Hmm. I thought the CNet page I read said that nothing takes advantage of the p in 1080 other than the HD DVD formats. That's not true?

Here it is:

There are two main HD resolutions in use today by HD broadcasters and other sources: 1080i and 720p. One is not necessarily better than the other; 1080i has more lines and pixels, but 720p is a progressive-scan format that should deliver a smoother image that stays sharper during motion. Another format is also becoming better known: 1080p, which combines the superior resolution of 1080i with the progressive-scan smoothness of 720p. True 1080p content is extremely scarce, however, and none of the major networks have announced 1080p broadcasts. The term 1080p today appears mostly in reference to the displays' native resolution, not the source.

[...]

In fact, unless you have a very large television and excellent source material, you'll have a hard time telling the difference between any of the HDTV resolutions. It's especially difficult to tell the difference between 1080i and 1080p sources. The difference between DVD and HDTV should be visible on most HDTVs, but especially on smaller sets, it's not nearly as drastic as the difference between standard TV and HDTV.

The jump in quality from 1080i to 1080p is the same as the jump from standard def TV (480i) to standard def progressive scan DVD (480p). But because 1080 lines look so much better than 480 to begin with, you need a really stellar action sequence to see the difference. I imagine CTHD would look phenomenal at 1080p. Knocked Up would probably look about the same.

Currently, very little content is created in 1080p, so if you're getting a really BIG TV and plan to watch a lot of HD movies on it, I'd say go for it. If you're getting a medium-sized one and plan to mostly watch TV on it, don't bother.

Apple says they have tested the effect of the next iPhone software upgrade on unlocked phones, and yes, it will turn some of them into iBricks. [link]

I recieved some $$ for my birthday and am thinking of getting an iPod that plays videos. Does anyone know if there is some sort of hack/way for it to play non-itunes videos, and where I would look for that-- say if I wanted to play fanvids that are .avi?

Does anyone know if there is some sort of hack/way for it to play non-itunes videos, and where I would look for that-- say if I wanted to play fanvids that are .avi?

There are programs that will convert video files into iPod-ready files. I use Videora, though rarely. I'm sure Jess will have other suggestions, and I think Jilli asked about it a while back too.

Thanks- I don't want to outlay the money if this does not exisit, so even knowing there is a way helps me make a decision!

iTunes will turn anything except Windows Media into an iPod-compatible movie file for you (right-click and select "Convert selection for iPod").

The vids that will give you trouble are the ones created in WMM and only available as WMV. If you have the pro version of Flip4Mac (or Sorensen Squeeze), you can convert them to M4V, but I don't know of a way to do it for free.

This is really cool:

Water-cooled Steampunk PC [link]

Water-cooled Steampunk PC

O. M. G. WANT.