iTunes Extras

I bought Night at the Museum 2 last night purely to test iTunes Extras.

Naturally, since we’ve had these special features on DVD’s since, well, forever, it wasn’t the most mind blowing experience in the world.

I have to say I have seen some DVD menu’s that look, frankly, a lot better.  But I suspect that it will improve as publishers get to grips with the full capability of the format.

It’s worth noting that iTunes Extras is actually 2 files. The movie itself and the Extras. For a moment I’d though I bought the movie twice. But rest easy.

Here are pictures from my Apple TV.

As you can see, its not strikingly different from a DVD menu.

 

Again, not a new feature. Nothing noteworthy here, move along.

 

One nice feature is the above menu, allowing you to go to the extra Screen instead of playing the movie.

 

I must say, it is nice to have special features without having to get the DVD. I hope more and more movie get this, and not just the new releases (Though I did notice that the original The Wizard of Oz movie has Extras – see last picture). I suppose that this is one area where Apple’s grab for the living room puts it in sharp contrast to Windows Media Centre. I don’t think WMC will do the special features if you copy and paste the Video_Ts folder.

This is also interesting: a shameless attempt to sell us more stuff. A link to iTunes movie trailers and a link to Twentieth Century Fox. It would be cool if this were updated on a regular basis with other stuff. It would be a good place to put special offers. Such as 50% off the soundtrack because you bought the movie (so you have you buy the movie and get the soundtrack from this screen).

The movies with Extra have this little icon next to them to distinguish them from the rest of the “ordinary” movies:

 

Finally, here are the available movies with iTunes Extras:

 

I have two of those movies: Walle-e and Iron Man, both bought from iTunes when they were released. But iTunes Extras weren’t available then. A Endgaget post seemed to suggest that only if you already bought these with Extras could you re-download them to work with Apple Tv 3.0.2. So I’m not sure hat the deal is. It would be very sad if i could not get Extras for them.

Finally, it would be interesting if someone figured out how to translate from DVD menus to iTunes Extras.

PS And yes, some pictures are not properly centred and are thus utter crap. Sue me.

Microsoft Vista SP1 Spoof Promo Video

A little laugher before the weekend (can’t come soon enough).

According to Engadget, this was done by Microsoft. Glad to see other ways Microsoft is spending some of that $44 Billion.

Blog Directions

So, this is supposed to be a tech blog (along with the few hundred thousand of them already out there). Thing is that I’ve only used it for two things lately: Youtube videos to do with Apple and various complaints mostly to do with Google et al.

I need to narrow the scope down a bit. not quite sure exactly what on. Lets go through it.

SQL Server? I get the basics but I’d rather use Subsonic any day of the week.

ASP.net? Yes, but 2.0. I’ve used the Visual Studio 2008 and it rocks for web design, so a tour of Visual Web Designer Express 2008 sounds good.

Visual Basic 8.0? Again, I haven’t got round to using it, at least not with .Net 3.5. I’m rather good at VB, if I do say so myself.

C# 3.0? The C version of VB ( I’m kidding ), but yeah getting to grips with it might prove entertaining.

LINQ? Haven’t touched it, though I’ve diligently read Scott’s posts on the topic. It sure rocks so I might take it for asp on some Commerce Starter Kit databases I have lying around.

Virtual Server? I actually had a draft post about that lying around somewhere. I’ll get it up as soon as I’ve completed taking VS for a test drive ( always handy to have a copy of Windows Server 2003 and SQL 2005  lying around).

Networking?? I’m laying gigabit throughout the house to a central 24-port switch. So details on that later.

What else? Java??? Seriously, although I can see the languages’ power and potential as well a pretty safe choice when undertaking any software project, I wish Microsoft would do a deal with Jonathan Schwartz and include it as part of Visual Studio. With a .Net interop??? And Sun, please make your Java download page a wee bit more understandable to a  (relative) newbie.

Programming in general?? Perhaps something slightly more advanced than Hello World. Toolkits I use and so on. I mean, application architecture is a huge subject, as is project planning (UML, etc). Plenty we could go over in there.

At the end of the day, its good opportunity to consider moving any future photography posts to their own blog.

You never know.

iPhone AD

Well, not really:

Are you Ready for AIR

Check the Macbook Air out:

Many thanks to FSJ for passing it on.

CES Geek Humor- The Flight of the Conchords

Its video night!! This comes to you via Don Dodge:

This is geek humor at its best. You sort of had to be there to get the context of their jokes. But if you read this blog about the convergence, multi-platform, and Tru2Way, you will catch the nuance in their jokes. Take a look at this video and have a good laugh.

Funny? Yes. Very Funny.

The Flight of the Conchords:

MacWorld Fallout

iPod Touch update downloaded and installed. Add-on purchased.

I’ve only had a cursory look at the features. And boy do they rock. I was going to say that I really needed a Notes app and his Steveness has gone ahead and stole my thunder. Not that I’m complaining .

The Add-on was cheap when I think of the iPod classic owners that I know – they are going to really  be envious.

I’m currently looking at my new Dell Inspiron and wondering who I might sell to get an Air (yes, who).

While I think that one over here’s a Youtube clip making fun of the OTHER software company in action:

Air Traffic

You’ll never look at it the same way again.

Designer Aaron Koblin did these using a day’s worth of FAA Data. Fascinating Stuff

PodTech:Get collaborative with Chandler

This is a great video. Pity Mitch Kapor didn’t make an appearance .

If you want the background to all of this take a look at Scott Rosenberg’s Dreaming in Code which chronicles the early years of the Chandler Project. He really does it well. The projects problems come across so well  you want to throw the book down in frustration.

Now, the video:

Vista Desktop Manager

Seriously, you have to ask yourself why Microsoft didn’t think of this:

[via Scott Hanselman]

I think its a testament to the legions of Windows developers the world over who wont take Redmond lack of design inspiration for an answer (compared to an unnamed Computer Company).

Get it here. I am so downloading it.

It also shows how much Microsoft left out of Vista (presumably under pressure to RTM it before it was ready).

Earth to WinFS. Where are you?????????