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Griffin's Beacon for iOS devices now shipping, post-remote living for just $80
Sure, you could get a Peel Fruit to turn your iPhone into a universal remote, but if you want a totally wire-free solution Griffin's Beacon is finally available as an alternative. If you'll recall, the battery powered base -- controlled by Dijit's remote control app -- takes your iPhone or iPad's Bluetooth signal, converts it to IR, and blasts commands to your A/V gear. We spent some time with the device at CES and found the package to be quite nice thanks to the versatile base and relatively seamless app. If you're feeling the urge to switch up how you've been flipping through channels, $80 will get you one from Griffin's website or an Apple Store starting today.
RCN exec confirms TiVo Premiere multiroom streaming in latest update
Over on DSLReports, RCN's Director of Video Product and Video Operations revealed details about the 14.8 software update coming to the cable company's TiVo Premieres, including the multiroom streaming support that posters at TiVo Community have already found evidence of in retail boxes. Apparently this is all a part of RCN beta testing a move to the Premiere's HD UI on its boxes (currently still using the classic interface) and adding support for features like the TiVo iPad app and even TiVo-styled menus for browsing VOD. As Zatz Not Funny points out, we still have no idea when the streaming may actually get activated, but hopefully it will get knocked off the list of features we're still waiting for (dual-core support, DirecTiVo) sooner rather than later.
HBO Go mobile app hands-on (video)
HBO Go has been live on the iTunes App Store and Android Market for just a few short hours, but we've already put it through the paces, poking and prodding on our iPad and iPhone, to see what all the hubbub's about. We're pleased with the hefty amount of video that HBO's offering up here, and the interface is pretty intuitive as well. Still, browsing through the myriad content on the iPad's larger screen is definitely a bit more leisurely than on the iPhone's 3.5-inch counterpart. Both apps sport the same feature set, so searching for content, saving things to watch later, and blasting updates to Facebook and Twitter will work well on whichever device you choose. To make the deal even sweeter, it's free for current subscribers, so there's really no reason to not check it out for yourself -- unless you don't have HBO, in which case we have a video walkthrough embedded after the break. Update: Sorry Android users, but it looks like the only supported versions for the Android app are 2.1 - 2.3.3. However, we're getting reports that it does function in the browser -- so long as you've got Flash installed, of course. We're also told that the HBO Go site works just fine on the PlayBook as well. %Gallery-122541%
Time Warner Cable brings back Discovery, Fox channels to its iPad app
Just a couple of weeks after removing several channels from its live TV streaming iPad app Time Warner Cable has added most of them back again. The notable exception here are networks owned by Viacom, which it took to court last week. So far, other than announcing Discovery and Fox channels are back on the TWCable TV iPad app, we weren't able to get anything other than a no comment out of anyone at the companies involved. That means we don't know if the channel providers have spontaneously come around to Time Warner's way of thinking (this seems unlikely) or if it has simply decided to press the issue. We'll see who is suing who next week, until then you can enjoy watching whatever happens to be on Fox News Channel, FX or National Geographic (if you actually do enjoy that, we don't like to live by programmers broadcast schedules - DVR4LIFE) on your iPad as much as you like.
TWCable TV iPad app updated with a few more channels, brings back Discovery
Time Warner has added several new cable channels to its TWCable TV iPad app, including Discovery Channel and Animal Planet, which were two of the channels yanked after broadcasters complained. we don't know if they've worked out an agreement over the matter, but viewers can now enjoy those two as well as TLC, Sundance, Lifetime, Military History and Wedding Central on their tablets. Check out the TWCableUntangled blog for the official word, we'll wait and see if Viacom or Fox budge next.
NewSight Japan uses film, software to give the iPad a 3D display... sort of (video)
Given Apple's track record of adopting newfangled technologies -- you know, like SD slots -- we're going to go ahead and assume Steve Jobs & Co. aren't planning on adding a 3D display to the iPad anytime soon. Now that you've swallowed that distasteful dose of reality, NewSight Japan is inviting you to mod it yourself in a way thankfully doesn't involve performing open-heart surgery on your magical slate. The solution -- whose name we can't decipher on the company's Japanese website -- combines software with a film placed over the display (not to worry, this won't impede mulltitouch gestures). Unfortunately, it doesn't flip 2D images to 3D, so those operating sans a 3D-enabled camera or conversion software are apt to be sorely disappointed. That said, it'd fit right into a utopian universe where 3D movie downloads were the norm.
