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Slow Flash video on G4 PowerBook

Though it is nice to have fast computers, sometimes now and again you need to use an older model.

However I am finding more and more that my old G4 PowerBook just can’t cope with the new modern internet.

I already know that it isn’ capable of playing HD video like the Apple trailers, but I am also having issues with Flash video as in the BBC iPlayer and video clips on Amazon.

Now I and you both know that video is not the only reason to use the web (though I guess there are a few YouTube addicts out there who may think differently) I do find it frustrating when I am browsing the web and there is a video clip and I can’t watch it as my computer is too old.

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Blog back up and running…

The blog is back up and running after my hosting service moved their servers from the UK to Germany!

Apologies for those who were trying to access the blog.

We’re back…

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ITV chasing BBC on iTunes Store

Following the BBC, ITV are now putting TV shows on Apple’s iTunes Store.

Finally!

BBC reports

ITV is to make more than 260 hours of archive programmes available for sale on Apple’s iTunes store.

Brideshead Revisited, Cold Feet and puppet show Captain Scarlet are already available for download. Inspector Morse and The Saint are due later this year.

The Saint

I am pleased that both the BBC and ITV are finally selling TV shows in the iTunes Store.

Now all I need them to do, is sell HD versions.

Also would be nice if American shows were also made more widely available.

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Use WPA to protect your wireless network.

This video from the BBC’s Real Hustle gives you an idea why you should be using WPA to protect your wireless network.

A gang using easily available software break into a WEP protected wireless network and find out what a surfer has been up to as well as having access to his computer and his internet connection.

Though they have used a fair amount of dramatic licence, what they do (rather than how) is possible.

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Adobe launches a Media Player

After their success with Photoshop Express, we now see another web application from Adobe.

This is a media player application which works on the AIR platform.

Macrumors says about it:

In many ways, the Adobe Media Player mimics iTunes Video and Podcast functionality by providing users with an all-enclosed application that provides access to network shows and podcasts. Content is sparse at the moment, but Adobe has partnered with a number of content providers such as CBS, PBS, MTV and more. Unlike iTunes, however, Adobe’s Media Player is not presently a “store” and offers free and ad-supported content. Adobe, however, has said that it plans on adding payment systems later to offer purchase and rental options.

Certainly this looks like it could be a real alternative to iTunes for those looking for a way to play podcasts.

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iPlayer on the Wii, is it now the WiiPlayer?

Though the BBC may be having (heated) discussions with certain ISPs over the BBC iPlayer and has had issues with the iPlayer on the iPhone; it now appears that you will be able to use BBC iPlayer on your Nintendo Wii.

The BBC’s iPlayer video service will soon be available via the Nintendo Wii.

The video download and streaming service that lets people catch up with BBC programmes will soon be a channel on the hugely popular game console.

Early versions of the service will be available from 9 April but more polished software will be released as the service is developed.

You can already use the Wii with an internet service to access the internet, but certain sites such as BBC’s iPlayer have been unavailable until now.

This now means that you can watch some of the last seven days of BBC TV through your console. Yes you will need an internet connection (and a wireless connection at that) but you can use it to watch old TV.

Thanks to Whatleydude for coming up with the term WiiPlayer or that’s where I noticed it first.

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MacBook Pro issue resolved totally now I hope

In a previous blog posting I mentioned the problems here and here, I was having with my 802.11n WPA2 encrypted network and a MacBook Pro.

In the end what seemed to help was ensuring that Airport was at the top of the network configurations.

However even with that it still took the MacBook Pro some time after sleep to re-connect to my 802.11n Airport wireless network. Even then sometimes it failed to re-connect so I had to turn the Airport on the MacBook Pro off and back on again.

The MacBook Pro has now been upgraded to Leopard 10.5.2 and this does seem to have resolved the issue fully, with the MacBook Pro re-connecting to the wireless network immediately rather than after a minute or so.

Hopefully it will remain resolved and not happen again.

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Guten Tag

So there I was in Starbucks drinking a coffee and I thought to myself, oh I can use the T-Mobile hotspot. Before either I didn’t have a T-Mobile account or as happened before I didn’t have my username and password with me.

Well since I got a new LG Viewty I as part of my deal got free access at T-Mobile hotspots.

So I got connected without issue and started to surf, coffee on tap, I was good to go.

Cafe

However Google got really confused. For some reason it assumed (I guess from my IP address) that I was in Germany and defaulted to google.de over my preferred google.co.uk.

Of course T-Mobile has German origins, but even I was surprised that their hotspots in the UK in the American chain of Starbucks use a German IP address.

Photo source.