Gizmo Lovers Blog | TiVo, Slingbox, Android, Blu-ray Disc, and whatever other tech I feel like blogging about…

Kickstart Pocket TV

Posted on Wednesday, June 13, 2012 by MegaZone

It might remind you of the Roku Streaming Stick, but the Infinitec Pocket TV is a different kind of beast. It is a full-featured Android 4.0 computing device in a stick form factor with an HDMI connector on one end. While the Roku Streaming Stick is an MHL device, drawing power from the MHL connection – and therefore working only with MHL devices, the Pocket TV works with any HDMI display and draws power via Mini USB which can be powered from any USB port or a dedicated power supply.

It is not a Google TV device, it runs the same Android 4.0 found on phones and tablets on a 1GHz Cortex A9 processor. The current design has 512MB RAM, but they’re investigating bumping that to 1GB before going into production. It has 4GB of on-board storage, but also includes a microSD slot for up to 32GB of additional storage. There’s also a full-size USB port for input devices and mass storage, or even a webcam for videoconferencing. Network connectivity is via 802.11b/g/n WiFi. There’s no Bluetooth currently, but they’re working on it. All of that in a package 86x31x14mm and weighing only 35 grams.

There are two remote controls available. The standard remote, included with the Pocket TV, is a traditional IR remote with 5-way navigation and several dedicated buttons for specific actions and Android navigation (such as Home, Back, and Search). The other remote is one I think most users will want, and that’s the Air Remote. The Air Remote connects to the Pocket TV via the network, so no line of sight is required. It includes a gyroscopic sensor so you can control the Pocket TV by simply moving the remote, and it has a full qwerty keyboard to make text entry a snap. You can also use the Google TV Remote app for Android and iOS to turn your smartphone into a remote control for the Pocket TV.

It sounds like a pretty interesting device, no? But this isn’t a product from a big company; Infinitec is a small, three year old start-up and this is a community funded development effort on Kickstarter. I first heard of it from PVRblog and I jumped right over to help fund the project. I’m in at the $135 level for a Pocket TV and Air Remote. I thought it was a great idea and I love to see small companies trying creative ideas, so I thought it was a project worth backing. And those who back the Kickstarter project also save money – the bundle I’m signed up for has an expected combined retail MSRP of $190. You can pledge as little as $110 for the standard Pocket TV with IR Remote. There are 26 days left to get in on the Kickstarter.

While you’re over at Kickstarter check out some of the other projects. I’ve backed several and I’m always looking for projects that pique my interest. Thanks to PVRblog for bringing this one to my attention.

Posted in Android, HDTV | Tagged android, HDMI, HDTV, Infinitec, Kickstarter, Pocket TV, PVRblog, Video, YouTube | Leave a comment

TiVo And PayPal Team For Remote Control Purchasing

Posted on Wednesday, June 13, 2012 by MegaZone

I’ve been saying for years that TiVo should add a way to make purchases right from the system. For years they’ve had product Showcases, advertisements in the UI, Interactive Tags during ads, etc. They’ve dabbled in direct product purchasing through Amazon, and there have been trials such as ordering from Domino’s Pizza, but most of these have been limited in scope and duration. But this looks like a serious effort, with PayPal involved.

I’m not really a big fan of PayPal myself, I only use it when I have to, but there is no denying they’re the 800 pound gorilla in the online payments arena. PayPal is a name known and trusted by most consumers, a strong brand accepted by a multitude of merchants. Like them or not, there really isn’t a better payments processor for TiVo to partner with. Someone like Amazon Payments or Google Wallet just wouldn’t give them the scope of PayPal. And there certainly seems to be a lot of potential, given the data shared by PayPal:

According to a survey conducted by PayPal in October 2011, half of TV subscribers (49%) show an interest in purchasing goods and services linked to the content they’re watching on TV, either directly from their television through their remote control, or on a companion device (smartphone or tablet). In addition, nearly 30% of those same TV subscribers said they would use PayPal to make those purchases. In fact, 89% of respondents knew about PayPal as an online payment service with 61% of them having used it in the last 12 months. Furthermore, according to research done by Nielsen, consumers who watch traditional television are engaged approximately 5.1 hours a day, whereas consumers who surf the Internet are engaged less than an hour a day.

