If you missed the video, you can find it on Usenet, via BitTorrent and YouTube on the web. It is also being repeated on Al Jazeera several times.

Makes me wonder whether it’s the best time for me to put myself out there?

- Original air date: Saturday, June 14, 2008
- Channel: Al Jazeera (English)

Al Jazeera is available on satellite and online via Zattoo

They should take a lesson from the much hyped, and quickly ceased, 3G broadcasting idea from years ago. The main reason for it failing was that people really didn’t much appreciate the idea of ruining their eye sight by staring at something the size of a post-it note (in the best cases).

DVB-H is the same thing but for free (like 3UK tried after there were no takers). Unless you can plug-in some kind of 3D goggles or have a projector, it won’t fly. Even on an iPhone or similar sized device, it’s not much fun. It will be a novelty at best and a complete waste of marketing euros in the worst case.

The future really is bright, if not with a slight orange glow. Want to play the latest game? Watch the latest movie? Listen to the coolest tracks? But are too fat to nip down to the shops? Fear not, just download it straight to your computer and save more than calories! But then there’s the catch…

All but a very few of those brave new online download retailers offer their goods to non-USA citizens. iTunes music store being one thorn in my eye. But there are others. Check out the all new BitTorrent.com site, now with fancy music and video downloads. But it’s for USA folk only

I understand it’s because of rights issues and licensing. To be honest I think it’s because US companies simply don’t care too much for markets outside their homeland. To be fair, there are new download services – like musicload.de in Germany for example – outside the US of A but they only carry crappy old content and it always lacks the original language or quality.

While we are on the topic of downloading legal content (for a change), what’s up with the whole numbers anyway? AACS used stupid software to protect their goods, serves them right. It’s comparable to a careless shop owner who sleeps at his desk only to discover people freeloading on his merchandise, and complaining about it. How do you want to sue over 700,000 16 year old PFY’s across the world?

Until those large corporations realize that they are about 100 years behind the times and that we live in a truly global village, i doubt that people will stop damaging their bottom lines (no pun intended).

When I was little I instinctively knew what I had to do and whether it was right or wrong. Even growing into adulthood I kept this child-like attitude and naiveté, and it was good because although it got me into a lot of trouble it made me go further then I normally would have. Be free to dream and just go on trying to live that dream.

Then something changed. I could bore you with details but the back-story shall be reserved for those who venture into my path

Reading Anmol’s post changed something small and although I could feel the tickles, I didn’t know what would happen. While surfing, looking for certain pictures to entertain a slow weekday evening, I came across something that turned out to be something more than I bargained for.

That’s when I found Toxy (aka Val) a model, artist and entrepreneur from Canada. She’s a character, a “type” of person that interests me because she’s doing something I’m not but aspire to do. She’s living her dreams. She’s re-creating the images in her head with the help of her photographer and videographer friends like Imunme.

The best word I find to describe her art is “noire”. Like film noire or those really dark and artsy horror / splatter films (think Sin City or Dark City, Pi, …). Nothing too abstract but playing on the borderline. Pushing it a little further, sometimes perhaps crossing it. The emotion the light and images produce have touched another trigger in me. Made me remember that I actually love this stuff and aspire to turn those fantastic themes in my head into something I can communicate to others.

Here I am, typing away at 3am on a Friday night after spending the last three hours watching “heroes“! It’s another trigger. Not that I want to be heroic, in fact I hardly know how to spell that. But it’s sci-fi’esque, comic art with a touch of this “noire”. Call me unhappy, frustrated or bitter. But I really think this big camera sitting on my floor should be put to better use than filming ice hockey and motor racing (albeit much enjoyed).

Am I feeling stuck in a (day) job that doesn’t make me go anywhere?
Yes

Am I unhappy being in a place surrounded by people and a culture I cannot relate to?
Yes

Am I sad for having lost¹ someone who I called the love of my life?
You bet

Can you relate to this?

