Windows Media Player 11

I have just been playing around with Windows Media Player 11 which was released today and I can report that it is an improvement. The UI is much better and it has support for external subtitling files. So if you play a video file with subtitles, but subtitles that the author of the video has thoughtfully provided in a separate subtitle file, WMP11 will now play those subtitles with the film. I cannot find the option for this in WMP11, but when the subtitle file is moved to a separate folder WMP11 does not play them.

Because I cannot find any options for subtitles I do not know how WMP11 will handle video files with multiple sets of subtitles or files with multiple audio streams. And that being said WMP11 refuses to play any OGM or MKV files so I cannot even see how it will handle video files with multiple audio streams. But that being said WMP10 didn't support any of this so even a little improvement in the right direction is good.

XBox360 Fall Halloween Update

The latest XBox360 Dashboard Update should appear sometime tomorrow (yes Halloween) and there is a full list of changes Here, but below is 17 changes that I believe are interesting:

• 1080p output over VGA and component cables.
  
• HD-DVD Player support (UK release date 24th of November).
  
• Streaming WMV video from PCs running Media Player 11 (Download)
  
• Video playback from CD, DVD and USB Memory Units.
  
• Support for the new Wirless Headset and Wireless Racing Wheel (Both Released in the UK on 24th of November).
  
• An option to Automatically download new Arcade Titles as they become available.
  
• Faster loading of the list of Arcade games present on the system.
  
• View Leaderboard data from the Dashboard.
  
• 'Tell A Friend' option for arcade titles.
  
• Option to disable 360 notifications while watching films.
  
• Improved handling of unreadable DVDs (I thought this was already amazing).
  
• Added parental support to block unrated DVDs.
  
• Improved video playback from fragmented drives and playback while downloading from XBox Live (I haven't had that problem, but somepeople have had an issue with stuttery playback).
  
• Improved voice chat quality.
  
• Added ability to clear space from storage devices in download areas.
  
• Improved look and feel in XBox Live Marketplace and XBox Live Arcade areas.
  
• Removed system message at the start of new downloads. Messages will only be displayed for completed items.

Additional: Apparently the update will be seen sometime after 2AM PST (10AM GMT).

Cook Egg with a XBox360

So I was reading Evil Avatar and they posted to this video (below) where some guy actually cooks an egg on his 360 heatsink. I know it gets hot, but I wasn't expecting the egg to cook so quickly.

Warterboarding

Some comments have been made and Dick Cheney implied that the US was involved in Warterboarding which is a method of torture where the subject believes they are drowning but without permanent physical damage being left. If you want to know more about it watch This Video which has someone volunteer to be waterboarded.

The US is conducting this at detention centres. Now to put this into historical context in 1606 when Guy Fawks was found in a basement under the Houses of Parliament with loads of gunpowder after a tipoff. He refused to name his co-conspirators. The information was eventually given by him after he was tortured, but for that to happen in 1606 the King had to sign a special decree. In the US however this is going on right now without the president giving an express order. This is wrong and barbaric how superior the US claims to be and how low the reality is.

Huge Metal Gear Solid 4 News Maybe

XBoxic is reporting that MGS4 Might Come to The 360. Which is great because MGS4 represents the only excuse I have to get a PS3.

UNO! GDragons Vs NipponHam

This is one of thoes odd culteral things where to one person it's nothing special, but to someone else it's slightly amusing.

So I am watchign this Japanese GDragons Vs NipponHam baseball game (don't ask long story) and I see UNO written on a players back. Wasn't exspecting that, I thought.



Ye you can so tell I need a job. My god it's like 5am.
Will be applying for a Deli Counter job tomorrow because I need something to do instead of just looking for a job all the time. Which, would you believe in three months I haven't even had a single interview, yet plenty of praise from recruiters when I have asked them if there is anything wrong with my CV. But more on that and how to dramatically increase job prospects once completing an education stint once I get a job.

As Much JPOP Music as You can Afford

JPOP or Japanese Pop Music is difficult to get in the west. You might try inporting CDs or illegally download it using evil P2P programs like eDonkey, but it isn't easy to get hold of.

