Jan 14

Gogo Wi-Fi Coming to United Airlines Flights in Late 09

Posted in: Today's Chili, wi-fi

Gogo in the sky

The Gogo service from Aircell, which uses ground-to-air signals to bring Internet-laden Wi-Fi to domestic flights, is coming to 13 Boeing 757 plans run by United Airlines in the second half of 2009. The flights will be between JFK in New York and either Los Angeles or San Francisco. As is typical with Gogo service, flights over 3 hours long are charged $12.95 per session, flat. Whether more flights get Gogo service will be based on customer feedback.

This is the fifth North American airline to get Gogo on select flights, after American, Delta, Virgin America, and Air Canada. Gogo supports VPN access for corporate users, and just about anything else you can do over the Internet, though voice over IP (VoIP) services are blocked–so your yakking won’t disturb those other passengers with screaming children or loud snoring (is it obvious I just had a couple of bad flights?)

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Jan 09

FyreTV, the Best Streaming TV Porn Box, Goes Wireless (NSFW)

Posted in: streamer, streaming, Today's Chili, top, wi-fi, Wireless

We got hands-on with the FyreTV living-room porn streaming solution last year at AVN, but this year’s version is even better. Why? Because it’s wireless so you can take it anywhere in your house.

The FyreTV system, which just went out of beta this past month, has a Wi-Fi version of their set-top-box with the same DVD-quality porn streaming for the same $9.95 monthly subscription. Here’s their thought process. Lots of people like watching porn in the bedroom; their previous FyreTV box is only Ethernet-enabled, with no dongle option; not a lot of people have Ethernet wiring in the bedroom. Thus, the wireless FyreTV is born.

We’ve tested the original FyreTV box for a while now, and it’s definitely worth the subscription price in both usability and convenience. The wireless box is still fairly inconspicuous, with a black finish and no “THIS IS MY PORN BOX” label, as you can see in the photo above (left) with lovely model Ashlynn Brooke.

FyreTV guys also told us that they’re going to be enabling HD wireless streaming in about two months, meaning the same box you buy now will be able to stream HD content wirelessly to your bedroom—assuming your bedroom has the required high def equipment. [FyreTV]

Some bonus info from adult star Ashlynn Brooke:

Hey Y’all! I’m here at the Adult Entertainment Expo 2009 representing FyreTV. It is so much fun being able to talk to my fans, take pictures with them and sign autographs. If you don’t already know FyreTV is the hottest IPTV set top boxxx around. Just think….you can have me, Ashlynn Brooke right there on demand. Now I know you guys would LOVE that right?

Now here’s all that great geeky stuff I know you guys like: it’s wireless 802.11 b and g. It’s really small and cute even though I usually like larger things …hehe. It has all kinds of output, HDMI, S-video, component and composite. And the best part of all is it can deliver me right to your bedroom!

So make sure you check out www.fyretv.com and my website www.ashlynnbrooke.com.

Love ya’ll!

Ash

P.S. All this geeky stuff is kinda hot…I think I might have to do a couple more posts 🙂 Would you guys like that? And by the way Jason Chen…you are so hot 🙂

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Jan 08

Sony Cybershot G3: World’s First Camera You Can Surf the Web On

Posted in: sony, Today's Chili, top, web browser, wi-fi

The Cybershot G3 is a camera so special Sony Sir Howard Stringer himself did the honors: It’s the world’s first Wi-Fi camera with a built-in browser.

GALLERY







END Besides stealing your neighbor’s Wi-Fi, it has free access to any AT&T hotspot until 2012, but then it won’t matter since we’re all going to die then anyway when the world ends. It’s worded so it might mean you can only use AT&T spots for free to hit Sony’s Easy Upload Home Page (which provides quick access to sites like Shutterfly, Picasa and YouTube), not furries.meetup.com. But we’ll find out. Oddly unmentioned in the list of supported services is Flickr.

Still, it doesn’t really matter if it has a web browser, if the browser can’t render itself out of ASCII paper bag—we’re hoping it’s a WebKit dealio ’cause that would make it a quick call from the sidelines. But we’re not holding our breath on that (we are talking Sony, after all), so we’ll have to grab some hands on time to see how well it handles the real internet. Sony’s seeing this more as a flexible, fast way to dump and check your photos and videos online, direct from your camera, not so much as a way to compulsively watch YouTube videos or read Gizmodo, even though that’s exactly what we want, and will try to do, practicalities aside.

Oh hey! I think there’s a camera somewhere in there too. 10 megapixel sensor with 4x optical zoom, but it’s got 4GB of storage built-in (optional expansion is Memory Stick only, grrr), with a 921,600-dot, 3.5-inch touchscreen and photo browsing software integrated. Otherwise, it’s got typical Sony features like Intelligent Scene Recognition (automatically picks the best automatic scene setting, automatically), Face Detection, Smile Shutter (it snaps when people smile) and Dynamic Range Optimizer, which automagically balances contrast and detail.

It’s available rightnowomg for $500.

SONY UNVEILS WORLD’S FIRST WI-FI DIGITAL CAMERA WITH WEB BROWSER

Cyber-Shot Camera Lets You Share Your Memories in the Moment

LAS VEGAS (CES Keynote), Jan. 8, 2009 – With a focus on making photo sharing easier and more convenient, Sony today introduced the world’s first Wi-Fi® enabled digital camera that uploads photos and videos to Web sites through any public hotspot due to its built-in Web browser.

The new Cyber-shot DSC-G3 digital still camera answers one of the most pressing needs for photo enthusiasts: how to share those amazing photos and video clips of family, friends and events as soon as you shoot. The Cyber-shot camera makes it easy to upload images and video directly to popular photo and video sharing sites wherever a Wi-Fi connection is available.

“Research shows that our customers greatly value sharing images and video clips, but they often forget or don’t have enough time if they wait to get home to upload images,” said Phil Lubell, director of digital camera marketing at Sony Electronics. “Our new Cyber-shot DSC-G3 camera provides the simplicity and convenience of sharing in the moment, while the impulse is still fresh in people’s minds.”

The camera can wirelessly connect to any public hotspot, including hotels, restaurants, coffee shops and airports. Like a computer, the camera can connect to free or fee-based hotspots, as well as to secure and unsecured access points.

The new DSC-G3 model comes with complimentary AT&T Wi-Fi access to Sony’s Easy Upload Home Page until Jan. 31, 2012. It includes Wi-Fi access at thousands of AT&T hotspots across the United States, including participating coffee shops, selected book stores and major quick-serve restaurant locations, as well as hundreds of upscale hotels and airports.

“By collaborating with Sony to launch the first digital still camera with a built in Web browser and embedded access across the entire AT&T Wi-Fi service network, we’re enabling consumers to gain quick and convenient access to Sony’s Easy Upload Homepage through thousands of AT&T Wi-Fi hotspots across the country,” said Glenn Lurie, president of AT&T’s emerging device organization. “The wireless capabilities and cutting-edge features of the G3 camera with the reliable coverage of AT&T’s Wi-Fi network offers a unique consumer experience.”

Uploads Made Easy
The new camera makes it easy to connect to the Internet and upload images. By pressing the WLAN button on the camera, you can open its embedded Web browser.

After connecting to the Internet via wireless access points, the camera automatically navigates to the Sony Easy Upload Home Page, which includes direct links to photo sharing sites like Shutterfly™ and Picasa™ Web Albums; video sharing sites like YouTube™ and Dailymotion™; and a photo and video sharing site, such as Photobucket™. Also, the DSC-G3 camera allows you to access other sharing sites for uploading photos and videos through its Web browser.

Through the Sony Easy Upload Home Page, you can send e-mail notifications from the sharing Web sites to let friends and family know that you have posted new images and videos for viewing. This is perfect for sharing with loved ones that were not with you when you took the pictures or shot the videos.
When friends and family are nearby, you can use the camera to access photos you may have already uploaded to sharing sites and display them on its high resolution 3.5-inch LCD screen.

The camera supports DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) guidelines. By connecting to such DLNA-compatible devices as Sony BRAVIAÂŽ televisions via access points, photos in the camera can be played back with high-definition quality. In addition to BRAVIA TVs, the camera can connect to other DLNA-compatible devices, such as Sony VAIOÂŽ PCs.

