WatchESPN To Launch Live Toolbar for iOS this Summer

ESPN is spiffing up its WatchESPN app for iOS devices. Starting this summer, the app will include a new live toolbar with interactive features and embedded on-demand videos. VP Damon Phillips describes it as the two-dot-oh version of ESPN’s bottom line, and over time it will evolve even further to include options for customization based on … Read more

Still No TiVo Stream For Android

From the Cable Show this morning, TiVo announced plans to offer cable companies partner-branded versions of their existing mobile apps. Beyond potential integration with TiVo hardware and services, the apps can also optionally tie into operator billing and account management. Atlantic Broadband, with ~250,000 customers, is the first taker and their “powered by TiVo” app is … Read more

New Eye-Fi Mobi Card Makes Your Dumb Camera Smart

Eye-Fi has launched the Eye-Fi Mobi, a new camera SD card designed to let you share photos directly from your camera to your mobile devices. This isn’t entirely new, but Eye-Fi claims the set-up process is simpler than ever, requiring “no computer, no account and no cloud.” The price tag is also niftier than before; … Read more

DirecTV Nomad Renamed GenieGo, Android App Available

DirecTV’s placeshifting Nomad has been rebranded as the GenieGo. Further, the satcaster has dropped the price from $150 to a more compelling $99. The device initially only transcoded and transferred DVR recordings, but has since expanded its capabilities by also providing (almost) live television in-home streaming – comparable to the competing TiVo Stream and DISH Sling Hopper. … Read more

Apple CEO, Tim Cook

We have no religious issue with porting an Apple app to Android. If it made sense for us to do that, we would do that. #

Verizon Jumps on Data Bundling Bandwagon

ESPN is considering it. AT&T has discussed it. And now Verizon is jumping on the bandwagon. At a financial conference yesterday, Verizon EVP and CFO Fran Shammo stated explicitly that we’re likely to see content and wireless data delivery bundled together from certain content providers. In other words, a network like ESPN would cover the … Read more

ESPN Considers the Whispernet Model

There was a big story out last week that a lot of people missed. According to The Wall Street Journal (as reported by electronista), ESPN is weighing the idea of subsidizing users’ wireless data for mobile streaming of ESPN video. That would mean that the sports network would pay for bandwidth used by consumers to watch ESPN … Read more

Wanna Chat With Your DVR?

According to Variety, DirecTV has been working on a Nuance-powered iPhone app update to bring speech recognition to HR24 and newer set-top boxes. My initial reaction was that it’s nothing more than a clever, but not very practical, application of Siri-like skills. Yet, upon reflection, being able to change channel via station name, rather than researching a … Read more