McCain backs a la carte cable, puts pressure on cable

I never thought I would like John McCain, but his support of a la carte cable makes me want to hug him in a very manly way. The fact that he seems to be the only one looking out for "us" is a little concerning to me.

Source: Ars

RIAA says CD Ripping is not fair use

Even if CDs do become damaged, replacements are readily available at affordable prices.

Just when I think they can't get any worse they keep making themselves look stupid. Eventually there has to be a mass exodus by the artists or a full on boycott by the general public. Who knows.

Source: Ars

A Real Transformer

Talk about sweet. This is a video of a real robot that can bust out with true transformer goodness. Thanks to Joe for the link.

Mind Control by Parasites

I don't know about you, but this freaked me out more than a little bit.

Half of the world's human population is infected with Toxoplasma, parasites in the body—and the brain. Remember that.

Dr. E. Fuller Torrey (Associate Director for Laboratory Research at the Stanley Medical Research Institute) noticed links between Toxoplasma and schizophrenia in human beings, approximately three billion of whom are infected with T. gondii.

*Cue the X-Files music*

Windows XP on a Mac

I previously mentioned the prize up for grabs for the first person to get Windows XP running on the new Intel Duo Core Macs. That prize is now at $10,870. Nice. Good luck to those of you working on it.

OnMac.Net

Blu-ray titles taking shape on pricing

So the inital reports are coming out about the cost of Blu-ray movies and I can't say that I am suprised. According to Ars the wholesale price will be $23.45 for new releases and $17.95 for older titles. After markup that puts titles between $23 and $39. You can bet that all new releases will come out at $40. I personally think this will be a hard sell for most consumers.

I personally consider myself an avid technofile. I have a large DVD and gaming library and you would never get me to spend $40 on a movie. I don't care if it is in 3D real life HD. It just ain't going to happen. Most of my movies have been purchase at or below the $15 pricepoint. That being said, good luck with that pricing model. If you can gouge the consumer that is good for you right?

My favorite quote from the article:

"The premium is for a way better format and to remind retailers that at the time we launched DVD, VHS was selling for $55 wholesale in the first window," Feingold said. "From the retail perspective, this is going to be a hot product, and retailers will no doubt determine their own margin structure," he said. "We believe in a free market."

Translation: we were charging a ton for VHS movies, but when DVD hit, we really wanted to spur DVD uptake, so we kept prices really low. With Blu-ray, there's no VHS cash cow, and DVD prices are already too cheap, so we're going to make the new movies cost a lot more. But don't worry, the retailers can opt for razor thin margins or even sell our movies as loss leaders. We don't care, so long as we get our cut.

Source: Ars Technica

Apple launches 1GB iPod Nano

Apple has quietly launched their new 1GB version of the iPod Nano. The new small Nano retails for $149 with the Shuffles hitting $69 for a 512MB and $99 for a 1GB. I personally think the premium for the iPod name is not worth it.

My wife has a Sansa m250 which is a 2GB player that we got for $119. I think it is great and very easy to use. The iPod controls are very tough to get used to for new users. Oh well, you could slap the Apple logo on dog treats and they would make a billion bucks. Picture it... iTreats for your iDog. It makes their iPoop smell less like poop.

CableCARD Primer

Ars has a great primer on CableCARD for anyone looking to learn a little more. I personally am a little irritated about CableLABS decision regarding certification and no DIY DVRs. Whatever, technology moves so fast it won't matter for long.

The Ultimate Showdown

Mad props to everyone involved in making The Ultimate Showdown. It was hilarious.