http://homepage.mac.com/brooks_lt/iblog http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss vincitveritas@mac.com © Brooks Travis Sun, 27 Mar 2005 16:58:51 -0600 Sun, 27 Mar 2005 16:59:10 -0600 iBlog 1.4.1 http://homepage.mac.com/brooks_lt/iblog/C2023587655/E1050793458/index.html Vincit Veritas now has a new home on blogspot.com. All future posts will be made to this site, so be sure to change your bookmarks. All of my old posts will still be available on this site, with a link to this site from the new one. Thanks for the support, and I hope you enjoy the new Vincit Veritas. ]]> Sun, 27 Mar 2005 16:58:42 -0600 http://homepage.mac.com/brooks_lt/iblog/C2023587655/E1050793458/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/brooks_lt/iblog/C1324017479/E57520586/index.html For those of you out there lucky enough to be at Moscone Center in San Francisco this morning for Steve Jobs's keynote address, congratulations. You're likely going to be part of the biggest day in Mac history since the 1984 Super Bowl. This years expo looks to be the launching pad for numerous Apple and 3rd party products that will help Apple move into new market segments, increase revenues (and, potentially, profits), and continue to dominate the digital music world. Unfortunately, like many of us not fortunate enough to be there, I will have to wait to enjoy Steve's RDF until tonight, around 8pm CST, when the webcast of the event will become available. It's unfortunate that Apple hasn't at least provided a satellite feed of the event. Anyway, here's what I'm expecting to see as part of today's announcements:

1. Flash-based iPod, similar to mock-up provided around a month ago by TheMacMind.com.

2. Demo of OS X 10.4, Tiger, featuring never-before-seen features.

3. A sub-$600 system to replace the eMac in the low-end consumer and educations spaces, to directly compete with low-cost Windows® PCs.

4. A new version of iLife, iLife '05.

5. A new Apple productivity suite, featuring Keynote and a previously unseen word processing/spreadsheet application.

That's what I think we'll see, but here's what I hope to see (wishful thinking):

1. Some type of Apple-branded set-top box/Home Media Server. This could simply be a modified version of the low-cost machine mentioned above, with TV-in capabilities.

2. .Mac updates, including scheduling for the above-mentioned set-top box, as well as Dynamic DNS for computer to computer synching of files and web hosting.

3. Updated QuickTime TV service utilizing the new H.264/AVC codec to be debuted in Tiger.

4. And last but not least, the Powerbook G5 announced but not shipping until late spring. This is the most anticipated piece of Hardware from Apple, from my point of view, and an early peek and announced shipping date would allow people to make purchase plans instead of waiting in a holding pattern. Those who need a laptop now could go ahead and buy the G4 if they can't wait that long.

Well, that's it. I hope that I'm right about all the first four, and partially right about some of the others. I also hope that his Steveness has some surprises up his sleeve for us, as well. Here's hoping for an exciting day! ]]> Tue, 11 Jan 2005 07:50:29 -0600 http://homepage.mac.com/brooks_lt/iblog/C1324017479/E57520586/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/brooks_lt/iblog/C491334508/E1614561161/index.html As promised, here is my review of last night's Alias Season Four Premiere. As the detailed review will likely contain spoilers, I'll throw out my general thoughts here. Click "read more" for the full review. I thought this episode was an interesting reboot for the series. It reset many of the relationships and storylines that were taken in what many saw as the wrong direction last season, while at the same time adding new conflicts and new characters. I think it was an interesting balance of exposition and action that gets the show off to a good start for the season. I'm going to give it four stars out of five. Should be a good season. ]]> Thu, 06 Jan 2005 16:40:10 -0600 http://homepage.mac.com/brooks_lt/iblog/C491334508/E1614561161/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/brooks_lt/iblog/C491334508/E197111088/index.html Just wanted to remind everybody that season three of Alias starts tomorrow night on ABC, following the new hit series Lost, at 9pm ET/8pm CT here in the U.S. This will be a special two-hour episode, picking up right where season three left off. If you haven't seen the third season, then I recommend heading out to Amazon.com or your favorite Brick 'n Mortar store to pick up the DVD set (and support Vincit Veritas). I'll try to post a review of the premier tomorrow night. If not, check back on Thursday. Happy viewing. ]]> Tue, 04 Jan 2005 20:16:59 -0600 http://homepage.mac.com/brooks_lt/iblog/C491334508/E197111088/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/brooks_lt/iblog/C2023587655/E1540826740/index.html Hello, everyone. I hope that all of you had a safe and happy holiday with your families, and my heart and prayers go out to any of you affected in some way by the tragedy that struck South Asia on the 26th of December. If some of you haven't heard yet, a giant Tsunami (aka Tidal Wave), spawned by a 8.9 magnitude undersea earthquake, devestated many countries in the Indian Ocean the day after Christmas, killing over 100,000 people, with many thousands still unaccounted for. Clean-up and re-building efforts will cost into the billions of dollars, so any financial assistance you can provide will be much appreciated, I know. To help facilitate your giving, I have added a Amazon Honor System and an iTunes Music Store link for direct (100%) donations to the U.S. Red Cross to the navigation area of my site, as well as a Link to Apple's "Give" site, where you can find links to a number of other relief organizations. 100% of the money donated through these links will go to the Red Cross, I will receive none of it. Hopefully, we can all do our part to assist the thousands of people affected by this disaster. Good day, everybody, and God Bless. ]]> Tue, 04 Jan 2005 17:21:26 -0600 http://homepage.mac.com/brooks_lt/iblog/C2023587655/E1540826740/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/brooks_lt/iblog/C662543408/E1399089184/index.html Just a little tidbit I thought some of you might find interesting. This is from a CNN.com article.

