Adventures in AV Geekdom: Dell 3200MP projector
Yesterday, via Craigslist, I picked up a Dell 3200MP DLP (digital light processor) projection system for $100— original MSRP was $2199 in 2003: http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,109523-page,1/article.html
It kept shutting down after about 5-10 minutes— which the seller believed meant it needed a new lamp, another $200-$300 for a replacement light assembly. (Seriously, are these bulbs made of gold?)
A bit of Googling uncovered that this was a common problem with projectors. A solution was suggested at the Dell community site— the gist of which is opening up the projector and blowing out all the dust.
So last night, at about midnight, I got it in my head that I had to get a can of compressed air. (Yeah, I know: What? You don't keep canned air on hand all the time?) I schlepped out to three different places to find some— a supermarket, Walgreens and finally Super-Walmart— before plunking down my $5 for the overpriced can.
Short version: hoo-ya— success! The projector is now working beautifully. Sweet movie theater magic in my living room. Yet another step closer to the "Entourage" Hollywood lifestyle. Now if only I can figure out how to get a Maseratti on the cheap.
One blog recounts that the bulbs themselves used in these projectors are replaceable for significantly less than the "lamp unit" price: http://www.pitelspot.com/index.php/2007/06/04/how-to-replace-your-projector-lamp-cheap/
Sexing up politics – BarelyPolitical.com
Debate '08 girls posse -- Politics laid bare?
Launched last month with the "I Got a Crush on Obama" viral video, BarelyPolitical.com has staked out a space that no one has yet dared (or thought about) getting into: hot chicks pretending they care about the electoral process.Their latest entry pits Obama Girl (Amber Lee Ettinger) against an equally attractive Guiliani supporter. It's "Debate '08" Girls Gone Wild-style. The video ends with the two sets of flygirls in a hip-hop shake-off in the streets, and fades to an admonishment to "learn more about politics..." by visiting the site.
Sunset on SunRocket as VOIP firm hangs up
With little warning, SunRocket-- one of the leading Voice-over-IP providers-- has closed up shop. On July 12, an anonymous poster on Broadbandreports.com forum leaked the news, "SunRocket Days are OVER!" Initially met with skepticism, the leak was confirmed earlier today in the New York Times. All the employees have been let go, apparently including the Webmaster, as the SunRocket site is still up as if nothing was the matter.
Founded in 2004, SunRocket billed itself as the "no gotcha" phone company, offering a $199 annual unlimited calling plan. In April, it had announced hitting 200,000 subscriber. Now those same customers are being courted by rivals Vonage, Lingo and other carriers. According to a Wall Street Journal report, Packet8-- a VoIP service I had formerly used-- has put in a bid for former SunRocket users, possibly to acquire them as part of the liquidation.
Here's a summary of the better offers:
- Vonage: Two months free, with Residential Premium Unlimited Plan (24.99) - must call special 800-number; no word about activation costs.
- Lingo: Free equipment, shipping, activation, one month free (all credited after 90-days). Monthly plan $21.95; Annual plan: $195
- Packet8: No Startup Costs, activation, equipment (BPG510 Adapter), shipping included. First month of service free for Freedom Unlimited ($24.99/month) and Freedom Global ($49.99) plans. Annual plan: $199
Russell Shaw of ZDnet posits this will be a boon for broadband ISPs and traditional carriers, such as Comcast, Verizon and AT&T.
Dictionary update: blogs no longer unhealthy
Two years ago, when Mac OS 10.4 "Tiger" came out, I noted the amusing example of usage given to the term "blog" by the built-in Dictionary application, one which seemed to impugn bloggers as having an "unhealthy interest in computers." Since then, there have been 10 sub-version updates to Tiger-- the most recent just ten days ago.
Somewhere along the line, the Dictionary also got a new definition for "blog" which no longer makes the same implication.
Just when this change was made is unclear. Apple apparently receives their definitions from the New Oxford American Dictionary, so it would have originated from the Oxford University Press.
Did some blogger complain about being colored (or coloured) as "unhealthy?"
blog |bläg|
noun
a Web site on which an individual or group of users produces an ongoing narrative : Most of his work colleagues were unaware of his blog until recently.
verb ( blogged, blogging) [ intrans. ]
add new material to or regularly update a blog.DERIVATIVES
blog•ger nounORIGIN a shortening of WEBLOG .
In April, a more politically charged flurry was covered by Macenstein.com dealing with another oddity, this time for "democracy". The thesaurus listing offered the following example of usage:
democracy
noun
a democracy in Iraq is quite unlikely for now or any time soon
Hello, Go Daddy-o
Today, on that great American institution known as Superbowl Sunday, I posted a short comment on Go Daddy CEO Bob Parsons's blog in response to his claim of how well Go Daddy's ads have been working,
Commercials with bouncy-breasted babes may have drawn lots of new male customers and filled the company's coffers, but they demonstrate to many other people that GoDaddy intends its image and business model to appeal to lowest-common-denominator prurient tastes. Sex may sell, but I'm not buying. GoDaddy lost my business, and I've suggested many others look elsewhere. Good luck as the apparent leading light of tech porn-vertising.
Maybe GoDaddy can merge with Hooters to be the one-stop shop for female exploitation.
Parsons's reply was an unsurprising,
There's no exploitation here of females or of anyone else for that matter.
Appreciate your post,
Bob
I will give Bob his due: at least he reads his criticisms, of which there are quite a few. On the topic of sex on TV, I consider myself to be pretty easy going by most standards. Among my favorite shows is Nip/Tuck, which manages to offend even the most jaded sensibilities. And I thought the hubbub caused by the arch-conservative Parents Television Council over the "Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction"-- 2004's halftime show which put the fear of God into CBS in the form of hefty FCC fines-- was pure Puritan poppycock.
But advertising is another beastie: it's not mere entertainment, but an attempt to sell something. And appeals to below-the-belt interests when pitching totally unrelated products are as common and clichéd as well, apple pie. And that's what makes Go Daddy's ads so cheesy: there is no actual differentiation or explanation of Go Daddy's services; the "content" of the ads is just a pretext for jiggling breasts. Use of bouncy babes to sell friggin' domain names? No, Bob, that's not merely exploitive, that's saying to your customers a whole lot 'bout your company. It may work for cheap beer-- but amazing as it may be to believe, the Internet is a bit more than just alcoholic frat boys.
Wikipedia, of course, has an interesting, albeit poorly cited article on the subject: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godaddy#Marketing
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