Apple has an iTunes service running in Japan with loads of JPOP music on, but you can only download from that if you have a Japanese account and to get registered in a region you need a credit card and no Japanese bank is going to give you a credit card if you don't live n Japan. But it turns out that iTunes Music Cards are region specific. So you might be able to top-up a US iTunes account with a UK iTunes music card, but by using a Japanese iTunes Music Card you can register a Japanese account and download as much JPOP as you like from anywhere in the world.

And it just so turns out that jBox sells them. WOW so that's at least one of life's frustrations sorted then.

Life is Better than Fiction

I think it's safe to say that I am a YouTube addict and it's not like I have anything better to do (hay I got out of bed at 4pm today). And one of the people who I subscribe to is RatFuckScrew who just posted a video response to all of the Lonelygirl15 videos. All her videos are all produced by some production company so it's all fiction, but RatFuckScrew's response had me chuckling because I subscribe to a lot of people's videos who just talk about what they have been doing or what they are feeling, but I haven't subscribed to Lonelygirl15 for the very thing RFS talks about in his video.

Six Million XBox360s Sold, Good or Bad?

Microsoft has said in it's Quarterly Sales Figures Press Release that they have sold six million XBox360 consoles to date. But then there is a lot of debate on forums as to wither this is a good or bad thing, so I did a bit of research and compiled a list of all the home console generations since 1972.

Please note that the list below covers all consoles that I could find sales numbers for. There are many other consoles that have not been included on the list because I could not find sales figures for them. And portable systems have also been excluded because they are a different market and do not compete directly with home consoles.

Console Generation One
Odyssey - Units Sold ??
Winner of generation Magnavox Odyssey.

Console Generation Two
Atari 2600 - Units Sold 25 Million
ColecoVision - Units Sold 6 Million
Winner of generation Atari 2600.

Console Generation Three
Master System - Units Sold 13 Million
Nintendo Entertainment System - Units Sold 60 million
Winner of generation Nintendo Entertainment System.

Console Generation Four
Mega Drive - Units Sold 35 Million
Neo Geo - Units Sold 1 Million
Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Units Sold 49 Million
TurboGrafx-16 - Units Sold 5 Million
Winner of generation Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

Console Generation Five
3DO - Units Sold 6 Million
Jaguar - Units Sold 4.41 Million
N64 - Units Sold 32.93 Million
PlayStation - Units Sold 102.49 Million
Saturn - Units Sold 10 Million
Winner of generation Sony PlayStation.

Console Generation Six
Dreamcast - Units Sold 10.2 Million
GameCube - Units Sold 21.2 Million
PlayStation2 - Units Sold 111.25 Million
XBox - Units Sold 24 Million
Winner of generation Sony PlayStation2.

Console Generation Seven
PlayStation3 - Units Sold so far 0 Million
Wii - Units Sold so far 0 Million
XBox360 - Units Sold so far 6 Million
Winner of generation ??

Microsoft said that they would sell 10 million 360s by now, but have only sold 6 million. This suggests that things are bad, but the average console sales unit of all the generations is between 24 (discounting Sony) and 30 million. And if Microsoft sells six million 360 units per year for the next five years they will have done ok and much better than the XBox did.

I believe that unlike when the PS2 launched early, a lot of people have held back buying a console this generation because of the big question marks surrounding the Wii and PS3. Who both have fairly weak launch lineups (who doesn't). So to answer the question as to wither 6 million is good or bad, well it's average as long as Microsoft doesn't sell more or less than they did this year in future years. But while doing this research I have learned that people don't like buying games consoles. Instead they seem to see it as a necessary evil in order to play the games they want.
Good games = good console sales.

Additional: Microsoft have said that they are still on track to sell 10 million by the end of the year. I think it's possible, but they still have a way to go.

Video The Vote (US Election)

It is no secret that the last two elections in the US for president haven't gone smoothly with lots of allegations flying around calling for re-counts and people saying that they where prevented from voting.

Well today I seen this (Below) video on YouTube promoting VideoTheVote.org which aims to get anybody with a camera involved in covering voting incidents. No need to stand filming all day, just register on the website and they will call if they want you to film something or interview someone at a local polling station.



I think it's an excellent idea, and this almost feels like open source documentary making.

Artistic Expression on Consumer Culture

This is a Video of a robot that searches for pools of coke on the ground, sucks them up and then sprays it onto itself causing it's own eventual destruction.

