Tim Cook comes out

NEW YORK » Apple CEO Tim Cook's declaration that he's "proud to be gay" wasn't exactly news in Silicon Valley, where his sexual orientation was no secret. But advocates say that given Apple's immense reach and visibility, his coming-out could help change attitudes in workplaces across America.

The 53-year-old successor to Steve Jobs made the announcement in an essay published Thursday by Bloomberg Businessweek. He is the highest-profile U.S. business executive to publicly acknowledge that he's gay.

In a country where more major-league athletes have come out than top CEOs, business leaders said Cook's disclosure was an important step toward easing anti-gay stigma, particularly for employees in the many states where people can still be fired for their sexual orientation.

Cook, who led Out magazine's top 50 most powerful people for three years, said in the essay that while he never denied his sexuality, he never openly acknowledged it, either. He said he acted now in the hopes that his words could make a difference to others.

"I've come to realize that my desire for personal privacy has been holding me back from doing something more important," he wrote.

Cook said he considers being gay "among the greatest gifts God has given me" because it has given him both a better understanding of what it means to be in the minority and "the skin of a rhinoceros, which comes in handy when you're the CEO of Apple."

Besides Cook, there are no other openly gay CEOs in the Fortune 1,000, even though statistically, 3.4 percent of Americans identify as something other than straight, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control. Some executives of major U.S. corporations who are openly gay at their companies declined to comment to The Associated Press.

John Browne, who resigned as British Petroleum CEO in 2007 after being outed by a tabloid and who is the author of "The Glass Closet: Why Coming Out Is Good Business," said Cook has become a role model "and will speed up changes in the corporate world."

Megan Smith, a lesbian who was a top executive at Google before recently becoming the U.S. government's chief technology officer, predicted "people will look back at this time not only for the extraordinary technological innovations that keep coming, but also for great shifts in civil rights and inclusion of talent across our world. Tim is a big part of both of these important movements."

One For All remote control OARUSB04G

(split off from remote control codes)

[10/26/14]

Damn. I lost what I was typing.  OK, let's recap.

Went to the guy who had the DVD-Recorder, but didn't have the remote

Off to Best Buy.
See cheap RCA remotes have code for Roku.  Like $10.95, even cheaper at Amazon.

But looked at rcavideoaudio.com and none of their remotes stated they had support any DVD-R's.

Looking at the Logitech Harmony's, model 650 and 350.  I guess they would work, but pretty expensive.  A little cheaper at Amazon.com.

Then I see the One For All remote.  Model OARUSB04G. For like half the price of the Logtitech..  And I see it comes with a USB cable for connecting to the computer.  Like the Logitech Harmony.  And it has learning capabilities.  And the comments on Amazon say it's JP1 compatible.

OK, let's program it.  Choose Toshiba DVD.  I guess it works, but still can't access the setup menu.

I think the Info button corresponds to the Display button on the Toshiba remote.  And the List button corresponds to the menu/list button.  But I don't see a button corresponding to the Setup button.

My Panansonic TV and Time Warner cable box seem to work fine.

OK, let's try the USB cable.  Connect to computer.  Go to website at simpleset.com.  Has me upload the settings file.  Then choose DVD, only gives me the option of Toshiba, not a particular model number.  So no real difference.

Getting nowhere fast.

There's a list of codes given.  The instruction say SimpleSet codes are used for programming using the On-Remote Setup method outlined in the Getting Started guide.  The problem is I don't see any Getting Started Guide.  [8/14/15 - Now I see it, it's the one page fold-out.]

Let's try the oneforall.com website...  A search turns up no results.  Looking inside the battery cover they another code under the OARUSB04G.  It's URC 6540BE0-XXX-R  Then under that 4408UE.  Then under that MAXQ622X-2576-4.

OK, here's a thread from remotecentral saying similar to the URC-6440.

Then another link to hifi-remote.com.  It has to do with JP1.

What's that?

