Things I am interested in…

These are my links for March 18th:

• DAN METH –
• Find the famous quotes you need, ThinkExist.com Quotations. –
• Buzzle Web Portal: Intelligent Life on the Web –
• The Tech Report – PC Hardware Explored –
• Billionaires – The World’s Richest People – Forbes.com –
• How to Install Satellite Coax Cable in a Home – wikiHow –
• Build a Home Theater PC – How To by ExtremeTech –
• Tech, games and culture, by geeks, for geeks – Atomic MPC –
• Joystiq –
• Elite Bastards –
• Play by Email (PBeM) / Play by Mail (PBM) Games Homepage –
• Eurisko, The Computer With A Mind Of Its Own –
• Cycorp, Inc. –
• urticator.net – Home –
• LinuxTracker .::. Index –
• Eeebuntu Official Site – Main –
• Calendar of ShangNing.net, find out your Chinese zodiac via birthday –
• How to Use and Edit Boot.ini in Windows XP –
• Boot and run Linux from a USB flash memory stick | USB Pen Drive Linux –
• FDISK /MBR rewrites the Master Boot Record –
• Bootdisk.Com –
• Main Page – SystemRescueCd –
• Moria – The science fiction, horror and fantasy movie review site – Home –
• How children lost the right to roam in four generations –
• Tor: anonymity online –
• Enigmail: A simple interface for OpenPGP email security –
• snopes.com: 25 Hottest Urban Legends –
• Data transfer rate conversion online. –
• XBMC Media Center –
• Main Page – Plex –
• Classic Restoration Enterprises, Inc. – Home –
• GB-PVR mediacentre. TV, Music, Video, Pictures, DVD –
• HandBrake –
• JavaScript Corral – Free Scripts, Pop-up Windows, Tutorial, Help –
• IP Address Locator – Enter an IP address to find its location – Lookup Country Region City etc –
• Newsarama | Comic Book News, TV, Movies –
• 20000-NAMES.COM: 20,000+ Names from Around the World–baby names, pet, pets, sim, story character, meaning, origin, etymology, etymologies, meanings, origins –
• SmallNetBuilder – Small Network Help – NAS Section –
• iPhone News, Help and Guides –
• DRUGSAFETYSITE.COM: Drug safety during pregnancy and breastfeeding –
• Home/Search: Is This Your Name? –
• iPod Touch Tricks- Blog featuring Apps, Hacks, Programs, Emulators,Softwares, Themes, News of iPod Touch –
• All things iPod, iPhone, iTunes and beyond | iLounge –
• StyleWriter plain English editing software, Write Group, New Zealand –
• Create WPA Key for your Wireless Network Router –
• Welcome to OpenVPN –
• Gotham Comics – New Zealand’s Finest Comic Book Store –
• Welcome to the Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL) –
• Password Safe –
• The Playground & All Aboard Games and Toys New Zealand –
• Ebook Search – Pdf Search Engine –
• Audible Picks – The Official TWiT Wiki –
• King of the Nerds!!! –
• International Psychogeriatric Association –
• library services – ADHB Library Links – **needs password
• Calgoo Calendar – Free Offline Calendar –
• World’s Best Free Email Account, Calendars Online, To Do List | Zenbe –
• EphPod – iPod for Windows (and Linux) :: HOME –
• Watchmen Movie News, Watchmen Comic News, Trailers, Videos, Plot Summary and More – WatchmenComicMovie.com –
• Cinema Blend – Reviews, news, and opinions on entertainment. –
• My Chemical Romance –
• Flixster – Share Movie Reviews & Movie Ratings With Your Friends –
• Ping.fm / Update all of your social networks at once! –
• DOPPLR –
• Order home and office delivery from a wide selection of restaurants –
• Zenbu. Find Everything. –
• NZ Open GPS Project –
• Geocaching – The Official Global GPS Cache Hunt Site –
• Silva Screen Records – Soundtrack MP3s & CDs –
• Center for Internet Security – Standards –
• Belarc – System Management For The Internet Age –
• SIW | System Information for Windows by Gabriel Topala –
• VoIP Providers – VoIP Services – Broadband Phone Providers | VoIPReview.org –
• Stereogum: Music Blog: MP3 Downloads, Videos, News, Giveaways –
• Home | War Child –
• PC Pitstop: Free PC Scans and Tune-up Utilities –
• Main Page – New Zealand Connections –

Further to the last post on free-to-air satellite digital television in NZ – I have just found a link that shows all the channels available so far:

freeviewshop.co.nz/channels

It looks like it is updated regularly.

In NZ the government has decided that our television transmission standard has to be changed from analogue to digital over the next few years.  This process has already started, and from the middle of last year a geostationary satellite (currently the Optus 4) has been beaming TVNZ signals down to earth, and all who can receive it.  This is called FreeView.

 The advantages of FreeView over other satellite broadcast systems (like Sky) are:

1. It’s FREE!  Once you have purchased and installed the satellite dish and the decoder there are no more bills… ever.
2. It’s government sponsored, so it is very unlikely to go out of business.
3. The number of channels is being expanded all the time – at the moment there are seven (TVNZ One, 2, The Maori Channel, Bloomberg, Deutsche World TV, CCTV-9 (Chinese), and TVNZ widescreen).  Next month TV3 and Prime are coming online, and by the end of the year there are expected to be about 18 channels available.
4. Did I mention – it’s FREE!

The previous owners of our house had Sky, so a satellite receiver dish and cabling were already in place.  Our friendly neighbourhood aerial guy installed a set-top box, and instantly we had the best reception I’ve experienced in years.  Our previous flat was in the reception shadow of a local mountain, and had shoddy television and cellphone reception.

 I must admit, I’m sold on digital satellite television, and even Jen, who is a bit of a sceptic about these sorts of things thinks that the ability to watch Antiques Roadshow in perfect reception is great.

And best of all… it’s FREE!

A Topfield PVR