Texas
Latest
Federal Court grants stay on EchoStar's TiVo injunction
Things are looking up for EchoStar. After getting slammed hard yesterday with $90 million in initial damages and a permanent injunction that requires them to disable all DVR functionality for users in 30 days, EchoStar has managed to get a stay on TiVo's injunction while the court battle rages on. The Federal Circuit Court of Appeals did the honors today, halting the Thursday injunction by a Texas Court, and while the current stay is temporary (they don't say for how long), EchoStar is hoping for a longer-term stay, and are fighting for an eventual overturn of the Texas decision. Doesn't seem like we're close to the finish line here yet, so we suppose DISH Network users can go on with their regularly scheduled time-shifted lives for the time being.[Via HD Beat]
Verizon's FiOS moves into 57,000 North Texan's homes
Verizon is keeping the FiOS trucks a-rolling with their move into 57,000 homes in northern Texas. This rollout covers 30,000 in Plano, 9,400 in Carrolton, 5,900 in Irving and 12,000 in Garland. The first three cities will have had the chance to order the service since the beginning of the year, but Verizon isn't stopping there as they plan on installing more and more fiber to cover North Texas. This brings FiOS subscription rate to nearly 3 million household across the country, but only in nine states. We know that it takes a long time to lay all that fiber-optic cable, but come on Verizon, lets go. We know a lot of people that would like to take advantage of the huge bandwidth and good selection of high-def stations you have to offer.
MS sued over controller design
Some no-name company from Texas is dragging Microsoft and Nintendo to court over 12 supposed patent infringements related to game controllers, that amazingly went un-noticed until now. Sony, fresh off a losing court battle over force feedback technology, seems to have avoided the dual shakedown this time around. Who holds the patent on transparent extortion schemes?[Thanks Randy]
Video Games Live seats in Indy up for sale
Tickets are now on sale for the two Video Games Live shows planned in conjunction with Gen Con Indy Friday & Saturday, August 11-12.After a stop in Philly earlier this month, the VGL tour is moving on to Houston July 14th, Chicago August 5th, and then Indianapolis the weekend after that. More on reserving seats for the Hilbert Circle Theatre can be found on the official announcement page (via the pic to the right or the Read link below).Judging by the reviews of the Philly show so far, Video Games Live sounds like it could be a lot of fun. If they keep providing public access to Guitar Hero II, they may have sold this blogger on going already. We hope Midwestern gamers not attending the Chicago show can make a pitstop in Indy to keep Tommy's show on the road. So, yeah ... rock on.See also: Official VGL report from Philly (with some local links to boot) Video Games Live ticket purchases opened a bit early The official page for Gen Con Indy PS2 impressions: Guitar Hero II
Memorial City Store Grand Opening Announced
Mac geeks in and around the Houston, TX area have begun receiving the "Come meet your new neighbor" emails which Apple sends out in preparation for a new Apple Store opening. The store located in the Memorial City Mall will hold its grand opening on June 17th at 10AM. As is standard practice with store openings, the first 1000 people through the doors will get a special edition t-shirt emblazoned with the name of the store. Customers will also be registered for a prize package which includes a 17" iMac, iPod nano, Canon PowerShot digital camera, and HP Deskjet printer. The new location will feature "The Studio" to provide support for creative amateurs and professionals alike.As always, please send us your pictures and reports from the opening. Have fun!(Thanks to everyone who sent this in.)
Web surfers to help Texas monitor border cams
Texas Governor Rick Perry has just announced a plan to leverage the eyeballs of millions of voyeuristic web surfers into a de facto army of unpaid border guards, by allowing the general public to watch live streams from video cameras trained on the Mexican border and call a toll-free number to report illegal crossings. Although the governor did not go into details on how many cameras would be installed nor how far apart they would be positioned, he did estimate the cost of the program at around five million dollars, which would buy almost 3,000 high-def HDR-HC3 camcorders even if Sony decided not to give the state a bulk discount. Leaving the whole immigration issue aside, what really stands out about this project is that it could possibly set a precedent for inner-city officials to open up their surveillance cameras to John Q. Public -- so instead of some authoritarian regime monitoring every citizen's activities, "Big Brother" will actually become all of us.[Via BBC News]
Texas Longhorns prepare to steal biggest HDTV crown
It was good while it lasted Miami. Daktronics, the same company who built the Dolphin Stadium twin-monster HDTVs has been contracted by the University of Texas to make one even bigger. As a part of renovations to their south end zone they are installing a 134x55-foot scoreboard, 370 square feet bigger than Miami's. As Engadget points out, it's actually slightly narrower and a little taller, bringing some conflict to the question of who is the biggest. All the same, if you want to check it out while everything is still bigger in Texas, you better hurry as a horse track in Tokyo is installing a 197-foot wide display.If they had announced this last year, maybe Vince Young would have returned to lead them to another National Championship.[Thanks for the tip Scott M!]
