iWay-Safety.com: Multimedia News & Views

A Media PC That Can Stand Up Next to the Television

Sat, 05 May 2007 01:07:57 GMT

A Media PC That Can Stand Up Next to the Television. The Shuttle X200M, an update to the X100 media PC, looks great next to the TV. By JOHN BIGGS. [NYT > Technology]

Toshiba Qosmio G25-AV513

Thu, 23 Jun 2005 00:27:27 GMT

CNET Reviews: Combining TV, DVR, stereo, DVD player, and high-performance PC in one big laptop, the Toshiba Qosmio G25-AV513 delivers the most complete multimedia experience available in a laptop.

Streamload makes it easy to safeguard important stuff and pass along giant-sized files

Thu, 10 Mar 2005 01:13:35 GMT

Check out Streamload. It's an online storage service that [allows you to access, and even stream, your favorite music and videos to any Web-connected PC in the world? Or how about sharing your fancy, high-resolution photos with the folks back home through a simple URL in an e-mail ], plus you can use it for free if you accept some restrictions. If you're willing to shell out a few bucks per month it gets even better, because the service doesn't charge you for predetermined storage limits (as Xdrive does) or even by the amount of storage you actually use (like Data Deposit Box). Instead, Streamload charges for the amount of data you and your friends subsequently download from your account.

First Look: HP's Hefty Media Center Notebook

Sat, 20 Nov 2004 20:30:03 GMT

HP's latest Media Center notebook, the Pavilion ZD8000, which comes ready to satisfy any and all entertainment desires, including TV viewing. The only problem with the ZD8000: size and weight.
HP's latest Media Center notebook, the Pavilion ZD8000, which comes ready to satisfy any and all entertainment desires, including TV viewing. The only problem with the ZD8000: size and weight.

New copy protection scheme coming to TIVO

Sat, 13 Nov 2004 15:30:00 GMT

Sometime in the next few months, your machine will quietly download a patch that makes it respond to a new copy protection scheme from software maker Macrovision. The app puts restrictions on how long your DVR can save certain kinds of shows - so far, just pay-per-view and video-on-demand programs. It's the first time your TiVo won't let you watch whatever you want, whenever you want.

Sony's location-free TV

Fri, 29 Oct 2004 22:23:16 GMT

The company began selling its LocationFree TV, a portable LCD television panel that uses Wi-Fi wireless technology to receive video content and access the Internet from a base station hooked up to a broadband connection. Sony is selling a $1,500 12.1-inch set, the LF-X1, and a $1,100 7-inch model, the LF-X5. The company says the televisions' wireless range is 50 feet from the base station. The sets feature picture-in-picture capability and can connect to camcorders, a PlayStation 2 and other consumer devices.

Pinnacle, Belkin, and Sonos offer alternatives to Microsoft Media Center

Fri, 29 Oct 2004 18:51:53 GMT

NETWORK WORLD KEITH SHAW'S SOHO LIFE
10/27/04
Today's focus: Home network parallel universe
In this issue:
* Pinnacle, Belkin, and Sonos offer alternatives to Microsoft
Media Center
* Links related to SOHO Life
_______________________________________________________________
Today's focus: Home network parallel universe
By Keith Shaw
Microsoft's vision for the digital home is taking shape. The company recently released the latest version of its Media Center
2005 operating system, and several PC makers (HP, Dell, Toshiba) are offering Media Center PCs, which include a TV tuner card that lets you record and store TV programs on the hard drive.

Media Center 2005 supports Media Center Extenders, which Dell, HP and Linksys debuted at the recent Digital Life Show in N.Y.
Extenders wirelessly transmit content stored on a Media Center PC to a second TV or stereo system. Media Center Extenders are large boxes that sit on top of (or under) the second TV or stereo system. Both the HP Media Center Extender x5400 ($299, now available) and the Linksys Media Center Extender WMCE54AG ($299, now available) use 802.11a wireless LAN technology to transmit video, while transmitting audio over 802.11g. If you haven't upgraded yet to a dual a/g wireless router, you'll have to make this work, especially to stream HDTV.

