Hulu, the online video service offering videos from more than 50 content providers, including FOX, NBC and others launches today. After being in beta for 18 weeks, the site is now open to all. The downside is that you can only view the shows if you’re within the US, unless of course you discovered some sort of way around it. A circumvention if you will. I’ve been playing around with the site and have to say I am pleased. Watching full episodes of The Office, The Simpsons and Family guy is nice, knowing it shouldn’t be pulled down and the video quality is decent as well. Thoughts?

Try It

• iPhone 2.0 Software available in June, Beta available now to selected developers and enterprise customers.
• iPhone 2.0 beta includes iPhone Software Development Kit and new enterprise features, including support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, providing secure, over-the-air push email, contacts, calendars and remote wipe as well as Cisco IPsec VPN for encrypted access to private corporate networks.
• iPhone SDK provides API for developers to create applications for both the iPhone and iPod Touch.
• Anyone can download iPhone SDK beta for free and run the iPhone Simulator on their Mac.
• SDK allows developers to make native iPhone apps.
• iPhone 2.0 software release will contain the App Store, letting users browse, search and purchase third party applications wirelessly to their iPod Touch or iPhone.
• Developers set their price and retain 70 percent of all sales revenues.
• Developers can make free apps as well – free to developer and user.
• Apple will handle all the hosting, infrastructure, web hosting, credit card and DRM (yuck) stuff with the Apple Store.
• Apple must approve applications first and they will only be available in the App Store.
• $100 Million iFund started to invest in Application developers.
• Spore is coming to the iPhone as well as another space-shooter, both use the accelerometer.

Quite a bit of stuff so I tried to get what was important. Check out live coverage by Engadget and Techcrunch if you like wading through all the info.

*made up the free money thing to get your attention

Want to use a web-based calendar but can’t because of syncing, or lack thereof? Google Calendar Sync was unveiled tonight allows you to sync your Google Calendar with your Outlook Calendar. The program works both ways and should prove useful for anyone who fancies having their Calendar data available wherever they are.

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In what has to be the funniest plea to get your support of their product, Aziz Ansari, one third of the comedy group “Human Giant” wrote a blog entry telling readers not to get Dr. Dolittle 3, which is a straight to DVD movie, but instead buy the Human Giant Season 1 DVD. Both DVDs come out today, March 4th. Sure, from a comedian this is nothing new, being outspoken, even if they are kidding. What caught my attention was Ansari’s linking to a torrent of Dr. Dolittle 3. Do you think it was too much or he did nothing wrong?

I’m not really bothered by it, even when rappers might talk about people downloading music these days and show they’re aware, it’s interesting. I was just a little surprised Aziz went one step further by actually linking to the torrent in the blog entry.

The second season of Human Giant airs on Tuesday, March 11th on MTV. Above is a clip from the new season and yes, I’ve ordered the season 1 DVD, but have no intention of downloading Dr. Dolittle 3.

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A genuine crack for Windows Vista has just been released by pirate group Pantheon, which allows a pirated, non-activated installation of Vista (Home Basic/Premium and Ultimate) to be properly activated and made fully-operational.
Unlike cracks which have been floating around since Vista RTM was released in late November, this crack doesn’t simply get around product activation with beta activation files or timestop cracks – it actually makes use of the activation process. It seems that Microsoft has allowed large OEMs like ASUS to ship their products with a pre-installed version of Vista that doesn’t require product activation – apparently because end users would find it too inconvenient.

Interesting news.
But does anyone want it?

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If you’ve been waiting on a price drop to get your hands on Vista, now is your chance, provided you want a higher-end version of Vista.

For those in the U.S., Microsoft is cutting prices only on the higher-end versions of Vista, and only for the upgrade version used to move from XP or another copy of Vista. The suggested price for Vista Ultimate drops to $219 from $299, while Home Premium falls to $129, from $159.

Other developed markets will also see price cuts, while in emerging markets, Microsoft is eliminating the distinction between full and upgrade versions of Home Basic and Home Premium as it attempts to convince more users there to use genuine software.

Vista is not the piece of crap people want to make it out to be, though I have to hand it to the Apple side of things with the “one size fits all” approach. I don’t see the need for different versions of an OS when we have enough problems with different versions of the software we run in operating systems, like the whole .docx thing with Office 2007. I actually find it hard to say I’m purchasing an OS when I’d rather get a new one with a new PC and not deal with any upgrade problems.

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Sprint announced today the introduction of an “Simple Everything” plan for $99. What do you get for the money? Unlimited voice, data usage,text, e-mail, web-surfing, Sprint TV, Sprint Music, GPS Navigation, Direct Connect and Group Connect and will be available tomorrow.

For families there will also be an incremental $5 discount for each incremental line, up to five lines on the same bill.

This seems like a better deal than what Verizon started offering earlier this month but of course, that’s for you to decide. Fine print is embedded below for your perusal, or check out the Press Release.

The embed will allow you to zoom in or go full screen and isn’t as deadly as a .PDF file.

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