I just finished installing the Joost client. Despite having a self-imposed deadline for day’s end and a full schedule for the weekend, I had to stop what I what I was doing, just to say “wow!” The install was the generally easy, drag and drop that I’ve become accustomed to on OS X, and registering was cake. I had to jump through a few Snitch hoops, as it kept alerting me to new peer-to-peer connections being made (then I just selected “Any Server” and “forever”). The content selections and first blush picture quality? That’s the “wow” - it’s great. Simply great.

What else I’ve noticed

• I’ve seen a little transparent ad popup on the screen, but before I could click the “X” to close it, it closed itself.
• I’ve seen a commercial break - same advertiser, and about ten seconds or so. No more intrusive than a TV ad, but seemingly shorter.
• There were a few frame freezes and stutters when I loaded a browser to start this entry. Since then, nothing but continuous picture and sound.
• The windowed screen mode on a MacBook Pro is clear, clear, clear. Full screen mode on a 23″ Cinema Display leaves a bit to be desired.
• The app is eating between 30% and 40% of my CoreDuo processor’s capacity, on a continuous basis. But it’s pretty cool in the house so the fans aren’t running.

My initial conclusion…pretty darn slick. And I’ll have to qualify my opinion: I’ve been thinking plenty about new visual entertainment options lately. Been meaning to can the television (I rarely use it anyway), and after Comcast nixed my Discovery Channel access I was seeking new options even more. Then yesterday I gave my television to a friend, to be used in their kids’ room. I’ve since debated getting a bigger one (if mostly for movies) or getting another Cinema display to attach to the Mac Mini stereo system which resides in the living room. I’m also thinking about getting a Slingbox tuner for cable signal grabbing (since canceling said signal actually results in a higher overall cable bill and lower bandwidth - don’t ask why).

But I think I’ll keep things the way they are, and tinker with Joost a bit more before making any decisions at all. Now back to work (distracted by National Geographic Wild).

UPDATE: One thing I won’t be doing is getting a Tivo. After all, it depends on cable.

UPDATE 2: The Joost control interface is functional and cool too.

UPDATE 3: Some say Joost has limitations, primarily related to US broadband.

A trojan horse is circulating that eats pornography and other files acquired from P2P programs.

Now you really aren’t safe - the world may never be the same. But, at least the Slashdot crowd isn’t running scared.

***UPDATE***

On a separate note, another trojan is running around stealing online poker credentials. Shit. Can’t a guy have any good clean fun anymore?

While one guy was insinuating that network neutrality was going the way of the horsedrawn carriage, in the wrong forum at that, another was saying bandwidth utlization from apps like P2P was not really a big a deal right now.

Quest CTO Peter Poll noted:

“I… found that the traffic is well under what some in that industry say is happening. I mean, you hear claims of significant double-digit penetration of peer-to-peer traffic, and it was not near there.”

Some will pass this off as a stray in the “we just can’t recover our costs” argument.

I say so much for unity in the bullshitting department.

When a new technology hits the streets, the early adopters grab hold. It takes months if not years for it to spread to the mainstream. World changing technologies such as the telephone followed that path, and email is no different. The first email message was sent while I was still in diapers (circa early 70’s, unless I am sorely mistaken), and it didn’t take off outside the world of academia until the 90’s. The threats followed.

Why should the newest communications technologies be any different?

Internet Week recently IMlogic Threat Center that they have tripled in the last year.

This should come as no surprise.

IM and P2P usage is up dramatically as well. Instant messaging applications have crossed the wireline barrier, and IM providers, carriers and software developers of all types opened the doors of inter-operability which hastened its spread. If email spam profitability decreases (as a result of anti-spam efforts, legislation, and lawsuits), and there are alternative distribution channels growing by leaps and bounds, why wouldn’t perpetrators look to other avenues. We already know it is
all about the money.