But if you want the benefits of Media Center without upgrading your operating system or buying a new PC, there are some options.
You can bring the TV tuner capabilities of Media Center 2005 to an existing PC with Pinnacle's new MediaCenter software. Combined with one of Pinnacle's TV tuners (external USB device, Model 100e, $119) or internal (PCI card, Model 100i, $99), you can record TV shows to your PC.
To transmit the media stream to a stereo in another room, Pinnacle offers its ShowCenter hardware. Like a Media Center Extender, the ShowCenter hardware connects to a separate TV or stereo system, and acts as a receiver for the content stored on a separate PC. The ShowCenter device costs $300 and comes with an 802.11g PC Card (that works only with the system).

Another option is Belkin's PureAV RemoteTV system, which also lets you view video and listen to music between rooms wirelessly. The RemoteTV transmitter connects to a video source (cable box, satellite receiver, digital video recorder or a DVD/CD player) and transmits to the RemoteTV receiver, which connects to a TV, LCD or plasma display elsewhere. The device transmits over a proprietary wireless technology in the 5-GHz frequency within a 350-foot range, Belkin says. The proprietary link delivers up to 40M bit/sec of throughput. Higher bandwidth improves video transmission, and an optional component video option improves resolution, Belkin says. Proprietary technology can be a turn off. But if want to stream multimedia wirelessly without a PC, this is one way to do it. Shipping now, the system costs about $500.

If you only want to stream digital music and have a bigger budget, explore the Sonos Digital Music System. It includes the Sonos ZonePlayer, an audio player with an amplifier that connects to external speakers; and the Sonos Controller, a handheld color-screened device that lets you control the ZonePlayer wirelessly. The ZonePlayer connects to your multimedia content source, which can be a Media Center PC, but can also be a regular PC, or even a network-attached storage device, such as the Buffalo LinkStation. The beauty of the system is evident when additional ZonePlayers are added throughout the house. Using a proprietary mesh system, they synchronize the audio content in the different rooms. So you can listen to the same stream in different rooms, or different streams in different rooms, and can switch between them fluidly. Shipping later this fall, ZonePlayers cost $500 each, the controller about $400. Sonos says it plans to bundle two ZonePlayers and a Controller for about $1,200.

RELATED EDITORIAL LINKS
HP Digital Entertainment Center Launch 2004
http://www.nwfusion.com/nlsoholife759
Linksys Media Center Extender WMCE54AG
http://www.linksys.com/extend/
Pinnacle Model 100e
http://www.nwfusion.com/nlsoholife760
Pinnacle ShowCenter
http://www.nwfusion.com/nlsoholife761
Belkin Pure AV
http://www.pureav.com/
Sonos Digital Music System
http://www.sonos.com/products/
_______________________________________________________________
ARCHIVE LINKS
Archive of the SOHO Life newsletter:
http://www.nwfusion.com/net.worker/columnists/
_____________________________________________________________
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES
To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World e-mail newsletters, go to:
<http://www.nwwsubscribe.com/Changes.aspx>
_______________________________________________________________
Copyright Network World, Inc., 2004

MegaMeeting Offers Free Trial

Thu, 21 Oct 2004 20:08:32 GMT

Easy demo solution gives you a chance to see how this low-cost videoconferencing or web conferencing system works.

Keychain Remote Control Turns Off Most TVs

Thu, 21 Oct 2004 19:19:03 GMT

A new keychain gadget that lets people turn off most TVs — anywhere from airports to restaurants — is selling at a faster clip than it would take most people to surf the channels on their boob tubes. Hundreds of orders for the inventor's (Mitch Altman of San Francisco), $14.99 TV-B-Gone gadget poured in Monday after the tiny remote control was announced in Wired magazine and other online media outlets. The keychain fob works like a universal remote control but one that only turns TVs on or off. With a zap of a button, the gizmo goes through a string of about 200 infrared codes that controls the power of about 1,000 television models. Altman said the majority of TVs should react within 17 seconds, though it takes a little more than a minute for the gizmo to emit all the trigger codes.

