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DECE's 'digital locker' take-anywhere DRM dubbed UltraViolet, launches later this year
We're still not sure if we believe in the promises made by the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE) yet -- buy a piece of content once in physical or digital format, and gain access across all formats and devices via a cloud based account -- but we're closer to finding out for ourselves now that it has a new name, UltraViolet. In case you haven't been paying attention over the last couple of years, the DECE group is already home to most of the biggest names on both the content and consumer electronics sides of the business, with the most notable holdouts being Apple and Disney, which is backing its own competing system, Keychest. The latest additions to the UltraViolet team are LG, LOVEFiLM and Marvell, while key members like Comcast, Microsoft, Intel and Best Buy are quoted in this morning's press release. Check it out for yourself after the break and keep an eye out for that grey and purple logo on movies and players later this year when it begins testing.
Jolicloud 1.0 demonstrated on Acer Aspire One 533, coming to your netbook soon
We're always skeptical when it comes to underground operating systems whipped up for one specific purpose, but Jolicloud has managed to continually impress us with each passing build. Now, at long last, the netbook-centric OS has arrived at the magical 1.0, and our comrades over at Netbook News have managed to score an early copy. Better still, they're showcasing it on Acer's just-released Aspire One 533, and if the bootup speed is any indication, we'd say the two are a match made in heaven. The 1.0 version sure looks grown-up compared to those earlier builds, and while we suspect it would take a bit of getting used to before we really found ourselves comfortable in an app-driven desktop OS, we definitely like the looks of it. Feel free to hop on past the break for a lengthy video demonstration of the refaced system, and if you're currently using an earlier version, the company has informed the world that upgrades will start slipping out as early as this week.
More than 25% of iTunes users want the cloud
A new NPD Group survey says that if Apple ever does release its rumored cloud music service for iTunes, there will definitely be an audience. Over 25% of iTunes users polled say that they would be interested a free iTunes cloud service. And about half of those would be interested in actually paying $10 a month for services like music sharing and streaming their personal libraries through iTunes. Out of an estimated 50 million users in the US, NPD says that 15 million or so would be interested in a free service, and around 7 or 8 million wouldn't mind paying $10 a month to Apple. Keep in mind that this is a survey done in May of this year, Apple hasn't even worked their marketing magic on something like this yet, and it doesn't even exist. If a service like that was actually offered, it's not hard to think that word of mouth and/or a well-marketed feature set would drive that audience even higher. But NPD concludes, not too surprisingly, that there is an audience ready for any iTunes cloud plans that Apple wants to reveal. How 'bout it there, Steve?
OnLive reports smooth launch, adds Lego Harry Potter
OnLive has posted a "state of the service" on its official blog after ten days of accepting beta users, and from the report, everything seems to be going well. While there were a few bugs, the service has been up 24/7 since launch, and OnLive says it's "accommodated far more members at this stage than ever anticipated." We've contacted the company to see if we can find out just how many members OnLive is serving so far. And the company is also adding games -- Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 is being added this week, hours before stores open to sell the physical copy of the title. There's a contest as well -- if you happen to be an OnLive member and are the first to complete the game entirely, you can take a video of your winnings, upload it to the service and drop an email about it, and you could win an iPad or iPod touch. We don't know how many people are floating out in the cloud quite yet, but it is drifting right along. Thanks, Dennis!
Google Me to be the Googlish answer to Facebook?
Kevin Rose, the dude who started Digg, got the Twitterverse all aflutter yesterday by suggesting that Google is working on a bona fide Facebook competitor -- to be called Google Me, according to his "very credible source." All such rumors ought to be treated with a healthy dose of skepticism, but today there's been some corroboration from one Adam D'Angelo, Facebook's former CTO. Adam, again citing reliable sources, tells us Google Me is a real project, with significant resources invested in it, and an indication that "Buzz wasn't enough" to counter the social site's growing presence. Another former Facebook exec, Richard Cooperstein, makes the astute observation that what Google's really trying to do is reclaim time that the ''book has stolen away; he notes that time spent on Facebook relative to Google search and YouTube continues to grow, and the Mountain View outfit has to retaliate to keep itself ahead. You'll find the K-Rose tweet after the break -- he deleted the original, but Google Cache can be a cruel mistress.
