Zatz Not Funny!

Track Amazon Shipments via Text Message

So I’m about two years late on this bit of “news” … but if I’m just discovering it, there could be others in a similar boat. You see, I’m such an early adopter that I’ve largely missed out on the text messaging phenomenom. I picked up the original Sidekick in 2002 and have been emailing … Read more

Roku: “DVR is Dead”

TechCrunch has posted a series of video interviews of Roku CEO Anthony Wood. Who also happened to found Replay TV, one of the first two DVR products on the market. (Yeah, the other would be TiVo.) If nothing else, the link’s worth hitting to tally up the number and variations of “kill” and “death” in a … Read more

DirecTV TiVo, What We Think We Know

As we’re about out of runway for an “early 2011” launch and in light of DirecTV’s recent communique possibly suggesting the schedule has slipped again, I’ve been directed to DBStalk for details on the new DirecTV TiVo experience. Now I can’t vouch for the info from the forums, but there appear to be multiple data … Read more

Updated DirecTV TiVo Timing?

Has the highly anticipated (new) DirecTiVo been delayed once again? Last we heard, from a TiVo SVP, the modernized DirecTV DVR was on track for an early 2011 launch… and anecdotally corroborated via beta testing recruitment. Yet a doubtful Twitter inquiry was met with this DirecTV response yesterday: Details are still being determined, launch maybe … Read more

iOS Adult Swim App Offers Episodes, Clips, Games

Comedy Central’s Adult Swim offers a number of iPhone apps, including the popular Robot Unicorn Attack game. Now Adult Swim has launched a free app which lets you stream clips and full episodes of selected Adult Swim TV shows. You can also purchase a number of Adult Swim games from within the app, for about a … Read more

Amazon Launches “Free” Video Streaming (For $79/yr)

So Amazon’s accidentally leaked all-you-can-eat video streaming has come to pass. And the Hulu, Netflix competitor is free to all Prime members. Well, all full price Prime subscribers. As it looks like those of you on free or discounted subs have been left out. I’m an occasional, but current, Prime member — $79 a year gets me free 2 day shipping and discounted overnight or same-day shipping ($3.99) on physical goods.

So my first thought this AM was, I’m cancelling Netflix! Or Hulu Plus! But it’s not yet clear what sort of quality one can expect from Amazon’s catalog of commercial free video content. Indeed, Engadget took a quick look and wasn’t overly impressed with the picture. Additionally, while Amazon offers over 90,000 pieces of digital video content… only 5,000 are available for “free.” And who knows what determines the selection and rotation.

But I have to say I’m impressed with the wide variety of devices Amazon was able to launch the service with.

Tablet Problem Solved. I Got a Kindle.

I’ve been moaning for months about the state of the Android tablet market. I had planned to ask for one for Christmas, and then my birthday, but those dates have now slipped by, and there’s still not a suitable Android-based tablet for my wish list. I regularly borrow my husband’s iPad for playing games, but a significant problem has emerged that the occasional iPad appropriation doesn’t solve. I’m running out of books.

Since various family members have made the shift to e-readers, my sources for leisure-time reading material have seriously dried up. I’m too lazy and time-constrained to hunt for books I might like, so I rely on others to recommend and then lend me any good ones. Now that they all read their books digitally, it’s put a serious kink in this time-honored system. So much so that my husband finally went out and bought me a Kindle for my birthday. And you know what? It’s perfect.

What Might The Amazon Kindle 4 Look Like?

While many have fixated on the iPad 2, I’ve begun wondering what a Kindle 4 might look like. First off, I believe Amazon will continue to drive the price down on an entry level e-reader to increase uptake. Whether that’s existing $139 WiFi Kindle hardware, or a refreshed product remains to be seen. But I anticipate Amazon will hit the magical $99 price point in time for Christmas 2011. But what might a higher end Kindle look like?

Amazon could go the Barnes & Noble route by introducing a color LCD media-centric tablet. And that would actually make a whole lot of sense given the other digital media properties Amazon could leverage – MP3s, video on demand, and now free, instant streaming for Prime subscribers (!). Yet given the continued bashing of reflective screens in sunlight (screengrab from their latest television commercial below) and what looks to be a successful business relationship with e-Ink, 2011 may not be the year.

However, that’s not to say the Kindle platform will remain stagnant if Amazon sticks with e-Ink.