UTF-8 to UTF-16
The C function below properly converts UTF-8 characters to UTF-16, for use in Windows functions, etc. The example also shows how to retrieve individual characters from a UTF-16 string. If you don't want to include windows.h, use a header:

Accessing Satellite TV through Your Personal Computer 

If your home is equipped with a satellite dish for TV viewing, you know how enjoyable it can be. An abundance of nationwide and international programming options, sporting events that aren"t broadcasted on the cable networks, numerous satellite radio stations and more all add up to endless opportunities for your family"s viewing and listening pleasure.But what about the expense of having multiple digital receivers in your home, especially when everyone usually gathers in one common area to watch TV instead of utilizing the additional units? Then you may not only be wasting money because the other receivers aren"t being put to use, but there"s also the long-standing issue of fighting over the remote as well.

One way to avoid the extra cost of multiple receivers is to install satellite TV on your personal PC or laptop. The reception is just as clear as viewing through the television (depending on your monitor), but the bonus is that you only pay a one-time fee for the instant download and once you?ve completed the installation, you get unlimited viewing and usage from it.

There"s quite a few online companies offering this type of software/service, so you"ll have to do a little research and pick the one that you feel is best suited to your needs in terms of price and provisions, but once you do, you can have instant viewing access to satellite TV, right on your computer screen. Your PC is actually transformed into an additional television set and digital satellite receiver so that you can watch TV from whatever room in the house you like. And with the satellite signal that comes through the internet, there"s even more channels available than with your regular TV"s dish receiver!

It"s incredibly simple and 100% legal to boot. There"s no need to buy extra hardware either ? no special TV card, cable, USB port, etc. is needed ?all you need is internet access. That means no fumbling with the dish on the side of your house to get the right angle or strongest signal for the best reception! And you don"t even need a ?super fast" internet connection ? a 56K modem will do the trick quite nicely. Having little or no computer experience is not an obstacle either because all you do is pay for the software online, receive and access the instant download, then install it according to the prompts.

There are no restrictions on geographical s, or where the computer is located in your home. You actually move anywhere in the world and still receive the same quality reception and access to the satellite signal. And the really great part is that you only pay a one-time fee for the software ? there are no monthly service charges ? and the prices are very reasonable. Even though the cost does vary, on average it?s only about $50 for a lifetime of usage!

So if you want to save money, gain access to even more broadcasting options and keep everyone happy watching their favorite programs instead fighting over the remote, satellite TV on your PC is definitely something you should consider.

Gray Rollins is a featured writer for SatelliteonPCs.com. To learn more about getting satellite TV on your computer, visit us.

PC Satellite TV Reviews, Satellite TV For PC Reviews.

Finding a UPnP Media Played for Pocket PC
I have been trying to find a working Universal Plug'n Play media player for my Pocket PC phone-- without success.In theory both the Rudeo Play & Control and the Conduits PocketPlayer should do this, but neither seems to function properly. The Rudeo won't find any server on my network after finding them all the first time I ran it. The PocketPlayer finds the servers and lets me browse, but won't actually play any media.

This is all part of my quest to be able to listen to podcasts at home (when I am not by a PC) and do two things: (i) pick up the podcast where I left off if I get interrupted; and (ii) not have to copy podcasts to a new memory card on a regular basis. If my Roku Soundbridges I have or the Xbox 360's I own could just fast forward audio files this would not even be an issue! Grrr....

I was hoping to put a UPnP player on my HTC Mogul and the listen to podcasts with a nice set of Sony Bluetooth headphones. But it does not look like that will be happening yet.

PC Satellite TV Reviews, Satellite TV For PC Reviews.

NC_2008_02_03 AWSOM PixGallery, Nokia N810, Tooble, Twitter clients
Connor's rantlet, AWSOM PixGallery for Wordpress photo galleries from awsom.org. Michael Gorman's review of the Nokia N810 Internet tablet: Nokia N810 main page, Specifications Page, OS 2008 Page (operating system for the Nokia N810), Maemo Linux Project page, Wavefinder Page for the Nokia N810. Buffalo tech support rocks from buffalotech.com when they help me diagnose my problem and install firmware AND are Mac friendly! Honda Bob from hdabob.com helps us put a radio in Kyle's car, Tooble from tooble.tv makes it trivial now to download YouTube videos, convert them and plop them into your iTunes video library. In Chit Chat Across the Pond Bart and I discuss various Twitter clients for the Mac: Twitterific from iconfactory.com, Twitterpost only available at apple.com/downloads/macosx/email_chat/twitterpost.html but it doesn't work, TwitterPod which DOES have proxy access but a lame interface from drikin.com/twitterpod, and finally Spaz from funkatron.com/spaz which works, but has no proxy access and has an offensive name in some languages. here's a link to Bart's blog where he talks about each of them: bartbusschots.ie. And finally my rant about not being able to sync contacts to my iPhone or iPod for two days.Satellite TV For PC Reviews, PC Satellite TV Reviews.

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