Mari Silbey

Mari’s tech career started when she became the default “IT guy” in her first job out of college. Since leaving help-desk duties to the experts, she’s focused on trends in technology as a consultant, writer, reporter, analyst and at-home gadget tinkerer. Her current paid gig is with the non-profit organization US Ignite where she focuses on how networks and digital technologies impact smart cities. All posts on ZNF represent her own opinions and not those of US Ignite. Mari is a sucker for anything in the digital media space and covers interesting happenings in cable, telecom, and whatever else she feels like. Find her on Twitter at @msilbey.

Squeezebox Touch Now Shipping

The Logitech Squeezebox Touch is finally shipping, and our friends over at Engadget got their hands on an early unit. In his positive review, Tim Stevens gives the networkable music player high marks for sound quality and server software OS compatibility. Stevens also praises the touch-screen interface, but counters with the note that it’s not terribly useful when … Read more

Free Wi-Fi Roaming in the Big Apple

Cablevision, Comcast, and Time Warner Cable have pooled their Wi-Fi resources to offer subscribers free access to more hotspots throughout the NYC metro area. It’s a great perk for cable subscribers in the region, and yet doesn’t take away from the appeal of mobile broadband services (specifically WiMAX) that some of these self-same cable providers … Read more

Irdeto and Content Security for TV Everywhere

Although it’s fashionable to consider DRM evil (Note: I was a major proponent when Amazon MP3 debuted DRM-free music), the fact is that without content protection, there’s no way the TV Everywhere movement will ever get off the ground. Along those lines, news surfaced earlier this week that Netflix will go a step beyond standard … Read more

More Widgety Widgets from Verizon

Okay, so I’m a little behind on my FiOS TV widgets. In the last few weeks Verizon has introduced two new ones, bringing MLB and Yelp into the FiOS fold. The new widgets do pretty much what you’d expect. MLB brings you news, scores, stats, and player updates, and if you’re an Extra Innings subscriber you can also get customized alerts for up to ten different teams. Meanwhile the Yelp widget offers a local business directory with customer ratings, and details on venue pricing, parking, etc.

The big question here: do users want this stuff on their TVs? I’ve generally been a fan of Verizon’s widget work in the past, but TV widgets are now in direct competition with ever-present apps on smartphones, smartbooks, and (smart?) slates or tablets. Users may not always have a mobile or computing device nearby, but when they do, it’s often going to be the better choice for looking up specific information or engaging in social interaction. Think about it. Are you more likely to tweet on your TV or from your phone?

The Masters in 3D at Sony Style

With a Sony Style store around the corner, I headed out yesterday for a peek at the Masters Tournament in 3D. It was just me, one avid golf fan, and a Sony Style staffer. In other words, the viewing event clearly wasn’t a big draw for the store. Nonetheless, Sony sucked me in, and I … Read more

Get Your Golf On… In 3D Of Course

I’m still reveling in last night’s glorious NCAA tourney championship game, but for those with an interest in The Masters and Tiger’s upcoming return to golf, there are now multiple ways to get the experience in 3D. Comcast, Cox, Time Warner Cable, Cablevision, and Shaw in Canada (plus two unnamed European operators) have all nabbed … Read more

Hands On: Targus Premium Laptop/Phone Charger

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UPDATE: Engadget is reporting a major recall of Targus adapters. Buyer beware.

Ever been short a power cord? Or an outlet? Targus has a solution. The Targus Premium Laptop Charger comes with one slim power adapter that splits in two for simultaneous charging of a laptop and mobile device. The product also bundles in a car adapter, and a wide selection of tips for different laptop/netbook models. Since I’m often on the go, I took Targus up on the offer of a review unit.

First of all, I tend to be skeptical of any product that includes adapter tips. It can be hard to find the right tip for your device, quality is often questionable, and tips are easy to lose. Initially it seemed Targus was an exception. I snapped up adapter tip L107 (as indicated by the manual for Asus laptops), popped it in to my computer, and it immediately appeared to start charging. Unfortunately, some time later my computer shut off unexpectedly. I didn’t have time then to investigate, but in attempting to charge my Asus again later in the day with the Targus adapter, the same thing happened. I plugged in my regular charger and discovered I’d dropped down to 1% power. There was no low-battery alert. Nothing except sudden shut-down.

As it turns out, I didn’t have the right adapter. Targus shipped me a new one immediately (the L124), and it does indeed charge as advertised.

Putting aside my experience for a moment, Targus does include a lot in its adapter package. The Premium Laptop Charger comes with tips for laptops/netbooks made by HP, Compaq, Dell, Acer, Toshiba, Gateway, IBM, Lenovo, Asus, Sony, Panasonic, and Fujitsu. Targus even includes a handy tip clip for keeping an extra tip close at hand – in case you want to switch up your machine. And if you register your product, Targus promises free tips for future laptops and cell phones. That means if the tip you need isn’t in the package, you too can have a new one sent out – free except for shipping.

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On the mobile side, the Targus package includes a mini USB tip, which will power most cell phones now, and a tip for Apple iPods and iPhones. I had no problems juicing up my phone.

Video on the iPad, Part Two

What a difference a day makes. Several outlets are reporting that Netflix (confirmed) and ABC are bringing custom iPad apps to market, while CBS has plans to make videos viewable on the iPad through the Safari browser. And, as Ryan Lawler points out, even NBC will have iPad-ready TV shows simply because it already uses … Read more