From wikipedia: A JP1 remote is a type of universal remote, usually with a six-pin interface connector labeled "JP1" in the battery compartment, manufactured by Universal Electronics Inc. The JP1 interface allows the remote to be reprogrammed, adding new code lists and functions. Home theater hobbyists use JP1 to avoid obsolescence.

All JP1 remotes are made by Universal Electronics, Inc.[2] UEI sells various models under their One For All brand name,[3] and supplies remotes to consumer electronic manufacturers such as Radio Shack, Sony, and Sky, as well as North American cable TV providers such as Comcast, Rogers, Cox, Shaw, Charter and Time Warner.[4]

I see a file for Toshiba D-R400.  But what do I do?

OK, here's the place to start for beginners.

Then I went to JP1 For Beginners

[start this separate entry for this One For All remote]

[10/30/14]  More fooling around with the One For All SmartControl Universal Remote.  Model # OARUSB04G.

OK, let's try getting it to work with the AppleTV.  Use the Audio device.

OK, it learned it well enough, but the menu key activates the TV menu.  Change it to to the Guide button.  OK, that works pretty well.

I wonder if I can get it to work with the Roku.

There is a list of codes that came with remote, but no instructions on how to enter the code.

Go to the allforone website, but don't see the manual.  Let's try this 6131 manual.

OK, looks like this will work.

Press and hold the SETUP button.  The TV light blinks twice.
Press the device button (in this case AUDIO).  It blinks once.
Enter the four digit code.  The device button blinks twice.

The Roku code is 1828.  Doesn't work on my Roku HD.  Maybe the Roku is bad?  I'll try it out on my mom's Roku 2.

The Apple code is 1115.  That works.  And the menu key can be used as the menu key.  OK, a small triumph.

Stay tuned.  My mission is still to program it to access the Setup menu on my Toshiba DVD-Recorder.  There are 11 codes for a Toshiba DVD player.  Maybe one of them will work.

***

Nope doesn't seem to work on the Roku 2 either.

Cool,  I see you can download a manual here.  (Have to register for the forum first or you don't see the download button.)

Try learn mode with the Roku 2 remote.  Getting nothing.  Well, I guess makes sense since the Roku 2 remote is not IR.

[8/14/15] Now the remote for my Sony Blu-Ray isn't working very well.  It sometimes works, but you have to be in range and hold the buttons down.  The model is RMT-B104A.  Maybe I should just buy a replacement.  But I want to see if I can program my One For All remote to control it.  Maybe I shouldn't because it's currently programmed for my Toshiba DVD-R.  I do have a replacement remote, but it costs like $25 vs. like $10 for a replacement for the Blu-Ray remote.  (So if the Toshiba goes bad..  But I just popped in the batteries for the Toshiba remote and it worked, so let's try to program the One For All remote for the Sony Blu Ray).

Let's try the instructions in the Getting Started guide
press and hold setup until the TV key blinks twice
press the device key (DVD light blinks once)
point the remote at your device
press and hold the number key (8 is for Sony) until your device tuns off

nope didn't work, let's try the long method

Looking above, the instructions are
Press and hold the SETUP button.  The TV light blinks twice.
Press the device button (in this case DVD).  It blinks once.
Enter the four digit code.  The device button blinks twice.

The codes for Sony are 1516, 1633, 1533, 0533, 1070, 0864, 0772, 1033, 1069, 1431, 1536, 1540, 1548, 2138, 2178, 2180

1516 - partially works, the left and right works, but not the up and down or OK  The power works.
None of the other codes worked at all.

OK, let's see if I can learn some buttons.

How you do that again?  It's in the Roku remote problems entry.

"Hey, why not try to learn the remote with the One For All remote.  OK, look up the manual (OARUSB04G_Manual.pdf).  [I have it downloaded in my One Drive documents folder.]  You have to press and hold the LEARN button, then the device key, then press the button you want to learn.  It flashes.  Then you aim the original remote at the One For All.  If the button is learned, then it flashes twice.  [Then Press and hold the LEARN key to save your settings. The indicator light flashes twice.]"

Hey, seems to work!  Apparently the original remote's signal is weak, but still strong enough for the One For All to learn.