Microsoft to debut 'Istanbul' application

Thu, 21 Oct 2004 13:26:08 GMT

Microsoft on Tuesday introduced a desktop computer application that aims to seamlessly integrate e-mail, instant messaging, video conferencing, traditional phone service and Internet-based calling.

Cops track emergency call to malfunctioning TV

Tue, 19 Oct 2004 16:16:45 GMT

Earlier this month, Rossman's year-old 20-inch flat-screen TV started broadcasting over the 121.5MHz frequency, the channel used for distress signals. Such signals are used by search and rescue workers to find airplanes that have crashed or boats that are missing at sea. Van Rossman was instructed to cease emitting a false distress signal--that is, to stop watching TV--or face a fine by the Federal Communications Commission of $10,000 per day.

First Look: Surfing on Your MSN TV

Thu, 14 Oct 2004 01:18:08 GMT

MSN TV 2 Internet & Media PlayerMicrosoft's new MSN TV 2 Internet & Media Player just doesn't know what it wants to be. On one hand, it's a television-based Internet appliance that lets PC-less folks surf the Internet; on the other, it's a home networking device that lets savvy users use their television to access digital content (like music and photos) stored on their PC. At the first task, it works reasonably well. But as a networking tool, MSN TV 2 leaves plenty to be desired

Cable Snaking Into Everything

Tue, 21 Sep 2004 23:19:35 GMT

Advances in broadband access and wireless delivery have transformed what was once a clash between cable and satellite operators for control of the living room into a much broader battle for control of the house. The explosion of devices and services enabled by broadband and wireless offers consumers an increasing variety of ways to manage the content and communications in their homes.

This development was illustrated vividly here this week during the annual meeting of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association with the construction of a 7,000-foot "house" -- complete with garage and a deck that doubled as the main stage -- on the floor of the convention center. Industry executives wanted to show off the consumer possibilities enabled by cable's $72 billion-plus investment in upgrading infrastructure for broadband delivery of video, high-speed data and telephony.

Built by Scripps Networks -- home of Food Network, Home & Garden Television and the Do It Yourself Network -- and broadband-powered by Cox Communications of New Orleans, the 7,000-square-foot home boasted amenities any buyer with a fondness for technology would love -- plasma video screens in every room (and even built into the Jacuzzi), a microwave that scans bar codes for cooking instructions, a treadmill linked to the Internet, video phones and an alarm clock that runs the coffee maker from the bedroom.

High-definition ruled, music libraries were digital and the speakers on at least one system sent tremors through the floor. Programs were multicast, recorded on one digital video recorder and watched in another room while a high-definition television program was being recorded in yet another room. But this wasn't the General Electric house of the future. Every product and service displayed by more than 40 companies featured in the model broadband home is currently launched or in consumer trial.

FCC Chief Pushes TV Via High-Speed Internet Lines

Fri, 17 Sep 2004 16:40:45 GMT

U.S. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell on Wednesday said technology and telecommunications companies are racing to develop ways to pipe television shows into consumers' homes via high-speed Internet lines. ... Verizon is rolling out high-capacity fiber-optic lines that can carry huge loads of data, with the goal of passing 1 million homes by the end of this year and another 2 million homes in 2005. ... Already Qwest Communications International Inc. operates a small IP television service in Arizona and the other three big local telephone companies are ramping up their efforts, as well. All four carriers already resell satellite television services from DirecTV Group Inc. and EchoStar Communications Corp. as part of their voice and Internet packages

Major graphics flaw threatens Windows PCs

Tue, 14 Sep 2004 22:31:15 GMT

Microsoft published on Tuesday a patch for a major security flaw in its software's handling of the JPEG graphics format and urged customers to use a new tool to locate the many applications that are vulnerable. The critical flaw has to do with how Microsoft's operating systems and other software process the widely used JPEG image format and could let attackers create an image file that would run a malicious program on a victim's computer as soon as the file is viewed. Because the software giant's Internet Explorer browser is vulnerable, Windows users could fall prey to an attack just by visiting a Web site that has affected images.

