Never enough time…

• Pay Circuit City to bypass the DMCA for you. (Davis Freeberg)
• HAVA place-shifting boxes now shipping. (Press Release)
• Hands-on with the new Archos 604 PMP. (T3)
• Fellow consumer charts Netflix shipping patterns. (Hacking Netflix)

TiVo has released a minor update to the current iteration of the desktop software. If you’ve experienced any of the symptoms described below, download the new copy here.

TiVo says: What is the difference between Desktop Version 2.3 and Version 2.3a? Should I upgrade? Will I need to re-enter my “Plus” key?

There are no new features in version 2.3a. This minor update fixes a bug that intermittently caused the application to fail or crash. If you’ve experienced these types of issues while using Version 2.3, we recommend you upgrade to Version 2.3a.

If you’ve purchased the Desktop 2.3 Plus license key, you will not need to re-enter the key after upgrading to 2.3a.

If the BBB can rate these guys, why not me? I’m a stickler for good service — I won’t patronize companies providing inferior service. When I had a billing problem with Sprint about 5 years ago and the phone rep called me a liar, I switched to VoiceStream (Jamie Lee Curtis had nothing to do with it). Conversely, I’m willing to pay for good service: Apple’s not cheap, but they generally take care of you.

The most important aspect of customer service is being treated with respect. If you hear me out and professionally attempt to resolve my issue you’re doing a good job. Obviously, the next set of criteria is being able to actually resolve the issue efficiently. Online forums, support docs, and web apps make me happy too — I’d rather research the problem myself or manage my account if you give me the tools.

With that in mind, here are my ratings of several companies I’ve dealt with over the last year. Feel free to contribute your own ratings in the comments.

Never enough time…

• CinemaNow-burned DVDs likely to fail in many commercial DVD players. (BoingBoing)
• Humax DirecTV LCD reviewed. (CNET)
• Dolby to offer 3D projection system. (Engadget)
• ZigBee and other RF specs face possible litigation. (eHomeUpgrade)

The obvious follow-up to last week’s S3 release date poll is a pricing survey. How much do you think the S3 TiVo will cost?

I guess this means the Mac SlingPlayer is real! When does Hava’s Mac Beta begin?

Sling VP Jeremy Toeman says: I am letting y’all know that the email just went out to the first wave testers. We will have at least 4 ‘waves’ of testers, and each wave gets almost exponentially larger.

There’s been plenty of speculation that your TiVo might think you’re gay (for example, the Wall Street Journal documented it in 2002), but Mark Day has an alternate theory: Your TiVo is gay!