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Time Warner Cable starts rolling out lightly refreshed guide with new color scheme, cloud VOD search
While it's definitely good news that Time Warner Cable is revisiting its Navigator guide again, the bad news is that at least in terms of appearance, very little has changed. The screenshots above show the old guide (left) next to the new one (right) and as you can see, other than a color scheme adjustment to match its new apps, things are almost entirely the same. In terms of functional adjustments, names have changed for some of the menus, and now the A button on the remote pulls up channels listed by category, the B button searches by title and the select button lets you know if features like Start Over, Look Back or VOD are available. According to CED Magazine, the guide's (slight) facelift also goes hand in hand with a new cloud-based video on-demand portal that includes with richer graphics and metadata, as a prelude to more cloud-provided navigation and IPTV set-top boxes. So far we're seeing notes that the new guide is being delivered in Syracuse and Charlotte, if you haven't received it yet Time Warner Cable says it will be running newspaper ads ahead of the change in each area -- people still read newspapers, right? Update: We're told that another new feature of the update is the ability to filter out any channels you want from the guide. Check one box on the Ben-o-vision form.
Google Envelopes turns Gmail into snail mail, wraps it in precisely routed Maps printout
It's a fantasy come true for the avid nerd / traveler, but unfortunately for us, it's but a concept in its current form. Syracuse's own Rahul Mahtani and Yofred Moik have dreamed up Google Envelopes, and if brought to production, this might just make the USPS as relevant as it was during the heyday known as 1985. Put simply, the solution would involve a new 'Send Envelope' method of passing along a note penned in Gmail; when pressed, you'd get a printout of the message along with a specially crafted envelope, the latter of which really makes this idea shine. The envelope itself would be a Google Maps representation of the quickest route to transfer said message from you to the recipient if roadways and kayaks were used in place of fiber and coax, giving the receiver a crucially awesome keepsake each time you dropped him or her a line. Oh, and having an 'Avoid Tolls' option would just totally put it over the top -- even if were relegated to beta. [Thanks, Yofred]
Six more markets get HD locals on DirecTV
Can't say it still feels like summer in some parts of the US, but regardless of semantics, DirecTV is forging ahead with its HD locals rollout. Effective immediately, a half dozen more markets can find at least a couple of the big broadcast stations in HD, with Mobile, Richmond, South Bend, Syracuse, Toledo and Youngstown all getting gifted. For details on which DMA got which stations, head on down to the read link.[Thanks, VANBROTHERS]
Downtown Syracuse to see artwork blasted onto walls via projectors
While we've certainly seen more extravagant uses of walls as art canvases, we have all ideas this will be plenty radical in downtown Syracuse, New York. Syracuse University is aiming to add permanent (but not, you know) imagery to a number of walls by "projecting artwork onto some of its most visible areas." The institution is currently asking the Syracuse Industrial Development Agency "for permission to install projector equipment on one of its buildings," and if its wish is granted, the Urban Video Project will be well on its way to becoming a reality. Keep an eye out (not like it'll be hard to miss) for the installation to go live this October.[Via AboutProjectors]
DISH Network adds four more HD local markets
DISH Network just keeps on cranking down the list of its 22 markets slated for an HD upgrade in the summer/fall, with four going on line today: Albany - Shenectady - Troy, NY; Chattanooga, TN; Lansing, MI; and Syracuse NY. Hope the recent thunderstorms didn't knock anyone's power out, because now you've got one more reason to stay inside. As usual, we don't know what city will be next, but we expect more markets to be added soon.
TWC brings more HD to Staten Island and Syracuse, NY
Just as we expected, Time Warner Cable is delivering five new HD channels to its all-digital Staten Island market, and while midtown NYC gets left out (again), folks braving the chill up in Syracuse have three more reasons to stay indoors. Aside from gaining NY1 on slot 701, Staten Island residents will also see the Discovery suit showing up in their EPG, which includes Science Channel HD (775), TLC HD (752), Discovery HD (766) and Animal Planet HD (786). As for Syracuse, locals in the region can now tune into History Channel HD (818), TBS HD (822) and CNN HD (824). As for surrounding areas, we haven't heard anything official concerning the possibility of these networks spreading, but as always, keep a sharp eye on that channel lineup and drop us a line if any newcomers pop up. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family][Thanks, Vin P. and Michael V.]
TWC brings four new HD channels to Syracuse, New York
Finally, Time Warner Cable subscribers in the Syracuse region can indulge in a few new HD options of their own. It's about time too, seeing that Rochester, Albany and a slew of areas around NYC (Manhattan notwithstanding) have been getting their share of late. Nevertheless, the cable carrier has announced today that four more HD options will be joining the EPG: Discovery HD (819), TLC HD (825), Animal Planet HD (831) and Science Channel HD (832). According to Time Warner spokesperson Jeff Unaitis, the "recent launch of switched-digital technology is allowing [the firm] to reclaim bandwidth and to add more content," so we're instantly curious to know if CableCARD users in the area are able to tune in to these additions.
Study: MMO players play more... and get more
Apparently playing MMOs are worse for your health than regular games, but they're also more fun, too. That's the conclusion of a Syracuse University study that sent groups of students out to play four types of games-- arcade games, a Gaunlet PS2 game, Diablo II, and Dark Age of Camelot. Apparently the DAoC folks reported that their game had a more adverse effect on their health, and that their social and student lives were more affected by their playtime.But they also had more fun-- the students who played DAoC reported that they enjoyed their playtime more, and had even made more friends ingame than any of the other games. The professor who commissioned the study wisely strayed away from the word "addiction," and says that addiction is completely different than what happens to gamers. Instead, he says, more attention should be paid not to violence in games, but to the "enthrallment" factor. Some games are easy to pick up and put down, and other games, while more rewarding, are more likely to involve you as a player. Online games, says Raph Koster, are "more intense."So I can't exactly tell what the study solves, but most of the reasoning sounds all right. My only worry is just how old the games are-- seriously, Gauntlet? Dark Age? It would be interesting to see if a more recent MMO (like LotRO or WoW) was able to balance the enthrallment/timesink factor a little better without losing the payoff.[ via DungeonRun.com ]
