Latest Gear Live Videos
Will the Apple TV set be driven by apps and Siri?
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, HDTV, Home Entertainment
As soon as Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs hit the streets, buzz about a possible Apple television set has hit a fever pitched. The idea was renewed based on comments Jobs made that he had finally "cracked" the interface for such a device. Now a new report suggests that we may have already met that interface: Siri.
It's been less than a month since the new digital voice assistant on the iPhone 4S debuted to the public, but Apple may already have plans for it to feature as the controller of a connected TV. Nick Bilton, writing for the Times' Bits blog, says Apple engineers tried one thing after another in their search to simplify or do away with the remote control. After floating ideas like a wireless keyboard or iPhone control, they eventually had their eureka moment: just talk to it.
Although the report cites anonymous sources who say Apple has a television in the works, it's not clear if the information about Siri as a controller comes from them or is Bilton's speculation. It does seem like a logical move for Apple to include Siri in future products, particularly any TVs it may be working on. However, it remains to be seen if consumers fully embrace it as a control mechanism or see it as a barely useful extra. In addition, integrating Siri would require a level of electronics that most TVs don't have, pushing the price up.
Click to continue reading Will the Apple TV set be driven by apps and Siri?
Advertisement
Comcast and Verizon live TV content expected to come to Xbox 360
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Home Entertainment, Microsoft, Rumors, Video Games
Microsoft will partner with providers like Comcast and Verizon for its upcoming Xbox 360 integrated TV experience, according to a Bloomberg report.
Users will sign into Comcast Xfinity and Verizon FiOS apps on the Xbox 360 with existing account information. Redmond will also likely ink content deals with HBO, Sony's Crackle, the Bravo and SyFy channels, and Amazon's Lovefilm, Bloomberg said.
Microsoft discussed its Live TV efforts at this year's E3 gaming conference, and the feature has already kicked off overseas with Sky TV in the U.K., Canal Plus in France, and FoxTel in Australia. Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer provided more details on what US consumers can expect during a presentation at the company's BUILD conference earlier this month.
"It's quite obvious that we need to increase the amount of video and TV content that are available on the Xbox," Ballmer said. "Our goal this year is to dramatically increase the total amount of content, the total entertainment catalog available on the Xbox, particularly by working in partnership with a number of video suppliers."
Click to continue reading Comcast and Verizon live TV content expected to come to Xbox 360
Weekend Reading: The Damned, Apes, Simpsons and Tex Avery
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Reviews, Television, Independent
Hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, power outages. It's been a wild couple of climate change-enhanced weeks. Let's play catch-up across the internets:
Cullen Bunn is having a career year and let’s hope it’s the first of many. The creator of The Sixth Gun got his Oni Press series, The Damned, picked up by Showtime for a series. He’s already gotten The Sixth Gun optioned to SyFy for a series. If they both make it to air, Bunn will have two more shows on the air than DC Comics.
Apes: Rich Handley reviews the fourth issue of Darryl Gregory and Carlos Magno’s Planet Of The Apes, from Boom! “BOOM!’s Apes run stands on a pinnacle, one sure to end badly for humanity.” But all good for readers and fans.
Republicans: My pal Doug Molitor from Funny Or Die looks at 12 Republican super-heroes. My favorite? The Human Torturer!
Jack: Man, that’s a lot of nice Jack Davis work that Michael Sporn posted. I really love those western covers, too.
King Of The Nerds: Can You Be One?
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Television
Do you want to be on TV and have all your nerdity exposed globally?
Of course you do, because it pays big money and we've all seen how one reality show leads to starring in yet another.
And your lucky payday is rapidly approaching.
The producers of Mythbusters, Survivor and The Amazing Race are creating a new competition-based show "embracing and celebrating passionate and intellectual guys and girls 21-30 years old."
Y'know, the hot, cool people. Who are also fans of Star Wars, Star Trek, Harry Potter, Lord Of The Rings, and all the other great nerd media icons.
Plus, can you answers these questions with a resounding "Yeah, baby!"
Mad Men hits Netflix Watch Instantly tomorrow
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Home Entertainment, Internet
We told you that Netflix had secured Mad Men for a July 27th debut on Watch Instantly, and now we're here to remind you that the first four seasons of the hit show will be available to instantly stream starting tomorrow. Now that Netflix Watch Instantly is a $7.99 per month product, it's good to see some quality content appearing on the service, right?