Windows Live Essentials beta is ready for your downloading delight
Could Windows Live Essentials really be "better than Mac for photos, hands down," as per the gauntlet Microsoft's Brian Hall tossed earlier this month? There's only one way to find out, and that's by trying it out yourself with the free download at our source link. The software suite just hit beta with not only the face-recognizing, photo-stitching new rendition of Photo Gallery, but also new versions of Mail, Movie Maker, Messenger, Writer and a Mac-friendly version of the Dropbox-like Sync (no, not that Sync) as well. So... what are you waiting for? Oh, you're still "awwing" at the image above, aren't you?
Libox streams your entire media collection anywhere... so long as your upload speed rocks
So look, we're not necessarily in the business of bursting bubbles, but Libox's new beta service isn't nearly as radical and game-changing as it'd like you to believe. Instead of being a limitless version of mSpot, this particular file streaming service -- which enables users to stream their entire media collection to any device with a web browser gratis -- isn't a cloud service. Instead, it's an optimized P2P system which still relies on your home PC to be on, connected, and hooked to one wicked ISP that doesn't cap your uploads at 20kbps. Still, "unlimited" is pretty tempting if you're kosher with the requirements, so tag those links below to find your way in. [Thanks, Mark]
OnLive turns sentient, now beaming gaming goodness over the ether (update)
We were promised cloud gaming nirvana on June 17, and OnLive has indeed kept to its self-imposed schedule. The new service that allows you to play resource-hungry games via only your browser window has taken its first steps into the real (non-beta) world with an initial catalog of 23 games. It'll be free for the first year for those who showed faith early on and pre-registered, or $15 per month for new bandwagon riders. Do let us know your thoughts if you've gotten onboard at this nascent stage: does it play fantastically well, is it close to spectacular, or is it just a pedestrian effort aiming to capitalize on geeks' lust for unbound gaming? We have to know. [Thanks, Mike] Update: OnLive's site doesn't seem to have been updated to reflect the service going live (you can sign up, but can't just jump in and play). It might be, therefore, that OnLive is booting itself up in stages, with only the early birds getting the first bite.
YouTube Editor enables cloud-based combining of clips, trimming of masterpieces
Too many YouTube clips in your library? Not enough cheddar to get a decent piece of video editing software on your PC? Fret not, as the World's Greatest Time Waster has just rolled out a new web-based Video Editor that enables users to combine clips, trim segments, add audio and then preview the results before finalizing. Hey, Numa Numa kid -- get on those mashups, pronto!
Send to SYNC enables BT phones to beam Google Maps to Ford navigation systems
Be still our hearts. Google Maps integration, in a factory-installed navigation system? Break out the fans and funny hats, 'cause this is for real. As Ford's SYNC system continues along the path of perpetual improvement, the latest breakout addition may make those who swear by third-party routing systems think twice. At long last, one automaker has figured out how to merge Google Maps with its own in-car solution, with 'Send To SYNC' allowing Bluetooth handset owners to dial up a route on their mobile and then beam that to their SYNC system once they've arrived in the vehicle. Once sent, the information is processed into audible turn-by-turn directions, and the driver can opt to have the route adjusted based on their SYNC driving preferences. Best of all, the feature's being added completely free of charge on existing 2010 and 2011 models equipped with SYNC TDI ("later this month," we're told), and there's no additional hardware or software to fret over. Ford's obviously the first to make such a bold move, but those other guys would be silly to simply sit around on the sidelines without playing copycat.
OnLive hopes to make it to the UK by 'the end of 2011'
"We'll announce further details about our launch plans later this year, but we would hope to make it available by the end of 2011," a British Telecom spokesperson told PCR. BT, who announced this partnership last month, will offer OnLive through select broadband bundles -- it will also be available to existing customers and PlusNet subscribers. "Over time, as consumer broadband connectivity increases and as games become more complex, we expect cloud-based distribution models for gaming to become increasingly attractive and mainstream," the spokesperson added. OnLive is currently set to launch in the US on June 17. Pre-registrants gain access to a free game and free year's subscription. As of now, no such incentive has been announced for the UK.
