opinion gap: public vs. scientists

A newly published survey shows a significant opinion gap between professional scientists and the wider American public on issues in science ranging from climate change to genetically modified foods.

"There is a disconnect between the way in which the public perceives the state of science and science's position on a variety of issues, and the way in which the scientific community ... looks at the state of science," Alan Leshner, chief executive officer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, told reporters in advance of the survey's release on Thursday. "That's a cause of concern."

The biggest disconnect had to do with genetically modified foods, where there was a gap of 51 percentage points. Eighty-eight percent of the scientists said it's safe to eat such foods, compared with 37 percent of the wider-ranging sample.

Other opinion gaps focused on these hot-button issues:

• Should animals be used in research? 89 percent of the scientists said yes, as opposed to 47 percent of the public.
• Is it safe to eat foods grown with pesticides? 68 percent of the scientists agreed, compared with 28 percent of the public.
• Is climate change caused mostly by human activity? 87 percent yes from the scientists, 50 percent yes from the public.
• Have humans evolved over time? 98 percent yes from the scientists, 65 percent yes from the public.
• Should more offshore oil drilling be allowed? 32 percent yes from the scientists, 52 percent yes from the public.
• Should more nuclear power plants be built? 65 percent yes from the scientists, 45 percent yes from the public.
• Should parents be allowed to decide not to have their children vaccinated? 13 percent yes from the scientists, 30 percent yes from the public.

The gaps haven't changed dramatically since 2009, the last time a similar survey was conducted, said Cary Funk, the lead author of this week's report and associate director of science research at Pew Research Center.

4K TV?

[1/28/15] Testing 4K TV.  I’d wager that at least half of America has never heard of 4K. And those who have don’t have any idea how it works, what there is to watch, and where we are on the great global road to 4K.

So I decided to spend a week immersing myself in 4K. I decided to round up 4K sets from different manufacturers at different prices. I’d have them all professionally calibrated in the same room at the same time. I’d fit them with a signal splitter so they’d display the same video simultaneously.

I’d try every conceivable video source on every screen. I’d do side-by-side-by-side comparisons (I’d even include a 2014 HDTV set to compare them to). I’d try different distances from the screens. I’d invite a parade of people to give me their impressions.

By the end of the experiment, I’d know exactly where we are in the 4K transition — and I’d be able to suggest whether or not it’s safe yet to buy one. After all, the Super Bowl is coming up, which can only mean one thing: Thousands of Americans will have an excuse to buy a new TV, and thousands of stores will offer Super Bowl TV sales.

Here’s what I learned.

[12/29/14] It takes Katie Couric to explain.

There are currently four main resolutions:

SD (standard definition): 480 x 720 (that's an odd aspect ratio of 2:3, but turns out it's the DVD video stream.)

HD (high definition): 720 x 1280 (that's an aspect ratio of 9:16).

Full HD (full high def): 1080 x 1920 (also 9:16).

4K (ultra high def): 2160 x 3840 (double the Full HD, so four times as many pixels).

[9/1/12] BERLIN - 3D TV? That's so 2011. 4K technology was the talk of IFA, with LG, Sony, and Toshiba all showing off 84-inch 4K TVs. We stopped by Sony's booth this afternoon to take a look, and also checked out the 20-inch 4K TVs Panasonic had on display.

4K sets are four times the resolution of a standard HDTV. Current HDTVs display content at 1080p (1,920 by 1,080 pixels), or slightly lower 1080i or 720p resolution. 4K video is the next step in high definition, with a resolution of approximately 4,000-by-2,000 to 4,000-by-3,000, quadrupling or sextupling the number of pixels in the picture.

At this point, 4K-based TVs are limited to business users, thanks in part to their hefty price tags. LG's 4K TV, for example, will set you back $22,000. But as PCMag's Will Greenwald pointed out recently, 4K is "the high definition we'll be using in five or 10 years."

Sony had its 84-inch 4K TV set up in the middle of its massive IFA booth. The flashing, overhead lights made it a bit more difficult to evaluate the screen, but despite the distractions, the picture was clearly stunning. If you have an extremely large living room and equally large bank account, the Sony set would definitely punch up an episode of Breaking Bad or the latest action movie.

Over at Panasonic, the company opted for a museum-like tour of its emerging technology, starting with four, 20-inch 4K TV sets running images of blooming flowers. In contrast to Sony's setup, the sets were located in a dark, quiet corner of the Panasonic booth, where I was able to get a closer look at the screens. Indeed, the blooming roses looked like you could reach out and touch them, and as close as I got to the screen, I couldn't detect any pixels.

*** [7/29/13]

The current resolution for Full HD, 1080p HDTVs is 1920 x 1080 pixels. UHD doubles each dimension to 3840 x 2160 which although is technically not 4K (4096), it is close enough to be called “4K.”. Although there is lots of 4K content being produced including movies which are shot with 4K cameras like the Arri Alexa and Red Epic and then shown in movie theaters across America, 40% of which have 4K projection systems. Distribution to homes will be one of the challenges of 4K TV requiring new compression techniques, new optical discs and even a new over-the-air broadcast standard; all of which are in development. It’s a common believe that 4K only make sense for the home on very large TV screens like 70 – 80-inches and for viewers sitting very close to the screen.

In addition to providing 4K content to outlets that can currently display it, most studios and content creators are migrating to 4K and putting a “4K master in the archive.” We understand that many TV shows are now shot in 4K including many sporting events and have read about a possible 4K transmission of the 2014 World Cup match. In a recent article in Trusted Reviews listing some good reasons why 4K TV is on the move, John Archer mentions that employees at Sony’s Colorworks facility say, “it’s only once you get up to the 4K pixel level that you can scan 35mm film into digital form without losing significant amounts of the texture, detail, graduation subtlety and color refinement contained in the ‘analogue’ celluloid image.” According to TVNewsCheck, ESPN “is building a brand new, massive sports production center that Chief Technology Officer Chuck Pagano says will be future proof — able to handle upcoming 4K and 8K production.”

Getting 4K content into the home will be a major challenge for cable and satellite providers as well as disc makers. For $699 you can buy a Sony Ultra HD Media Player that comes pre-loaded with 10, 4K movies and some other 4K “bonus” material but a more affordable solution will require a new Blu-ray standard or other medium like a flash memory-based media card. Currently Blu-ray is limited to 50GB however, a compressed 4K movie may require twice that (100GB) and for an uncompressed movie it could run in the 200GB range.

Word is that the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) is expected to announce support for a new Codec (compressor/decompressor) called H.265, more commonly referred to as High Efficiency Video Coding or HEVC which will be the successor to the current H.264 or MPEG4. The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) is also working on a new broadcast standard called ATSC 3.0 which will include UHDTV broadcast signals for over-the-air reception.

free on itunes

Apple today added a new "Free on iTunes" section in the iTunes Store, featuring free downloads of songs and full length TV episodes. The section replaces Apple's "iTunes Single of the Week", which previously offered free songs from popular and indie music artists.

Currently, Apple is offering full-length TV episodes from shows including Fox's Backstrom, Syfy's 12 Monkey's, Disney Channel's KC Undercover, and MTV's Eye Candy. On the music side, Apple is offering downloads from artists such as Purity Ring, Jauz, Asking Alexandria, and Guster.

Apple's "Free on iTunes" section is live now, and it is likely that the company will offer new content every week as it has done with the iTunes Single of the Week and its App of the Week section.

[via roy on facebook]

Nothing particularly caught my interest.  There's more free stuff at amazon.com.

I see We The Economy is free (courtesy of Paul Allen and Morgan Spurlock).  But it's also free on their website and on youtube and got a poor review.

40 million U.S. subscribers to Amazon Prime

Amazon Prime was always designed to lure members into spending more. New research suggests just how much more members are spending.

Those who sign up for the retailer's free-shipping loyalty program spend an average of $1,500 per year buying stuff on Amazon, according to a new report from Chicago-based market research firm Consumer Intelligence Research Partners.

