Weekly wrapup, 23-27 June 2008 (Google TV, Nokia opens fire on Android)

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.

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Internet TV news

Google enters the PC to TV arena

Google has made its own contribution to solving the PC to TV problem with the release of Google Media Server. The Windows-only software works in conjunction with Google’s desktop search application – Google Desktop – to locate various media (photos, music and video) stored on your PC and make it available for streaming over a home network to any UPnP compatible or DLNA ‘certified’ device, such as a PlayStation 3.

Sony’s latest plans: more networked devices, video download service for PS3, maybe a phone

Sony will be rolling out its much-rumored movie and TV video download service this summer in the U.S., followed by Japan and Europe later in the year.

Stream Netflix movies to an Xbox 360 with vmcNetflix add-in

It’s been long rumored that Netflix may be coming to gaming consoles like the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. Unfortunately, you still have to wait for that to officially happen. Fortunately, at least for a few Xbox 360 owners, there is a work-around.

Stream or download more than 200 tennis matches through Wimbledon Live

For a flat fee of $24.99 (approx. £12.65) tennis fans can stream live matches to their PCs (Mac and Linux are not supported) or download up to 250 matches in the .wmv format after the match is complete. It’s a great way to catch matches that may, or may not, be broadcast on the TSN and NBC networks.

NBC Olympics on the Go will allow (some) fans to download events to watch on their computers

NBC, the sole U.S. broadcaster for the 2008 Summer Olympics Games in Beijing, will allow consumers to download any event to watch on their personal computers for free. That’s as long as you use Microsoft Vista Home Premium or Ultimate edition. This means millions of XP users, not to mention Mac and Linux folks, will be left on the sideline, so to speak.

Video: ZeeVee’s ZvBox (PC to TV)

While attending the CONNECTIONS 2008 expo, the good people over at eHomeUpgrade recorded a video demo of ZeeVee’s recently announced PC to TV solution, the ZvBox. In our previous coverage we described the device as “an interesting way of getting Internet TV, or other content originating from a computer, to be displayed on any number of HDTV’s around the home.”

Mobile news

Nokia buys Symbian, opens fire on Android, Windows Mobile and iPhone

The big mobile news this week: Nokia’s decision to acquire the remaining 52 per cent of Symbian it doesn’t already own and make the mobile platform open source. The ambition, says Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, is to create “the most attractive platform for mobile innovation and drive the development of new and compelling web-enabled applications.”

No surprise, Gphone reportedly delayed

According to the Wall Street Journal, mobile phones powered by the Google-led Android platform – the so-called GPhone – are unlikely to see the light of day until the fourth quarter of this year at the earliest or, more likely, early next year. Perhaps not all that surprising considering that Google elected not to build its own hardware, and instead is working with over 30 partners to bring Android-based handsets to market.

Nokia purchases Plazes, a location-based social networking service

Nokia’s spending spree this week wasn’t limited to buying out Symbian. The world’s largest handset manufacturer is purchasing Plazes, the location-based social networking service that’s based in Berlin with all of 13 employees. Plazes, founded in 2005, lets people alert their friends about what they are doing and where they are — sort of Twitter and Loopt rolled into one. Users can subscribe to their friends, a group of friends, or to specific locations known as “Plazes.”

Coming soon: iTunes remote control app for iPhone and iPod touch

This one is obvious but cool nonetheless. With the launch of the App Store next month, Apple will release free software that lets you control iTunes on your Mac (or PC, we presume) via an iPhone or iPod touch.

Podcast: RWW Live

RWW Live episode 2 (3G iPhone and more)

Last month ReadWriteTalk (a regular podcast in which the show’s host Sean Ammirati talks to “The People Behind The Web”) launched a new bi-weekly feature called RWW Live. The idea is to get together a number of writers from the ReadWriteWeb blog network (that includes last100!) for a live discussion on recent events in the technology world. In episode 2, we discuss the imminent launch of iPhone 3G.

That’s a wrap for the week. Thanks for reading!

last100 is edited by Steve O'Hear. Aside from founding last100, Steve is co-founder and CEO of Beepl and a freelance journalist who has written for numerous publications, including TechCrunch, The Guardian, ZDNet, ReadWriteWeb and Macworld, and also wrote and directed the Silicon Valley documentary, In Search of the Valley. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.

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