Steve Ballmer at D8: the video highlights (updated)
Steve Ballmer didn't say too much at D8 that we haven't heard him or others at Microsoft say in the past, but he's always an entertaining and interesting interview, and All Things Digital is upping the videos of Walt's session with Steve and Ray Ozzie now. Up first is a clip of Steve talking about how Microsoft is getting back into the mobile game and how RIM and Nokia are still formidable competitors, followed by Ray and Steve riffing on the potential of the cloud and how things can get even better for Microsoft. We'll add more as D's video people get them up -- check back!
Microsoft updating Live app suite, declares Windows 'better than Mac for photos, hands down'
Looks like it's blowhard season up in Redmond these days, as the latest word from Microsoft on its Live Essentials suite of apps has been accompanied by the brash pronouncement that it's now markedly superior to Apple's efforts in Mac OS X -- at least when it comes to photos. This verdict was delivered by Brian Hall, General Manager for Windows Live, and is backed by a laundry list of new features we can expect by the holiday season of this year. Windows Live Photo Gallery and Movie Maker will soon be able to link up directly to sites like Flickr, Facebook and YouTube -- which will allow for painless uploads as well as pulling in any additional tagging done on Facebook. New photo stitching and retouching abilities, along with face recognition (rather than mere detection) are also being touted, but the ultimate arbiter of the new software's utility will obviously be the real hands-on experience for users. We shouldn't have to wait too long for that, as a beta version of the freely downloadable (on Vista and 7, XP holdouts are no longer being served) suite should be making the rounds in the coming weeks.
Switched On: Thunder in the cloud
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. With each passing day it becomes less of an insult to say someone's head is in the clouds, as more and more people begin to outright rely on web sites and applications like Facebook, Google Docs, Flickr, Farmville, YouTube and Hulu. Among these popular services are Slacker and Pandora, two internet radio services that have grown tremendously since becoming available as smartphone apps, and which have recently completed the three-screen trifecta by being offered on connected televisions. These services have always had plenty of online competition, including simulcast internet radio stations, streamed Sirius XM, and Rhapsody. But it appears as though the landscape of Internet music services in the US is preparing to accommodate two more game-changing newcomers from profoundly different backgrounds. The first is a startup from Europe called Spotify, which has been winning fans across the continent in the five countries in which it is offered. Spotify's Open service represents something of a holy grail for on-demand music from the cloud: you can play any song in its catalog as often as you like for up to 20 hours per month for free, and share songs with your friends. The service gets high marks for its responsiveness. Becoming a premium Spotify member essentially turns the service into something more akin to Rhapsody, with no ads, better audio quality, and offline listening. Spotify has begun offering a private preview of its U.S. service to a lucky few, and is expected to be rolling out more broadly this year.
Apple applies for patent to resume media playback on another device
Remember that "Continuous Client" piece that was burning up the pages of Alt the other day? Well, we might get one sliver of it fulfilled if Apple has any real plans for implementing this concept they're in the process of patenting. The idea basically uses cloud syncing to let a user pause a song or video on one device and then resume it from that same spot on another device -- perfect for Apple's little phone / PC / TV ecosystem. Not exactly earth shattering, and probably half as complicated as this diagram makes it out to be, but would certainly be convenient. You're going to do something cool like this right after you make good use of Lala, right Apple? Right?
Ford SYNC owners to get stock quotes, horoscopes and movie listings shouted at them
Hooray for voice command systems... that no one uses. Okay, so maybe someone uses 'em, but until voice recognition software improves drastically and / or our own memory banks swell dramatically, we still see most motorists reaching for buttons, toggles and wheels when it comes time to interact with their vehicle. That said, existing Ford owners with SYNC'd rides can soon do a lot more talking with their system thanks to a few complimentary updates hitting the Traffic, Directions & Information (TDI) sector. The cloud-based service will allow drivers to demand that a given stock quote, horoscope, movie time or travel inquiry be sorted and shouted, and just in case you glossed that last sentence over, we're going to reiterate once more that your SYNC system will now read back your horoscope. And guess what? These updates should be taking effect immediately, so feel free to make a mad dash for your garage and try 'er out.