Amazon customers who aren't Prime members spend an average of $625 per year, CIRP found.

We're not talking about a small cult of shoppers who pay Prime's annual fee of $99, either. The researchers estimated that 40 million people in the U.S. have Prime memberships, up from a CIRP estimate of 29 million in September. Netflix, by comparison, said last week that it has 39 million subscribers in the U.S.

Amazon movies

In recent years, Amazon and Netflix have created original content to get more subscribers, grow revenues and set themselves apart from not only from each other, but major cable channels like HBO. Prime examples include House of Cards, Orange Is The New Black and Transparent. The online retailer has always suggested it may look to expand beyond TV and into movies, but only now has it revealed its plan to do exactly that. In a release today, Amazon Studios said it will 'begin to produce and acquire original movies for theatrical release and early window distribution on Amazon Prime Instant Video."

What does this mean? Well, like Netflix, which is currently working with Yuen Wo-ping on a sequel to Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Amazon will finance its own or acquire rights to movies that will appeal to stay-at-home film lovers and moviegoers alike. However, unlike its rival, Amazon's Original Movies will hit theaters first and then reach Prime Instant Video (in the US to begin with) between four and eight weeks later. Think what Sony did with The Interview, but completely planned and not the result of a crushing hack.

"We look forward to expanding our production efforts into feature films. Our goal is to create close to twelve movies a year with production starting later this year," says Roy Price, Vice President of Amazon Studios. "We hope this program will also benefit filmmakers, who too often struggle to mount fresh and daring stories that deserve an audience." That might mean that you'll also form a part in the decision process over which movies make the cut -- after all, Amazon already solicits opinion on its TV pilots.

Hackers declare war on terrorists

In a video posted on YouTube, the group of hackers said they would track down websites and social media networks linked to terrorists, and take them down.

"We, Anonymous around the world, have decided to declare war on you the terrorists," it said.

The video is described as a message for "al Qaeda, the Islamic State and other terrorists," and promises to avenge the killing of 12 people in Wednesday's attack.


"We intend to take revenge in their name, we are going to survey your activities on the net, we are going to shut down your accounts on all social networks," Anonymous said.

Classic Games

Almost 2,400 MS-DOS games are now available to play for FREE (!) in just about any browser thanks to the Internet Archive.

Meaning: All those games you used to play as a kid on a computer monitor larger than probably all the electronics you currently own combined? They're back and totally accessible and totally free.

(lots more software here)

goodbye Internet Explorer

Say goodbye, Microsoft Internet Explorer fans. Because after nearly 20 years of helping Netizens navigate the Web, your favorite browser is about to be replaced.  And no, I'm not talking about Google Chrome, even though it did overtake Internet Explorer earlier this year for the first time as the United States' most popular Web browser. 

Instead, according to a report from ZDNet, Microsoft Corporation is readying its own replacement for its flagship browser starting with Windows 10. Codenamed "Spartan," ZDNet's sources say the new browser definitely isn't just the next build of IE. Rather, Spartan is being built as a revamped, lightweight, extension-enabled browser that happens to sport a more similar look and feel to both Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.

13 things you didn't know your iPhone 6 could do

I guess most or all of these will also work on your iPad.

Apple TV (vs. Roku)

[3/11/14] Hey got my Apple TV!  Bought it from Amazon.  I assume it's the current model, so this is the third generation product.

Pretty easy to set up.  The remote is small and really thin and took only a little while to get used to with only three buttons on it.  It's about the size of a small comb.

First impressions.

Tried Crackle on it first.  Noticed a couple things right off.  Couldn't figure out to turn on the subtitles.  (And I know they work because they work on the Roku.)  And I don't even see Seinfeld on the menu.  And I see it's there on my computer.  Odd.

Subtitles work on Netflix.  You have to hold down the center button to access the option to turn it off and on.  Not very obvious.

How about AirPlay?  I don't see the AirPlay icon when I double tap and scroll right.  So far I only see it only when going to Photos.

OK, powered off the iPad and powered it back on.  Now I see it!

I like the Netflix subtitles [much] better on the Apple TV than on the Roku.  They have a dark background making it easier to see.  Whereas on the Roku (I have the HD version), the text is just laid out on the screen without a background.  So if the picture background is light, it's hard to read.  The subtitles are kind of small though.  There's an option to make it larger, but then it looks too large to me.  Hey, there's a customization option in Settings/Accessibility.  And I just customized it to make it larger than default, but not the largest.  So now it looks pretty good.  [Actually I turned off the background and the subtitles are still much easier to see than on the Roku HD.  That tells me that it's not Netflix providing the subtitle appearance.  Apparently they're just supplying the text to be output and it's up to the application to render the text.  Thus the Windows 8 subtitles look different on the app vs. using a browser.]

So now I have what I wanted the Apple TV for.  Better subtitles on Netflix.  And Airplay mirroring.

How about some youtube? Subtitles apparently not supported.  Disappointing.  I wonder if it works on the Roku 3?

***

There are 35 apps included (besides the implied iTunes).  But the majority I won't use.

Here they are:

1.  Netflix: yep, this is what I will probably use like 90% of the time.
2.  Hulu Plus.  Haven't subscribed yet.  But I may, if I ever give up cable TV.  But really, Netflix has more than enough content to keep me occupied.
3.  iTunes Festival.  Evidently it broadcasts live concerts (and replays recent ones).
4.  HBO Go.  I don't subscribe to this.
5.  PBS.  This doesn't play well on my Roku.  Requires more speed than my current 5 mbps.  Requires activation for Apple TV.
6.  Watch ESPN.  They support Time Warner Cable which is what I have.  The live action seems a little smoother than on my Roku.  Maybe due to the faster processor.
7.  Watch ABC.  Time Warner Cable not supported.  Which is strange since Disney owns both ESPN and ABC.
8.  NBA.  This is where you would watch if you subscribed to League Pass.  But you can still look at the highlights.
9.  NHL.  Format similar to NBA.  No interest.
10.  Crackle.  See above.
11.  Bloomberg.  This app stopped working on the Roku, so I access it there on Nowhere TV.  Captions work (on the Live feed anyway, but don't see it on the VOD)
12.  Smithsonian.  Captions work here.
13.  WWE.  No free content.
14.  Red Bull TV.  This is one that I don't have on my Roku.  [I see it's a private channel on Roku.]  Extreme sports.  I don't really have an interest in it, but might be cool to play at parties.
15.  Trailers.  Trailers of upcoming and current movies.  Takes quite a while to buffer before playing.
16.  The Weather Channel.  Pretty cool.  Not only does it have the weather, but it also has a bunch of shows.  Captions work too.  Not available for Roku that I can see.
17.  Yahoo! Screen.  Sort of Yahoo's answer to youtube.  Kind of a cross between youtube and AOL On.  Pauses for buffering.
18.  Disney Channel.  Time Warner Cable not supported.
19.  Disney XD.  Ditto.  No DirecTV or Dish either. It does support Comcast Xfinity however, so if they ever merge..
20.  Disney Junior.  Ditto.
21.  Sky News.  Based in Britain, but it does have a channel for U.S. News.
22.  KORTV.  Korean television.
23.  iCloud Photos.  I assume you can look at your photos backed up on iCloud.  But I erased mine because I ran out of room.
24.  iMovie Theater.  Apparently you can watch your vidoes back up on iCloud.  I don't have any.
25.  Podcasts.  Free podcasts from iTunes (I think).  Includes TedTalks, so that alone makes it worthwhile.
26.  Youtube.
27.  Flickr.  I assume you can view you Flick photos, though I don't see a sign in.  It does have an option to add a Flickr contact, whatever that means.  Flickr is a Yahoo company, so I guess it uses your yahoo name.  Yep.  But for some reason, it's only showing one photo.
28. Vevo.  Music videos.
29. Vimeo.  Videos.
30.  MLB.TV.  Like NBA and NHL.
31.  Qello.  Music concerts and documentaries.  $4.99 per month.
32.  Crunchyroll.  Asian anime and drama.  Requires subscription to view more than the samples.
33.  MLS.  Looks sort of like NBA, NHL, MLB.
34.  Radio.  Radio stations throughout the country.  Don't see any from Hawaii (yet).
35.  WSJ Live.  They have a live feed which I don't see on the Roku version.

Out of the 35, I decided to keep the following on my screen (for now).

1.  Netflix
2.  Crackle
3.  You Tube
4.  Yahoo! Screen
5.  Vimeo
6.  Sky News
7.  The Weather Channel
8.  Bloomberg
9.  WSJ Live
10.  Podcasts
11.  PBS
12.  Smithsonian
13.  Watch ESPN
14.  NBA
15.  MLB
16.  Red Bull TV
17.  KORTV
18.  Crunchyroll
19.  iCloud Photos
20.  Radio

I wonder what happens when Apple adds new channels?  I assume it'll just show up on the screen.  [yep]

*** 3/12/14

How about the Remote app?  I see it requires IOS 7.  OK, maybe later.

*** 3/13/14

already something changed on the main menu.  I had previously gotten rid of the Music and iTunes Radio from the top row with Settings moving to the empty space.  But now Music and iTunes Radio are back and I don't see the option to remove them.  Now in the settings is Main Menu which allows you to toggle off/on the icons on the Main Menu, but not any in the top row any more.

I believe it used to be in the Restrictions section (and before that in Parental Controls), but Main Menu got added in version 6.1.

*** 3/13/14

So after a couple of days, I think I'd recommend the Roku 3 over the Apple TV.  But then I've never used the Roku 3.  There are two advantages I like the Apple TV over my Roku HD.  One is that the subtitles are better on Netflix as they use the general caption settings on the Apple TV, while for some reason they don't on the Roku HD.  However I think they use the general caption settings on the Roku 3.  The other advantage is that you can mirror your iPad on the Apple TV.  But how many times would you want to do that.  The Roku does have the capability of playing your pictures and videos if you install the Roku app on your iPad.

I also like the nice screen saver that the Apple TV has.  I currently have it on National Geographics, but they also have Animals, Flowers, and iCloud photostream (I have to try that, it's currently empty since I turned it off because I have too much to back up on my iPad).

The Roku HD remote control is infrared so it requires line of sight.  I have to raise it up over my pile of magazines on the coffee table for it to work sometimes.  The Apple TV remote control is also infrared, but I hid it in back of the TV and is apparently strong enough not to require line of sight.  The Roku 3 remote is bluetooth and has a headphone jack.  Actually the Roku 2 remote is bluetooth, the Roku 3 is wifi direct.

[Apparently there are currently four Roku controllers.  The original IR one supposedly works with all Roku players.  There's an older Roku 2 controller which uses Bluetooth and is motion capable and works only with the Roku 2 XS model 3100.  There's a newer Roku 2 controller which has a headphone jack, but is not motion capable, which uses Wifi and works with the Roku 2 model 2720.  And there's the Roku 3 controller which has a headphone jack and is motion capable which works with the Roku 3 (model 4200).]

The Crackle app is better on my Roku as it support captions and does have Seinfeld episodes (which is inexplicably missing from the Apple TV app).  The YouTube app doesn't support captions either, so I don't see much improvement over VideoBuzz which I use on my Roku.  Don't know if captions are supported in the Roku 3 app.

The Weather Channel app looks pretty good and is not available on Roku.  The Crunchyroll app only allows you to view the first episode of selected shows, whereas the app on Roku allows you to view the entire series.  Last I looked anyway.  Maybe they changed it.

What's not on Apple TV that's on Roku?  Here's a few.  CNBC.  NBC News.  CBS News.  AOL On.  CNet.  Twit.  Vudu and Flixster (for Ultraviolet movies).  Plex.  And lots more (that I don't user or look at too often, including Amazon Instant Video and Redbox Instant Video).

*** [3/17/14]  Watched Bewitched today on Crackle and the subtitles appeared.  Don't know if the Crackle app got updated or if they just have subtitles on Bewitched?  Still no Seinfeld though.

And noticed a new app appeared today on the menu.  ACC Sports.

*** [3/17/14] I was wondering why Seinfeld doesn't appear on the Apple TV Crackle app (at least it doesn't appear on mine).  I thought maybe because they want you to buy it on iTunes instead.  But I see it isn't on iTunes (though they do have it at Amazon.com).  So maybe Apple figures if they won't let them sell it on iTunes they're not going to allow it on Crackle.  (Since people are going to see it on Crackle, then go to iTunes for more episodes.)  What is allowed on Crackle.  Let's see.  Bewitched.  I Dream  of Jeannie.  Sanford and Son.  All In the Family.  Well I see Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie on there.  But not Sanford and Son and All In the Family.  So much for that theory.

*** [3/18/14]

Hah, figured out how to get Seinfeld on the Apple TV.  What I did was created a crackle account on the computer.  Then add a Seinfeld episode to my watchlist.  Then log in to the Crackle app on Apple TV.  And there it is in the My Watchlist section!  Cool.

*** [3/26/14]

Seinfeld has shown up on Crackle on Apple TV.

*** [4/26/14]

According to this article, Roku leads Apple with 37% of the households with a streaming box, compared to 24% for Apple.  So that's only 61% of the market.  Where's the other 39%?  Google Chromecast is one I suppose.  Do they count XBox and Playstation as streaming boxes?

Here's an interesting quote, "“More Roku owners use Netflix, but more Apple TV owners use Amazon Prime Instant Video (40% vs. 28%),” said Brett Sappington, director, research, Parks Associates. “At the Disruptive Media Conference at NAB Show, I will discuss these types of trends and how they are changing the landscape for connected devices and services.”

The reason it's interesting is because Apple TV doesn't support Amazon Instant Video on the Apple TV (unless you're casting via AirPlay from your iphone or ipad).

I see the report was from last year a year old.

*** [4/26/14]

System subtitles have come to Netflix for my Roku HD (so Roku HD has caught up there), but not for Hulu Plus.  So Roku has caught up there.  Youtube has come to my Roku HD also (see blog post elsewhere).  It plays very sluggishly on the HD, but does support captions which aren't supported on the Apple TV app.

Here's a review of the Roku 3 from an Apple TV user.  Says the video quality is better on the Apple TV, but I didn't notice much or any difference (didn't do a side-by-side comparison).  Here's another post stating that the Apple TV video quality is superior.  But I'm OK with the quality of my Roku HD (on composite no less), so I would imagine the Roku 3 on HDMI should be at least as good.  Actually I kind of like the composite picture better as it seems less harsh on my eyes.

*** [4/26/14]

And since the last time I checked, I see they've added some channels to the Apple TV lineup.  History Channel (great!), Lifetime, A&E.

[6/30/14] ABC News arrives for Apple TV.  Not on Roku (they have NBC News and CBS News though).  Sort of not.

[7/29/14]  CNBC and Fox Now added to Apple TV.  The CNBC app is better than the Roku app in that it provides a live stream.  Well, haven't tested it yet.  Wait 'til tomorrow.  Wait, I see that Time Warner is not supported for CNBC.  Well, I'll check it tomorrow anyway.

[9/16/14] Roku sells its 10 millionth box.  Apple TV has sold 20 million since its launch in 2007.  Roku first came out in 2008.  Despite fewer units, Roku is used more than Apple TV.

[9/28/14] FX Now channel added.  Not currently on Roku.  Movies like Kung Fu Panda, Live Free or Die Hard, X-Men First Class, Green Hornet. Time Warner Cable supported.  I see more movies on website than on the app (like Super 8, Star Trek, Knight and Day, Rise of the Planet of the Apes).  [Actually, the movies are there on the Apple TV, you just gotta know where to look.]

