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Updated FiOS Twitter and Facebook widgets add onscreen keyboard, not friends or followers
Just a few weeks after debuting its Twitter and Facebook widgets, Verizon is refreshing them by giving viewers an onscreen cellphone-style keyboard to mash out their own tweets and Facebook status updates from the remote. Though we wonder if it wouldn't be easier to just use ones actual cellphone to spread your inane viewing habits amongst those unlucky enough to count you as a friend, the services have apparently been quite popular so far, with millions of Tweets and Facebook photos viewed since it was released. As usual, the free apps can be found in the Widget Bazaar, where Verizon CIO Shaygan Kheradpir will be looking for more tools that "engage viewers" once the SDK is released later this year. Not close to your TV (or an area with FiOS TV service?) check out a few screens of the new functionality below.
CinemaNow to offer flicks via a Yahoo! Widget this fall
Just in case you were wondering how Blockbuster was so easily sliding onto Samsung televisions, Sonic Solutions officially announced its plan to launch a Yahoo! Widget this fall, so we should expect to see the many CinemaNow powered online movie houses like Blockbuster, Lionsgate and Warner Bros. and upcoming efforts from Best Buy and Zip.ca popping up in menus for internet connected TVs and set-top boxes all over.
Verizon gives FiOS TV some app store, social media flavor
Confirming the theory that one day soon everything will have an app store of some kind, Verizon has launched its Widget Bazaar for FiOS TV, dedicated to bringing new interactive experiences to FiOS TV subscribers, starting with Facebook, Twitter, and ESPN Fantasy Football. Don't expect to tap out 140 character missives via remote for now, at launch viewers can only view tweets, not post them or log in to their own accounts, although updating Facebook status and personalized ESPN Fantasy Football info is available. Verizon has promised to publish its SDK to enable "open development" (limited to a select group of developers of course) which should bring many free & for-pay apps to join the current (free) offerings by year-end. Also made official is the addition of searching and viewing video from blip.tv, Dailymotion and Veoh, plus the long awaited ability to stream personal videos from a connected PC, available free of charge to Home Media DVR customers. No word yet on what codecs the updated Home Media Manager software will support for transcoding to MPEG-2 and streaming to the set-top box so keep those MKVs holstered for now and check a few screens of the apps in action in our gallery or a quick video walkthrough embedded after the break. Update: Verizon let us know it will support FLV, WMV, MPEG-1, AVI, MPG, PM4/M4V, 3GP/3G2
D-Link's Xtreme N DIR-685 storage router hands-on and impressions
Somehow or another, D-Link managed to combine a NAS, digital photo frame, secondary display and 802.11n router into a single device, and when the Xtreme N DIR-685 Storage Router was announced way back at CES this year, we were certainly interested to see how such a conglomerate would go over. At long last, the do-it-all wireless router is finally making its way out to the public at large, and with an MSRP of $299.99 (sans any internal HDD space), it's definitely one of the pricier routers out there. We've taken this strikingly unique device into our lairs for a few days of testing, and if you're interested in seeing if this bad boy is worth the price of admission, you'll need to follow us past the break.
Sungale WiFi Widget photo frame gets a hands-on
Sungale's recently unleashed a WiFi-enabled, widget-having digital photo frame -- the ID800WT -- and the fine folks over at Zatz Not Funny have taken it for a little spin. The 800 x 600 resolution touchscreen boasts 512 MB of internal storage, and widgets for weather, news, Picasa, YouTube, Gmail, and Internet radio. The reviewer didn't find the widgets to be particularly awesome, in many respects -- their implementation, for instance, made the Gmail app "nearly useless" because it displayed only a few lines at a time, and many had trouble connecting to the internet properly. It wasn't all doom and gloom, however -- they really liked the frame in theory, and thought that the company was shooting for the right idea -- they just didn't actually succeed. The frame will be available sometime in the coming month for about $165.
HP unveils Photosmart Premium with Touchsmart Web: "world's first web-connected printer"
Looking to make the wild and not-entirely-wondrous world of printers exciting for the first time in decades, HP has just unveiled the "world's first web-connected printer." If you're wondering how it plans on accomplishing such an impossible mission, let us just say this: the Photosmart Premium is going the way of the widget. Up on the 4.33-inch front panel is Touchsmart Web, a touchscreen interface with several bundled, online apps to accommodate usual paper-friendly tasks such as printing Google maps, tickets from Fandango, coupons, recipes, Sudoku, etc. There's even a full-on HD Apps Studio just in case downloading new apps on one's printer really becomes the new hotness. The API's being made open for the entire realm of developers, but we have to wonder what kind of interest we'll see here. Pricing is set for $399, and if you're thinking "why not just buy a cheap netbook and plug it into my current model" we hear ya, but we get the impression this is aimed squarely at another crowd. Lots more details are just past the break. Update: We just had a chance to try the printer / Touchsmart for ourselves. First off, surprise, the screen is capacitive touch, and it works well -- but only one finger at a time. We asked a rep about multitouch and were told that while technically feasible, it's not gonna be supported at this time. The widgets are created with a combination of HTML5 and Java, and much to our surprise, video streaming has been implemented. The Monsters vs. Aliens trailer we saw was decent resolution, but really, it's not a place where we need pristine quality. More screens in the gallery below.
SilverPac's SilverFrame hands-on at Computex
SilverPac's SilverFrame is certainly doing its best to break the boring mold of typical digital photo frames, and while we were understandably skeptical about the idea on paper, we're beginning to warm to it after a little face time at Computex. Said frame is more like a widget console than anything else, and it definitely reminds us of that Samsung / Chumby prototype digiframe that we peeked back at CES. Don't take our word for it, though -- hit the read link to soak it in yourself.
Yahoo Japan fires up video delivery service for Sharp AQUOS TVs
With Akihabara, mobile TV that works and games like this, does Japan really need another nicety to remind us of how awesome it is? Starting this week, Yahoo Japan has started to deliver free video services to loads of Sharp AQUOS HDTVs. The so-called Douga Channel currently offers some 3,000 videos gratis, and absolutely no member registration is required to tap in. At least initially, the service will target Sharp's AQUOS DS6 family of products, which are equipped with a revised Sharp GUI and an 'Ex System' for handling the video processing. Better still, the material coming through can be viewed in SD or HD, which has to make local cable companies cringe. At any rate, the company is still trying to hammer out a business model before delving into pay-TV, and it's hoping to service at least one million TV sets in the not-too-distant future. So... any news for North America?
Video: Sony's XBR9 and Z-series TVs herald the death of the set-top-box
It's been a long time coming, but television manufacturers have finally wised up to the ways of the Internet and the realities of modern content sourcing and distribution. Case in point, Sony, with its XBR9 and Z-series televisions with built-in Ethernet jack for accessing internet media and informational widgets based on the Yahoo platform. The cats over at SonyConvergineer have put together a few introductory videos (embedded after the break) showing-off Sony's connected capabilities on a production set using Sony's Xross Media Bar UI and Bravia remote control. Right, XMB, thus making the user experience on these Bravias consistent with Sony's PS3 and PSP gaming consoles and select VAIO laptops. A unified-UI trend noticed by Samsung and others that helps promote a consistent user experience across devices. About time, eh?
Verizon tells what to expect from FiOS TV in the future
During a media briefing in Washington, Gear Live got a few details on what Verizon plans next for its FiOS TV service (beyond continuing its inexorable spread that we track weekly, of course.) No details or additional pics on the 1080p VOD packing, widescreen HD menus peeped earlier, but they did confirm 1080p is "a couple of software revisions away." In the nearer future, expect Facebook and Twitter widgets that key into what you're watching, plus video streaming in the home media manager and the possibility of Slingbox-style streaming from FiOS TV Central, once the appropriate agreements are signed, of course.
