Zatz Not Funny!

Spoke Too Soon, CableCARD Support Still Sucks.

Back in February, I reactivated the Moxi HD DVR to evaluate Moxi Mate extender functionality. (It’s quite nice.) And had a phenomenal CableCARD install experience. The tech was in and out in 35 minutes, with zero problems. Leading me to believe the CableCARD landscape had seen improvement. But maybe I spoke too soon. As the process of moving that CableCARD to the new TiVo Premiere has been unfun… and unsuccessful. Those cable gateways can’t get here soon enough.

But before we get on to what is essentially a lengthy blow-by-blow bitch session, let me ask if I’m alone in this: What are your experiences migrating CableCARDs? And let us know if you happen to operate in the FiOS TV Nirvana, where cards don’t require pairing. Now, on with my tale…

As I’m wont to do, I regularly tweet my adventures in tech. And I’m perfectly comfortable calling out companies and technologies that don’t perform. Someone at Cox Communication was listening, as they responded last night:

Hello Mr. Zatz- My name is XXXXXXX XXXX, a VP at Cox Communications, I saw your tweets and want to apologize and get you help asap. We tried to call tonight but did not reach you. Can we come out tomorrow? You name the time. My apologies for the problems, they are unacceptable. Thank you,

My reply this morning…

Windows Mobile as a Media Center Remote

Windows Media Center is a 10-foot interface for a PC that lets you control your music, movies, photos, and other media from the comfort of your couch — provided your PC is plugged into your TV and you have a Media Center remote control. But here’s a little secret: Windows 7 Home Premium and Ultimate … Read more

CES 2010: Where are they now?

Back in January at CES, Mari and I saw a lot of cool stuff — gadgets on the horizon, scheduled for an early 2010 release. But Quarter 1 has come and gone. And we’re left wondering where some of this stuff is.

Popbox
One of my show highlights was the Popbox (pictured above). In which Syabas jammed the mighty processing power of the Popcorn Hour C-200, along with a variety of web services and a fine looking UI, into a much smaller enclosure and intending to launch at the low price of $130. Since we checked in at CES, they’ve gone on to demo at SXSW, changed their corporate email from @syabas to @popbox, replaced their PR agency, and just announced a revised shipping schedule… but no actual shipping date. I’m still very much looking forward to this device. And, given the number of inquiries, so are others.

Lenovo Skylight
In Vegas, I was (voluntarily) sucked right into the Ideapad U10 excitement. However, after the show I realized Lenovo’s Skylight is potentially a better solution for me. It’s a lighter weight device with a singular, lighter weight Linux OS in the ‘smartbook’ category. Sort of what the never launched Palm Foleo might have evolved into. Originally scheduled to ship in April, we now hear the Skylight mini laptop is slated for a worldwide June launch.

Volcano
The makers of the HAVA placeshifters appeared poised to rebrand themselves with the Volcano – a “God box” device, combining DVR, Slingbox, and media extender capabilities. A few weeks after CES, they put out a press release riding the iPad coat tails, re-announcing the product as the Vulkano (ugh) and reaffirming a March launch. I don’t mind this one being a bit late as they have huge ambitions and the prototype was extremely rough around the edges. Some extra time for Monsoon to smooth it out should work to their advantage and they’re now advertising an April, 2010 launch.

The Evolution of iPhone OS

As most ZNF readers know, Apple held an event yesterday to unveil iPhone 4.0 OS – consisting of 100 new user features and 1500 new developer hooks. And with the introduction of multitasking (of any stripe) and folders for app organization, I’d say the platform is now feature complete. Certainly those were my top two … Read more

The Masters in 3D at Sony Style

With a Sony Style store around the corner, I headed out yesterday for a peek at the Masters Tournament in 3D. It was just me, one avid golf fan, and a Sony Style staffer. In other words, the viewing event clearly wasn’t a big draw for the store. Nonetheless, Sony sucked me in, and I … Read more

Monle, iPhone Audio Recorder & Editor

I’ve seen plenty of tools that turn an iPhone or iPod touch into a high quality digital audio recorder. Some, like the Blue Mikey are simply external microphones that sound a heck of a lot better than that puny mic you talk into when making phone calls. Others, like the Alesis Pro Track give you … Read more

DISH VIP 922 Slingbox DVR Launches!

380 million dollars and 2.5 years in the making, the world’s first DVR containing Slingbox functionality has arrived. Of course, this is exactly the sort of hybrid product we expected when Echostar acquired Sling Media in 2007. Although it wasn’t actually until CES 2009 that our suspicions were confirmed. And DISH Network’s 2009 launch plans … Read more

iTunes 9.1 Saves Space, Transcodes for iDevices

Apple recently released iTunes 9.1, and while the biggest change is support for the Apple iPad and iPad apps, there’s another tweak that can make life easier for iPod and iPhone users. Hidden away in the options menu for your mobile device is a new option to convert higher bit rate songs to 128 kbps … Read more