Blu ray or HD DVD? Who will win?

The format war over the high-definition video market has been going on for a few years, and it now looks like the eventual winner is pulling ahead. So I'm calling it for the blue corner - it's Blu-ray. Hope I'm wrong though, because I would much prefer HD DVD to triumph. Why? Because it would be better for the consumer.

The main pros and cons for Blu-ray and HD DVD are as follows: Blu-ray can hold more data than HD DVD, 25GB vs 15GB. Compare this with the 4.7GB that a standard DVD can store. However, it's also more expensive to make - an expense passed on to the buyer with a percentage slapped on top no doubt. Blu-ray discs can also be region-encoded. Again, not something the public would have voted for. (To be fair though, about two-thirds of all releases so far have been region-free.)
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Tags: Blu-ray, HD DVD, high definition, hdtv

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Pantomime season

Made using a webcam and Flix, here's a time lapse video showing the huge amount of effort that goes into preparing a panto for the public. Thanks Jon!

Related: video, theatre, pantomime, Flix

Google Pagerank Update January 2008

It's happening... the Google servers are giving different numbers for PR, so I'm guessing we're in the middle of another update!

See also: pagerank, webmaster, Google, seo

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Symonds not Big Monkey

The row about Harbhajan Singh racially abusing Andrew Symonds by calling him a "Big Monkey" is still raging on, but I've just heard on the radio (so it must be true) that Harbhajan was speaking Hindi and said, "Abey bik mangey, teri maa ki" which means "Beggar, go f*** your mother". Still not very polite, but probably more acceptable. I can believe this. The Aussies grasp of Hindi probably isn't that good...

Andrew Symonds

Tags: language, cricket, Australia, Andrew Symonds, Harbhajan Singh

Learning Mandarin Chinese

I've noticed recently that more and more people are learning Mandarin here in UK. As a Mandarin speaker myself, I think it's an ambitious thing to take on, but if you fancy it, here are some useful resources. In addition to the actual language, familiarity with Chinese idioms and proverbs is very useful and comes up in everyday conversation. And if you come across a character you're not familiar with, you can try this site, which cleverly converts it to a phonetic form for you.

As a side note. Every Chinese person knows how to play Mahjong. They seem to know this from birth. So if you're serious about mixing with the locals next time you're in China/Taiwan, it might be worth checking it out... I wouldn't play for money, but it is quite fun!

Related: Mandarin, Chinese, language

Premium rate numbers

Don't ring them! Instead take a quick look at SayNoTo0870.com and find an alternative number with which to call that company.

More Christmas gift ideas

After the Wii, remote control helicopters look to be the top Christmas present this year. The Silverlit Radio Control Helicopter looks pretty cool :)

There's also something for the impatient grown-ups among us. Another gadget is the Tefal Quick Cup. You don't have to wait for the water to boil before you make your drink, it comes out boiling hot... and it's apparently more energy efficient than the old fashioned kettle!

Tags: gadget, Christmas, present

Fabio Capello CV

Italian, born 1946.
A former midfield player for Roma, Juventus, AC Milan and Italy.
Has managed Milan, Real Madrid, Roma and Juventus, winning the domestic league title with each of them.
Now England manager, Capello has announced that it will be his last management role. His annual salary will be £6 million.

By all accounts, a good resume. But tell me, what does an England manager actually do again? Put up with the press. Get free tickets to a game once in a while. Collect a pay cheque for over 16 thousand pounds every day, and put a team sheet together now and then. There aren't the day-to-day worries of a domestic league team and you don't need to worry about the player fitness/wages because the club managers are looking after them. And there's absolutely no incentive to leave any sort of lasting legacy, like restructure English football from the lower leagues on up. Surely it's really just a two day a week job?

Related: Fabio Capello, England, football

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