Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Friday, October 03, 2008

Netflix Watch Instantly Adds Movies from Starz [Movies]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/408506522/netflix-watch-instantly-adds-movies-from-starz

DVD rental service Netflix has added over 1,000 movies from premium movie network Starz to its Watch Instantly streaming service. That means movies like No Country for Old Men are now available to stream in your browser—and you've got even more incentive to turn your Xbox 360 into a streaming Netflix player. [via]

"Windows Cloud" Operating System Release Within a Month [Windows]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/408649707/windows-cloud-operating-system-release-within-a-month

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announces that within a month, MS will release a new operating system he described as "Windows Cloud"—for webapp developers working on "cloud computing" apps like Zoho Suite and, um, Gmail (except not those). Computerworld reports:

The operating system, which will likely have a different name, is intended for developers writing cloud-computing applications, said Ballmer, who spoke to an auditorium of IT managers at a Microsoft-sponsored conference in London.

The Windows Cloud OS is a separate project from the upcoming Windows 7. Sheesh, this fall is shaping up to be a real tech humdinger, what with Google making browsers and Microsoft making light operating systems especially for webapps. Would you be interested in running "Windows Cloud," or is a light XP (or, ahem, Linux) install with Firefox or Chrome good enough for you? Tell us what you think in the comments. Photo by allyaubry.

Microsoft will soon release 'Windows Cloud' OS, Ballmer says [Computerworld via Download Squad]

Best Media Converters? [Hive Five Call For Contenders]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/408649706/best-media-converters

Virtually every gadget you own is now capable of playing back music and videos—from your computer and phone to your MP3 player and video game console—but the problem is compatibility. Popular format X may play perfectly well on your computer, but it won't think about playing back on your iPod. Not long ago you needed to hunt down obscure command line tools or purchase specialized converters to get your file in the correct format, but today there are countless free tools available that can convert just about any piece of media to whatever format you need. For this week's Hive Five, we want you to share your favorite media converter—whether it runs on the web, desktop, or command line. Keep reading for more details and to nominate your favorite digital media converter.

Hive Five nominations take place in the comments, where you post your favorite tool for the job. We get hundreds of comments, so to make your nomination clear, please include it at the top of your comment like so: VOTE: Media Converter Goes Here. If you don't follow this format, we may not count your vote. To prevent tampering with the results, votes from first-time commenters may not be counted. After you've made your nomination, let us know what makes it stand out from the competition.

About the Hive Five: The Hive Five feature series asks readers to answer the most frequently asked question we get—"Which tool is the best?" Once a week we'll put out a call for contenders looking for the best solution to a certain problem, then YOU tell us your favorite tools to get the job done. Every weekend, we'll report back with the top five recommendations and give you a chance to vote on which is best. For an example, check out last week's Hive Five Best Sites to Stream TV.

Dealzmodo: $600 720P Planar Projector [Deals]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/409415331/dealzmodo-600-720p-planar-projector

In case you've had your eye out for a cheap, quality projector, this Planar PD 7130 over on Woot is a pretty nice deal. It features 900 lumens of brightness and an impressive 4500:1 contrast ratio through TI DarkChip tech. Hi def inputs include two component and one DVI, and its internal lamp is rated for 3000 hours (depending on use, of course). If you've wanted to see whether or not you could handle the whole projector lifestyle, this Planar seems like an inexpensive way to test the waters. [Woot]

Google's World-Saving Clean Energy Plan Costs $4.4 Trillion, Dramatically Shrinks Google's Power Bill [Google]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/409455874/googles-world+saving-clean-energy-plan-costs-44-trillion-dramatically-shrinks-googles-power-bill

Google, who in aggregate, effectively knows everything, unsurprisingly has a solution for our energy problems. The plan, called Clean Energy 2030 will cost $4.4 trillion over its 22-year span, if we start on it right now. Google says it'll give us back a net of $1 trillion, like half of which will be savings on Google's massive power bill notes the former Fake Steve.

None of the key points are radical, except for asking for a $4.4 trillion investment—90 percent of new cars electric by 2030, 45mpg average fuel efficiency, efficient electricity use to cut demand 33 percent, replacing all coal with renewable electricity. I was hoping for something more innovative and exciting, like Google Power, which would be in beta for 22 years. Cause if Google can't save the world, who can? [Google via Alley Insider]