Click picture to see trailer.

Vin Diesel's is back! Since watching him in XXX have been a fan, yes, that is a relatively recent film. Anyway, if you like action packed movies, he is one to give you your money's worth.

Diesel reprises his role of enigmatic anti-hero Richard B. Riddick, who has spent the last five years on the move among the forgotten worlds on the outskirts of the galaxy, eluding mercenaries bent on collecting the price on his head. Now, the fugitive finds himself on planet Helion, home to a progressive multicultural society, which has been invaded by the Lord Marshal (Feore), a zealot who targets humans for subjugation with his army of warriors known as Necromongers. Exiled to a subterranean prison where extremes of temperature range from arctic nights to volcanic days, Riddick encounters Kyra (Davalos), the lone survivor from an earlier chapter in his life. His efforts to free himself and Kyra lead him to the Necromonger command ship, where he is pitted against the Lord Marshal in an apocalyptic battle with possibly the fate of all beings-both living and dead-hanging in the balance.

Quote Source

This movie opens June 11.

Click picture to see trailer.

I,Robot is a movie that has recently come on my radar. It looks to by a futuristic thriller that may give us a possible glimpse into our future. Here is a brief description of the movie:

In the year 2035, robots are an everyday household item, and everyone trusts them, except one, slightly paranoid detective (Smith) investigating what he alone believes is a crime perpetrated by a robot. The case leads him to discover a far more frightening threat to the human race.

Quote Source

This movie opens July 16.

The news comes as a shock to many but I'm not really surprised. Since G4/Comcast bought TechTV there has been a lingering question as to whether TechTV would relocate to G4's hometown of Los Angeles. Now we have the answer.

I've just learned that G4 has fired the entire staff of TechTV.

Per the WARN Act (governing plant closings) all the employees of TechTV have been given 60 days notice. The San Francisco operation will be shuttered by July. 100 of the existing jobs will be posted for those willing to relocate to LA.

Outgoing COO, Joe Gillespie will say good-bye to the troops tomorrow. Incoming CEO Charles Hirschorn will say hello (and good-bye) on Monday.

No word on which shows G4 will keep or which hosts will be kept on.

Quote Source

I am relatively new to the TechTV shows as I only really started watching them religiously since purchasing my TiVos. I must say that I will definitely miss "The Screen Savers" and "Fresh Gear". I think "Call for Help" is an informative show as well but a little basic. It will be interesting to see what G4 thinks are beneficial shows. Who knows, maybe the shows will change for the better.

There has been thoughts on replacing traditional HDD storage devices with Flash media devices, but it just hasn't become affordable. HDD technology is gaining greater storage spaces while their prices are plummeting. Flash technology isn't moving quite as fast. Microsoft is now toying with the idea of merging the two technologies. Such a union would help increase the speed of data transfer from drive to RAM and also lessen the amount of drive spin. Less drive spin could potentially mean less power consumption, which would be an awesome asset on a laptop.

Longhorn will feature a technology called 'SuperFetch' which essentially does what a modern processor does but on a large scale. SuperFetch predicts what data the OS is going to need next and calls it up ahead of time, storing the received but as-yet-unrequired data in main memory.

Main memory is the best place for it, but in a notebook there's the risk that the battery will cut out and the data written to the cache will be lost. Placing the cache in non-volatile Flash memory near to the hard drive solves the problem.

Quote Source

Microsoft is considering this to be a research project as of now, but they are already approaching HDD manufactures about the technology. Another thing to wonder about is whether Microsoft will make this technology available for other OSs or will it be strictly for Microsoft.

I can see this being the start of "Instant On Computing". Just as your machine is powering down the hard drive will preload the OS in its NAND banks for a quick next boot. Ah, imagine the possibilities.

Ximian has been coordinating an open-source effort to make MicroSoft .NET platform run on many platforms; Linux, Mac OS X, Unix, Windows. The final version of Mono, Mono 1.0, is expected to be released in June of this year.

Question 1: What is Mono exactly?

The Mono Project is an open development initiative sponsored by Ximian that is working to develop an open source, Unix version of the Microsoft .NET development platform. Its objective is to enable Unix developers to build and deploy cross-platform .NET Applications. The project will implement various technologies developed by Microsoft that have now been submitted to the ECMA for standardization.

The Mono project has also sparked a lot of interest in developing C#-based components, libraries and frameworks. Today Mono is not limited to implement the .NET Framework, but also contains other components. Some of the components of the Mono platform were developed by the Mono team, and some others we have incorporated from other open source efforts, the most important ones:

...

Quote Source

The Mono project has a well documented site so if you are itching to learn more about this project, just take a visit.

It turns out that Iranian-born entrepreneurs Anousheh Ansari and Amir Ansari have donated a large sum of money to the X Prize program. The exact amount has been disclosed but it was sizeable enough to get the X Prize name changed to the "Ansari X Prize Competition".

The X Prize, a $10-million prize for commercial suborbital RLVs, announced a major new donation and corresponding name change on Wednesday. The prize foundation said it had received a multimillion-dollar donation from Iranian-born entrepreneurs Anousheh Ansari and Amir Ansari. The exact size of the donation was not announced. To recognize the donation, the prize foundation said the prize would be renamed the Ansari X Prize Competition. The donation is the second major deal the prize has announced in as any months: in March the foundation inked a "seven-figure" sponsorship deal with the Champ Car World Series racing circuit. The Ansari X Prize offers the $10-million prize to the first commercially-developed suborbital RLV capable of carrying three people that flies to 100 kilometers altitude twice in a two-week period. The actual prize money is secured through an insurance policy that expires at the end of this year.

Quote Source

There was no info whether the prize money will be increased due to the new donation.

What do you all think, should I buy in on this one? It would be strictly for scientific purposes.

From: Barrister Bernard Akume
Akume Inneh Law Firm
Legal Practitioners
10, Adelabu Street
Surulere, Lagos
Nigeria

Contact: Barrister Bernard Akume
Tel: +234-80-23222528
Fax: 1 309 423 4393<

Email: bakume@1stcounsel.com

Confidential Proposal/Investment Assistance for Cold Fusion Energy Device.

Greetings to you in the name of the most high God, from my beloved country Nigeria. I am sorry and I solicit your permission into your privacy. I am Barrister Bernard Akume, lawyer to the late Dr. Koffi Abacha, a brilliant Nigerian physicist.

My former client, late Dr. Koffi Abacha, died in a mysterious plane crash in the year 1994 on the way to a scientific conference to make an announcement of the utmost importance to mankind. He was planning to present a paper regarding his extensive work on cold fusion. It is said the cold fusion device he had developed, produced 10-times more energy than the energy source that fed into it. The device was about the size of a steamer trunk.

Dr. Stanley Pons and Professor Martin Fleischman of Southampton University in the UK consulted the late Dr. Abacha regarding their ongoing cold fusion experiments. While enroute to the Paris scientific conference, the plane carrying Dr. Koffi Abacha mysteriously exploded over the ocean. Without the wise Dr. Abachas guidance, Dr. Pons and Professor Fleischman made no further progress in their cold fusion research.

Upon the death of my former client and unknown to his colleagues, two trunk boxes came into my possession. One trunk box contains some type of energy producing device. The late Doctor called it his cold fusion fuel cell. The second trunk box contains thousands of pages of scientific papers and notes. The trunk boxes had been placed in storage, for safe keeping, at a Lagos security storage firm in 1994 just before the late Dr. Abacha left on his ill fated flight to Paris.

The security storage firm does not know the actual content of the trunk boxes. My client and I told them that the boxes contain old African artifacts to be delivered to a client outside the country via Air Courier Services. For now it is only you and I that is having knowledge of this wonderful invention.

The only assistance I require from you is to help me send these trunks out of Nigeria and receive these trunk boxes in either Sydney, London or New York, depending on your country of agreement. Once these trunk boxes are out of Nigeria, I shall seek your advice in obtaining a local patent in your name and licensing the device to investors.

I need $ 10,000 U.S. dollars to pay past due storage fees, freight charges, and possible bribes to local customs officers.

Once this device is licensed, the resulting funds shall be disbursed accordingly as follows: 25-percent for the recipient (you) from the total sum. 2-percent for the courier officer in the country where you shall receive the trunk boxes. 5-percent set aside from the entire sum for expenses incurred by both parties in due course of executing this transaction (home and abroad). 68-percent for me. If you are not satisfied with the percentage sharing of the fund feel free to let me know. In compliance with this you are to immediately forward to me by mail the following: Your full names and address Confidential telephone and fax numbers.

With this information I will immediately commence all necessary documentation for a successful shipment of the first trunk box to your country of choice as all the modalities have already been worked out by me. I will also give you full details of this whole transaction which I have already perfected in due course.

Please note that you are to treat this with utmost confidentiality willing or not willing to assist me in this transaction as nobody knows about this invention and I am still an active lawyer in this country.

THE CHOICE IS YOURS, IF I WERE YOU I WOULD, BECAUSE IT WILL COST YOU LITTLE OR NOTHING TO ACHIEVE THIS AND THE BENEFIT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE FOREVER.

Remain blessed in the name of GOD.

Yours faithfully, Barrister Bernard Akume

Email: bakume@1stcounsel.com

Quote Source

Nah, smells like a scam to me.

Click to see more detail.

The install guru himself, Jesse M., contacted me to let me know that he has improved upon his first install. After listening to the constructive feedback from his first project, he has vowed to improve upon the ipod install he first created. I must say that he has done a fine job on this one. He completely redesigned the install

After all the attention and constructive criticism I received from the iPod mini install, I decided to come up with an entirely new design. I wanted to focus more on usability, functionality, and incorporate the 2nd and 3rd generation iPod into the mix. I had already began sketching out new designs for the new console when I received an e-mail from Hadley Stern (www.applematters.com). He asked me if I would write a how-to article about the iPod installation, include pictures, and it would be featured in his next book! I told him I could do him one better and come up with a whole new design for his book, one that would put the iPod mini install to shame. He gave me the go-ahead and I went to work.

There are a few key points that seperate the new design from the old one. The first, and most important, is the placement of the iPod. I decided to place it in hands reach, for a more convenient access while driving, and angle it slightly upward. The second key point is that the console is now all one piece, and can be installed in almost any 2000-2003 Ford Explorer Sport, and in some 2003-2004 Explorer Sport Tracs. It completely replaces the original console, and fits perfectly, I might add. And finally, the last major difference, is that it now accepts 2nd and 3rd generation iPods (featuring the touch-sensitive buttons). It can also fit the iPod mini, with a small adjustment.

Quote Source

Jesse, you do fine work. Tell me, what can you do for my Eclipse convertible?

View the photos of the old and new installs.

Click for more visual detail.

Yet another reason why I must see this flick.

Click for a better view.

This is a good reason to watch this movie. And here is a trailer to further twist your arm. May 7th is the day.

I have seen pictures of this upcoming movie and all I could muster is a bit of lust for Halle. I suppose that the lust would be enough for me to plop down my $10 to sit through a 2 hour bore of a movie and drool all over myself. Well, as it turns out, a trailer has been released and I now know that there will be a lot to keep me entertained and a little bit of action too.

Check it out.

In early March, I reported a great deal on Hitachi 4GB microdrives, via Creative Labs. Well, Thirsday of last week, I finally received mined after waiting nearly 2 months. It was well worth the wait.

Sunday evening, I got down to business and started to extract the innards of the Muvo. Getting to the microdrive was a little challenge for I didn't have the right size screwdriver to remove the casing. I nearly stripped a screw (any more monkeying around with it would have left it unremovable) before I decided to just run down to WalMart and buy the proper sized tool. Once I had the proper tool, the job was a tad easier. When I finally removed the microdrive I replaced it with a Sandisk 512MB compactflash that I had picked up on sale late last year (I think I paid $80 a piece for them).

Putting the unit back together wasn't too easy either. The screws that hold the internal circuit boards were so small that I could barely see them. I'm used to working with magnetic screwdrivers and I didn't have one this time. So, trying to work with big fingers, trying to place a small screw into a hole against the inner wall of the case, proved to be a lesson in patience. Needless to say, I managed to get the job done.

Next step was to install the firmware on the newly modified Muvo. This was the easiest part of the whole process. I loaded some music on the Muvo and tried it out. Guess what? It worked like a charm. That was all I was able to do for Sunday night.

Monday evening I tried out the microdrive in my camera. Popped it in, formatted it, and started snapping pictures. I wanted to see how fast the microdrive was. With the Digital Rebel, I can snap off about 6 shots before the buffer fills and the camera starts taking pictures at a delayed pace. So I snapped off several groups of 6 or more shots and then waited to see how long it would take to save the buffer off to memory. I haven't physically timed the process but it felt like 25 to 30 seconds for it to finish. Compared to my Lexar 512MB CompactFlash Pro 40X the microdrive is a little slower but it is acceptable.

I have also started shooting at full resolution, since I now have an abundance of space. I have taken about 170 pictures whose file sizes average around 2.5MB and the camera continues to tell me that I have 999 pictures left. I estimate that I can take about 1600 pictures on this microdrive before I have to download them to make more room.

So far, I'm VERY PLEASED WITH THE DARK DEAL. If you are interested in getting a microdrive for yourself then you better order now. As far as I know, there is still a great demand for the Creative 4GB Muvo^2.

Click here to purchase.

Yesterday, Microsoft's WinHEC conference kicked off. This is a conference in which Microsoft entertains discussion on the low-level internal workings of Windows. This year the main topic will be Longhorn.

Microsoft is expected to distribute their official alpha release of Longhorn at the conference. Along with the alpha, the system and driver requirements for Longhorn are to be announced as well. Here is what's known already:

Microsoft is expected to recommend that the "average" Longhorn PC feature a dual-core CPU running at 4 to 6GHz; a minimum of 2 gigs of RAM; up to a terabyte of storage; a 1 Gbit, built-in, Ethernet-wired port and an 802.11g wireless link; and a graphics processor that runs three times faster than those on the market today.

Quote Source

Those machine requirements sound like something to look forward to. Realistically, Longhorn is about 2 years away from completion. I bet that Microsoft is gauging future machines to have some pretty impressive specs by that time. So if you are expecting to upgrade you current machine to Longhorn you may want to forget about that and start think about buying a new machine first.

Yahoo has a short article giving some tools that will help you sort out data quickly on mammoth drives. I have tried two of the three tools and I can wholeheartedly recommend them just like Yahoo. X1 and Bloomba are the two apps that I have been acquainted with and to this day I still use them daily. Unfortunately X1 and Bloomba are not free, but if you have problems remembering where you filed your data then these tools can really help you out.

Yahoo Article: Tools to Find PC Data Faster

The BBC is on track to make a new standard for television viewing and in my opinion, this will be just as big, if not bigger than TiVo.

Later this month, the BBC will launch a pilot project that could lead to all television programmes being made available on the internet. Viewers will be able to scan an online guide and download any show. Programmes would be viewed on a computer screen or could be burned to a DVD and watched on a television set. Alternatively, programmes could be downloaded to a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a hand-held computer that is becoming increasingly popular in Britain and sells from about £70.

The revolutionary plan has been drawn up by Ashley Highfield, the BBC's director of new media and technology. He revealed details of the project to The Independent last week. He said: "If we don't enter this market, then exactly what happened to the music industry could happen to us, where we ignore it, keep our heads in the sand and everybody starts posting the content up there and ripping us off."

Mr Highfield said the quality of the programmes will be so high that the experience of watching a show on a PDA will be similar to viewing an in-flight film on screens in the backs of seats on passenger aircraft.

The three-week pilot, called iMP (Internet Media Player), will allow 500 of the corporation's staff to step into this new world of viewing. They will be given PDAs and access to a range of BBC programmes, which will include the soap EastEnders and the hospital drama Holby City. Also available will be the series One Life, the dramas Cutting It and Grease Monkeys, the motoring show Top Gear and news bulletins.

Sneak previews of parts of programmes will also be offered, but no full shows will be viewable until after they have been broadcast. The programmes will then be available online for a week.

Quote Source

Boy, I'm really looking forward to building a Benny Hill library!