DirecTV's ScoreGuide tool makes catching the quickest boxing matches even easier
DirecTV subs may not notice the company has been spun off, but they might have peeped the new ScoreGuide, letting sports fans watch one channel while keeping scores and start times of live events posted on screen, then letting viewers switch to the appropriate channel easily. Accessed by tuning into any one of DirecTV's sports channels then punching the red button on your remote, it can collapse to show just one game or stay open to show all daily events. Want to avoid clicking over only to find the boxing match is already over two rounds in or you missed a great Kentucky Derby comeback, or yet another triple overtime thriller? We can see how this could be useful.
Is TiVo planning a Flash upgrade?
Put this on our watchlist for the 2010 CES (or earlier, we're not picky) TiVoBlog.com recently pointed out a twitter indicating TiVo is looking for a Flash expert to work on embedded applications -- like the ones that could bring Adobe's widgets to its DVR hardware. Assuming the Series4 (or whatever it ends up being called) uses processors from Broadcom or Sigma, Flash platform support should come included, let's just hope this is a part of an overall UI refresh and not a resource hogging add-on slapped over the same old SD interface.
Twittering from the World of Warcraft
Just in case you needed any more Twitter in your life (I'm getting to the point where I really don't), enter the PlayXpert Twitter widget, part of the PlayXpert gaming toolset, a free Windows application that you can download to run alongside your PC games (very similar to Xfire and that type of application). It's a little bloaty if all you want to do is run Twitter alongside WoW, but unfortunately, that functionality will never be available in an addon, as addons can't interact with any other outside sites.The poor man's solution here is to just run WoW in windowed mode and have your Twitter browser or client open right next to it -- you don't need a big application if you really need to be connected at all times. But if you want to livetweet your raid without sacrificing screen space to windowed mode, PlayXpert is one way to do it. It'll even do some autotwittering for you if you want.And of course if you're on Twitter already, don't forget to follow our WoW Insider Twitter account. We've already hit our goal of over 9,000 followers (and yes, a video version of the podcast is coming soon), but we're constantly throwing out little pieces of news, discussion and even some giveaways over there, so follow us if you're interested.
Android 1.5's widget support gets detailed
One of the huge features missing from Android at its initial launch was proper widget extensibility -- as far as the official SDK was concerned, what you saw on the home screen when you took your phone out of the box was what you got, no questions asked. Fortunately, this is a marquis addition in 1.5, and the official Android Developers Blog is detailing exactly how this is all going to go down. In short, it looks like devs have complete control -- as it should be -- with the ability to infinitely tweak widget update intervals and appearance. As any G1 owner can attest, this action can't possibly come soon enough.
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?
BlizzPlanet hosts a chat with Arthas author Christie Golden [Updated]
Our friend Medievaldragon over at BlizzPlanet is going fan-crazy about the new Arthas, Rise of the Lich King book, due out in bookstores any day now. And with good reason, too -- apparently both Alex and Dan are also nuts about the book, and it's basically a must-read if you're at all interested in the lore behind Arthas, Jaina, and the creature we all know as the Lich King. And Medievaldragon has set up an awesome opportunity for anyone interested in the novel: they're having a live public chat with author Christie Golden on Thursday evening, April 9th, at 9pm Eastern. She'll be sitting down in the CoverItLive widget there to talk with you about the lore behind the book, how she worked with Blizzard to figure out where Arthas is and where he's going, and whatever else you'd like to ask.Sounds like fun, but if you are in the EU you'll have to stay up late if you want to see it all happen live. It begins at about 3am in Paris, so it'll be a late night if you have questions you want to ask. The good news is that the CoverItLive widget logs the chat, so even if you can't make it to see everything go down live, you can scroll back through it later and read up on what happened.The book itself is due out April 21 -- you can preorder a collectible version of the novel if you want to right now for $32, which isn't cheap, or you can pre-order the non-collectible version from Amazon.com for $16.50. You can also support your local fantasy bookstore and wait until later in the month to pick it up there.[UPDATE: Corrected the live chat date to April 9.]
