Vudu Releases IR Receiver & Software Update

As efficient as the Vudu RF remote with scroll wheel is, many folks would prefer to control their home theater via a single remote. So, Vudu’s introduced an IR Receiver Kit today at $39. In addition to the pricey IR dongle, the pricey Vudu XL ($999) with additional storage and IP-based home control hooks is … Read more

Navigon Introduces FreshMaps

Always a challenge for the obsessive GPS owner: How to get the latest maps and at what cost? I assume a “live” GPS service like Telenav has the most current maps, however the last two times I used them (navigating from JFK into NYC, and in the Bay Area to a friend’s home) Telenav failed … Read more

The Future Of Digital Music

Follow the digital music space and available March 11th at 1PM EST? If so, I highly recommend tuning into a free webcast by Michael Gartenberg and David Card of Jupiter Research: Will digital music ever save the industry? Are downloaded singles replacing CD sales? Who are today’s customers, and how is that likely to change … Read more

Amazon Does Linux; Nine Inch Nails Does Download Discount

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This time we’ve got real, as opposed to potential, Amazon news… They’ve released a Linux MP3 Download Manager for their DRM-free music service. Ubuntu 7.10, Debian 4, Fedora 8, and OpenSUSE 10.3 systems are covered. While you don’t necessarily need the software app to download individual tunes from Amazon, the Downloader provides an efficient interface and supports downloading entire albums. As you can see from the screengrabs, I’ve gone ahead and installed it on Ubuntu and purchased the new Nine Inch Nails “album” (36 tracks) for $5.

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Amazon Ponders The Future of Unbox

Netflix isn’t the only online video service quizzing customers… Amazon’s also looking for input – to presumably guide future Unbox offerings, or perhaps to validate their existing (HD) intentions. Of course, it’s the theoretical scenarios that seem to get folks into a frenzy. So, without further ado: Free Video Streaming with ads – The ability … Read more

RROD: An Unhappy Ending

My pal Tim is d-o-n-e. He’s wiping his hands clean of Microsoft gaming gear. His family will ultimately be a two-system home again, but a PS3 will join their Wii. Tim’s story (and ebay listing) in his own words: You are bidding on a piece of junk XBOX 360. Please understand that this is non-functioning … Read more

Mac OS X XM Dashboard Widget

I recently discovered a very nice XM gadget for Windows Vista, but wondered if a Mac OS X equivalent existed. Well, Google showed me the way to Tim Glenn’s XM Dashboard widget. It’s not as polished as the Vista gadget, but works fine in streaming music via your online XM account without going through a … Read more

U-verse Update

AT&T’s John Stankey presented to investors earlier this week – among the things he talked about are upgrades coming this year to the U-verse IPTV service. New features seem to roughly track with what Dave reported last June. Whole-home DVR is scheduled for the second half of 2008, though Stankey mentioned “mid-year” so the guess … Read more