Author Archive

About bloody time, Google TV is finally here [video]

At Google’s developer conference I/O, the search giant finally unveiled its much anticipated Google TV, an Internet-connected set-top box or TV set powered by Android and the Chrome browser, with an app marketplace open to third-party developers.

It’s designed to bring Internet content to the living room (“TV meets web. Web meets TV” is the slogan) that can be, optionally, overlayed over existing broadcast content channels.

“We’re working together with Sony and Logitech to put Google TV inside of televisions, Blu-ray players and companion boxes. These devices will go on sale this fall”, says Google.

I haven’t really had time to fully digest the details, but we’ve been tracking Google’s TV ambitions for a very, very long time (hint: it’s all about search and advertising). But for now, I’ll leave you with the intro video from the search giant itself, which is appropriately hosted on YouTube.

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ZNF: Roku improved Netflix, NYT hits Android, Sony Dash review, iPhone DVR apps

A periodic roundup of relevant news from our friends at Zatz Not Funny

Roku steps up their Netflix game

Dave Zatz: As the first Netflix-enabled set-top device (spun off from NFLX), it comes as no surprise that Roku ($99) will be their first partner to bring the entirety of Netflix’s streaming catalog to the 10′ interface.

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EXCLUSIVE: Mobile Review's Eldar Murtazin talks Nokia, N8 leaks, 'iPhone-gate', and more

“I’m not blogger, I’m a professional journalist”, says Mobile Review Editor-in-Chief, Eldar Murtazin.

In a wide-ranging interview with last100, it’s just one of many misconceptions he’s keen to correct following reports last week that his “review” of Nokia’s N8 was responsible for a dive in the handset maker’s stock price and may have even forced it to bring forward the device’s launch. The then unannounced smartphone is the first based on the company’s Symbian ^3 operating system.

“I’m working for ages in the field”, says 34 year-old Murtazin, who prior to founding Mobile Review in 2002 was responsible for covering the mobile sector for one of Russia’s largest hardware review sites. “I like this job, I like different tasks, different goals, receiving different devices, and trying to find out what feature, what devices will be more interesting for the market.”

He’s also quick to point out that the N8 controversy is nothing new. Mobile Review is renowned for breaking the cover of unannounced devices, particularly those from Nokia. In fact, for Murtazin perhaps the hardest decision is deciding what not to publish or when.

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Palm is dead. Long live Palm.

BREAKING: HP is to acquire Palm for $1.2 billion or $5.70 per share.

It’s perhaps no surprise that Palm’s been bought – a sale has been on the cards – but nobody that I know of, me included, had considered HP to be in the mix. That said, upon reflection it seems quite a good fit.

First up, the companies’ cultures (and brand) have a good chance of being compatible. Both are US-based, have their roots in Silicon Valley, and are strong brands in North America. HP obviously has much leverage globally too.

Best of all, HP clearly values Palm’s relatively new webOS and unlike other potential buyers isn’t soaking up Palm purely for its patent portfolio. Engadget reports that HP is “doubling down” on webOS and has mentioned Internet tablets and other mobile devices along with smartphones. This is excellent news as it’s webOS that most excites me about Palm’s future…

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Zattoo turns off BBC streams, could TVCatchup be forced to do the same?

Following a request from the public broadcaster, Internet TV app Zattoo has stopped carrying the BBC’s content.

Although only available to viewers in the UK, Zattoo was able to live stream all of the BBC channels because, it argued, of what is effectively a legal loophole.

From our previous coverage:

Because each channel carries a public service remit, under section 73 of the UK Copyright Act, cable operators can re-transmit broadcasts live and uninterrupted without first seeking permission. Zattoo is effectively piggybacking the existing cable television provision.

Interestingly, along with pressure from the Beeb, Zattoo tells paidContent that it also paves the way for the service to launch a browser-based version alongside its existing desktop client. So in that sense, it may be partly a commercial decision, as presumably Zattoo doesn’t feel its legal defense holds enough water when competing with the BBC’s own browser-based iPlayer.

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Virgin Media launches movie streaming service – rentals-only

Virgin Media has launched its own browser-based movie streaming service, available to anybody in the UK not just the cable provider’s own subscribers.

It’s a pretty bog standard VOD affair: movies are available for rental-only, with prices for new releases set at £3.99 for 48 hours access once you press play.

Picture quality-wise, we’ve yet to test the service but we do know that the video streaming is powered by Microsoft’s Silverlight technology and that two different streams are being offered. ‘Normal’ quality is unspecified, while ‘High Quality’ is pegged at 1.8 Mbit/s.

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WorkSnug – an iPhone app to help remote workers combat cabin fever

I work from home a lot. And I mean, a lot.

It’s both a privilege – I get to enjoy an extra hour in bed and avoid a lengthy commute – and a pain. Just ask any remote worker and they’ll tell you that sooner or later cabin fever sets in.

That’s why it’s great to be able to up root and take yourself and your laptop someplace else to work other than home. You know, a coffee shop, a public or co-working space or anywhere with a free table, coffee and WiFi.

And guess what? There’s an iPhone app to help with that too. It’s called WorkSnug.

From my TechCrunch Europe post:

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Quick review: HTC Legend

I didn’t have as long with HTC’s Legend as I normally require for a full review – so I’m going to keep it short. To sum up the Legend: it takes everything we liked about its predecessor, the HTC Hero, and turns it up a notch.

As regular readers may remember, the HTC was the phone that restored my faith in Google’s Android, largely because of HTC’s Sense UI, which adds much needed polish to the out-of-the-box Android experience and other improvements, such as social networking integration, a better virtual keyboard and web browser.

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The Gadget Show Live: Forget iPad, supersize your iPhone says Elonex

“What is an iPad? An iPad is basically a big iPhone”, argued Nick Smith, Elonex CEO at last week’s The Gadget Show Live.

“Err, it’s a bit more than that”, I replied, before politely indulging in a product pitch for the company’s iDock XL, a portable 10inch screen that houses an iPhone (or iPod touch) and displays any video content coming from the device. It’s available for pre-order and costs £149.

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The Gadget Show Live: Elonex £99 touch screen colour eBook reader

At last week’s The Gadget Show Live, Elonex showed off a new eBook reader, which will retail for £99 and features WiFi and a 7 inch colour touch screen. It doesn’t utilise eInk for the display, of course, instead it’s plain old TFT and as a result won’t be as easy on the eye for long reading periods and won’t offer eInk’s amazing battery life.

On that note, I suspect the Elonex rep featured in the video below got his wires crossed when talking in terms of page turns when describing power consumption, and the device on show wasn’t a working model either, so overall we’re holding our judgment.

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