Widget Watch: hiddenfiles
Ever wonder what files your Mac is hiding from you? Maybe not, but once in a while there's a need to peek at the stuff OS X keeps you from viewing. Finder does a nice job of hiding the "guts" of some folders, you see, but there are occasions (troubleshooting, setting up a web server, looking for some folders, etc.) when you'll need to view and/or edit these files or folders. Enter hiddenfiles, a simple and unobtrusive widget that'll show those hidden files and folders.Sure, you can use Onyx or Terminal and do some command line work. But it's much easier to drop into Dashboard, hit "Show" on the blue button and have Finder relaunch, showing all invisible files. I had to click on Finder in the Dock to actually launch it again, but when I did there were those lovely .DS_Store files, staring me down. I use this to remove the hidden _files off my daughter's PC-friendly MP3 player. That way she doesn't have to scroll through resource-fork versions of her songs.The widget is free and available from developer Matthew Hansen's page.
Vista sidebar widget available for WoW players
If you're a Vista user, that odd sidebar has suddenly become relevant to your WoW lifestyle. Available for free from the Wndows Live site, WoW Explorer has a host of neat little plugins. The simplest of these features include the ability to put your realm on the Explorer skin -- you'll instantly be able to see if your realm is up or down, or what its population is like right now. You can also select your Explorer's theme, size, and toggle its docking behavior.The Explorer's neatest feature, however, is the search functionality. The plugin lives on your Vista sidebar, which gives you instant search from your desktop. You can choose which popular site is the Explorer's default (such as your intrepid WoW Insider or maybe Wowhead), and the results instantly return in a flyout window. I ran several different searches, such as looking for Dual Specs or some different fat loot, and found the widget to be incredibly fast and responsive.You can't beat the price at "free." Since I'm one of the masses who had previously stared at the sidebar wondering if the dang thing would have any use, it's nice to see something WoW-related live over my local weather widget.
Samsung 6000 / 7000 and Sony BRAVIA V-series LCDs appear on Bestbuy.com
Tthe new HDTVs from CES 2009 are almost upon us, with new Samsungs and a few Sony BRAVIAs popping up on Best Buy's website with the pricetags and shipping dates we've been waiting for. Samsung's 55-inch Internet@TV widget enabled, LED-backlit 7100 model has a pricetag of $3,799, although we couldn't get any indication when to expect one in our neck of the woods. The 46-inch 6000 series model checks in at $2,799 and is due in early April, with assorted sizes falling in from there, including selections from the older CCFL backlit 6 series line. Checking for a Sony V-Series BRAVIA or the 32-inch XBR9? They're up as well, with a $2,399 pricetag on the 52-inch KDL-52V5100 due in stores March 22, although the Internet enabled sets are nowhere to be found. Take another look at our video of widgets in action before deciding, if the benefits of LED backlighting are cause to upgrade this spring are you ready to chip in $200 extra (the price difference between Samsung's Yahoo! widget packing 7000 series and old school Infolink RSS 6000 series models) to Twitter on your TV?[Thanks, Deen & Best Buy Employee]
Telsey BLOBbox grabs TV wherever it may be: OTA, torrents or streaming
Say hello to yet another Internet / TV mash-up, with the CeBIT launch of the first TVBLOB powered device, the Telsey BLOBbox. Taking the widget platform idea even further, the BLOBbox promises access to DTV broadcasts with a user upgradeable 160GB DVR, and unlimited potential for pulling in Internet videos via BitTorrent, HTTP/FTP, podcasts, and streaming either directly or from a local PC. Unlike, for example, the Yahoo! powered TVs we saw at CES where manufacturers can determine access to functionality, the Linux based system touts open technologies, and its BLOBKit SDK is available today in the hopes of creating an environment where anyone can create and deliver a TV app, without worrying about content deals. At launch, there's 1080p out over HDMI and an Ethernet hookup, with an optional dongle for WiFi, and apps for YouTube, Last.fm, Picasa and more built in. MP4, DivX and XviD support is accounted for with upgrades like Facebook access and MKV said to be on the way for the €389 ($490) box, currently available through an Italian reseller, at least until someone decides to bring this over here.