mSpot stores your music* in the cloud, makes it available anywhere**
Whoa there, vaquero -- don't get too excited just yet. As with just about every other gratis backup service on the web, there's a catch you should know about with mSpot's latest endeavor. The free limit is right around 2GB (exact size is TBD), so if you've got more than a second generation iPod's worth of audio, this here service will only serve as a tease. For those who fall under that threshold, there's plenty to love, and if you're down for ponying up, you'll be able to secure 10GB for $2.99 per month or 20GB for $4.99 per month. Launched today at Google I/O, this "freemium" music cloud service essentially syncs your entire music library (either in iTunes or a user-designated arrangement of folders) with mSpot's servers -- provided your library is less than 20GB, of course -- and then makes it available anywhere. Phones and other computers should have no issue tapping in (though only Android will be supported out of the gate), and the app itself runs quietly in the background in order to check for new additions / subtractions and mirror said changes in your online library. For now, the service is available by invitation only through mspot.com, with public availability slated for next month. Size limits aside, the service worked well for us in our limited testing, though that first 20GB upload is a real pain over Time Warner Cable's obviously capped Road Runner internet. Oh, and if you're bummed about not being guaranteed an invite today, you shouldn't be. Hit that source link and enter "engadget" as the password -- the first 500 get immediate access, but once they're gone, they're gone. *20GB tops, buster! **Only on Android, Macs and PCs at first, chief!
Microsoft and Verizon say Kin's monthly pricing isn't crazy, when you think about it
Whatever you think about the Kin devices themselves, the one thing most folks can agree on is that their monthly pricing is more than a little out of step with their target audience -- except for Microsoft and Verizon, that is. Speaking to Computerworld, Microsoft senior product manager Greg Sullivan and Verizon spokesperson Brenda Raney both raised the issue of the Kin's ability to backup to the cloud when defending the high monthly price ($30 for data on top of a standard phone plan), with Sullivan saying that once customers "realize the value of this, they'll realize it's a great deal." On another note, Sullivan also used some interesting language when discussing the possibility of app downloads for the Kin, saying that "over the longer term" Microsoft will be "merging" the Kin and Windows Phone 7 platforms and adding downloadable apps. Now, that's not a radical departure from what we've heard from Microsoft before, but "merge" is a curious choice of words, isn't it?
Can the Cloud replace the Finder?
Sachin Agarwal, cofounder and CEO of Posterous, and former Apple employee who worked on Final Cut Pro, thinks that the Finder is dead. I wouldn't break out the sackcloth and ashes (or the champagne, depending on your feelings towards the Finder) just yet. He has two main points: We will no longer interact with applications or files on a desktop PC The central point of syncing your data will no longer be your PC, it will be MobileMe (the cloud) Let's address his second point first: bwahahahahahaha. OK, I feel much better. As anyone who has used iDisk knows, iDisk is terrible in its current form. It's slow, it's easily corrupted, and it does not handle sync errors well. I've been waiting for Apple to get MobileMe and especially iDisk in shape for years, and every year I ship off my $100 for MobileMe hoping that this will be the year. We are no closer to it than we were three years ago. Or five years ago. Sachin says that "the Finder hasn't been updated with anything sexy in years." That may be true, but the same thing can be said of Apple's use of "the cloud" through MobileMe. Read on for more thoughts...
Swiss scientists create dark clouds with a laser lining (video)
Lasers can tell time, shoot down missiles and power one heck of a TV. Now, scientists claim they can create rain clouds, too. Turning a 5-terawatt infrared laser on the sky in short, 100-femtosecond bursts, researchers at the University of Geneva managed to strip electrons from the surrounding air, causing the formation of "hydroxlyl radicals" and growing water droplets in their wake. Though some scientific peers believe the idea could never be used to generate real, useful rain compared to existing cloud seeding techniques, Geneva scholars have now duplicated the effect in both the lab and in the skies over Berlin, and we're sure it's only a matter of time before some nefarious villain figures the frickin' weather control technology into a suitably evil plot. Video after the break.
