Aug 01

CyberNotes: World’s Most Expensive iPod Accessories

Posted in: CyberNotes, Gadgets, Today's Chili

This article was written on September 18, 2006 by CyberNet.

CyberNotes
Million Dollar Monday

Undoubtedly, iPods are one of the most well known, widely used tech gadgets available. With all of the recent hype over the next generation iPods that were announced last week, I thought I’d put together a list of some of the most expensive iPod accessories you can find. In order from the least expensive to the MOST expensive, CyberNet’s top 6  are:

iPod Jukebox

1.  iPod Jukebox Station: Retail Price – $700.00

  • The iPod Jukebox Station will be the perfect docking cradle for your iPod.  It has the capability to connect to a TV or a screen (perfect for that video iPod), and comes with a remote control.  This jukebox wouldn’t be complete without the retro neon lights. It will be available at Target.com starting on October 2nd.

2.  Numark iDJ2 iPod Mixing Console System with Scratch and Pitch Control: Retail Price – $899.99

  • The iDJ2 system is the latest innovative docking system that will allow users to play two songs simultaneously from one iPod without the use of a computer. It features the ability to scratch music, control pitch, and offers seamless looping.  You’re able to record to an iPod or even another connected USB media device.  You can purchase this device and view a complete list of available features here.

3. Hammacher Schlemmer Studio-Quality Triode-Tube iPod Speakers: also labeled as the most expensive iPod speakers. Retail Price – $3,999.95

  • According to their website, “superior analog technology all but list in today’s common digital electronics, this is the first tube-based iPod speaker system, producing a luxurious warmth and clarity prized by audiophiles and previously difficult to reproduce outside of custom-built amplifiers of a handful of live musicians.” Also interesting to note is that apparently people don’t mind forking out $4,000 for iPod speakers. Their website says they’re sold out due to the popularity of the item!

iPod Case

4. Diamond iPod Case: Retail Price – $12,495

  • Not only will you get a diamond iPod case with over 580 diamonds, you’ll also receive a 4GB iPod Nano. What a deal! :) You may have seen this case on display around the United States from February to July this year for the International Gem & Jewelry Show, Inc.  The diamonds total 10.32 carats set on 14K white gold. If bling is your thing, you can check out their website to place an order.


5. Cars with iPod integration: Retail Price — Prices vary depending on whether you’re getting a small sedan or a top of the line luxury vehicle! [Via CNN]

  • Integrating iPods into cars isn’t something just for the rich anymore.  You can find it in many of  the latest 2006-2007 models.  Mercedes-Benz was one of the first automakers to incorporate the iPod integration and since then many other automakers have followed (Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, etc.). According to CNN, 40 percent of cars sold in the United States this year will have the iPod integration offered as one of the hottest accessories to have. Additionally, Acura has plans to incorporate a voice-recognition system to control the iPod.

6. The most expensive, deadliest iPod accessory ever: Britain’s HMS Daring warship! [ Via: Podcasting News] Price: A lot!

  • I can only imagine what the cost of the HMS Daring was.  It could be considered as the most expensive, and deadliest iPod accessory ever.  Believe it or not, this warship has living quarters for the crew with each room including an iPod charging point (as well as other cool features like a CD player, Internet access, and five channel recreational audio). It is certainly 14 decks of the latest technology! Who knew you’d see an iPod accessory integrated into a warship?

This list could go on and on because the accessories are endless! In 2005, 700 million dollars worth of accessories were sold.  It is expected that in 2006, accessory sales could reach $1.5 billion. This is for accessories alone! Options are endless, and prices appear to be too. I can only imagine what will be next! [Via: CNN]

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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Jul 31

CyberNotes: How to Create a Feed for Sites Without Syndication

Posted in: CyberNotes, Today's Chili, Web Sites

This article was written on March 17, 2007 by CyberNet.

CyberNotes
Weekend Website

FeedityI have come to rely on my RSS subscriptions more than I would like to admit. In fact, the very first thing that I do in the morning when I turn on my computer is open up my Feed Reader to go through all of my subscriptions. It’s become a way of life.  Because of that, there’s nothing more frustrating than coming across a site that I’d like to keep tabs on, that doesn’t have any syndication like RSS available.

Searching for a solution to this problem never really occurred to me until recently when I stumbled upon Feedity. It turned out to be exactly what I was looking for.

Feedity is a web feed generator for sites that don’t have syndication available.  Thousands of sites use a feed to get their content to readers, and despite this, some sites still don’t offer it.

