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TV From the Phone Company
Tweet Share on Facebook June 9, 2008 Comment (1)I took the plunge recently and plunked money down for subscription TV, abandoning life with only an antenna. This time, I'm getting the service from the phone company, the newest competitor to satellite and cable companies. AT&T is delivering about 200 channels of TV across the same copper wires that have delivered voice calls for more than a century. Called U-Verse, it's an ambitious effort that just arrived in my neighborhood, part of a steady rollout across AT&T's regions.
So far, the results are impressive. The picture is clear, with high-definition images that are at least as good as what the local cable company offers. The price is good—maybe 10 or 15 percent below what I would pay cable for similar service.
And here's the kicker: It's better than satellite or digital cable in several ways. For one, the channel changes are quicker than with digital cable. It's almost a trip back to old-style TV, where the next channel came up almost as fast as you could punch the remote.
Also, the system has the potential for broad integration with the Internet. That's because the AT&T service, unlike cable or satellite, uses Internet networking to deliver its video service. It's all running on Microsoft-written software.
From what I've seen, the Internet portion is mostly untapped potential. TV viewers can access a few services through the box's menus, such as quick updates on their favorite stocks and sports teams. They can also access AT&T's Yellowpages.com or Flickr photos. But the Internet services are mostly slow, awkward to use, and not very exciting (Yellow Pages access is hardly stirring).
There have been hiccups. On occasion, perhaps a half-dozen times in a week of trying the system, the image has briefly garbled. Even then it was slight: a mild stutter or a dozen pixels that were slow to update. Also, just getting the service was a challenge. AT&T's site kept telling me U-Verse was not available yet at my address, though neighbors on both sides were told a different story. I finally had to ask AT&T's PR department to intervene.
Because PR was involved, I can't comment too much more about the installation process. It was quick and highly professional. I don't know that I got standard consumer treatment. Neighbors, however, appear pleased with their experience, which presumably came without the PR department's oversight.
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BlackBerry, IPhone Stoke Smartphone Sales
Tweet Share on Facebook June 6, 2008 Comment (1)The slow U.S. economy hasn't stymied sales of smartphones. American consumers increasingly snatch up the sophisticated handsets; we doubled our purchases in the first quarter compared with last year, according to data from Gartner. That was enough to nearly match sales in Europe, traditionally a stronger market than North America.
European consumers are driving much of the growth on this side of the Atlantic. New consumer-friendly models such as the Pearl and Curve helped keep BlackBerry No. 1 in this market. The iPhone also helped drive sales, vaulting Apple to second place among smartphone vendors here and third worldwide. Outside America, Nokia continues to dominate the high-end phones and accounts for nearly half of global sales.
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A New, Happier Place for Your Portable GPS
Tweet Share on Facebook June 6, 2008 Comment (1)Here's a quick tip: Mount your portable GPS navigator to the left side of the steering wheel on the dashboard or the windshield. Until recently, mine sat above the middle of the dashboard, as does just about every other one I've noticed. When mounted in the lower left corner, the screen seems easier for driver and passenger to see while also being less distracting. The arrangement does send the power cable snaking across the dashboard, but with careful threading, I've not found that a problem.
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New Flip Video Cam Is Smaller, More Stylish
Tweet Share on Facebook June 4, 2008 Comment (6)Thanks to the wonders of electronics, the Flip video camera is getting smaller, more capable, and, while not cheaper, at least no more expensive. And as before, no video camera is simpler to use.
The Flip Mino is about half the thickness of earlier models and is a tad narrower. That shrinks it to about the size of many cellphones. It now can easily be slipped into a hip pocket.
Like predecessors, the Mino produces video that looks surprisingly good, considering the cam's size and simplicity. This model also adds MySpace to the websites where it can upload video with a few mouse clicks. The Mino, like an earlier Flip model, will cost $180 when it goes on sale this fall. It can record 60 minutes of footage.
Pure Digital reportedly will up the resolution in later models, including one that can produce high-definition video. That sounds exciting, but it feeds my concern that Pure Digital might forsake simple for sophisticated.
The Flip has made its mark with its ease of use. I know from experience that a 6-year-old can handle it. Push the red button to record; push it again to stop. Hit the play button to review clips. Plug the built-in USB connector into a PC, and a few mouse clicks later you have video online.
