Henk van de Goor's Bloggers@large

If you are anything like me, you're probably on the move a lot. And you probably work both on a laptop and a regular PC. Sometimes you notice that you left some files you were working on, on your PC at home. You could use Remote Desktop to log on to your PC, but unless you use the slow sharing option that Remote Desktop offers you can not access your files. The best way to handle this is to setup a safe VPN (Virtual Private Network) connection. That way you become part of your own network again and can access everything from any loaction as if you where at home.

But if your are not some IT-guy or tech-addict it's a lot of work to do that. For a while there has been a program out there called "Hamachi" (From a company called "LogeMeIn") It claims it solves that problem by using some propietary technology and delivers a so-called "zero-config" VPN connection.

Using the program enables you to access your network at home or even setup a network just for sharing files (iTunes) or - and this is off course a really cool application - setting up a network for network games. The cool thing is that currently the software has a free version (for personal use with some limitations) but is avaliable for different platforms: Windows, OS X and Linux.

Reviews are mixed about performance and other issues, but overall it seems like a product that needs to mature a bit. There is just one big problem that I can think of and that's of a very technical nature:

When you first log into the program, you get an IP address in the 5.0.0.0/8 subnet -- yes, a public, routable, full blown, IP address. And it's yours, Hamachi guarantees that no one else will get this IP address. This address will be used to reach the computer that this instance of Hamachi is running on using the encrypted network.

The networking type of people reading this will ask the obvious question: Who the fuck do they think they are distributing IP addresses like that? Right now this shouldn't be problem, since the 5.0.0.0/8 subnet is reserved, no one in his right mind would use it. Oops! That's the problem: once another wild kid decides to use that subnet for their own killer application, problems are going to happen.

If Hamachi want to go legit, they'll have to take their protocol to the IETF, ISO or another standard publishing body. Once they do that, the chance that they'll get the 5.0.0.0/8 subnet for their protocol is very slim. That means that you'll have to use another IP address for the "standard compliant" version of Hamachi. Each user will need to reconfigure all of their programs to use the new IP. A nightmare is looming...

(quote from: GFK's Palace, Software review: Hamachi)

In short: it's actualy a clever 'hack' as the reviewer in the above article puts it. Nevertheless: I think I will go give it a try soon and let you know how good or bad it is...

As of today, Joost ("Juiced") has become a publice beta, instead of by invitation only. I found out about Joost in January this year, but didn't get a test account until April. I have looked at the technology and the way Joost works (it's peer-to-peer technology, just as Skype and Kazaa) and though the technology behind it is interesting, it has been the lack of content that keeps me from using it daily. Too many networks try to keep their programs from being available outside their country, which is stupid as the Internet does not has any borders.

With the internet you have (potentially) a chance to watch TV from virtually any country without having a sattelite dish in your backyard. So why can't I watch American TV in holland, using the internet (Joost)? NBC has started some new TV-series like a remake of the '70's series "Bionic Woman"; I very much would like to see them. Now I just downloaded the season premiere episode (in HD format), but why isn't there some service that allows you to see this abroad? Long story short: get rid of the frontiers and please give us more content.

I have been using Joost for a month now and I must say that - even though I like the idea and the technology - it is not as exiting as I hoped it to be. The reason? Well, to be honest: there is nothing on! Sure, if you go to the channel list you will see they added a lot new channels (new version 0.10.2), but come on, the content itself has stayed the same mostly! So for over a month the same old documentaries, movies etc. have been playing over and over again. Well, that is NOT my idea of "TV the way you want it". A another fine example: Joost has added a "news" channel with the latest release: Reuters. Well, the only thing showing there is literally a MONTH OLD "news". Excuse me?
Right now the people behind Joost are probably focusing on getting their technology to do what they want it to do. Bottom-line is that, for Joost to become a success they need to make the right content available. I think that if they want us to help Joost become better and keep us interested, they need to inform us more of what is going on behind the scenes in terms of what content they are trying to ad.

So at least we know we have a reason to keep watching.

And, on a final note: make content available WORLDWIDE not just in certain regions! Joost is about getting content that is NOT available in your region! Otherwise I can just turn my TV on and watch the same old crap that I have access to anyway!!

The content is out there: just make it available...

I finally got Joost(pronounce as "juiced") today! Oh yeah! Joost is an interactive software for distributing TV shows and other forms of video over the Web using peer-to-peer tv technology, created by Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis (founders of Skype and Kazaa). The program is based on P2PTV technology and is expected to deliver near-TV resolution images. It turns a PC into an instant on-demand TV without any need for additional set top box. News updates, discussion forums, show ratings, and multi-user chat sessions (often linked to the active stream/channel) are made possible through the use of semi-transparent widget overlays.

I installed it on my PC and I am currently watching a Brittish TV program about cars, called "Fifth Gear". I also downloaded the Mac OS X version so I could install it on my Powerbook, but sadly enough it only works on Intel bases Macs (grrrr...). So far the quality of the movies is good, but the interface and the program itself is rather sluggish on my 2.8 Ghz Pentium IV HT. But hey: it's only a beta and it can only get better! The only thing that might become irritating is that Joost will have ads (no such thing as a free lunch).

And I must say they already have an impressive list of channels you can watch. From MTV to sports (poker channel!) to documentaries, live concerts and stand up comedy (Boom Chicago). The only thing I see is that certain channels are not worldwide! Why? Why can't I watch Ren & stimpy? Why can't I watch VHF?

Oh well, I can't complain: Joost is free just like Skype. For now I am just going to channel surf and see what is interesting!

What's Joost?

Great, yet another country is giving in to those assholes from the MPAA and RIAA: Spain has now adopted some new laws that outlaw P2P sharing and even makes Internet providers potential criminals by saying they can be held responsible as well: there is also to be a tax on all forms of blank media, including flash memory drives. Great. I guess the they never heard of legal filesharing (like the distribution of ISO images for Linux distro's). As Monty Python said: "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition".

Btw: we have such a tax in Holland as well, but it is easy to circumvent it: just buy your DVD's and such in Germany through www.opus.nl.

It has been only a few weeks ago that one of the biggest websites that has torrents pointing to all kinds of illegal stuff was taken down: The Pirate Bay (TPB). The cool thing was off course that TPB was up and running again within a couple of days (you gotta love the Internet!). And, what's really cool; they have a video showing the asshole cops that raided their provider :-)

Raid on The Pirate Bay