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I really want a new intel Mac now. There was a $13,000 bounty to get Windows XP running on an intel Mac. The solution was released earlier today. There are still some things that don’t work (AirPort card on MacBook Pro, for example), but the hard work is done. There’s even a cool selector screen where you can switch between launching OS X and WinXP.

If you can afford a Mac, I think this is a much better solution than getting Mac OS X to run on Windows machines (OSX86 project).

I think I’ll wait until Apple’s 30th Anniversary on April 1st in case Jobsie decides to unleash some new Apple portables onto the world. If nothing new is out, I think I’ll pick up a MacBook Pro. My 1.25 GHz AlBook isn’t quite cutting it anymore.

My buddy Jacob recently recommended Orb to me. Orb allows you to watch live or recorded tv, schedule recordings, store and view photos, and stream your mp3 collection. It requires a Windows XP PC, (Media Center Edition with TV Tuner for TV functionality.)

Like Slingbox, Orb has no monthly fees. Unlike Slingbox, it currently works for Pocket PCs, MS Smartphones, Nokia Series 60, 80, and 90 phones. Also, no additional hardware is required. Just your PC.
I haven’t installed it yet, but Jacob has, so I’ll ask him to review it.

The way I see it, if you want to stream TV and have a Media Center PC or a TV Tuner card, you should give Orb a try.
But I don’t think there is a simpler solution than Slingbox for streaming TV: Just plug your ethernet cable, power, and cable/TiVo/set top box into Slingbox.

I should have a full review of Slingbox by the end of the week.

Links: Orb.com | Slingmedia.com (Slingbox)

I’ve been on a bit of a gadget dry spell as of late, and as a direct result, feel worthless. To build up my self-worth, I picked up a few new toys that should keep me busy for a while. I picked up a Slingbox and a Squeezebox 3. Full reviews coming after I’ve had enough time to play with them. What are these boxes, and how do they sling and squeeze?

Slingbox
First, let me start with the Slingbox. This Toblerone shaped box “slings” live television to your computer. Let’s say you have a basic or premium cable package like I do, but aren’t home very much. You connect the Slingbox to your cable connection and the internet and magically you can watch TV anywhere on your laptop (like in a laboratory, perhaps). The real killer app is if you have a TiVo or other DVR. Slingbox recognizes that, and allows you full DVR functionality through the Slingbox (Ability to watch recorded shows, pause live TV through the frickin internet!! ZOMG!). Surprisingly, video quality is amazing, however it is dependent on your upload speed. The downside to the Slingbox is if you are living with someone (Reason #47 not to have a roomie or spouse). You’ll be playing TV wars, because both of you have the ability to change the channel. Whatever one person is watching, the other person has to be watching. To solve that problem, I would plug the Slingbox to a free cable outlet in a spare room. It would be cool if you gave a Slingbox to a friend (in New England, perhaps) that enjoyed the same sports teams as you did. Then, you could watch out-of-market games with said person while in California. Anyone?

SqueezeBox 3
Next, I picked up a Squeezebox. Not as cool as the Slingbox, but effective at what it does. It allows you to play music from your computer onto another audio system (in the living room, bedroom, or kitchen perhaps). Sure, an Airport Express can do the same thing, but the Squeezebox comes with a remote and user interface. Plus, you can use your cell phone/PDA/PSP to remotely control your Squeezebox from anywhere. SICK! The key is SlimServer, which is actually free to download at slimdevices.com. In addition, with SlimServer, you can stream music from your computer to your laptop while you’re away. SlimServer integrates nicely with iTunes, which is a must for me, displays album art and increases iTunes play count and allows you to rate songs (with help of a plug-in). It’s open-source, so lots of people are developing supa cool plug-ins. SlimServer can be downloaded here.

Now if there were only a way to sling my bed for a quick nap.

Oh how I love thee. I’ve been doing a lot of purchasing from the iTMS. Mainly TV shows, shorts, and anything else that catches my eye. My biggest purchase? The A-Team Season 1. Now I’m not a big fan of going out and actually buying DVDs of old TV shows. I just can’t justify spending 39.99-59.99 on a TV series I have already seen. Nevertheless, I was a little caught off guard when I found myself clicking the “Buy Season” button for the A-Team.
The price? $27.86.
A bit cheaper then buying the DVDs. Granted, I don’t get the “Extra Features” or “Deleted Scenes”, but what I do get, is the ability to watch them on my iPod whereever I go. It would have taken hours to get the DVDs to my iPod. Time I just don’t feel like spending. Now if only they would strike a deal with Fox to get Family Guy and the Simpsons on there, I would be set.

Can I just take a break from my non-posting to write about how happy I am that Apple will be switching to Intel processors?

Though it remains to be seen, let me just say that I don’t think this means you’ll be able to run OS X 10.5 Leopard on any non-Apple hardware (Dells, HPs, etc)

Powerbook G5? Powerbook Centrino, baby. Finally, my X86 roots combine with my Macintosh present.

EDIT: It seems that my obvious conclusion is correct. From C|Net:

“After Jobs’ presentation, Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller addressed the issue of running Windows on Macs, saying there are no plans to sell or support Windows on an Intel-based Mac. “That doesn’t preclude someone from running it on a Mac. They probably will,” he said. “We won’t do anything to preclude that.”

However, Schiller said the company does not plan to let people run Mac OS X on other computer makers’ hardware. “We will not allow running Mac OS X on anything other than an Apple Mac,” he said. “

So… Windows on a Mac? I guess no more Virtual PC will be needed if we’ll be able to dual-boot using Apple hardware.