But even the Mino makes some changes I'm not sure I like. First, a sealed-in rechargeable battery replaces the AAs that operated earlier Flips. That helps reduce size, and some might find it more convenient. But I'll miss having an operable video cam no farther away than the nearest store with alkalines.
Electronic touch pads also replace most buttons. The pseudo buttons are easy enough to see because they light up, and they give the camcorder a more elegant look. But I like the tactile feedback of real buttons.
Pure Digital says the Mino isn't designed to replace the earlier Ultra model, whose price is dropping to $150. That's reassuring. I like that the Mino is more stylish and that it will slip into a jeans pocket. I'm just not sure I prefer it.
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KidZui's Kid-Safe Site and Software Now Free
Tweet Share on Facebook June 4, 2008 Comment (2)KidZui, a good source for connected parents seeking peace of mind, is now making its site and service free. The start-up dropped the $5 monthly fee for its current offering and will charge only for premium features.
The service includes a browser aimed at 3-to-12-year-olds. The browser restricts kids to age-appropriate sites vetted by a team of professional educators and volunteers.
We've been using KidZui since it launched a couple of months ago, and so far, it's worked as advertised. We've not seen our kids finding anything troubling, if you exclude mindless games and silly videos.
The site tries to organize the Web into categories for surfing, which hasn't seemed that useful yet. And it's designed to encourage kids to share good finds with friends also in the service.
But so far, there haven't been any. I'm not sure we would have stuck with it, except KidZui had said it would be free to beta testers, which included us. I hesitated to encourage acquaintances to get online because of the $5 monthly fee, which was supposed to go to $10.
Even $5 seemed steep, an impression that apparently was widely held. Start-ups don't usually give away something they can sell, right? The company apparently thought it has a better chance at success if it gets a community built. I hope KidZui is right.
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Time Warner Likes Video Downloads, With Fees
Tweet Share on Facebook June 3, 2008 Comment (4)Time Warner Cable is getting widely scolded for testing metered Internet usage. The fear is that the added charges for large downloads (or uploads) will discourage innovation on the Web, particularly nascent video delivery services.
On top of the charges to rent a high-definition movie over the Web, it might cost an extra $10 or $20 to download it. That's assuming a user has exceeded what many are calling Time Warner's paltry bandwidth caps. "Our first reaction: Are these a typo?" write Dan Frommer and Vasanth Sridharan at Silicon Valley Insider.
Time Warner says the added charges are the fairest way to finance new Web infrastructure. Don Reisenger calls it a shameful guise to pump up profits.
At about the same time comes word that Time Warner wants to deliver Web video to living room TVs. The cableco would offer a new wireless router that would connect the TV to the Web. "Within a relatively short time...it's going to be very easy to get Internet TV on your big-screen TV," Time Warner CEO Glenn Britt told a New York conference.
So Time Warner will encourage video downloads, while hitting users with steep charges. Hmm. Expect more scolding.
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Adobe Launches Free Online Applications
Tweet Share on Facebook June 2, 2008 Comment (1)Adobe has joined the march to the Web with a suite of online applications. Like similar offerings from Google, ThinkFree, and Zoho, they're free. Unlike the others, Adobe's don't appear aimed at the masses—but they're worth a look for anyone.
The first hint that Adobe is aiming the new online services at professionals is the Web address, Acrobat.com. Acrobat is the Adobe software that creates PDFs, the files that we all read every day with the free Acrobat Reader.
But fewer of us create PDFs, particularly in the world of Windows PCs. Apple Macs can easily output PDFs. But Windows PCs have to add software. Some, including my favorite, CutePDF, offer free versions.
Adobe is officially unveiling its online apps as it prepares to release version 9 of its Acrobat software. The upgraded program makes it easy, for example, to add videos to PDF documents. But at prices starting at $300, Acrobat is more for graphics and publishing professionals.
Adobe's online applications help Acrobat professionals work together through online meetings and document sharing. The apps include the Buzzword word processor for creating docs and ConnectNow for connecting up to three people in a conference—video, audio, and/or desktop sharing.
Users can also create PDFs. But the site limits users to five free PDF creations. After that, they must buy Acrobat or subscribe to the online version at $10 a month. That alone reinforces the notion that this suite is meant for professionals. But at this price—free—Acrobat.com might be useful to all of us.
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