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