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Black Friday Digital Media Dealios Under $100

Now that we’ve concluded giving thanks for family and turkey, the time is upon us to give thanks for retail indulgence. We’re not entirely convinced it’s truly is better to give than to receive, but we know how to kill two birds with one stone by gifting oneself. So regardless of gadget beneficiary here are a few compelling deals of the day running under $100:

Barnes & Noble Simple Touch Reader ($79)

A mere two weeks ago, Barnes & Noble’s compelling e-reader would have run you $139. Yet, they dropped the price to $99 upon the introduction of Amazon’s competing Kindle Touch. And today, brick & mortar locations are hawking the Simple Touch for just $79. Not only is it $20 cheaper than Amazon’s touchscreen e-Ink offering, it’s also ad-free. Beyond that, the Simple Touch Reader features better ergonomics due to the sculpted rear and physical page turn buttons… with more panache than Amazon manages. Possible downsides are the cream colored trim of this special edition that may show grime and of course many prefer Amazon’s ecosystem.

Slingbox SOLO ($99.99)

Slingbox SOLO hardware has been around for sometime. And while I wouldn’t mind a more compact form featuring integrated WiFi, it’s still probably the best placeshifting experience money can buy. As a quick refresher, hook a Slingbox up to your home DVR or set-top box to stream that video around the house or around the world to a variety, including desktop web browsers and smartphones ($30). The SOLO retails for $180 and can often be had for less… but we’ve never seen it for a low of $100 as it is today and tomorrow at Best Buy and bestbuy.com.

Boxee Now Streams Slingbox

Hot on the heels of their Facebook Slingbox app, EchoStar has just officially unveiled a SlingPlayer for Connected Devices. While it’s been in beta testing for some time and we expected to see initial support for Google TV, the Boxee Box (~$180) is up first. The Slingbox (~$150) has always allowed one to view their home television on … Read more

Logitech Gives Up On Google TV

Logitech nearly bet the farm on Google TV… and lost. Even at $100, they’ve been unable to exhaust the formerly $300 gTV Revue inventory. According to Logitech’s new CEO, they: executed a full scale launch with a beta product and it cost us dearly Indeed. And instead of doubling down on Google TV, they’re abandoning … Read more

Slingbox Player Comes To Facebook

Earlier today, Echostar launched their Slingplayer for Facebook application enabling Slingbox SOLO (~$150) and Slingbox PRO-HD (~$250) owners to stream their home television content through one of the worlds most popular web destinations. (demo video above) Unlike the stand-alone computer applications or existing web players, this requires no software install… meaning folks might experience more flexibility in how and where they view their feed (work,a friend’s home, Kinkos). Sling’s probably also banking on the social nature of Facebook as we advertise their solution to our friends. Unfortunately, the still mostly ubiquitous Flash browser plugin is required and owners of older Slingbox models need not apply.

Speaking of Flash, I suspect this web app features the same underpinnings as the Google TV SlingPlayer demo-ed at CES and upcoming Boxee implementation. Unfortunately, there’s still no word when that SlingPlayer for Connected Devices will launch… or if it’ll carry with it some sort of monthly access fee. All the more reason to identify what URL Sling’s new Facebook app is calling?

Boxee’s Live TV Doesn’t Go Far Enough

Hot on the heels of news from the leaked 1.5 software build, Boxee has come clean with their “Live TV” intentions. Early next year, Boxee Box owners (of any stripe?) in the US & Canada will be able to purchase a USB tuner for $49. This accessory is designed to pull in digital, high definition over-the-air (OTA) broadcasts. In addition to tuning HDTV, Boxee provides free guide data and incorporates their sharing/recommendation technology. Yet, they have no imminent plans to add recording functionality.

Does Boxee Live TV have a DVR? No. The focus of Boxee Live TV is well… Live TV… having said that if we get enough users asking for DVR then we could take advantage of that other USB input on the back of the box and let a user connect a drive for recordings. Plus we still have all the shows the web has to offer.

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Boxee Preps Live TV. What About DVR?

As alluded to at least twice this year, Boxee intends to round out their entertainment offering by channeling live television. Whereas I assumed it’d be limited to over-the-air (OTA) broadcasts, it appears unencrypted digital cable may also be on the table. Along with live TV, Boxee will provide the requisite guide data… but what about … Read more

HBO GO Now Available On Roku

Less than a month after Roku announced HBO GO was headed to their set-top streamers… the service has arrived. And, at first blush, it looks to offer the same level of programming as found on HBO’s mobile apps — both original HBO programming, like Boardwalk Empire, and a selection of full length movies. I’ll dig … Read more

Google Lowers Google TV Market Expectations

Ahead of the imminent release of Google TV 2.0 software, based mobile operating system Android Honeycomb, the Googleplex has begun reaching out to existing customers. As such, what struck me about el Goog’s messaging is that it seems to take something of an apologetic tone setting only modest expectations. Given lackluster sales of the poorly reviewed Google TV experience, perhaps that’s a safer approach than shouting from the rooftops. Regardless, I’d still say Google needs some assistance in the marketing department. Perhaps the best ~~sound~~ bite stems from the new Android Market section:

Android developers can now bring existing mobile apps or entirely new ones to TV. Initially, the number of apps won’t be large – for example, apps requiring a touch screen, GPS, or telephony won’t show up – but 50 developers have seeded the Market with some cool and useful apps for the TV. We’re excited to see the number of apps grow.

“But 50” is apologetic yet, ironically, the number dwarfs Apple TV app availability. Then again, as we’ve learned with Roku, quantity doesn’t equate to quality. And given our brief Google TV 2.0 hands on, the initial crop of Android Market TV apps leaves something to be desired with only a few diamonds in this rough.

Typically, I might make a comparison to Apple’s successful marketing… yet even they’ve had a hard time cracking the Internet-connected TV space, for years referring to aTV as merely a hobby. But Google’s language and concepts appear geared towards us techies. To reach mass market appeal (and sales) they both need to produce and market in simple terms on what Google TV offers, versus what they don’t.