November 2004 Archives

My neighbor and I were just talking about this (Tivo Will No Longer Skip Past Advertisers) the other night and what it means for us Tivo users.

By March, TiVo viewers will see "billboards," or small logos, popping up over TV commercials as they fast-forward through them, offering contest entries, giveaways or links to other ads. If a viewer "opts in" to the ad, their contact information will be downloaded to that advertiser -- exclusively and by permission only -- so even more direct marketing can take place.

Personally I am a little pissed off that not only did I buy the appliance and pay the $4.99 monthly service fee, but now I am going to be forced to watch advertising that I want to avoid in the first place. As soon as I can find a competitive dual tuner system for my DirecTV I will definitely be exploring my options. Anyways, fast forward to today (See: Interesting study on fast-forwarding | PVRblog)...

CBS is about to release a study showing that DVR users have better retention of commercial messages than people viewing ads at regular speed. They claim a recall rate of 23% for DVR fast forwarders, but don't mention what lower rate regular TV folks recall ads at. It's kind of weird on the surface, but makes sense for a few reasons. One is that people using FF are concentrating at 100%, waiting to see the show come back so they can stop, while most folks stuck in 30-second ad jail can let their mind wander or take off to the kitchen for other things. Ads also have a tendency to repeat often (repeat often...often...), and I know when I'm watching shows I can spot that same damn weight loss pill ad for serious dieters and that same ad for Chili's that comes on at each break. I also suspect we're used to decades of ads displaying images at a certain rate and a certain pace, and I wouldn't be surprised if a psychologist would say the super quick cuts seen during FF would be more jarring and memorable in the end.

Obviously we will have to wait and see just what Tivo has in mind, but because the Networks aren't getting a cut from Tivo for the advertisements, and Tivo will in effect be doing what Gator was sued (and lost) for doing it will be interesting to see how this one plays out.

If you have ever worked on a Solaris server at some point you have unplugged the keyboard or powered off a connected console when the system key was not in secure mode. What happens when you do this? The system drops to an "ok" prompt, and much fun ensues. Of course you can prevent this by putting the system key in secure mode, you can also uncomment the KEYBOARD_ABORT=disable line in /etc/default/kbd and apply the changes by running the kbd -i command.

I keep a pretty close eye on my accounts via online banking. It helps be keep track of my cash flow and spending patterns. This morning after I signed onto my business checking account I noticed something a little odd; a $1,659.33 charge to Office Depot #965 in Encinitas CA. Needless to say I didn't spend $1,659.33 at Office Depot, nor did I do it in Encinitas. Further inspection of the account shows a whole slew of charges from Los Angeles to San Diego and back. Total so far $1,869.95 - and because Wells Fargo posts a day behind and yesterday was a holiday it will probably turn out to be much more. So what did I do wrong? Nothing. If you have a credit card and use it, sooner or later this will happen to you. Any time you hand your card to a person at a restaurant, but it in an ATM machine, or use it online, there is a possibility that this can happen. Stay on top of your statements, use online banking if you have it available, and keep your receipts. Oh and if you are one of the lucky people that have your card stolen, immediately call and cancel the card, declare the items as fraud, and fill out a police report. Don't forget to update any automatic payments that you have that are using the card number. And of course, pay extra special attention to your credit reports.

It seems that every time I need to make a crossover cable I can't remember the correct pinouts. If you are like me, and only make a cable once in a blue moon this diagram is for you. Straight Through (aka normal) Crossover Or this diagram is just for me so I can find it easier in the future.

A few days ago I ranted about companies compiling information on you without your knowledge (See: Tivo is Spying on You). Unfortunately here is yet another example... See Retailers turning to databases to rein in customer returns

As the holiday shopping season gets into full swing, a number of major retailers -- including KB Toys and Sports Authority, according to store personnel -- are rolling out electronic systems that weigh the number of returns and exchanges a person has made, the dollar value of the items, and the dates of the transactions to decide whether a consumer should be granted another. The systems are designed to catch shoplifters and those who "wardrobe, " wearing clothes and then returning them for a full refund.

See Microsoft Offers to License the Internet on Slashdot

"According to an eWeek (Is Microsoft Ready to Assert IP Rights over the Internet?) story Microsoft is beginning to assert IP rights over 130 protocols including many basic Internet protocols including TCP/IP, DNS, etc. The story originates with a mailing list post to the IETF's IPR list."

In the words of Glenn Peterson:

Glenn Peterson, an IP attorney and shareholder with Sacramento-based law firm McDonough Holland & Allen, agreed with Blunk "It is not clear to what degree, if any, that Microsoft has enforceable intellectual property rights in the 130 protocols identified in the so-called 'royalty-free' license agreement." "Thus, by signing the agreement as it presently stands, one might be agreeing to certain things gratuitously, meaning simply that the licensee agrees to give Microsoft continuing control over how the protocols are used," Peterson said. "Among other things, the agreement gives Microsoft ongoing control over enhancements and updates, including the right to charge a license for them in the future."

See: Ask Bjoern Hansen: Green Netflix Envelopes? It's funny, I was talking this up to my friends asking them if they received the new envelopes yet thinking that it was just a new marketing campaign by Netflix. When I showed Christina last night she responds "Oh, it's probably for Shrek". And sure enough, when you bother to turn the envelop over, there is a big picture of the guy.

Yes it's true, every time your Tivo connects to their system to download the channel guides it in turn uploads your viewing habits back to them. Don't believe me? Check out their latest press release: Tivo Season Pass Hot 100. Or maybe you remember the Nipplegate saga? "Wardrobe Malfunction" Most Replayed Moment TiVo Has Ever Measured. Obviously this is some incredibly valuable information. With a sampling size much larger than the Nielsen Media Research, TV networks should be crawling all over Tivo for statistics and data feeds. My concern is how long will this data be truly private. Take the grocery store club card for example. It was almost a matter of time before the information collected was used for nefarious uses (See: Getting to know all about you - a real story where a man suing a grocery store was threatened with the release of his shopping habits to discredit him). Sooner or later there were be a custody case where one party will use the data collected by Tivo to argue that the other parent is unfit because of the viewing habits in their household.