Archive for September, 2007
Confirmed: O2 is Ireland’s iPhone carrier!
Sep 27th
So I went into an O2 store today to get Valentin an iTunes card. When he was in one of the stores yesterday, he asked about the iPhone but only got “not yet” as an answer.
Alright. Now I am in the store. I shamelessly take the opportunity to ask the hot lady if she has any information about the iPhone, specifically when we can expect it here in Ireland. And then she said it:
“Most probably beginning next year”
So. For once I can announce something before Your Steveness.
Summary:
- O2 carrier in Ireland
- Available from January or February
- Unlimited data plans probably available, but have no information on that
I will keep you iTuned if I know more.
Like High Definition, only with higher definition
Sep 26th
So here’s the deal. After having gotten the 42 inch TV (about which I am still very euphoric about), I am now compiling information how to finally get into the joy of High-Def, such as watching TV in that quality, DVDs and/or movies. NTL, our provider, currently does not carry High-Def signals, which makes the picture sort of pixelated, a bit like constant JPEG-artifacts if you will. So I am probably ending up with this upscaler which conveniently has a DVI-out port. And DVI to HDMI cables do exist, so there’s the remedy for TV in High-Def. For the rest, we will get ourselves a Mac Mini which is also equipped with a DVI port. So another one of those magical DVI to HDMI cables. And since we have a universal truth TV with 42 inch, it incidentally happens to have two HDMI ports. Joy.
But what does all of this have to do with the subject line of this entry? Okay. HD is the widely assumed successor of the standard TV format. No surprise there. However, In Japan, a company called NHK are already working on the successor of HD, which has been called UHD. Ultra High Definition. The technology is supposedly so incredible, that the images and sound have a depth that is so realistic, that it is the same as actually being there.
But that also needs some serious horsepower. We are looking at images of a whopping 7680×4320 pixels. That translates to 32 Megapixels, which surpasses the maximum of current available digital cameras. Other than that, transmitting the video requires a 21 Gigabit bandwidth.
To put that into perspective: 18 minutes of UHD in the maximum format requires 750 DVDs. Boom!!
A comparison between the max of HDTV, standard cinemas, and Ultra High Definition
Add to that UHDV’s beefed-up refresh rate of 60 frames per second (twice that of conventional video), projected onto a 450-inch diagonal screen with more than 20 channels of audio, and you’ve got an impressive home theater on your hands.
Quite right that is. 42 is not enough…
This is the actual diagram of the speaker setup for such a UHD cinema or theater. The guys in Japan are currently trying to squeeze all the information so that it fits on smaller screens.
It is predicted that this technology may see the light of day for standard consumers in the year 2025. So still quite a way to go. But good to know that we eventually will really see TV or movies that is so realistic that you will actually think you are there. Still remember those moments when you were young and you wanted to enter the TV to get there? In 2025, this is reality.
Until then, I think HDTV will have to do.
Just Like High Definition, only with higher definition
Wikipedia: Ultra High Definition Video
NHK – the creators of UHD Video
Hands-On test: London’s Underground
Sep 25th
Thing is, yesterday I had to go to London for business reasons. You know how it is, got the ticket paid and stuff, will be reimbursed for eventual other costs later. Nevertheless I couldn’t resist the opportunity for a hands-on test of London’s Underground system, also known as “Tube”. As an Irish DART-regular, I somewhat knew how bad a public transport can be. However, after having been here for six years, of which I have been using the DART regularly in two of those years, you somehow grow attached to it.
But our nice little DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit) doesn’t go underground. Such a system is currently been constructed, so the government claims. If so: I predict the first one to launch somewhere around 2150. Or so.
Back to the Tube. Well they are small in the interior, and notably round. The seats are located on each side of each car, unlike other trains. When the train accelerates, it’s a bit like a roller coaster (seriously), it is mostly dark (well it’s underground yo). However, there are parts at which the train sees daylight. The tracks are bumpy at times. In fact, they are so bumpy, that the train looses power for a short moment. So the little scary thing you’d expect in a roller coaster comes for free.
Well. A single costs 4£, whereas a day return costs £6.50. I had no choice as to take it.
All in all, although the trains probably have the same age as our DART trains, I tend to believe that the system itself is much better planned and pretty extensive. I do believe it to be a very quick way to get around London. The place I had to get to was quite a bit away from Heathrow… I got there relatively quick.
My XD card broke, so I could not take pictures. However, I have found two pics on the web (which I assume to be public domain as there was no usage policy).