NBC Live iPad app adds interactivity to shows, won't keep Michael on The Office
While other networks (Fox and ABC) have dipped a toe in with specialized iPad companion apps, NBC is going a different route with the recently launched NBC Live. From the screens, it's able to pull up information on multiple shows in a similar style to the website and provides social feeds and interactive features between viewers while they watch the show on TV. What it doesn't do is stream video to the iPad like the ABC Player has since launch which, judging from some of the reviews, is confusing to would-be users. It's a free download though, so try it out and let us know if you're interested in "tuning in, interacting and engaging" with Parks & Rec or 30 Rock in a whole new way. [Thanks, TV Tipster]
Poll: Are you watching TV with/on a tablet?
Adding a tablet component to your TV service is all the rage among providers and set-top box manufacturers these days (Comcast, DirecTV, Dish, TiVo, Motorola, FiOS, Cablevision, Time Warner, Boxee just to name a few) but our question today is how many of our EHD readers are putting any of them to use. Check out the poll options below and find the one that fits you best, then tell us why in the comments below. Are all these iPad apps just a fad or is the tablet here to stay? %Poll-62573%
Time Warner Cable takes Viacom to court over its TWCable TV iPad app; Viacom responds
While there's been a lot of talk about whether or not Time Warner has the right to include feeds of cable channels it carries in the new TWCable TV app, besides the company's voluntary removal of several networks there's been very little action until now. Time Warner Cable announced this afternoon it has filed a request in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York for a declaratory judgement regarding Viacom's cable networks. Time Warner continues to maintain its carriage agreements give it the right to allow subscribers access on any screen in their home, not just the TV and is apparently ready to prove that in court -- or at least drive Viacom, Discovery, Fox and other complaining networks towards more favorable negotiations. The app added seven more channels earlier today, while we wait for Viacom's side of the story you can check out the press release after the break or Time Warner's official blog to understand its stance in full. Update: Viacom has responded, saying Time Warner "blatantly grabbed the rights that their competitors have negotiated in good faith to obtain" forcing it to file a lawsuit of its own. The gloves are officially off -- check the full text after the break, or a PDF of Viacom's complaint linked below.
Cable iPad app roundup: Cablevision counts 50k downloads, Time Warner adds channels, Comcast increases VOD
For whatever reason, cable companies have fallen in love with extending their offerings to Apple's tablet, and as a result we have a glut of news centered around the devices from Cablevision, Time Warner Cable and Comcast. First up is Cablevision's Optimum app, despite upsetting a few sports networks it has passed 50,000 downloads from the App Store and as the press release (included after the break) notes, has been the #1 app in the Entertainment category since Sunday. The TWCable TV app also has good news, it's adding seven channels including Oxygen and Lifetime. While Comcast's Xfinity TV doesn't stream live TV like the other two here, it does have access to video on-demand and the company just announced it's added more viewing options bringing the total up to 4,500 hours of video available, up from 3,000 two months ago. More info is available at the source links, we're just wondering how many of you are actually dialing up any of this content on your iPads?
