Zatz Not Funny!

App of the Week: NHK World TV Live

Like much of the world, I’ve been transfixed by the hat trick of horror that Japan has been confronted with. And my heart goes out to the people of that nation, as the death toll climbs and the challenges continue. Last weekend, while updating my iPhone apps, I came across NHK World TV Live which is … Read more

As Expected, New York Times Erects Paywall

The New York Times is starting to roll out digital subscription plans in Canada this week, with US and international subscriptions set to take effect on march 28th. Readers will be able to view the paper’s home page for free, and read up to 20 articles per month at no cost. You’ll also be able to … Read more

Yahoo Connected TV Widget Store Delayed

Back in November, Yahoo announced their intention to expand their Connected TV platform beyond television manufacturer curated widgets into a full fledged app store. The plan was set to go live in March. Well, here we are. And the schedule’s been blown:

It’s not clear at this point when the store will be open for consumers.

Mari’s prescient Yahoo TV post headline out of CES sums it up: “Falling for Yahoo Again, Knowing Heartbreak Ahead”. Good ideas are not enough. Timely execution and partner support are also requisite.

As the owner of a Yahoo Connected TV, my initial excitement (Netflix, Vudu, weather!) has been replaced by fear and loathing. I don’t know if I should be directing my ire towards Vizio or Yahoo, but any potential gain I might have received from integrated Internet widgets has been offset by platform unreliability. As in: my television has a predisposition to reboot while accessing apps. Adding insult to injury, when the TV manages to stay up, half my widgets say the network is unavailable… contradicted by the other half that report no issues. Unfortunately, I’m not alone. From GigaOm:

Here’s something I didn’t imagine when I hooked up my brand-new Vizio XVT553SV TV last week: It crashed. Again. And again. And again. The culprit? Turns out the “smart” Internet apps made my television really dumb.

iPad March Madness Starts Tonight!

If you’re not going to be in front of a TV tonight for the start of the NCAA college basketball tournament, never fear, the (free) iPad app is here. The iPad launch last year just missed the March Madness season, which means this is the first time you can stream live games to the tablet screen. And given how many games take place during the tournament, having a portable television by your side is a major plus. I’ll be home tonight when the tourney kicks off, but given all the work that needs to be done around my house, I probably won’t be tied to the living-room TV. The iPad, however, will travel around with me.

Of course, if you don’t have an iPad, there are plenty of places to catch the college games, but the iPad implementation is interesting for a couple of reasons. First, given the screen size and portability of the iPad, the tablet truly starts to feel like a portable TV – much more so than the old black-and-white carry-around I had as a kid that could barely pull down an OTA signal.

Second, from an industry perspective, the start of March Madness makes an interesting new test of how well the web can deliver on live video events. If I recall right, there hasn’t been a major live TV event since the iPad launched. The presidential inauguration and the Olympic games were all pre-iPad. What will demand be like on the beautiful, traveling iPad screen? And what kind of reviews will we give to the new UI, the Apple HTTP Live Streaming protocol, and our network connections?

Time Warner Brings Live Cable TV to iPad

While Comcast was first to announce their intentions to bring live cable television to the iPad, Time Warner Cable is first to execute with the release of TWCable TV today: Now you can watch your favorite networks on your iPad in your home! If you are a Time Warner Cable video subscriber, the FREE TWCable TV™ … Read more

Best Buy HDTV TiVo In Testing?

We haven’t heard much out of TiVo and Best Buy since they announced their intentions last spring to deliver an Internet-connected TiVo television:

The new Insignia televisions will provide Best Buy customers with an exceptional, intuitive user experience for accessing online content by utilizing the latest TiVo non-DVR software and advanced television service. TiVo’s easy-to-use platform will give the viewer a one-stop-shop for delivering and searching content right on the television.

Given the reported logs from a networked TiVo game, it seems that the TiVo TV or another non-DVR device may very well be in testing:

tsn = AF0************
version = 14.8.N2-01-3-A90
has-recording-storage = false

The evidence is minimal. However, we regularly accept unfamiliar web browser user agent strings as indications of new products. So, why not? Given the state of most current TiVo Internet apps, I’d prefer this mysterious new notation refer to a DVR extender rather than just another Internet-connected television. Yet my gut tells me it’s the TiVo TV.

Hulu Plus for Android Coming Soon

Online TV and video site Hulu offers desktop and mobile apps for watching videos without a web browser. But right now the company’s mobile apps are only available for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. The folks at Engadget noticed a change to the list of supported devices this week though. There’s now a listing for “Select … Read more

Yesterday’s Technology, Today! (iPad)

While folks are lining up for iPad 2s today, my wife will be surfing the web from her “new” refurbished iPad 1. $350 was too good a deal to pass up. The fact is, Apple’s prior generation iPad is superior to current generation Android tablets in many regards – namely polish and app ecosystem. For the sort of casual usage I anticipate, she’s going to really enjoy v1 and wouldn’t necessarily appreciate the improvements of the iPad 2.

The last time we possessed an iPad, I found a decent stand for in-home use… but never came across a slim, functional case that I was willing to invest in. Fortunately, due to Apple swiping an InCase design and resultant publicity we learned of the Convertible Magazine Jacket ($50). And now have a winner.