TiVo and their agency partners will be working to bring PayPal-enabled ads to consumers in time for the fall 2012 TV season. It sounds like purchasing capabilities will be available to advertisers across TiVo’s ad placement offerings – Interactive Tags, Showcases, etc. I think that’s a good first step, but I think the real potential is integration with shopping channels. As well as the possibility of enhanced TV. How about watching a cooking show and being able to call up an onscreen display to order the host’s cookbook or their branded products? Or watching a fashion-based program and being able to order the clothing seen on the show? It’ll also be interesting to see if the payment system is part of the new SDK TiVo is preparing, to allow purchases via third party apps.

PayPal is also looking to expand this beyond TiVo, as they stated in their blog they’re also working with Comcast:

We’re excited to announce that we’re collaborating with industry leader Comcast Cable to explore opportunities that include enabling consumers to make purchases or donations related to the content they’re watching on television either directly through their TV using the remote control, or on a companion device such as a smartphone or tablet. We are also exploring opportunities for enabling consumers to accept coupons directly into their PayPal online wallet during television advertisements.

Though it sounds like their plans with Comcast are much less concrete than what was announced with TiVo today.

There is one thing about this announcement I could really do without – the term ‘t-commerce’. Yes, a ‘clever’ play on e-commerce and TV. Oh well, marketing, what can you do?

The press release is below:
Continue reading →

Posted in DVR, Press Release, TiVo | Tagged Comcast, PayPal, Press Release, TiVo | Leave a comment

Comcast XFINITY On Demand Available To Boston TiVo Users NOW!

Posted on Thursday, June 7, 2012 by MegaZone

We were a little premature with the announcement of XFINITY On Demand support for Boston area TiVo users ‘next week’ two weeks ago. Last week came and went without a launch. But it is a week later and this time we have launch! It is official, TiVo Premiere users with Comcast in the Boston area should have access to XFINITY On Demand starting today.

“TiVo Premiere has always offered the best of XFINITY TV channels with the most popular web services, and we are excited to now integrate the XFINITY On Demand library for Boston subscribers, delivering a true one-stop shop for at-home entertainment,” said Doug Bieter, Vice President of Retail Sales for TiVo, Inc. “We are pleased that TiVo Premiere users in the Boston area will have an opportunity to experience this great XFINITY On Demand content and we look forward to additional markets in the near future.”

TiVo states it is available in the ‘greater Boston area’, so it should cover a fairly large geographic area. The TiVo website has a zip code look up to determine if your area has service. I just checked my old Waltham, MA zip code, 02453, and the site reports that service is available. (These days I’m in Worcester, MA, 01606, which is Charter territory. So no XFINITY On Demand for me.)

There is a little bit of bad news though. If you’re one of the few users still clinging to the old ‘soft-TiVo’ (Comcast DVR with TiVo) that Comcast offered way back in 2008 in the area, it is time to give it up and buy a real TiVo. For those who don’t remember, this was a special software image for Comcast’s standard Motorola DVR hardware that gave it the TiVo UI. But it never worked very well as the hardware is under powered and you had the HW running the base OS, with a Java interpreter on top of that, which then ran the TiVo software. It was a great idea in concept, but it never worked well in reality. So I don’t think this is a big loss, and the retail TiVo Premiere unit is far more powerful and feature-rich than those old units.

Now that they’re launching On Demand support for retail TiVo Premiere units, Comcast is discontinuing support for the soft-TiVo units on or around August 1, 2012. So you have until then to pick up a TiVo Premiere unit if you want to continue to have TiVo in your home. Before you run out and buy one at retail – TiVo is offering you one for free! See tivo.com/bostonoffer for details. They’re offering a 320GB TiVo Premiere for free with a monthly rate discounted to $12.95 from the usual $14.99, with a one year commitment. Or product lifetime service is $499.99. This offer is only for users who still have the Comcast DVR with TiVo.