It’s very simple, yet powerful and useful.  All you have to do is go to Feedity.com with the URL of the site without the syndication, enter in the URL, and Feedity creates an RSS feed that you can subscribe to. And to boot, no registration is required which means this is definitely a no hassle solution.

Feedity works by using content analysis to pick up on hyperlinks, and then generates a feed based upon that. Sometimes, what it generates may not be exactly what you’re wanting. If you’re not satisfied with the results, they offer option to refine them.

Feedity1

The first time I used Feedity was to create an RSS feed for YouTube’s “Most viewed videos for the day.”  I entered in the URL, and right off the bat it worked without a glitch, and I was able to subscribe to the feed. I tried several different sites, and with each one, there was no need to refine the results because it worked exactly how I wanted it to the first time.

Another thing that I like is that they give you examples of how you could use Feedity, like for IMDB Movie Recommendations, TiVo shows search, or even an eBay search.

Feedity is one of those things that you’ll want to stash away in your bookmarks, because eventually you’ll probably come across a site that doesn’t offer syndication. They consider this “experimental” and in Beta, so you may come across a problem here or there. Luckily, I didn’t have any problems, so no complaints here.

I’m sure there are others besides Feedity that offer the same kind of service. If you know of one, definitely let us know in the comments below so that everybody can benefit from it!

 

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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Jul 30

CyberNotes: Little Known Facts about Bill Gates

Posted in: CyberNotes, Microsoft, Today's Chili

This article was written on August 20, 2007 by CyberNet.

CyberNotes
Microsoft Monday

Bill Gates is known as the World’s richest man (although he was recently de-throned), yet most people really don’t know a whole lot about the name and face behind Microsoft. Today’s Microsoft Monday is all about Bill and some little known facts about him. We’ve also included a photo that shows the Microsoft team in 1978, and details about where everybody is now. I’m sure Gates wasn’t expecting his team would eventually leave and get into jobs like cattle ranching or creating the Cabbage Patch Doll, but they did!

Little Known Facts about Bill Gates

  • William Henry Gates was born on October 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington.
  • His SAT score was 1590. The top score for the test is 1600.
  • By the age of 17, Gates had sold his first computer program, a time-tabling system for his high school, for $4,200.
  • Gates told his university teachers he would be a millionaire by age 30.  He became a billionaire at age 31.
  • While at Harvard, Gates co-wrote Altair BASIC, which became Microsoft’s first product.
  • He met his wife, Melinda French, in 1987 at a Microsoft press event in Manhattan while she was a worker for the company.  They would go on to get married on New Years Day in 1994.
  • In 2002, Bill Gates was considered more idolized than Chinese Communist leader Mao Tse-tungin a poll of teenagers in Hong Kong and China.  The survey was conducted by the City University of Hong Kong.
  • He is currently having a building named after him at Carnegie Mellon University, called the Gates Building of Computer Science.
  • Bill Gates earns $250 every second; that’s about $20 million a day and $7.8 billion a year!
  • If he drops a thousand-dollar bill, he needn’t even bother to pick it up because in the four seconds it would take him to pick it up, he would’ve already earned it back.

Source

Where are they now?

This photo shows the early team that made up Microsoft in 1978. We know Bill stuck around, but what happened to the others? Everybody you see pictured except Gates, eventually left Microsoft (although Paul Allen is still a senior strategy advisor) .

Microsoft team 1978

  • Pictured above is Bob O’Rear who was Microsoft’s Chief mathematician. He left Microsoft in 1993 and then went on to be a cattle rancher.
  • Another example is Bob Greenberg who was a programmer. When he left Microsoft in 1981, he went on to help develop Cabbage Patch dolls!
  • Marla Wood was a bookkeeper and left Microsoft in 1980 and then sued them for sex discrimination. Now she describes herself as a “professional volunteer.”
  • Jim Lane was a project manager and left Microsoft in 1985, and eventually went on to own his own software company.

Source

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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Jul 29

CyberNotes: How to Buy and Sell Digital Goods with Zipidee

Posted in: CyberNotes, Today's Chili, Web Sites

This article was written on October 20, 2007 by CyberNet.

CyberNotes
Weekend Website

Today’s Weekend Website is a site called Zipidee which is known as “The Digi-Good Marketplace.” It joins in to compete among other sites that are similar such as Lulu, e-Junkie, Payloadz, and more. This online marketplace is geared equally towards both those who want to sell, and those who want to buy.

