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May 26, 2005
Sam's First Ball Game!
While I wish his first ball game had been to see the World Champion Boston Red Sox, we had to settle for my second favorite team. Turner Field, only a mile from our home in Grant Park, was the setting for a beautiful evening matchup between the New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves. Six-week-old Samuel seemed to enjoy himself, sleeping through the first few innings in our Baby Bjorn (courtesy of Chet & Phyllis!), then waking up to enjoy the sights and sounds of America's greatest pastime. Check out the gallery here.
Posted by jetrotz at 08:25 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 23, 2005
Who are these people?
A new study reported this morning on Mediapost.com (registration required) describes a study commissioned by ESPN to study the use of DVRs by non-early adopters. The report says that 57% of people given a DVR, ultimately returned the unit because they didn't want it.
Of the 157 households that participated in the test, 90 returned their DVRs for a variety or reasons including: complaints about the installation process, the cost of DVRs, or the fact that the digital set-top devices clashed with or didn't fit into their home furnishings.Oh - the study also said that most of these people didn't tend to fast-forward through commercials. Hmmmm. If anyone happens to have an extra Tivo Series 2 lying around after this test, please send it my way.
Posted by jetrotz at 08:29 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Wookie Hooky
Meant to blog this last week - but Sam gets in the way of that sort of thing. Anyway, I got a pass from Amy to head out with some fellow geeks from work to catch the midnight showing of the Star Wars prequel, Revenge of the Sith. I've posted a bunch of photos on the moblog I shot of my fellow geeks that night, so check those out. Sounds like I added to what was really a phenomenal opening - surpassing Spiderman for opening weekend ticket sales. NPR this morning had a tidbit estimating that the sum loss of productivity from the 'Wookie Hooky' - people calling in sick on Thursday or Friday - at something approaching $600 million. Maybe Mr. Greenspan will be giving Mr. Lucas a call and asking for some help there...
Posted by jetrotz at 08:16 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 16, 2005
CNN.com Video in the News
It's all over the web today - CNN.com has announced a new strategy with their video products. I've been working on some aspects of these for a while - nice to see the project out in the public eye. Here are some quotes from today's coverage:
CNN.com will make its existing online video offerings available for free beginning June 20 as it prepares a new video package that will cost money to watch. The company said the premium offering would deliver multiple live feeds and provide access to CNN's video archives. Susan Grant (executive vice president for the CNN News unit that oversees the Web site) would offer no other details on the premium service or on how the free video would differ from the current offerings, other than its placement on the home page.
MediaPost.com (subscription required)
As part of the June 20 launch, the CNN.com home page will spotlight ad-supported video news coverage as part of a broader restyling of the site....The change reflects the background of CNN President Jonathan Klein--who came to the Turner Broadcasting unit from the FeedRoom, a company he founded that builds broadband Web sites and streams online content--although the Web project is being supervised by Susan Grant, executive vice president of CNN News Services.
Read the expanded entry for the full press release.
CNN Broadband Press Release
For Release: May 16, 2005
CNN.com Announces Groundbreaking Broadband Service
Top Internet News Site Expands Online Offerings with Free Video, Unmatched Premium Product
CNN.com extends its leadership as the Internet's top site for news and information through an unprecedented investment in broadband that includes free video and a premium product that places the site at the control of the online user, it was announced today by Susan Grant, executive vice president of CNN News Services.
CNN.com will make the free video available starting June 20, while it will unveil its complete premium product this fall with more options and features than any other online news and information site.
As part of the June 20 launch of free video, the CNN.com home page will prominently feature video as part of a restyling of the site.
In addition, ad-supported video packaged specifically for CNN.com will be woven throughout the site on section fronts, story pages and special reports complementary to the content.
"Online users have begun to expect high-quality, up-to-the-minute news video as part of their news-browsing experience," Grant said. "With free video drawing from the extensive resources of CNN, our users get quick, reliable and accurate multimedia information, thus connecting them with CNN in a deeper, richer and more satisfying way."
With the free video, online users each day can view various distinct on-demand videos across several topic areas, including politics, world news, business, sports, entertainment, science and technology and more.
