Devices

LAS VEGAS, NV — Blu-ray, the new generation of entertainment DVDs, has an interactive component called BD Live. The functionality allows consumers whose television sets are connected to the Web to interact and integrate additional material into their viewing experience. This integrated platform was talked about at the last CES and there have been a […]

Hollywood is still “dawdling” over DRM, film rights and downloadable media, according to a Business Week story by Steven Wildstrom.  In June, I interviewed Sony Pictures CTO Mitch Singer about plans to make motion pictures more easily shared between devices.  We chatted on the Sony lot in Culver City.  I have republished the interview today. […]

The networked home might become a bit more networked with the introduction today of HP's updated version of the MediaSmart server for the home.  HP announced the launch of the product today, which is capable of managing data from both PCs and Macs. It connects to an HDTV television set.  Gizmodo has an extended story […]

As video game publishers introduce more games for the iPhone, the device will become an increasingly used video game platform, says Libe Goad, editor-in-chief of AOL's PlaySavvy.com, a popular guide/information portal about video games.  While rudimentary games for the iPhone are popular, such as TapTap, more sophisticated games are coming to the iPhone soon, including […]

On-demand web video service Joost’s new (and free) iPhone application, launched Monday, streams its entire online library of 45,000-plus videos to users on WiFi networks, according to CEO Mike Volpi. A large portion of the library will be available on 3G within a month: “The technology is basically ready,” he says. Volpi spoke to me […]

For some time, Beet.TV has been available on the iPod and the iPhone, in the form of a downloaded file via iTunes.  Now, those clever engineers at Blip.tv have a work around to allow iPhone owners watch videos streamed on demand.  Very cool development.  Meghan Keane over at Epicenter has the story along with comments […]

Many of the experimental advertising budgets for online video are “now gone” as a result of the fiscal crisis, says Dina Kaplan, co-founder of Blip.tv.  I caught up with her yesterday at the “Future of Television” conference in Manhattan where she was a panelist. Moving beyond the the experimental stage, Dina says she is working […]

Boxee, a home media networking solution provider (for an explanation read these posts by MG Siegler at VentureBeat and Robin Wauters at TechCrunch) has closed its first financing round with $4 million from Spark Capital and Union Square Ventures.  Earlier this year, we interviewed CEO Avner Ronen about the company.  In the segment, he shows […]

CBS has live video coverage of the election available through Verizon Wireless V CAST and on-demand video for the iPhone, Ethan Dreilinger, Director of CBS Mobile News, told Andy in an interview this afternoon. “It’s a much richer experience, and it’s more of the experience that you are expecting,” he says. “So if you’re expecting […]

TechCrunch50 runner-up FitBit, a fitness and sleep cycle tracking device that will go on sale next year for $99, has raised $2 million from True Ventures, SoftTech VC and several angel investors, Mark Hendrickson at TechCrunch reports today. This appears to be the first round of institutional funding for the company, according to Hendrickson.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Adobe Systems CTO Kevin Lynch is one of the forces behind the Open Screen Project, a collaboration of 20 companies working to bring rich content, like mobile applications and flash, to any screen. Adobe Flash currently reaches over 800 million devices and expects to reach one billion by 2009, he says.   

TechCrunch awarded five jury selection prizes at the TechCrunch50 conference yesterday in addition to the top prize, which was awarded to Yammer. FitBit’s discreet activity-tracking gadget, to go on sale this December exclusively on the company’s Web site, earned the company one of the runner-up spots.

SAN DIEGO, CA — Later this morning at DEMO, RealNetworks will introduce a $30 software program which will allow users to save theatrical DVD’s to their PC or detachable drive.  They use the program to save DVD’s to up to five PC’s.

Getting digital content from multiple home computers and servers to the television is the goal of HP, Apple, Microsoft and others.  Earlier this summer HP introduced Media Smart Connect, a $349 device which pulls content from various PC’s, Macs and servers via WiFi to a television set.

CNN has has long been a trendsetter in video journalism newsgathering and distribution methods.  Yesterday, CNN announced that is would assign journalists to 10 cities across the United States to work in mini-bureaus with not much more than a camera, a laptop and an Internet connection.

Technology spending might not suffer along with the rest of the economy, a new study by The Consumer Electronics Association and CNET shows. The CEA-CNET Consumer Sentiment Indexes, launched today, map consumer sentiment about technology and the broader economy. Many consumers spent their economic stimulus checks on items like computers, televisions and wireless phones, which […]

MG Siegler over at VentureBeat has the story this morning about Skyfire, a new browser for mobile devices.  VentureBeat is giving away 100 invitations to try the new browser in private beta trials, MG writes in his post.

Verizon Wireless wants machine-to-machine devices to run on the company’s open wireless network, according to VP of Open Development Anthony Lewis. Automated homes, where "appliances can talk to each other" on the wireless network and let repairmen know when they need fixing, are "around the corner," he says.

PALO ALTO–With the closing earlier this month of the $8.1 billion acquisition of Navteq, Nokia is set to fully integrate maps into its new content sharing site Ovi. Ovi allows users to store and share multimedia content.  The mapping element will provide important context for users, says Kamar Shah, head of global head of industry […]

There’s been a lot of speculation in the blogosphere lately about whether Kyte, Qik,or Flixwagon will finish first in the cell phone video streaming trifecta. But according to Kyte CEO Daniel Graf, Kyte’s broader focus means it’s not really in the race with Qik and Flixwagon.