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	<title>Brilang.comOpinion | Brilang.com</title>
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	<link>http://www.brilang.com</link>
	<description>Stuff I do, or stuff I find interesting</description>
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		<title>iPhone &#8211; Ruined?</title>
		<link>http://www.brilang.com/2008/06/iphone-ruined/163</link>
		<comments>http://www.brilang.com/2008/06/iphone-ruined/163#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Jul 2008 05:24:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brian Lang</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.brianlang.ca/?p=163</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you believe that Rogers pricing plan for the iPhone has ruined the iPhone experience for you, and you live in Canada, please check out www.ruinediphone.com and sign the petition. The lowest cost voice and data plan for the iPhone is $60 and it is feature poor. I&#8217;m not going to go into details right now, but I&#8217;m completely disgusted with Rogers, and after being a customer of theirs for over 7 years, I&#8217;m sorely tempted to cancel my plan. Unfortunately, I&#8217;m in a contract for another 4 months and I&#8217;m not willing to pay the cancellation fees&#8230;Otherwise I would.]]></description>
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		<title>Download DVD movies from Apple&#8217;s iTunes?</title>
		<link>http://www.brilang.com/2008/05/download-dvd-movies-from-apples-itunes/161</link>
		<comments>http://www.brilang.com/2008/05/download-dvd-movies-from-apples-itunes/161#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 02 May 2008 04:55:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brian Lang</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.brianlang.ca/2008/05/01/download-dvd-movies-from-apples-itunes/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Apple announced today the ability to purchase movies from iTunes in the US (I&#8217;m sure it will spread worldwide in time). Now, the news release doesn&#8217;t mention what file size the movie downloads are, but I think it&#8217;s ridiculous that anyone would consider this for standard viewing. Here&#8217;s why. Standard DVD is 4.7 GB. Double sided is 9.4 GB. (Wikipedia: DVD). If we start considering the remaining High Definition format (Blu-ray), we&#8217;re looking at 25 GB (standard) or 50 GB (double sided). The average download speed in the US is 5288 kbps and 4066 kbps in Canada (from Speedtest.net May 1, 2008 21:30 PDT). Plugging these numbers into a Download Calculator gives these results: File Size Download Time (Days:Hours:Min:Sec) @ 1.5Mbps-DSL/Cable @ 3.0Mbps-DSL/Cable @ 6.0Mbps-DSL/Cable 4.7 GB 0:06:47:59 0:03:28:53 0:01:44:26 9.4 GB 0:13:35:58 0:06:57:46 0:03:28:53 25 GB 1:12:10:08 0:18:31:06 0:09:15:33 50 GB 3:00:20:16 1:13:02:13 0:18:31:06 The download file size of a movie through iTunes is not available to me at present. Nor is the pixel count to be able to properly compare these maximum DVD and Blu-ray file sizes with iTunes. I would hazard a guess that if you buy a movie from iTunes, you will get lower quality than [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Purolator Sucks &#8211; AGAIN!</title>
		<link>http://www.brilang.com/2008/03/purolator-sucks-again/160</link>
		<comments>http://www.brilang.com/2008/03/purolator-sucks-again/160#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 29 Mar 2008 02:26:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brian Lang</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.brianlang.ca/2008/03/28/purolator-sucks-again/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My XBox 360 died a while back &#8211; unplayable disc errors &#8211; basically the DVD drive stopped working. The unit is still under warranty, so microsoft offered a free repair. Microsoft sent me a box (coffin) to ship the box along with a return shipping label. The first red flag! It was from Purolator. &#8220;Uh oh&#8221;, I thought. Anyway, Purolator did their thing, and the XBox did get to Toronto (or wherever) and got fixed or replaced. I don&#8217;t know which yet. Then Microsoft shipped it back to me. Purolator attempted to deliver it today around lunch time, but no one was home. That&#8217;s fine. But the stupid driver was unable to drive across Abbotsford (about a five minute drive) to drop my package off at the local depot. So now I am forced to wait until Monday afternoon to pick up my parcel because the driver was too lazy to do his/her job. Once Again, I am asking you to not use Purolator for any reason. They are lazy and incompetent. Again.]]></description>
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		<title>City of Edmonton council hides behind technology</title>
		<link>http://www.brilang.com/2006/08/145/145</link>
