Hasta La Gadget!

While it hasn’t actually started to roll out yet, one of our readers sent in pics of a Verizon FiOS survey gauging reactions to a new device that “may be available in the future” as the FiOS Companion tablet. As described in the survey, it’s a WiFi-connected Android slate that not only runs the usual apps, but also works as universal remote control and streams “select” TV channels (probably the same ones as the Xbox 360 app) directly to its screen. The sole picture included confirms we’re looking at the Motorola Corvair 6-inch Android 2.3 tablet that surfaced late last year with all of those features, home automation tie-ins and a 4000mAh battery. The survey questions don’t reveal much else about its capabilities or potential pricing other than asking users if they would be interested in customizing their own home screen, and how. We’d hope the software has seen some updates since its original leak, but knowing this market that seems unlikely. All we can do now is help Verizon / Motorola with that customer research they were hoping to perform so let them know — is this something you’d be interested in?

[Thanks, anonymous]

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Tablet PCs

Verizon survey reveals FiOS Companion Android tablet, aka the Motorola Corvair originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Aug 2012 16:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It seems Netflix is suffering from the same kind of problem that most huge monopolistic companies face – even though a lot of people use it, most of them aren’t very satisfied with it. Compared to other streaming video services, Netflix ranks low on the customer satisfaction scale even though it is clear that a growing population of Americans have a Netflix account.

A Consumer Reports survey of 15,000 users found that 81% of those who have used a video streaming service in the last six months have used Netflix. That made it far and away the most popular service, but it was #6 when it comes to customer satisfaction. 69% of Netflix users said they were satisfied, and the others called out things like poor selection of titles and being unable to see Netflix as a viable replacement for cable.

Vudu, surprisingly, garnered a 76% satisfaction rate, giving it the top metric. Apple’s iTunes was close behind at 75%, while Amazon Instant Video took a 74% satisfaction rate. Amazon Prime’s video streaming option and Hulu are both satisfying 70% of their customers. While that is certainly not a happy set of numbers for Netflix, its subscription numbers don’t lie so we doubt it’s losing much sleep over this.

[via PC Mag]

Netflix ranked most popular but still disappoints is written by Mark Raby & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Amazon has signed a deal with Warner Brothers Television that will see the online retailer gaining access to televisions shows such as Fringe, The West Wing, and Alcatraz for its Prime Instant Video service. Anyone who subscribes to Amazon Prime gains access to on-demand movies and TV shows that can be accessed via a multitude of devices, and now Warner’s TV catalogue will be added to the list of available content.

Amazon says that Fringe and The West Wing will be available this summer exclusively on Prime Instant Video, a subtle dig, perhaps, at Netflix and other streaming services. Customers will be able to watch video on a wide variety of devices like the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Roku streamers, plus various tablets. As of writing, Prime Instant Video has around 18,000 movies and TVs ready to stream.

The popular online retailer has been ramping up its content deal as of late. Earlier in the year it added shows from The Discovery Channel and Animal Planet, plus movies from Magnolia Pictures. The company is also hoping to produce original content for Prime Instant Video, a similar strategy to Netflix and Hulu. Amazon began accepting pitches for shows back in May, with successful writers getting a chance to earn $10,000 if the company options the idea.

Amazon Prime Instant Video adds Warner TV shows is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Summer in Paris — you can’t walk a block on Champs-Élysées without locking eyes with at least one camera-equipped tourist. But Steve Mann’s shooter wasn’t dangling from his shoulder and neck; it was mounted on his head, with a design strikingly similar to Google’s Project Glass. Unlike that mainstream Mountain View product, however, Mann’s version has reportedly been around in one form or another for 34 years, and was designed with the objective of aiding vision, rather than capturing stills and video or providing a bounty of database-aided readouts. It’s also street-ready today. While on vacation with his family, the Ontario-based “father of wearable computing” was sporting his EyeTap as he walked down the aforementioned French avenue, eventually entering a McDonald’s to refuel after a busy day of sightseeing. He left without his ranch wrap, but with seriously damaged hardware.

What allegedly occurred inside the restaurant is no doubt a result of the increasing presence and subsequent awareness of connected cameras, ranging from consumer gear to professional surveillance equipment. As Mann sat to eat, he writes that a stranger approached him then attempted to pull off his glasses, which, oddly, are permanently affixed to his skull. The man, at that point joined by one other patron and someone that appeared to be a McDonald’s employee, then pushed Mann out of the store and onto the street. As a result of the attack, the eyewear malfunctioned, resulting in the three men being photographed. It wouldn’t be terribly difficult for police to identify those involved, but this encounter may have greater implications. McDonalds has since launched an investigation into the matter and seems to be denying most of the claims, but it’ll be some time yet before the full truth is uncovered. Still, the whole ordeal got us at Engadget thinking — is the planet ready for humans to wear video recorders, and will it ever shake a general unease related to the threat of a world filled with omnipresent cameras? Join us past the break for our take.

Continue reading Editorial: Engadget on EyeTap, Project Glass and the future of wearable cameras

Filed under: Digital Cameras, Displays

Editorial: Engadget on EyeTap, Project Glass and the future of wearable cameras originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 13:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hulu is expanding. Literally. For the first time, the streaming video service is bringing a television series that is targeted at an audience other than English speakers. For years, Hulu has been a place for Americans to watch their favorite American TV content, but now it’s time for the tastes to expand.

The show in question is Prisoners of War, an Israeli drama that is one of the most heralded series in the region. It was the highest-rated TV drama in Israel, and won nine Israeli Emmy Awards. The story follows two soldiers after they emerge from an enemy prison in which they were captured for 17 years during war. Hulu has the exclusive rights to air it in the US.

“We are looking forward for this great opportunity to bring the unique voice of ‘Prisoners of War’ to a worldwide audience. We are happy and proud to partner with a market leader such as Hulu in this U.S. debut,” said Keshet Broadcast CEO Avi Nir. The show will debut on Hulu tomorrow, July 14.

Update: Prisoners of War is Hulu’s first exclusive non-English show. The service already has other non-English content.

[via Shockya]

Hulu’s first exclusive non-English show announced is written by Mark Raby & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.