Wednesday, March 8, 2006

TiVo News

Our friends at TiVo have announced "narrower fourth quarter losses," which I guess is a good sign, though not as good as actually showing a profit some day might be. They've also announced a new pricing structure which would basically give you your TiVo box for free if you committed to a long-term service contract. You can do the math on this yourself and see how good a deal this is. Of greatest interest is the statement that they're doing away with the lifetime price of $299...which I guess you have to do if you want people to pay $369 for a two-year contract.

The way it worked was that you'd buy your TiVo machine and then if you paid $299, you'd have lifetime service on that machine for as long as it still ran. This was not only a good deal, it was an incentive to keep that TiVo machine up and operating as long as possible instead of purchasing a new one. When my office TiVo seemed to be wearing out, I took it to these people and they installed a new hard disk — two, actually — and extended the lifetime of the machine with lifetime service. If the option of lifetime service on a new TiVo is going away, that may make me really try to keep this one going. It may also make some people want to sign up for it in a hurry, though many may not; not with the new Series 3 TiVo machines promised for later this year.

Also, TiVo has announced a new arrangement with Verizon where if you're a Verizon subscriber, you'll be able to program your TiVo from your cell phone. This article will tell you more about it, though it omits the fact that this service will cost five bucks a month.

• Posted at 5:08 PM · LINK

Ad Aware

The Writers Guild of America, of which I am a loyal but oft-bewildered member, is on a campaign against product placement in TV shows and movies. To that end, they've been producing a number of parody videos that illuminate the problem. You might want to visit the website they've set up to tackle this, see the videos and read up on it. I personally think the WGA has more pressing concerns but I do agree that people should be made aware of how many commercials they're getting shoved down their gullets...and often in more subtle ways than they imagine.

• Posted at 10:37 AM · LINK

Snoopy Shrine

Here's a nice article on Jeannie Schulz, widow of Charles, who now manages his legacy and a very lovely museum up in Santa Rosa.

My pal Sergio and I went there a few years ago and got the grand tour, including Jeannie taking us across the street and showing us the skating rink, which I loved. I also liked the fact that in the Schulz Museum, there are Peanuts strips printed on the tiles that ring the men's room. You're not supposed to take photos inside the building but I was alone in there.

Mainly though, I enjoyed meeting Jeannie. Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus and all the rest couldn't be in better hands.

• Posted at 10:19 AM · LINK

Shelf Esteem

I'm not sure who's had a harder time of it lately: The northern spotted owl or the independent bookseller. Both seem to be teetering on the brink of extinction.

Non-chain bookstores have had a one-two punch. A few years ago, big chains like Crown Books and Brentano's began doing to them what Wal-Marts do to the neighborhood mom-and-pop businesses in many a town. More recently, online booksellers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble have siphoned off enough business to cause book shop after book shop to close down and be replaced by a Starbucks or a Kinko's.

And now, Dutton's Books on Laurel Canyon Boulevard in North Hollywood is closing. Dutton's offered a glorious selection of new and used books for 45 years there. They're currently having a 50% off sale on their remaining stock and when it's depleted, which should be around the end of this month, Davis Dutton is shutting the door, moving his family to another state and doing his bookselling on the Internet. The Dutton's stores in Beverly Hills and Brentwood, managed by other family members, will remain in business...but the one on Laurel Canyon was the most wonderful clutter of books and interesting patrons. I never went in there without finding a book I wanted to buy and running into someone I wanted to talk to.

It was also a gutsy store, dedicated solidly to the right of authors to write and have their books sold. When Iran issued a fatwa against author Salman Rushdie for The Satanic Verses, Dutton and his staff posed for a photo that ran in The Los Angeles Times. It showed them selling the book and the accompanying story said they would continue to do so, no matter what. It was also a store that loved to host author signings, no matter what the book, no matter how small the potential turnout. A writer friend of mine was once unable to get his publisher to set up any events. He picked up the phone, called Dutton's and they immediately agreed to a signing party.

I feel guilty that places like this are going away. I rarely go into bookstores since Amazon is just so easy. But I should...before any more of them disappear. We all should.

• Posted at 2:41 AM · LINK

On Other Weblogs...

The fine comedy writer Ken Levine agrees with me about Jon Stewart.

• Posted at 2:20 AM · LINK

March 9, 2006 • Current • March 7, 2006