In Internet Calling, Skype Is Living Up to the Hype

Sat, 11 Sep 2004 01:44:19 GMT

Skype is the easiest, fastest and cheapest way for individual customers to use their computers with broadband connections as telephones.

TiVo, Cable or Satellite? Choose That Smart TV Wisely

Sat, 11 Sep 2004 01:35:58 GMT

[Choice (competition); advances in features; rent or buy; simple or full-featured model; integrated with satellite, cable or independent; don't you just love it?!.]

No Need to Dress Up for This Preview; Just Log On to the Home Computer

Sat, 11 Sep 2004 01:15:55 GMT

The WB Network has begun previewing its television shows over the Internet, hoping to reach more viewers more quickly, especially during the busy fall season.

For a Fee, a Stream of Tunes, Talk and Video

Sat, 11 Sep 2004 01:12:46 GMT

High-speed connections and software improvements are giving rise to subscription services for music, movies, sports events and talk radio to PC's.

Netflix, TiVo hope to offer online movie-on-demand service

Wed, 08 Sep 2004 20:39:46 GMT

Home entertainment trendsetters Netflix and TiVo hope to link up on a service that will use high-speed Internet connections to pipe DVD-quality movies into the homes of their mutual subscribers.

HDTV 'Starter' Kit for PC

Tue, 31 Aug 2004 17:53:07 GMT

Instead of dropping more than $1,000 for a new TV, set-top box and antenna to bring in the signals that dramatically improve TV picture quality, look not in the living room, but in the home office. A $200 upgrade can turn a personal computer into a "starter" high-definition television. Some experts say it may be better to start saving for the real thing.

Home Networking Expected To Increase Almost Fivefold

Mon, 23 Aug 2004 15:17:17 GMT

The number of North American households with home networks is expected to reach 46 million over the next five years, which will also see tremendous growth in the market for camera phones and digital video recorders, a research firm said Wednesday.

Based on a survey of more than 60,000 households, Forrester Research also predicts that the number of broadband households will triple by 2009 from 23.1 million today. Nearly 1 in 5 households have broadband this year, up 4.3 million from 2003.

TiVo Wins Nod for Users to Share Digital Shows

Thu, 19 Aug 2004 23:41:03 GMT

The maker of popular digital television recording devices, on Wednesday received approval for technology that would permit users to send copies of digital broadcast shows over the Internet to a limited number of friends. The Federal Communications Commission voted to certify digital protections on TiVoToGo, which is not yet available but would enable a user to record and send a digital broadcast television show to up to nine others who have been registered on that person's service and has been given a key to see it.

AT&T dials up VoIP service with cable deals

Thu, 19 Aug 2004 20:06:35 GMT

AT&T (T) is teaming with America's big cable TV operators to offer phone service over their broadband Internet lines, marking the telecom giant's first big move since it announced plans to abandon its traditional consumer long-distance business.

MSN Adds Movie Downloads and Rentals

Tue, 17 Aug 2004 14:20:47 GMT

Microsoft is adding star power to its MSN Internet site by partnering with Blockbuster, CinemaNow, and MovieTickets.com so visitors can rent DVDs, download movies, and buy movie tickets. Microsoft's newly announced partnerships with this trio of movie industry players aims to attract movie fans and more broadband users to its Internet portal.

ATI Brings Digital TV to Your PC

Tue, 17 Aug 2004 14:15:17 GMT

ATI's HDTV Wonder, a $200 PCI card that brings over-the-air HDTV to your computer. Besides receiving both analog and free digital TV, the HDTV Wonder has digital video recorder functions. Your PC must have an ATI Radeon graphics card (with DirectX 9), which will cost at least an additional $150 if you don't already have one.