–What is Zipidee–

Zipidee is like the eBay of digital goods. It’s a place where people can go to buy or sell videos, music, eBooks, ringtones, wallpaper, and more.  They  launched into private beta back in July, but more recently launched to the public just this week on October 15th.

zipidee2

–Publish, Protect, Promote, Profit–

Publish, protect, promote, and profit are the four main things that are involved if you decide to sell on Zipidee.  Before anyone starts selling on the site, you’ll obviously have to register and create an account.  From there you’ll be free to start the process of selling. Unlike eBay which just about anybody could use, Zipidee isn’t for everybody.  If you’re an independent musician, a filmmaker, a software developer, etc., you could sell your digital goods online and benefit from everything that this site has to offer.

Publish is the first step because you have to have something to sell before you can do anything else.  And because this is the selling ground for original digital goods, it’ll take creating a product before you move on. You must have the legal rights to digitally distribute the content that you’re selling. You have the choice to allow people to buy or rent.

zipidee

The next step is protect.  Everybody who uses Zipidee has the option to choose whether or not they want to add DRM to their content. They don’t have to, but if they do, they can download Zipidee’s Digital Rights Management software to make the process simple and protect their work. Zipidee says they don’t promote either option so it’s really up to you if you want it or not.

Promoting is another part of how the whole process works.  Once you’re ready to sell your digital goods, you’ll want to promote them so that there’s a better chance that they will sell. To help market, you’ll be able to create a “virtual store” where people can come to shop.

Profit – Of course the whole point of this service is to profit and make money for both you and them.  You set the price which means you then ultimately determine how much you can make. There’s a lot to the whole process of making a profit, so we’ll dedicate a section just for it below.

–Making $$ from Zipidee–

Before you decide to use the service, you need to take into consideration the money you could potentially gain, but also the money that you’ll pay out to Zipidee for using their service.

  • Currently they’re not charging for people to list items, but in the future there will be a $1.00 per uploaded media charge.
  • Anytime something sells, they take 20% of the purchase once PayPal costs have been paid
  • Note: PayPal is their “official method” for transferring funds between sellers and buyers. They say in the future they intend to offer other options of payment as well.

Should you make over $50, you’ll receive a payment.  If during one month you don’t meet the $50 limit, you’ll have to wait until you do before you can receive any payment.  All payments are made to a PayPal account which means you have to have one to use this service.

–Buying Content–

While selling items here certainly isn’t for everybody, buying content is.  Just go to the site and do a search for what you’re looking for.  Another great idea is to just browse through some of the different categories like business, education, music, health and fitness, and more to see if there’s anything that piques your interest. It’s super easy to use, and has a simple interface. If you’re familiar with the eBay process, you should have no trouble understanding and using Zipidee.

They’ve set up their site so that anybody can start browsing the content. What’s especially helpful are the “top picks,” “new additions,” and “top sellers” which they display on the homepage so that you have someplace to start.

zipidee1

–Wrapping it up–

Zipidee certainly isn’t the only service like this to exist, but since when is there only one service per concept? They’re off to a pretty good start, and the sellers seem to price everything really reasonably. The only downside that I really see to the service at the moment is that its name really has nothing to do with the service that they offer which means they’ll have to spend a good amount of effort marketing and gathering up a group of dedicated users. The whole concept behind Zipidee definitely is interesting, and I recommend checking out their marketplace.

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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Jul 26

CyberNotes: Vista Start Menu Emulator for Windows XP

Posted in: CyberNotes, Software, Today's Chili, Windows Vista, Windows XP

This article was written on March 05, 2007 by CyberNet.

CyberNotes
Microsoft Monday

One of Vista’s most useful features is the integrated search in the start menu which can be setup to search all of the files on your computer that have been indexed.  This makes it easy to find what you’re looking for, and thus saves you time.

The screenshot below looks like a Windows Vista Start menu, and you’ll notice the Vista ‘orb’ along with the search field at the bottom. 

Windowblinds

Don’t be fooled, it’s not Vista. Instead, it’s a screenshot of Windows XP using the Vista Start Menu Emulator. Impressive isn’t it? While it’s not as powerful as the Vista Search feature, and not as extensive, it does do a good job of searching the start menu/programs folder.

After downloading it, all I had to do is double click the file, and run it. No installation is required.  The Vista “orb’ is placed randomly on your desktop, and then you can move it wherever you’d like.  The screenshot above used a Window Blinds theme to change the appearance of Windows XP. By using the theme, you’re able to cover the existing “orb” with the one that the program produces. If you don’t use the theme, you’ll still see the XP start menu icon (see screenshot below).

Vistaemulator1

You’ll notice that the Vista orb is placed to the right of the start menu. This is because I don’t have the Window Blinds theme installed. If I were to drag the orb over the start menu, it wouldn’t replace it, rather it would sit on top of it. You can place the Orb anywhere you’d like on the screen, and by clicking on it, you’ll get the “Vista” start menu to appear.

By right clicking on the orb, you’ll notice a properties section.  That’s where you can add programs that will be pinned on the start menu which must be done manually. You’ll also be able to change the transparency of the menu. By hovering your mouse over each of the items on the right side of the start menu, you’ll notice that the top image changes just like it does in Vista.

A couple of things to keep in mind… First, this emulator does not map to the windows key.  This means if you push the Windows key on your keyboard, it will pull up the original XP Start Menu. Another small issue is that each time after you enter in a new program that you want pinned to the start menu, you’ll need to exit the program and restart it.  It’s not a big deal, and doesn’t take more than a few seconds, but is something you’ll have to remember to do, otherwise your programs will not display.

The download for the Vista Start Menu Emulator is here. Using the emulator easily gives you the chance to use the Vista Search feature without actually purchasing Vista.

 

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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Jul 25

CyberNotes: Directory of Paint.NET Tutorials

Posted in: CyberNotes, Software, Today's Chili

This article was written on November 12, 2007 by CyberNet.

There are so many different things that can be done with Paint.NET, the possibilities are really endless. Many people have created tutorials that guide you through the process of creating something but the problem is that it can take time to sift through all of them to find a good one.  I took the time to go through the Paint.NET forums to find so of the best tutorials that have been posted. Today’s Microsoft Monday is simply a directory of eight different tutorials that I think you’ll enjoy.

  1. Making Glass Buttons – You know the shiny Web 2.0ish buttons you see all over? This tutorial written by BuzzKill in the Paint.NET forums will explain how you do it. This tutorial is explained well and full of images.
    making glass buttons
  2. Antiquing an image –
    If you’ve ever had an image that you’d like to convert to more of an antique look, this tutorial will explain just how you do it. The before (on the left) and after (on the right) below shows what you’ll be doing:
    antiquing 
  3. “Toy Car Conversion“ – This isn’t exactly a tutorial, but it’s pretty cool.  Using a picture of a full-sized sports car, you can modify it to look like a toy car, or even a cartoonish toy car as shown in the before and after pictures below. The bottom right image looks the way it does thanks to the Toon Filter, but you can also use the ink sketch and pencil sketch feature.
     toy car tutorial2
  4. Flaming Text – creating flaming text requires just a few steps and no filters! The end product will look something like this:

    firery text 

  5. Playing with Ribbons – this tutorial is pretty amazing! Not only are the instructions easy to follow, there are also great screenshots.  They start out with something simple and move to something advanced. The three different end products below were created using the ribbon tool. Cool, huh?
    ribbon tool
  6. Glassy Effect – Here’s one for the most basic of users, using basic effects. If you’ve never used Paint.NET before, you too will be able to do this. It simply uses the “tile reflection” effect under the distort menu to get this result (before on left, after on the right):
    tilefeature
  7. Round Glass Button – Very similar to the glass button tutorial we listed above, this round glass button tutorial is simple and takes no time. Your end result will look something like this:
    round glass buttons
  8. Create a Rose – It’s hard to believe that the creation of the rose below started out as a bunch of black and white dots. This literally took me about 3 minutes to make, maybe even shorter. It’s quick and easy, and you can make it any color you’d like! This particular tutorial has simple instructions and screenshots so you know what you’re supposed to be doing.
    rose

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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Jul 23

CyberNotes: How To Replace Vista’s Flip-3D with Something Better

Posted in: CyberNotes, Freeware, Software, Today's Chili, Windows Vista

This article was written on February 15, 2007 by CyberNet.

CyberNotes
Tutorial Thursday

The Flip-3D task switching in Windows Vista is probably one of its most notorious features. If you’re not familiar with it then the next time you get your hands on Windows Vista (with Aero enabled) make sure you press the Windows Key + Tab. It brings up a nifty application switcher that is sure to leave people in awe.

As far as productivity goes I would have to say that Flip-3D fails when compared to the Alt-Tab in Windows or the Mac Exposé feature that tiles your open applications. It’s just that in Flip-3D the windows are angled and stacked so close together that it is often hard to find the window you are looking for until it actually becomes the one right in front of your face. In my opinion it is a huge design flaw, but I’m sure there are some people who have mastered it.

For those people who are like me and don’t completely see Flip-3D being a productive solution, you might want to checkout the two (free) pieces of software that I have come across. Setting them up to replace Vista’s Flip-3D is really a piece of cake so I’ll primarily be focusing on the features of the two applications.

Note: Both of these applications require that you are running Vista with Aero enabled.

–My Exposé (Download / Mirror)–

My Expose

As you can tell by the name, this program is designed to bring the Mac Exposé feature to Windows. I wrote about it a few months back when it was first introduced, and the thing that I like about it is that all of your programs are laid out in an easy-to-find fashion.

Since I last wrote about it I am pleased to say that it has received some nice new features, including a more natural thumbnail placement, tray icon with configuration options, and compatibility with Windows Speech Recognition. The screenshot above is still from the old version that used the grid placement so the “natural placement” is definitely a welcomed change.

Now the developer hasn’t updated the code since November 2006, but don’t let that worry you. He just posted a few days ago saying that he was able to install Vista on his laptop so improvements to the program will be coming soon.

 

–SmartFlip (Download / Mirror)– 

SmartFlip

This is definitely the Flip-3D replacement that I was waiting for. Actually, it is really funny because this is the type of window switching application that I talked about in my Windows Fiji/Vienna post in which I showed a mockup of how it might work…and SmartFlip is right on the money.

It has a carousel-like appearance when shuffling through the open windows, and the window that is currently selected is prominently displayed in the front. By default the program is assigned to the F9 key, but it can always be changed in the Options along with several other features:

SmartFlip Options

After downloading it I decided to give it a go because there was no installation required…I just had to extract and run the provided executable. It is important to note that this program, like the previous one, uses the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) which means it will only work on Vista running Aero.

I have created a mirror of the download so that you don’t have to take the time to register at Neowin (in case you’re not already a member of their forum). If you decide to give it a try yourself these are the shortcuts that you’ll want to know:

  • TAB – zoom next window
  • Shift-TAB – zoom previous window
  • Enter – select zoomed window
  • Left click – select window
  • Right click – zoom window
  • ESC – close SmartFlip and select
  • Shift+Right click – show only window created by the same program which created this window

I could try to explain every little detail about the program, but I figured this quick video demonstration by the author would show you just about everything that it can do:

 

–Overview–

If the Windows Flip-3D doesn’t exactly fit your taste then maybe one of the two applications I listed here will fill the gap. The SmartFlip was brilliantly designed and offers the productivity that I would have expected from Flip-3D. If you’ve got another app that you think is even better please be sure to let us know, or let us know what you would have liked to see in a task switcher.

For the record I should say that Microsoft did enhance the Alt-Tab task switcher in Windows Vista as well. If you have Aero enabled it will show you small thumbnails of all the windows you’re switching between, and I find myself still using Alt-Tab more than anything!

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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Jul 20

CyberNotes: The World’s Biggest Show & Tell

Posted in: CyberNotes, Today's Chili, Web Sites

This article was written on November 17, 2007 by CyberNet.

CyberNotes
Weekend Website

Today’s Weekend Website is also known as the World’s biggest show & Tell. It’s called Instructables, and it’s a place where people show what they do and how they do it. Members can collaborate with others, have fun, and learn a lot in the process.

What’s an Instructable?

Before we dive into what Instructables is all about, we need to first explain what it is.  It’s simple, an Instructable is a step-by-step description of anything that someone wants to share.  They can be about anything, really, maybe something inspiration, educational, or something helpful.

instructables

Become a Member

If you think Instructables is a site you’d visit and participate in often, you’re going to want to become a member. It’s free, and doing so will allow you to create and submit your own Instructables. You’ll also be able to comment on other’s Instructables which is a big part of what it’s all about. Additionally, you’ll be able to see all of the steps for any Instructable on one page which will save you some time.

Signing up is simple and only takes a minute.

Navigating

Instructables doesn’t cater to just one crowd because they coverall kinds of things.  The easiest way to navigate the site is to use the menu bar towards the top of the page that lists out each of the topics.

Topics include:

  • Art
  • Craft
  • Food
  • Games
  • Home
  • Life
  • Offbeat
  • Ride
  • Tech

instructable2

On the home page, they also display “Featured” and “Popular” Instructables. For your first visit, I recommend taking a look at some of those to get an idea of what it’s all about. Once you click on a particular topic, you’ll also see two lists containing the featured and popular Instructables just for that topic.

Contests/Getting Involved

It appears the folks over at Instructables want you to get involved because they’ve always got several contests going on.  The contests you can participate in at this point include a “Mash-UP Contest” with over $5,000 in prizes to be given away as well as a Laser Cutter Contest in which the grand prize is a VersaLaser worth over $13,000. It’s one way to get involved and get result in you getting rewarded for the work you put into creating your Instructable.

Another way to get involved is simply to comment. I’ve come across many helpful comments that really add to what they offer.  You can also participate in forum discussions.

Why I love Instructables

If you’ve used Instructables before, you know that many of them are filled with really great pictures and instructions. If someone wanted to actually follow along and replicate what ever it was that was being explained, they could without problem. For example, this Instructable titled “How to Solve a Rubik’s Cube” is divided into thirteen different steps and each step has an image that shows exactly what they are explaining in words.

instructables 3

Check-out these Instructables:

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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Jul 15

CyberNotes: Amazing Canstruction!

Posted in: CyberNotes, Humor, Today's Chili

This article was written on January 11, 2008 by CyberNet.

CyberNotes
Fun Friday

Canstruction is about two major things: construction and charity. It’s a design/build competition where engineers, architects and others come together to construct structures made entirely from cans of food. That’s right, all of the images you see below are creations made from cans of food– full cans of food. Now here’s where the charity portion comes into play – after the competition is over, all of the cans of food that were used to build the structures are then donated to aid in the fight against hunger. Cool, huh? These competitions are held all across the United States and in some locations in Canada — so see if your city participates, check this link. Below you’ll find some of the structures I came across while browsing their site that caught my eye. I think you’ll agree that they are all pretty impressive!

–Lion & Lamb–

lion and lamb

–Cathedral–

cathedral

–Champagne Bottle–

champagne bottle

–Chinese Take Out–

chinese take out

–Dragon–

dragon

–Eagle–

eagle

–Hour Glass–

hour glass

–Yellow Submarine–

yellow submarine

–Japanese Teahouse–

japanese teahouse

–Hot Dog–

hotdog

–Snake–

snake

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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Jul 14

CyberNotes: Joost Review – Get your invite here!

Posted in: CyberNotes, Today's Chili, Web Sites

This article was written on April 06, 2007 by CyberNet.

CyberNotes
Fun Friday

You’ve probably heard of Joost by now. It was started by the brains behind both Kazaa and Skype, and it seems to have exploded into popularity out of nowhere, particularly after Viacom turned on YouTube and greeted Joost with open arms. Joost is the newest way to distribute TV shows and video using interactive software. Development began in 2006, and was code named “The VeniceProject.”

Currently they’re in the invitation only beta process, so if you want to try it out, you’ll have to have an invitation. Because this is our “Fun Friday” feature, we wanted you to get in on the fun too.  The first five people to leave a message in the comments below will get an invite! :)

—Setup—

After you get an invitation, you’ll be able to download Joost and complete the setup. It supports both Windows and Intel Macs, and the setup is quick and easy. Within minutes you’ll be on your way to watching one of their 26 channels.

Joostsetup

—Using Joost—

Joost will automatically start in a full screen mode which may surprise you initially.  You can switch between full-screen mode and window mode with just one click. The image below shows what the screen looks like when you first start a show.

Joost_userinterface

The user interface uses big buttons that are easy to use.  You’ll notice basic controls like play, pause, and volume controls, as well as an “information” button which will give you info about the program you are watching.

There’s also a standby button which will minimize the program into your system tray, and a search feature that will allow you to search for a particular program. 

You’ll have the option of selecting a channel from their channel catalog, and from there you can use the arrows on the right side of the screen (pictured below) to scroll through the offerings for each channel.

Joost_selectingchannels

—Improvements—

One of the biggest improvements that they can, and probably will make is more content.  There are currently 26 channels of content, but many of them you probably wouldn’t find much interest in. They do have a few big names like MTV, and Comedy Central.  You’ll find other channels like Poker Heaven, The Soccer Channel, Guinness World Records TV, and Warner Brothers Records.

—Quality—

While it’s not like watching TV on your high definition TV, it’s certainly a step up from the quality that YouTube offers, and I’ll take that.  And of course they have to make money somehow, and they do that via commercials and ads.  In a way this does take away from the experience, but they have to make their money somehow. Because it’s a free service, there’s really no room to complain.

If they can add quality content to their list of current offerings, Joost will definitely be a big hit. It’s free, and easy to use.  If you want to have some fun and try it out, the first five people to leave a comment (be sure to include your email address in the email field) will get an invite!

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