[10/28/14] Apple TV is looking better and better.  The feature where you can teach it to accept commands from a generic remote is pretty cool (see my post on remote control codes).  And today I see a couple of new channels.  Feeln has a bunch of "feel-good" movies.  And these are mainstream movies, not the movies you've never heard of.  And the FYI, Channel has been added too.  I spoke oo soon.  Feeln is from Hallmark and is a subscription service ($4.99 a month or $47.99 for one year one year).  And FYI requires authentication.  FYI used to be the Biography Channel.  OK, FYI accepts Time Warner Cable.

[11/7/14] CBS News added to Apple TV

[12/10/14] New apps.  The Scene, Fusion, Dailymotion, UFC TV.  And they updated their youtube app.  Now I can watch Dog Whisperer from NatGeoWild with subtitles.  And they came out fine on the one I viewed.  Unfortunately, most of the "official" Dog Whisperer full length episodes from NatGeoWild have been taken off.

[12/24/14] Two apps for the Roku.  Nat Geo TV.  Includes shows from both NatGeo and NatGeo Wild.  Just the current shows though.  No Dog Whisperer or Cesar 911.  Requires authentication.  Supports Time Warner Cable, Hawaiiantelcom, DirectTV.  Also FXNow finally arrives three months after the AppleTV.  Also requires authentication.  DirecTV and Time Warner Cable supported.  But I don't see Hawaiiantelcom.

[3/2/15] Cesar 911 comes to the Nat Geo TV app.  Perhaps due to the debut of season 2.  It's last season's episodes but perhaps season 2 will come later.

11 google tricks

search for tilt for example

Ollie (tech toys)

tops the list of this year's tech toys

What about the Parrot mini-drone?

Steve Jobs' garage

We’ve all heard the story about how the two Steves, Wozniak and Jobs, started a computer giant in the mid 1970. The two upstarts had a lot of moxie, but not a lot of money. The story goes that Jobs and “The Woz,” as he has been affectionately nicknamed, toiled away on designing and building the Apple I in the former’s garage.

It turns out that none of it was true. At least, the part about building computers in the garage wasn’t. Wozniak told Bloomberg that the iconic garage was nothing more than a fable.

“The garage is a bit of a myth, it’s overblown,” said Wozniak. “The garage represents us better than anything else, but we did no designs there.”

When you think of the early days of Apple, you think of a couple of guys drinking beer in a garage while laying out chipboards and soldering wires. When you think of a tech startup today, those same images come to mind because we’ve believed for so long in the garage myth.

Wozniak noted that the early team would drive the computers to the garage to get them working, and then took them directly to retailers to sell. There was no work being done on prototypes or product planning. They didn’t do any manufacturing there. He said the garage was something for the team to feel like home in.

“It wasn’t like there was a whole company and you’d walk in to see a bunch of people at desks,” he said. “There were hardly ever more than two people in the garage and mostly they were just sitting around doing nothing productive.”

As The Woz puts it, the garage is more of an idea that represents Apple’s beginnings. Even if much of the work took place elsewhere, we will always imagine a couple of guys drinking beers and building computers while listening to Fleetwood Mac.

*** [9/2/15]

Woz interview: Steve Jobs played no role in the design of the Apple I and Apple II computers

Chromecast surpasses AppleTV

[1/27/15] For the record: Tim Cook told Wall Street that Apple has sold 25 million Apple TVs over the product’s lifetime. That’s up from 20 million in April of last year, the last time Cook provided an update.



One thing that has changed in the last couple years is that Apple no longer has the TV streaming gadget market to itself. Roku, which is preparing for an IPO, says it has sold 10 million of its boxes and sticks in the U.S., and now Google and Amazon have their own hardware, too. All of them do essentially the same thing.


[12/8/14] A report released by Parks Associates shows that Google’s Chromecast –not even a blip on the sales charts in 2013– has now surpassed the Apple TV in sales. Amazon’s Fire TV has sold well enough since its April debut that it’s already threatening to catch the Apple TV.

The report also suggests streaming online video is beginning to take off with consumers. About 10% of U.S. homes with broadband bought a streaming device so far in 2014, with projections that will reach 25% in 2015. Video streamers are also expected to be a hot seller this holiday season.

The numbers from the Parks Associates report were 29% for Roku (the long-time streaming video champ also took a big hit from previous years), 20% for Google Chromecast, 17% for Apple TV (down from over 25% in 2013) and 10% for the Fire TV.

What should make these stats even more disconcerting for AAPL is the fact that they cover only the first three quarters of 2014. Since then, Google has launched the Nexus Player set-top streamer while Amazon released the $39 Fire TV Stick and has been discounting the Fire TV in hopes of driving holiday sales.

Vista laptop not connecting to wireless router

My modem/wireless router died and I got a replacement which turned out to be a Pace model 4111N.

Everything seemed OK, however when I tried to connect an old Vista laptop (actually two of them), it wouldn't connect to the internet.  I would get a local only connection.  My Windows 8 laptop, iPad, Apple TV, Roku all connect OK to the Pace.

However, while waiting for the replacement modem/router, I hooked up an replacement DSL modem along with my old Belkin router.  And that worked.  [And in fact, hooking up my Belkin router into the Pace modem worked too.]

So apparently it's a problem with certain routers with certain computers.

Similarly, I took the Vista laptop to my mom's place which has two networks set up.  I was able to connect to the internet on one of the networks.  But on the other one, I get a local only connection.

Anyway, apparently this is a common problem.  However finding the solution is not common.

First I tried this solution from youtube.  The suggested fix was to go to Manage Network Connections.  Go to the Wireless Network Connection Properties.  Then to Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) properties and make sure that that it wasn't using a fixed IP address and to Obtain an IP address automatically.  It wasn't using using a fixed IP address.

Next another suggested solution from youtube was to turn of TCP/IPv6.  Tried it.  Didn't work.

Next was to reset winsock.
reboot

nope

this video suggest using Google's DNS server 8.8.8.8

nope.  still connects to the Tsunami network, but not CCOH

not going to be as easy as I thought it might be.

try the automated fix from Microsoft suggested here (I saw this before but couldn't find it again until now).

nope.  I had high hopes for that one.

did an ipconfig and looked up the ipaddrees and default gateway address and entered it in the ipv4 properties.  didn't work.  connect back to tsunami and set to autodetect.  working again.  the ip4 address for tsunami is 192.168.0.193.  the ip4 address for ccoh is 178.168.10.142 with the default gateway 178.168.10.1 (which is kind of odd).

back to the Microsoft fix and try fix it manually.  The ServiceName for the wireless network adapter starts with 3535...  OK next step is change the value of broadcast flag,  DhcpConnForceBroadcastFlag.

Shucks, I thought that one would work.

[11/27/14]  Took the laptop home and disappointingly it didn't connect to my home network either.  So the problem continues..

google some more

This guy got it working by changing the channel on the router.  But I don't want to touch the settings on the router even if I could.  I think the Hawaiiantelcom password protected it.  I remember when I tried going into the modem configuration with the password written on the modem, I couldn't get in.

Hey maybe I'll try Hawaiiantel support.  Maybe I might luck out.  Some of them seem to know what they're doing.

This post had the problem as DHCP not enabled.

Unfortunately when I looked, DHCP was enabled.  I did note it had somewhat an odd IPv4 address of 169.254.201.157.  I think when it connected the IP address was a more normal 192.196.xxx.xxx.

I can ping the 169.254.201.157 which I think is the router, but I can't seem to ping anything else.

Change back to Obtain DNS Server address automatically.  And now when I ipconfig /all, the default gateway address is blank.

Connected the ethernet cable.  The IPv4 address is 192.168.200.73.  The default gateway is 192.168.200.1.  And DHCP server is the same address.

Checking my desktop which is also hardwired, the IPv4 address is 192.168.200.64.  The default gateway and DHCP server is the same address as above.

***

Here's another potential solution.  It looks like this guy had the same problem.  The solution was to update the driver for the wireless network card.  It's the same card as in the Compaq laptop.  Atheros AR5007.  Unfortunately the link for the driver is broken.  Maybe this link will work?