For "top menu", I'll use MENU

For "pop up men", I'll use GUIDE

For "audio", I'll use the red button

For "subtitles", I'll use the green button

For "options", I'll use the blue button

I programmed the EXIT to key to map to RETURN, but it doesn't seem to do anything.

The back and forward buttons are currently programmed to go to the previous and next chapters.  I'll change them to rewind and fast forward.

And I'll change the play button (which is right pointing arrow) to map to advance (15 seconds).  I can use the pause button to double as the play button.

Then let's program the + / - keys (normally used to change the channel) to go to the next and previous chapters.

Can't seem to program the LIST button.  Apparently that's a macro key.  [I now see there's instructions on how to program macros in the manual, but didn't try it yet.]

That leaves the orange key and the record key unmapped.  And I guess all those number keys.

OK, let's use the orange key for TIME.  All that does is change the display to switch from time elapsed to time left when in display mode.

What's left?  The Angle button on the Sony remote.  But that usually isn't supported (at least it isn't on the Life BD that I'm testing with), so I'll skip it for now.  WTH, let's map it to the record buttons, since that's like the only button left.

*** [11/30/15]

As mentioned recently, the One For All remote stopped working right after only about a year.  And instead of buying another One For All remote, I went with a Philips learning remote.

I'm about to toss it, but I'll try one last thing before I toss it.  Reset the remote.

The instructions are on page 16 of the manual (which you have to download, they don't include a complete manual with the remote).

Press and hold the SETUP button until a device key flashes twice.
Press 980.  The indicator light flashes twice

The problem is when I press the 0 key, nothing lights up.  The 0 key is the one that doesn't work (i.e. nothing lights up when you press it).  The other buttons that don't work: TV, GUIDE, right arrow, 3, 4, 0.

OK, I give up.

Wait there's another way.  Connect the remote to the computer with the USB cable.  Go to www.simpleset.com.  There's an option to "Restore Remote".

But when I did that, it downloads a file called settings.bin.  When I tried to copy to the remote, it got an error.  I deleted the settings file on the remote, but still can't upload it.

And now when I press the buttons on the remote, nothing happens.

OK, let's try connect to the laptop.  Download the file to the laptop and copy it to the remote.  Apparently it worked this time.  But now none of the buttons work.

OK, let's try program the DVD player with the quick instructions.  Turn on the Blu-Ray player.  Press and hold the SETUP key until the TV key blinks twice.  Press DVD.  Point remote at Blu-Ray player.  Press and hold 8 (Sony).  Blu-Ray turns off.  OK, seemed to take.  But the following buttons still don't work: GUIDE, right arrow, 3, 0.

OK, I spent enough time on this.  Toss.

Hey, I see a used for sale for $8.99 on eBay.  A brand new one for $14.99 (direct from Best Buy).

cable TV threatened by unbundling

With HBO and CBS planning stand-alone streaming services, the oft-maligned pay-TV bundle has begun to loosen. But it’s not clear the brave new streaming world that replaces it will actually be cheaper for consumers.

By offering their networks directly to consumers via the Internet, HBO and CBS are cutting out the middleman—cable and satellite companies—and potentially undermining the backbone of the television business.

On the surface, this is seen as a win for people frustrated with rising monthly television bills and paying for lots of channels they don’t watch. Other networks are following the lead of Time Warner’s HBO and CBS, including Univision Communications Inc. and possibly Showtime, which is a unit of CBS Corp.

Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN is also developing online-only platforms that would be offered separate from traditional channels.

“It seems to me that a la carte, which seemed like a distant reality a few months ago, has become a much more viable option,” said Tuna Amobi, an analyst at S&P Capital IQ. “This is a watershed moment for the industry.”

But cord-cutters should be careful what they wish for. A future where television viewers subscribe to each channel individually could be cheaper for young people who only watch two or three channels, industry executives said. But analysts say that for households filled with people of differing tastes or fans of many channels, this future could make the average cable TV bill — which hovers at around $90—seem like a bargain.