Let's tax games, proposes Texas senator
Senator Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa of Texas recently proposed a plan that would generate an estimated $65 million, which could be used to build or upgrade public schools. That plan is to apply a special tax to video game sales. The logic behind the proposal is that if school-aged kids are spending a lot of money on video games — or parents are spending a lot of money on games for their school-aged kids — these consumers can spend a little bit more in order to improve their school systems.What's outrageous is that the proposal has not been extended to other forms of popular consumer entertainment. Music? Movies? Why doesn't Hinojosa want to tax these formats?
Apple Store Southlake: Your reports
Earlier today, Apple opened its newest retail store in Southlake, Texas. As usual, we asked any TUAW operatives who may have attended the opening to share their reports and/or pictures. So, did you make it out to Southlake this weekend and brave that long line? Let us know in the comments. Here's hoping you scored a T-shirt.
Southlake, Tx Apple Store opens this weekend
Attention, Texans: Your 8th Apple Store is set to open this weekend. On Saturday, April 8th at 10:00 AM*, Apple will open its newest retail location, Apple Store Southlake Town Square in Southlake. This store is located at 260 Grand Avenue in Southlake, near Pottery Barn on Grand Street. You can find complete travel directions here. As usual, the first 1000 visitors will be rewarded with commemorative t-shirts. Visitors can also enter to win the “Grand Opening Sweepstakes,” which will award one winner with an iMac, an iPod nano, a Canon digital camera, a Sony Handycam CCD-TRV138, and an HP inkjet printer.If you're going to attend the opening at Southlake, please send us links to your photos and reports! Good luck and have fun.*This is actually still kind of up in the air. ifoAppleStore is reporting that the store may be opening at 9:55AM, five minutes earlier than the rest of the mall. You may want to work that into your travel plans.
Apple Store NorthPark Center: Your reports
Earlier today, Apple opened its newest retail store in Dallas, Texas. As usual, we asked any TUAW operatives who may have attended the opening to share their reports and/or pictures. So, did you make it out to Dallas this weekend and brave that long line? Let us know in the comments. Here's hoping you scored a T-shirt.
Dallas, Texas Apple Store opens this weekend
Attention, Texans. This Saturday, March 4th at 10:00 AM, Apple will open its newest retail location, Apple Store NorthPark Center in Dallas. This store is located at 8687 North Central Expressway, Suite 1444 in the NorthPark Center, on Level One between Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom. You can find complete travel directions here. As usual, the first 1000 visitors will be rewarded with commemorative t-shirts. Visitors can also enter to win the “Grand Opening Sweepstakes,” which will award one winner with an iMac, an iPod nano, a Canon digital camera, a Sony Handycam CCD-TRV138, and an HP inkjet printer.If you're going to attend the opening at NorthPark Center, please send us links to your photos and reports! Good luck and have fun.
iPod as theological metaphor?
Metropolitan Baptist Church Pastor Sal Sberna of Houston, TX has been delivering a series of four "iPod Theology" sermons that focus on the simplicity of the iPod. Sal said that his intention is to tap into the pool of millions of iPod owners, who represent a potentially huge audience for his church. "The reason the outside of the iPod is so simple to use and so beautiful to look at is because of the way they designed the inside of the iPod," said Sberna. "All you do on the outside is push the little button, drive the wheel and pick what usefulness you want out of your iPod, and so when Jesus talks to us about simplification, it must start on the inside." If you've had any doubts about the iPod's far-reaching appeal, consider them squashed.Kudos to the pastor for trying to reach a younger audience by embracing some current technology. He says he hopes to one day make his sermons available as podcasts.[Via IPod Garage]
Texas, Rhode Island Apple Stores on the way
According to Apple Retail watchdog site ifoAppleStore, Houston, Texas and Providence, Rhode Island may have brand new Apple Stores in their respective futures. First, they suggest that Houston's second Apple Store will appear at the Memorial City Mall, bringing Texas' tally of Apple Stores to seven. In Rhode Island, it looks like Apple has finalized plans for a location in the Providence Mall. Good luck to locals of both locations. We hope these plans come to fruition. For those of you in southern New England, don't pass up Ye Olde English Fish and Chips in Woonsocket, RI while on your way to the Providence Mall. That place is fantastic.
Jan. 4: What's on HDTV Today
What we're watching: The game of the century.#1 vs. #2. Texas vs. USC.Rose BowlI've barely been able to sleep at night as visions of Vince Young, Reggie Bush and Matt Leinhart danced through my head and finally the day is here. I'm leaning towards Texas in an upset because I think they have a better defense than USC has seen so far. But if Reggie Bush and Matt Leinhart (and Lendale White) are half as good as they have seemed all season, it's really impossible to call.There is nothing else worth watching tonight, the two best teams are playing, be there and in HD. After the jump is our traditional listing of HD programs throughout the night.
