Using the TiVo iOS app over a VPN

TiVo’s mobile app for iOS is great when you’re sitting on the couch watching TV, but it has limited functionality when you’re out and away from your home WiFi network. The remote control and Info features aren’t available in Away Mode which up until now hasn’t been a big deal (why would you want to change the channel on your TV if you’re not at home?). With the recent release of the TiVo Stream and v2.0 of the app, however, there has been renewed interest in accessing the full functionality of the app while away from home … primarily for streaming Live TV and recorded content when not on your home network.

The obvious technical solution to a problem like this is a VPN connection to your home network. But in the case of TiVo it’s unfortunately not that straightforward. It wasn’t easy, but I got it working (sorta, more on that later). So if you don’t mind tinkering with your router, tweaking network settings, and jailbreaking your iOS device, grab a cup of your favorite beverage, roll up your sleeves, and read on …

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Monty Python and the scientific method

Last week my daughter came home from school talking about Monty Python. It turned out that her science teacher showed her class the witch sequence from “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” as an example of applying the scientific method.

This seemed like another opportunity to share a piece of my movie nerd youth with her (like Star Wars, TRON, and Indiana Jones), so on Saturday we sat down and watched “Holy Grail” together. I was wondering how she’d “take” to it, but once the opening credits started (“A møøse once bit my sister …” and Ralph the Wonder Llama) she was laughing and I knew this was going to be a hit.

The one part she didn’t like? The ending. But I can’t fault her for that since I’ve never been that fond of it either. Of course, now we’ve had to deal with her quoting the movie all weekend. I guess that’s genetic. 😀

Raiders of the Lost Ark in IMAX

Today I took my daughter to see the IMAX release of Steven Spielberg’s classic “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” Seeing “Raiders” on the (really) big screen was pretty cool.

Spielberg was apparently very pleased with the film but I found the IMAX transfer to be a little sub-par. I know the movie is 30 years old but it seemed overly grainy and dark in some places … and a few times areas of the picture were blurry or out of focus. I guess it could have been projector issues, but for a “digitally remastered” film I guess I expected a little higher video quality.

Still, though, it was a great experience for both of us. I got a kick out of my daughter occasionally whispering to me “I remember this scene from the Lego game!” 😉

 

Labor Day Weekend … at home this year

This year we broke our 5-year old tradition of going to Orlando and stayed at home for Labor Day Weekend.

The decision was primarily driven by the fact that we had the Busch Gardens Fun Cards we bought at the beginning of the summer (Memorial Day). So rather than going to Disney or Universal like years’ past, we spent Saturday at the amusement park, Sunday (and part of Monday) furniture shopping (an American tradition, right?), and then finished up with a cookout at home on Monday afternoon.

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You kids and your music these days

Driving home with my daughter the other day I was “forced” to listen to 101.5, her current favorite radio station. I really don’t listen to the radio anymore (not since getting my first MP3 player in 2002 and then switching to the iPod in 2006 and discovering podcasts) but she’s at that tweener stage where listening to popular music on the radio is just something kids do to expand their musical horizons.

I just think it’s unfortunate that the current music she listens to is so bad. 🙂

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Netgear WN3000RP WiFi range extender

I picked up a refurbished Netgear WN3000RP “universal” WiFi range extender on Amazon figuring that $40 was worth a shot to see if I could fix my wireless signal strength issue around the house.

I’ve tried this before by getting a new wireless router, but the location of my network closet just isn’t conducive to equal coverage since it’s not in the middle of the house. As a result, the signal strength dips sharply on one side of the house which causes occasional issues with devices (like my outdoor cameras) in that area.

The WN3000RP promised an easy way to extend the wireless … just plug it into an outlet between the router and the “dead zone,” make a few web-based configuration changes, and enjoy increased signal strength. As is usual for me, however, it wasn’t that easy … but I did finally get it working.

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WIJFR: Redshirts

Ensign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. It’s a prestige posting, and Andrew is thrilled all the more to be assigned to the ship’s Xenobiology laboratory.

Life couldn’t be better…until Andrew begins to pick up on the fact that (1) every Away Mission involves some kind of lethal confrontation with alien forces, (2) the ship’s captain, its chief science officer, and the handsome Lieutenant Kerensky always survive these confrontations, and (3) at least one low-ranked crew member is, sadly, always killed.

Today I finished John Scalzi’s “Redshirts.” You can probably guess from the title what this novel is about but just in case you’re not a Trekkie, “redshirt” is slang for those characters in the original “Star Trek” TV series that always died on away missions. If Kirk, Spock, and McCoy were going down to an alien planet there would be one or two extras with them and they usually wore red Starfleet uniforms. You knew the stars of the show weren’t going to be killed so if anyone was going to die on the mission it was one (or more) of the redshirts.

Now take “Star Trek” (including TNG) mixed with “Galaxy Quest“, a little “Futurama“, the “Wormhole X-Treme!” episode of “Stargate SG-1” and a dash of time travel and you’ve got a pretty good idea of what you’re in for as you read “Redshirts.” (The Stargate reference works in more ways than one since Scalzi was a creative consultant on “Stargate Universe“).

Welcome to the starship Intrepid, where “crew deaths are a feature, not a bug.” Shortly after his assignment to the Intrepid, ensign Andrew Dahl figures out something is not quite right: everyone avoids the commanding officers like the plague and inevitably some member of the crew dies a horrible death while on an away mission with them. As crazy as it sounds, Andrew and his friends come to the conclusion that they are characters on a television show, and the worst part is “it’s apparently not a very good show.” If their lives are out of their hands, controlled by the Narrative, do they have any hope of survival?

The last chapter of the book (24) made me laugh out loud, and the three Codas after that (told in the first-, second-, and third-person respectively) wrap up the story nicely. “Redshirts” is a quick, easy, and enjoyable must-read for any TV science fiction fan.

I probably shouldn’t mention this, since it’ll probably get stuck in your head like it did mine, but as I was reading I heard Captain Abernathy’s voice as Zap Brannigan from “Futurama” (which would make Lieutenant Kerensky Kif  :-D).

Replacing iGoogle with … My Yahoo?

I’ve had iGoogle set as my browser homepage for years (before even the much reviled update that moved the tabs from the top of the page to the side back in 2008). Before that, I think I was using Excite. Now last week Google announced that it will be retiring its iGoogle personalized homepage service in November of next year.

This saddened me (and I wasn’t alone). My custom homepage wasn’t very complicated, but it was comfortable and something I’m used to seeing when I open up my browser every day: weather, sports scores, stocks, and movies. Even though the shutdown is over a year away, I started looking for iGoogle alternatives spurred on by a recent segment on TekZilla.

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Brave

After seeing “Cars 2” last summer, I lamented that it lacked the depth, imagination, and emotion I have come to expect from Pixar’s films. I wondered at the time if their next film would re-capture that spirit

It has.

“Brave” is amazing to look at, the story is entertaining, and the characters aren’t toys, cars, fish, rats, or robots (but yes, okay, there are a few bears). Even the “La Luna” short before the film was the kind of touching story that can be told without any dialog. Merida is sure to be popular addition to Disney’s princesses, although this princess carries a bow and arrow.

I didn’t catch any easter eggs this time around, but looking at the (short) list they weren’t that obvious anyway (I did catch Ratzenberger’s name in the credits at least). I was surprised we were the only ones who stayed through the end of the credits to see the “end” of the movie.

Next up is another sequel: “Monsters University.”

My final question is: who do I have to “thank” for there being two popular movies this year (targeted at young girls) that involve archery?