January, 2005

Podcasts — No Comments
26
Jan 05

Linking without permission in podcasting

Is it ok to create a podcast feed that links to an mp3 on someone elses site without that site’s permission?

Do you have an issue with that? Ethically? Legally?

Wait, don’t answer yet…

Gigadial.com is already doing this. You can create a radio station and select your favorite shows from existing podcasts to populate your station. Then gigadial creates an RSS/podcast feed that you or other people can subscribe to and they will receive the mp3′s from the site of the original podcast.

Is this in poor form?
Maybe you don’t think Gigadial is very controversial because most people who put out podcasts want to be downloaded as much as possible. But what about a situation where a site puts up a mp3, licenses it as free for download, but they don’t currently have it as part of a podcast feed?
Now, say someone else added that mp3 into their own podcast feed.

Is that not following good ethics?

Ok, so maybe you still think that is ok.
What if someone creates a podcast that contains several shows with topics that you are complete opposed to, and then in the middle of the feed they link to your show?

Some of the legal issues can be resolved by people placing clear licensing terms on their mp3′s. However, I think the ethics even less clear.

Personally, if people give permission to distribute their mp3 I don’t think there is anything ethically wrong with linking to it. However, I do have a problem with being associated with ideas that I don’t agree with. This doesn’t override my opinion that linking is ok, but I’m curious to hear what other people think.

Sports / Technology — No Comments
25
Jan 05

A good read

I’ve seen many assorted technical papers on various game development topics over the years.
However, I haven’t seen many technical papers where the authors analyze a shipping product that they weren’t involved with.

So when these papers came across my desk it caught my interest. And they turned out to be good reads. One more so than the others to me. :)

Network Analysis of Counter-strike and Starcraft
The Effect of Latency on User Performance in Warcraft III
The Effects of Latency on Online Madden NFL Football

Technology — 1 Comment
22
Jan 05

Mac mini shows off his stuff!!!

And now a Tech Shorts EXCLUSIVE: Mr. Mac Mini shows his stuff, a complete photo tour of his arrival:

http://homepage.mac.com/techshorts/PhotoAlbum1.html

General — 2 Comments
22
Jan 05

In the dark

When I first booted my Mac Mini it wasn’t able to receive an IP address through DHCP. This meant that it couldn’t connect to Apple to register my machine.
So (now that I setup a static IP) I have been looking for a way to tell my Mac to just send in the registration information that I already entered.
While doing this I was searching Apple’s support site and came across the following support document that I thought was funny:

Apple logo on top of Mac Mini does not light up

Btw, if anyone knows how to tell my Mac to send in the registration information that I already entered, please let me know how. Thanks

mini mac

Technology — 15 Comments
22
Jan 05

I will call him… “Mini Mac”

So I bought a Mac Mini.

I have never owned a Macintosh before (although my wife has a Mac Powerbook).
And I have owned an Apple keyboard, monitor, and iPod, but never could bring myself to justify the premium prices for a Macintosh computer, especially when most of the software (and all the games) that I want to run are on Windows.

However, I always thought it would be fun to have a Mac, and my wife loves her Powerbook, so when the Mac Mini was announced, I figured I should give it a try.

So today I went down to the local Apple store and picked up what I think was their last Mac Mini.

So I’m typing this entry up in Safari, on my new Mac Mini.
What are my thoughts so far? Well, it’s too early to say much except that Apple’s insistance that you give away all your personal information just to boot into the operating system for the first time is quite annoying.
I filled out bogus information for most of it because my informattion is none of their business.

I took lots of pictures of the opening process and will be posting those later.

So now I can look down at all the Windows users because “I own a Mac”.
But I can also still look down at all the Macintosh gamers because I can play all my Windows games on my Windows PC.
hehehehe
And both Macintosh and Windows owners can look down at me… :)

What software are “must haves” for Mac owners?

Oh yeah, and DHCP isn’t working with my SMC barricade router. Is this a known problem with Macs? I had to use a static IP address.

Podcasts — 3 Comments
20
Jan 05

Podcast: Now with iPod

Topics:
Palm internet application suggestions from Russell Hollimann
My iPod and how it can’t just get along with one of my Windows machines.
Halflife 2
and
Vote for me.
[Apparently voting is currently down... Oh well, when it is back up, then vote for me.]

Music:
Fast Gallows – Taste
Lobelia – Wake Up and Lose You

Podcast TS_2005-01-19.mp3

Sports — 1 Comment
18
Jan 05

NFL and iPod

When I saw this news article I thought “No way, the NFL is going to be doing podcasts???”.

But then I read it, reality sunk in and I saw that it was just a deal with the original podcasting company (Audible.com).
Too bad. An NFL podcast, now that would be something I would listen to.

Apple has actually been doing some NFL for a few weeks now (For example see this link at the Apple iTunes store) I assume this is a prelude to the broadcast content since Apple and Audible are already working together.

At any rate, I’m not too impressed with the current content. With most of the clips under 4min, these are for the most part recaps of key moments and the scores in the games. I also expect my sports to be a little bit more emotional then this.

The MSNBC article does indicate that the content will include broadcasts of the game, so maybe they will have some entertaining announcers.

General / Podcasts — 4 Comments
1
Jan 05

BEST WISHES FOR A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR

BEST WISHES FOR A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR

I would like to send out a big Thank You to everyone who reads my blog or listens to my podcast.

Best wishes to the whole podcasting community.

I hope everyone has a prosperous year in 2005.

Podcast TS_2005-01-01.mp3