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Perian, the rightfully named “Swiss-Army knife of QuickTime components,” has been updated to version 1.1.1 bringing along additional codec support and the fixes you would expect from a point release.

Perian is one of the few items I install on every Mac that I use (Flip4Mac and Growl being others). For the uninitiated, Perian is a component that adds support to QuickTime to play pretty much any media type. That includes DivX, XviD, MKV, FLV, 3ivx, and AVIs, to name a few. It installs as a preference pane in System Preferences.

You can download Perian here. It’s open-source and requires at least Mac OS X 10.4.7.

I’m not a 100,000 mile/year traveler. But I do travel enough to get the basic elite status on most airlines (somewhere between 25,000 and 49,999 miles/year.) I refresh the tech I bring along relatively frequently, so here’s a snapshot of what I’ve been lugging around.

Apple MacBook Air ($1699)
No, I didn’t spring for the SSD. I just picked up the basic 1.6GHz model, spinning platters and all. The MBA is quite light and carrying it as the only thing in my bag would be awesome. However, since there’s no replaceable battery, forget about using it for anything longer than a US transcontinental flight. I also bring along the charger.

Western Digital Passport 250GB
I use the Passport to load up all of the entertainment that won’t fit on my MBA. Usually will try to keep a few DVDs from home that I’ve ripped stored on here for some in-flight entertainment. It’s great because it’s small, sleek, and is USB bus-powered (meaning I don’t have to carry-on a power adaptor for the drive.) Just make sure that your computer can send power through the USB ports (most newish laptops can). 

Nintendo DS Lite ($149)
As much as I love staring ahead at the tray table, sometimes I need something a little more stimulating. And when I’m not noshing on the banana/Twix combination I usually pick out for myself on the shorter NWA flights, I’ve got my trusty DS Lite. I usually leave the charger at home because the battery life is solid. I’ve beat a majority of the Phoenix Wright series while on the plane. Currently working on Professor Layton. It’s always nice to have the NYT crosswords handy, too. If you wanted to be bold, you could grab an R4DS or CycloDS Evolution and load up as many games as your heart (or micro SD card) desired, so long as you don’t mind wandering into legally ambiguous territory.

iPhone (3G)
So I’ve been carrying around the original iPhone until recently when I switched to the black 16GB 3G. It’s a must. I have most of my music and podcasts stored on here. Maybe some videos just in case I use all the juice of my MacBook Air.

Jawbone 2 Bluetooth headset
Friends don’t have to hear annoying gate announcements when I call them during a layover. The new Jawbone is sleeker than the original fatty version.

Bose QuietComfort 2 Headphones
Say what you will about the dubious Bose price/performance combination, but these are great to have on the plane. The only problem is that they add a bit of bulk to my messenger bag.

Future:
I’m looking at possibly picking up a netbook of some type now that there are a gajillion of them running around with that Intel Atom 1.6GHz proc. I’ll have to weigh (ho ho!) the differences between the netbook and the MacBook Air and see if it’s worth sacrificing some processing power and screen real estate for miniaturization.

My Popcorn Hour A-110 order made the cutoff for the September 27 shipment from China. I’ll hopefully receive it sometime during the first week of October. I picked up a Seagate Momentus 7200.3 250GB 2.5″ drive to put into the Popcorn Hour. I went with the 2.5″ for hopefully lower temps in the box and something a little more quiet, though the 7200rpm speed may offset any advantages gained by going for the smaller 2.5″ form factor. It looks like the pre-orders have caught up with the real orders, as the September 29 shipment was including orders made up until last night. So if you want one and order it today, it will probably ship out in one of the first October shipments.

I placed my order for the EFi-X on September 17, and according to the website, all orders placed on or before September 19 will be shipped “within the next seven to ten business days.” The only thing is I don’t know when that message was posted. Either way, I’ll probably be receiving that sometime in mid-October. Currently, orders are being accepted, but with a 3-4 week wait.

I also gave in and picked up a Seagate 7200.11 1.5TB drive from Newegg, which arrived yesterday. It’s currently out of stock, but I will add this to the beast that is my Hackintosh. I haven’t had time to add it in yet, but I will try to do so tonight or this weekend. 

In non-tech orders, I just received my George Foreman GRP90WGR Next Grilleration (yes, I’m serious, that’s what it’s called) from Amazon. I ordered it last Friday when it was on sale for $99.99. At the time of the post, the price was $114.99. I originally tried to buy it in-store at Bed, Bath, and Beyond with one of those never-expiring awesome 20% off coupons, but apparently they only carry the little baby George Foreman Grill. Cooked some beef tenderloin on it last night. Tasty. The great thing about this grill is that it is 1) huge and 2) has removable plates for things that I will never use (waffles). I saw some omelet plates on Amazon that turn the Next Grilleration into the GT Express 101 (you know that informercial with the creepy old lady and guy where everything you make looks like an omelet).

I just received a few free month trial cards from Netflix to give my friends and family. And since most of my friends and family already have Netflix, I figure I’d throw it out to anyone who stumbles upon my site looking for a 1 month free trial. The normal trial period is 2 weeks. If you cancel prior to the end of the free trial, you won’t be billed. If not, you can enjoy Netflix like I do.

DISCLAIMER: Note that if you use this code, I do get one extra DVD from my queue as a bonus for signing you up, but that’s it. I don’t get to see what movies you pick and I definitely don’t get any money from Netflix. If you use it, please let me know so I can put up another code. The code expires October 31, 2008.

GO TO:
netflix.com/tellafriend

ENTER YOUR PRIORITY CODE:
M696250294045 USED
M686200294075 USED 10/01/08
M626260294025 USED 10/13/08 
M666240294035 WORKING AS OF 10/13/08 - This is the last code I have

I’ve copied the fine print after the jump:
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This site is hilarious because it’s true. If you have a Korean mom, or have friends who have Korean moms, you will probably relate to this site. Take number 11 for example.

#11 - Telling people they are fat

Korean moms will go out of their way to tell people that they are fat. Sometimes they will say that you look ‘healthy’, but do not be decieved by this outwardly friendly comment. Really, it just means you’re fat. There’s no getting around it. Many Korean women live in fear of heading to Korea for vacation because they will be called fat by many Korean moms, sometimes by more than five different moms per day. A Korean mom does not have to have a personal relationship with you to call you out on your fatness. Her Korean momness is permission enough. One time while at work, a Korean mom walked past my open office door, then moonwalked back, popped her permed head in, and said, “You gained weight”. After she left, I hung my head and cried. I still don’t know who she was.

To all my friends who have heard this from my mom: See! I told you it wasn’t just my mom who did this! Now will you please talk to me again? Please?

Link: Stuff Korean Moms Like