Smart Camera
In addition to its wireless sharing capabilities, the new camera is built for high-performance imaging. The 10-megapixel camera is about three-fourths of an inch thin and includes a 4X optical zoom Carl Zeiss® Vario-Tessar lens. Although compact enough to fit in the camera’s slim dimention, this lens provides excellent sharpness and color accuracy.

The Intelligent Scene Recognition™ feature automatically identifies a total of eight types of scenes — backlight, backlight portrait, twilight, twilight portrait, twilight using a tripod, portrait, landscape and macro — and automatically optimizes camera settings for each challenging shooting situation, taking an additional shot in low and bright light scenarios.

With Sony’s Face Detection technology, the DSC-G3 camera detects faces in a scene and adjusts auto focus (AF), auto exposure (AE), flash and white balance accordingly. It can also distinguish between children and adults, allowing users to to prioritize faces according to their preference.

Combining the Intelligent Scene Recognition feature with Face Detection technology, the camera includes an anti-blink function that helps make closed-eye photos a thing of the past. The camera automatically takes two shots and then determines whether the subject(s) have closed eyes. It will record images with open-eyed subjects. If both pictures have subject(s) with closed eyes, the cameras will record one and display a warning so you can try again.

Sony’s Smile Shutter™ technology automatically captures a smile the moment it happens. You can use the adult or child priority setting when shooting scenes containing both adults and children, and the camera will distinguish one face from another.

The camera’s Dynamic Range Optimizer (DRO) determines the best exposure and contrast settings in almost any shooting environment, giving images a natural look with clearer details that match what you see with your naked eye. DRO also balances the contrast in scenes with strong highlight and shadow, recovering detail normally lost in shadow areas. Combining the benefits of Optical SteadyShot™ image stabilization with high sensitivity mode, Sony’s Double Anti-blur feature helps reduce camera shake blur, especially when there is low light.

Photo Library
The Cyber-shot DSC-G3 model is also a “photo album in your pocket” and has 4GB of internal memory that can store nearly 1,000 full-resolution or 40,000 VGA-quality photos. The 3.5-inch (measured diagonally) wide touch panel Xtra Fine LCD™ screen is perfect for photo-like viewing with high contrast and wide-angle viewing. This Xtra Fine LCD screen delivers high resolution images (921,600 dots) that is approximately four times higher than conventional LCDs.

The camera also makes it easy to sort thousands of images. While shooting, images are organized automatically in albums by date. All images in an album can be displayed simultaneously as thumbnails on the screen, and the desired image can quickly be selected.

There are four ways to view photos: standard folder view, date view, favorites and event view. Images can be stored and managed on both the camera’s 4GB internal memory and an optional Memory Stick® media card.

In addition to the in-camera organization and search functionality, bundled Picture Motion Browser (PMB) software allows you to quickly organize images on a compatible PC. The software lets you search and organize images by event or face, and you can display images in calendar or chronological views organized into folders.

Pricing and Availability
The Cyber-shot DSC-G3 camera is now available in black for about $500. The camera and a range of accessories can be purchased online at sonystyle.com, at Sony StyleÂŽ retail stores (www.sonystyle.com/retail), at military base exchanges and at authorized dealers nationwide.

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Jan 07

Vizio Connected HDTVs: Built-in 802.11n for Amazon and Netflix VOD

Posted in: amazon, hdtv, hulu, netflix, Today's Chili, top, TV, vizio, wi-fi, Wireless, Yahoo

Everybody is launching networked TVs it seems, but Vizio’s “Connected HDTV” sounds killer: Built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi, with every service you’d want: Amazon, Blockbuster and Netflix VOD, Pandora, Flickr, Rhapsody, plus any other Yahoo widget.

Not there, you notice is Hulu. BUT, Vizio says they’re in “deep talks” with them. So Hulu, directly integrated into your TV, looks likely. The connected platform runs on Yahoo widgets and Adobe Flash Lite, and you can develop your own widgets with Yahoo’s SDK. It’ll start in two TVs this fall, eventually expanding to Vizio’s entire XVT line. Not all of the services were up and running, but overall, it looked and performed well—easy to use, and not intrusive.

The crazyass QWERTY slider remote, on the other hand, might not be so simple, but it’s fully Bluetooth 2.0 compliant, meaning you can do more than control your TV with it.

VIZIO ANNOUNCES NEW AND EXCITING “CONNECTED HDTV” PLATFORM WITH
WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY (802.11n)

– VIZIO’s “Connected HDTV” Platform gives HDTV viewers unprecedented choice and access to
Internet-based content streamed directly to their VIZIO HDTV without the inconvenience and expense
of a PC or set top box.

– VIZIO’s “Connected HDTV” Platform provides a fully customizable and dynamic entertainment
experience with built-in wireless (802.11n) to access on-demand movies, music, news, weather,
sports, gaming and social networking services.

– Content and service providers are rapidly expanding and now include Accedo Broadband, AdobeÂŽ,
AmazonÂŽ, BlockbusterÂŽ, FlickrÂŽ, NetflixÂŽ, Pandora, RhapsodyÂŽ and Yahoo! ÂŽ

LAS VEGAS, NV (CES) and IRVINE, CA – – January 7, 2009 – – VIZIO, America’s TV and
Consumer Electronics Company, announced today the unveiling of its “Connected HDTV”
Platform, which enhances the HDTV viewing experience by bringing personalized
entertainment, information and social networking content into the viewer’s living room. With
unprecedented choice and control of web-based and local content from a wide range of popular
content providers and services, including on-demand movies and music, news, weather, sports,
gaming and social networking services, this platform will be integrated as a key feature into
VIZIO televisions shipping to retailers nationwide this Fall 2009 in time for the busy holiday
season.

VIZIO’s “Connected HDTV” Platform is designed to compliment TV viewing. At a single touch of
the VIZIO customized remote control, viewers can access their favorite Internet content from the
easy to navigate on screen display, without interrupting the TV program they are viewing. With
built-in wired and wireless (802.11n) networking, VIZIO televisions with the “Connected HDTV”
Platform will provide true plug-and-play connectivity right out of the box.

“In our recent report on the future of the television, Evolution of the Television – From Passive
Consumption Device to the Entertainment Center of the Home, we noted, ‘The television has
evolved from a passive consumption device that received limited over-the air programming, to
the entertainment center of the home where multitudes of activities come together,’” stated
Nathan Safran, Analyst at Forrester Research, Inc. “While broadband set top boxes that deliver
content into the home are interesting because they establish a new way of delivering content to
the television, they have had limited appeal because of the up-front equipment outlay and
because content has been restricted to a single partner. However, when streaming media
capability is integrated directly into the network enabled television, it becomes a game changing
proposition, and is the next step in the evolution of the television, as it eliminates the equipment
outlay for the set top box and gives the viewer a broad range of content to choose from.”

“As consumer demand for content and information grows exponentially, we want to address
what our customers are increasingly looking for – the ability to enjoy their favorite content and
services from the comfort of their living room easy chair,” said Laynie Newsome, VP Sales and
Marketing Communication and Co-Founder of VIZIO.

Paul Gagnon, Director of North America TV Market Research at DisplaySearch also noted, “In a
hyper-connected world, TVs will start integrating more completely with the various sources of
available content. According to a recent study DisplaySearch conducted, 22% of respondents
wanted access to web-based information and more than 31% already watch movies from on-
demand services.”

Along with the expectation of anywhere, anytime access, consumers crave variety and the
freedom to choose from a wide set of entertainment and information sources. “Our ‘Connected
HDTV’ Platform is a key element of VIZIO’s Consumer Ecosystem, which places the VIZIO
HDTV as a focal point, allowing viewers to seamlessly connect to information and entertainment
sources that they want, when they want them,” said Matthew McRae, VIZIO VP. “The platform
also provides an unprecedented opportunity for Internet-based service providers to develop and
deploy innovative applications to a large consumer audience.”

VIZIO’s “Connected HDTV” Platform will incorporate the Yahoo! Widget Engine, which provides
an open platform enabling a new class of Internet services, called TV Widgets, to thrive in the
TV environment. The platform will also include support for Adobe Flash LiteTM, which will
enable developers to deliver rich applications, content, and video over the Web to the television
itself.

Leading popular content and service providers are working with VIZIO’s “Connected HDTV”
Platform to bring a very wide variety of entertainment, information, social networking and other
applications to consumers, including:

Accedo Broadband (www.accedobroadband.com) — Accedo’s popular casual gaming service,
FunspotÂŽ, allows viewers to play a variety of fun games from the comfort of their favorite
armchair. Games include Texas Hold ‘Em Poker, Sudoku, and QuizzMaster.

Adobe (www.adobe.com/flashplatform) — Adobe Flash® Player and Adobe Flash Lite are on
over 98 percent of connected computers and more than 800 million devices, and deliver more
than 80 percent of Web videos worldwide. Both players are part of the Adobe Flash Platform
and ensure that content and applications are presented consistently in the format users want.

Amazon Video on Demand (www.amazon.com/vod) — Amazon Video On Demand plans to
make its massive selection of over 40,000 movies and TV shows available to users of VIZIO’s
“Connected HDTV” Platform, providing users with the total on demand entertainment solution.
Using the VIZIO television’s built-in Internet connection, Amazon Video On Demand plans to
give customers the ability to browse, shop and instantly watch everything from hit new release
movies to classic movie favorites and individual TV episodes and seasons.

Blockbuster OnDemand (www.blockbuster.com) — One of the nation’s leading digital movie
services, BLOCKBUSTER ONDEMAND makes thousands of titles, including the newest
releases, available for rental and purchase. The service is available on an a la carte basis, no
subscription necessary, and includes content from the major Hollywood studios as well as more
than 30 other studios, television-content distributors and foreign and independent content
providers.

Flickr (www.flickr.com) — Flickr, a Yahoo! company, is one of the world’s leading online photo
and video sharing communities where people explore, find and manage pictures and video clips
of life’s daily moments with friends, family and the world. The Flickr TV Widget helps users
make their favorite photo content available to the people who matter to them. Consumers can
view, share and organize photos with friends and family or check out what interesting new
photos were recently posted by others — all in the social setting of the living room on their large
flat panel television.

Netflix (www.netflix.com) — Since launching its streaming functionality in January 2007, Netflix
has grown its catalog to more than 12,000 choices of movies and TV episodes to watch
instantly on the TV via a number of Netflix ready devices. Netflix members pay as little as $8.99
per month for unlimited instant streaming and unlimited DVDs from a catalog of more than
100,000 DVD titles in more than 200 genres.

Pandora (www.pandora.com) — Based on the Music Genome Project begun in 2000,
Pandora’s personalized Internet radio and music discovery service delivers personalized
playlists built from a database with over 550,000 songs analyzed by more than 30 trained
musicians and assessed against nearly 400 distinct musical attributes.

Rhapsody (www.rhapsody.com) — Rhapsody’s award-winning digital music service gives
consumers access to more than six million songs on their PC, on their portable device and in
the home. Now, VIZIO “Connected HDTV”-enabled users will have living room access as well to
Rhapsody’s extensive music catalog, professionally programmed music channels, personalized
recommendations and thousands of themed playlists.

Yahoo! — Yahoo! provides the best of the Internet in perfect harmony with the simplicity and
reliability of the television. The innovative Yahoo! Widget Engine, which will help drive VIZIO’s
“Connected HDTV” Platform, will offer VIZIO customers an enhanced viewing experience by
bringing to market a new class of interactive applications called TV Widgets. Initial Yahoo! TV
Widgets available will include Yahoo! Weather, Yahoo! News, and Yahoo! Finance, soon to be
followed by Yahoo! Sports and Yahoo! Video. Yahoo! Video puts a wide range of news, sports,
lifestyle, and entertainment video content in one place for users to enjoy on their TV via the
Internet. Additional well-known content providers already developing TV Widgets for deployment
include CBS, ShowtimeÂŽ, TwitterTM, The New York TimesÂŽ and MySpaceÂŽ.

By collaborating with leading content, service and technology partners to create a truly
compelling and personalized user experience, VIZIO sees its new advanced platform as part of
its continual evolution to deliver consumers more of what they love. “The quality of the platform
partners that we are attracting validates our approach. Our partner list will continue to expand,”
stated Matthew McRae, VIZIO VP. “This platform offers innumerable opportunities given VIZIO’s
hefty HDTV market share and growth expectations for the future.”

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