Archive for December, 2008

TiVo gets its Netflix fix

by Steve O'Hear

December 8th, 2008 | Posted in Net TV | Comments1 Comment

The roll out of TiVo’s support for Netflix’s ‘Watch Instantly’ Internet TV service is now complete, reports Zatz Not Funny. As of today, “TiVo Series 3, HD, and HD XL subscribers who also partake in an unlimited Netflix plan will be able to stream a wide variety of video content at no additional cost.”

Dave Zatz’s verdict:

While the hybrid Netflix+TiVo interface isn’t as snappy as my Xbox or Roku boxes, receiving Netflix digital video on a DVR – a primary television set-top box – is extremely significant. Also notable, this represents the first time TiVo has facilitated high definition Internet video.

Dave’s only real complaint is that there’s not enough compelling content available through Netflix’s streaming catalog, something that should improve over time.

As I noted when Netflix first made the announcement, adding support for TiVo marks an impressive six months for the company in which it has delivered on its promise to bring its Internet TV offering on to many devices beyond the PC: Netflix streaming is now available on game consoles (Microsoft’s XBox 360), set-top boxes (Roku), DVRs (TiVo) and Internet connected DVD players (LG and Samsung).

Check out ZNF’s video demo of Netflix on TiVo after the jump…

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Hands-on: G1's Android web browser rocks [video demo]

by Steve O'Hear

December 7th, 2008 | Posted in Mobile | Comments1 Comment

I’ve been playing with the T-Mobile G1 for a few days now — the so-called Google phone — and I’m really impressed with the Android operating system. The touch-friendly User Interface is intuitive and very responsive, although not as ‘pretty’ as the iPhone, an inevitable comparison. And the included suite of native Google apps (Gmail, Google Maps and YouTube), along with the expanding list of third-party software available through the Android Marketplace, already make the G1 a very capable device — my only caveat so far is the drain on battery life that Android’s always-on connectivity and the G1’s large screen seems to impose.

See also: Hands on with the Google phone: a solid device that won’t unseat the iPhone

However, where Android really rocks is the bundled web browser. It’s fast, renders the full web flawlessly (aside from the lack of Flash support), and does a fantastic job of re-flowing text when you zoom in on a specific part of a web page, therefore eliminating the need for horizontal scrolling despite browsing on such a small screen. If the mobile browser is more important than the operating system, then Android has it covered. This is a really big deal in my opinion and good news for mobile web developers everywhere, since we’ll see a plethora of Android-based phones release next year and beyond, at a very competitive range of price points.

View a short video I shot of the T-Mobile G1’s Android web browser in action after the jump…

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Weekly wrapup: Blockbuster STB, iPlayer, Livestation, Nokia N97 and more

by Steve O'Hear

December 7th, 2008 | Posted in last100 weekly wrapup | Comments1 Comment

Here’s a summary of the last two 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

Finally, Blockbuster’s Internet set-top box unveiled

We knew it was coming. First, video rental chain Blockbuster purchased the movie download service MovieLink — originally a joint venture between Hollywood studios Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros. and MGM — and then the company, through a series of leaks to the press, began hinting at related plans to release a set-top box. A few denials later, followed by an outright confirmation, and today the company best known for its bricks and mortar stores finally unveiled the hardware itself.

Dave Zatz: Blockbuster OnDemand not ready for prime time

BBC iPlayer lands on PlayStation 3 – could Hulu be next?

Available in Beta, as of today PS3 owners can now access the Beeb’s seven day TV catchup service (UK-only), joining their Nindendo Wii brethren, along with specific versions for Nokia’s N96 and Apple’s iPhone.

Video: Livestation demos live Internet TV on iPhone and iPod touch

Livestation is currently developing a version of its Internet TV application for the iPhone and iPod Touch. A working prototype already exists that delivers Livestation’s channel lineup of live television news stations on Apple’s device, although this is likely to be supported over WiFi only.

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Zatz Not Funny: Blockbuster, CE surprises, Joost, Neuros LINK, TiVo

by Steve O'Hear

December 6th, 2008 | Posted in ZNF | CommentsNo Comments

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

Blockbuster OnDemand not ready for prime time

Dave Zatz: As the title states, the Blockbuster OnDemand MediaPoint 2Wire box just isn’t ready for prime time. While the pricing is extremely reasonable ($99 for the hardware, including 25 movie rentals), the interface looks pleasant, and the content selection is solid… the device is in need of a software update before I can recommend it.

CE surprises of holiday 2009

Mari Silbey: The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) hosted a webcast this afternoon with a recap on Black Friday CE spending. There was too much juicy data to report in one post, so for now I thought I’d relate some of the surprises from the holiday weekend.

Neuros LINK unboxed & setup

Dave Zatz: The primary function of Neuros LINK is to organize and access web-based video on the TV, such as Hulu or Amazon OnDemand.

Joost not dead yet, lands on iPhone

Dave Zatz: During my Dublin vacation, I caught wind of the new iPhone Joost client via Twitter. Putting the hotel’s complimentary Internet connectivity to good use, I immediately downloaded the WiFi-only app.

The week in TiVo

  • Amazon Video on Demand… in HD?
  • TiVo Series3 & TiVoHD software update
  • i.TV to add TiVo scheduling?
  • TiVo to broadcast Blip.tv?