		<comments>http://www.brilang.com/2006/08/145/145#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Aug 2006 16:27:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brian Lang</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.brianlang.ca/2006/08/21/145/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I just tried to fill out the Message to City Council (City of Edmonton) form at http://www.edmonton.ca/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_2_360_251_0_43/http%3B/CMSServer/COEWeb/mayor+and+city+council/message+to+city+council.htm and when I finished I got an Error 404 page at http://www.edmonton.ca/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_2_360_251_0_43/http%3B/CMSServer/COEWeb/mayor%2520and%2520city%2520council/InteractiveForm_ContactCouncil.aspx?NRMODE=Published&#038;NRNODEGUID=%7b72509C32-CEC6-469D-A9A8-B856A6BBEC9C%7d&#038;NRORIGINALURL=%2fCOEWeb%2fmayor%2520and%2520city%2520council%2fmessage%2520to%2520city%2520council%2ehtm&#038;NRCACHEHINT=NoModifyGuest Did my message get to City Council or is this just a layer of protection for the councillors so they are not bothered by the public?]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Don&#8217;t ship parcels with Purolator</title>
		<link>http://www.brilang.com/2006/08/purolator-screwup-1/144</link>
		<comments>http://www.brilang.com/2006/08/purolator-screwup-1/144#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 12 Aug 2006 00:12:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brian Lang</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.brianlang.ca/2006/08/11/purolator-screwup-1/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I ordered a new computer from Dell back in July. It arrived on my birthday, July 26. Two days later, the hard drive failed &#8211; I can accept this &#8211; it happens, and Dell support promised me a whole new CPU as a &#8220;System Exchange&#8221; as the system was under 30 days old. Great. So Dell ships me the new CPU on August 3 from their factory in the US. They call me and give me the tracking number the next day. &#8220;Great!&#8221; I think, &#8220;I&#8217;ll get it by the end of next week like I did the first one.&#8221; Nope. Purolator has now placed it &#8220;On vehicle for delivery&#8221; two days in a row, and both days their customer service call center staff have told me when I called to ask about it, that it was ON THE WRONG TRUCK! Once, I can understand. Twice? That&#8217;s not acceptable from any courier company. I&#8217;ll post again tomorrow if I still can&#8217;t get my CPU from Purolator. Update: 2006-08-12 I called Purolator this morning, and the Shipment In Transit dated 2006-08-11 @ 17:10 means that the CPU package is in their sorting facility, and they will make no effort to go [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>Taxes up 1600%? I  think not.</title>
		<link>http://www.brilang.com/2006/04/taxes-up-1600-i-think-not/128</link>
		<comments>http://www.brilang.com/2006/04/taxes-up-1600-i-think-not/128#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 26 Apr 2006 18:34:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brian Lang</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.brianlang.ca/2006/04/26/taxes-up-1600-i-think-not/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[CTV News story. CTV News is reporting today on a Fraser Institute Report that our taxes are up 1600% since 1961. I don&#8217;t know what hat they pulled that figure from. Let&#8217;s look at the details: In 1961, the average income per household was $7,582 before taxes, and $5,000 after taxes, and an average family spent $2,824 on food, shelter and clothing per year. Doing some math shows that the $2582 taken by the government for taxes in 1961 is 34.1% of the average household income. Food, shelter and clothing represents 37.2% of the average household income the same year In 2005, the report found, the average family earns $95,531 before taxes, takes home $60,903, and spends $22,167 on food, shelter and clothing. Again, doing the math, the $34628 taken by the govrenment in taxes in 2005 is 36.2% of the average family income. Food, shelter and clothing represents 23.2% of the average family income the same year. I see an increase of 2.1% in taxes and a decrease of 14% on food, shelter and clothing. You cannot directly compare the dollar amounts from 1961 with the dollar amounts from 2005 unless you take into account all the changes in [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Edmonton-Calgary High Speed Train</title>
		<link>http://www.brilang.com/2006/03/edmonton-calgary-high-speed-train/120</link>
