January 27, 2011

There were 5 posts published on January 27, 2011 (this is page 1 of 1).

Free media streaming, solved!

On a happier note, tonight I figured out the last piece of the puzzle of my free media streaming project! I have paired the red5 Flash media server with Adobe Flash Media Live Encoder to create stunning live video, all ad-free. The total cost of my software: $0. It’s just what I’ve been looking for.

I began by downloading and compiling the red5 software on my hosted CentOS server. This involved running a few “yum” commands to install the necessary Java dependencies but that was little challenge. Then I walked away from the project for a bit and when I returned I could not remember how to start red5. After a few more Googles, I discovered red5 had to be started from the /usr/lib/red5 directory on my server.
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Highlights of 2010: Gerry

Gerry Reid

Gerry Reid

This is the entry that I’ve been dreading to write because it’s anything but a highlight. Amazing how busy I can make myself with other things when there’s something I don’t want to do.

March 2010 was when my good friend Gerry Reid passed away. He was one of my closest friends, more like a brother, even. They say a good friend is one you’d be willing to hide from the cops. They say a great friend is one who wakes up in jail with you the next day and says “wasn’t that great?” That describes Gerry perfectly.

The man was so full of life. Fearless and intensely curious. He was a best listener of anyone I’ve ever met. His way of striking up conversations with random people on the street is legendary. You could talk to him about anything and he could relate and offer sage advice.
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Cutting the cable

A friend of mine, fed up with the high cost, just canceled his cable television service after another friend showed him how he could watch his shows on the Internet or through streaming services like Netflix. Another friend got a Netflix-streaming Blu-Ray player for Christmas and is considering doing the same. They both will likely save a bunch of money.

Netflix reported yesterday that they’ve reached the 20 million subscriber mark. They have a $10 billion market value: more than some Hollywood studios. Netflix’s stock jumped over $16 to close just shy of $200 a share on the news.

As I’ve been saying many times, cable television is going through a sea change in how it does business. If cable doesn’t offer a-la-carte programming, people (formerly known as “consumers”) will get it through Netflix or through other Internet sources.

Facebook now offers secure connections


Facebook’s porous security model is one reason why I never “link” my Facebook account to other websites.

Facebook finally provided a way to keep any random jerk in the café from hijacking your account. But you have to go out of your way to enable this protection, and you might have to wait. Still: Jump on this.

Facebook has at long last offered an option to use the encrypted HTTPS protocol, a feature it will begin rolling out today but won’t finish for a “few weeks.” You should check now if it’s available, and sign up as soon as it is enabled for your account. The performance overhead is minor—zippy Gmail, for example, uses HTTPS for everything—and it’s an important step to keep your Facebook account safe from being hijacked on an open or poorly secured wireless network.

via The Facebook Setting You Should Change as Quickly as Possible.

Newter the EPA?

I used to think that Newt Gingrich wanted to be President someday. He’s no dummy. He’s slimy, but no dummy. Then I read that he wants to abolish the Environmental Protection Agency. I mean, it’s not like having clean water and air are important or anything.

What has it come to when the smartest potential GOP presidential candidate proves to be a moron like all the others?