In Kirksville, Missouri, someone donated a gold coin that was minted 20 years before the Civil War, worth nearly $1,000.

That's my neck of the woods, so I thought it was cool. Click here to read the entire article. ]]> Sun, 19 Dec 2004 12:50:23 -0600 http://homepage.mac.com/brooks_lt/iblog/C662543408/E1399089184/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/brooks_lt/iblog/C2023587655/E1138048340/index.html Some of you may have noticed the recent addition of a PayPal button to this site's navigation bar. I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you why it's there. My hope is that if you enjoy the content that you see on this site, and you want to make sure that I can keep publishing more, that you'll make a small (or large) pecuniary contribution. My goals for this site are fairly ambitious, but first, I need to move it to a new hosting service and switch over from iBlog to something a bit more dynamic, but those things all take money, and right now, funds are tight. My wife and I just moved into a new apartment, and she's going to be student teaching in the spring (i.e. no work). I'm also planning a re-design of the site, to something a bit more appealing to the eye. I happen to like the current look, but it could use a little tweaking. And I'd also like to make it pure XHTML and CSS, ridding it of the tables that templates in iBlog use for layout. So, if you'd like to help me out, feel free click on the PayPal button in the "Powered by" section of my navigation bar. In the mean time, Happy Holidays, everybody! ]]> Sun, 19 Dec 2004 12:13:51 -0600 http://homepage.mac.com/brooks_lt/iblog/C2023587655/E1138048340/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/brooks_lt/iblog/C1324017479/E916202716/index.html Well, I recently had plans to purchase a friend's slightly-used ReplayTV, but they fell through at the last minute when his wife put a kibosh on the idea. Now, I find myself with the desire for a Personal Video Recorder, but no reasonable purchase options in sight. One of the features that I have to have is the ability to download program guides over a broadband connection, as I do not have a landline phone, so TiVo is out, for me. That leaves me with the choice of a ReplayTV (Preferably a 50xx series) or building my own. I'd like to have at least 160 hours of recording time on whatever I end up with, but to get that out of a Replay, it will cost me about $450, and that doesn't include a $13 monthly subscription or $299 "Lifetime" fee (only good for the lifetime of that particular unit). If I build my own, I could probably do it for just about the same money (minus subscription), but at the added cost of my time and energy to build and configure the machine. Also, I have no real idea of where to start such a project. There are a few sites out there dedicated to this topic, but none, yet, that I've found, that really give you a set of specific parts and instructions on how to put them together. I'm currently considering a Via mini-itx motherboard , Hauppauge WinTV-PVR 250/350, and MythTV software running on either RedHat or Fedora. I'm also open to using a Micro ATX motherboard with an AMD Athlon XP processor. I just want to stay away from Intel, if I can. If anyone has any suggestions--motherboard, processor, encoder/tuner cards, cases, software, set-up, etc.--I'd be happy to hear them. Keep in mind, though, that I DO NOT want any Windows®-based solutions, so stick to Linux/Unix. Hope to hear from some of you soon. Thanks. ]]> Sat, 11 Dec 2004 18:43:09 -0600 http://homepage.mac.com/brooks_lt/iblog/C1324017479/E916202716/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/brooks_lt/iblog/C2023587655/E913863939/index.html Hello, everyone. I just wanted to offer you a little update on one of the recent changes to the site that you may have noticed. In an effort to supply some supplementary income, thereby giving myself more time to devote to this site, I have joined the Linkshare Referral Program. As of right now, I don't plan to use any banner advertisements, relying on text or small image links. There will be persistent links in the navigation area, and links to particular items or collections in future posts. I will also be looking to join the Amazon affiliate program, so expect to see links to some of my favorite DVDs, books, and movies, along with reviews of said items. I appreciate any support that you can offer. Have a good day, everybody. ]]> Fri, 10 Dec 2004 08:30:24 -0600 http://homepage.mac.com/brooks_lt/iblog/C2023587655/E913863939/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/brooks_lt/iblog/C662543408/E525465514/index.html Yes! I have finally received some feedback from someone who is not a relative! Our lucky winner is M. Douglas Wray of macwebguru.com. What does he win? A chance to have his response published here! So, here you go... ]]> Wed, 08 Dec 2004 01:06:43 -0600 http://homepage.mac.com/brooks_lt/iblog/C662543408/E525465514/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/brooks_lt/iblog/C662543408/E312768358/index.html I know that people all over the country are pointing fingers, taking credit, and generally trying to come to a conclusion as to why the 2004 election turned out the way it has. Some blame disenfranchisement, some point to high right-wing evangelical Christians finally coming out in force for Bush. I have a very simple answer for why Kerry lost, why this country finds itself forced to endure another four years of lies, damn lies and...well...lies -- YOUNG PEOPLE DIDN'T VOTE! The most glaring of all the statistics that I saw this morning, was that only 17% of people ages 18-29 voted yesterday? What happened to the armies of college students that were supposed to be turning out for Kerry-Edwards? I did my part, did you do yours? Young people, age 18-29, are one of the largest demographic groups in the United States today, and according to polls leading up to the election, this group was braking for Kerry at a ratio of 2:1. As a comparison, the group with the highest turnout, voters over 50, runs somewhere in the range of 65-85% turnout every election. If you were a politician, who would you pay more attention to?

