Roku opens TV app store for OTT channels

November 23rd, 2009 9:03pm

With streaming Netflix movies now available on TV screens through the Xbox, PlayStation 3, Tivo, several Blu-ray players and LG HDTVs, the little Roku set-top box, which became one of the first Netflix streamers 18 months ago, is in need of some differentiation.

That came today with the launch of 10 free channels on the box, which sells for as little as $80.
Pandora radio, Facebook and Flickr photos, FrameChannel feeds, MobileTribe social networking and video from Blip.TV, Mediafly, Motionbox, Revision 3 and TWiT make up the lineup. Continue reading "Roku opens TV app store for OTT channels"

Livescribe pen adds store and storage

November 22nd, 2009 9:19pm

Yet another “App Store” launched this week, but the new Livescribe Application Store is for a smart pen rather than smart phone.

The Livescribe Pulse has changed the way I make a record of interviews since I started using it 18 months ago. It’s a pen that records both my scratchy notes, with a built-in camera in the nib section, and the audio of interviews, with its microphone. Continue reading "Livescribe pen adds store and storage"

Prettier in pink Pogoplug eases file-sharing

November 20th, 2009 11:55pm

The photo and video sharing trend, coupled with the growing use of high-definition video and higher megapixel cameras, means big files and longer upload times for users.

One way to avoid time-consuming transfers is to allow others to view files securely on a local hard-drive at home.

Opera’s Unite, incorporated in its latest browser release last month, turns a home PC into a media server, providing one option.  Another is the latest version of San Francisco-based Cloud Engines’ Pogoplug, unveiled today. Continue reading "Prettier in pink Pogoplug eases file-sharing"

Sony Daily Edition may miss Xmas deadline

November 18th, 2009 11:23pm

Sony appears to have been surprised by demand for its new Reader Daily Edition and may not be able to satisfy orders in time for Christmas.

Pre-sale orders opened today for the eReader and Sony is expected to announce newspaper and magazine content partners in about three weeks’ time. But Steve Haber, president of its digital reading division, told us Sony could not guarantee delivery by Christmas to those ordering early. Continue reading "Sony Daily Edition may miss Xmas deadline"

Social gaming hits Xbox and the aquarium

November 17th, 2009 11:51pm

Apologies for our second post of the day on social gaming, but the news just keeps on coming in this hot area for the industry.

In fact, the arrival of Twitter and Facebook on the Xbox today is not social gaming in the strictest sense, and the emergence from stealth mode of social game developer CrowdStar is unlikely to frighten Zynga (newly financed as we reported earlier), but both events are worthy of note. Continue reading "Social gaming hits Xbox and the aquarium"

Stephen Fry and the new kings of Twitter

November 17th, 2009 2:03pm

Stephen Fry was crowned “King of Twitter” at this morning’s 140 Conference, a London seminar about the “state of now” organised by entrepreneur Jeff Pulver.

Mr Fry used a large part of his time on stage at the O2 to defend twittering celebrities such as himself and attack “deadwood” newspapers. For Mr Fry, who has over 1m followers on the messaging site, the former is the solution to the failings of the latter.

“I know how much contempt the world has for us as a breed,” he said of “that awful object, the celebrity twitterer”. “But it has driven Twitter.” Continue reading "Stephen Fry and the new kings of Twitter"

FT techtalk - We’ve been Scobleized!

November 13th, 2009 5:00pm

On this Friday’s FT techtalk, we were joined by Robert Scoble, one of the best known tech bloggers and social media evangelists.

Robert has more than 50,000 subscribers on Friendfeed and 100,000 plus followers on Twitter. He works for Rackspace, is constructing an internet community at Building43 and writes at Scobleizer.com.

We discussed the week’s tech news, social media trends and the latest gadgets. There’s an archived transcript of the chat after the jump. Continue reading "FT techtalk - We’ve been Scobleized!"

Sonos enters cheaper zone with music system

November 10th, 2009 11:30pm

Sonos, maker of wireless multi-room music systems that most people can’t afford,  now has a one-room option that may seem a bargain to iPhone and iPod touch users.

The Zoneplayer S5, available worldwide from today, costs $400 in the US and can be controlled by a free app available for the Apple devices. Continue reading "Sonos enters cheaper zone with music system"

Vitamin D Video sets brain theory in motion

November 10th, 2009 7:12am

Working from home on Friday, I noted 17 cars, 10 people and a squirrel come and go in our small cul-de-sac.

Not that I spent most of the time looking out of the window - I was just trying out new motion-detecting webcam software from Vitamin D, inspired by the way humans recognise patterns. It has been released in a free public beta from Monday. Continue reading "Vitamin D Video sets brain theory in motion"

AT&T says people still don’t want the Web on TV

November 6th, 2009 12:31am

Top wired telecom provider AT&T is clearly doing something right with U-verse TV, its cable-like service delivering more than 100 high-definition television channels over internet pipes to what are now more than 1.8m living rooms.

On Thursday, AT&T Chief Technology Officer John Donovan and others came to San Francisco to show off what may be coming improvements to U-verse, among other things, from the research labs that claim 8 Nobel Prizes. Continue reading "AT&T says people still don’t want the Web on TV"