Bummer… Roku hardware is clearly posed for an update next month, but the oft-requested and rumored DNLA playback isn’t in the cards. Not yet anyway. To address the rumors, there is no DLNA coming in November. We don’t comment on unannounced/unreleased featured, generally. We realized that there’s a set of users that wants DLNA functionality and perhaps … Read more
This year’s holiday gadget season looks like it’s going to be a bit of a mixed bag. I’m not as excited as I’d like to be about the new stuff available, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of gadgety toys to add to your holiday shopping list. Here’s a quick round-up of the video … Read more
Click to enlarge. I didn’t make it to NYC last night for the ShowStoppers press event. However, ZNF ally Brad Linder (Liliputing, Mobiputing) did. And I had him scout out the Roku table for signs of Hulu Plus. While all he thought he had uncovered was an app placeholder, he actually photographed a very significant … Read more
As I’d anticipated, Barnes & Noble upped their e-reader game by introducing something a bit more tabletesque. Whereas Amazon’s competing on simplicity and driving down prices, B&N is gambling upmarket with the $249 Nook Color. And it is a gamble given their traditional bookselling business and with so many tablet devices on the horizon. Then … Read more
It looks as if the tablet computing floodgates are about to burst wide open. And with rumors of the Nook Color, supported by a screen protector kit graphic that I’ve taken some creative liberties with (above), I’m wondering what exactly constitutes a tablet. The original Barnes & Noble Nook e-reader is Android-based, so it stands to … Read more
I’ve long been a proponent of the ability to transfer digital content licenses — not only is it obviously good for us consumers, in mirroring the ways we traditionally manage physical media, but I believe it also benefits rights holders by staving off piracy and building loyalty. While we’ve yet to see many mainstream implementations, … Read more
Well, this is unexpected. When Vudu dramatically shifted course to de-emphasize their own hardware in favor of a licenseable software platform, I figured their original set-top would wither and die. As it turns out, the companies did right by their customers and have ported the newer appilicious Vudu experience in its entirety to the early … Read more
It’s been a long road to dedicated hardware for Boxee fans. Announced in 2009, the (first) Boxee Box was expected to hit earlier this year… but was later delayed until November. Things appeared on track when Amazon began accepting pre-orders ($200) in September. However, those folks are receiving email notices stating: We’re still trying to … Read more