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Apologetic Mumbai Killers: “We Didn't Get the Memo About Obama”  —  MUMBAI - Ajmal Amir Kasab, the sole surviving member of the 10-man team of Pakistani gunmen that left hundreds dead or wounded after a bloody three day rampage in Mumbai, today blamed the mayhem on an “email mixup” …

Daily Mail:
Jewish mother killed in Mumbai attacks ‘was pregnant’... and her son, 2, may have been beaten by militants … The Jewish mother murdered in the brutal Mumbai terror attacks last week was six month pregnant, her father revealed today at her funeral.  —  And Rivkah Holtzberg's two-year-old son …

Warning! This holiday season you will be tempted to purchase one of those set-top boxes that deliver movies directly to your TV set. You will be lured by the idea of having this content on a digital tap, serving it up without ever needing to get off the couch. Don’t be fooled! While these devices and services are definitely getting better — and even approaching awesome — this holiday season is not the time to buy.

There are a lot of entrants in the set-top box space, but big names you’re already familiar with will grab most of the attention this season. Apple, Netflix and now Blockbuster all have set-top box solutions ready to pump piping hot video content to your TV.

Of the three biggies, the Apple TV has been out the longest. The box costs $229 for the 40 GB model and $329 for the 160 GB one. It plays content, which is purchased or rented on an a la carte basis from the iTunes store, as well as music and other content stored on your network. New releases are available for purchase (but not always rental) day-and-date with their DVD release.

Why you should wait: Apple makes excellent products, but $229 isn’t chump change. If you watch a lot of television shows — especially in high definition (HD) — sticking with your cable or satellite provider might be more economical. Plus, MacWorld is right around the corner in January. Even though my colleagues over at The Apple Blog say a hardware update is unlikely (Apple just did a software update for the device), why take that chance?

Where Apple takes a surgical approach to its set-top offering, marketing a single solution, Netflix is blasting away with a shotgun — and that’s not a bad thing. The company has worked tirelessly over the past year to get its online streaming service up and running on a number of devices including the Roku ($99), TiVo ($149 - $299), Xbox ($199), and Samsung and LG Blu-ray players ($399). Movies are streamed (not downloaded) so there is nothing kept locally on your device — and HD streams are rolling out across most of the partnerships. Content is an all-you-can-eat smorgasbord included your Netflix subscription price.

Why you should wait: Netflix offers a subscription plan, rather than a la carte rentals. Because of complexities in the licensing and release windows, that meansit doesn’t get access to new releases. So no matter what flavor box you buy, after the novelty of it all wears off, there aren’t enough titles to choose from (unless you consider Improve Your Sailing Skills must-see TV).

Blockbuster’s device, launched just last week, is the latest entry in the set-top box battle. The rental chain is using 2Wire’s MediaPoint hardware to power the service. Blockbuster says the box is free, but you do have to pre-pay $99 for 25 rentals. Boxes are available through Blockbuster.com and select retailers. The video chain also said that, like Netflix, it will be integrating its on-demand service into Blu-ray players and other devices such as game consoles and DVRs. Movies use progressive downloads (not streams) for DVD-quality video, and the device supports HD. Because the movie rentals are a la carte, new releases are generally available within 30 days of the DVD release, according to Blockbuster.

Why you should wait: The service just came out last week, so it hasn’t gone through a rigorous review process. Let other people find any aggravating bugs before you plunk down your money for one.

While I may come across as a Debbie Downer, dashing your set-top dreams for this holiday season, let me offer a bit of optimism. All of these options will only get better and cheaper in the coming months, so your patience will be rewarded.

How in the holy frijoles is it December already? And why do I get the same stressed, panicked feeling every year? And why do I harbor such resentment against those who get their Christmas shopping done early (or prance gaily around their yards stringing up their lights the day after Thanksgiving)?

*deep breath*

The truth is, when I put myself in the mindset of how much I enjoyed the holidays as a kid, I can actually get some of those warm, good time-y feelings back. And having two little kids adds to the fun too. But man oh man, the stress returns every year, as sure as the commercials.

Music, of course, is the key to bringing back some of that positive holiday energy. Since 1994, this collection of tunes has steered the way (or the sleigh, heh). I taped this special off the radio that holiday season. I’ve said this all before, but Bruce Cockburn is a warm, comforting musical presence in my life, and listening to him sing these great songs and play the guitar like only he can - well - it’s better than a fridge full of nog.

Now, Nanci Griffith joins Bruce here, and sings some songs of her own (”Wexford Carol”, “Grafton Street”, “Going Back to Georgia”, etc.). But it’s the Bruce tunes that resonate with me: “Shepherds” opens the show, and has always been a song that pops into my head throughout the year, for some reason: “Glooooooria, in the hiiiighest.” I’m not heavy into the religion, mind you, but when Bruce sings, I’m a believer; “Deer Dancing Around a Broken Mirror”, a spirited and lush instrumental tune; “Huron Carol”, a song written in the 1600’s by a Jesuit missionary to the Huron Indians, and sung in the Huron language. Bruce gives a wonderful introduction, and reads the English translation beforehand; and of course, two favorites of mine: “I’m Gonna Fly Someday” and “One Day I Walk”. Sublime.

Enjoy. And hey, happy holidays, eh? Oh, and always a reminder for you fellow Yanks that haven’t heard of Bruce from the great white north - it’s CO-Burn. Co sounding like So. Ho ho ho.

“Christmas with Cockburn”
The Columbia Records Radio Hour, 1994

Intro
Shepherds [mp3]
Wexford Carol (Nanci Griffith)
Brave Companion of the Road (NG)
Deer Dancing Around a Broken Mirror
I’m Gonna Fly Someday
Grafton Street (NG)
Going Back to Georgia (NG)
One Day I Walk / Intro to Huron Carol
Huron Carol [mp3]
Mary Had a Baby

[Download the ZIP]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

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