Easy Way to Convert Video for TiVo!

I love my TiVos. I have 2 and don't know how we ever watched TV without them. Especially with the TiVoToGo options. With the TiVoToGo you can transfer video from your tivo to your PC and from your PC back to the TiVo. This is awesome if you want to watch something on your TV that is stored on your hard drive.

I did alot of research on how to do this. First the video has to be in the correct format. This is the biggest problem. I have used several methods to achieve this. I used programs like TMPGEnc, WinAVI, D.I.K.O., AVI2DVD etc..... If you are going to be doing any video converting at all the best site I have found for tutorials and guides is VideoHelp.com. .......Anyways, after trying every option I could find, I finally found the perfect solution. A program called Videora TiVo Converter.

It does everything for me. I put in the source video and click convert. You can load up several videos at one time and it will take care of everything. The best part is that it is free. If you are going to use it, it wouldn't hurt to donate some money on their website.

Videora TiVo Converter

Taking Pictures on the 4th

Here is a great article on photographing fireworks. Should come in handy for the upcoming holiday.

How to Photograph Fireworks

Microsoft killing Windows? Murderers!!!

I have 9 computers under my control between work and home, and I have not installed the Windows Genuine Advantage Update on any of them....And I will not.  I have read about all of the problems that people have had with this update and cannot afford for any of these PCs to be down because of a Microsoft update that causes problems. Especially not the units at the office.

Now it looks like Microsoft could make it mandatory to have the update this fall. If this is true, this is outrageous. I am going to look through the EULA and see if it says anywhere that users must take every update that Microsoft offers. If it doesn't then I don't see how they could shut our systems down. If they do this I smell a big lawsuit.

Another problem with the update is that it calls home constantly. If you have dial up then this could be an inconvenience. Even if you don't have dial up, I wouldn't want my computer calling home without my permission. I paid for my PCs and if I don't want to install an update that may harm it, then I'm not going to. Microsoft has not fixed any of the problems with this update yet. If you read the article you can see that there are people out there having serious issues with this.

Get it together Microsoft!!!

» Is Microsoft about to release a Windows "kill switch"? | Ed Bott's Microsoft Report | ZDNet.com

New Bluetooth Headset. Go Motorola!

I am a cell phone junkie. I want the coolest phone and gadget all the time. The coolest thing I've seen (today at least) is the Motorola H5 MINIBLUE.

Motorola has got the coolest new Bluetooth headset measuring only 33x41mm. It fits inside your ear so it can go undetected. So now it will really look like you are talking to yourself. It boasts 7.5 hours of talk time which is way longer than the battery on any cell phone I have ever seen will last.

You can talk in noisy situations with this because it picks up on vibrations in your ear canal when you talk. And it will work up to 30 feet away. This is very cool. I never wanted one of those ear pieces that looks like a Borg implant on the side of your head. This one might be a "must buy". Looks like I need to make sure I have a phone with Bluetooth.

According to Motorola's web site, the H5 MINIBLUE will be available in the first half of 2006. However, if you do a search on Google or Froogle you will find that they have been delayed. Spit it out Motorola. Supposedly they are pushing it back to work on the comfort and volume issues. I guess I can wait til they get it right.

 

Motorola Motorola H5 MINIBLUE

Best Buy Coupon

This is a good deal.

These coupons will give you an additional 15% off Open Box items. Those items are already marked 10-15% off. Maybe its time for some new toys.

Open Box Coupon

Alot of Good Info

This is one of the best sites I have seen in a long time. It has a ton of personal development information.

There are a bunch of articles and blog entries on a variety of self help subjects. If you look through the "Best of ..." Section on the left you can see some of the topics. The ones I have read all have good information.

Everyone should be able to find something useful here.

I am going to write more about this site as I read through his articles.

Personal Development for Smart People

Give Me a Break!!

The case of the 14 year old suing MySpace for not protecting her, goes on the list of the stupidest lawsuits ever. Right up there with suing McDonalds because you are to stupid to realize that coffee is hot or that fries make you fat. If she had met him at Wal-Mart and slept with him would she be suing Wal-Mart?

Anyways, to make things even dumber. The guy that suppossedly assaulted her says he will also sue if the court finds that it is MySpace's fault. I feel like the level of intelligence in this country dropped a few points just having this in the news.

I don't understand why noone can take responsibility for their actions. Everyone wants to blame someone else, and it is usually whoever has the deepest pockets.

Hopefully there is a judge out there with enough sense to through this out and fine these people for being idiots. Please fine the attorneys also that put it in these peoples heads that they could get some money for this.

Shouldn't they be suing Dell or HP for making the computer that got them into this to begin with?

Mirra, Mirra, On the Shelf.

