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Gadget Rewind 2005: Slingbox
A company called Sling Media burst onto the scene in 2005 with a relatively new idea: give customers the ability to access their home cable and video services while they're traveling. Its "place-shifting" concept was embodied in its first device: the Slingbox. While you're on the road, this set-top-like box served to connect you to your very own TiVo recorded shows, media PC or cable and satellite TV services, provided you had a computer with Sling Media's software and an internet connection (preferably high-speed). The original design was somewhat unique, resembling an oversized candy bar (Sling calls it an "ingot"), and it was a clear favorite of both Engadget editors and readers, earning the title of best home entertainment device for 2005. At launch, the $250 price certainly wasn't cheap -- especially for standard definition only -- and it was markedly Windows-centric, excluding Apple users until its Mac compatible software arrived around 2007.
