Update: New York Times Electronic Edition

The Times is offering much more competitive rates for the Electronic Edition now. A one year electronic subscription (7 days a week) is $150.00, which is 75% LESS than the home delivery rate.

If you don't plan on reading the weekend issues, then you should get a Monday-Friday subscription because it brings the price down to just $75.00 a year, which is really good for a daily newspaper like the times.

New York Times: Electronic Delivery

I have heard about NY Times' electronic edition for awhile now, but I never really got around to checking it out until today. You can try it out for free. Register and download today's entire NY Times issue for free.

I. What is the Electronic Edition

Obviously the NY Times is a daily newpaper that anyone serious about current events should be interested in reading. But buying the print edition is cumbersome. If you get it at a newsstand, you actually need to make the trip each day to pick it up. I used to get home delivery in high school, but I hated it because the delivery would never be on time, so I would be at school the entire day without seeing the paper.

Now, in the interest of "going paperless," the Times has basically scanned their entire paper and made it available for a daily download. You can read every page at your desktop at home, on a notebook or at work.

II. Installation and Downloads

In order to use the electronic edition of the Times, you will need to first register at NY Times' site: http://homedelivery.nytimes.com/HDS/Transition.do?mode=EE&ExternalMediaCode=N22AA. You choose a username and password (be sure to uncheck the boxes for getting advertisements and special offers). Next, you need to download required software, called NewsStand. Installation was a breeze. It took me five minutes to set everything up.

III. Usage and Features

NewsStand is your portal to the electronic edition of the Times. You simply click the "download" button and an issue of the Times will begin to load as you read it. For those of you worred about not having a constant internet connection, you have the option of downloading the entire issue of the Times at once. This is a much better option in general. An entire issue is generally about 45MB to download, which is remarkably compact for an entire newspaper.

The software is very functional. The pages and the user interface are similar to Adobe Acrobat, which I think is sort of clunky, but all-in-all, very strong. NewsStand allows you to zoom in on any page, making every article razor sharp and easy to read. You can drag your mouse to pull the page in any direction. In addition, you can use the "Pen" tool to mark up articles, though I thik this is kind of useless unless you have a tablet pc with a stylus.

One of the better features is the ability to search for any word. Since the paper is not just an image, but recognized text, you can enter in any search term and find it. For example, I can search for "Rwanda" or "Stem Cells" or "Reverse Engineering" and find anything related to those terms. This is a great leap forward from paging through the print edition.

Other options include the ability to print out articles and send an email to a friend or colleague with a link to download the article. However, I have not figured out how to get this send feature to work.

IV. Price

This is my main sticking point. Each edition is roughly $0.65 a day, though the Times is currently offering 6 weeks of issues for the price of 4. For those of you who purchase the print edition or get home delivery, this might be a lot of savings. Currently, home delivery 7 days a week is roughly $0.82 a day, so this adds up over the year.

Nevertheless, I still think the price is steep for a product that they can reproduce with ease. They have no printing costs or expenses for distribution. All they really have to pay is probably a license fee for the software as well as bandwith for sending out these files. Needless to say, I'm still undecided about buying a long-term subscription.

V. Conclusion

What's the advantage of electronic delivery? No wasted paper, ease of downloads, ability to zoom in, very sharp and clear text resolution as well as various tools for searching and commenting on articles.

Nevertheless, there is something you miss out on from not having the print edition. First, people love to carry the Times because -- regardless of whether they read it or not -- it makes them feel smart. Second, having the print edition is great if you read the paper during a commute, which makes whipping out a laptop to read an online version a problem if you want to save battery life or are uncomfortable with using a notebook in a crowded public place.

Though the media and the bundled software for the Times are relatively well-designed, they don't come without their drawbacks, mainly the steep daily price.

For more information, to sign up for a free trial, or to take a quick tour, see: http://homedelivery.nytimes.com/HDS/Transition.do?mode=EE&ExternalMediaCode=N22AA.

Spreading the Love

I've been thinking it over the past few weeks and I've decided that the woman on the Honey Bunches of Oats commercial -- the one who is driving around the country in a hairnet claiming that the cereal is a "mouthful of joy" -- has won over my heart. She's a version of the Snapple-lady that I don't want to smack around.

In a close second is the gentlemen who gives away Dannon Frusion smoothies on the street corner and sings, "Trade in your breakfast for a Dannon Frusion Smoothie." I love that guy! It's too bad, however, that Dannon Frusion smoothies don't taste very good . . .

Who I hate? The Chubsy and David Spade combo from the CapitalOne commercials. What a terrible ad campaign.

Hooray Norman Chad

It's amazing how much Norman Chad's voice and personality have won me over in such a short time. I had never heard Chad's voice prior to the 2004 World Series of Poker, which he transforms into riveting television with wonderful off-color jokes about his ex-wife.

Now Chad has upped the ante. He showed up on ESPN's Pardon the Interruption alongside Tony Kornheiser. These two are the same person! Granted Mike Wilbon offers better balance

Long live Norman Chad! . . . ( and down with Stephen A. Smith, whose unbearability got him his own show on ESPN2)

(and while i'm at it, down with the following announcers, commentators, analysts, and/or writers: Deion Sanders, Bill Walton, Terry Bradshaw, Magic Johnson and Tony Reali).

The Schematic

For any computer enthusiasts out there, enjoy the following diagram of my workstation. Click on the image for an enlarged view.

The Greatest Match Half of Us Saw

So for those of you who don't follow tennis, the U.S. Open is in its second week. I rushed home Wednesday night to catch the James Blake/Andre Agassi match, which was supposed to be spectacular.

The match entered the fifth set and suddenly the USA Network dropped coverage of the match! What did I get to see? A terrible repeat of Law and Order!

The weirdest part is that the commentators announced this coverage change ten minutes prior: "For those of you on the East coast, our coverage is coming to an end. You can switch to CBS. All of you on the West coast can still stay tuned right here." So, being the idiot I am, I believed them. Ten mintues later the coverage ended in the middle of the point. I switched to CBS, nothing but a reality show. No recourse.

No fifth set. No thrilling come from behind victory from 2 sets down with an 8-6 tiebreaker, which ESPN is calling "epic" and reminiscent of an old-school Jimmy Connors match.

I would think that a national network would understand the concept of time zones by now. This is an absolute debacle.

Prime Time Hope

Apart from Charlie Rose, American Chopper and Family Guy, it's slim pickings lately on the box. But two series stand out and warrant honorable mention:

First is the series Rescue Me, created by, written by and starring Denis Leary. The show, now completing its second season, is about the FDNY. However, the show successfully avoids the standard pitfalls of post-9/11 jingoism. Leary has crafted a fantastically flawed character. This show is on during the summer, and the season finale is on Tuesday, September 13 at 10:00pm on the FX Network.

Second is the underrated sitcom Two and a Half Men, starring Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer and Angus Jones. Despite the atrocious title, the show has surprisingly refreshing writing. In particular is the writer's willingness to give Angus Jones -- who plays a pre-teen son of divorced parents -- not only good lines, but also an adult personality. This show is on Mondays at 9:00pm on CBS.

Katrina Information Map

I came across an extremely helpful site for anyone (1) directly affected by Hurricane Katrina or (2) anyone interested in seeing the intersection of technology and aid efforts.

It is called the Katrina Information Map (found at http://www.scipionus.com/). It basically uses a Google Maps engine (don't ask me if that's legal or not) and allows users to zoom into their neighborhoods and post messages.

Though it's sad to see the number of messages from people looking for missing family members, this is counterbalanced by the number of messages from residents notifying others that they are okay.

This is an ingenious use of existing technology. It is almost as impressive as the Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) they used at Ground Zero to give firefighters a better damage assessment as well as a way to orient themselves as they made their way through the wreckage. What sets the Katrina Information Map apart in my mind is that it is based entirely on input from end-users helping themselves, which (fortunately and unfortunately) seems to be a common theme during this last week.

Excessive Treatment

Just had a visit to the dentist and she recommended a wisdom-tooth extraction:

Q: Well, Dr., is the tooth coming in crooked?

A: No.

Q: Is it affecting a nearby tooth?

A: No.

Q: Is it infected?

A: No. But I suppose later on it could get infected.

I swear this dentist jammed that dental pick into two of my fillings harder than usual, only to break apart a portion of the filling. And now she's recommended that I get two new fillings. Both of my pre-existing fillings were mercury-based (amalgam), and what do you know, now have white-colored fillings!

For some reason, dentists are no longer happy cleaning our teeth and keeping them healthy. Instead they insist on railroading us with teeth whitening, replacement filling procedures, 20-plus x-rays and uneccessary extractions.

You bastards.

Freshly-Cut: Albums of the Month

(August 2005)

Note: I've gotten comments from a handful of people that my selections each month are a little old and outdated. So, as a disclaimer, I'll say that these are the albums I have listened to this month, meaning they are not necessarily new albums, just good ones.

1. Feist / "Let it Die"
2. Elliot Smith / "Elliot Smith"
3. Super Furry Animals / "Love Kraft"
4. The Walkmen / "Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me is Gone"
5. Stone Temple Pilots / "Purple"

Pepsi Surprises

Listen up future advertising executives of America. Here's your formula for success:

Two chickens + sumo-wrestling for no reason at all = Good times

The Black Eyed Peas . . . Suck.

Every so often I come across a musical act that I am sure people will make fun of years from now. But very seldom does a group come along that is so unbelievably tacky that it mystifies me why people aren't already making fun of them. So, I figured I'd do a public service and get the ball rolling.

Can you say "Village People of the 21st century?"

Here we have two band members harassing a Best-Buy employee who is not only trying to commute home, but who is also apparently attempting to hold back laughter.

I'm speechless.