Cablevision Optimum for iPad app now available, streams hundreds of TV channels plus VOD
The new Cablevision iPad app is out, taking on broadcasters (Fox, Discovery, Viacom) attacking Time Warner's live TV streaming TWCable TV app by offering subscribers the same channels as their iO TV package and video on demand. The Optimum for iPad app also includes the ability to set up DVR recordings, delete recorded shows and browse TV listings, although it doesn't act as a direct remote for the cable box. The last time Fox and Cablevision squared off subscribers couldn't watch their shows on Hulu or two games of the World Series which, along with a long battle over network DVRs, suggests the cable company is prepared to dig its heels in deep on this issue. Multichannel News points out subscribers need at least one cable box to make use of the new app and the TOS states it can only be used within the customer's residence. Subscribers suitably equipped can grab the app at the iTunes link below, check out pics in the gallery or a video demo by a user embedded after the break. Update: Now we have the press release and fact sheet from Cablevision (included after the break) so here it is by the numbers: 300 channels, can be registered on up to three iPads per account and used on any two simultaneously. Remote control functions are scheduled for the summer, and the company states that since it is delivering channels over the digital cable network and not the internet (no 'net service required) it believes this use is covered by existing carriage agreements. [Thanks, johnnydop, jcdesimp & Michael] %Gallery-120267%
Time Warner Cable's app adds new live TV channels to watch on your iPad
Disputes with Fox, Viacom and Discovery caused Time Warner to pull 11 of the 32 original channels from its live TV streaming TWCable TV app yesterday, but as promised it has brought in some new ones to replace them. Among the 17 channels added are several networks from the ABC/Disney group including ABC Family, Disney, Disney XD and ESPNnews, plus NBC Universal selections like MSNBC, Syfy and USA as well as the curious addition of Fox News. We're still not convinced watching TV on our tablet is a more useful development than using it as a remote/couch companion but until those features arrive or the app gets sued out of existence, that's what this one does. Check the full list of new channels after the break or on the TWCable Untangled blog. Update: There's no word from Time Warner, but Multichannel News reports five more new channels have been added this afternoon - Bloomberg TV, PBS Kids Sprout, Hallmark Movie Channel, Current TV and TruTV. Turner also stated TBS will join them once the app supports MLB blackout restrictions, which is also the reason why other ESPN stations aren't included yet.
Time Warner removes channels from iPad app while Cablevision prepares one of its own
Time Warner Cable was the first party to blink in the battle with programmers over its new live TV streaming TWCable TV iPad app, removing channels from Viacom, Fox and Discovery. The company's official statement indicates its merely choosing to focus on the "enlightened programmers" who support its cause and that it will provide replacement channels (maybe BBC America, since it's in all the screenshots) ASAP, possibly as soon as tomorrow. Expect the legal fight to continue to heat up between Time Warner, which believes it has obtained all the rights necessary to provide these channels on any screen in a customer's home, and the programmers, that think it hasn't. Throwing more gasoline on the fire is word from Cablevision that its new iPad app with TV and video on-demand access was supposed to be out already and is merely awaiting Apple's approval before it launches. According to the Wall Street Journal it will go forward launching the Optimum Link -- formerly PC to TV Media Relay -- product that brings video from their PC to the TV tomorrow. Check out the list of pulled channels after the break or on Time Warner's blog, we'll let you know when or if anything changes.
Adobe demonstrates legitimate Photoshop capabilities on iPad, deems it but a concept (video)
So, here's a thought. Why, if you were a dutiful Adobe employee, would you waste countless days and weeks creating what could very well be the next big iPad app, only to deem it a concept and never actually promise a real release? Exactly. During the 2011 edition of Photoshop World, a bigwig from the company took the stage in order to showcase what could soon be possible with Photoshop on-the-go, and if you've been wowed by the powers of Photoshop Express, you'll be utterly floored by what Adobe has been able to do here. The wildest part, in our estimation, is the absence of stuttering when manipulating multiple images and applying filters, but then again, they may be working with a pixel-optimized set of shots (versus a full-size RAW, for example) in this particular demo. As we said, no one's even confirming that this has any hope of breaching reality, but we're going ahead and making the outlandish assumption that Adobe's not just wasting our (and its own) time by showcasing this in public. Video's below, bub. [Thanks, Nick]
Boxee 1.05 bringing 'huge browser update' by end of March
There's still not a ton of specifics on this one just yet, but Boxee's VP of Marketing, Andrew Kippen, has confirmed on the TechWebcast podcast that the Boxee 1.05 update will be rolling out by the end of March -- which, last we checked, wasn't that far away. The big news there is that it will boast a "huge browser update" that will not only speed up the browser considerably, but add compatibly with far more video-minded websites. Kippen also mentioned the iPad app we first saw back at CES, which will let you stream content from your iPad to your Boxee Box, and adds some social features like the ability to see what your friends are watching. Still no word on an exact release date for it, but it will apparently only be compatible with the iPad 2 for reasons unknown. Update: Fear not original iPad owners, Boxee just informed us that the iPad app will in fact work on all iPads. It's also let us know that the Boxee Box update will actually be version 1.05, not 1.5, but it will still include everything described.