*** [8/15/15]

My Pace DSL modem/router died and I started using a Comtrend (that I got from Allie) in conjunction with my old Belkin router.  In the meantime, I got another Pace from Evelyn (not sure why she had it, but she was using a different model).  I wasn't really using it, but decided to hook it up for testing or something.  And I tried to connect the Vista laptop to it.  And it worked.  Beats me.  Don't know why it's working when it didn't work with the other Pace.  But I'm not complaining.  So now I'm using this Pace for now.

Sony Playstation TV

from Cordkillers 45

Sony is getting ready to launch its internet-based TV service with a private beta test in New York this month, and is aiming for a commercial launch within the first quarter of 2015.

The service, which is being called PlayStation Vue, will offer live and on demand programming from most but not all major broadcasters as well as a number of cable channels, and aims to win over PlayStation users with traditional cable TV subscriptions through features like a cloud DVR and a modern UI. “PlayStation Vue reinvents the traditional viewing experience so your programming effortlessly finds you, enabling you to watch much more of what you want and search a lot less,” said Sony Computer Entertainment President and CEO Andrew House.

Vue will offer users programming from CBS, NBC and Fox, as well as cable networks affiliated with these broadcasters, including FX, Fox Sports, USA Network, Syfy and more. As reported earlier, Sony was also able to sign up Viacom to include channels like Comedy Central, MTV and Nickelodeon. Other partners announced Thursday include Scripps (Food Network, HGTV and more) and Discovery Communications (Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, TLC and more).

Notably absent from that list is ABC and any other Disney-owned network, including the sports heavyweight ESPN. Also amiss is HBO, which plans to target cord cutters and other broadband users with its own internet-based service next year.

PlayStation Vue subscribers will initially be able to watch the programming with PS3 and PS4 game consoles, but Sony wants to also launch an iPad app as well as apps for other devices soon. Presumably, some of that will also include Sony smart TVs already out in the market. Subscribers will be able to access any show on demand for three days after it aired without scheduling a recording first. Shows tagged for recording will be available for 28 days.

The service will initially just be available in New York to invited beta testers. The company wants to expand that beta test to Chicago, Philadelphia and Los Angeles. Sony intends to launch commercially in Q1 of 2015, and we can expect the company to keep mum on final pricing until then. But with the bundle it has already amassed, one shouldn’t expect Vue to be cheap.

portable electric bike

Foldable bikes have always promised flexibility for bikers.

But most end up being far too inconvenient to ever use in a city. They are often too expensive, difficult to ride, and too big or heavy to realistically carry around with you.

It seemed as if finding a bike that is small enough to be portable, and lightweight enough to be carried around was unachievable.

But that’s where the aptly named the ‘impossible’ bike comes in.

This lightweight bike can be easily folded to fit inside any normal backpack, weighs less than 11 pounds and is a mere 17 inches tall when folded, according to CNET — plus, it's electric.

[this is something I wouldn't have minded getting - when I was younger.  wth, maybe even now!]

how to charge your phone twice as fast?

one of 46 life hacks

Actually I kind of doubt it's twice as fast.  Let me google...

According to this cnet test, it's not that much faster.  This article says slightly.

Cryptowall

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) -

Honolulu Police say it started showing up in Hawaii in late October. Since then, at least two dozen small businesses have been victimized by it.

It is Cryptowall, a form of ransomware.

Like so many other computer viruses, Cryptowall is launched into a user's system via email.

"It looks like a normal business email. The emails I've seen have come in saying 'please refer to the attached invoices or attached information for your businesses" said Lt. John McCarthy of HPD.

Once a person clicks on the link or attachment, the virus starts encrypting all the data on the computer, as well as those in the network, unbeknownst to the user.

When someone tries to access that information, all that appears is an indecipherable code. A countdown clock appears on the screen, telling the user he or she has a certain amount of time to pay a ransom - $500 and up – in Bitcoin.

"Bitcoin is a form of virtual currency which is virtually untraceable, both at the purchase of the Bitcoin and the transaction" said McCarthy.

Many people have paid the ransom already. "So far there's been over half a billion dollars stolen this year" said Dennis Padlock of Pacific Computer Corporation.

He implores that the best defense against Cryptowall and other viruses is prevention. Padlock says to never open suspicious or unfamiliar emails, and never click on links or attachments accordingly.

Additionally, he says to routinely backup your system. Cryptowall has attacked small businesses internationally, but so far law enforcement officials have yet to trace its origin.

***

bleepingcomputer

US-China climate deal

BEIJING — A groundbreaking agreement struck Wednesday by the United States and China puts the world's two worst polluters on a faster track to curbing the heat-trapping gases blamed for global warming. With the clock ticking on a worldwide climate treaty, the two countries sought to move beyond their troubled history as environmental adversaries and spur other nations.

The U.S., a chief proponent of the prospective treaty, is setting an ambitious new goal to stop pumping as much carbon dioxide into the air. China, whose appetite for cheap energy has grown along with its burgeoning economy, agreed for the first time to a self-imposed deadline of 2030 for when its emissions will top out.

Yet it wasn't clear how either the U.S. or China would meet their goals, nor whether China's growing emissions until 2030 would negate any reductions in the U.S.

Still, the dual announcements from President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping, unveiled Wednesday in Beijing, came as a shock to environmentalists who had pined for such action but suspected China's reluctance and Obama's weakened political standing might interfere.

Republicans were equally taken aback, accusing Obama of saddling future presidents with an unrealistic burden.

This unrealistic plan that the president would dump on his successor would ensure higher utility rates and far fewer jobs," said Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who is set to become the majority leader early next year.

Under the agreement, Obama set a goal to cut U.S. emissions between 26 and 28 percent by 2025, compared with 2005 levels. Officials have said the U.S. is already on track to meet Obama's earlier goal to lower emissions 17 percent by 2020, and that the revised goal meant the U.S. would be cutting pollution roughly twice as fast during a five-year period starting in 2020.

China, whose emissions are growing as it builds new coal plants, set a target for its emissions to peak by about 2030 — earlier if possible — with the idea being that its emissions would then start falling. Although that goal still allows China to keep pumping more carbon dioxide for the next 16 years, it marked an unprecedented step for Beijing, which has been reluctant to be boxed in on climate by the global community.

World leaders who have been pressing for a global climate treaty heralded the deal, with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urging all other nations to follow Obama's and Xi's lead by announcing their own emissions targets by early next year. Former Vice President Al Gore, a prominent environmentalist, called the Chinese move "a signal of groundbreaking progress from the world's largest polluter."

E.T. dug up

Some of the thousands of copies of various Atari games dug out of a New Mexico landfill earlier this year are now being auctioned off on eBay, with asking prices as high as $500.

The city of Alamogordo, New Mexico--the location of the famous "Atari Dump"--is now selling copies of E.T: The Extra-Terrestrial, Asteroids, Defender, Warlords, and Missile Command on eBay through the Tularosa Basin Historical Society.

The marquee offering is E.T, the failed video game tie-in for Steven Spielberg's 1982 theatrical hit. eBay listings for E.T. are already seeing asking prices as high as $500 or more. Should you win an auction for E.T., or any of the other excavated games, you'll receive a certificate of authenticity and a property tag. You'll also get a pamphlet with photos from 1983 and the dig earlier this year.

Following the initial auction wave, an additional 70 copies of E.T. will be sold through future eBay auctions. "Then that is it. This will never occur again," the city writes.

Head over to this eBay page to see everything up for auction from the Atari dig.

In addition to the auction, Alamogordo is giving away copies of the excavated games to museums around the world. A deeper dive into the Atari landfill dig will be chronicled in upcoming documentary Atari: Game Over, which was produced by Xbox and will debut on November 20.

Amazon Fire TV Stick

There’s another streaming stick vying for an HDMI port on the back of your television. On Monday, Amazon announced the Fire TV Stick, a $39 streaming stick that runs the full Amazon television interface that first debuted on the Fire TV earlier this year.