Apple AirPort Express: Three Views

Thu, 29 Jul 2004 15:54:34 GMT

Apple's AirPort Express may quickly become one of the most reviewed pieces of new wireless technology: It will receive many reviews for several reasons, including the fact that it's the smallest Wi-Fi gateway (when you include its built-in power supply); it's the only one to stream audio in the particular way it does; it includes several interesting features in one wrapper; it's relatively cheap for any two of its four unique set features

The Revolution Will Be Sketched Out on Paper (Then Televised)

Thu, 29 Jul 2004 15:33:52 GMT

Drazen Pantic used off-the-shelf, inexpensive hardware and software combined with a community Wi-Fi network to broadcast to live television: Citizen videobloggers take note. Pantic describes the system he used (drawn as a simple schematic not much more complicated than the actual installation) to perform a live, public-access television broadcast managed by him and two colleagues. The topic? How they were doing what they were doing, of course.

Top 10 Mistakes in the Connected Home

Sat, 17 Jul 2004 03:50:36 GMT

A look at some of the common mistakes we make when we integrate technology into our lives. As you peruse our list, we encourage you to think of any other errors people are making as they bring gadgets and devices into their homes.

Hewlett-Packard Co. HP PSC 2510 Photosmart

Thu, 15 Jul 2004 03:18:24 GMT

Built-in network capabilities and a competitive price make the HP PSC 2510 Photosmart multifunction printer a good value for small businesses.

Hewlett-Packard Co. HP Color LaserJet 3500

Thu, 15 Jul 2004 03:17:31 GMT

The HP Color LaserJet 3500 is a good printer for a home office or a small business that needs quality printing but not expandability.

Microsoft Expands Media Center Options

Thu, 15 Jul 2004 02:04:57 GMT

More PC makers will be able to build and sell the multimedia systems. This means that white box makers--the PC stores selling systems with no brand name--will also be able to build and sell Media Center PCs.

Toshiba to Unveil TV-Capable Laptop

Thu, 15 Jul 2004 01:52:57 GMT

AP - Toshiba Corp. plans to announce a new laptop model next week that allows users to watch TV on it without having to boot up the computer's Windows operating system — the first in what analysts say will be a new crop of multimedia notebooks to come.

British Telecomm to scrap traditional phone network for VoIP

Fri, 11 Jun 2004 18:08:28 GMT

The new program "will deliver our vision of a converged, multimedia world where our customers can access any communications service from any device, anywhere — at broadband speed," Paul Reynolds, chief executive of BT Wholesale, told reporters.

feedroom.com

Wed, 12 May 2004 20:56:44 GMT

The FeedRoom, the world's premiere broadband news network, gives high-speed Internet users the video news they want, from the sources they trust, anytime they want.

Microsoft Debuts New Copyright Software

Mon, 03 May 2004 20:24:08 GMT

Microsoft Corp. is unveiling copyright protection software to allow rented songs or movies to be used on portable players, cellular phones and other devices.

The company's latest "digital rights management" software, code-named Janus, was released Monday. It will give songs and videos purchased through subscription services a sort of digital expiration date that works even when the data is transferred from a computer. The technology also protects the content against piracy.

The new technology will work only with newly developed portable players, which Reindorp said are expected to hit the market in the next two to three months.

TiVo faces fight of life as market explodes

Sat, 24 Apr 2004 01:01:45 GMT

Debra Baker tells people she has TiVo. But she really doesn't. The 33-year-old New York tax consultant has a variant — a digital video recorder offered through her cable company. She didn't know what "DVR" stood for until then. So, like many others, Baker simply uses the leading DVR brand as the catchall term for the new love in her lounging life: a machine that lets her easily record her favorite TV shows and watch them whenever she wants.

Recording Industry Drops Amnesty Program (AP)

Thu, 22 Apr 2004 00:51:52 GMT

AP - The music industry's trade group has ended a program that offered to prevent people from being sued by recording companies if the downloaders admitted to illegally sharing music online, according to court documents.