There's really no good reason for this type of PATHETIC voter turnout in our age group, people. We're just as informed as the general populace, if not more so. We're more technologically engaged, giving us access to a much broader amount of information and more avenues to exercise our influence. If we choose not to take advantage of the opportunities that have been laid before us, then we deserve what we get. If there's a draft next year, or two years from now, or even three, I don't want to hear anyone that didn't vote yesterday complaining about it. You had your chance, so zip it and remember to vote next time. It's really amazing to me, that we spend our entire childhood trying to find ways to keep our parents from telling us what to do, but when given the opportunity exercise our newly-found adult authority over our own lives, we leave all the power in the hands of our mothers, fathers, grandmothers, and grandfathers. I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound like a world I want to live in, and neither should you. That's my message for today, and I hope to see ALL eligible 18-29 year olds at the polls in 2006 to take back the Senate and House, and then in 2008 to put a Democrat back in the White House. We can have the kind of world we want, but we have to take action, not sit around with our thumbs up our ... nevermind, you get the idea. ]]> Wed, 03 Nov 2004 21:14:45 -0600 http://homepage.mac.com/brooks_lt/iblog/C662543408/E312768358/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/brooks_lt/iblog/C662543408/E2007647689/index.html Vice Presidential candidate Sen. John Edwards visited Springfield, Missouri and Southwest Missouri State University last night, where he was greeted by approximately 10,000 supporters. He used the appearance to tell supporters and others in the region about how John Kerry and he would help make the lives of middle-class Missourians better by creating more and better jobs, providing for affordable health care, and properly funding federal education initiatives. He also touched on their plan to insure that no American working full time would ever have to live in poverty, starting with raising the federal minimum wage and insuring that people receive overtime pay for overtime work. Keep reading for more of my views on the appearance. ]]> Mon, 16 Aug 2004 07:54:59 -0500 http://homepage.mac.com/brooks_lt/iblog/C662543408/E2007647689/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/brooks_lt/iblog/C2023587655/E149268543/index.html Well, I think this is going to be the new title for my blog. For those of you out there who don't read Latin, this title translates as Truth Conquers. I may be migrating from iBlog to Blosxom or Movable Type as time, server space, and money allows, but I thought I'd give you the heads-up. ]]> Fri, 30 Jul 2004 17:17:58 -0500 http://homepage.mac.com/brooks_lt/iblog/C2023587655/E149268543/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/brooks_lt/iblog/C2023587655/E1317861682/index.html I just wanted to throw this little heads up out to everyone who reads this blog. I will be updating the graphical layout and general appearance of this site as the summer progresses, and hope to have everything up and running by the time school starts back in the fall. ITMT, I am looking for a new name for this site, and welcome any suggestions you might have. Simply drop me an e-mail with your suggestions. Have a good day, everyone. ]]> Tue, 15 Jun 2004 15:09:23 -0500 http://homepage.mac.com/brooks_lt/iblog/C2023587655/E1317861682/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/brooks_lt/iblog/C1324017479/E1732630275/index.html "These Windows users are sick. Sick, I tell you! Mentally ill. Want proof? Okay, but keep in mind that this gets eerie, proceed at your own risk:.."

I was poking around the web tonight, and I ran across this article over at MacDailyNews.com and thought some of you might appreciate. I know that it has helped me explain the actions of computer services at my university, SMSU. I'm thinking about printing out some copies and sending it to them; I'll let you know how that goes if I decide to do it. In the meantime, take a look at this excerpt and then go on over and check it out. ]]> Sun, 01 Feb 2004 23:41:23 -0600 http://homepage.mac.com/brooks_lt/iblog/C1324017479/E1732630275/index.html