Engadget's holiday wish list

All this talk about what who's getting what, and what're you giving us, Engadget? We have some wishes this holiday season too, you know. Yeah, that's right, we've been secretly keeping a list all year long of the things we really want, and surprisingly we even got a few of them. Check it out, our Chrismahanukwanzakah wish list:

• Authorities to find James Kim in good shape
  
• Apple supports PlaysForSure
• Zune supports PlaysForSure
• Zune supports FairPlay
• No, we REALLY just want Microsoft and Apple to forget the DRM
• Microsoft stops its pursuit of Viodentia
• Everybody gets FTTH. Everybody at Engadget, anyway.
• Something finally outputs 1080p
• CableLabs experience hostile takeover by consumer advocacy groups
• TiVo finally releases Series 3
• TiVo gets reasonable, releases Series 3 for, say, $400

Click on for more!

• Multi-room viewing and TiVoToGo on Series3
• DirecTV to start supporting TiVo again
• iPhone released, madness ends
• PS3s begin falling from the sky (with parachutes, of course)
• PS3 supports media streaming and syncing over the home network
• Nintendo replaces everybody's Wiimote strap
• Wii adds 720p and 1080i/p support
• Cingular deploys nationwide HSDPA
• Palm gets off its butt and builds a skinny phone with a modern OS
• Microsoft gets off its butt and builds a modern phone OS
• In the mean time, HTC announces free Crossbow upgrade program for its products
• Apple adds a right click to its laptops
• 12.1-inch Mac with internal HSDPA or EV-DO, solid state drive
• Working Zune software
• Evan finds a worthy replacement for his PPC-6700
• Digital cameras get usable WiFi
• Hack Zune as USB drive
• Zune Marketplace adds podcasting, video (sigh)
• Zune Marketplace in HD
• Big Four carriers, Modeo, HiWire join hands to support open mobile TV standard in US
• T-Mobile backtracks, figures out way to deploy European 3G on 2100MHz band
• e-ink finally hits the market
• Color e-ink finally hits the market
• iTunes HD
• DVD, HD DVD, Blu-ray burning of shows from iTunes
• Xbox 360 plays back DivX, XviD, h.264, MPEG-2/4 files over network
• HD hard drive camcorder that records to raw H.264 or MPEG-4
• 40-inch super-widescreen monitors released
• Someone finally figures out how to make a really good portable media device
• Major Nelson + Engadget charity event
• Affordable parabolic display
• 802.11n standard approved. Please?
• Budget DSLR
• OLPCs hit US on mass market
• Vista finally released (kind of)
• Vista CableCARD support
• Vista CableCARD PCs don't require CableLabs certification
• Next version of Windows doesn't have the registry
• Mobile WiMax finally hits the market
• UWB product hits
• WirelessHD? Any year now.
• ATSC Multicasting dies a quick, but especially painful death
• Tesla Roadster ships early, mass market
• Alternately, a small electic car for under $10K
• All-day laptop battery life. Ok, we'll take something less ambitious like world peace.
• Record shows from your Slingbox
• Bluetooth support in the iPod, Zune and all things four-wheeled
• Easy sideloading from DVR to your portable media device
  
• A useful humaniod consumer robot
• Home automation for the masses
• Pete's and Paul's Time Warner Cable lines finally fixed
• Peace on Earth and goodwill between rival next-generation optical disc formats; Apple and Microsoft; Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii; respective fanboys

Anybody else have any wishes this holiday season? Let them be known!

[Eric M @ Dec 6th 2006 1:43PM]

Sony stops makes proprietary formats.

[Mark B @ Dec 7th 2006 12:45AM]

How can you say that you want to record from the Slingbox when At-Large Recorder has software that does it for free?

[Zak @ Dec 6th 2006 1:50PM]

- No more lists at the end of the year

[LittleJoe @ Dec 6th 2006 1:59PM]

I wish for all my bills to disappear because all of this technology is running me broke!

[GJP303 @ Dec 6th 2006 7:17PM]

ahh.. isn't that what we all wish.

[Adam @ Dec 6th 2006 1:59PM]

TiVo starts selling Series 3 in the UK. Or Series 2..

[William @ Dec 6th 2006 2:07PM]

- Engadget announces the winner of the D80 contest

[Jarod @ Dec 6th 2006 2:16PM]

"Apple adds a right click to its laptops"

ctrl+click

Is that really so hard to do? Unless you're bootcamping into Windows, then, yeah, that would be annoying.

[Shaun @ Dec 6th 2006 3:02PM]

Apple has something better than right click AND control-click.

It's called a two finger click. Set two fingers on the trackpad and click! Turn it on in System Preferences.

You'll never think about right clicking again...this is easier.

[Michael @ Dec 6th 2006 2:17PM]

Get that James Kim comment off the front page. I just mistook that for news, you idiots!

[Ryan Block @ Dec 6th 2006 2:22PM]

We're idiots? What part of "holiday wish list" don't you understand?

[I, Robot @ Dec 8th 2006 10:48PM]

What is WRONG with you!!!!!! The man is dead -- show some respect! You no-class Heathen!

[Rohit Kapur @ Dec 6th 2006 2:44PM]

Sorry Ryan... Must be hard dealing with dumbasses like MIchael here leaving even more moronic comments... Don't take it too hard. :-)

[John Miller @ Dec 6th 2006 2:22PM]

Tops of my wish list:
An end to The Most Pretentious Advertising Campaign Ever. That and a lot less Apple fanboyism. Maybe we could coax a few into making a new year's resolution out of it.

And I'd add a big second to the whole Zune adopting PlaysForSure thing. That would be sweet. Great list BTW.

[Arnold @ Dec 6th 2006 2:36PM]

I would like to see an end to all DRM, and a government that can stand up to the content makers.

[Shon @ Dec 6th 2006 2:36PM]

Seriously. BEST LIST EVAR. EVAR!!! There isn't one thing on the list I dont agree with. Hopefully the pull you guys have will affect some change!!

[james @ Dec 6th 2006 2:36PM]

- Engadget announces the winner of the D80 contest WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS CONTEST..i spent hours upon hours shooting my freakin ps2 using timelapse...

[Eamon @ Dec 6th 2006 2:42PM]

- A MythTV frontend pre-installed in a silent set-top box.

[Sam @ Dec 6th 2006 2:47PM]

Xbox 360 also reads those formats from USB drives and disks.

Time Warner upgrades the lines in my area, gets NFL Network back (in HD), and adds more HD channels (or I can get FIOS or some other FTTH with data and TV)

iPod supports mp3s over mass storage (iTunes not required at all). Zune too.

[Justin E @ Dec 6th 2006 2:50PM]

take James Kim off the top of the list. yeah i get it. it's on your wishlist, but it's just distasteful. you hammer benq for using 9/11 imagery which you're right that's wrong, but then you put james kim - a man's life - on a list with a bunch of immaterial crap such as tivo prices. think about the relative importance. it's disgraceful and unprofessional.

[Ryan Block @ Dec 6th 2006 2:51PM]

It's neither of those things. He's not just some guy, James Kim is a family friend and colleague, and I think if you were in my position, you'd do the same.

[Sam @ Dec 6th 2006 2:50PM]

And WMCE supports QAM and CableCard

[Rohit Kapur @ Dec 6th 2006 5:32PM]

Hey Ryan.

I think you should take James off the list now. I know that this wish list came before the news, but still... People are gonna read this again and again and you guys are gonna update it eventually and... well, it's your call, of course. But I just think you should take it off...

I'm really sorry about the whole thing though. I don't know what else to say.

[Chris Merchant @ Dec 6th 2006 2:53PM]

Tell evan to get a BB 8703e. All the power without the crap operating system.


Great list.

Chris

[apeguero @ Dec 6th 2006 2:55PM]

1. PDA cell phones with more than the usual 64mb of RAM which has to be shared with storage space.

2. Wireless power.

3. An honest Defense Secretary, at least one that is open to suggestions from his top Generals.

4. The return of '80s music as being cool.

5. An all in one console unit with games from Sega and Nintendo built into ROM - this would be really cool.

6. An Apple OS Smartphone - Sorry Apple haters.

7. Windows makes Voice Command 1.6 Bluetooth Headset backwards compatible with older builds of WM5 devices aka Cingular 8525 aka HTC TytN, etc.

8. My number one holiday wish list (best left for last kind of thing) - Britney Spears sex tape in DivX format :)

[redvoid @ Dec 6th 2006 3:53PM]

"Apple adds a right click to its laptops"

You don't even have to ctrl+click like Jarod says above. Just tap with two fingers instead of one and you get a right click. It is super intuitive once you know and fun to use.

[Justin E @ Dec 6th 2006 3:00PM]

I never said he was "some guy". If I was in your position, I wouldn't put him on a technology wishlist. Some of the items are jokes, some are new products, some are price cuts, but none of them are in the same category of the seriousness of his life. I mean c'mon just because he's at the top of the list and you know him doesn't make it tasteful. It demeans him and puts him on the same level with DRM, wireless HD, and CableLabs takeover. Boy I hope they find James Kim and oh yeah FTTH for everyone. Everyone at Engadget anyway.

[sdean @ Dec 6th 2006 3:06PM]

oh and i agree the two finger click is easier then right clicking on a track pad. when i go back to my old windows laptop i find myself trying to do the two finger click.

[sdean @ Dec 6th 2006 3:05PM]

apple embraces open source codecs????

[bob @ Dec 6th 2006 3:05PM]

One universal cell phone network. No roaming, phones work with all providers, etc.

And James Kim - found alive. I don't know the guy personally, but I hope and pray they find him.

[Tomery @ Dec 6th 2006 3:11PM]

- SCO ends their squabbles with Novell and IBM

[Johnny @ Dec 6th 2006 3:16PM]

I agree wholeheartedly with Justin E. The James Kim item is distasteful on a largely jokey list. We are all following the news closely and worried for his safety. To paste him on the top of a silly gadget wish list is pretty low.

[steve @ Dec 6th 2006 3:25PM]

i wish that nintendo would add the ability to turn off warnings in the ds and wii

[Lan @ Dec 6th 2006 3:26PM]

"James Kim is found, doing well"

That line is very deceptive and should be re-worded. A brief glimpse of this entry makes it seem that he has already been found.

It should be re-worded so people don't mistake it for being true.

~Lan

P.S. Just my two cents.

[chezzo @ Dec 6th 2006 3:27PM]

Concerning all-day laptop battery life:
The 9 cell battery I have for my Dell Inspiron 640m (called something different in the US i think) lasts me a whole day at school on high-ish brightness, music and video playing, games (in lessons? what do you take me for?!), bluetooth on continuously and wifi about half the time. And I usually have at least 30% left by the end of the day.
Only problem is I wish it wasn't quite so heavy and didn't stick out the back quite so much!

[Lan @ Dec 6th 2006 3:38PM]

I just wanted to commend Ryan Block for re-wording the line:
"James Kim is found, doing well" to
�Authorities to find James Kim in good shape�

That's the beauty of a blog over a traditional news source. The medium is very interactive and changes organically with the communities needs.

P.S. I think with the old wording trivialized James situation by going for an eye catching line.

[Ryan Block @ Dec 6th 2006 6:46PM]

I honestly meant to do no such thing. More on that in a sec.

[Kyle @ Dec 6th 2006 3:41PM]

The slingbox already works with DVRs: Tivo Series 3 + Slingbox Pro = TV Bliss

[that kid from the Simpsons. @ Dec 6th 2006 3:50PM]

I'd love:
- Xbox 360 w/ Halo 3
- 100 gig, wide screen, wifi video iPod
- Media streaming device under $50 for every room
- extra $2 per hour

[Dae @ Dec 6th 2006 3:57PM]

dont forget add bluetooth to the ipod.

[Jeff @ Dec 6th 2006 3:52PM]

I'm still waiting for a 20+GB PDA, PMP, and 3G cellphone with 4" screen.

[Dae @ Dec 6th 2006 3:53PM]

i wish for Verizon Optical High Speed Broad Band launches in Astoria Queens, NY and Baltimore, MD.

[kriz @ Dec 6th 2006 3:56PM]

Apple laptops do have built in right click. Place two fingers on the trackpad and click the button. here and here.

[GJP303 @ Dec 6th 2006 7:26PM]

People would like it more if it was a button. Right click just isn't a right click without clicking on the right side button.

[Justin E @ Dec 6th 2006 4:05PM]

C'mon Ryan. Take it off. If not you, I beg any other Engadget editor to take it off. Now that our worst fears are confirmed, doesn't it seem ridiculous to have his name on this list?? Are you going to strike through it like some other items on the list?? You should see how trivial all the other stuff on this list is now that we know he has passed. I'm disgusted.

[Ryan Block @ Dec 6th 2006 6:51PM]

To your original point, I asked my girlfriend, one of James's good friends and colleagues, what she wants me to do. She expressed that his name appearing here is perceived as a thoughtful and kind-hearted gesture, and she's glad we did not take it off before.

Now that we've learned the utterly devestating news of the Kims' loss, we discussed it internally, and have decided to let it remain. It is still what we wished for most, and it's not hard to see from our coverage of James's disappearance that we did not and will not ever take his memory for granted. I'm completely at a loss and my heart is heavy from this news, and we will continue to support the Kims however possible.

[everrette powell @ Dec 6th 2006 4:11PM]

PS3 in every store

[Jeff Lewis @ Dec 6th 2006 4:32PM]

Oh.. and for the Zune:

Remove the 3x3 for non-DRMed files.
Give it portable drive capabilities.
Make it synchable over WiFi.

Personally, I couldn't care less about PFS compatibility. But if you really need it, then yes, both PSF and PF support.

Good luck getting Apple to play on that one.

And yeah... less Apple fanboying - and Linux fanboying - oh hell - less Microsoft bashing in general. That would be awesome. A note to the fanboys - there's two ways to get a point across: constructively and destructively - at some point you might want to notice that destructively isn't working... :)

[Benjamin @ Dec 6th 2006 4:35PM]

1#... Authorities to find James Kim in good shape
Well Maybe Not
2#...Nintendo replaces everybody's Wiimote strap MAYBE I THINK A YES!
3#... iTunes HD I Think NO!

[Benjamin @ Dec 6th 2006 4:38PM]

My List 1#.. Nintendo Wii 2#.. Windows Vista Cheap! 3# Find A Wii..