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Apple TV Has Nothing to Apologize For September 04, 2009 
In the on-again, off-again online chatter about the Apple TV, two things are certain: First, it's treated like the bastard stepchild of Apple hardware; and second, that doesn't make it a failure. A third thing is much less certain: Whether the Apple TV is a placeholder for a real Apple TV.
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Sony's 3-D Gamble: Must-See TV or the Next Smell-o-Vision? September 02, 2009 
Pity the early technology adopters in this world. Just as they have accepted the fact that three years ago, they paid more than $5,000 for a 42-inch flat-screen HDTV that now sells for close to $1,000, a new image starts to coalesce in front of their eyes -- an image so real, so lifelike, it could only be ... a 3-D TV.
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PlayOn for Wii: Sometimes a Great Application September 02, 2009 
When they were designing the latest generation of video game consoles -- the generation we're currently right in the middle of -- two of the three major players envisioned their systems as hubs not just for games but for all sorts of digital entertainment. Downloaded movies, songs stored on a PC, high-definition discs, etc., would all run through their platforms.
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How Internet TV Gear Can Stay in the Picture August 28, 2009 
Blockbuster and Samsung recently announced that Blockbuster OnDemand will be available on select connected HDTVs, Blu-ray players, and home theater systems starting in the fall of 2009. Samsung will offer connected Blu-ray players and home theater systems with both the Netflix and Blockbuster online services.
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A Last Call for Snarkers Anonymous? August 21, 2009 
The old saying used to be, "If you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all." Then the Internet came along, and the saying changed to, "If you can't say anything nice, then invent a fake user name and go to town." The Web has allowed us to get away with saying some pretty awful things to each other without having to say them to each others' faces -- or even put our own names on them.
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Lenovo Looks Homeward With New PC Products August 19, 2009 
Chinese PC maker Lenovo, best known for office computers like its ThinkPad laptop line, has announced four new products aimed at the consumer home market. One is its first home theater PC, the IdeaCenter Q700. Another is its first home server, the IdeaCenter D400. The other two are the Q100 and Q110 nettop computers, which Lenovo claims are the world's thinnest in this category.
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New Tech and New Horizons for Home Media Installers August 18, 2009 
The current recession and the steep decline in the construction and sales of new homes are forcing dealers and installers to reevaluate their current product offerings. Average 2008 revenues were down almost 11 percent from 2007, and dealers are actively looking for new avenues to expand their business and make up for the shortfall in 2009.
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RadioShack Touches Up Gray Hairs With Rebranding Hoopla August 04, 2009 
One of the nation's most venerable electronics retailers wants to update its image by calling itself "The Shack" in an upcoming branding campaign, announced Monday. The branding won't change the name of the retailer or its stores, but it will show up in advertising and other marketing channels.
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The Changing What, When, Where and How of Video July 14, 2009 
New technologies are changing the way we watch video. DVRs, VoD, and online video are freeing us from the broadcast schedules that previously dictated when we could watch programming. The latter two, combined with an ever-growing number of channels, are dramatically increasing what we can watch. The revolution in video habits is not yet complete, however.
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When the Home Entertainment Systems Market Rebounds June 30, 2009 
Sales and revenues for the home systems channel will decline in 2009, just as they did in 2008. Many projects will be postponed or canceled this year. There will a decline in revenues of over 5 percent from 2008 to 2009. That's the bad news. However, integrators and manufacturers should not build their strategic plans based on "doom-and-gloom" headlines.
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Microsoft Achieves Trifecta With Hohm June 25, 2009 
When Microsoft rolled out its beta version of Hohm on Wednesday -- a Web site that helps consumers save electricity -- it pulled off a veritable hat-trick. First comes the good publicity from positioning itself as a public benefactor. Second is a live test of its Azure cloud service.
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Study: U.S. Broadband Adoption Leaps Despite Recession, Rising Prices June 17, 2009 
The recession may indeed be forcing you to cut back on some cellphone and cable television services, but apparently it will only get your high-speed Internet access when it pries your computer mouse from your cold, dead hands. The latest Pew Internet and American Life Project study, released Wednesday, shows broadband adoption growing in the face of a sour economy.
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Computer Accident Study Highlights Hazards of Home Office June 09, 2009 
Computers are the cause of a surprising number of serious injuries every year -- usually to children. The number of acute computer-related injuries increased by 732 percent -- from nearly 1,300 to approximately 9,300 injuries per year -- according to a new study. The injury rate increase is nearly double the growth rate of the number of computers in the home.
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The Coming Visual Computing Revolution May 18, 2009 
For the last decade, the PC market has kind of sucked. Against the massive growth of the '90s, and with the exception of Apple, which didn't do well in that decade, the PC market has been a poor reflection of the excitement that once surrounded it. Part of the problem was the focus on computation and the lack of focus on things that make computing exciting.
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Home Automation: The Unfulfilled Promise May 05, 2009 
For the last 30 years, many people have invested a lot of money and effort chasing an unrealized promise of hoped-for explosive growth in home automation. With not a lot of commercial progress, it might be seen as foolish to pursue opportunities in this space. However, the promise of addressing latent needs of millions of households worldwide to create a new consumer electronics category is highly seductive.
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RIAA, YouTube, China: Plotting New and Creative Ways to Separate You From the Internet March 28, 2009 
The Recording Industry Association of America has apparently found out the hard way what other organizations, like the mafia, have known for years: The American legal system is for pansies. If you want to get something done, don't bother with the courts. It's expensive, it's time-consuming, and it'll air out all your dirty laundry. If you really want results, you've gotta use back-room strong-arm tactics.
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