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Wednesday

Aug252010

Wednesday, August 25, 2010 at 9:02PM

Google TV and Cable Boxes

by Aanarav Sareen on August 24, 2010

Ever since the Google TV announcement a few months ago, I’ve struggled to see how the upcoming device would make a lasting impact in the living room. Any modern living room already has too many set-top boxes, making the digital entertainment experience cumbersome at best.

Today, media connected households have the following boxes: a cable TV box, a DVR box, a gaming console and a DVD player. With 4 boxes, there isn’t room for any more. That leaves theGoogle TV, the upcoming Boxee Box and the rumored iTV at a significant disadvantage. People don’t value content enough to have 7 boxes, remotes and connections in their living room.

Here’s my suggestion for Google TV — integrate with cable boxes. This could be a software integration or a hardware integration. But, there has to be a way to access the Google TV “service” from a hardware device that is already pre-installed in a living room.

Otherwise, it’ll be difficult to convince users that the service or hardware is worth the price of admission.

Top Requests for Android 3.0

by Aanarav Sareen on August 23, 2010

I purchased the Google Phone (aka: Nexus One) the first day it was available and have effectively been an Android user for almost 8 months. During that time, I’ve used the phone for email, web, trading stocks, IM, photos and gaming. Having used all versions of the iPhone (until 3Gs) and most versions of the recent BlackBerry till the BlackBerry Bold, there are certain things that I like about the Android platforms and certain things that I dislike about it. Here are the top features I’d like to see for Android 3.0:

1. Release cycles: By making the Android OS available to cell phone manufacturers all over the world, Google has considerably fragmented the Android mobile market. There are too many models with varying feature sets and functionality. Every month, a new Android phone is available that is either worse or better than the prior one. There is no consistency. Google really needs to find a way to co-ordinate the release cycles or at least implement some policies regarding core feature sets.
2. Stability: Over the past 3 years, I’ve used Apple and BlackBerry mobile devices. All of these devices have been extremely stable. That is not the case with the Nexus One. The stability of the device is terrible when compared to the iPhone and BlackBerry.
3. App Market: The Android app market is a mess. It is incoherent and good apps are hard to find. Google really should simplify the mobile app market and make it easier to better discover applications.
4. User Experience: For those who aren’t aware, nearly every Android phone has a different user experience. While this is good to a certain extent, it is also extremely frustrating for the general consumer. A vast majority of the user experience has to be streamlined and similar across different Android phones.
5. Media capabilities: While the Android phones do have the ability to play music and videos, the functionality used by the device is ancient. You store content on an a card, plug that card into the phone and then access media. This is rudimentary and has to be unified. The one reason Apple succeeds with its mobile offerings is because the iTunes and iPod ecosystem are always synchronized.
6. Technical support: Just like any other smartphone, Android phones aren’t cheap. When you purchase them without a contract, they’re priced at more than $500 (US). For this price, there needs to be a dedicated customer and technical support center that is more capable than the service provider.

I realize that the recommendations in this post are operational suggestions rather than software enhancements. However, once these items are improved, the Android platform becomes far more valuable than any mobile offering available.

HBO on the iPad

by Aanarav Sareen on August 20, 2010

Given the high demand of the iPad, it is sufficient to say that the device has been a success in its first year. Companies from across the media and entertainment spectrum have created applications or sites for the platform. These include the Netflix iPad application, the ABC Player, and a host of newspaper and magazine applications.

In a recent interview with Bloomberg, the company mentioned that customers will be able to access HBO on their iPads.

In six months, HBO Go will be available to the channel’s paying subscribers at no additional cost through all major cable systems, on Apple Inc.’s iPad, on mobile devices and elsewhere, Kessler said.

This doesn’t come as a surprise. HBO has been slowly expanding its distribution opportunities. A few months ago, it released www.hbogo.com in pilot mode. Access to the site is limited to subscribers from Comcast and Verizon FiOS only.

While the details of the mobile application are currently unknown, it will be interesting to see if HBO releases a separate pricing structure for mobile/digital only subscribers.





Microsoft’s untapped app platform: XBOX 360

by Aanarav Sareen on July 15, 2010

For the past few years, Microsoft has largely stayed under the radar with the Zune and other media initiatives. However, these initiatives, including Windows Media Center, the Zune Store and a host of similar services– desktop and console — are extremely powerful. They’re a little challenging to navigate for the end user, but they still deliver a great media experience.