Amazon’s new streaming stick is available for pre-order now and will ship by November 19.

The new stick doesn’t require a second device, like a smartphone or tablet, to beam video from. Instead, it comes with a remote and can run apps like Netflix and Prime Instant Video on its own, like the full-sized Fire TV. In that way, it’s more similar to the $50 Roku Streaming Stick than Google’s Chromecast.

In fact, Amazon is directly comparing its streaming stick to the Chromecast and touting its relative computing power: The Amazon product page brags that Fire TV Stick has “4x the storage and 2x the memory of Chromecast.”

The $100 Fire TV has a quad-core processor and the ability to run a fair number of games. The Fire TV Stick only has a dual-core processor — a Broadcom Capri 28155 — paired with a dedicated VideoCore4 GPU. But despite the reduced power, the Fire TV Stick has most of the same features as the full-size Fire TV. Amazon says its device can run voice search, display mirroring and “casual games.” The Fire Game Controller works with the Fire TV Stick, too.

The Fire TV Stick plugs directly into a TV’s HDMI port and, like other streaming sticks, will need an external USB adapter to power it. It comes with a more basic Wi-Fi Direct remote than the full-size Fire TV, although you can purchase Amazon’s Voice Remote for $30. You can also use Amazon’s remote app on your phone for voice search.

*** [11/19/14]

No larger than your average USB thumb drive, streaming sticks like the Amazon Fire TV, Roku Stick, and Google’s Chromecast connect to your home Wi-Fi network and plug into your television’s HDMI port. Once configured, they let your TV-addicted loved ones stream their favorite shows, apps, and movies on the boob tube, using a variety of both free and paid Internet services.

Each of these streaming sticks is priced south of $50, less expensive than streaming boxes like the Roku 3 or Apple TV. For that price, you’re going to sacrifice some power and, occasionally, a remote control. But each of the sticks we’re about to offer gets the job done, at the very least bringing Netflix and YouTube to your television.

The question is: Which one of these sticks should find its way into your favorite person’s stocking this year?

*** [12/10/14]

Comparing the Fire TV Stick to the Fire TV (and the Roku Streaming Stick)

Microsoft Office now free (on mobile)

Few golden geese in technology have survived as long as Office has for Microsoft.

The suite of applications that includes Word, Excel and PowerPoint, first released in 1990, generated nearly a third of Microsoft's revenue during its last fiscal year — about $26 billion of $87 billion in total. By some estimates, the software accounted for an even higher portion of the company's gross profits.

But in a sign of the seismic changes underway in the tech industry, Microsoft, the world's largest software company, said on Thursday that it would give away a comprehensive mobile edition of Office. The free software for iPads, iPhones and Android tablets will do most of the most essential things people normally do with the computer versions of the product.

The outlook for Microsoft's apps has improved in recent quarters with the growth of Office 365, a cloud version of the product that includes constantly updated apps, unlimited online file storage and free Skype calling to traditional phones. Consumers pay $7 to $10 a month for the service, rather than buying a copy of Office for about $150.

Microsoft started to suggest a more open posture earlier this year, when it released an iPad version of Office that could be used to read documents, spreadsheets and presentations.

If users wanted to edit or print those documents, though, they needed to pay a subscription fee to Microsoft. Now Microsoft is doing away with those hindrances. It is starting to test similarly full-featured and free Office apps for tablets running Android, Google's mobile operating system. And it is updating Office apps for iPhone to allow editing, at a time when Apple's new big-screen smartphones are making it easier to get work done on the devices.

By making an unabridged version of Office available for free on mobile, Microsoft is betting it can get even more people to start using the software, without stealing sales from the PC and Mac versions of the product, where it still makes truckloads of money.

Pace 4111N DSL modem/router connection problems

My old Motorola DSL modem/wireless router combo stopped working.  No lights.  So I got a replacement from Hawaiian Telcom.

In the meantime, I used a Comtrend DSL modem (that I got when Allie got her Hawaiian Telcom modem replaced, but I wanted a wireless router, but they couldn't cancel the first order, so she got two modems) with my old Belkin router.  Anyway, that seemed to work OK.  Plus it doesn't give me interference on the cordless phone that I use.

Anyway, the replacement modem came and it's a Pace modem, not a Motorola.

Hooked it up, straight-forward enough.  Connects to my Apple TV fine.  Connects to my iPad fine.

But when I tried to connect two laptops running Vista, both of them connected locally to the router, but not to the internet.

Googling, I found this link from thebitguru.com.  Have to try it later.  But I'm posting it here so I don't lose the link (that I looked up on my ipad).

*** [11/8/14]

Connected fine with my Windows 8 laptop.  So maybe it is a problem with Vista.

***  [6/13/15] see this link for more

resetting my roku

[11/6/14]  Noticed a Channel called livestream which broadcasts live events.  Tried it out.  Notice that they have the KHON news live.  Well, it's not news time, so they play a repeat of the latest news.  OK, I guess this sort of makes up for the loss of Hawaii News Now on nowhereTV.

A few more channels I've added recently:

The Hawaii Channel.  Short videos on scenes from Hawaii, featuring Hawaii Underwater, Hawaiian Islands, Hawaii Attractions.

Yahoo! Screen.  Lots of categories on news and entertainment.  Apparently some duplication with The Scene (see below).

Portico (which features videos from Sports Illustrated, Better Homes and Garden, TIME, People, Popular Science, and more).

The Scene (which features videos from ABC News, PBS, The New Yorker, Variety, Wired, The Verge, Golf Digest, Vanity Fair, Buzz Feed, Forbes, The Weather Channel, and more).

*** original post below

[6/13/13] I noticed Retrovision.TV on my Roku wasn't working.  So I figured I'd remove it, but it kept getting an error message that it couldn't be removed.

No big deal I suppose, but it bothered me.  Retrovision.TV is a private channel that was removed from Roku, so maybe that had something to do with it.

So I figured I would add it and then delete it.

It added, but then when I went to my channels there were two entries for Retrovision!

I tried to remove the newly added channel and that worked.

But then when I tried to remove the original entry, it still got the error.

Ugh.

Let me try reset the whole thing to factory settings.

So it reset, but when it booted back up all my channels were added back.  (Except for my favorite one which is videobuzz.)

So retrovision was still there and I still couldn't remove it.

OK, what this guy did was deactivate his roku account.

So I did that.  The channels were still there at first, but when I went to the channel store and back, my channels were blank.  Well at least the icons were blank.  Then after a while, all my channels were gone except for Amazon Instant Video.

OK, progress.  But then I tried to remove Amazon Instant Video and it errored out.

I suppose I could have left it on, but I wanted it completely clean.

OK, let's do another factory reset.

recreate roku account (with the same email address)

It asks you to start with one channel, so I chose crackle.

But I still wanted to see if I could clear all the channels.

First I wanted to see if the remove channels worked, so I added PBS.  But then I decided to remove Crackle.  And it worked.  Then tried to remove PBS.  And that worked too!  So now I had a completely clean Roku.

Now to add back the channels.

1.  I first chose CNBC.  That worked, but I have to enter all my stock symbols back in.  Maybe I should have written down which stocks I had in there.

Next I was going to add Nowhere TV, but I didn't see it the Channel Store.

OK, how about Bloomberg TV?  Not in channel store either.  Another private channel.

Surprised that I had so many private channels.  Maybe I should have written down what channels I had (I had like 90 in there).

2.  My second channel added was 8ctave, since it has Mad Money on there.  (iTunes podcasts also has it and I think viaway too)

3.  I think I'll add Twit next.

4.  Nowhere TV (private) is a must.  I think it has Hawaii News Now on there.  Also Conan O'Brien.

5.  Bloomberg TV (private)  [However Bloomberg is also on Nowhere TV, so I might take this off.  TWIT is also on Nowhere TV, but the content is slightly different so I'll leave it on for now.  See separate post]

6.  VideoBuzz (this is actually my no. 1 favorite, but it's a little more complicated to install).  We'll see if the old instructions still work.  [Nope, didn't need the password.]  Dog Whisperer.  Three Stooges.  Beatles music.  Old kung fu movies.  Etc.