A specially designed video player enables users to search and organize videos so they can quickly focus on the content they wish to see. As part of the free offering, CNN.com staff will also produce two-minute newscasts every hour called "Now in the News," delivering the latest updates and breaking news.
In the fall, CNN.com will offer an innovative subscription-based service delivering multiple live video streams, access to CNN's video archives and user-customized options. This new premium product will enable CNN.com users to get the full impact of watching the news with as much choice and control as watching television or using a Web site.
As the first Internet site dedicated to 24-hour news coverage, CNN.com ranks as the leading online news and information site, attracting an average of 23 million unique users each month. Launched in 1995, CNN.com draws from the worldwide resources of the CNN News Group to provide relevant, up-to-the minute news and information. CNN.com features the latest multimedia technologies, from video streaming to audio packages to searchable archives of news features and background information.
CNN, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is one of the world's most respected and trusted sources for news and information. Its reach extends to 14 cable and satellite television networks; two private place-based networks; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; six Web sites, including CNN.com, the first major news and information Web site; and CNN Newsource, the world's most extensively syndicated news service.
Posted by jetrotz at 08:30 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 14, 2005
May we see your family photos please?
We took advantage of my friend Paul while he and his family were visiting today to get our first 'official' family portrait. Paul, like me, was once a full-time photojournalist, but escaped that profession for the geekery that is internet development. Anywho, check out the image at right for a look at the photo.
Posted by jetrotz at 07:07 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
More Baby Intros....
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Click on the images at right for a larger view!
Posted by jetrotz at 06:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Let's go see the baby...
Our dear friends Nikki and Paul were in town from Savannah this weekend, and high on their list of priorities was getting to meet Sam for the first time. Their daughter, Maddie, as well as our friend Shondra and her daughter Alondra came by to visit Saturday morning. Check out the photo gallery here.
Posted by jetrotz at 06:50 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Bikers, Beer & Babes Babies
Last weekend, our neighbors Michael & Rachel organized the annual Rosalia/Cameron Street block party. Neighbors from all over Grant Park attended the festivities, and Sam had a great time at his first post-utero musical event - a local blues band. Check out the gallery of photos here.
Posted by jetrotz at 06:45 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 10, 2005
Have a Baby, Get a TiVO
Now they tell me. Parkland Hospital in Dallas (ya know, where they took JFK when he was shot) participated in a promotion with where new Mom's received TiVOs with lifetime subscriptions (around a $500 value) as a marketing effort to reach busy mothers. Parkland is reportedly one of the busiest maternity wards in the country at 40 births per day, but I think Atlanta's own Northside Hospital might give them a run for their money. Trouble is, the TiVO certificates were only in English (Parkland has a high percentage of Hispanic patients) and many recipients had no idea what a TiVO does. Too bad they didn't do this at Piedmont a few weeks ago, or we could have given birth to TiVO Trotz in the company's honor. Article at Dallasnews.com (registration required).
Caption: Clad in a TiVo cap, a newborn poses with a plush toy. His mother received a new recorder with lifetime service Friday. Tom Fox/DMN
Posted by jetrotz at 07:01 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 01, 2005
More Sam Gallery Updates
Yes, it's 3:50 a.m. and I'm blogging. I got the 2:45 feeding this morning, and decided to take advantage of a few moments and get some new photos of littlest Sam up on the web. Please take a gander at these - he's such a cutie, I can barely stand it!
-- Sam gets comfortable at home
AND
-- Sam's Quiet Alert Phase
Posted by jetrotz at 03:47 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Babies Coming out of the Woodwork
Our friends Jeff & Paige Diecks welcomed their little one into the world on Friday. Jeff and I have been commiserating at work about preparing for our babies, now we can commiserate about lack of sleep. Woohoo! Mom and baby Avery Lane Diecks are doing fine, and should be home Sunday. She is 5 pounds, 8.8 ounces and 18 inches long. She arrived on Friday, April 29 at 5:48 p.m, not long after Amy and I finished a visit to our peditrician just around the corner from the hospital where little Avery was born. We'd have brought in some Abit and etouffe if we'd only known!
Posted by jetrotz at 03:45 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack