I don't have a TIVO, or any of the other personal video recorders that are out there. But I'd like to have one. I know that there are good TV shows on the air and I'd like to be able to watch them on my own time. But I don't have time or the inclination to sift through the trash. Nor am I able to organize myself enough to set up the VCR on a regular basis. And while I like watching commercials at certain times, in general, I detest the interruption -- especially if I'm watching a movie. Movies edited for television should really be illegal. So TV is not a big thing with me.
But I am very interested in what's happening in TV-land, especially when it comes to how people are watching it. There is a lot of cool technology being used out there to help people enjoy the TV experience, and I like reading about it.
I've written before about Robert X. Cringleyand how much I enjoy his columns. Today, he's talking about TV and a cool new way of keeping up with your favourite soap opera -- even if that soap is airing on a local channel in another country. It's good stuff.
What sets Cringley's work apart from most of the breathless (or cynical) reviews of the latest gee-whiz gadget that's being touted, is that he wants people to consider how technology is affecting what we do. Not in a rarified theoretical way, but in the day-to-day activities that we all enjoy. That's why he's so taken with how technology helps him live his life and if it doesn't help him do it better, it's not worth much.
He's a good commentator to have along while we surf the information highway, because he's always willing to give an opinion on whether things are making sense.
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