Microsoft’s big winner in the past 18 months has been the XBOX 360 and XBOX Live. The company continues to add features for free and has partnered with various media providers, such as Netflix and now Hulu to make IPTV and connected media a real possibility. While the company has tried to entice users to develop applications for the Zune and the upcoming Windows 7 Phone, they’re still untapped and unproven territories. Just like any other industry, software development is a profession. And no one knows this better than Microsoft. However, if a certain marketplace is more succesful and far more mature, like the iTunes App Store, developers are more likely to create applications for that given platform.

Microsoft’s proven platform is XBOX 360. The company has millions of paid subscribers that are using the portal to access a host of content — streaming TV shows, movies, games, social networking, etc. Why not allow developers to build on top of that? There are a lot of developers that create content for Windows. By leveraging Microsoft owned development tools, the company could easily open up the XBOX 360 platform and create a whole new marketplace.

A similar example of this would be Roku. For those who aren’t aware, Roku is a small box that streams content to a TV set. It’s inexpensive and it’s very effective. The Roku platform allows the end-user to select their own “applications.” Pandora fan? Add Pandora to the box with a single click. Simple, easy and customized.

The same concept could apply to the XBOX 360. Microsoft should create an app store for the device and entice developers to build on top of that. Not only will that open up the flood gates for media companies, but it’ll be a real boom for casual game developers.

EPSON'S EXCELLENT VIEW OF OUR STUFF

The late legendary comedian George Carlin had a skit about stuff.  He said that our homes are big storage bins for all of our stuff.  When we get too much stuff it is time to buy a bigger home to house all of our stuff.

Epson's latest line of Photo Viewers, the P-6000 and P-7000 provide us with a fine way to always have our memories and works of art with us at all times. 

At first glance the price tag might seem prohibitive.  You could purchase an Ipad for the cost of a 80 gig P-6000($599) and a high-end Ipad for the cost of the 160 gig P-7000($799), however one must realize that the Photo-Viewer is an invaluable tool that no photographer should be without.

This  is a professional item that is not only feature laden, but durable enough for my former ABC News Colleague Richard Wiese to bring to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro with him during a BBC/Discovery expedition.

I have worked as a photographer in the past and presently toil with my Canon 30d; capturing my children at every possible venue.  Suffice it to say, my one-year old MacBook Pro's 300 Gig hard drive is no match for my high-end pix and HD Flip Cam Videos. The Epson Photo Viewer P-6000 has been a perfect solution.

Not only has it been able to handle thousands of photos, but it also permits me to free the limited space off my Flip Ultra HD cam without the use of a PC.  Since the videos are in HD, I will still need to eventually connect to my MacBook to view, but it is a terrific solution while on vacation if you want to travel lightly without the computer.

Of course I was also able to load over 500 MP3 playable songs that can be heard with or without headsets.

All this and I still have 36 gigs to spare; and this is on the 80 gig version.

The SD and Compact Flash slots are very handy for backing up or quickly viewing files on a remarkable four inch screen.  There is also two USB slots(one mini) and a A/V out port so you can display your slide shows on the big screen as well.

Now you can tether your Camera to the device  for instant review of your work.  The crisp screen will ensure that you see every droplet of water from Niagra and prove that all snowflakes are unique.

That's a lot of stuff to have in the palm of your hand and you will never have to move again.

Joe Appio

Epson's P-6000 and P-7000 Photo-Viewers are small, but feature laden. Here is a side view of the A/V out and USB ports.The Photo-Viewers can play music that share or listen to via headsets.  It also provides you with a SD and CF card reader slot.  Of course adapter cards can allow for many other formats to be used.

Even though this lime is life-like, this device will only leave a sweet taste in your mouth. The screen is finer than most laptops.Your memories and your stuff can always travel with you thanks to Epson's lightweight(1 pound with battery) and durable design. 

Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)

• 4-inch Photo Fine Premia LCD by Epson, Transmissive, low-temperature, poly-silicon TFT, white LED backlight, 640 x 480 pixels, encompasses 94% of Adobe RGB color gamut, displays up to 16,777,216 colors, 4-color filter (Red, Yellow Green, Blue, Emerald Green)

Hard Drive

• 2.5� 80GB hard drive (73.8GB FAT32 available for storage) External Hi-Speed USB 2.0 hard disk drive when connected to computer

Photo File Format

• JPEG (excluding Progressive JPEG); RAW (from select DSLR cameras)