7.  Plex (for my downloaded hulu videos).  It works, but misidentifies some videos and gives them the wrong title.  Also can watch some network TV.  Leno on NBC is kind of fuzzy.  Letterman is clearer.  The picture that is.  [I edited the wrong titles, so it looks better now.]

8.  NBC News.  With the Today Show clips.

I guess those are the main ones every day ones that I would look at.  But here's a few more popular ones.

9. PBS (even though some content is on nowhere TV).  Includes Leahey and Leahey.

10.  Crackle.  For one, it's one of the buttons on the remote control.  Number two (or number one), Three Stooges.  Even though there's a lot more on youtube.  (And I have them all on DVD).  I guess there's movies too and a few Seinfeld episodes.

11.  CNET.  Since I have Twit, I might as well put on CNET which has shorter news and reviews.

12.  To round up my first dozen (which nicely fills out the screen), I'll choose Crunchyroll.  Tons of Korean dramas, etc. here.  Go to drama, then scroll to browse drama.  Unfortunately it seems they limited the number of Korean dramas to only 50.  So it starts from 90 Days Time to Love and ends at Just Do It.  Looking at the website, there are actually 129 episodes. But it looks like you can do a search for episodes that you can access via browsing.  Hey, I see Red Trousers which I remember we saw when Robin Shou came to town.  Too bad it's in Chinese with no subtitles.  Wait now there's subtitles.  And now there isn't.  They don't subtitle Samo and Robin.  But do subtitle some of the others.  Maybe one is speaking Cantonese and the other Mandarin?  OK, here's an edited dubbed version on youtube.  I say it's edited because the verson on crunchy roll is 95 minutes, while the youtube version is 47 minutes.  I'll add it to my youtube playlist.

[6/17/13]  Now starting to add stuff that I probably won't watch very often (because I don't actually watch that many movies or different TV shows), but these seems to have some good content to browse.

13.  Snag Films.  Has a lot of documentaries and movies.  The categories are Action and Animation, Recent Additions, Comedy (Africa Screams, Groucho Marx in You Bet Your Life highlights), Drama, Health and Food, History, News and Politics, Arts and Culture, Romance, Science and Nature, Short Films.  There are 50 entries per category, so that would make 50*11 or 550 films.  But actually there are a few less because some films are in more than one category.

The web site actually has a lot more films.  For example, they have a National Geographic section that alone has 83 shows.  [You can't beat the raw web for content because that's where the content actually comes from.  So for the most shows, you should actually just hook up a computer to your TV]  From Lionsgate (18 films), I see Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows and Amazing Masters of the Martial Arts (narrated by Ken Howard).  I see Super Size Me on their Sundance Channel (25 films).  I don't see any of these in the Roku channel.  I wonder if I can download these with Freemake?  Nope.  The Search Box says "Search 3000 Films".

[6/22/13 update] Checking this morning I see a lot less films on the Roku Channel.  Still no Super Size Me, but I note it's on Hulu and youtube (for now).

14. Smithsonian is the 25th most popular channel according to Roku (the last entry in the Most Popular category on the Roku).  It actually doesn't have a lot of content (in comparison to snagfilms for example).  Their full episodes category has only 27 films.  But actually that's one more than is on the website.  The odd one is the one is the latest one from The Real Story series: The Real Story of Star Trek.  So it's actually on the web too, but not yet in their Full Episodes section.

Here's another one that caught my eye: The Real Story: Live Free or Die Hard (since I liked that movie).  Unfortunately the full show is not on the web.  Hey now I see that's this is the second episode of season 5 and is scheduled to be shown on July 7.  The Star Trek one is the first episode of season 5 and is scheduled to be shown on June 30.  So is it on the web actually before airing?  Checking on my TV, the episodes airing this week are Apollo 13 and Braveheart which are Season 4 episodes.

15.  Ted Talks.  Interesting talks.  Though the talks are also on youtube, I added the Roku channel since they're organized in categories.  A couple caught my eye: memory and quadcopters.

16.  Dailymotion.  This is kind (along with vimeo) is kind of like youtube as it's a collection of uploaded videos.  And it's also kind of a work-around to watching hulu videos since hulu uploads a lot of their videos here (for some unknown reason).  A major drawback to this channel is it won't allow you to access your playlists.  So you have to favorite the shows that you want to watch.  But now that I think of it, it didn't work.  It's like they're filtering out the hulu videos on the Roku app?  Oh well, they have some color Three Stooges videos on there.

17.  popcornflix.  Has a number of movies, most of which I'm not interested in (so it's like crackle).  But there's a few in the documentary section that are interesting and some that I even own on DVD: 10 Questions for the Dalai Lama, Nobelity, One Peace at a Time.  Like SnagFilms, there's more on the website than on the Roku Channel.  For example, the documentary/shorts category has 67 films in the Roku Channel, while the website has 110.  In the Action/Thriller category, it's 139 to 135.  Hey that one was close.  OK, maybe not so much difference.

18. iTunes Podcasts.  For some reason, today's episode (6/19/13) of Mad Money was erroring out.  While I could view it On Demand or on the website, for some reason I wanted to view it on the Roku (so I can lay back on my chair and pause and rewind at my leisure).  Nope, it's erroring out on iTunes too.  They're probably getting it from the same source.  Oh well, I'll leave it on anyway as there's a lot of good content on there, though much of it is duplicated on Nowhere TV and 8ctave.

19. AOL.on.  AOL brings together videos from various sources/partners in a nicely orgainized interface.  They've added a lot more content since the channel launch.  They present four main categories: Entertainment, Technology, News, Food & Home.  The first "strip" of content is always "Featured".  Entertainment sub-categories/sources are E!, ET Online, SplashNews, PopSugar, Movie Trailers, MovieFone Originals, Movie Trailers - in theaters, Movie Trailers - on DVD, AOL Originals.  In Technology: AOL Autos, Engadget, Cnet, TechCrunch.  In News: HuffPost Live Stream, AP, Reuters, BBC, Newsy, WSJ Live.  Under Food & Home: Martha Stewart, Gourmet TV, Le Gourmet TV, Food Curated, YumSugar, AOL Food, AOL Home, AOL Personal Finance, Better TV Food.  So lots of content here. [6/22/13]

20. Blinkx is sort of like AOL.on with video organized in categories.  But a little different in that they bring content from all over the internet (it seems) instead of from selected partner sites.  Actually that sounds like the old Yahoo!  They have more categories than AOL.on which are family, tech, sports, news, popular, search, fun, movies, fashion, food.  Originally there were only four channels. [6/23/13]

21.  Weather Underground.  This app is on the most popular list.  Just one main page.  With some short video of the weather map. [6/23/13]

22. TuneIn.  Listen to radio over the internet.  Automatically finds many local channels, but not all.  I had to hunt for KSSK, which plays over the internet, but not on the Roku.  [6/24/13]

23. Revision3.  I thought this was going to be like Cnet or TWIT.  But it seems like more like a bunch of 9th grade video projects (though created by tech-savvy adults - so the production level is pretty good) featuring not only tech, but game reviews, movie reviews, science reports, and even magic tricks.  I saw Brian Brushwood, who's also on TWIT's Framerate, explaining a magic trick.  [That's because he's a magician.] I guess this is OK to browse through, when you get bored and are looking for something to look at.  (Then again, I'm old.)  They also have a youtube channel.  [6/26/13]

[7/27/13] A few more channels that I've added (besides Netflix above).

WSJ Live.  For financial news and news in general.

Campus Insiders.  College sports news.

IT Pro.  Educational videos (to prep for the certification exams)

Viewster.  Movies (lots of them).  Sort of like popcornflix.

The Knowledge Network.  Video from or associated with the National Science Foundation

Sky News.  World news (originating from Europe).

