Midomi changes names to SoundHound in version 3.0, and adds a slew of new features, from a Web search for lyrics to iTunes library access. pOriginally posted at a href=”http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19512_7-10408563-233.html” class=”origPostedBlog”iPhone Atlas/a/p
Continue reading Comcast takes control of NBC, promises not to crush Hulu
Comcast takes control of NBC, promises not to crush Hulu originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
This article was written on March 24, 2008 by CyberNet.
Microsoft Monday
A couple of weeks ago, Ryan put together a list of reasons why he loves Windows Vista Media Center. Among his reasons were appearance, the option to add multiple tuners, and the fact that you can purchase an Xbox 360 and use it as a Media Center extender. He also listed a couple of extensions which are really helpful as well. Today we’re going to take a look at six amazing plug-ins for Windows Vista Media Center. Some of them have been mentioned before, others haven’t. If you’re looking for additional plug-ins to make the most out of your Media Center experience, we recommend taking a look at The Green Button Forums. It’s a place dedicated to Windows Media Center and you’ll find all kinds of great information there.
MyNetflix plug-in is great for those of you who subscribe to Netflix. This plug-in adds “Watch Now” support to Media Center which eliminates the need to use the Netflix application for watching movies on demand. We covered this in early February and here is a review of some of the features:
This plug-in is currently available as a free beta download.
WebGuide is one of the most popular plug-ins for Windows Media Center because it allows users to manage all of their recordings from any browser. This means that when you’re away from home, you can easily set a show to record. Even more impressive is that users are able to stream content from their Media Center PC to another computer. Back in September Microsoft hired the WebGuide Developer and then offered it for free! On the developers website it’s described as “the ultimate remote viewing & scheduling add-on for Media Center and Windows Home Server” and we agree!
WebGuide 4 is available here for download.
The interface is simple and easy to use, and there’s even a mobile version for phones and PDA’s! If you’re a Media Center users, this is a must-have plug-in, especially now that it’s free.
The name of this plug-in really doesn’t give you an idea of what it does which is probably its biggest downside. DVRMSToolbox is actually a commercial skip add-on for Media Center and it’s completely free. The add-on will scan the shows that you have recorded for commercials and then tag where they are. When you go to watch the show, it will fast forward past those commercials. While they aren’t actually removed from the recording, it’s like they were. If by chance it skips past part of a show that wasn’t a commercial, you can easily hit the back button and then you’ll be able to view what had been skipped.
Another great feature will this plug-in is that there are all kinds of settings which you can tweak to your liking. Below is a screenshot of one of the configuration screens.
Get DVRMSToolbox here (it works for Vista and XP)!
MCEBrowser is brought to you by the same guy who created the MyNetflix plug-in. The purpose of this one is to allow easy surfing of the web, right from Media Center using your remote control. The screenshot gallery for this plug-in gives you a great idea of what all you can do. Some of the features include:
The download for MCEBrowser is available here.
MC Organizer is a plug-in that helps you organize and then play your videos. Features include:
If you have a huge collection of DVDs, this will be worth using. Best of all, it’s free.
Download MC Organizer here. Note: You have to complete a registration before you’re able to use MC Organizer.
The highlight of the Video Browser plug-in is that it allows for DVD playback right from your hard disk. That means that you’ll easily be able to view TV shows and movies that you download or those that you copy straight from a DVD to your hard drive. This add-on also supports metadata for TV shows and movies, but that does require a few extra steps like installing Ruby.
The developer realizes that there are areas which need improvement and he says they will be addressed in the future. For now it is a great plug-in with a nice interface that will allow you to easily watch movies from your hard disk.
Download Video Browser for Vista Media Center here.
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Research firm IDC has published an overview of its predictions for 2010, one of what the company promises will be the first of dozens of similar documents over the next few weeks.
The first top ten predictions deal with generally macroscopic predictions; for example, the first is a belief that that the IT industry will return to growth, increasing 3.2 percent to worldwide spending levels of about $1.5 trillion. (Marketing budgets, the foundation of Internet advertising, are expected to increase by 3 percent after falling 8 percent in 2009.)
