Robert X. Cringely reckons Apple will announce a movie store after Mac OS X 10.4 ("Tiger") is released, using H.264:
Enter Apple and the Mac Mini, supporting every part of HD except a DVD standard, because one isn't needed. The Mini will download its HD video over broadband Internet connections so no optical component is required. The result is that Apple once again gets to market early and has a chance to become the de facto standard, just like iTunes did. Blockbuster can't compete with Apple until there are HD DVDs, and even digital cable doesn't have enough channel capacity to offer as many pay-per-view HD movies as Apple will be able to offer on the first day of service.
Om Malik also pointed to a post by Johnathan Greene which speculates that the rumoured "Asteroid" will act as a PVR.
Dunstan has a movie of his week-old puppies. Very cute. I want one!
Dan Gillmor has some criticism in relation to the $40 million spent on parties for George W. Bush's inauguration (to be held today). "Celebrating freedom". Pffft.
Fraser Speirs has some tips on giving presentations. As a not-so-confident public speaker, I should probably pay attention. 
The Sydney Morning Herald has an article on the use of tablet PCs to obtain patient records and information while on ward rounds. Interesting.
I was reading some stuff about the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 on Wikipedia, and came across the story of a person dubbed the "tank man", who stood before a line of 17 tanks, blocking their way. That guy had guts.
The Sydney Morning Herald has an article about a group of evangelical Christians in the US, the "Answers in Genesis" ministry, who are going to spend US$20 million to setup a "Creation Museum".
Notably, this will feature an exhibit that:
… will lay responsibility for AIDS on homosexuals. Disease and famine will be portrayed as the byproducts of mankind's fall from grace.
Is that LEGAL???
Additionally:
Animated figures will re-create Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, with a Tyrannosaurus rex pursuing them after their fall from grace… Readers may ask how a modern museum could depict dinosaurs and humans cohabiting the Earth when the fossil and geological records show dinosaurs and humans missed each other by about 60 million years. In response to such yawning contradictions, Ham advises people (in one of the many video clips available on the Answers in Genesis website) to offer this omnibus retort: "Were you there?"
Right… While I'm all for different beliefs on how we all got here (creation, evolution, intelligent design, whatever), saying that humans were co-habiting the earth with dinosaurs is just plain wrong. There is lots and lots and lots of fossil evidence that supports the idea of humans (and primates) being a relatively recent inhabitant of our planet. Ken Ham wasn't around when the humans (or Adam and Eve) were allegedly being chased around by a T-Rex, so why is he more correct than the supporters of evolution?
Another scary fact:
In a Gallup poll in 2003, 46 per cent of Americans described themselves as evangelical or born-again Christians. Opinion polls have shown that more Americans believe in creationism than evolution.
People never cease to amaze me…
John Gruber has a great analysis of the release of the iPod shuffle and Mac mini.
Robert Scoble attributes the lack of iPod shuffles available in stores to the effect of "word of mouth" and blogs. Additionally, "Keep in mind: best of breed is both the product itself and the marketing/evangelism that surrounds it."
Les Posen suggested that Apple Australia resurrect the "Mac loaner program" that was available a couple of years ago, to entice "switchers" from Windows. However, this time, they would use Mac Minis. I think it's an excellent idea.
He's outlinted 7 variations to the original program, but I like this one the best:
7. Offer a competition for loaners who can come up with the best two or three minute iMovie showing how they used the loaner minimac. Develop several catagories of movies - family, sport, business presentation, why I now want to switch, etc.
This would be an excellent way to get people to test out the iLife suite and see what using the Mac is REALLY like. Show them that Office is available for the Mac, putting to rest any fears about "compatibility" (one of the major concerns my friends express).
They could also bundle popular Mac software, to perhaps help out the third-party developers a bit.
So… Apple Australia, what are you waiting for?
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