“An Inside Look at Hulu”

Frustrated with slow start-up times on Windows?  I’m right there with you. 

Once I power up my laptop, (running Windows Vista Business) it’ll be a good five minutes before I’m able to do anything with it.  Part of that is due to the fact that I’m trying to run Vista on a laptop with only 1gb RAM but most of the problem is due to the many applications that run automatically when logging into Windows.  Vista’s processing power is maxed out completely for a good two minutes while trying to launch these apps simultaneously. 

Obviously, the answer to the problem would be to be able to set some kind of sequence for these startup applications.  For instance, set Windows to load your anti-virus application immediately.  Then, wait 10-15 seconds and then run your screen capture program.  Enabling such delays would help to ensure that you have a better chance of being able to do what you need to as soon as you log in.  (i.e., being able to launch your browser and/or Outlook to check your E-mail or RSS feeds as soon as your desktop appears - instead of waiting several minutes for Windows to calm down.)

Fortunately, Startup Delayer (DonationWare) from JockerSoft is the solution.  The application allows you to import your existing list of programs currently set to run at startup and then customize the delays from there.  You can even set a priority level for each of these programs.

Try it out to see if it works for you and, if so, donate a few bucks to the authors for their hard work.

Source: Lifehacker

Microsoft’s future version of their immensely-popular server operating system, Windows Server, is getting ever closer to its official February release.

“Mike Swanson, over on his MSDN blog, just finished writing a Windows Vista gadget which can display the contents of your TiVo’s “Now Playing” list.”

According to Fox News, Verizon Wireless customers could eventually be able to purchase and use Apple’s iPhone.  Why do they believe this?  Verizon, last Thursday, announced that the next generation of wireless technology to replace GSM technology (on which their aging CDMA network is currently based) will be none other than LTE (Long-Term Evolution) which is the exact same technology that AT&T will be using on their next generation network. 

Logically, it makes sense: with Verizon using the same technology as AT&T, surely phones available on one company’s network would inevitably work with the other.  (Of course, neither AT&T nor Verizon have ever made logical decisions on interoperability.)

Verizon will begin trial runs of their new LTE-based network in 2008 but it isn’t expected to be available to customers until at least 2010.