The WSJ has an article about how to get started blogging. A reader forwarded me the article via email. I saved it into my upstream folder. It worked. Hey he's using Manila for his weblog. That's very cool. [Scripting News]

This is interesting to me as I have been thinking about ways of sharing TV shows between friends recently. One of the big things I would love to be able to do is send a friend a show, or else have it either on me or accessible to me at a moment's notice.

Example:
Person 1: "Were you watching Discovery over the weekend?"
Person2: "No, what'd I miss?"
Person 1: "Aw man, they had this show on sea monsters, you'd have loved it!"
Person2: "Really? You have it handy?"
Person 1: "Sure, hold on" Pulls out device, selects show in question, hooks into entertainment system and BOOM their watching it.
Person2: "Amazing! Thanks for tagging that for me!"
Person 1: "No problem."

I want to be able to tape a show that I just missed, or caught the last five minutes of. Basically, I want video on demand, with a PBS like advertising interface on the shows that I choose to store locally. No ads for other programs, no commercial interruptions, just me and the show, and I can pause it when I want. I want to be able to take my shows with me, and send them to friends as well.

"But Ryan," you say, "just buy a Tivo." Yeah, Tivos are extremely cool, and I am planning on buying one soon, but I want something that I can take with me wherever I go, and show the program to anyone I want. 

While I could scratch build something, using the Bluetooth Pocket Server,  a video capture card, and a SAN/media server combo with some gigabit ethernet thrown in for good measure, I'd rather buy a functional package that does everything I want, so I don't have to trouble the whole shebang.

12:28:46 PM    

Updated Calligrapher speeds handwriting recognition [PDABuzz.com]

This piece of software lets the user write in cursive, block print, whatever they like. It also allows you to enter macros (scripts) and execute them by writing a word command and then drawing a circle around it.

Imagine being able to order a pizza, or make a reservation, or schedule a meeting all while on the road, without having to go through it step by step. Better yet, tie in your PDA with a GPS and your cell phone, and leave a trail of breadcrumbs. Or say your laptop (or car) gets stolen, activate the tracking system remotely, and you're good to go.

11:28:44 AM    

To Answer Kate Z's Question!. ieSpell - F**kin A Man.

"I urge any serious bloggers out there who haven't tried ieSpell yet to go over to www.iespell.com and do so.  Immediately!  The newest version now provides support for rich edit tools (like Radio's for instance) as well as AOL and other IE based browsers.  Worthy of a micro-donation for sure.

I'm going to suggest the possibility of user-defined short-cuts (or smart tags) to the author.  It seems like the perfect tool to provide all those cross-system, bloggers like myself a way to maintain a central list of shortcuts." [...useless miscellany]

[The Shifted Librarian]

I must install this to help me correct my spelling.

8:18:39 AM