Dec 20

Google’s Crippled TV Could Be Limping Into the Market

Posted in: Android, Google, Media Players, Today's Chili

Fast-and-furious media giant Google may be telling manufacturers to pump the brakes on the new Google TV operating system.

Google is telling manufacturers to delay launches of televisions and set-top boxes running Google TV, which would mean such products are unlikely to launch at next month’s Consumer Electronics Show, according to The New York Times. Wired.com’s sources corroborate the report.

“LG is not commenting on Google TV, but LG is launching its own Smart TV platform at CES, and it’s not Google TV,” an LG spokesman told Wired.com. According to the Times, LG was one of the companies working on a Google TV product.

Google TV is a version of the Android smartphone OS modified for televisions. Google envisions that Google TV will create an all-in-one media experience that makes the television capable of delivering web-streamed video content and functionality through third-party apps, in addition to traditional TV programming offered by cable networks and satellite providers.

“Once you have Google television, you’re going to be very busy,” said Eric Schmidt, Google’s CEO, in a Berlin press conference introducing Google TV. “It’s going to ruin your evening.”

A delay is unusual coming from Google, whose typical M.O. is to release new products rapidly (sometimes with the “beta” label still prominently displayed) and then iterate them on the fly with software updates. A delay could suggest that the search giant needs more time to rethink the OS, especially after TV networks prevented their content from being accessed through Google TV apps on the Logitech Revue.

Googled declined to comment on rumors and speculation regarding Google TV delays, but a Google spokeswoman said the company was happy with its current progress in the TV space.

“We are very happy with the launch of Google TV with our initial partners Sony, Logitech and Intel,” the spokeswoman said. “Our long-term goal is to collaborate with a broad community of consumer electronics manufacturers to help drive the next generation, TV-watching experience, and we look forward to working with other partners to bring more devices to market in the coming years.”

Some extra time could allow Google to work with third-party software developers on making apps for the Google TV to offer additional functionality and more content, said Ross Rubin, lead consumer electronics analyst at NPD Group.

“Right now [without TV network support], Google TV is basically a web browser on a TV,” said Rubin, explaining that third-party apps could differentiate Google TV from competing internet TV products.

Waiting a few extra months could also allow manufacturers to decrease pricing of Google TV products to make them more competitive. The Google TV-powered Logitech Revue, which launched in October, cost $300 — hefty compared to the $100 Roku and Apple TV set-top boxes.

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Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com


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Dec 20

Google Rolling Out Wi-Fi via Balloons?

Posted in: Google, Today's Chili, wifi

This article was written on February 21, 2008 by CyberNet.

google balloons Google has always had lofty goals of providing wireless Internet to the masses, and a recent article in the Wall Street Journal shows they continue to have interest. This time around, it involves balloons. Yes, balloons.The talk is that they are going to either partner with or purchase a company called Space Data Corp.

Space Data Corp. is a company that currently uses balloons to provide “specialized telecom services to truckers and oil companies.” They launch about 10 balloons a day in areas in the Southern United States.  These balloons go up about 20 miles into the stratosphere and carry electronics which act like a mini cell phone tower and provide Internet to people below. They say that each balloon can cover “thousands of square miles below.” Sounds interesting, doesn’t it?

There are a few problems with the balloons though, and the first is that each balloon is only good for about 24 hours.  Once it gets high up into the atmosphere, it ends up bursting. The contents of each balloon cost about $1500 and once the balloon pops the gear comes down to earth via parachute and then people are sent out to find them, using GPS devices (they get paid $100 for each transponder they collect). Simply finding enough people to launch all of the balloons (they currently pay farmers and crews at smaller airports $50 per balloon) could be tedious.

So why does Google have interest in the company? According to The Wall Street Journal, “Google believes balloons like these could radically change the economics of offering cell phone and Internet services in out-of-the-way areas.” Rural areas likely wouldn’t be where Google would stop.  According to the balloon company, they say with just 370 balloons, the whole country could have access to a WiMax broadband network. Using traditional towers, 22,000 of them would be needed. There’s quite the difference between 370 balloons versus 22,000 towers and while it sounds a little off-the-wall at this point, there could be some real potential here with balloons

Thanks for the tip Google!

