it could be because of this internet toy called Line Rider.  Check it out.  You’ll find that you can amuse yourself with it for way, way too long.

I have a seven-year old son who introduced me to it, and he’s been at it for hours.  He of course provides his own sound effects for every bump and crash that is endured by the poor passenger on the sled.

After you’ve played with it for a while, go here to see what people who have way too much spare time can do with it.

1. A very interesting look back at the first 8 months of the Bush presidency. It actually hurts to watch this.
2. A gigantic summary of the events leading to 9/11.
3. Someone’s top 10 Bushisms. Not really sure this is even funny anymore.
4. An intelligent analysis of the Chris Wallace and Bill Clinton interview.
5. This is good: FRONTLINE goes behind the headlines to investigate the internal war that was waged between the intelligence community and Richard Bruce Cheney, the most powerful vice president in the nation’s history.
6. I started my own PAC! You can donate to my hand-selected candidates directly or start your own.
7. Hey! Steve Wozniak is going to be on the Colbert Report tonight.
8. Speaking of Colbert, here’s a great clip from last night’s show.
9. Borat invites Preznit Bush to a screening of his film and an after party at Hooters. (there seems to be a lot of traffic for this movie…it only comes up occasionally)
10. And finally, I found a perfect candidate for the Democrats’ new mascot if they don’t take control of congress this November.