		<comments>http://www.brilang.com/2006/03/edmonton-calgary-high-speed-train/120#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 04 Mar 2006 04:48:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brian Lang</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.brianlang.ca/2006/03/03/edmonton-calgary-high-speed-train/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Well, the Edmonton to Calgary high speed train is back in the news lately. Here&#8217;s my thoughts on it. It has to be a 1-hour service. This means a train capable of around 300 km/h. Anything less, and it wouldn&#8217;t be any better than the three hour drive of today. A one-hour train ride will compete with the airlines, but would be far more comfortable than a 9 or 19 seat commuter plane, and more roomy than than a regular passenger jet. Passenger tickets should be priced competitively with airfare. The less expensive it is, the more people will take the train over driving. All seats should be &#8220;first class&#8221; with the latest in video and internet technologies. Vehicle tickets should be priced in a similar manner as the Channel Tunnel (England to France) or BC Ferries routes to and from Vancouver Island. If it&#8217;s too expensive, it won&#8217;t be used. Tickets should be priced in such as follows: The current trip to Calgary via Bus, or Car takes around 3 hours. The non-express bus can take 5-6 hours. Planes take about 45 minutes travel time, but pre-boarding security delays and the wait for luggage afterwards can easily push this [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Grizzly bear cubs killed</title>
		<link>http://www.brilang.com/2005/09/bear-cubs-entry/48</link>
		<comments>http://www.brilang.com/2005/09/bear-cubs-entry/48#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 09 Sep 2005 04:39:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brian Lang</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Science]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.brianlang.ca/?p=54</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It&#8217;s a shame Parks Canada did nothing to protect these bears. Given that their chances of survival in the wild were slim-to-none to begin with, why couldn&#8217;t they be moved to a sanctuary or zoo somewhere. I realize that they would not likely have been releasable into the wild following a stay in captivity, but at least their genetic legacy would&#8217;ve lived on. Perhaps even helped to perpetuate the species. As it stands, the number of grizzly bears in the Canadian Rockies is declining precipitiously. Something needs to be done, but I sure don&#8217;t know what. Canada.com/Calgary Herald article: Bear cubs killed in highway collision]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>VoIP Service Providers Must Offer 911 Service</title>
		<link>http://www.brilang.com/2005/04/voip-service-providers-must-offer-911-service/36</link>
		<comments>http://www.brilang.com/2005/04/voip-service-providers-must-offer-911-service/36#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 06 Apr 2005 02:05:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brian Lang</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.brianlang.ca/index.php/2005/04/05/voip-service-providers-must-offer-911-service/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[News &#8211; VoIP Service Providers Must Offer 9-1-1, Says CRTC : Marketnews.ca It&#8217;s about time that the CRTC came out with this decision. I&#8217;ve been considering VoIP, but will not get it until I have 911 service with it. Ninety days from now, VoIP services will have to offer the 911 Service.]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>3D printer to churn out copies of itself</title>
		<link>http://www.brilang.com/2005/03/3d-printer-to-churn-out-copies-of-itself/34</link>
		<comments>http://www.brilang.com/2005/03/3d-printer-to-churn-out-copies-of-itself/34#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 31 Mar 2005 18:04:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brian Lang</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.brianlang.ca/index.php/2005/03/31/3d-printer-to-churn-out-copies-of-itself/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[3D printer to churn out copies of itself A Scientist in England is building a 3D printer and software system that is capable of &#8220;printing&#8221; parts in order to make an exact copy of itself. Assembly and batteries not included. Of course it will also be able to &#8220;print&#8221; just about any other components too. Imagine being able to print all the components to build your own iPod or PlayStation Portable (PSP). If such a print device was available for the $500 price tag mentioned in the article, I would buy one. All you have to do is supply it with the &#8220;inks&#8221; to manufacture your own products. Jeremy wants some more blocks to build towers or toy trucks? Tammy wants a new set of plastic dishes for a camping trip? Anything that&#8217;s plastic or uses an &#8220;alloy of bismuth, lead, tin and cadmium&#8221; (for electronic circuits) can be made with such a device as long as you have the plans for the end product and the raw materials. Companies could sell plans to make products instead of making the products themselves &#8211; the ultimate in outsourcing! The article states that &#8220;Many of the components could be produced much faster [...]]]></description>
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