Sony's eBook reader – the numbers are in

by Steve O'Hear

December 4th, 2008 | Posted in Mobile, Other | Comments5 Comments

While Amazon remains deafeningly silent over how many Kindles it has sold – except to say that new orders won’t be fulfilled for the next eleven to thirteen weeks – Sony, its main competitor in the eBook reader space, isn’t being so shy.

Claiming to have exceeded the company’s own forecasts, Sony says it sold 300,000 units of its Sony Reader device since its October 2006 launch (WSJ). Interestingly, however, Forrester Research estimates that 400,000 Kindles have sold since its launch in November 2007, which, if true, means that Amazon has done considerably better in a much shorter amount of time, possibly due to better marketing — it’s hard to beat the Amazon brand and e-store when it comes to selling anything book-related.

Although both sets of numbers are nothing to be scoffed at, it doesn’t yet amount to an ‘iPod moment’, notes paidContent. Apple sold 1.3 million units of its music player in the first two years, even if it took considerably longer for the iPod to really go mainstream.

Talking of mainstream, last week my Dad requested a Sony Reader for Christmas after trying out a colleague’s. If that’s any indication, perhaps eBook readers could reach a tipping point sooner than we think?

Amazon MP3 arrives in the UK

by Steve O'Hear

December 3rd, 2008 | Posted in Audio | Comments3 Comments

With little or no fanfare, Amazon’s MP3 store has arrived in the UK. And in keeping with the credit crunch spirit of late, there are some real bargains on offer. Albums currently start at £3 (approx. $4.5) and some individual tracks are being offered for as little as 59 pence (87 cents). If you’re old school like me, for example, the first few Led Zeppelin albums fall in the £3 bargain bucket selection. Nice.

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Video: Livestation demos live Internet TV on iPhone and iPod touch

by Steve O'Hear

December 3rd, 2008 | Posted in Net TV | Comments1 Comment

Livestation is currently in talks with Apple to bring a version of its Internet TV application to the iPhone and iPod Touch. A working prototype already exists (see video below) that delivers Livestation’s channel lineup of live television news stations on Apple’s device, although this is likely to be supported over WiFi only. “We’re not planning to have this available on 3G, simply because operators would not be too happy with people using this on a 3G connection”, says Livestation CEO Matteo Berlucchi. It’s also unclear when Livestation on iPhone and iPod touch will be made publicly available, although the company is delivering a live demonstration of the app on a dedicated Livestation channel tomorrow at 5pm GMT, including an interactive Q&A session with Berlucchi.

Video demo after the jump…

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BBC iPlayer lands on PlayStation 3 – could Hulu be next?

by Steve O'Hear

December 2nd, 2008 | Posted in Net TV | Comments1 Comment

Now that the PlayStation 3’s web browser supports full screen Flash video, I knew it wouldn’t be long before we’d see the BBC finally roll out a PS3 version of iPlayer. But boy was that quick.

Available in Beta, as of today PS3 owners can now access the Beeb’s seven day TV catchup service (UK-only), joining their Nindendo Wii brethren, along with specific versions for Nokia’s N96 and Apple’s iPhone. In fact, the BBC now lists compatibility with a whole bunch of portable media players, presumably via a generic mobile version, including the Archos 605 WiFi and Creative Zen X-Fi.

See also: BBC iPlayer on Wii gets a UI overhaul

The BBC always said it had a version of iPlayer for the PS3 in the works but that development was being held back due to the limited way in which Sony’s console supported Flash video. Now that’s been addressed, there’s no reason why other Internet TV services, such as Hulu, can’t follow in iPlayer’s footsteps.

Nokia announces Internet radio and music streamer

by Steve O'Hear

December 2nd, 2008 | Posted in Audio | CommentsNo Comments

The new flagship N97 smartphone wasn’t Nokia’s only product announcement today, with the company unveiling a standalone Internet radio and music streaming device.

Dubbed the Nokia Home Music, the device connects to the net via WiFi or Ethernet to stream music from Internet radio stations and access podcasts, and can also stream music from a PC, mobile phone or alternatively any UPnP device (see our DLNA guide) on your home network. Alternatively, there’s a USB port provided so that, presumably, you can also plug in an external hard drive or MP3 player. There’s also an auxiliary line-in and good old fashioned FM tuner, providing further music playback options. To get sound out, there’s a built-in 10 watt speaker, SPDIF Optical output, RCA line-out, and a 3.5 inch head phone jack.

No word yet on pricing or availability but it’s interesting nonetheless to see Nokia continue to expand its consumer electronics remit beyond cell phones.

Update: Interestingly, the Nokia Home Music device also supports Windows Media DRM so that it’s compatible with Nokia’s Comes With Music all-you-can-eat music subscription service.

See also: “MusicPal”, Freecom’s new portable Internet radio

The HP Magic giveaway has kicked off, your chance to win big

by Steve O'Hear

December 2nd, 2008 | Posted in Other | Comments2 Comments

I’ve been a bit slow on posting this as I was on the road traveling. The HP Magic giveaway has officially kicked off, with the first bunch of sites — there are 50 participating in total — launching their individual competitions to give away $6,000 worth of HP gear, including the new HP netbook, a touchscreen desktop, and a neat looking media extender (and a few other non-HP bits and pieces). Currently running are contests from Bleeping Computer, Gear Live, Windows Connected, Morningside Mom, Thoughts on poetics & tech, MediaBlab, Neowin, BostonPocketPC, HackCollege, The Gadgeteer, Gotta Be Mobile, and I Started Something. Our own contest will open on the 16th of December.

The full list of participating sites and contest dates after the jump…

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