Source: Gizmodo

Copyright © 2010 CyberNet | CyberNet Forum | Learn Firefox

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Dec 20

Verizon finally updates Mobile Email to 4.0

Posted in: Today's Chili

Verizon Wireless has finally updated its feature phone e-mail system to Mobile Email 4.0

Originally posted at Dialed In

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Dec 20

Does Peek’s future lay in low-powered feature phones, emerging markets?

Posted in: industry, Today's Chili
The overriding philosophy at Peek is “keep it simple,” and we have to agree that as these things go, this is a pretty sound principle (even if we don’t necessarily have much use for dedicated Twitter hardware). If the big payoff for the company isn’t in the gadget-addicted states, it’s been a good start: the company has sold some 50,000 units in two years while developing the back-end technology that CEO Amol Sarva believes can supply cheap, low-powered feature phones and other devices for emerging markets — devices that could retail for as little as $50. “This is a huge opportunity for us,” Sarva told GigaOm. “We’ve built technology that no one cared about but now we’re suddenly being approached by guys who have the hardware that want to make it smart.” And if that doesn’t pan out, we have a suggestion: FourPeek, the dedicated Foursquare device.

Does Peek’s future lay in low-powered feature phones, emerging markets? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 15:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceGigaOm  | Email this | Comments

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Dec 20

Mini Paceman Concept to debut in Detroit

Posted in: Today's Chili

Mini will unveil its Paceman Concept at the 2011 Detroit auto show.

Originally posted at The Car Tech blog

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Dec 20

Hyundai demos Equus’ owner’s manual iPad app

Posted in: Today's Chili

Hyundai encourages users to read the manual by including an Apple iPad and an app-based owners manual with every new Equus.

Originally posted at The Car Tech blog

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Dec 20

Yes, that’s a woman with a dog in a Baby Björn throwing prototype Nokias

Posted in: awesome, nokia, prototype, Today's Chili

So here’s how the story goes: employees at Nokia facilities in Oulu and Tampere, Finland, were fed up with negotiations being held between their representatives and the company over planned layoffs, and decided to do something about it. But really, why strike or organize a rally when you can just socialize, use a few prototype devices for target practice, and get your Cavalier King Charles spaniel some fresh air at the same time? If this keeps up long enough, these staffers might have second careers as competition-level phone tossers. Hit up the source link for the full video — but be warned, if you love Nokias, you might find the video graphic, violent, and objectionable.

[Thanks, Juuso H.]

Yes, that’s a woman with a dog in a Baby Björn throwing prototype Nokias originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 15:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceIlta-Sanomat  | Email this | Comments

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Dec 20

Top Stories of 2010: Part Two

Posted in: Android, Apple, diy, droid, iPhone, Miscellaneous Tech, Today's Chili, video games

Thumbnail image for cigar-guy-tiger-woods.jpg

We wrap up our roundup of some of Gearlog’s biggest stories for 2010. This time out, we’ve got some old timey cell phone commercials, exploding (and non-exploding) handsets, Android mods, and really bad video game peripherals. 

And while you’re at it, why not check out the first part?

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Dec 20

Best of CES 2010: Where are they now?

Posted in: Today's Chili

One year later, how have the cream of CES 2010 fared? We revisit our award-winners, as well as some other headline-grabbers.

Originally posted at CES 2011

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Dec 20

Samsung’s Bada 2.0 to move to ‘web-centric’ apps, getting ad framework and multitasking

Posted in: rumor, samsung, Today's Chili

We’re still hesitant to call Bada a “smartphone platform” in the same breath as Android and iOS — but despite our best attempts to write it off, Samsung’s homegrown handset platform keeps chugging and expanding to new hardware. A developer event in South Korea appears to have yielded the first details on what Bada 2.0 will bring when it launches next year, and needless to say, it adds a bunch of smartphone-worthy stuff to the mix: an honest-to-goodness ad framework of some sort, better support for apps that use web technologies, multitasking, NFC capabilities, and an brand new SDK that’ll support Mac and Linux. We’re still going to see a whole lot more hardware — and a more cohesive story — to justify why even low-end “smartphones” should be using Bada over Android, but it’s an interesting development nonetheless.

Samsung’s Bada 2.0 to move to ‘web-centric’ apps, getting ad framework and multitasking originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 14:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceSamsung Hub  | Email this | Comments

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