Archive for October, 2009
Filed under: Internet, Video, Web
As I mentioned yesterday, internet movie channel Epix launched this weekend. The TV channel is available to Verizon FiOS customers, who can also login to the EpixHD web site to watch dozens of movies including new releases such as Iron Man and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button as well as older, more obscure titles including Bubba Ho Tep and Son of Rambow.
If you don’t have Verizon FiOS you can request a 3-day weekend trial of the service, but I’m not entirely sure what the point is, since Epix doesn’t plan to launch a web-only version anytime soon. Perhaps they’re hoping you’ll contact your local cable, satellite, or other TV provider and request they add Epix to the lineup.
If your invitation hasn’t come through yet, you can take solace in the fact that I did score an invite. OK, that may not be much comfort, but I did manage to grab a bunch of screenshots of the user interface. It’s kind of a mixed bag right now. The search function works quite nicely and you can click the watch button from the drop-down menu that appears when you’re searching for a movie — if the movie is available. Unfortunately, there are a ton of listings for movies that you can’t actually watch yet, including Star Trek, GI Joe, and The Godfather I, II, and III.
You can also browser for movies by most watched, newest, genre, or other collections. You can also see all the movies from A to Z.
Browsing is sort of a cumbersome task though, since you have to scroll through thumbnails of movie posters. If it’s not clear what movie you’re looking at, you can mouse over the cover to see the title, but it may take a moment for the title to show up. And in the genre section, many movies are listed more than once (for example, the same title might show up in comedy, award winners, and action). And it’s clear the web site wasn’t really designed for geeks, because the sci fi category is dead last, which means you have to do a lot of scrolling before you get to it.
On the bright side, video quality was pretty good and you can even click a button to check your bitrate and other settings, which are automatically adjusted based on your internet connection settings.
Gallery: Epix internet movie channel
First look at Epix internet movie channel originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Some of the biggest names in web APIs released new web services this month including Google, Amazon and Intuit. In looking at 4 of the new additions to our API directory last week there’s the new Amazon RDS: a Relational Database in the Cloud, Google’s Website Optimizer now has an API, and Intuit has rolled-out new APIs and tools that let QuickBooks Services Bridge the Desktop and the Cloud, and last but not least is an interesting new API from the folks at Factual that lets you create and embed tables of data anywhere. Outlined below is more detail on each of these new APIs:
Amazon RDS Relational Database Service API: Amazon Relational Database Service, aka Amazon RDS, is a web service that lets you set up, operate, and scale a relational database in the cloud. It provides cost-effective and resizable capacity. Amazon RDS gives you access to the full capabilities of a MySQL database. Thus the code, apps, and tools you already use today with your existing MySQL databases work as-is with Amazon RDS. The API provides
Factual API: Factual provides users with the tools to create and embed tables that show various sorts of data. The API allows developers to take these tables and customize them to their own interest. Examples of the site’s use include a directory of California restaurants or a database of endocrinologists. The API is currently free of charge.
Google Website Optimizer API: The Google Website Optimizer API is part of the Google Analytics API and allows for developers to programmatically create and modify website optimizer experiments. These can be A/B tests as well as multivariate testing scenarios.
Intuit Data Service API: The Intuit Data Service provides a secure data repository in the cloud for a business data from Intuit applications and platforms like QuickBooks. It also gives authorized users of that data to securely read and write data to the repository using Intuit Workplace applications. These subscribed-to applications provide features that increase the value of the data.
Filed under: Fun
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Halloween costumes from the Internet: happy Hallo-meme! Stepping away from the computer for a few hours to trick or treat or go to a costume party doesn’t mean you have to leave the internet behind. |
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Six classic horror-iffic games for Halloween Turn out the lights and turn up the volume, it’s time to scare yourself silly with some good, old Halloween-y games. Enjoy! |
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Use your Mac to detect supernatural activity this Halloween! You knew your Mac could detect wireless networks and Bluetooth devices, but did you know it can also detect spirits? If you want to scan for supernatural activity, download an app called EMF6742,… |
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Happy Halloween! Help yourself to these moldy old posts originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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News that Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) provides a MySQL 5.1 relational database in the cloud has met with a lot of interest. On the surface, this is good news for open source users and proponents.
When I read about RDS, I wondered if this was in fact good news for open source vendors. I asked if Sun/MySQL was being compensated for Amazon’s use of MySQL in RDS. Sun sources confirmed:
Photo Credit: John ‘Warthog9′ HawleyThis past weekend, approximately 250 Open Source developers from around the world gathered at Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, CA for the fourth Google Summer of Code™ Mentor Summit. These developers who mentored students in this year’s Google Summer of Code program gathered “unconference” style to discuss ways to improve the program, share their experiences, and learn about each other’s projects.
One of the recurring comments about what makes the Mentor Summit special was that it gathers developers from a diverse range of projects (all 150 organizations participating in this year’s Google Summer of Code were invited to send two delegates). This allowed for a cross pollination of ideas that isn’t usually found at conferences dedicated to one specific platform or language. In addition, the summit was an opportunity for developers who usually collaborate online to meet face to face. In fact, some of our attendees met colleagues they had been working with for several years in person for the first time at the summit!
Most of all, the summit was a great place to meet like minded Open Source developers who are passionate about bringing in new contributors to their communities. Check out photos from the event or read through the session notes to find out more about what happened at this year’s summit.
by Ellen Ko, Open Source Team
The mySQL mess won’t go away.
It doesn’t want to go away because mySQL is very useful. The latest demonstration? Amazon’s support of the community version of the software at its EC2 cloud.
Two forces are trying to keep the code from forking beyond all recognition.
One force is Oracle itself. You buy a unit worth $1 billion as part of a larger deal and you don’t want it dribbling through your fingers.
The other is mySQL co-founder Monty Widenius, who helped launch a group called the Open Database Alliance in May to support a new “community version” of the software.
So far only three companies have joined the ODA. A general meeting is being organized for Zurich, but it might just be a few guys sitting around a table at a bar. The group’s Twitter feed is dormant.
The problem for the ODA is as simple as do-re-me. They don’t have enough of what makes the world go around. When the check comes for the drinks in Zurich, I have to wonder who’s going to pay it, or whether they’ll make the waitron wait while those around the table hunt the cushions for enough quarter-Euros to split it.
Amazon’s move offers the chance for a reboot.
Oracle has a greater financial stake in the future of mySQL than Monty Widenius does. So does Amazon. So, very likely, do some other large players.
Instead of holding the software as semi-proprietary, which the Europeans won’t accept, or just writing a check to make it go away, which Oracle does not want to do, why not create a new foundation, on the model of Eclipse or Apache?
Those who put in the most would have the biggest say in this new group. The community would be represented, in other words, but they wouldn’t be in control. The major sponsors would be.
The mission of the new mySQL Foundation would simply be to hold the code base together, to provide a central point for updates, QA and bug fixes, to run the “official” version of the code base and plot its future direction. To run the forge, in other words.
Everyone would benefit. Oracle would get Sun, and community support. The community would get a vital development hub, well-funded. Amazon would be assured its support of mySQL, and the investment it has made in it, is not being wasted. Everyone could take the software in their preferred direction and share the results.
I guess this is all too reasonable to go anywhere. But it’s worth a shot.
Good for only a few days, until 2 November 2009, PlayFirst are offering great prices on most of their games.
You might not even have heard of PlayFirst, but perhaps you’ve heard of their world-renowned games? Diner Dash, Wedding Dash, Dream Chronicles or Chocolatier? Either way, if you’re looking for some fun, casual games — usually ones with a great story too! — either for you, your kids, or a loved one, now is obviously a great time to pick up a few of their games.
I would recommend you start with Diner Dash or Chocolatier if you’ve never played their games before. You can even give it a go for an hour, for free! The discount is applied at the checkout stage, if you’re wondering why the discounted prices are not shown on the game’s individual page!
