Hillcrest Labs builds TV-friendly Kylo browser for its Loop pointer, Hulu promptly blocks it
By Paul Miller 
posted March 22nd 2010 1:20PM
posted March 22nd 2010 1:20PM
Meanwhile, we played around with Kylo a bit using one of those Loop pointers for gyroscope-based cursor control, and found the mousing experience just as intuitive as ever, setup non-existent (we tested on a Mac, but it's easy on a PC as well), and the browser nicely unobtrusive and distance friendly. Typing with the onscreen keyboard is about exactly as nice as typing with your mouse, which is to say "not preferred," but completely doable in a pinch. The address bar has the same sort of URL prediction we've come to know and love in modern browsers, though we wouldn't mind if it pulled in our Firefox history to round out the database from the start. In theory we also think the Loop pointer could provide some sort of more intuitive control for zooming and panning, but overall it's a simple, clean UI that should at least beat out your PS3 or Wii browser for this sort of duty -- if you're smart enough and rich enough to get your PC or Mac plugged into your TV, or have an extra one to spare. The browser also of course works with any old mouse you might having lying around, but Hillcrest Labs sure hopes you'll make the Right Choice. Check out a video of the browser and Loop pointer in action after the break.
Proxy servers FTW
Proxy servers FTW!!
If I was Hillcrest I'll just change my browser User Agent to something more computer-like.
Obvious answer is for these guys (and the Hulu guys) to modify their browser so it looks indistinguishable from a desktop browser as far as the web site being visited goes, including user agent and other things.
Then its impossible to block these devices without blocking desktop browsers.
I'm starting to get angry with companies like this. This is the reason I plan to buy an HDMI cable for my MBP so I can use that new Hulu Desktop app.
@n00neimp0rtant MBPs have HDMI now?
@SophT http://kanexlive.com/products/item.aspx?id=3495
is it broken? I click download and I get 'you are not authorized to do this'...
@SophT:
followup: that's on Firefox 3.6
downloads in safari 4.0.5
weird.
about:config
from: general.useragent.extra.polo: Kylo/0.6.1.70394.70396
to: general.useragent.extra.polo: Firefox/3.6
it'll probably break updates.
Here is how to get Kylo to work with Hulu:
1. download Kylo and install
2. type about:config into URL bar
3. type useragent into filter bar
4. clear the useragent.extra.polo entry.
5. F*** Hulu
The hell with Hulu. I have no problem sitting through regular length commercials and watching moderate bitrate SD versions of my shows to contribute to ad revenue as opposed to just straight up pirating your shows. I don't have the schedule to sit and watch TV whenever a new show is on, and a DVR is too expensive for me, so Hulu works in theory. But if you're gonna restrict where I can and can't watch it, namely my television and gaming consoles, I'm just gonna go where I've been going since before Hulu was ever around:
http://isohunt.com/
Bite me.