[11/16/13] Here's a must-have for sports fans.  WatchESPN has come to Roku (but you need to be a cable subscriber to access it).  WatchDisney coming soon.

*** [5/13/14]

I notice my Roku HD (2500X) has problems with Hulu Plus becoming unresponsive when I turn on the captions.  [works better on Roku 3]  I know something's wrong when the captions don't change and the Roku doesn't response to the button presses on the remote.  I read somewhere (don't know where now) that removing some apps might help (to free up some memory I presume).  Let me try it.

I kind of doubt it well help, but it's time for a cleanup anyway.  First let me see what's on my Roku.

NetFlix   Nowhere TV   CNBC
On          CBS News     NBC News
Blinkx     Newsy            Sky News
Buzz:60  Yahoo Screen  WSJ Live
The Street iTunes Podcasts 8ctave
PBS         WeatherNation  Weather Underground
PBS Kids  Smithsonian      History
A&E         FOX                Watch ESPN
CBS Sports  NBA Game  Time BYUtv
iEducation  TED  Animal Planiet
FisHi CNet  Revison 3
CNE  Twit  howdini
ITPro  tunein  Live with Aaron and Kelly
Pandora Facebook  Time Life
Spud's Funny Channel  Armchair Tourist  Crunchyroll
Film Movement  Snagfilms  Viewster
My Favorite Movies  Flixster  Vudu
EPIX  Plex  Dailymotion
fawesome.tv  Portico  popcornflix
Crackle  Hulu Plus  Amazon Instant Video
Instant Watch Browser for Netflix  YouTube  CNN
Roku Media Player VideoBuzz

***

OK let's remove.  But I'll keep a few especially if I have to create a log in again or customize it.

Here's what I kept
Netflix  NowhereTV  CNBC
CBS News NBC News PBS
Watch ESPN Pandora Facebook
Flixster Vudu Plex
Crackle Amazon Instant Video YouTube
MyVideoBuzz

unplug,  replug

add back Hulu Plus, log in
play Dog Whisperer (bad dogs of comedy) with captions
played OK after about 10 minutes, went to commercial,
video plays, now no captions (had the ad playing icon)
then a caption appears frozen on screen and doesn't respond to remote
but video plays on
minutes later it responds and went to home screen

oh well

ok, let's try play the same episode with no captions and see if it locks up.

played about 30 minutes.  pause buttton paused, had to press the back button a couple of times then after a few seconds it went back to the screen.  so it seems to play ok with captions off

[5/18/14] added the AOL On channel because they featured it on the main Roku screen having the Mansfield Park movie available for free.  Not that I'm interested in Mansfield Park, but I added it and went to take a look.  They have 19 movies and they support the Roku captions.  One interesting one I see is the Japanese version of Shall We Dance?

Roku also automatically added MLB TV (as a bonus?).  When I went to take a look, I saw they have a free game of the day.  Unfortunately the Dodgers are blacked out in my location, so I couldn't see it.

[7/29/14] Darn, I no longer see KGMB (Hawaii News Now) on Nowhere TV.

what you can (or can't) watch without a cable subscription

I guess this is covered in other posts, but I'll start fresh.

Yes, you can watch a lot of TV without a cable (or DSL or satellite) TV subscription.  But there's still certain shows that you would need a TV subscription to watch.

First of all, live sports.

I'm talking NFL football.  So far I've only able to view it legally on the FoxSports app on my ipad which required me to sign in with my TV provider (Time Warner Cable).

[11/16/14 -  I see they're streaming the Sunday Night Football game at nbcsports.com/liveextra.]

You can actually watch most NBA games using NBA League Pass, but the video still looks choppy.  Don't know if this would improve with a really fast internet connection.  Once in a while, they have games on TNT.com, but a different feed from the TV.

[11/16/14 - tried twcsportsnet.com.  Hey the Lakers game is on.  But then died.  Requires subscription to Time Warner Cable, but actually also supports Hawaiiantelcom and DirectTV.  Doesn't work very well with my cable connection.  Keeps buffering, plays a little, buffers some more, etc.  And eventually dies.  Would probably work better if I had higher bandwidth.  OK, back to watching on my TV.]

Ditto for MLB.

Not sure if you can watch the NFL and/or NBA on ESPN3.  I'll have to check.  But don't see any replays currently available.  Looks like the NBA will be shown tomorrow.  Turning to Monday, it says the Carolina vs. Philadelphia game will be shown, but device restrictions apply (which means or meant available on desktop, XBox, iPad, but not iPhone or Android).  [Yeah, I'm now accessing today's NBA game on the web.]

TBS and TNT.  You can watch online, but only if you have a subscription to a participating service.  They don't support Time Warner Cable.  DirectTV and Hawaiian Telcom supported.

What works for free?

ABC.  The website works for free.  And most, if not all, shows are also available on Hulu.

NBC.  The website works for free.  And most, if not all, shows are also available on Hulu.

CBS.  The website works, though you get more episodes with the All Access subscription.  Current shows, not available on Hulu.

Fox.  Some episodes available for free.  More with cable TV subscription.  Time Warner Cable supported, don't see HawaiianTelcom or DirectTV (this is like the only one where I don't see HawaiianTelcom supported).  Available on Hulu.

FXX.  Oddly, I see HawaiianTelcom listed for FXX and Simpson's World, but not Direct TV.  Available on AppleTV but not Roku.

CW.  Website works for free.  Available on Hulu.

So what's not available.  I don't see CBS, TBS, TNT on hulu's list of popular networks.

TNT.  Not playing in my IE.  Website requires TV Service Provider.   HawaiianTelcom and Direct TV are listed. Time Warner Cable not supported, which I find kind of odd since they are owned by Time Warner (not Time Warner cable).

TBS.  Ditto.

However Conan O'Brien is free on the web.  (Also available on Roku via Nowhere TV.)

NatGeoWild.  Need to unlock with TV provider.  HawaiianTelcom and Time Warner Cable listed, but not DirectTV.

History Channel.  A few episodes free.  The rest need to be unlocked.  Time Warner Cable, HawaiianTelcom, DirectTV all supported.

PBS.  Asks to confirm your local station.  Works.  Asks you to sign in for HD, but doesn't ask for authentication.  Also available on Roku and AppleTV.

ESPN3.  Some content free.  Getting Error #2032 on Chrome.  Works in Firefox.  Some content requires sign-in with TV provider.  DirecTV not listed.  Time Warner Cable and Hawaiiantelcom are supported.  Also available on Roku and AppleTV.

Not sure if content is free because I'm on Hawaiian Telcom.  Have to try it on my mom's wifi.  Well, it turns out that she's on Hawaiian Telcom too.

Fox Sports.  You can't watch it live on your computer, but you can on your mobile device (even the nfl).  Requires authentication.

TWC TV app is available for computer, iPad, Roku.  I don't see a comparable app for Hawaiian Telcom

            free?  Hulu  TWC  HT  iPad  Roku  AppleTV
ABC           y      y              y
NBC           y      y              y
CBS           y      n              y   clips
PBS           y      n              y     y      y    
FOX          some    y    y    n    y     y      y
FX            n      n    y    y    y            y
CW            y      y
ESPN3        some   n/a   y    y    y     y      y
Fox Sports    n     n/a   y    ?    y
TBS           n      n    n    y    y
TNT           n      n    n    y    y
NATGEOWILD    n      y    y    y
HISTORY      few     n    y    y    y     y      y
CNBC          n     few   y    y    y   clips    y

So it looks like between Hulu and HawaiianTelcom, you can watch just about all the current content on your computer and/or mobile device (except for some live sporting events).

For archival content, add Netflix and CBS All Access.

[12/13/14] I see they're streaming the North Carolina vs. Kentucky basketball game at cbssports.com.  I don't think it's on  the ipad or Roku app though.

[12/14/14] Checking my ipad, I see they're showing the NFL game on the Fox Sports app (Manziel isn't doing too good in his starting debut so far).  However, they're not showing the CBS game on the app.