iPodder & The Daily Source Code

I started listening to Adam Curry's Daily Source Code last week. It is a great show for your iPod. The easiest way to subscribe to the show is to download iPodder. However you'll need to go to the DSC web site to get back issues. The site is a bit slow, so be prepared to wait. Although only the web pages loaded slowly. I was able to download all 120+ shows at a high speed.

QuickTime: Star Wars Episode III

		I watched the Star Wars Episode III trailer after The OC the other day. It was pretty good. I watched it a couple times on TIVO. Unfortunately as it spanned
between The OC and Point Pleasant Tivo chopped it in half. Luckily my wife subscribes to both shows so I didn't miss anything. However what I was really looking for was a good quality QuickTime of the trailer. Not on the Apple site. Bummer. You have to be a member to see it on Starwars.com. F-That. :0 I tuned onto a P2P app and BAM! there it was and downloaded instantly. Come on! Did Lucas really think he could keep the video to himself and his $40/year subscription fee. At least from the trailer, this movie doesn't look like it will suck as much as Episode I and II.

The Taxman Always Downloads Twice

		A couple months after Canada courts ruled that MP3 players weren't the same as blank media (The Register) and thus couldn't be taxed under that program, it seems that Wisconsin legislature
is trying to do the same thing for downloaded media. Under the guise that they're protecting the record labels. CNET reports: "It's an issue of tax equity," said Jessica Iverson, a spokeswoman for the Wisconsin Department of Revenue. "If you go into a Main Street business and purchase a CD, you are paying tax." I know it doesn't seem fair to tax local businesses and not online businesses, but with online businesses you have an extra 'tax' passed onto the consumer in the form of shipping costs. Sure retail businesses pay shipping costs for their stock too, but we don't need more taxes. Even if you do make a sales tax for online purchases, who gets the money? States now can only force reatailers to pay taxes if they have a presence in the state (e.g. the Apple Store in your state, ensures that the online Apple Store will charge you tax). Other states also have a somewhat voluntary system for the consumer. I guess you are supposed to save your online invoices and declare them annually. So what if the store has no physical presence in your state. Would the store where the store has their offices and warehouse get all the revenue? Sure. Why not. That would only ensure that all online stores move to Delaware or another state that offers tax breaks. I'd recommend just getting rid of the taxes. This issue seems to be focused on music and movies. We'll get rid of the taxes in retail stores. Its not that hard to do. Grocery stores know what items are taxable and what ones are not. So it shouldn't be terribly hard for stores to exempt media purchases. The worst case scenario would be for those businesses to go offshore to avoid the taxes the same way companies go offshore to Bermuda. Then, you would have some other countries setting up tax shelters for online businesses and the US would start exporting yet more jobs!

Sony Playstation Portable (aka PSP)

Just a couple more weeks until the Sony Playstation Portable comes out. I pre-ordered it from EBGames which kind of sucks because you HAVE to order 4 items with your PSP. Its better than Amazon, because you have to order a 5 game bundle from Toys-R-US/Amazon. I guess this is the retailers way of not gouging the price, but limiting demand. My startegy is to return one of the games later for Gran Turismo 4 Mobile. Anyhow, it will be interesting to see how it compares to the iPod for audio.

iBoom. uBoom. weBoom

		So as you know from previous posts (kaBoom. kaBoom. iBoom.) I sent back the Sirrius satellite radio I bought (it sucked) and bought an iBoom from DLO (i.e. Digital Lifestyle Outfitters). A pretty decent store. They were back ordered, but I did get the iBoom about when they said I would get it.
My first impressions: Wow this thing is not as big as I thought. I guess I was thinking old school boom box like I had when I was in high school. OK - small size, big sound. Sounds better than I expected from such a small box Hmm... I paid how much for this. Then I did a quick search on the Apple Store and saw that a lot of the speaker systems for iPod are even more expensive. So I feel a little less ripped off. The bag... no instructions and lots of parts. It has yet to be on the iBoom, but I think it will be easy to zip on. Volume control is not that great. Its hard to get it to a low volume. It kind of cranks from 0 to 5 real fast, then you've have 5-11... (using imaginary settings, there's no numeric dial on the iBoom's volume switch - how ever I am sure it goes to 11!!!) Charge-N-Play! Cool. In AC mode (i.e. no batteries that is) it charges while it plays. My iPod has never said 'charged' more this week Radio is weak - quite a bit of static. However I didn't realize it even had a radio when I bought it so the radio was an extra feature. My recommendation: Buy It! if you are in the market for portable ampliflication for your iPod. I'll be enjoying mine out on the deck when it warms up!