Fnord.

For a while now, we’ve been using our iMac as a television, video chat box, movie screen and bittorrent server. (If you are hooked on a Canadian sitcom, bittorent is your best solution). Netflix streaming is especially good, and even the Vancouver Olympics worked reasonably well.

(As an aside, I hope it’s ok to be jealous of Anna. She’s growing up with free video chats with grandparents, and iPhones. Add flying cars, and the Jetsons will be old news to this generation.)

Last night I was reading the Ars Technica iPad review; another device I plan to get when I can convince Chris. Smack dab on page ten was news of iPad/iPhone software that, for $5, lets you view live or recorded TV on your handheld!

Damn!

What’s more, the hardware required (Elgato eyeTV One) is under a hundred bucks!

You also need an HDTV antenna, under $40, and the iPhone software. Voila, free-ish TV!

I had a gift certificate for $100 for Amazon, so this’ll be a present for Chris the PBS addict.

Caveats:

• Free channels are limited, and I don’t know if the tuner will work with cable or satellite.
• I suspect that we’ll watch most of the shows on the iMac; the iPhone screen is too small to really enjoy it.
• This may induce you to purchase an iPad as a better viewing device. This is My Evil Plan ™.
• Video files burn serious disk space. Might need a cheap USB drive to store them.
• Unlike bittorrent, these recordings have the advertisements, sigh. Worth a google to see if I can find a solution for that.

On the plus side, one more reason to not bother buying a television.

PS I had some images to spice up this post, but WordPress is being problematic at the moment, will revise and add them later once I solve the problem.

PPS Sorted. Missing php libraries.

As with the G-shock, nothing tests an outdoor watch like The Anna Test. Her teeth didn’t leave marks, so it passed!

Today we visit to do paperwork. Quite bittersweet really.

You can’t tell from this angle, but Chris was quite pregnant when this was taken. Remnants of the tango lessons we took before Argentina but never really got to use. Still fun, though.

Grass, we love it.

I liked how this one added up.

(click for full size)

Chris already posted one of these, but I wanted to post both with links to full-sized images as they came out well. Still not sure what color Anna’s eyes will end up, but they look rather like her mom’s in the first one.

I wrote this up for an expectant friend, but it might be useful for others, Pauls Page of New Parent Suggestions. Enjoy. Or at least be amused. It’s a long list of items, ideas, recommendations and hints that was too long to ‘blog. Diapers and pads, yes, but also LED lights and dive watches. Some attempted humor, some cussing, dozens of pictures and even more links. Note that all the stuff on the page represents the results of obsessive geek research, so figure that everything we recommend is our best choice.

Oh yeah, the picture is of my nephew, always liked that one.

Math, algorithmics, architecture… and lots of kids’ books. Interesting times.

Especially the part of the design that means she can hold herself in an almost-standing position. Works great.