I’m not sure what to make of this report in the Oz today that Telstra is planning on taking their transition from phone network to media company to the next level early next year by launching a set-top box to take on TiVo. Part of me loves the idea – getting legal content from the interwebs to your TV is still way too difficult for most people today, and if done right, a BigPond STB could be everything the Apple TV should have been. But then again, it is Telstra, and until we hear some firm pricing – especially for people not on BigPond’s broadband network – we have to expect the worst.
The box itself, according to the Oz’s source, will not just stream content from the net (like the Roku Netflix box from the US), it will also feature two TV tuners (no mention of whether they’ll be HD or SD) and an EPG, and will stream both TV shows and movies from BigPond. And although this is entirely speculation on my part, considering BigPond has their music store as well, I expect it would offer music downloads as well, essentially making it an Apple TV with a TV tuner inside…
Joining the TN Games force feedback vest is the HTX Helmet, which will allow kids to be the first on their block to receive physical head wounds from a virtual headshot in Gears 2.
According to a report by Lara Sinclair in the Australian this morning, you could soon be downloading video on demand movies the same day as they are released on DVD. The information comes from Franchise Entertainment Group director Paul Uniacke, who says an unnamed studio is planning to offer On Demand movies from Foxtel, BigPond and TiVo on the same day as DVD releases by March next year.
At the moment, Apple currently offers movies from most studios the same day as the DVD release (and unless I’m mistaken, sometimes even earlier). But adding the release window to PayTV and TiVo is a good idea – I for one haven’t visited my local video store for almost two years. Hopefully all the studios will run with this idea – I don’t see how they would really lose any money this way.
Oh boy, this is sad. I hate goodbyes. The Gizmodo Gallery is over, and they just came to pick up the Panasonic 103-inch.
If hiding in the dirty bushes to stalk your ex is cramping your style (and ruining all your black outfits), then perhaps this Super-Secret Spy Lens extension is just what you need.
Homebrew iPhone App Lets You Reward Sparky From Afar Woof!
TikiTag RFID Tag Programming Kit Gives You Wireless Powers Sounds like a quick and easy solution for home automation to me.
Actually, Barack Obama Doesn’t Use a Zune Imagine the kind of world this would be if he did…
Can The World’s Most Powerful Flashlight Light My Cigarette? Live from Gizmodo Gallery in New York, which is precisely where I wanted to be all weekend…
YouTube Goes ‘HD’ Is it really HD though?
Adobe Builds Web Time Machine Called Zoetrope Now this sounds like a useful tool for Giz writers…
Microsoft Jumps Into the ‘Softwear’ Business with Ridiculous Branded T-Shirts Because nothing syas style like a DOS T-shirt.
You probably don’t think about it much, but there was an intensive selection process that went into the telephone push button keypad. Ironically, the one we use today featured a fairly high error rate.
Carbon fibre is pretty, and it’s a cool technique to implement with car design… but what about doors? Who cares, you say? I agree, but it still didn’t stop this door from becoming a reality.
Are those few grams of paper aeroplane too much to bear? Has throwing an aeroplane become a chore in and of itself? Then launch that sucker with this gizmo from your desk, Captain Lazy Pants.
Those who came to the gallery were able to get a glimpse of this: The usual suspects doing their thing. Did you ever wonder how all the Giz’s magic and nonsense happens? Here’s is how it basically works:
