I was more than a little skeptical when NBC jumped ship on iTunes and announced it would create its own video portal. Usually such endeavors crash and burn in dramatic fashion, e.g., ABC.com, AOL Video, and Google’s Video Marketplace. However, as soon as I got my beta invite I was pleasantly [...]
Hulu, Let Me Count the Ways I Love/Hate You [Review, Opinion]
By Franklin Davis on Jun 18, 2008 within Entertainment, Reviews | Comments
If You Like Technology You Should Watch These Great Video Podcasts
By Franklin Davis on May 27, 2008 within Coffee Break, Lists | Comments
Here are the video podcasts that I enjoy watching on a regular basis. Most of these are available in HD or high quality formats. Be sure to go to the podcast site to find the HD feed and then open iTunes and use the Advanced > Subscribe to Podcast … trick to get [...]
The General Motors (GM) Volt and E-Flex: Transportation’s Future
By Sam Davis on Apr 15, 2008 within Technology | Comments
For many reasons, I have never been a big fan of General Motors. With the exception of the Corvette and the short lived EV1 electric vehicle, their products have never inspired much enthusiasm from me. Moreover, I am turned off by the company’s shameless use of patriotic rhetoric to market their vehicles. Many of their [...]
Clearwire - The Next Great Telecom?
By Sam Davis on Mar 20, 2008 within Technology | Comments
In the world of telecom behemoths like Verizon (market cap 100 billion) and AT&T (217 billion), Clearwire is a midget (1.8 billion). Chances are you have never heard of the company. But you will. And the competitors had better look over their shoulder. Here is why. Clearwire Corporation builds and operates wireless broadband networks in [...]
MacBook Air Proves Optical Media Is Dying
By Sam Davis on Jan 16, 2008 within Apple | Comments
A few months back Franklin opined about how the titanic battle between Blu-ray and HD-DVD will ultimately end with both optical media formats losing out to the digital distribution of media. Well, the announcements at yesterday’s MacWorld of iTunes movie rentals and new Apple TV software that leverages iTunes rentals and serves up HD content [...]
Is Imitation the Highest Form of Mac OS X Flattery?
By Sam Davis on Dec 14, 2007 within Apple, Coffee Break | Comments
Some of the comments on Franklin’s latest post, titled “A List of Mac Freeware that Leopard has Mauled to Death”, has got me thinking philosophically. The gist of the post is that the increased functionality of Mac OS X Leopard may ultimately make Mac users less likely to use the third-party apps that formally [...]
A List of Mac Freeware that Leopard has Mauled to Death [Mac Freeware, Opinion]
By Franklin Davis on Dec 10, 2007 within Apple, Lists | Comments
When Apple’s new big cat first appeared at the Word Wide Developer’s Conference (WWDC) in August of 2006 and then pounced on the scene in October of 2007 it sent shivers down the spines of some small and large developers in the Mac community. Here I list some of the best Mac freeware [...]
Sun to Set on the Internet Tax Freedom Act
By Sam Davis on Oct 7, 2007 within Coffee Break, Featured | Comments
On November 1st, the most recent extension of the Internet Tax Freedom Act (ITFA) will expire. This law was originally enacted (and signed by Bill Clinton) in 1998 in an effort to preserve the commercial and educational potential of the internet. Its purpose is to bar federal, state, and local governments from taxing internet access [...]
Internet Censorship - A Digg “Bury Brigade” Case Study
By Sam Davis on Sep 24, 2007 within Coffee Break, Featured | Comments
Wikipedia defines censorship as “the removal and/or withholding of information from the public by a controlling group or body.” When I think of censorship, images of the communist governments of the old Soviet Bloc and goose stepping Nazis come to mind. But of course, the attempts of “controlling groups” to silence “dangerous” ideas and erase [...]
Warning: Blu-ray and HD-DVD Might Both Fail [Opinion]
By Franklin Davis on Sep 11, 2007 within Coffee Break, Featured | Comments
The battle for superiority between Toshiba’s HD-DVD and Sony’s Blu-ray is in full swing, or is it? HD-DVD announced with much bravado the defection of Paramount to its camp. Sony on the other hand parades around shouting that sales of Blu-ray are exceeding HD-DVD (thanks largely to the PS3). However, the giant [...]
The Net’s Affinity for Ron Paul Explained! [Opinion]
By Sam Davis on Aug 29, 2007 within Coffee Break, Featured | Comments
The opinions expressed here are mine and do not necessarily reflect the views of Zaphu.com and its affiliates. -Sam Davis. He is a 10th term congressman from Texas, an obstetrician who has delivered thousands of babies, and a candidate for president of the United States. And although he is running as a Republican, Ronald Ernest [...]