If you’d rather have the 500GB TiVo Premiere, the 1TB TiVo Premiere XL, or the 2TB, four tuner TiVo Premiere XL4 they’re offering $100 off on those. And if you want multiple units they’re offering factory refurbished units for $49.99. (Personally I’d just get the XL4 and wait for the IP STB due later this year for multi-room functionality.) Again, these deals are only for customers who currently have the old Comcast DVR with TiVo and who are looking to switch before their service is turned off on or around August 1st.

If you’re not a Comcast DVR with TiVo users, and you don’t yet have a TiVo Premiere with which to take advantage of this new support, there is a sale on the TiVo Premiere XL and TiVo Premiere Elite on – but it ends today. $50 off a factory-renewed Premiere XL or a new Premiere Elite – $149.99 and $349.99, respectively. And yes, Premiere Elite, not Premiere XL4 – they’re getting rid of the remaining pre-name-change stock, I asked. Same hardware, different badge on the front. Amazon has the 320GB Premiere for $89.99, the 500GB Premiere for $109.75, the Premiere XL for $203.24 (did they miss the memo about list dropping to $199.99?), and the Premiere XL4 for $342.10.

TiVo Premiere subscribers in additional markets across the country are expected to have access to the XFINITY On Demand library in the coming months. Visit www.tivo.com/comcast to learn more or to sign up for notifications when XFINITY On Demand becomes available on TiVo Premiere in additional areas. Boston is the second Comcast service area to receive XFINITY On Demand support, following the SF Bay Area.

Which area will be third? I think Chicago may have a shot. Why? Back in 2008 Chicago looked set to be the next market for the soft-TiVo, after Boston, but the roll out stopped before it launched there. And Chicago is one of two cities where Comcast launched tru2way support as a trial with TV manufacturers, before that effort fizzled as well. (The other city was Denver.) This means they’ve probably already done a lot of work upgrading their head ends there, and they are likely in a good position to take the upgrade for the new service. Plus Chicago is a large market, apparently 2.3 million cable households, so it would have a potential for a large return.

But that’s all speculation of course. Only Comcast knows where they’ll launch the service next.

Posted in Cable, DVR, TiVo | Tagged Comcast, On Demand, Premiere, Premiere Elite, Premiere XL, Premiere XL4, TiVo, XFINITY | 11 Comments

Two Paths Toward Future Helicopters

Posted on Tuesday, May 29, 2012 by MegaZone

In the past few days both Eurocopter and Sikorsky have posted videos relating to their work on next generation rotorcraft concepts. Eurocopter was first in posting a video of their X3 compound helicopter in flight with the Airbus Military A400M transport. (Both Eurocopter and Airbus are EADS companies.) A compound helicopter is one with forward propulsion, and often stub wings to offload the rotor during forward flight. The X3 has two propellers mounted on the tips of a high-mounted stub wing.

Sikorsky on the other hand posted a video featurette on Liquid Measurement Systems, a small company that is one of the key suppliers to the S-97 Raider program. Like the X3, the S-97 is a compound helicopter, but Sikorsky is going a different route. While the X3 has a conventional main and tail rotor layout, the S-97 has a coaxial main rotor and a pusher propeller at the end of the tail. The S-97 is based on their record setting X2 technology demonstrator, which reached a speed of 250 knots in level flight.

The S-97 Raider is currently expected to fly in 2014. Sikorsky is developing it on their own in the hopes of interesting the US Army in it for the Armed Aerial Scout requirement to replace the aging OH-58 Kiowa fleet, since the previous Bell ARH-70 Arapaho program was cancelled for being over budget and behind schedule.

Posted in Aerospace | Tagged Aerospace, Eurocopter, Raider, S-97, Sikorsky, Video, X3, YouTube | 1 Comment

ISS Astronauts Enter The Dragon

Posted on Tuesday, May 29, 2012 by MegaZone

After the successful berthing on Friday, the ISS astronauts entered the SpaceX Dragon capsule for the first time on Saturday. They seemed to like what they saw, remarking that they would be willing to ride to the ISS in a human-rated Dragon in the future and commenting on its roominess when compared to the Russian Soyuz capsule crews use today. The Soyuz was originally a two person capsule, later updated for three in the same volume, while the Dragon is designed to carry seven crew – so it is no surprise that it is quite a bit roomier.