I would say this is an accurate description of a drug addict, but with the artists use of Coca Cola it's expression on Consumer Culture is clear. And then that begs the question as to wither drug addiction is so dissimilar to modern consumerism.

XNA UK Academic Events

If you are an Academic or Research Student (whatever that is) belonging to a UK University then you are eligible to attend:

Warwick Conference Centre for an overview of XNA studio featuring Chris Satchell, Peter Molyneux and Nick Burton.

Or Rare Studios, Twycross for a hands on workshop with XNA Studio.

It is first come first served so sign up early. I would love to attend these, but I am no-longer with a university.

Scott Adams Regains Voice

The guy who draws Dilbert, Scott Adams gets his voice back. I didn't know that he had lost it, but His Story is quite interesting.

Two New PlayStation 3 Adverts

Wouldn't you just know it. After months of mouthing off, having to admit to weak bloated/false claims and this recent thing with Li-Sang. Sony comes through with a good advert. Not sure if this will be on TV because the HD capacity claim is false so would invoke a lawsuit, but these are good adverts.

Advert 1


Advert 2

Sun's Project Blackbox (contains video)

So imagine you are an evil genius (maybe you are) and you have a lot of computing power and virtual storage that you use to coordinate your evil deeds, but the pesky secret services of the world keep finding your hidden lairs and forcing you to move. And everytime that happens you have to get into your escape pod and auto-destruct all your stuff including all your evil plans contained in your data centre.

Well that's precisely why Sun has created project Blackbox. It is a server room in a shipping container so can easily be hidden, moved and more importantly setup quickly because you know you got more money than you can possibly spend, but server rooms take three years from planning to completion to build.

Rainbow Six Vegas Demo on XBoxLive Marketplace

This demo for some strange voodoo reason isn't available in the US, but it is a lot of fun. I have always felt that the Rainbow Six games have had soulless level design, crappy graphics and too many tools for me to know what to do with. Vagas simplifies all that, has some cracking level design and makes it so easy to issue orders to teammates that I find myself firing very few bullets myself.

I would be seriously considering pre-ordering it if I had the money, but more than that I think this really does require a HD TV to do the game justice.

Blog Code Updated

Have updated the blog code so that ClearType in IE7 works. All I have done is remove the code which tells the browser what font to display and specified a font size so that the text doesn't look all tiny. And as well as looking a lot better in IE7 now, for some reason the font looks a lot better in FireFox too, so bonus!

I still have that problem where the sidebar on the right gets pushed down to the bottom of the page in FireFox, but it doesn't make the page less functional and I am hoping to fix that when Blogger releases the new version of Blogger because that has a new layout engine and a load of new templates, although I do like the one I have.

Michael J. Fox Has Parkinson's!!!

I didn't know, but Michael J. Fox has Parkinson's.

So anyway there is this video on YouTube (Below) of him talking about the need for America to stop banning research into Stem Cells which could offer a cure to Parkinson's.


And then there is this guy (Below) who is against Stem Cell research because it is taking away human dignity. For some reason he doesn't say it's a sin or killing, but he does seem to think that banning research will save Human dignity. And that makes me wonder if he has ever met anybody with Parkinson's or wither he is just some guy who is opposed, but unaffected by the issue.


At the moment the leaders in Stem Cell research is Europe and Asia, but America has a lot of well funded Universities who are the ones that make a lot of those first discoveries that then in later years are picked up by big pharmaceutical companies and turned into cures. So America can and they should do this research. Those embryos are human embryos, but are not yet people. I understand that by using them for experimentation they will never become people and it is probably somekind of crime for depriving them of that, but this research can benefit so many people it seems unethical not to try.

Musical Tesla Coil

This is a YouTube video of something that could only be dreamt up by an evil genius. It is also one of the best videos I have seen on the internet, right up there with Mentoes & Cola, Tony Hawks 900 and anything featuring Rodney Mullen or Karl Pilkington.

The First 10 Minutes of Tony Hawk Project 8 Demo

Maybe in my last post I didn't convey accurately how good the new Tony Hawks game is. So to try and rectify that Here is a Video of someone much better than me, playing for ten minuets. And yes it does seem o be the best Tony Hawks game thus far.