Hasta La Gadget!

Back in June, Netflix announced that it would be rolling out individual user profiles at some point over the summer, and today they’ve done just that. The company is finally ready to release a feature for its streaming service that many users have been dreaming about for awhile now, and it’s finally here. Individual profiles […]

Even as Time Warner Cable’s relationship with CBS keeps the tag “it’s complicated” the cable company has launched a version of its TWC TV app for Samsung’s Smart TV platform. We’ve seen prototypes in years past, but now that it’s officially available the app is ready to run on 2012 and 2013 model year TVs. Unlike some of the other versions, this one is video on-demand compatible only, although support for live TV channels is promised by the end of the year. If you don’t have a Samsung TV but do have Time Warner Cable, we’ve heard some more information about plans for other platforms. The Xbox 360 app (with Kinect support) is due in early to mid August, while updates for Android / iOS / Roku are expected in the next few months. There’s no firm confirmation of a client for Sony’s gaming consoles, but the PS3 is still listed on internal documents, so we’ll have to wait and see on that. Samsung TV owners can snag the app by hitting the Smart Hub button on their remote or downloading it from the video category in the app store, let us know if it’s worth the wait.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Samsung

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Source: Time Warner Cable Untangled

We knew this day would eventually come, but we didn’t realize it would happen so quickly. Google’s new Chromecast has been rooted, and an exploit package has been released that allows the ability to erase the existing partition and install a new system image, which could open up the door to a wide variety of hacks and tweaks.

The folks over at GTV Hacker discovered the exploit and have confirmed that the software running on the Chromecast is not Chrome OS, despite the device’s focus on the Chrome platform. Instead, the Chromecast is said to be “a modified Google TV release, but with all of the Bionic/Dalvik stripped out and replaced with a single binary for Chromecast.”

The website makes clear that this current exploit won’t really be useful to the everyman, but it could up open doors for further hacking that everyday people could take advantage of eventually. Right now, the exploit merely just allows developers the chance to build and test software on the Chromecast and “better investigate the environment” of the new device.

Quite frankly, a root for the Chromecast is a great sign. While Google plans to add support for more streaming services in the future, streaming options are quite limited right now, with support for just Netflix, YouTube, and Google Play, with confirmation of Pandora coming in the near future.

This has been one of the main downsides of the Chromecast. With only third-party support for Netflix and YouTube, the Chromecast is a bit lacking, but the $35 price tag is certainly nothing to complain about. It’s definitely a good set-top box replacement for some people, but not for everyone.

VIA: Engadget

SOURCE: GTV Hacker

Google Chromecast root discovered, does not run Chrome OS is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The Chromecast was arguably one of the most talked-about new products that was revealed by Google earlier this week. The new Nexus 7 and Android 4.3 were cool and all, but the Chromecast definitely got most of the attention, and it’s easy to see why: it’s a media streaming device the size of a dongle, and it only costs $35 ($11 after the 3-month Netflix discount, which has since been discontinued). However, after playing around with it for a little while, I’ve noticed that it’s an awesome device for some people, and an awful device for others.

Perhaps the biggest point that’s being argued over is the lack of streaming options available for the Chromecast. While more and more services will eventually support the new device, only Netflix, YouTube, and Google Play are supported. This is obviously a huge turn-off for those who take advantage of the likes of Hulu, Amazon Instant Video, etc., but for me, the only streaming services I use are Netflix and YouTube (okay, I use Spotify too, but I never use it on a TV anyways). Then again, these other services can be accessed through the Chrome browser and relayed to the Chromecast, so not all hope is lost there.

But the support for Netflix and YouTube means that the Chromecast supports all of the video streaming services that I use, which is a huge win for me, but a huge loss for those who use anything other than these two services. Again, though, the Chromecast SDK will allow more and more streaming services to add support eventually, so the only question is when that will happen.

The Chromecast is great for a variety of things, including presentations (just as long as your presentation is through a Chrome browser, which shouldn’t be too hard, thanks to Google Drive’s Presentation app). You can mirror a Chrome tab to the Chromecast, and keep browsing other tabs on your computer while that tab remains on the TV. And yes, if you’re on that active tab, any action you do will be mirrored to the Chromecast, which is great for showing a large crowd something on your computer.

However, a huge complaint that I have after playing around with it for about an hour, is that it’s just not as convenient as a streaming set-top box like an Apple TV or Roku. It’s also harder to use for those who aren’t tech-minded. My wife, for example, found the process of using the Chromecast to be extremely tedious compared to just browsing around on a set-top box using a remote control. She found it was quicker and easier to select the content she wanted on a set-top box rather than using the Chromecast.

However, even though I’m pretty tech savvy, I still found the Chromecast to be a little tedious at times. For example, I love watching episodes of How It’s Made while I fall asleep, and the nice thing I like about set-top boxes is that they’ll automatically play the next episode. Chromecast doesn’t do this. Instead, after a show is over and I want to watch another one, I have to wake my smartphone, and scroll down to the next episode. Sadly, there’s no option of just tapping “Next” in the Netflix app. With that said, it’s simply just easier to use a remote control in this instance.

Obviously, that’s a very specific example of when the Chromecast doesn’t exactly work well, but from an overall perspective, I really like it. It’s extremely portable, so I can take it with me when I travel and use it in hotel rooms to watch my Netflix shows, instead of using my laptop’s small screen and awful speakers. It’s also a great device for parties, especially when you’re all gathered in the living room and you want to show everyone a funny YouTube video. All you have to do is bring it up on your smartphone and beam it the Chromecast to have it start playing on the big screen.

In a broader sense, the only downside is latency. Google already said that gaming is out of the question because of slow latency, and pausing/resuming video, as well as adjusting volume took a second or two to kick in for me. Granted, I was in a room in my apartment that gets really crappy WiFi coverage, so I’m guessing the latency would be a bit better than this in a well-covered area.

As far as the extra USB power cable that everyone keeps complaining about, it’s really not a big deal. Yes, Google was pretty shady in skimming over that bit of information during the announcement, but if you have a USB port on your TV, it’s seriously not a huge problem at all. Even if you have to plug it into an outlet, it’s plug-and-forget.

Obviously, the Chromecast may not be anything too special right now, except for it’s extremely-low price point, but I can only see the device getting better and better as time goes on. Thanks to the accompanying SDK, we should be seeing more and more apps support the Chromecast, and we wouldn’t be surprised if hackers got their hands on it as well and did some really neat stuff with it. And of course, we reckon you’ll be able to grab a Chromecast for next to nothing on eBay once the hype settles.

Chromecast is a viable STB replacement, but not for everyone is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

If Chromecast isn’t enough, the Wall Street Journal is now reporting that Google has also been working on another living room device: a set-top box with a heavy emphasis on communication.

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