Sky+ HD with "True" HD Ready TV - Is it the only option for the World Cup?

This year I decided to make a new years resolution that was achievable for me:

• Get to the gym 3 - 4 times a week ... ???
• Cut down my drinking levels to those Doctors always mention .... ???
• Bring HD TV to my home ready for the World Cup ... NOW THAT'S MORE REALISTIC!

I have been keenly reviewing the progress towards HD TV in the UK over the last couple of months. Having researched whats available and the options for HD TV I came to the following conclusions:

• Must have a "True" HD Ready TV - 1920x1080p as a growing percentage of programming will be delivered in this format within 12 months
• Its got to be the right size for my lounge - That means 42" is to big (10 feet to our sofa)
• It has got to look good (my wife controls the living room!)
• I need a TV with reasonable speakers (AV Reciever and Surround Sound Speakers is my next New Years Resolution!)
• A TV must have all possible connection options
• FREE View is not an option as it will never support HDTV (certainly not before 2012)
• A PVR capability that can support at least 40 hours of "True" HD TV (approx 300Gb)
• Ethernet Connection (I want to move content around my home wireless network)
• MPEG4 Compression - I have always preferred open-standards that are portable across networks

As usual I have high expectations, but I want to make sure that the choice I make is solid for at least 6 - 8 years. My research has lead me to the following choices on the best way forward:

• HD TV - Philips 37" True HD TV Model No: 37PF9830
• SKY+ HD BOX

Of course the main problem at the moment is that I don't know the cost and availibility of the SKY HD BOX.

Are there any other realistic options?

AJAX Epidemic - Has Accessibility been forgotten?

I have been reviewing the recent AJAX news epidemic with keen interest.

I'm all for the user interface experience of Browser applications moving increasingly towards the Rich Client capabilities of Desktop applications, BUT ... Accessibility must not be forgotten.

It appears to me that the vast majority of the Web Development discussion seems to be falling into two camps:

• Rich AJAX Web Clients - High usability and responsiveness
• Basic Accessible Applications - Low usability and responsiveness

AJAX capabilities should be added in a manner that enables "Graceful Accessibility" for those members of the population that can't use the enhanced AJAX visual effects.

Browser applications need to be developed to enable them to adapt to the users configuration, whether that may be a speech enabled or script disabled Browser. This approach would mean that Web applications can be delivered that meet strict Accessibility Guidelines, are based on Web Standards and deliver a rich usable experience.

Unfortunately, this makes the construction and testing of these type of applications considerably more difficult. The traditional programming methods employed to create most Web Applications are becoming impractical to deliver on these ideals.