The fifth prediction, however, should attract the most attention from consumers. In it, IDC predicts that (surprise, surprise) mobile devices are becoming more important. IDC takes the extra step, however, and claims that they’re becoming platforms in their own right, and will eclipse PCs in their connections to the Internet. In total, over 1 billion phones will ship in 2010, IDC predicts, and about 16 percent of those will be smartphones.
IDC then goes on to call an Apple tablet a “no brainer”:
Want something more sophisticated than a megapixel count to judge a phone camera? Two tech titans have joined an effort to offer a better guide. pOriginally posted at a href=”http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-10408593-264.html” class=”origPostedBlog”Deep Tech/a/p
We already knew that a potent Marvell chip was under the hood of Spring Design’s Alex, but at long last the mystery surrounding the powerhouse within Entourage’s Edge is no more. The Armada PXA168 processor will be responsible for steering the world’s first “Dualbook” through the stormy seas that’ll be created once crazed consumers get ahold of this thing, and while we’ve no idea if the software will actually support this laundry list of capabilities, the chip should have no issue with “full-featured web browsing, multi-format video and image processing.” More specifically, we’re informed that “HD-quality video and 3D graphics” will be supported, which could obviously lead to some pretty interesting applications (you know, like actual web surfing on an e-reader). Hop on past the break for a brief look at an early generation model as well as a functioning version of what should hopefully hit shelves in early 2010.
Marvell’s Armada chip bringing ‘HD-quality video, 3D graphics support’ to Entourage Edge originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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HTIBs and packaged home theater audio systems come in a wide variety of sizes, types, and prices. Which one is right for you? pOriginally posted at a href=”http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-10407491-47.html” class=”origPostedBlog”The Audiophiliac/a/p
As expected, Comcast on Thursday announced that it has brokered a deal with General Electric to acquire a 51 percent stake in NBC Universal (NBCU) for $6.5 billion.
The arrangement puts the value of NBCU at $30 billion. As part of the deal, GE will acquire Vivendi’s 20 percent stake in NBCU for $5.8 billion, putting GE’s stake at 49 percent. Comcast will make its $6.5 billion payment to GE.
The deal includes: NBCU’s businesses, Comcast’s cable networks, regional sports networks, and certain digital properties, Comcast said. NBCU will contribute its cable properties like MSNBC, broadcast stations NBC and Telemundo, the Universal movie studio and theme parks.
The combined entities will be known as the Comcast Entertainment Group (CEG), which will stand alongside Comcast Cable. Jeff Zucker, current president and CEO of NBCU, will be CEO of the new joint venture and will report to Steve Burke, Comcast’s chief operating officer.
“Consumers of all of our products – on screens large and small – will have the benefit of enhanced content and experiences, delivered to them in new and better ways as a result of this transaction,” Zucker said in a statement.
The joint venture “will bring together Comcast’s cable programming networks (including our regional sports networks), Fandango and Daily Candy with the broadcasting, cable programming, movie studio, theme park, and online content businesses of NBC Universal,” Comcast CEO Brian Roberts wrote in a blog post.
The combination “will create a base from which all of these content assets will grow in quality,” Roberts wrote. “The new venture will facilitate the launch of new content as well as innovative distribution opportunities through multiple platforms in and out of the home.”
Reaction to the deal was swift and varied.
Monocle offers custom BlackBerry 9700 for the discerning business traveler originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
This one reeks of a giant men in black-style CIA cover-up. The former IT director of the Highley Unified School District in Arizona has resigned after the district discovered that he was using school property to search for aliens.
Brad Niesluchowski was reportedly using almost 5,000 of the school district’s computers to run SETI@home software. His tests may have cost the district as much as $1.6 million over nine years. Niesluchowski was sent a note of termination from the school’s superintendent. The IT director chose to resign.
His wife, meanwhile, has denied his involvement, saying, “The whole thing is a setup. He goes to work, he’s a family man, he’s not into [searching for aliens].”
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