Video File Format

• MPEG-4, Motion JPEG, H.264/AVC SVGA (800 x 600) or more, 16-bit color or higher for Windows®, (800 x 600 or more, 32,000 color or higher for Macintosh®)

Audio File Format

• MP3, MPEG-4/AAC

Built-in Memory Card Slots

• CompactFlash Type II for CompactFlash and Microdrive�; Secure Digital/SDHC and MultiMediaCard™; Memory Stick®, xD-Picture Card™ and SmartMedia™ supported with optional, third-party CF™ adapter (sold separately)

Power

• Internal power: Rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery, 3.7 V, 2600 mAh; External power: AC adapter/battery charger, 100 � 240 V, 50 � 60 Hz input; DV 5.0 V, 2.3 A output; Power consumption: 6.3 W (with battery), 7.9 W (with AC adapter)

USB Interface

• Hi-Speed USB 2.0

Audio/Video Output

• Stereo mini jack

Headphone Output

• Stereo mini jack

System Requirements

• Minimum System Requirements
  • 100MB of available hard disk space for Windows (1GB or more recommended)
  • 150MB of available hard disk space for Macintosh (1GB or more recommended)
  • USB connection
• Additional Windows Requirements
  • 1 GHz (or equivalent) processor or higher
  • Microsoft® Windows 2000 SP3 or later, Windows XP or Windows Vista® with 256MB or higher of RAM
  • USB display plug-ins required for Adobe Photoshop® CS, CS2, CS3 and Photoshop Elements 4.0, 5.0 and 6.0
• Additional Macintosh Requirements
  • Mac computer with an Intel®, PowerPC® G5 or PowerPC G4 processor
  • Mac OS® X 10.3, 10.4, 10.5 with 512MB or higher of RAM
  • USB display plug-ins required for Adobe Photoshop CS2, CS3 and Photoshop Elements 4.0

Contents

• Epson P-6000 Multimedia Viewer with 80GB hard drive
• User documentation
• High speed USB 2.0 cable
• Protective carrying case and wrist strap
• Rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery and AC adapter

Safety Approvals

• Safety standards: EMC: FCC part 15 subpart B Class, CAN/CSA-CEI/IEC CISPR22 Class B

Environmental Requirements (Operating range)

• Approx. 1.0 lb (with battery)
  5.9�W (150 mm) x 1.3�D (33.1 mm) x 3.5�H (88.7 mm)

Dimensions and Weight

• Approx. 1.0 lb (with battery)
  5.9�W (150 mm) x 1.3�D (33.1 mm) x 3.5�H (88.7 mm)

Warranty

• One-year limited warranty

Notes

• NTSC or PAL
  Connects to television, monitor or projector with video input using optional, third-party, audio/video cable (sold separately)
  
  
• Connectable USB Devices
  PCs (as USB device)
  PCs (as USB display)
  DSC, USB memory, HDD, CD/DVD drive (as USB host)
  
  
• Faster Download Speed
  Up to 35% faster based on backup speeds of CompactFlash and Secure Digital memory cards



Oui to Wii and Netflix

Watch TV episodes and movies streamed from Netflix on your Wii™ console!

Sign up at Netflix.com/Wii for a 14-day FREE trial and start watching thousands of TV episodes and movies streamed to your Wii console*. Streaming from Netflix via the Wii console is provided at no additional cost to Netflix members who have a plan starting at $8.99 a month, a Wii console and a broadband Internet connection.

by Joe Appio

The Wii continues to amaze and impress me.  My kids love the games.  My wife loves the Wii Fit and I now really enjoy the Netflix feature that allows me to stream movies and shows from the Wii to my TV.

I have already enjoyed the entire DINOSAUR BBC series as well as a classic MUNSTER'S episode.

There were a few minor hiccups as several times the connection between Netflix and the Wii was temporarily lost. Other than that, all went extremely well.

The installation was a breeze.  I simply ordered a free streaming disc on the Netflix site, popped it in my broadband connected Wii and clicked on the Netflix icon.

After entering the activation code on the Netflix site, I was off to the races.  There were several hundred choices in many different genres to choose from. There will certainly be many more offerings in the months to come.  Of course I may still view the Instant choices on my laptop, but this is a much more dynamic experience.

This is surely going to revolutionize the already growing time-shifting viewing community. I presently also use my Verizon Fios on demand as well as my Tivo Series 2 DVR, but this adds a new wrinkle while strengthing both Nintendo and Netflix considerably.  Netflix can save on shipping out DVDs and Wii has yet another major selling point.  Meanwhile the Blockbuster's* of the world must go on the offensive and form some key partnerships of their own if they want to remain a relevant player.

