Intel and Sonicblue are device that Intel’s Emerging Platforms Lab were showing in July, although this isn’t mentioned in the news piece. The big change for this version of the device is the access to TV shows, as it will be able to download content stored on your ReplayTV.
HMV announces online music offering
UK music giant HMV has announced their online music offering. Going live some time in September, the £4.99 you pay will give you 100 credits which can be spent on streaming (1 credit), temporarily downloading for a month (10 credits) or burning to CD (100 credits). It’s not clear how much of the past and current catalogues will be available.
UK 802.11a users currently need license
[This story, somewhat old now, was highlighted to me a while back but I somehow didn’t write about it. Thanks Andy for the initial highlight]
802.11a bring the huge advantage of speeds up to 54Mps but a severely reduced range of around 60 feet. Currently anybody wanting to use 802.11a equipment in the UK needs to have a licence from the Radio telecommunications Agency but sadly the RA appear to be sitting on their hands and not issuing any licences.
Sony announce broadband-enabled 160Gb PVR
Sony have announced a broadband-enabled 160Gb PVR device that will join their ‘Cocoon’ range. It’s expected to be available in Japan from 1 Nov.
At the same time Microsoft announced their Windows XP Media Center Edition. A derivation of XP it features PVR functions as well as handling digital music, photo’s and video editing and play back all via a TV-style remote – as well as keyboard. Interestingly the recorded TV content will be copy-protected to stop it being viewed on other computers and can’t even be burnt off on to CD for archiving.
It’s only going to available via OEM’s as MS don’t think the average Joe can put the required cards in and make it work – given any and all of my experience with PC’s over the past fifteen years or so, I’d say it a wise move.
London Starbucks free WiFi locations
Further details on the Starbucks shops in London that currently have the T-Mobile WiFi access. They are 32 Fleet Street, EC4Y 1AA (020 7583 4163) and 90-94 Old Broad Street, EC2M 1PR (020 7588 4882). First report stated that access would be free for a trail period, as it does on the t-mobile site but the StarBucks site say you can get a free day pass – I’m not sure which is correct. There are another 1,200 shop Worldwide with WiFi access.
RealNetworks stream Big 12 Conference exclusively
RealNetworks and one of their content partners, FoxSports.com are going to be offering subscribers to RealOne SuperPass the opportunity to watch something called the Big 12 Conference. I’ve no idea of what this means but it looks like it might be college games, which I assume is great for watching for the ‘next big thing’ in US football.
The content is highlighted as exclusive as it won’t actually be shown on TV – I don’t know if this is because if no one would be interested in watching it, or it really is a scoop. The SuperPass is priced at about $10 a month with a $5 discount if three months are bought in advance and will give access to their other content as well as the games.
It’s good to see Real expanding their content to their service, which they say now has 3/4 million subscribers now.
Final Draft to include interactivity
One of the things we had to do early on at LemonTV was to create a standard for scripting interactive TV programmes. Unfortunately for us, no one had done it at that time, mid-2000, and we found to make the interactive productions cohesive, it was vital that the shooting crew knew what interactive programming was happening around the piece and vice versa.
When I read the press release from GoldPocket about their work with Final Draft, the scripting-worlds standard editing software, I was very excited, but having read through the spec I’m less so. It appears that they only currently support what I feel is pretty dull interactivity, Leaderboard, Poll, Questions, Statistics and TextBlock. Where GoldPocket win is that the interactive commands can be exported direct from the Final Draft script into their iTV software.
It’s a good deal for GoldPocket and a small step in the right direction with, I hope, much to follow.
BBC releases Interactive producer guidelines
The BBC has now officially released their Interactive producer guidelines which were announced by BBC Director of New Media & Technology, Ashley Highfield at this years Edinburgh TV festival.
They’ve been a while in the coming but the BBC hope it will encourage independent productions companies to work with them.
Starbucks to offer WiFi
Public news is seeping out about Starbucks putting WiFi into their shops (or lifestyle venues – depending on your take). Excitingly the JV with T-Mobile and HP, called T-Mobile Hotspot will initially be free, so get yourselves down to the London Fleet Street or Broad Street branches.