[via GameZebo]
Halloween sale at PlayFirst — games 50% off originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Ubuntu 9.10 advances Canonical’s ambitious push into cloud computing — and the enterprise.
Ubuntu is best known for its Linux desktop and there are several desktop improvements in this upgrade — including a faster boot and login and enhanced audio and and 3G broadband connectivity.
But the spotlight is on the server side.
Canonical claims the new edition is the only server operating system that features a built-in open source cloud and allows customers to set up an Amazon EC2-based private cloud in less than one hour.
The Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud was released standalone in April and related enterprise support services were made available in July. The difference? In the 9.10 release, UEC is a “fully supported technology” in the Linux server, Canonical said.
Here’s how Canonical says customers can benefit from the cloud system, which is based on the same API as the public Amazon EC2. “This … will allow businesses to start taking advantage of the possibilities of private clouds. Private clouds allow businesses to reap the benefits of flexible compute environments while avoiding the security, regulatory or policy restrictions inherent in pushing data onto a public cloud.”
The server is also available on the Amazon EC2 environment as an Amazon Machine Image (AMI). This allows customers to deploy Linux in either public or private clouds.
The cloud technology comes from partner Eucalyptus Systems, an open source company based in Goleta, Calif.
Eucalyptus is also developing a “store” capability that will offer “ready-to-deploy” appliances in the UEC. A preview of the technology and sample application is included with the newly available Ubuntu 9.10, formerly code-named Karmic Koala.
Canonical also tipped its hat at the enterprise by improving the application stack, directory services, virtualization, performance and system management of its Linux server.
First, it included MySQL 5.1 and enhanced the directory and sign-on tools for better directory integration. On the virtualization side, the kernel was improved to better support Xen as a guest and KVM as a host and a guest. Support for USB 3.0 will allow for faster transfer rates and support for the web-based management (WBEM) protocols will allow the Ubuntu server to be managed by leading system management tools used by enterprises, Canonical announced.
Canonical has demonstrated a big focus on the enterprise as of late.
Last month, the Ubuntu developer launched an advanced service and support offering for enterprises. As part of that, the company makes available a premium service engineer who is dedicated to specific customers.
There’s movement on the enterprise desktop as well. Earlier this week, the Linux company and IBM co-announced a cloud- and Linux-based desktop package in the U.S. designed for corporate use. The desktop — called IBM Client for Smart Work — combines IBM Lotus’ collaboration suite and Ubuntu Linux.
It will be interesting to see the extent to which Ubuntu Linux is deployed in the enterprise. Most eyes and ears remain focused on Ubuntu on the desktop and increasingly, on the netbook.
Filed under: Blogging, Productivity, iPhone, Mobile
The first version of the Wordpress iPhone app showed a lot of promise as mobile blogging tool, but it was too slow and too buggy to use. It didn’t know what to do with dropped connections — all too common, when you’re blogging from an AT&T iPhone — and the UI was clunky and unintuitive. Round 2! Wordpress is back for another try at the iPhone thing, and this time they’re far closer to doing it right: bug fixes, persistence, auto-saving and a better UI make Wordpress 2 a viable option for blogging on the go.
The single most important new feature in Wordpress 2 is persistence. That means you can close the app, and reopening it will take you back to the post or comment you were working on. In the old version, it was nearly impossible to finish a long post without being interrupted by a crash or a phone call, or without needing to pop into Safari to grab some text from a webpage. Speaking of those crashes, they’re nowhere near as frequent as they were in Wordpress 1, and the new autosave feature makes them less damaging.
Photo uploading is smoother, too, and you can also preview a post while you’re editing it. Aside from all the improvements to posting, comments now have their own tab, so you can moderate your site with ease. I’d still love to see liveblogging support in the iPhone app, though, because it seems like such an ideal use of a mobile blog client. All in all, Wordpress 2 is a workable solution for mobile blogging.
Wordpress for iPhone 2 is actually usable! originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Oracle updated its FAQ overview of the impending Sun acquisition to address some important questions about the fate of Sun’s software assets beyond Java and Solaris.