We recently bought a Mirra Personal Web Server for the Office. This thing is awesome. It plugs into our router and all the boxes in the office backup to it. You can create shared folders so that when you add anything to the folder from any PC it is shared among the others. Very cool.

There is also a way to access the shared files on the Mirra from anywhere with an internet connection. So I can get files I need that are at the office from home. This was a big plus when we were deciding which backup device to buy. Anyone looking for a good backup device should pick up one of these.

Conventions and Trade Shows

I am always reading about different conventions around the country. Gnomedex, CES, LinuxWorld, MacWorld, DEF CON, COMDEX..etc.. Even Star Trek Conventions all over the place.

WE HAVE NOTHING HERE!!  We are in a technology void! I remember in the fall of 1994 or 1995 there was a Star Trek convention at our Marina Civic Center. That was the only time I ever saw anything like that here. Granted the West Coast is the hub of technology in this country. But we have convention centers here and the Civic Center. Plus we are on the beach. If there is any one that a geek needs, it is sun!! A tan. Hell even a burn would improve the pigment of the pasty faced geeks that these conventions have been know to be packed full of. 

I think that the people that arrange these things would love the opportunity to come to the beach and have their conventions here. Other than the heat(which is sometimes unbearable), this is a great place.

--pcbguy

Where No Man Has Gone Before!!

As a Techie, I am also a Trekkie. I love to watch Trek and am fascinated by space. On July 1, I will have the opportunity view a shuttle launch while on vacation in the Orlando area. We are going to spend that day at Cape Canaveral. I can't wait. Seeing a shuttle launch is on the list of things to see before I die, so I can cross off at least one. I am dragging my wife and step-daughter to see it as well. Even though I don't think they will enjoy it the way I will, they are going just to satisfy my interest. To me, this is one of the most exciting things I think I have ever seen. I eagerly await the trip so I can see the shuttle in person and visit the Kennedy Space Center.

I was just visiting NASA.gov and see that they are talking about the second female mission commander ever. Air Force Col. Pamela A. Melroy will be the mission commander of STS-120.  One of the reasons I was excited about seeing a shuttle launch is that I thought they had decommissioned the shuttle fleet. But now they are saying that Col. Melroy's mission will be aboard the shuttle Atlantis. Maybe they haven't decommissioned the fleet yet.

Now if I could just get to the Space Station.......

--pcbguy

Sue this Sue that!

Lawsuit, lawsuit, lawsuit. That is all anyone wants to do anymore. You are not cool until you have sued someone. I guess I'm not cool.

Every news site I go to now is nothing but lawsuits. Remember the saying "If it weren't for lawyers, we wouldn't need lawyers."
It makes me wonder if these companies are aware of how many lawsuits they have out at any one time. I know that their lawyers know.

One of the most ridiculous lawsuits to surface, just this week, is the 14 yr old girl and her mother that are suing MySpace and News Corp. for $30 million. They claim that MySpace did not protect here from being sexually assaulted by a 19 yr old.  This is ridiculous. Everyone knows that News Corp. has deep pockets but this is BS. Isn't it her parents job to protect her. They should know what she is doing and where she is. Not only that but by age 14 they should have taught her about the dangers of the net. She should know better than to meet someone that she met online. How stupid is this girl? If she is that clueless at 14 then she should be locked in her room.

The more I read through the story the more ridiculous it became. This guy picked her up from school took her out to eat then back to his place where he sexually assaulted. Lets see how many things are wrong with this........ A Bunch!!

Bottom line is: this is her parents fault. Don't get me wrong. There is no excuse for what he did. If he assaulted her then he should pay for what he has done. However, they should know what she is up to and should have raised her to be smarter than to meet someone that she met online. Parents are always blaming someone else for what they should be doing. Teach your kids. Don't blame someone else when your child does not know something. That is your job to teach them.

The sad part is that they will probably get some money for this girl being assaulted. If they are going to sue someone then they should sue the 19 yr old. But that won't happen. They have to get some money for what she has been through. People think money will make them feel better. Personally if I went through something that traumatic, I think I would not want to have to relive it over again in court and read about it in the news. I would just want it to go away. ......Maybe money makes things better!

The Time?

Where in the world do people find the time to keep a blog? Of course I am doing it now but I should be doing other things. I guess you have to make a decision to do it. I wish I could do it like Wil Wheaton or Todd at GNC. Those are 2 I read on a regular basis. I suppose if I have time to read one then I have time to write one.

I'm going to try it for a bit. Just keep writing down whatever is on my mind and see where it goes.

Am I a Blogger?

Well this is my first blog entry. Not sure if I am suppossed to say something profound or extremely intelligent. I'm pretty sure I won't say either. As this is my first post, and I am curious to see what it looks like when I post something, I am going to keep this short. I just wanted to say hello to anyone that might read this. Which brings up another question, will anyone read this? Oh well that is a conundrum for another day.


from PCB--