TWCable TV iPad app struggling with high demand, angry cable channels
Time Warner's TWCable TV iPad app could only serve 15 of the originally announced 32 channels (which curiously did not include BBC America, despite its appearance in these screens from iTunes) due to higher than anticipated demand that crashed the servers last night (Broadcasting & Cable reports the channels have since been restored.) According to the official blog it was the most downloaded app in the iTunes store yesterday and while its engineers work on a more permanent fix, cutting the channel count was the only way to make sure people can actually open the app and log in. However, there may be more than technical difficulties that take channels offline in the future, as Adweek reports several cable networks are upset with the app, quoting one unnamed affiliate head as saying "our position is that [this sort of distribution] is not authorized by our affiliate agreements." Networks like Discovery have already made public their dissatisfaction with Dish's Sling-powered app, with everyone from Comcast to DirecTV to TiVo potentially getting in on the act we'll probably see a slew of carriage disputes and lawsuits before every channel goes the way of ESPNNetworks.
TWCable TV app for iPad now available, but Dish has something to say about being 'first with live streaming'
Announced yesterday, Time Warner Cable's iPad app arrived via iTunes as scheduled this morning to meet the rest of the pay-TV provider apps sporting its one key feature: live TV streaming of 32 cable channels. Speaking of the competition, Dish Network had something to say about that claim to fame as first with live streaming, since it's already offered an app with Sling-powered streaming from its boxes. Of course, they're not exactly the same approach since TWCable TV doesn't potentially require any add-on hardware or tie up a tuner on your set-top box, while the Dish approach enjoys the ability of working beyond the reach of your home's WiFi, and can tune in to any channel. Other than requiring both cable TV and high speed internet service those two last notes may be the key weaknesses to this strategy; while the TWCable TV app advertises itself as "another TV screen," it's one with significant limits and currently lags behind the competition by lacking features like remote control or DVR scheduling. Check after the break for Dish's press release or just click through to iTunes to nab the app yourself.
iPad gets Flash yet again with iSwifter app, Android version coming soon (hands-on)
Ever since Skyfire brought Flash to the iPad with its server-side solution, we've had a feeling that others would try to emulate the experience and satisfy the general public's desire for the venerable format on Apple's tablet. iSwifter is another entrant to the space, and its app claims to allow access to any Flash content on the web -- a lofty claim indeed. Oh, and did we mention it's coming to Android versions above 2.2 as well? We've given the iPad app a brief rundown, so head past the break for a breakdown of the positives and negatives. %Gallery-118776%
Netflix for iPad updated with a new custom UI but loses features like DVD queueing
While its page on iTunes doesn't show any change, HackingNetflix points out Netflix for iPad was updated today with a new version of the app that gives it a customized interface instead of just pulling up a lightly customized version of the standard webpage. That reduces browsing options to four areas: Home, Genres, Search and Instant Queue. Note the word instant, because there is no longer any way to access one's DVD queue from within the app (pulling up the Netflix page in a browser window or using a third party app, still works just fine) mirroring the changes made on TV streaming frontends in January. While there are a few reviews praising it for sleeker, speedier access, removing access to DVDs (plus detailed info on each movie like user or critic reviews, cast lists and more) has already been met with angry comments. We've always found the Netflix interface on iPhone and iPad somewhat lacking when it came to queue management anyway, now that Watch Instantly streaming is its only reason for being we're wondering if you consider that a positive or negative change.
LIFE's photographic history of computing
LIFE Magazine was a great magazine in its day. Since ceasing monthly publication in 2000 and closing as a newspaper supplement in 2007, the brand itself appears on the occasional "special issue" and has continued showcasing images on its website. You can also browse the LIFE archives through the lovely and free iPad app. LIFE puts together galleries from time to time around various themes, and one that might be relevant to your interests is A Brief History Of Computing. Starting with the abacus and working through history to get to current events (I won't give away the ending!), it's an interesting look at how technology has evolved on the computing front over the last 5,000 years. Highlights include a couple of Steves, a guidance computer from the Apollo space program and the first iPod. Which image is your favorite? P.S. Our own Mike Rose was a manager at the monthly LIFE from 1996 to 2000.