In addition to Wii, Netflix has streaming offerings with Tivo Series 3's and newer, Sony Ps3's, X-Box 360's and Roku's.   It really changes the landscape both in a social and physical way as the DVR's and Gaming platforms have multiple uses while taking up less of a physical footprint.

*From April 26th's Variety

Blockbuster battles Redbox

Vidstore banks on bigger kiosks

By MARC GRASER

More Articles: Outer Critics weigh in TCM film fest set to return Rob Riggle joins 'Larry Crowne' cast Supreme Court to review vidgame law BritWeek invades America 'Bridge' takes top prize at Indian fest Most Viewed: 'Avatar' shatters DVD, Blu-ray record The Infidel Women take center stage at summer B.O. Marisa Tomei, Josh Groban join WB comedy DreamWorks pacts with Steve Zaillian NBC makes a Schur bet

Blockbuster is tired of seeing red: The company is gearing up to battle Redbox for a major piece of the video rental kiosk business by installing thousands of its own boxes nationwide this summer.

Through a licensing deal with ATM-machine maker NCR Corp, Blockbuster will roll out 7,000 kiosks branded Blockbuster Express inside supermarkets and outside convenience stores by the end of June, and 10,000 by the end of the year.

It's a considerable uptick from the 40 kiosks Blockbuster had installed in stores last year, mainly on the East coast, according to Alex Camara, VP and general manager, NCR Entertainment. He is a former exec at Redbox-owner Coinstar.

Blockbuster has aggressively made moves lately to fight back against red-branded rivals like Redbox and Netflix, which have stolen away a significant number of video renters over the years with $1-a-day kiosks and DVD-by-mail services.

NCR, based in Duluth, Geor gia, is running Blockbuster's kiosk biz, managing the boxes, which includes stocking them with DVDs. It splits revenue earned from the kiosks with Blockbuster. In effect, NCR is paying Blockbuster to use its name to market the service.

Like Redbox, Blockbuster's kiosks offer DVD rentals for $1 a day. But the boxes have also been designed to also sell DVDs starting in July, giving it another revenue stream, and eventually expand to offer videogames, music and book sales.

Given the growth in the kiosk biz, NCR could increase rental fees to $2 for new releases, with older fare still available for $1 a day.

The kiosks are also larger than Redbox's and are able to hold 950 DVDs; each box usually offers 300 titles to rent. Redbox offers 500 discs.

In addition, customers can rent three movies at once and log onto BlockbusterExpress.com to browse available titles at local kiosks and reserve movies for pick up at a specific machine. If a title is unavailable at one machine, a nearby kiosk which has the movie is identified.

Site was launched in part to reduce wait times at kiosks as customers search for movies. So far, the company's found that 20% of its customers browse online and half of those reserve their DVDs for pick up.

Blockbuster had to do something. Once the dominant player in the video rental biz, Blockbuster found itself in a vulnerable position, up against newcomers that took advantage of technology to deliver videos to consumers who didn't have the time to visit the traditional video store.

Kiosks will account for 30% of the DVD rental market this year, according to research group NPD.

"When you're onto something good and customers are reacting to it you want to provide it for them," said Mike Britton, general manger of Blockbuster Express.

Blockbuster's initial moves into these segments of the business were far less aggressive than its rivals.

Redbox currently operates 20,000 kiosks (which generated $774 million for Coinstar last year), while Netflix has grown to 14 million subscribers, who pay at least $9 a month to use the service.

The expansion of Blockbuster Express is part of the company's embrace of a variety of platforms outside of relying solely on traffic to its stores, including pushing its DVD by mail service and Blockbuster On Demand, a video-on-demand service through cable providers. It's introducing a games by mail rental service soon.

"Different customers want to get entertainment in different ways," Britton said. "We want to be the preferred choice for everybody and realized we need to be in locations that are generally more convenient."

The kiosks also will enable Blockbuster to continue operating in areas where it's been forced to shutter stores. Blockbuster will close 1,000 stores this year to deal with a billion-dollar debt load and declining rental business.

NCR has quietly been growing its own entertainment business.

The company is best known for building ATM machines for banks and the boarding pass printing and check-in machines airlines use at airports. It started adapting its tellers to handle entertainment two years ago, spending $60 million to develop its Blockbuster Express kiosks last year and another $80 million this year.

