Archive for December, 2008
Posted on Dec 29, 2008 by Sam Costello at 2:27 am
Intel is expected to debut a set top box at the CES tradeshow in early January that combines TV viewing with Internet content.
These set top boxes are built around a chip manufactured by Intel that helps combine the two. The set top boxes are expected to not only offer support for HDTV and web-delivered video (think Hulu), but should also support widgets – mini-applications that deliver discrete, web-based functionality.
We’ve been arguing at this site for a while that the combination of TV and Internet-delivered content is not only exciting, but also probably inevitable. Seeing a major player like Intel get on board with the idea validates that position.
More details are forthcoming at CES, of course. We’ll track developments as they arise.
Posted on Dec 24, 2008 by Sam Costello at 2:23 am
Speculation abounds across the web that this is a photo of Sony’s new WiFi Walkman, rumored to be making its debut at CES early this month.
The device will reportedly come in 16GB and 32GB flavors and will sport a WiFi connection, support for audio and video feeds, and a 3-inch (or 3.3-inch) OLED touchscreen.
The support for feeds, in combination with the big, appealing touchscreen, caught my attention. After all, if it supports feeds and can connect to the Internet, then couldn’t it also display Internet-delivered content such as photos, news, cartoons, and sports scores?
No word on what operating system the Walkman runs, or whether it supports traditional RSS feeds, but it will be interesting to hear the full details when Sony reveals them.
Posted on Dec 22, 2008 by Sam Costello at 2:32 am
Neuros makes set top boxes that deliver web content – music, movies, TV shows, etc. – to your TV. Unlike a lot of the players in this space, though, Neuros isn’t tied to a single company or movie provider (unlike, say, Roku with Netflix or the AppleTV with Apple) – it streams only content that isn’t wrapped in digital rights management and is freely available (such as the TV shows and movies on Hulu).
The company has unveiled a new set top box, the LINK, which offers HDMI output, gigabit Ethernet, WiFi, USB ports, and a wireless keyboard. The LINK runs US$300.
The LINK runs on a Neuros-customized version of Ubuntu Linux, making it more open than a lot of other set top boxes and, presumably, easier to develop additional applications for. I’d love to see open source set top boxes add support – either natively or through third-party applications – for other media applications like photo streaming to the TV.
Posted on Dec 18, 2008 by Sam Costello at 2:13 am
And while we’re on the topic of digital photography equipment with built-in printers, here’s a neat digital camera with an inkless printer inside.
The xiao digital camera from Tomy is a 5-megapixel camera with a zink printer built in. Zink is an ink-free printing technology that uses paper with embedded colors crystals to create images without the need for ink.
No word on pricing or availability, but if zink catches on, I suspect we may see a lot more information appliances with built-in printers — even those with WiFi connections.
Posted on Dec 15, 2008 by Sam Costello at 2:10 am
It seems like a fairly natural combination – a digital picture frame and a photo printer together in a single gadget. Keian Japan is offering just that in the form of its P71-A2-JP.
The device sports a 7-inch LCD with 480 x 234 resolution, SD card and memory stick slots, USB, and MP3 playback. The print outs are at 300 dpi and apparently not wonderful. No word on US availability, either.
Still, the idea of the device is an appealing one. It could be made even more appealing with a WiFi connection. Imagine being able to send the latest snapshots to your family’s digital frame over the Internet and, when they find a photo they like, they can print it out and slap it into a photo album. That would be pretty neat.
Posted on Dec 12, 2008 by Sam Costello at 2:59 am
As covered here extensively in the past, GPS devices are adding network-connected screens to thousands, maybe millions, of cars and are building a platform for in-car computing.
Few of these GPSes offer screens as big as the Holux GPSmile 62’s 5-inch WQVGA screen. The device also sports an SD card slot, speakers, a built-in multimedia player, and Bluetooth.
A screen this big is just begging to be used for more than driving directions, I think. The multimedia player is a good start. Imagine using that screen to show other web-delivered content, though – photos, cartoons, jokes. That could catch on.
