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Analyst: 50 million connected HDTVs by 2013
Ready for another analyst report picking networked devices as the next big thing in U.S. households? Enter the Yankee Group, going out on a limb predicting 30 million connected Blu-ray players, 50 million connected HDTVs and 11 million digital media adapters by 2013. Hopefully that means marketers like Samsung can move you from the waiting for the next version / never got the hype side of the fence by then, we're sure grabbing the full report will provide some ideas how it can be done.
T-Mobile announces tiny new "embedded SIM" for connected devices
Sure, SIM cards are small, but they're not tiny, and fitting the entire assembly into an embedded device requires a lot of space -- so T-Mobile's new embedded SIM system should make it possible to build even smaller connected devices like hospital monitors and smart energy meters that can report back to a server. The new SIMs are the size of a pinhead and made of silicon instead of plastic, which allows them to be coded at the factory and hard-mounted directly to a device, skipping the provisioning and installation steps that would come with regular SIMs. Devices with the new SIMs are expected to be out and sending data over T-Mo's network in as little as six months -- the first is an energy meter from Echelon that should hit soon.
Yahoo! Japan launches portal for web browsing HDTVs
Not satisfied with a closed widget system, where the Digital Television Information Study Group has developed a web browser that's in the televisions of many manufacturers including Sony, Sharp and the Toshiba's announced earlier today. Yahoo! Japan has developed a version of its portal specifically aimed at net-enabled TVs, with a "10-foot" interface built for browsing by remote. Anyone else wondering why this isn't a standard feature over here yet?
Seattle crowned most wired city in America: where's your town?
Check it, Pacific Northwest -- Seattle, Washington was just named Forbes' most wired city for 2009, followed closely by Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Orlando and Boston. Of course, having Amazon and Microsoft within spitting distance probably didn't hurt matters, and the eleventy billion Starbucks WiFi hotspots likely pushed it over the edge. There are 25 other locales in the top 30 that we've yet to mention here, so head on down to the read link to see if your hometown made the cut. Oh, and way to represent, Raleigh -- numero fifteen ain't too shabby.[Via cnmoody]
DivX Connected users treated to new software, Hulu support
When Stage6 slipped six feet under, DivX Connected users were largely out of luck when it came to fetching online content. Now, however, a v1.4 of the Connected software has been released (at least in beta form), which reportedly provides support for a svelte Hulu Player plugin (among others). The app provides users with the ability to queue on Hulu.com and watch on Connected, and you can also watch recent videos and search, the latter of which was impossible on Stage6. Interested, are you? Check the read link for all the downloads you need to get going.[Thanks, Karolis]
Realtek launches 1080p-capable DivX chip for new set-top boxes
Realtek's found some additional horsepower for the next generation of DivX hardware, as its RTD1262/RTD1282 is the first to support 1080p DivX decoding as opposed from the 720p limitations on the previous solutions like the D-Link DSM-330. Designed for Networked Media Box and DVR STB applications, we're sure someone will find a box to wrap around this chip before long, although there's no word on exactly when it will be available to manufacturers. 1080p DivX DVR with support for streaming or local HDDs and USB devices? Yes, please.
Hauppauge DivX Connected device in the wild
What's this? A DivX Connected device made by Hauppauge? Judging by the image above and information from Karolis, that's exactly what it is. The same folks who (finally) delivered the HD PVR seem to be hard at work on another home entertainment box, though your guess is as good as ours when it comes to purpose, specifications, color options and price. So much for that whole "worth a thousand words" thing, huh?[Thanks, Karolis]
D-Link DSM-330 DivX Connected media streamer now shipping in the U.S.
The D-Link MediaLounge DSM-330 is finally shipping to U.S. media streaming heads fiending for its 1080p upconverting, Divx/Xvid streaming abilities, although our excitement is dimmed a bit by all the competition that's popped up since we first laid eyes on the GejBox, and Stage6 falling by the wayside certainly doesn't help. That said, DivX has been on an upswing as of late, so the launch of its first Connected hardware couldn't come a moment to soon. Unfortunately MKV support isn't part of the package yet, but for $299 it does handle quite a few formats. Interested U.S. buyers should be able to find out if it matches up to Popcorn Hour's A-100 now, with Canadian distribution following shortly. Check after the break for the press release and the rest of the details.
Games that shouldn't be MMOs
Here's a corollary post to an earlier story. Our cousin site, Cinematical, has brought teh funneh with a post about which board games would make awful movies. In that spirit, we now present to you a list of games that would make terrible MMOs, in no particular order.Please note that these are merely our particular opinions, and we're not saying that a cleverer-than-thou developer couldn't make a great MMO out of these games ... but for reasons we'll state here, it's highly unlikely. Then again, sometimes the best-sounding ideas turn out some awful games themselves (*cough* Fury *cough*), so it all evens out. Excelsior!
DSM-330 DivX Connected HD Media Player gets unboxed
We already saw this thing in the wild way back when it was known as the DivX GejBox, but now the real deal has finally been acquired and unboxed. The DSM-330 DivX Connected HD Media Player has at long last made its way into a lucky soul's hands, and as if that weren't enough, it was even photographed right beside a beta box for good measure. Hungry for more? Hit the read link and indulge.
D-Link, DivX link up on DSM-330 DivX Connected HD Media Player
First came the GejBox, then came Connected, and now the DSM-330 DivX Connected HD Media Player is checking in as the final version of DivX's first foray into the hardware realm. Hooking up with D-Link, DivX has announced its first piece of kit designed to "enable the seamless streaming of media from digital devices directly to the television set." Additionally, the DivX Connected platform -- which includes built-in support for the Stage6 DivX video service -- will indeed be open, thus allowing "consumers to access media content and services from the PC and internet through a range of consumer electronics devices." Reportedly, the device is slated to hit the UK, France, and Germany in Q4 of this year, but details surrounding a pricetag and availability for the rest of us remain undisclosed.
DivX GejBox redubbed Connected, spotted in the wild
Well, would you take a look at this. That interestingly titled GejBox that we peeked last month has seemingly been redubbed DivX Connected, received a slight facelift, and best of all, has been caught in the wild. According to DivX, "Connected is a digital home platform and interoperability standard for networked media devices, PCs and, online services," and it can supposedly access Stage6, Google Video, and ShoutCast internet radio when not playing back media on any of your networked machines. The boxes are apparently being doled out on a very limited basis and are still marked as beta hardware, but judging by the photos, it features an Ethernet port, built-in WiFi, a USB connector, and a remote to keep you firmly situated on the sofa. You know the drill, check out a few more pics after the jump.[Thanks, Dave T.]
PSPs used to teach UK students
Sony held an interesting event in London today: "PSP in Education National Launch." The event focused on a new project to be helmed by ConnectED that uses Sony's handheld gaming device for educational purposes. According to Gamespot, "teachers found that students benefited from being able to work at their own pace--for example, being able to rewind an audio file and listen again to ensure they didn't miss anything, or to view a video several times."This is certainly an interesting approach for Sony to pursue. Nintendo may be grabbing headlines with its Brain Age series of software, but Sony's approach has an observable, charitable effect for children. The project is planned to expand slowly--but not to America. Our media likes to skew perception of gaming in a completely useless, unconstructive way.
