A periodic roundup of relevant news… from our friends at Last100:
Top ten Digital Lifestyle products of 2008
There was lots of activity in the Digital Lifestyle space in ’08 with new devices, services and platforms being launched, and some of our favorites from last year receiving significant updates. Here’s my pick of the best ten.
Analyst: Apple to release ‘closed’ Netbook with iPhone-esque App Store
It’s not very often that I find myself agreeing with a likely overpaid analyst, especially one who admits that they have no “inside information”, but I think Ezra Gottheil of Technology Business Research could be onto something. Gottheil is predicting that Apple will announce its own Netbook at Macworld in January
Vudu set-top box no longer a one trick pony, adds support for YouTube, Flickr and more
My biggest beef with the Vudu set-top movie box is that it’s always been a one trick pony, and an expensive one at that, focussing on paid-for movies. That’s changed with the company announcing support for a range of free online video as well as images from photo sharing sites.
Why I’m backing Palm to make a comeback
It was already pretty much certain that Palm will finally unveil its next-generation mobile operating system, along with a brand new device, at January’s Consumer Electronics Show (the press invite reads: “Come to CES to see all that Palm New-ness you’ve been waiting for”) and now BusinessWeek is stirring the pot.
A Mac Netbook with it’s own app store?! Okay. Give me one that has a word processor with support for mla/apa templates. S-O-L-D!!
Ok, since you had the GPS suggestions and since we’re talking about media extenders a little bit here, I have to ask… If you were going to buy now, what would you recommend? I’m considering the zeevee box because it seems to do everything I want, but the price point ($410) is high. I was thinking about getting that and ditching my upstairs cable box. However, I hear good things about apple tv (and that the future may hold some promise), and the new Vudu intrigues me. I’d appreciate any thoughts if you have time. Thanks!
Hogues, it all depends what you want to do with it – the sorts of content you want to view. Give me some clues and I’ll make a suggestion.
Thanks, Dave. I’ll start with a component list if that helps. I have a Tivo series 3 downstairs as well as an x-box 360. I”d like something which would let me watch netflix, Hulu and all the other Huluish sites and any video that I have on my pc on my upstairs tv. I really would like to get rid of my extra comcast stb. Btw, I have Windows xp. Thanks Dave and happy holidays!
If Hulu and Netflix are your top priorities you may want to take a look at PlayOn – its a $30 software app (free trial) that will stream content from the Internet via your PC to a variety of uPnP devices like your Xbox or a PS3. I’ve had mixed results, and the interface isn’t great (partial limitation of how these boxes receive it)… BUT it might be what you need and at a good price.
http://www.themediamall.com/playon
Also, the Xbox in general makes a decent extender and/or just playing files off of disc or USB storage.