Hasta La Gadget!

While in the US, requests for an HBO Go subscription option that brings the channel’s programming without being tethered to a cable or satellite-TV package go unheeded, HBO revealed today that its Scandinavian offering will do just that. While the HBO Nordic joint venture between HBO and Parsifal International will be available over “local distribution partners,” it is also available strictly as an over-the-top service for VOD and subscription access to premium content for less than €10 when it launches in October. It brings all the HBO current and catalog content you’d expect (subtitled for the local markets in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark) and it’s also tossing in content from other providers, like the popular Canadian show Continuum. CEO Hervé Payan says it will be available on “any” internet connected device, and says the decision to go over the top is because its target group of viewer have changed their consumption to multiple screens.

Netflix revealed its own plans to expand to the region this fall on the same day HBO Nordic was originally announced, and CEO Reed Hastings welcomed the competition with a message on Facebook asking when HBO would bring the service to the USA, and joking that it expected the first match-up to be in Albania. In case you forgot, that last dig was a reference to Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes 2010 statement comparing Netflix to the possibility of the Albanian army taking over the world. The battle is on this fall, we’ll see if it’s just a dry run for other regions soon.

Continue reading HBO Nordic to offer internet streaming subscriptions, no cable or satellite service required

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD

HBO Nordic to offer internet streaming subscriptions, no cable or satellite service required originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 20:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LaunchPort is finally releasing a sleeve for the new iPad, which makes it compatible with the company’s inductive charging gear. It goes on sale in September for a hefty $149, and of course, you’ll also need at least one $199 tabletop or wall mount to connect it to. The sleeve also works with the iPad 2, and if you’re thinking about getting one, be quick — it’s only a matter of time before resonance charging renders inductive juicing a little passé.

Continue reading LaunchPort releasing AP.3 sleeve for juicing your new iPad the inductive way

Filed under: Peripherals, Tablets

LaunchPort releasing AP.3 sleeve for juicing your new iPad the inductive way originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 20:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Smart TV and set-top box users unhappy with tedious menu-clicking might have already found Redux, a Google TV app that streamlines online content selection. Now though, buyers of new Sony Google TV and LG Smart TVs and Blu-ray players will find the handy streaming guide baked right in. It works by allowing user “curators” to create their own video channels on subjects like music and tech, which the software then presents in a directory for other like-minded viewers. Redux also has deals with publishers like Hearst, letting it stream premium content from Popular Mechanics, Car and Driver and other brands. Already one of the top apps in the Google and Samsung TV ecosystems, the new deals with Sony and LG mean it could appear on up to 40 million devices by the end of the year. So, if you’re tired of hunting and pecking and want to couch-surf online programs more traditionally, check the source for more info.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Software, HD

Redux promises to bring a ‘lean-back TV experience’ to new Sony and LG devices originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 20:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amazon is widely assumed to be gearing up for a new Kindle Fire reveal next week, but recent rumors are also telling us that it might launch a new E Ink Kindle as well. If these new images from The Verge are the real deal, then we might be looking at the next E Ink Kindle, which appears to be a refresh of the Kindle Touch. As you can see from the images, Amazon is using the phrase “Paperwhite” to describe this Kindle, but whether or not that’s the name of this new device remains to be seen.

Obviously, the term Paperwhite refers to the new display we can clearly see in the images. This looks to improve on the Pearl E Ink displays we’ve been seeing lately, and in these promotional shots, Amazon is touting “higher contrast, high resolution, integrated lighting, and eight weeks of battery life.” Perhaps most importantly, this new Kindle appears to sport a backlit screen, which you can bet will go over well with consumers.

And why wouldn’t Amazon offer an E Ink Kindle with a backlight? That would align this new Kindle to be the perfect competitor to Barnes and Noble’s Nook SimpleTouch with GlowLight, and with that device on the scene, it makes a lot of sense that Amazon would want to offer a backlit eReader of its own. These images all seem legitimate too, which further reinforces the idea that Amazon is ready to pull the veil off a new Kindle Touch, perhaps alongside the next iteration of the Kindle Fire.

Of course, we’re still hesitant to call it a sure thing, but the good news is that we won’t have much longer to wait until these new devices are revealed. Amazon is holding a press conference on September 6, and all of new reveals are rumored to be going down there. Stay tuned, because we might just come away from that event next week with a number of new Kindle devices to talk about.

‘Paperwhite’ Kindle struts its stuff in leaked images is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
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Love the look of Razer’s Battlefield 3-branded BlackShark headset that we laid our peepers on back at E3? Don’t want to commit yourself exclusively to one title? Good news: the West Coast outfit has just announced a variant that lacks any game specifics and is clothed in the signature black and green hues. You can expect a unit that wears the same, aviator-inspired stylings as the original — right down to the leatherette-sealed earcups, detachable boom microphone and splitter adapter cable. Sound good? Well, the unit will arrive sometime in September ready to dock your wallet $119.99. For a closer look or a bit more info, consult the gallery below and full PR after the break.

Continue reading Razer unveils its own BlackShark, black and green version ships next month for $120

Filed under: Gaming, Portable Audio/Video

Razer unveils its own BlackShark, black and green version ships next month for $120 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 19:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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