Hauppauge WinTV PVR

TV tuners and Personal Video Recorders ("PVRs") are not exactly common. A TV tuner allows a user to watch TV on a computer whereas a PVR allow a user to pause and record television just like a TiVo. Whether you have a notebook or a desktop, these products offer great options for specific users like college students, who lug around a television every time they move. Some people with smaller work offices or bedrooms might need a TV tuner as well. The other great bonus is having a home-made "TiVo" without paying a monthly fee. Pause live television, have instant replays, and record as much as you want.

Sounds great, but there are some drawbacks.

I. Brand and Hardware

The biggest choice to make when purchasing a Tuner/PVR is picking a manufacturer. Although ATI and nVIDIA are making inroads into this market, Hauppauge has been the dominant player for quite some time in this niche market (much like the way Matrox has dominated the multi-monitor market). These cards are all available online and bigger retailers like BestBuy will have a few models laying around.

Once you pick a manufacturer, the next question is if you want a PVR/Tuner that is internal or external. The answer pivots mostly on whether you have a notebook or a desktop. Internal versions are PCI-based while externals almost always use USB 1.0 or 2.0 depending on how new the Tuner/PVR is. That I have not seen a FireWire-based external PVR/Tuner does not mean it doesn't exist.

Internal cards are faster; the channel will change very quickly and there's "less" lag when you hit the record button. External TV tuners, on the other hand, tax USB bandwith and use more system resources. Nevertheless, USB 2.0 is a fantastic option for notebook users. You might think it's silly to watch TV on your notebook, but if you've seen some of these insane widescreen notebooks lately, they have considerably better image quality than a small crappy cube television college students insist on buying. And, of course, an external TV tuner is not really all that big [about the size of a router], so you can drag it along with you somewhere if you want.

II. Features

Hauppauge offers a line of PVRs, which can be found at http://www.hauppauge.com/pages/prods_pvrs.html. As a bonus, Hauppauge's cards also have built in FM tuners, so you can listen to your local FM stations on your computer. I can't say this is really that great of a feature becuase I hardly use the FM tuner. But if it comes with the hardware, I'll take it.

Hauppauge's WinTV PVR has a hardware MPEG encoder, which instead of tying up your CPU in processing video, frees up your computer and does most of the work on its own. This not only allows you to keep using your computer as usual, but also helps video from becoming jerky or losing frames as you record.

As for image and recording quality, I can't say I am all that impressed. As you can see from the screen shot above, the video looks a bit murky (though this depends heavily on the quality of TV signal). I think all of the interference from other cables plugged into my computer have something to do with the picture looking a bit fuzzy at times.

Pausing live television is hit or miss sometimes. There are plenty of options for choosing the quality of recording you want so that you don't fill up your hard drive recording one movie. While Hauppauge touts that you can easily burn your recorded video to VCD, the process is time consuming and riddled with formatting and processing problems including not limited to (1.) chirpy audio (2.) audio-video not syncing properly (3.) grainy video and (4.) lost/frozen frames.

Apart from recording video (and using it as a way to archive video), I thinkWinTV works very well in terms of pausing live television. This feature is invaluable whenever I had night classes or had to step out during a favorite primetime show. I just hit pause and (ten seconds later) it will freeze the channel. Whenever I come back, I hit play and I can watch. The video quality is more than watchable, but in comparison to a standard TV and VCR or a set-top PVR, you can't compare.

III. Bundled Software versus Third-Party Software

One of the things I hate about WinTV is how it is rather moody when it comes to resizing the window in WindowsXP. As some of you may know, standard TV signals are 640 x 480 resolution. Compare that to modern day computer displays that average 1280 x 1024, and you will see a pretty small TV window. For some reason, older versions of WinTV allowed users to easily resize windows, but the new PVRs do not. So if you keep stretching the window, the video will stop growing and you'll start to see black bars, which stinks.

As a fix, I have found fantastic third-party software called DScaler, which is availabe for free at http://deinterlace.sourceforge.net. This allows you to resize the window to whatever size you want. DScaler is compatible with a lot of different cards, though it does not have a lot of the bell and whistles found in the bundled software. Here's what my desktop looks like when I have the TV running. Note how I get rid of all the controls, so that I can just see the television screen (you can control the TV with simple, very intuitive keyboard commands).

IV. Conclusion

I love watching TV sitting in front of my computer. Having CNN muted on my desktop while I study or do legal research always helps me stay up to date. I highly recommend getting a basic TV tuner.

But as for getting a PVR, I think the technology is still too unreliable for it to replace a good VCR or a set-top PVR like a TiVo. I would not recommend WinTV for people who want to use it as a way to archive their video and store it for good.

ESPN's "The Ultimate Highlight"

How is it that ESPN manages to butcher amazing sports plays with its "Ultimate Highlight"? For some reason, the producers think:

1. Zooming in on all of the clips so that you can't see what's happening makes it "interesting"
2. Shaking the camera makes it "fun"
3. Blaring guitar music makes it "hip"
4. Five simultaneous video overlays make it "modern"
5. Poorly-timed transitions make it "suspenseful"

Yet another chapter in SportCenter's inevitable decline . . .