Dave Zatz

Staying Connected On The Go

Since first adding a Palm V modem to my tech arsenal about 15 years ago to access Mindspring dial-up email on business travel, I’ve remained Internet-connected when mobile (and have even used “mobile” connectivity to power the home). The last few years, I’ve done my best to stay off public WiFi — the level of exposure and ease of interception exceeds my comfort levels. I wouldn’t say I’m paranoid and it’s not like I dabble in state secrets, but I’d rather not make my personal data any more accessible than it probably is. (Remember that time someone tweeted as me via Southwest Air WiFi?) Not to mention, those wireless networks (free or otherwise) often don’t perform so well – either by (poor or upsell) design or due to saturation.

With that in mind, I’ve been a huge fan of mobile phone tethering — which was fully ensconced within my workflow by 2006, when I kept my laptop online via a USB-connected 3G Sprint PPC-6700 while riding Amtrak to a NYC event. 

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Plex Coming to TiVo (via Opera TV Store)?

As I begin a reexamination of Plex, TiVo may suddenly become a whole lot more interesting to folks hosting media repositories. Since launching about a year ago, the Opera TV Store apps on TiVo are mostly throwaways and rarely worth the time they require to open. But with Plex on deck and the newer ability to pin favorite apps, the … Read more

SlingPlayer Hits Fire TV! Pre-roll Ads To Follow?

Without a hint of marketing muscle, SlingPlayer for Amazon Fire TV was quietly introduced a day or so ago. As you’d expect, the app allows you to pipe Slingbox video to another television in the home or really anywhere in the world. Or so their new TV Everywhere campaign proclaims. While I’m not prepared to pass judgement … Read more

DISH & Comcast DVRs Outpace TiVo?

While TiVo focuses their resources on serving smaller and international television providers, as retail customers defect, the larger US cable and satellite companies continue to crank away on their own compelling in-house DVR services. Although DISH may have given up some ground in the Hopper’s ability to, you know, actually hop (over commercials) they just completed a nationwide software … Read more

Check Your FiOS Contract For Bonus Rewards

As the story goes, I renewed Verizon FiOS services in August after several years of stellar performance (at two addresses) and in light of the potential disruption an Xfinity install might bring along with Comcast’s ongoing HBO GO Roku blockade. After Tech of the Hub received a pretty fantabulous FiOS renewal offer that effectively comps two years of premium channels, including … Read more

TiVo Roamio Deal: Plus with Lifetime for $500?

Supposedly a small subset of long-term TiVo customers have been offered quite the amazing deal: Base Roamio w/lifetime service $200 for the unit and $200 for the lifetime service Plus – $400 for the unit and $100 for lifetime service Pro – $600 for the unit and $100 for lifetime service The catch is that … Read more

WeaKnees Takes TiVo Roamio to 6TB of Recording Capacity

While the TiVo Roamio line may officially max out at 3TB of recording capacity, licensed reseller WeaKnees has offered 4TB drives nearly since launch. And, should that 637 hours of HD content not be enough, WeaKnees has just unveiled 6TB drives – a TiVo upgrade good for a whopping 960 hours of high def content. The WeaKnees 6TB DIY kits clock in at $450 while … Read more

MobiTV Connect – Another Day, Another Streaming Stick

Next up in the streaming stick space is the MobiTV Connect… that just passed thru the FCC. The company originally known for streaming amazingly low resolution television content to Sprint phones clearly continues to pivot. And, back in September, MobiTV told The Donohue Report their HDMI hardware would launch via two US wireless carriers in early 2015. … Read more