Apr 19

DirecTV’s $30 per rental premium video on-demand service launches Thursday

Posted in: 1080p, satellite, Today's Chili

If the actual trip to the movie theater was the only thing preventing you from checking out Adam Sandler, Brooklyn Decker and Jennifer Aniston in Just Go With It, you can still check it out before it arrives on Blu-ray or DVD starting Thursday thanks to DirecTV’s new premium video on-demand service. The Hollywood Reporter mentions Sony’s flick will be the first one on the service and is already available for preordering on the new Home Premiere service, available only to customers with the satellite company’s HD DVRs, which is about 6 million people. As far as DRM, HDMI is required but only a “digital watermarking technology” is mentioned. The next several flicks planned for the service include The Adjustment Bureau (Universal), Cedar Rapids (Fox) and Hallpass (Warner Bros.); they will be available for two weeks at a $29.99 pricetag, in 1080p with 48 hour viewing windows. Movie theater owners don’t seem thrilled by the new service, we guess the next question is whether or not you are — the poll is after the break.

Continue reading DirecTV’s $30 per rental premium video on-demand service launches Thursday

DirecTV’s $30 per rental premium video on-demand service launches Thursday originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 14:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceThe Hollywood Reporter, DirecTV – Home Premiere FAQ  | Email this | Comments

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Apr 11

JetBlue to bring Ka-band high-speed internet to the friendly skies by 2012

Posted in: satellite, Today's Chili, wifi

Despite Boeing’s early efforts to make satellite service the go-to option for in-flight internet, the rather costly connection solution never really took off. It seems, satellite connectivity is about to experience something of a resurgence — just last month Gogo announced its plans to blanket the globe with Ka-band coverage by 2015, and now JetBlue’s announcing that it will be the first to deliver an on-board Ka-band network. In an agreement with ViaSat, the airline intends to bring the service to its more than 170 aircraft, beginning installation in 2012. The new broadband option will reportedly offer higher transmission speeds and more bandwidth per passenger for less money than other in-flight internet alternatives. With Lufthansa’s new FlyNet service also sporting satellite-enabled WiFi, it would seem things are looking up for the future of the once doomed broadband solution.

Continue reading JetBlue to bring Ka-band high-speed internet to the friendly skies by 2012

JetBlue to bring Ka-band high-speed internet to the friendly skies by 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 19:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceViaSat  | Email this | Comments

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Apr 06

Toshiba’s Satellite L Series continues its world tour, adds 2D-to-3D conversion

Posted in: laptop, Laptops, notebook, Notebooks, satellite, Today's Chili, Toshiba
Back at CES, Toshiba unveiled a batch of low-cost Satellite L Series laptops in the US, and now it’s taking its show on the road, with new models on tap for Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. These include the 13.3-inch L730 and L735, the 15.6-inch L750 and L755, and, if you’re hankering for a desktop replacement, the hulking 17.3-inch L770 and L775. This latest spin on the L Series boasts 3D support, connecting to 3DTVs over HDMI and, in some cases, converting 2D content to 3D. As in the States, shoppers abroad can add up to 8GB of RAM, and will get their choice of Intel Core i3 and Core i5 processors and various AMD CPUs, including triple- and quad-core options. Also look for multitouch trackpads, 5,400RPM hard drives as large as 750GB, 1.3 megapixel webcams, a mix of USB 3.0 and sleep-and-charge USB 2.0 ports, and a choice of integrated Intel HD graphics or a discrete NVIDIA GeForce 315M card with up to 1GB of video memory. No word yet on when they’ll go on sale or how much they’ll cost, but those curious for more can hit the source link for the full spill.

Toshiba’s Satellite L Series continues its world tour, adds 2D-to-3D conversion originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 16:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceToshiba  | Email this | Comments

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Apr 06

Dish Network wins Blockbuster auction for $228 million in cash

Posted in: Movies, satellite, Today's Chili

The question of what’s next for Blockbuster has been partially answered, now that Dish Network has announced its $320 million bid was enough to win a bankruptcy court auction for the rental giant’s remaining assets. After “certain adjustments” are made and the deal closes, it’s expected to cost just $228 million in cash but what exactly Dish plans to do with the 1,700 stores and innumerable copies of Little Fockers is unclear. Executive VP Tom Cullen stated in the press release (after the break) Dish looks forward to reestablishing “Blockbuster’s brand as a leader in video entertainment,” but in a world where Netflix, Redbox and iTunes exist that could be easier said than done.

Continue reading Dish Network wins Blockbuster auction for $228 million in cash

Dish Network wins Blockbuster auction for $228 million in cash originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 08:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceDish Network  | Email this | Comments

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Apr 04

Toshiba’s P770 and P775 3D Satellite laptops do 120Hz on the go

Posted in: NVIDIA, satellite, Today's Chili, Toshiba
Toshiba's P770 and P775 3D Satellite laptops do 120Hz on the go

Toshiba’s 3D monocle may have been a joke, but what you’re looking at above is not. It’s one of the latest additions to its 3D Satellite lineup, now growing to include the P770 and P775 3D. Both include massive 18.4-inch displays that clock in at 120Hz, enabling use of NVIDIA active-shutter glasses — which you’ll have to find a spot for in your laptop bag. Dual webcams in the bezel let you add a little depth to your video calls, while the HDMI output can manage depth-enabled content too. There’s a re-writeable Blu-ray drive and what’s sure to be a massive price tag to match, though that part has yet to be confirmed by Toshiba. We don’t have a release date just yet either.