It acquired California-based kiosk operator DVDPlay last year, which also has machines in Colorado and Illinois, and started locking down deals with retail chains like Safeway supermarkets and discounter Dollar Tree. It started converting the 3,800 kiosks it operated to Blockbuster machines last year.

NCR last week said it will soon start introducing digital download kiosks in 57 InMotion Entertainment stores operating at 35 airports across the U.S., including Atlanta, Chicago and Seattle in May. The kiosks will offer travelers movies, TV shows and music tracks to rent or purchase and download to memory cards and sticks.

For movie rentals, consumers will have 30 days from purchase to activate the movie and 48 hours to watch once they begin.

The digital technology will eventually be integrated into Blockbuster Express machines.

The Blockbuster Express kiosks were designed to eventually offer digital downloads, something Redbox is also considering offering soon. With digital, new content can be delivered to a kiosk by the corporate office at the press of a button.

The modern airport traveler has limited and often inflexible options for entertainment on the go," Camara said. "DVDs and CDs cannot be played on many portable devices. Movies and music can be downloaded to portable devices at home, but once travelers leave home, purchase options have been limited. Streaming content often cannot be accessed in the air, and never without expensive fees. We are bringing faster and easier entertainment choices to consumers while they are on the go."

Blockbuster thinks it has the potential to dominate a sector of the video rental biz it's been late to and is pitting much of its success on its brand.

The large blue kiosks with Blockbuster's logo emblazoned clearly stand out to passers by, and the company sees them as billboards.

"Everybody recognizes what Blockbuster means," Britton said. "You know immediately what it is."

 CREDIT-VARIETY MAGAZINE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOe9KNOdWLM&feature=relatedTECH IN 60 SPONSORED BY PATIO DIET SODA BY PEPSI

"Say hello to Summer and bye bye to calories.  Who will you invite on your Patio?"

Be sure to check out the Bye Bye Birdie Patio Ad inspired by Ann Margaret's excellent work.

The Blackberry Presenter by RIM

THE BLACKBERRY PRESENTER

A must have for mobile professionals

http://na.blackberry.com/eng/devices/accessories/presenter/

In the 90's an unknown company from Waterloo, Ontario took the world by storm.  Research in Motion forever shifted the business and communication paradigm with their revolutionary Blackberry device.

RIM has hit the bullseye once again with the new Blackberry Presenter.

Thanks to the new Blackberry Presenter you can leave your laptop at home  when you present at business meetings and conferences. All you need is your compatible Blackberry,   superlight Presenter, and the power supply.  Simply connect to a HDTV, Plasma monitor or Projector via VGA or S-Video cable.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Simply download the free Presenter software either on your laptop or directly onto the device(data charges may apply)

Email and/or download the Powerpoint .PPT files onto your Blackberry.

Connect your Presenter to the Monitor or Projector. 

If you are in the States make sure the Presenter is set to NTSC, not PAL.

Open up the Presenter application on your BB.  Choose the Powerpoint presentation that you need for the meeting and click PRESENT in the Menu drop-down.

Hit the Sync button on the Presenter.

Choose the correct Presenter device and code on your BB screen.

Now that you are connected, you can decide what slides to display, intervals between slides, looping, freezing on a slide or going back or  forward.

You may also "cheat" by viewing your Presenter notes on your BB during the Presentation.  Your audience will never know your secret.

At $199.00 the Blackberry Presenter allows the mobile professional to travel light without being taken lightly.

Recommendations

I recommend saving Powerpoint Presentations on your Blackberry's Micro Sd

Carrying a back-up of your work on another SD or Flash-drive

Speaking with the Audio-Visual Technician in advance to ensure a Projector/Monitor, VGA and/or S-Video cable are available.

Make sure your BB is fully charged right before the meeting or you have a spare charged battery.

Compatible Blackberry Smartphones-

BlackBerry® Bold™ 9000
BlackBerry® Bold™ 9700
BlackBerry® Curve™ 8500 Series*
BlackBerry® Curve™ 8900*
BlackBerry® Storm™
BlackBerry® Tour™

The Curves that I mentioned in the video clip that will not work with the Presenter are the older versions like the 8100 and 8300 series.

The present video clip appears very dark as a result a new clip will be available shortly. 
 Specs
3.4 x 2.4 x 0.9 inches (86 x 60 x 23 mm)
NTSC, PAL
S-Video, VGA
USB
640x480 (VGA), 800x600
(SVGA), or 1024x768 (XGA)
Version 2.0 + EDR, Class 1.5
Synthetic Leather case



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