A District Line train towards Edgware Road. I had to take this train to Earl’s Court where I had to change into the Piccadilly Line toward Heathrow.
Earl’s Court station. Pretty close to the place I had to go to yesterday. A station with two layers: District Line and Piccadilly Line meet up here.
The universal answer to all: 42
Sep 22nd
And because 42 is the ultimate answer to the universe, life, and everything, we have gotten ourselves a TV that matches the universal truth: a 42 inch LCD screen. That’s right, that’s a whopping 42 inch screen.
Although no Apple product, I took some unboxing and setup pics of the new super geek toy, now to be found in all its glory in our house.
LG 42LC51 is the model.
Unboxing pics after the break.
It wasn’t easy to find a cab to carry this monster home!
On the left: our previous JVC brand TV, size: 28 inch.
LG always do their things with style.
Wii… got 42 inch!
Bond’s Casino Royale served as first DVD screen test
News breaker: MediaDefender mails in web
Sep 21st
You have certainly heard that 700 Megabyte of internal email material of MediaDefender, a company who tried to bring piracy suppliers behind bars, which mainly concentrates on the BitTorrent network, has been leaked and posted on BitTorrent. Many people have gotten their hands on what could be the biggest Torrent leak ever. The email material unlocks secrets to the plans of MediaDefender and the dubious website MiiVi.com. All the plans down to the very last detail of how to track piracy suppliers is laid bare in the .mbox formatted file.
“MediaDefender, Inc. is the leading provider of anti-piracy solutions in the emerging Internet-Piracy-Prevention (IPP) industry.” – Not anymore so, folks!!
In case you don’t know how BitTorrent works and don’t know how to get material out there, and you still want to read how MediaDefender planned on how to bring piracy supporters to justice, you can be helped!
Here is the entire mail index including all names, emails, plans, and discussions about lunch.
Enjoy.
OS X Mercury 1.0.4 released
Sep 21st
After having acquired a new server, I have begun with immediate rectifying of links and tools, which have now been completed. To complement the update, I have put up an announcement that makes it official.
OS X Mercury 1.0.4 has been released. The update brings internal fixes, but also corrects many issues that could not be addressed before. The iPhoto module is back to its original shape and has seen minor optical improvements. The iTunes module has also been restored, now also streams music again.
Apart from that, I am working on OS X Quicksilver.
Apple history in Time Machine
Sep 21st
Pretty neat animation of Apple’s history, in Time Machine style. Nice idea =)
New server: “Pulsar”
Sep 20th
In order to further facilitate the bandwidth needs that I never thought I would require, mainly for OS X Mercury and the upcoming OS X Quicksilver, I have gotten myself a new server yesterday over at the colleagues of Hostgator. After having read a lot of reviews about them, I believe to have certainly made the right choice with them as the host.
Hostgator: Eating up the competition. Believe me, it seems to be true.
The new domain is called pulsar-se51.net, but will serve no directly visible content. If you go to the site now, it will tell you that it is the Pulsar server. The server mainly will host Mercury, will be used for testing of my upcoming things, and for OS X Quicksilver (again as testing coil and later as host).
The server provides a whopping 2 Terabyte (that’s right folks: it’s Terabyte. You know, Tera comes after Giga) of bandwidth for every month. EVERY month. I believe this to be pretty sufficient for all eventual visitors of the project.
I’ll point Mercury’s booting sequence and the environment to the new server shortly after this blog entry.
Please test iTunes and let me know if streaming works. Also: I am in the process of repairing the iPhoto gallery – so please don’t be puzzled when nothing happens in the moment on the iPhoto dock icon. It only bounces. I took away the function for the moment, I believe iPhoto to be back on the weekend. In it’s full glory, no more over at Picasa.
Wanted to share that with you folks…
iPhone in UK
Sep 18th
Okay. So to give you a very brief summary of today’s Stevenote:
- iPhone in UK starts sale on November 9
- 8 Gig, 269 British Pounds
- Unlimited Data Plans from 35, 45, 55 British Pounds
- 3G not yet available due to power consumption concerns
- 3G might be worked on
- WiFi Music Store also available
- Starbucks music feature uncertain
- Unlimited means: 1400 Websites per day (holy mother of joseph!)
- Information about other countries not revealed
- Possibility that iPhone gets opened up for 3rd party applications
- Unlimited data plans to be rolled out October 1 to all other O2 contract holders