Transfer Lifetime TiVo Service

As most of you know, TiVo killed the Lifetime Service option because it wasn’t exactly profitable. (Damn that reliable hardware and replaceable hard drive. ;) ) So I find it particularly interesting to see TiVo offering up a Lifetime Service transfer with an 80 hour dual tuner Series2 for $300. I suppose TiVo wants everyone on newer hardware to experience broadband services, receive ads, and to be tabulated under Stop||Watch. You have until July 23rd to think it over.

The fine print:

Qualify current TiVo DVR
Enter the TiVo Service Number of your TiVo® DVR with Product Lifetime Service ACTIVATED PRIOR to June 15, 2003.

See the pretty picture after the break…

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AT&T’s Other Network

With all of the iPhone hype, AT&T’s taken something of a beating around the quality of its cellular network. Meanwhile, the company’s wireline ventures chug along without much public notice. This week AT&T’s U-verse IPTV service went live in Cleveland and Akron Ohio, bringing the total number of homes passed with U-verse to 3 million. … Read more

More Vudu Video-On-Demand Details

Vudu is in town (NYC) and Gizmodo was given a briefing. Back in April I heard the Vudu video-on-demand box would land at a price point competitive with AppleTV ($300-$350). However, Giz now reports the device will be launched later this year “somewhere under $500.” Vudu will have a few things going for it such … Read more

Digital Media Bytes

A periodic roundup of non-iPhone news… coming to you from Amtrak. Growing pains challenge AT&T’s U-verse: Houston Chronicle Comparing Joost, VeohTV, Babgelgum and Democracy: PVRWire Windows Vista Media Center Cumulative Update: Missing Remote PacificNet iMobile broadens TiVo distribution in China: Engadget TiVo CFO lands at LinkedIn: TiVo Lovers

iPhone Reviews Are In, A Few Surprises

Obviously the iPhone review embargo was lifted last night. I imagine Apple would have liked to hold coverage until the day of or the day before launch, but I have faith their marketing department knows what they’re doing. Perhaps they wanted to leave a little time to announce the Bluetooth earpiece and dock plus surprise … Read more

A Question Of Power

power-adapters.jpg

Surge protection is one of those things, like data backup, that you don’t deal with until you’ve been burned.

I had my first warning last year at Panera… While using their free WiFi on a work-provided Dell, the wall outlet fried my laptop. It wasn’t a total loss, but the battery/unit would no longer charge. Fortunately, my employer swapped my existing hard drive into a new computer. But I didn’t learn my “naked” power lesson.

Two weeks ago, at home, my Macbook Pro power adapter (near where it connects to the computer) started smoking and melted. Fortunately, I was working on it at the time and was able to quickly remove the adapter from both the computer and the non-protected wall outlet before starting a fire. (I’m sure my landlord thanks me.) And this finally motivated me enough to do something…

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iPhone Service Plans Announced, Not Too Shabby

iPhone week continues! Earlier today Apple and AT&T announced service plans for the iPhone… And while they’ve said all along they wouldn’t be subsidizing hardware, they’re obviously subsidizing subscriptions. The least expensive plan runs $60/month, which includes unlimited data and 450 minutes of talk time. For comparison, I pay AT&T $80/mo (1/2 voice, 1/2 data) … Read more

Radio Silence

It’s come to this: a day of radio silence. Pandora, AccuRadio, and my own local WXPN among many others are going silent today to protest fee increases from the Copyright Royalty Board that will effectively put them out of business if something is not done before July 15th. We’ve covered this story multiple times in … Read more