Dave Zatz

TiVo Rolls Out Fall Software Update

Over on TiVo Lovers, I caught news that TiVo has begun rolling out their Fall 2007 software update (9.1). Other than the advanced Boolean Wishlist searches, most of the visible enhancements appear to be pretty minor. Guess TiVoToGo, Multi-Room Viewing, and eSATA storage support for Series3/HD will be part of the “Winter” update? November’s quickly approaching…

Since I’m on the road, I hadn’t spent any time looking at TiVo system messages – but I did check last night. And as you can see from the pics, our bedroom Series2 received the 9.1 update.

Where’s Dave?

Sorry for the light posting, gang. I’ve been on the road 8 nights at this point, starting on Sunday watching football in our California office followed by a couple of 12-hour work days. Friday night I flew into New York City to pitch in behind the scenes on a Good Morning America segment and ventured … Read more

CNBC HD… Isn’t?

CNBC is going HD. Sort of. The channel will broadcast in 16:9 and they’ll show HD graphics, banners, and tickers on the sides. But the 4:3 talking heads will preside in all their (upscaled) SD glory. While I can sort of understand saving money by delaying the HD studio gear investment, it’s still somewhat baffling … Read more

The Gamefly Update: Improved

Back in July, Gamefly reached out to me after hearing of my first (subpar) stint as a customer. They offered me 90 days on the house (2 games out) to test their supposedly improved service. Having received about a dozen Xbox and PSP games the last two months, I can report that delivery times have … Read more

Nano “Fatty” Misaligned

Based on feedback in the Apple forums, Engadget reports that new iPod nano components are misaligned in some units:

the screen doesn’t appear to be completely level within the casing

Having played with several of these in the Apple Store, I encountered the defect on just one. The degree of tilt is pretty small, but it is noticeable (and surprised me). Assuming Apple hasn’t replaced the model I saw Saturday at Montgomery Mall (MD), you can see for yourself – in the front section, check out the silver Nano attached to the iMac furthest in on the far left.

Supposedly Apple is replacing these units. As they should.

If Money Grew On Trees: FogScreen

If money grew on trees, I’d have a funkadelic living room. FogScreen “produces a thin curtain of fog that serves as a translucent projection screen, displaying images that literally float in the air.” It sounds like FogScreen has been available overseas for a bit (mostly appearing at trade shows), but is now making its way … Read more

Xbox Media Extender Modding

While this hack isn’t new, it’s worth revisiting… Life Hacker documents how they upgraded an Xbox into a Xbox Media Center (XBMC). I can tell you from first hand experience that once you have the required supplies (Splinter Cell, USB reader) the process is quick and easy. And when you’ve completed the upgrade, the classic … Read more

More Mall-time Fun

We hit the mall today to run a few errands (and fondle the Nano “fatty” again) and ran across a Wii kiosk with 6 stations. They’ve been here (Montgomery Mall) about a week as part of a nationwide 25 mall tour. I got some hands on time with the new Metroid… Let me tell you … Read more