Joe Miller
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TiVo banking on the software business, delays DirecTV HD unit to 2011
It's been five years since TiVo first promised DirecTV customers an HD DVR and two years since the company reaffirmed that claim, so if you've been waiting patiently you probably know what we're going to say -- it's been delayed yet again. TiVo marketing VP Joe Miller told PC Magazine that the fabled DirecTiVo will actually appear "early next year," which should give you plenty of time to work out your rage. Before you storm off to your standard-definition video collection, however, there's another thing you might like to know: the executive also not-so-subtly suggested that TiVo's hardware business won't be a focus for long. In a series of increasingly telling quotes, Miller called software the company's "core competence," said it was "in our blood" and "the thing we do well," and even added that "the software is what we're all about." To be completely frank, TiVo has held the gold standard for DVR software for over a decade, but that's mostly because no one successfully stepped up to the plate -- not even TiVo itself, whose Premiere interface shipped the definition of half-baked. So when the company suggests that software is one of its strengths, please pardon a few chuckles from our corner of the room.
Taser International vs Linden Lab: Crack Den crackdown
Taser International Inc have filed a lawsuit against Linden Lab (and others, including some present and some departed) staff. We got a hold of the April 17 complaint yesterday, and have been going through it since then. We've got a summary of the complaint and issues for you, but we won't be linking to the complaint due to the presence of what may be considered to be pornographic images in Exhibit 2. The "crack den" reference in the headline is a recurring phrase in the legal complaint. You'll see why. If you want the one-sentence summary, Taser seem to have failed to do their homework and basic research, but their case doesn't seem to be entirely without merit either.
Linden Lab and Torch Mobile: Replacing the Second Life Web-browser
In development discussions surrounding the Second Life viewer's Web-support and internal Web-browser, WebKit has been a frequent discussion item. WebKit was originally derived (by Apple) from the Konqueror browser's KHTML software library and now functions as the core of Apple's Safari Web-browser. A number of companies have extended and adapted WebKit over time. A primary sticking point with adoption into the Second Life viewer, however, involved the terms of WebKit's software license. Now that the licensing barrier has been overcome, work on integrating QtWebKit into the viewer is proceeding apace, as Linden Lab works in conjunction with Torch Mobile (makers of the Iris Browser) to finalize the integration, and sort out a few lingering issues.
Reach out and touch someone: Avatars by PSTN
A number of sources have been talking about Second Life avatars getting their own phone number for voice calls. First hinted at in a discussion between Information Week writer Mitch Wagner, and Linden Lab's VP for Platform and Technology, Joe Miller, by far the best information on the topic at the moment seems to be available from Expletive Deleted. E.D. spoke with Miller and got some more details. The goal, it would seem, is PSTN numbers for either groups or avatars with some sort of access PIN to prevent wholesale misuse -- and it looks like some elements of that may already be getting closer.
Inside Linden Lab with Joe Miller
Catherine Linden (Catherine Smith) has published a second episode of the new Linden Lab podcast series, Inside Linden Lab. This month's episode features Joe Miller, Linden Lab's VP of platform and technology development.