Driving the change is the growing popularity of online streaming services from Netflix Inc, Hulu and Amazon.com Inc.’s Prime Instant Video. In response, many networks have started making their own content available online or selling it to such services, but usually after it debuts on their linear service.

Now, though, as the number of people either abstaining from pay-TV or opting for smaller packages with fewer channels grows, traditional networks are starting to hedge their bets. “There is no question that streaming, in terms of consumer options, is becoming a reality,” said Mr. Amobi.

Technology may be doing what consumer advocates and many lawmakers have long argued for—making programming available on an a la carte basis, which they believe will result in smaller bills.

Some analysts however, paint a grim portrait of an unbundled world. Laura Martin, an analyst at Needham & Co., estimates that unbundling would drain half of the revenue, or $70 billion, out of the television industry. Moreover, today’s hundreds of channels would shrink down to about 20, she wrote. That is because advertising would decrease substantially on channels with reduced audience reach, forcing consumers to pay the entire cost of running the channels, instead of splitting that cost with advertisers, as is done in basic cable.

Sports networks could be most at risk in an unbundled world. About half of the subscriber fees paid each month by consumers go to channels with sports, even though these channels account for less than a quarter of viewership, according to Nielsen data analyzed by Needham.

If ESPN were taken out of the bundle, for example, it might need to cost as much as $30—instead of the roughly $6 per subscriber it currently charges as part of the bundle, according to SNL Kagan—to recoup its losses from reduced distribution and continue to afford its content.

Programmers, meanwhile, are protective of the bundle because it allows for the pairing of weaker channels with strong ones. Content companies often offer discounts to distributors for taking weaker channels along with strong ones.

“All these things are so much more expensive when you separate them out,” said David Bank, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets. “You are going to have to pay more for less choice.”

***

[I don't know.  Something about this article smells fishy.]

TIVO

I'm tempted by two options.  Giving up cable TV (cutting the cord) or getting the TIVO Roamio.

Those who have the TIVO apparently love it.  Here's a review from Yahoo and another from CNET.  What I like is the high capacity of the DVR.  Along with the capability of transferring the shows to your PC.  I guess those would be mainly sports because most of the shows and movies should be available on DVD or streaming.

Redbox Instant shutting down

Redbox Instant, the streaming-video service developed in partnership with Verizon to take on Netflix, is closing its doors on Tuesday.

Customers who head to the Redbox Instant page on Monday find a "shutdown notice," saying that Redbox Instant by Verizon will end its operation on Tuesday at 11:59 p.m. PT. The companies plan to provide information on refunds to current customers on Friday. The site said customers who have paid for a full month's subscription fee, but have received service for only part of the month, will receive a full month's refund.

Its demise underscores the difficulty new players face breaking into the subscription streaming-video market dominated by Netflix, as it and other large rivals like Amazon's Prime Instant Video benefit from a huge head start on subscriber rolls. It also casts a sharp light on how those bigger competitors have already moved on to the next phase of subscription streaming video -- becoming a creator and distributor of original content, in the mold of a TV network for the digital age.

Redbox Instant was a joint venture between DVD-kiosk provider Redbox, the biggest business of the company Outerwall, and Verizon in 2012, with Verizon holding a 65 percent share and Redbox holding the rest at the outset.

The service officially launched to the public in 2013 with nearly 5,000 titles. Over the last year and a half, the service was made available on several different devices, including the Roku set-top box and Sony's PlayStation 4 game console, among others.

However, the platform never found much traction with consumers. During its second-quarter earnings call, the company said it was "not pleased with where the subscribers are to date" on Redbox Instant. During that call, Redbox said it could nix the contract in 2015, if it wanted to do so.

"The joint venture partners made this decision after careful consideration," said a Verizon spokesperson. "The service had not been as successful as either partner hoped it would be. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause our customers."

In a statement to CNET, Verizon said the service just didn't live up to its expectations. A representative for Redbox said growing Redbox Instant's subscriber base over time was a major challenge. The red kiosks' main business of renting DVDs will continue as usual, she said.

going off the grid

When Hawaiian Electric Co. began slowing rooftop solar installations last year, it pushed energy companies, legislators and residents to seek out other options, including a growing interest in going off the grid.

