The concept behind the new site Rent My DVR is something that television networks will be extremely interested in. Users of the site can pay 20 Euro Cents to request an episode of a TV show. Other users on the site are informed that the episode has been requested and if they send a video file of the episode to the requester, they get paid.

Now you don’t have to remember to program your DVR or VHS to record you favorite TV show. With the Rent My DVR site you can simple hire someone that will do the recording for you.

Simply file a request on our site to have someone record for you and as soon as a new episode of your favorite show has been broadcasted, it is downloaded automatically to your computer and you can watch it whenever you want.

Intel and Microsoft have announced their support for the HD-DVD format, citing its “unique advantages” over Blu-Ray such as affordability and an earlier estimated launch date.

“After looking at the core advantages to the PC ecosystem and how it would benefit the consumer, it is clear that HD-DVD offers the highest quality, and is the most affordable and highly flexible solution available,” said Microsoft’s Blair Westlake.

Does this mean the XBOX 360 will support HD-DVD? I think not. At least not at launch. But really, is there even a future for hard-media? We have network smart media devices like Media Center and Tivo that leverage internet technologies that allow us to share, purchase media in an online environment. Even the next-gen IPOD is expected to have video capabilities. By the time HD-DVD is formalized, IPTV will be addressable and HD-DVD’s will be long forgotten.

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Tomonobu Itagaki, the flamboyant big dog at Tecmo’s Team Ninja reckons that the XBOX360 is the best console on the planet but also states that most developers are struggling to get above 30 frames per second.

Perhaps he needs some lessons from his American counterparts on polygon optimization *cough* Carmack, Cliffy B…

Speaking to GameInformer at TGS, Itagaki-san delivered this in response to a question about his confidence in the Xbox 360: I think Xbox 360 is the best game console on the earth. It’s better than PlayStation 3. When pressed as to why, he said, PS3 has too complicated architecture.

Interestingly though, he doesn’t think we’re going to see many games running at 60fps, although Dead or Alive 4 will. [After E3], we’ve brought it up to 60. To be more specific, maybe it’s about 55 fps. From now until launch we’ll bring it up to 60. Other developers are now trying to bring their games up to 30fps. That’s a fact, he said. Can you think of any other games that are running at 60 fps? Every Party? he joked.

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Yahoo! is showing off a new search tool that will attempt to infer what you are looking for. It even contains a slider to state whether you want more academic or shopping sources.

Since this is a tool that is currently being researched it’s not 100% accurate.

A Yahoo! Research demo that applies a new twist on search that uses machine learning technology to give you a choice: View Yahoo! Search results sorted according to whether they are more commercial or more informational (i.e., from academic, non-commercial, or research-oriented sources).

Are your kids fat, lazy, and/or stupid? Does the sight of them sitting around, pigging out on ho-ho’s disgust you? Have you tried brainwashing? Mindbending Software claims that by running their programs while your kids play games you can train your children to be better citizens. There are even different versions to handle the myriad of problems brought about by your inept parenting skills.

• Tranquilizer - Who needs drugs?
• Intellectualizer - For the mentally challenged
• Selfesteemizer - Got a late bloomer?
• Mobilizer - For the fatty in the group
• Professionizer - For the real control freak
• Electrolizer - From the guide on “How to create a sociopath”

Includes videos.

Probably a joke, but funny none the less.

After a year in the ‘Coming Soon’ category, Day of Defeat: Source has finally been released. It was available for pre-caching from Steam earlier this month, and on September 26, 2005, the files were decrypted.

Now if they could just release the Lost Coast before no one cares about that too.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water, or the subway in this case. iPodSubwayMaps.com has received multiple cease and desist letters over copyright violations. That’s right, the tax payer funded transit systems of both New York and San Francisco have sent William Bright multiple cease and desist letters regarding the use of subway maps taken from their website. Now it can be argued that if Mr Bright had been selling the maps, there could be an issue. But all he did was modify the maps to fit on the iPod interface and let people download them, for free.

Mr. Bright:

We understand that there is general interest in the [San Francisco] District’s System Map and are exploring various licensing opportunities for it. Consequently, we are not entering into such third party use arrangements at this time, but your suggestion will be added to the list of licensing/use scenarios under consideration.

We do wish you the best in your endeavors and look forward to a conformation that the BART System Map treatments on your website have been removed.

Thank you.

William Bright it currently designing his own subway maps to be released under creative commons license.

I think it’s time to create a WTF category.

Reporters without Borders recently released the Handbook for bloggers and cyber-dissidents, which was partially funded by the French government. While it contains information on how to blog anonymously and how to circumvent censorship, it contains a great primer for what a blog is and instructions on how to blog. It’s not just for the politically oppressed, this handbook should be read by everybody. The 46 page handbook is filled with information on RSS, trackbacks, wikis, and real world examples of blogs in action.

The Introduction:

Blogs get people excited. Or else they disturb and worry them. Some people distrust them. Others see them as the vanguard of a new information revolution. Because they allow and encourage ordinary people to speak up, they’re tremendous tools of freedom of expression.
Bloggers are often the only real journalists in countries where the mainstream media is censored or under pressure. Only they provide independent news, at the risk of displeasing the government and sometimes courting arrest.
Reporters Without Borders has produced this handbook to help them, with handy tips and technical advice on how to to remain anonymous and to get round censorship, by choosing the most suitable method for each situation. It also explains how to set up and make the most of a blog, to publicise it (getting it picked up efficiently by search-engines) and to establish its credibility through observing basic ethical and journalistic principles.

Other Information:
Harvard’s Global Voices blog has a great post about the Handbook for bloggers and cyber-dissidents. The blog itself is a good read as well. You can also check out the Global Voices podcast.

Don’t forget that the EFF has already released their How to Blog Safely back in April 2005.

In case you are unable to get to RSF.org for any reason I made the handbook available to download.

Opera, the last commercial browser, has gone free. Possibly in response to the headlines that Mozilla’s Firefox has been making. Or they just learned what everyone else did 10 years ago, not many people are willing to pay for a web browser.

And we are not talking free as in “ad supported”, this is free and ad free. Opera will be selling premium support and Opera for mobile devices still needs to be purchased. But it appears that Opera for Windows, Mac, Linux, FreeBSD, OS/2, QNX, and Solaris are all free.

While Opera maybe “free as in beer”, we still prefer Firefox’s “free as in freedom” that only open source can offer.

Wales is boasting a new radio station powered by wind and solar energy. The radio station will broadcast 24 hours a day in a 28 day project, which is at least partially funded by the European Union.

The radio station will be community-oriented, and instead of typical news and weather, it will have local farmer, Twm Tywy, telling you when it’s ok to mow your grass.