Toshiba’s P770 and P775 3D Satellite laptops do 120Hz on the go originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 15:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceNotebook Italia  | Email this | Comments

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Mar 18

NASA’s MESSENGER begins orbit around Mercury, will start beaming back science early next month

Posted in: Environment, NASA, research, satellite, science, space, Today's Chili

Mercury, the innermost planet of our humble little solar system, is getting itself an orbital friend. The MESSENGER space probe (known as MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging to his nearest and dearest) is concluding a six-year sojourn through the dark void of space with an elliptical orbit around the tiny and otherwise inhospitable planet. Systems are about to get turned on and fully checked next week, before the data-gathering phase kicks off in earnest on April 4th. Science, isn’t it beautiful?

NASA’s MESSENGER begins orbit around Mercury, will start beaming back science early next month originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 09:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Gizmag  |  sourceNASA  | Email this | Comments

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Mar 15

Hylas 1 completes testing, Europe’s first broadband satellite to start serving customers next week

Posted in: europe, satellite, Today's Chili, uk
It hasn’t exactly been all that long since Avanti Communications’ Hylas 1 satellite blasted off at the end of November, but it’s now almost ready to start spreading some wireless broadband across 16 countries in Europe. Avanti just announced today that the satellite’s in-orbit testing phase has been a “complete success,” and that it will go into service sometime next week with an initial test group of customers, before beginning a broader transition on April 4th. All told, over 60 operators have signed up to offer the satellite broadband service to customers, which promises to offer connections of up to 10Mbps to folks in even the most rural areas. It’s also only just the beginning — Avanti plans to launch Hylas 2 sometime in the second quarter of 2012, which will extend its coverage to Africa and the Middle East.

[Thanks, Brett]

Continue reading Hylas 1 completes testing, Europe’s first broadband satellite to start serving customers next week

Hylas 1 completes testing, Europe’s first broadband satellite to start serving customers next week originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Mar 2011 18:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mar 14

In lasers we trust: NASA researches 5kW galactic trash disposal system

Posted in: laser, NASA, satellite, space, Today's Chili

Space junk is a growing problem — 200,000 pieces and counting — and as the amount of earth’s orbital debris increases, so does the chance some satellite will be involved in a cosmic collision. As this would cause much gnashing of teeth and woe for the affected terrestrial parties, some researchers from NASA’s Ames Research Center have pitched the idea of removing said junk with a laser — once again proving that everything’s better with lasers. The idea is to use a 5kW ray, like the one we’ve got at the Starfire Optical Range, to slow our galactic garbage enough to burn it up in earth’s atmosphere. Current estimates say such a laser could eliminate ten pieces of junk a day, promising us a future of neat and tidy skies.

In lasers we trust: NASA researches 5kW galactic trash disposal system originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Mar 2011 01:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Technology Review  |  sourceCornell University Library  | Email this | Comments

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Mar 14

Where Disaster Struck, Before and After [Tsunami]

Posted in: satellite, Today's Chili, top

On the left: Ishinomaki, Japan as it was captured by GeoEye’s imaging satellites in April of last year. On the right: the exact same area as it looked on Saturday, just one day after last week’s devastating tsunami. More »

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Mar 04

Sirius XM to debut Tiger Blood Radio: all Charlie Sheen, all day long

Posted in: radio, satellite, Today's Chili
Charlie Sheen has a pretty impressive track record: in addition to a twenty-five-plus year movie career, he’s brought tacky bowling shirts to the forefront of American consciousness, earned a Golden Globe Icon award, and shot his onetime fiance Kelly Preston. Is this enough to warrant an entire radio channel dedicated to the man who describes himself as having a “10,000-year-old brain and the boogers of a 7-year-old”? Apparently Sirius XM certainly thinks so. That’s right: the company has announced that Tiger Blood Radio will air for twenty-four hours beginning tomorrow at 6:00 am ET on Sirius channel 108 and XM channel 139. “[C]reated in response to the national conversation sparked by the recent events surrounding actor Charlie Sheen,” the company said in a statement, the station “will take listeners behind the headlines, exploring the media frenzy/media reaction, as well as the medical, psychological, psychiatric and pop culture and celebrity angles.” This definitely sounds like award winning journalism, and not a cynical way to make a few bucks off someone who’s clearly spinning out of control — Adonis DNA or not. PR after the break.

Continue reading Sirius XM to debut Tiger Blood Radio: all Charlie Sheen, all day long

Sirius XM to debut Tiger Blood Radio: all Charlie Sheen, all day long originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 17:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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