Hasta La Gadget!

It’s been one of the more conspicuous omissions in the media hub space: despite Google Play being the cornerstone of Google’s content strategy, you couldn’t truly use the company’s music or movie services through Google TV without depending on content you’d already paid for elsewhere. As of a new upgrade, the ecosystem has come full circle. Viewers with Google TV boxes can at last buy or rent directly from Google Play Movies and Google Play Music, and the content will be indexed in the TV & Movies section alongside third-party video services and traditional TV. The upgrade also helps Google’s TV front end play catch-up with its mobile counterpart by adding automatic app updates and subscriptions. While device owners may have to wait a few weeks as the upgrade rolls out, the addition signals a big step forward for a platform that has normally leaned heavily on others for help.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Google

Google Play Music and Movies purchasing reaches Google TV, patches a media strategy hole originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Oct 2012 14:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remember how the BBC was asking Adobe to keep Flash for Android on life support for a short while? The broadcaster just removed any doubts as to why with the launch of BBC Media Player, its solution for that day when the mobile plugin is well and truly buried. Starting with iPlayer on the mobile web and moving on to both radio as well as an updated version of the Android app due next week, the BBC will be using close Flash cousin Adobe AIR for streaming playback on Android phones and tablets. It can’t quit Flash technology cold turkey given the sheer number of devices still running Gingerbread or earlier, which rules out HTTP Live Streaming for now. Media Player isn’t necessarily the most elegant solution — we’re seeing reports of sub-par video and other hiccups — but it will keep those episodes of Doctor Who rolling on most Android hardware and let the BBC push out updates that address as many of the Google-inclined as possible.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile

BBC Media Player to give Android users their iPlayer fix in a mostly Flashless world originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 15:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you’d wanted to shop Ubuntu One’s Music Store in the past, you had to use a plugin through an app like Banshee or Rhythmbox. Not very convenient, we’d say. Someone must have been listening up in Canonical’s cloud, as Ubuntu One just brought its 7digital-based store to the web and mobile devices. Apart from widening the software scope, it’s billed as a more direct interface to shop for tunes and send them to Ubuntu One’s cloud for either streaming or syncing. Don’t think that’s enough of a perk? Early purchasers get half a year’s worth of Ubuntu One Music Streaming for free — as strong an incentive as any to dip a toe into the (music) stream before jumping in.

Filed under: Cellphones, Internet

Ubuntu One Music Store comes to mobile and web, skips the plugins originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Sep 2012 12:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spotify didn’t want to leave all the spotlight time to phone manufacturers today. To start, it’s widening its toehold in the living room: three Denon AV receivers and four Marantz counterparts now have support for streaming Spotify Premium music through respective firmware updates, with control coming either through the on-device screen or through Denon’s mobile remote app. You’re not necessarily left out if you have no compatible home theater to call your own, however. As long as you have a device with at least Android 4.0, an update to the Spotify app will let you apply audio effects or share Premium music between NFC devices through a tap. All of the updates are free — just know that you’ll need Spotify’s full $10 per month subscription to grease the wheels. Check the source links for the supported receivers and app updates.

Filed under: Cellphones, HD, Mobile

Spotify comes to Denon and Marantz receivers, shares music over NFC originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Sep 2012 16:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In addition to producing a slew of new headphones, Logitech’s latest collaboration with Ultimate Ears has produced a pair of Bluetooth speakers and a Smart Radio. The UE Smart Radio comes equipped with 802.11b/g WiFi on board to pull audio from directly from the likes of Spotify and Pandora or from local sources like Mac, PC, iOS or Android devices. A 2.4-inch LCD is on the front, along with the usual audio controls, plus there are six preset buttons that can be programmed to easily access playlists from myriad locales. It’s also got a rechargeable battery, good for a claimed six hours of playback, and will set you back $180 when it goes on sale next month.

Logitech’s UE Mobile Boombox replaces the firm’s Mini Boombox, but keeps its $100 price. It comes in five colors (red, yellow, blue, white and black) and can both stream your tunes via Bluetooth and serve as a speakerphone using its omni-directional mic. You can pair up to eight devices with the Mobile Boombox, and its rechargeable battery promises up to ten hours of listening pleasure. In our brief ears-on, we found it offered clear sound, though unsurprisingly, it struggled to pump out much bass. That said, we really liked its solid rubber construction, and can see it holding up well to abuse. Its big brother, the $250 UE Boombox, has much better low-end response and a fuller sound generally thanks to its eight drivers. Like the Mini, it also can pair with eight devices and has a rechargeable battery, though it promises only six hours of audio. We really dig its cast aluminum chassis and clean lines, and the handle on top begs to be used in old-school fashion — with the Boombox propped up on your shoulder bumping some choice hip-hop. Both of these Bluetooth speakers start shipping this month, and our friends in grand Europa get them in September.

Continue reading Logitech’s UE Smart Radio, Boombox, and Mobile Boombox give you wireless audio on the go (hands-on)

Filed under: Portable Audio/Video

Logitech’s UE Smart Radio, Boombox, and Mobile Boombox give you wireless audio on the go (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 15:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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