BBB Warns About DVD-Copying Software Maker

Thu, 22 Apr 2004 00:05:38 GMT

The Better Business Bureau warned consumers Tuesday about the maker of DVD-copying software that is being challenged by Hollywood on copyright grounds. ... The bureau urged consumers "to use caution" when buying DVD backup, repair and recovery software from 321 Studios Inc.

Intel Invests in the Digital Home

Wed, 21 Apr 2004 21:32:20 GMT

Intel's capital arm, Intel Capital, has invested in four wireless and networking technology companies in the hope of solving interoperability, bandwidth, and distribution problems in home entertainment devices, the company says.

The Novel Unfolds Digitally

Mon, 19 Apr 2004 16:19:34 GMT

The earnest new "novel", "Intimacies," by Eric Brown, is drawing notice more for its style than for its content. A former English professor who teaches executives how to write, Mr. Brown, 59, calls "Intimacies" a digital epistolary novel, or DEN, terms that he has trademarked. The story unfolds through e-mail messages, instant-message conversations and Web sites, all within a window generated by the DEN software; the program can be downloaded free from Mr. Brown's Web site, www.greatamericannovel.com.

Apple unveils new video editing tools

Mon, 19 Apr 2004 01:19:48 GMT

The Mac maker unveils five new software packages for broadcasters and digital video editors, including new visual effects and editing tools for high definition video.

New Orleans Jazz Fest to sell live recordings online

Tue, 13 Apr 2004 20:32:44 GMT

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Can't make it to this year's New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival? A few clicks of a computer mouse will make up for that this year, the festival's organizers said on Thursday.

Maybe the Music's Just Lousy?

Thu, 01 Apr 2004 00:48:38 GMT

The recording industry insists that CD sales are off because everyone's online stealing the music. Now a study comes along saying that piracy has little, if anything, to do with stagnant sales.

Congress Moves to Criminalize P2P

Wed, 31 Mar 2004 01:57:32 GMT

Congress appears to be preparing assaults against peer-to-peer technology on multiple fronts.

A draft bill recently circulated among members of the House Judiciary Committee would make it much easier for the Justice Department to pursue criminal prosecutions against file sharers by lowering the burden of proof. ... They dubbed the bill "Protecting Intellectual Rights Against Theft and Expropriation Act of 2004," or the Pirate Act. [Congress - master of the inane acronym.]

MusicNet(at)AOL Changes Pricing Format

Tue, 30 Mar 2004 22:21:28 GMT

Reuters - Online music service MusicNet(at)AOL on Tuesday said it was changing its pricing format to charge all subscribers a monthly fee of $8.95, plus 99 cents per song purchased and burned to a CD.
[Yahoo! News - Technology]

Electronics That Enhance an Image (Yours)

Fri, 26 Mar 2004 17:21:29 GMT

According to industry analysts, more consumers are willing to spend between $25,000 and $200,000 to watch television.

Game Wars 2: Battle for the Living Room

Fri, 26 Mar 2004 17:13:47 GMT

Sony and Microsoft are preparing for the next round of the game wars: Who will control the home entertainment computer of the future?

Movie or Game? The Joystick Is a Tipoff

Fri, 26 Mar 2004 14:16:49 GMT

Pierce Brosnan is back as James Bond not in a movie, but in a video game. His virtual starring role is the latest evidence that the works of Hollywood and of game developers are beginning to overlap.

Online piracy 'devastates' music

Wed, 24 Mar 2004 20:48:35 GMT

Net piracy has had a "devastating" impact on the music business, says a leading record industry figure. ... The impact of online piracy on the US music business has been "devastating", says the head of the Recording Industry Association of America, Cary Sherman.
He told a conference in London that a 31% decline in music sales between 1999 and 2002 was primarily due to piracy.

"More music is being consumed than at any time in history, it's just that less of it is being paid for," he said. ... Although legitimate online sales are up sharply, they still represent only a fraction of what is being exchanged via the net. [Well, you get what you pay for! I know of folks who, regardless of how they acquired them, have over a thousand pieces. How often do you think they listen to any one of them? Would you take a CD if offered for free? Would you play it? Would you care?]