Read More 
| TV Envy
Google in talks to buy Hulu
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Google, Home Entertainment, Internet
Google is now in preliminary talks to buy Hulu, the Internet video powerhouse that allows you to watch ad-supported television and movies, according to the LA Times. This is in addition to other companies like Microsoft and Yahoo, who've also met with Hulu about a potential acquisition. Interestingly enough, Google has been hard at work on finding a way to get the content that you typically find on Hulu over to YouTube to make the video sharing site a bigger competitor in the media space (not to mention a bigger money-maker as well.) The rights that Hulu has to current season television shows is obviously a valuable asset, and they've got over 600 advertisers as well. In fact, this year Hulu expects to earn over $500 million in ad revenue. The point here isn't to buy Hulu's technology--it's all about the content deals. The big question, though, is how long before those deals expire, and what happens then? This will be an interesting one to watch.
Read More | LA Times
Deal of the Day: $350 off Sharp LC-60LE632U 60-Inch 1080p HDTV
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Displays, HDTV, Hot Deals
Dell has our Deal of the Day today with their 19% discount on the Sharp LC-60LE632U 60-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV. Features on this set? Try 1080p resolution, 120Hz Fine Motioned Advanced, X-Gen LCD panel with 10-bit processing, 4,000,000:1 contract ratio, built-in Wi-Fi, Vudu apps, Netflix streaming video, CinemaNow capability, and 4 HDMI ports. These usually sell for $1799, and this 19% discount brings the price down to $1449, saving you a nice $350 - and shipping is free:
Sharp LC-60LE632U 60-Inch 1080p HDTV for $1449
Don’t forget, if you’re looking for other deals, be sure to check out our Newegg Promo Code thread. Oh, and if you're on Twitter, be sure to follow @TechPromos for the latest deals, or you can Like TechPromos on Facebook.
Wonder Woman Fail: TV Series DOA
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Television, DC Comics
We’ve all heard the news now: David E. Kelley’s proposed Wonder Woman TV pilot did not get the greenlight from NBC.
But what we haven’t heard are the real reasons behind the cancellation. Here then, are the Top Ten Reasons Why The New Wonder Woman Series failed:
10. Typical David E. Kelley: Too much “Wondering Woman,” not enough actual Wonder Woman
9. Etta Candy played by Calista Flockhart
8. To be trendy, Amazon homeland changed to Amazon.com
7. William Shatner and James Spader as dueling Steve Trevors
Bang & Olufsen’s first 3D HDTV costs just $85,000
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: HDTV, Home Entertainment
Luxury home audio and video company Bang & Olufsen is entering the 3D HDTV market. The new BeoVision 4 is an 85-inch plasma HDTV with active shutter 3D, a massive profile, and a massive price tag.
The 85-inch screen weighs a whopping 300 pounds, with a motorized stand that weighs an additional 600 pounds. The screen can automatically lift up from the floor to viewing position, rotate left and right 20 degrees, and even tilt up and down slightly. The stand includes a B&O BeoLab 10 center channel speaker that gives it high-end dialog levels. The BeoVision 4 offers all of this for a whopping $85,000. Yes, that's five digits.
Don't think you can just hand over a check for $85,000 and get the HDTV, though. Bang & Olufsen requires its dealers to inspect the place where you plan to put the HDTV to make sure that the floor can handle the heavy screen and the wiring can deliver the required 220 volts to run the screen. So be prepared to entertain structural and electrical engineers in your home before you can even hope to get one of these HDTVs.
Click to continue reading Bang & Olufsen’s first 3D HDTV costs just $85,000
TiVo and Comcast set to integrate Xfinity On Demand library into Premiere boxes
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Corporate News, Home Entertainment
If you're a TiVo Premiere owners with Comcast Xfinity service, you've got one more reason to be excited, as the companies have announced that they're bringing Xfinity On Demand programming directly into the TiVo Premiere interface. One of the main gripes many have with TiVo is that, if you want to enjoy On Demand and Pay-Per-View content, you still need a cable box from your provider, since the TiVo can't access that stuff. This agreement changes that a bit. Soon, if you are one of the many Xfinity customers out there, you'll be able to browse the On Demand content right on your TiVo. They don't make mention of PPV specifically, but even if that isn't a part of this, you can always order those by phone as well. Given those two facts, this will make it possible for a TiVo Premiere box to serve as your only cable box, which can knock off as much as $20 per month from your cable bill, depending on your location.
Of course, since both TiVo and Comcast and two of the slowest moving companies in existence, this is going to be a slow, gradual rollout. They are going to start with the largest markets, with the first expected to be the San Francisco Bay Area, with additional markets to follow. No timeline or anything has been given.
Any Xfinity customers excited about this?
Read More | TiVo Blog
Follow Gear Live!
Recent Galleries
Facebook Fans
Advertisement
© Gear Live Inc. – User-posted content, unless source is quoted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Public Domain License. Gear Live graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, videos, articles, blogs, forums, scripts and other service names are the trademarks of Gear Live Inc.
