Fun Things to Watch on Your Digital Entertainment Center
2010 Super Bowl Commercials
Mon, 08 Feb 2010 03:34:33 +0000
YouTube has all of the 2010 Super Bowl commercials. You can view them all on the YouTube - adblitz's Channel. Be sure to vote for your favorite.
Category: Television: Commercials
Comments | PermaLink | Related Links | TrackBack
5900 RPM Hard Drive Just Doesn't Cut It
Sun, 07 Feb 2010 11:29:32 +0000
The Seagate Expansion External Drive is an excellent USB hard drive enclosure for digital entertainment centers. It has no power button, but sleeps after inactivity and automatically turns off when your computer is shut down. It's sleek black case really blends with other black entertainment center components.
But playing back videos on my HDTV off this external hard drive is not so slick. Periodically, the video would stop for a few seconds. I traced the problem down to the internal hard drive in the enclosure.
I have the 1.5 TB version of the Seagate Expansion External Drive. After taking the enclosure apart, I found a Seagate Barracuda LP (ST31500541AS) 1.5 TB hard drive inside. After checking the specs on Seagate's web site, I realized that it is only a 5900 RPM drive.
Luckily I have a 7200 RPM Seagate drive on hand. I swapped the faster drive into the USB enclosure and the lagging problem went away. The 5900 RPM drive is fine for backups, but for real-time play-back of video it just doesn't cut it.
Category: Hardware
Comments | PermaLink | Related Links (4) | TrackBack
"G" Callen - Mystery Man?
Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:02:27 +0000
"G" Callen is one of the more interesting characters on NCIS Los Angeles. His mysterious nature makes him a constant uncertainty, but his work ethic and dedication to the job make him a great character on the show - it's hard to resist his charm and his dedication to the job. He always shows determination to get the job done and solve each case, even when some of his co-workers show signs of doubt or of wanting to give up. He has a past of some extensive undercover work, and has a skill for getting undercover and getting people to trust and believe what ever story he might be pushing. Callen is a team player, who seems to get along best with Sam Hanna, the ex Navy SEAL and his regular partner while working cases.
Among the many unknowns about Callen is his first name - what does that G stand for? This is one of the fun mysteries that the show has created in its' short history, to intrigue viewers and leaving them always asking questions and wanting more. What will Callen do next, and what new mystery will be revealed about his past? There seem to be more questions than answers about him, which is a large part of his intrigue on the show.
Category: Television: NCIS: NCIS Los Angeles
Comments | PermaLink | Related Links | TrackBack
This is One Toxin You'd Want to Take!
Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:18:37 +0000
This episode - LD50- begins with a reality TV show host that is checking out people with weapons. When they crash into the room, they see that the men are dead. When Callum and Sam investigate they see that there are dead birds and animals around the area where the dead men were. They think they need hazmat to investigate.
They trace the dead men to an old lady named Esther who is involved. They visit her and see that she has Alzheimer's, yet she helped set up a deadly biochemical. She thought she was helping the government in their development of low LD50 chemical - something they put in botox, but deadlier.
They find out other people involved - from their old “friend” Dallas, who they've had dealings with before.
They find a guy named Simon and ask him about “the Dutchman.” He alerts them that there is a hit going down, an auction for this biochemical.
Sam decides to go into the auction for the toxin, undercover - he claims he's had his shots. Callum doesn't think so. The “Dutchman's” men take him to a warehouse and pat him down.
They trace down the guy with the vial in the mall. Callum catches it as he throws it in the mall. He is then thrown in the water by Sam - supposedly to save his life. He then injects him with the antidote.
They let the old lady, Esther, go. Hettie gets reminiscent and says that when she gets old and has to go to a nursing home, she is afraid that she will say all that she knows.
Category: Television: NCIS: NCIS Los Angeles
Comments | PermaLink | Related Links | TrackBack
This is One Masquerade You Won't Want to Miss
Wed, 03 Feb 2010 04:24:22 +0000
Masquerade starts out with a guy in bar seeing his brother Roman Vega being chased by police on TV. The car then blows up and the NCIS investigators go to the scene of the crime. McGee realizes that there is radiation by the car - since he can't get a signal.
They realize that Vega was transporting radio active material. Roman and his brother Alfonso lived with their grandmother.
Mr. Kane, handling Peru, tracking a group that protest US drug policies in Peru, says that Vega was seen with people doing wrong in Lima and travels there constantly. He says that Vega was their only link.
NCIS finds Vega's brother in a hotel - he has been using the internet in the hotel lobby.
Colonel Bell's “men” are in Alfonso's room with the lawyer that was on a previous episode (Hart). Alfonso says that his brother couldn't be involved with Libertad Nueva, a terrorist group. He says his brother told him not to trust anybody.
Tony and Ziva visit the warehouse where they believe Roman was hiding out. They find traces of Cobalt 60 on all the paraphernalia. They also find an old laptop with info and things to make a bomb. Ducky finds that somebody inflicted him with violence. They find that the dead body they have from the vehicle is not Corporal Vega. It is John Cook. John Cook had perfect teeth, however, he had been going to the dentist every few days. The dentist says that somebody broke into his office and stole 15 x-ray machines after Cook visited twice.
They find Alfonso when they release Roman. He waives his attorney privilege (Hart) and says that he is being set up. He says he recorded video - he thought it was all fake. Alfonso then notices someone was following him. He started to get nervous.
They feel that the dentist is involved somehow. There is a TV report that there is a bomb scare in the downtown DC area. They find pictures of a bus on his website. McGee and Gibbs go down to the bus terminal to find the bomb. They defuse it. The dentist is found dead - supposedly suicide.
Gibbs tells Mr. Kane that there will not be another bomb that is supposed to go off in 12 hours. He blames Mr. Kane and says that he is behind all of this - Libertad Nueva. He did it for his own personal gain. He wanted his bill to pass. They find the IP address which came from his office.
This was a great show - it even ended with a hint of a love interest between Gibbs and Hart.
Category: Television: NCIS
Comments | PermaLink | Related Links | TrackBack
