Random musings...

It seems sad to me that I have this silly blog and haven't posted a darn thing in more months than I care to count. Lots of things have been on my mind lately, so here are a few.

Boxee rocks my socks. Do you like watching videos from online sites like hulu, joost, or Youtube? Do you ever miss your fav TV show and go watch it the next day on the network's website? Ever wish you could transfer all that video goodness to your TV so you could watch it on the couch, instead of hunched in front of your computer? This program is for you (granted, that's a small slice of society, most likely, but still).

Boxee is software you can install on your computer that allows you easy access to all the scattered content mentioned above. Wanna watch an episode of Lost? Type it in, and Boxee will find sites that have it, and allow you to play it right there from the program's interface. It also connects to internet radio, Netflix streaming, and lots of other stuff. Best part--FREEEEEE!

So you're saying "but Rob, that doesn't help me unless I can hook up my computer to the TV, and that's just a pain!" Well....true. But not for long! This summer the Boxee company is releasing a set-top box that will do all of the above, just by connecting to your home wireless network. It's starting out a little steep ($199), but still cheaper than building a 2nd PC to hook up to the television. So that's one thing I'm excited about. My HTPC is rockin' Boxee and I'm loving it. :)

Stuff You Missed in History Class has become a minor addiction for me lately too. This is a podcast from the website HowStuffWorks.com, and each episode is dedicated to a different historical event/person/place. Often, they address historical questions, like "Did Betsy Ross really sew the first American flag?" Having a BA in History, I quite enjoy it and it gets me thinking. Even if you're not into history, the website has articles about just about everything--so go get yer' learn on and have some fun. In the meantime I'll be working my way through about 150 back episodes of the podcast (while trying to pretend I can quit my habit any time I want to).

I also finally learned how to set up a dual boot operating system on my laptop--that took about a week of headaches, but it's finally done. 'Nuff said.

And I am loving Pandora Radio. It's a free internet application that works like this: you sign up (free), and to create a personalized "station" for yourself, you put in the name of a band you like. The new station will then start playing songs by that band as well as contemporary bands from that genre. I punched in Information Society the first time I tried it and got a slough of awesome 80's synth-pop. That was on my iPhone. I tried it on my laptop the other night, and was pleasantly surprised to find my stations had been saved to my login account, and popped right up. More classic 80's musical goodness ensued. Good times for me and my modern equivalent of those big silver "boom boxes" the breakdancers used to carry around :D

I've also developed a mild addiction to slickdeals.net and fatwallet.com. I've found so many cool things for super cheap (and even some for free), that I started checking the sites every day. Despite the fact I've probably bought a lot of junk I didn't need to, it's very fun and satisfying to get great deals on stuff you wanted anyway.

So those are a few of the things occupying my brain at the moment. That and the massive brain-imploding wonder that is the final season of LOST...

Anyway, whomever is reading--have a great few months until I feel guilty enough to post on here again.