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.

Slacker Radio Offline Caching Arrives on Android

Dave got the update back at CES that Slacker would soon be offering wireless caching for its Android, Blackberry, and iPhone apps. For Android and Blackberry device owners, that day is here. The good folks at Slacker confirmed the news for us when the updates dropped tonight, and I headed straight over to the Android … Read more

Who Will Own My Mobile Identity?

The battle for your mobile identity may now have  supplanted the living-room wars. This thought comes to mind as I watch the extended buzz around the Windows Phone 7 OS launch. As important as the new operating system is for Microsoft on mobile handsets, it’s equally strategic in its integration of several Microsoft properties: Xbox … Read more

Last-Minute V’Day Gift

Dave picked up his Nike+ gear nearly three and a half years ago, and has since moved on to check out Runkeeper (a favorite of buddy Kevin Tofel), and, most recently at CES, the Adidas miCoach hardware. However, if you don’t have a GPS-enabled phone, and want to tread lightly into the world of workout … Read more

The Olympics – Big Screen Edition

Sure it’s 2010 and you can now get your Olympics fix online (albeit with some headaches), but if you’re home in front of the big living-room screen, why not take advantage of the all-HD experience? NBC Universal is offering coverage on NBC, USA, MSNBC, CNBC, and Universal HD, and, as in years past, the broadcast … Read more

CableLabs Confab

CableLabs is holding its Winter Conference this week featuring, among other activities, an Innovation Showcase. To bring a little buzz to the event, CableLabs hosted a short media teleconference yesterday announcing the winner of Best Product Idea among the Showcase participants. Jinni got the nod from conference attendees for its “next-gen guide” including personalization features … Read more

New Powermat Gear at Mobile World Congress

Fabulous parties and celebrity appearances aside, the Powermat booth tour may have been my best blogger experience at CES this year. And while I won’t make it out to Mobile World Congress later this month, I do have a few educated guesses on what the wireless-power company will be launching there. The Powermat folks graciously … Read more

Inrix, Worst Commutes, and the Future of GPS

Although Dave is the king of GPS around here, I had my own Eureka moment after my recent smartphone upgrade. While traveling along I-95 in Maryland a few weeks ago, it suddenly occurred to me to use my new Android phone to check on traffic conditions. After a quick look through the app store, I … Read more

Comcast Remote DVR Scheduling is Here! (For Some)

Dave broke the news back in August that Comcast would be coming out with a new remote DVR scheduling feature in the near future. Since then, I’ve kept an eye on the myDVR page in hopes I’d get a heads-up on regional availability. Today, after reading about guide updates over on the Comcast blog, I … Read more