June 11th, 2007 | Posted in Net TV | 
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With CEO Steve Jobs describing Apple’s set-top-box, AppleTV, as a DVD player for the Internet age, it should come as no surprise that movie rentals could soon find their way onto iTunes, putting the company’s video download service in direct competition with other online movie rental services including Netflix, Movielink, Microsoft’s Xbox Live, and Amazon’s Unbox — along with a plethora of cable and satellite Video-On-Demand offerings.
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June 11th, 2007 | Posted in Audio, Net TV, Review | 42 Comments
When Real Networks announced the next version of RealPlayer at last month’s D: All Things Digital Conference, I described it as wanting to be like ‘Tivo’ for the web, in reference to the media player’s new flagship feature: one-click downloading and saving of online video. However, with the application only available to beta testers, it wasn’t untill last week that I actually got my hands on the software (currently Windows-only), courtesy of an invite from NewTeeVee.
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June 8th, 2007 | Posted in last100 weekly wrapup | 3 Comments
Here’s a summary of the week’s digital lifestyle action on last100. Note that you can subscribe to the weekly wrapups, either via the special weekly wrapup RSS feed or by email.
Top digital lifestyle news
This week kicked off with Apple announcing a release date for the iPhone backed by three television commercials. We took an in-depth look at each advert and concluded that the campaign’s strategy is to emphasize the rich user experience and the iPhone’s Internet and multimedia functionality — an area where Apple clearly feels the device trumps its competitors — with a constant theme being that the iPhone just happens to make calls too.
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June 8th, 2007 | Posted in Comms, Mobile, Net TV, Other | 4 Comments
Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) kicks off on Monday with a keynote speech from the company’s founder and charismatic CEO, Steve Jobs. As is usual in these matters, the web is full of rumors and pundit-driven premonitions of what might be announced. Not to be outdone, after scouring the Internet and tapping the minds of all of my Apple-connected colleagues (OK, I hassled a few people on IM), here are last100’s five WWDC predictions.
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June 8th, 2007 | Posted in Mobile | 3 Comments
After debuting first in Asia, and then Europe — this week Nintendo DS users in the USA can finally get their hands on a version of the Opera web browser designed specially for the hand-held game console. Optimized for use with the DS’s dual-screen and touch-screen stylus input, the software comes on a Nintendo DS game card, and transforms the device into a portable web browser which connects through the built-in WiFi.
When I got a chance to test the European edition of the browser earlier this year, I was impressed with the user interface which does make good use of the DS’s unique design. However, similar to my experience with Sony’s PSP, I found browsing to be on the slow side, although whether this is the fault of the built-in WiFi or the time it takes for the device to render web pages, I’m not sure. The other down-side, compared with the PSP, is that because the web browser is stored on a game card, you have to keep swapping it out to actually play games, and then change cards again every time you want to browse the web. It would be much more convenient if the browser came pre-installed in the device’s internal memory. Where the DS browsing experience does trump the PSP though is through having a touch-screen for inputting web addresses on the virtual keyboard. With no touch-screen on the PSP, I found typing to be a miserable experience.
The DS browser has a recommended retail price of $19.99.
June 7th, 2007 | Posted in Net TV | 3 Comments
Sling Media, the makers of SlingBox — a device which connects to a home’s TV signal (cable box, digital tuner or PVR) and then ’slings’ that signal over a broadband connection to either a PC or cell phone — has signed a deal to partner with the National Hockey League.
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June 7th, 2007 | Posted in Comms, Mobile | 5 Comments
Macwold UK reports on a recent survey carried out by Solutions Research Group which looks at the likely demographic of US purchasers of the iPhone. The results are based on an online survey of 1,230 American consumers in May 2007, and reveal some interesting, though arguably predictable results, about who said they would buy the $499 device.
So your average iPhone early adopter will be male, in their late 20s to early 30s, affluent, and live on the East or West coast.
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June 6th, 2007 | Posted in Other | 6 Comments
Game console sales figures in Japan show Nintendo Wii outselling the PlayStation 3 by more than five to one last month, reports Reuters. While its high price is probably the key factor for the PS3’s poor sales, a lack of compelling software titles must also be to blame. In gaming history, smash-hit games are more than often the defining factor in a console’s success. Something which Sony inconveniently forgot.
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June 6th, 2007 | Posted in Net TV | 3 Comments
Babelgum, the p2p online video service which is inevitably being compared to Joost (see our preview) is to begin opening its Beta to the public. Existing testers can now invite others, and the company’s website is offering sign-ups on a limited first come first served basis, each day.
From the official Babelgum blog:
It has taken a few more days than expected but we are finally there! Today we are launching our open beta phase, with a brand new release of the Babelgum client, involving a major rewrite to improve performance and several new features. The release will also showcase hundreds of hours of content, with much more to come in the next few weeks.
Previously, we’d noted that Babelgum seemed a lot further behind in the development cycle than Joost, and while today’s update means they’re catching up, it still looks like they have a long way to go to match Joost’s volume of content. Although we also observed that Babelgum maybe embracing more of a niche and open content strategy.
Where Joost has made much of its success in signing up big media partners including MTV, Comedy Central, CNN, Sony Pictures, and CBS; Babelgum’s website hints at a different strategy. By helping niche content find and connect with niche audiences, the company hopes to exploit the “Long Tail”.
If you’d like to get your hands on Babelgum you can try your luck on the site’s download lottery, which the company says is necessary to keep “growth pace under control” until they’ve tested their new infrastructure and feel confident enough “to fully open the download floodgates.”
June 6th, 2007 | Posted in Net TV | 37 Comments
Earlier in the week Joost, the online TV service from the founders of Skype (see our review), appointed a new CEO — ex-Cisco executive Mike Volpi. Considered by the tech industry as a rising star at Cisco, it seemed natural to ask what Volpi “the router guy” could bring to Joost, a product that is all about software, and perhaps more importantly, content.
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