There are 4,500 people on Oahu waiting for approval for rooftop solar systems as a result of a September 2013 rule change where HECO required customers and contractors to be OK'd by the utility before installing photovoltaic panels. Some customers have waited as much as nine months for approval and are afraid they may miss out on lucrative tax credits if they don't act fast.

"We hear from a growing number of customers looking for off-grid solutions," said Chris DeBone, managing partner at KumuKit and Hawaii Energy Connection.

Local solar companies -- including KumuKit, Distributed Energy Partners and RevoluSun -- are working on offering solar systems linked to batteries.

Power from the sun charges the batteries, which are used at night and on cloudy days to provide electricity to the home. In some cases, these systems could provide all the power for a home, as long as its energy use is modest, and allow the homeowner to go off the grid.

In most cases, the batteries would be used in conjunction with the grid. The grid powers the home when the batteries are depleted. This is called a "non-export" system because all the power from the solar system is used in the home and none is exported to the grid.

A non-export system would avoid the problem which led to HECO slowing down solar installations. HECO said it had to slow down installations because too much intermittent solar power on the grid causes instability.

"The time is right" for battery systems, said Mark Duda, Hawaii PV Coalition president and principal with Distributed Energy Partners. "There wasn't a marketplace need. When they had an option, it wasn't compelling to seek out storage."

Going off the grid, while popular on the Big Island, is still rare on Oahu.

RevoluSun installed less than a dozen energy storage systems that allowed customers to live off grid since 2009. In the last month, almost 50 customers have called the company looking to take their systems off-grid, said Colin Yost, principal and general counsel at RevoluSun.

"We are actually developing some completely off-grid systems right now and testing them. The technology has been changing rapidly. Yesterday, we met with another manufacturer," Yost said.

Energy storage is and will be fundamental, Duda said.

"There is too much uncertainty around interconnection and too many options for battery storage," Duda said. "No matter which direction this goes, you need storage."

The solar companies don't advertise off-grid options due to the cost for consumers and anticipation for a better technology to be available soon.

"Most of the battery systems you see generally have to be replaced far sooner than the PV system itself and can make the whole thing less affordable," said Yost. "It's getting close but we aren't comfortable offering it on a large scale yet."

The initial prices for an off-the-grid system are still very expensive, but because of high electricity rates residents can save money over time if they go off-grid, Yost said.

"Hawaii has reached a grid-parity, meaning an off-grid system is just as cheap or even cheaper than getting energy from the utility and the reason for that primarily is because Hawaii's electricity is so expensive," Yost said. "Once the technology gets better, if the prices stay high, you will see an exodus of customers who all leave the grid entirely."

The price of electricity in Hawaii is nearly three times the national average in large part because of the high cost of fuel oil used for power generation.

Hawaii residents paid an average of 38.66 cents a kilowatt-hour for electricity in June compared with the national average of 12.97 cents a kilowatt-hour, according to the latest data available from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Another issue for homeowners thinking of going solar is the ticking clock on federal tax credits.

A 30 percent federal tax credit available to those who install solar systems ends Dec. 31, 2016. There is also a state tax credit for PV system installations of 35 percent up to $5,000 per system, which doesn't have an expiration date.

when the wolves came back to Yellowstone

When wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park after a 70 year absence, they did something amazing to the entire park.

While most people consider wolves to be killers, what they don’t realize is how important these animals are to any eco-system. After the wolves came back to Yellowstone, they started feeding on the deer that had overpopulated the park for years. Because of this, an entire “trophic cascade” occurred, and the landscape was completely changed for the better – all the way down to the rivers. One pack of wolves was able to restructure the land, simply by doing what they do naturally.

[via facebook]

The TED talk (George Monbiot narration)

The Yellowstone Wolf Project

In The Valley of the Wolves (PBS)

There's always a spoilsport in the crowd