I think it’s time for me to stop playing all those “movies” in my head and get the hell out there and start living my life again! So who wants to come creating with me?

BTW Jens called after a long time again. Another button pressed and in due time… . I wonder what will happen next.

1 – No, she’s not dead! We just mutually agreed that long distance doesn’t work for us…
Photo copyrighted by Imunme / Toxy

The big players believe in set-top boxes and video stores online. There are already a lot out there and so far my experience with them has been a bit of a let down. Think of an online video store where you can rent movies and series (i.e. Discovery Channel) at extraordinary prices. I bet it won’t be long before they ask us to coffer up for “Pimp My Ride”! Some of the online retailers work with Windows Media Center but the experience is cumbersome and it’s too expensive to use for more than perhaps the odd movie on the weekend.

So what does the other side look like?

Joost has a sleek interface which takes a little getting used too but it’s remarkably fast! Video quality is also very good considering it starts almost quicker than a YouTube clip but can be viewed in full screen on your TV. The only two things missing are remote control support (so it can be a true TV / cable box replacement) and content I want to watch.

The latter is quite an important point since no matter how good the technical side, without content I want to watch it’s no use to me. So who is going to provide it? Joost is looking to sign up more TV content from people like Endemol (Big Brother, game shows, reality TV..) and you. You read that right, you. If you happen to sit on a bunch of broadcast quality goods and need an audience, get in touch with them.

However, unless I can watch my favorite shows – like Lost, 24, BSG, Scrubs.. – I’m not going to be using it much. What’s the best solution for people like me then? Simple, if you are outside the USA or UK stick to RSS feeds for your Torrents. It’s not the preferred way, and I would be more than happy to either endure some Ads or even pay for a season ticket, but until there’s something useful out there that’s the only way.

Or is it? Thank god for iTunes and their season tickets! Oh wait, that’s for folks in the USA only (again)

So what are you gonna do?

To cut a long and interesting story short, people will be able to enjoy high quality TV content on their computers using established P2P technologies (like those of Kazaa, Limewire, etc and Skype) where users interconnect to share data quickly. Joost, as the project is now officially known, has already got backing from two major TV players in Endemol (producers of “Who wants to be a millionaire”, “Big Brother” and most of the shows on TV these days) as well as Warner Music.

I suggest you read more about it on their blog or on The Register. Also, why not give it a whirl to see it for yourself and register as a beta-tester? If you are a content producer it might be a good idea to talk to them now while they are still in beta and are looking for fresh new content too! Enjoy… .

Links:
- Joost Blog
- The Register article on Joost
- DV Guru post on Joost

He was taken to Leeds General Infirmary by helicopter where he remained in critical yet stable condition for a couple of days. Richard, or “Hamster” as he’s known to his fans, is making good recovery although he suffered severe brain injuries.

Top Gear is well known for it’s obession with cars and speed, crazy stunts and political in-correctness. For the first time something really bad happens and people start slagging the show off. Although everybody knows not to try what Top Gear does at home, people are calling for more restraint and even for the show to be taken off the air. The shows producers and talents know the risks and they love it. We all watch the show because they dare doing and saying things we would like to do ourselves but can’t. In my opinion it would be a grave loss if the show were to be cancelled and if I were a man of faith, I’d pray that Richard is going to be OK. I’m not, though my best wishes go out to him and his friends and family. If he or Top Gear were to go, I’d be more than sad.

Sources:

• BBC News Story
• Top Gear Website
• Richard Hammond IMDB Profil

If you haven’t heard of free running or David Belle, go check it out. If you want to watch a good non-Hollywood action flick go watch District 13. It’s dubbed (original is french) but it’s a good one. My only critique is that although I really liked David Belle in the lead role, I was left wanting more of the trademark free running action and a better soundtrack for those scenes they actually run around.

[photopress:d13_poster.jpg,thumb,left][photopress:David_Belle.jpg,thumb,left]

BBC Trailer with David Belle and a really nice soundtrack:

District 13 trailer: