Hasta La Gadget!

Hello, inevitable. It simply had to happen, and now, it is. As Comcast, NBC and the FCC attempt to work out stipulations over Comcast’s proposed 51 percent buyout of NBC Universal, a smattering of major media companies are paying close attention to the play-by-play. Naturally, the precedents that are set from this deal will affect future agreements of this caliber, and lobbyists for both Disney and News Corp. (as well as Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes) aren’t standing over on the sidelines any longer. All three outfits have reportedly been “voicing their concerns this week with the FCC, worried that such conditions could undermine their own efforts to profit from the nascent online video industry.”

We’re told that the media mega-corps are worried that the rules — if hammered down — could interfere with ongoing negotiations with online video providers, and in turn, give them less leverage to monetize and control their content on the world wide web. In other words, if NBC Universal is forced to provide content fluidly to all ISPs (and not just Comcast), what’s to say other content makers and internet providers wouldn’t also be forced into similar deals, regardless of whether or not they’re involved in takeover negotiations? Needless to say, we’re nowhere near the end of this journey, and while the nuts and bolts are pretty dry to think about, the outcomes could have a serious impact on our future viewing habits.

Time Warner, Disney and News Corp. bigwigs speak up against FCC stipulations in Comcast-NBC deal originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 17:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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So, you did it. You went out and purchased a WiDi-enabled laptop. Congratulations. Trouble is, you have no way to get those wireless transmissions to your television, and that’s where Buffalo comes in. We’ve already seen a handful of Wireless Display adapters hit the market here in the US, but mama always said that more made things merrier. Buffalo’s PC-TV1/HD is fairly simple; just plug it into your television via HDMI or composite video cords, sync it with your WiDi computer, and enjoy the spoils of watching (mostly) lag-free HD content flow from your laptop to your HDTV. Check it this March for ¥12,500 ($150), or just do what everyone else does — buy a $4 HDMI cable, and swallow the fact that living in the future simply isn’t worth going broke over.

Buffalo’s PC-TV1/HD adapter brings Intel Wireless Display support to Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 16:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spotify still won’t say when its streaming music service will come to the US, but its 10 million songs will play on two more devices from here on out: starting today, the Logitech Squeezebox Touch and Squeezebox Radio can get their 320kbps groove on. (Sonos, eat your heart out.) A free beta version of the music app should appear on the MySqueezebox website at any moment — though it doesn’t seem to be there right now — followed by “a full rollout expected in the very near future,” a promise which we can’t quite translate, but might mean support for even more devices down the road. Of course, Spotify’s something of a given for Logitech’s next Squeezebox, if it happens to run Android. PR after the break.

Continue reading Spotify comes to Logitech Squeezebox, makes non-Europeans mildly jealous

Spotify comes to Logitech Squeezebox, makes non-Europeans mildly jealous originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 02:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We always thought the PogoPlug was a neat idea — a miniature server that gives you access to USB devices on the go — and today, Cloud Engines is making it a little more useful. The $200 PogoPlug Video may look just like the PogoPlug Pro that tempted your pocketbook in October, but it’s got a brand-new daughterboard inside, whose purpose in life is to take your video files, convert them to variable bitrate H.264 and stream them anywhere in the world in real time. CEO Daniel Putterman claims that — depending on device support — it can pull footage directly from a connected camcorder and share it with your dearest relatives’ computers, tablets and phones then and there. Sony’s AVCHD camcorders will be compatible on day one, with other companies negotiating right now, and speaking of promises, the company says that additional printer support for all PogoPlug devices is “right around the corner.” Like what you see? They’ll be happy to take you money starting March 1st, and devices will go on sale just in time for April Fools’ Day. PR after the break.

Continue reading PogoPlug Video converts footage on the fly, streams it to all your connected devices

PogoPlug Video converts footage on the fly, streams it to all your connected devices originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve felt the rush a-comin’, and it looks as if 2011 may finally be the year that Amimon (along with its competitors) gets the break it has been yearning for in the consumer market. With wireless HD streaming options becoming more plentiful (and prices heading southward into a realm of feasibility), the WHDI standard is making a stand at this year’s CES. Right around a dozen new products will be introduced this week with WHDI embedded, including HDTVs from Haier, PC-to-TV adapters from Asus and LG Innotek, tablets from First International Computer (‘Jacob’ prototype shown above), Malata and Gemtek / Ampak, a projector from Vivitek and a mobile-to-TV solution from 35.com. The goal here is pretty obvious — Amimon would love for you to have a house full of WHDI-equipped gear, in turn creating an ecosystem where these devices could talk to one another and stream in a variety of directions. We’ll be scouring the floor to see who’s buying in, but it sounds as if that won’t be too difficult a chore.

Continue reading WHDI breaks out at CES 2011, brings 1080p streaming to TVs, PCs, tablets and a projector

WHDI breaks out at CES 2011, brings 1080p streaming to TVs, PCs, tablets and a projector originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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