BBC launches iPlayer 2.0
Last year, the BBC's iPlayer launched in beta, presenting UK license holders with over 400 hours of free BBC programming on demand. Today, the 2.0 beta version was rolled out.
The BBC's on-demand TV service called iPlayer has received an overhaul since its release in beta last year, offering several design and feature upgrades.
Add T-Mobile to the ROKR support group, at last
T-Mobile subscribers will soon join those able to use the Motorola ROKR E8 mobile phone, which initially debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show in January.
The new E8 model has an interesting mode-shift technology that lets it convert from a phone into a music player with a single touch. When the phone is sitting idle, it has a smooth screen without visible keys on its surface. But after powering up, a virtual number keypad appears, and then one touch of a button can transform it from a phone into a music player.
Mio looks to Knight Rider to stand out in the GPS crowd
Despite 'smoking gun,' ConnectU must settle with Facebook
The college rivalry cum legal brawl between ConnectU and Facebook that resulted in a settlement in April, has now been enforced by a California District Court judge.
As Harvard students, the Winklevoss brothers, Divya Narendra, and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg worked on a site called HarvardConnection, a campus dating site that eventually became ConnectU. According to the original suit filed in Boston Federal District Court in 2004, ConnectU accused Zuckerberg of stealing code from the project and using it in Facebook. Facebook volleyed the suit with a counterclaim that ConnectU had hacked into Facebook's user database.
Mitsubishi looks to redefine HDTV with lasers
The company on Wednesday released further details of its laser-based high definition sets that it first introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show in January.
NEW YORK CITY (BetaNews) - Mitsubishi plans to release new models based on its new laser technology in 65" and 73" sizes, with the smaller version expected to be released in the third quarter of this year, the company said at a press event. If Mitsubishi makes that target, the 65" model would be the first commercially available laser television on the market.
Intel isn't saying 'no' or 'yes' to Vista completely
There may not ever be a planned, collective migration of Intel's company clients to Windows Vista. But as Intel told BetaNews today, there doesn't have to be, since IT can make upgrade decisions on a case-by-case basis.
In response this afternoon to an enthusiast news site report last Monday that re-ignited an old rumor that Intel had decided it would be corporate policy not to deploy Windows Vista on its internal company network-linked systems, and that it might even consider a wholesale move to Linux, an Intel spokesperson gave BetaNews a more practical explanation. Rather than move everybody in its various departments from Windows XP or Windows 2000 to Vista in a massive exodus, the company reiterated what it has told us before: It deploys different versions of Windows based on specific user needs.
Sony plans Blu-ray disk burning for consumer movie software
This summer, Sony expects to release a new edition of Vegas Movie Studio which will add high-def output capability, enabling users to burn their homemade digital videos directly on to Blu-ray disks for the first time.
NEW YORK CITY (BetaNews) - Prior to the upcoming shipment of Vegas Movie Studio 9 Platinum Edition, Sony's Vegas Movie Studio has allowed users to import video. "But it did not have any output capabilities for burning in any format," acknowledged a Sony spokesperson, speaking with BetaNews at Pepcom's annual "Digital Experience" press event where the product was announced last night.
House subcommittee votes up performance rights bill
In an unsurprising move but during a surprisingly short markup session this morning, the House Subcommittee on the Internet and Intellectual Property voted to recommend the Performance Rights Act to the floor of the House.
That act, if approved, would lift the long-standing exemption on terrestrial radio stations -- the kind you grew up with, that use transmitters and airwaves as opposed to the Internet -- to pay royalties annually to performance rights organizations, with some of the proceeds going to performing artists and musicians whose music the stations play. Stations already pay annual royalties to copyright holders; and Internet-based and satellite radio services currently pay annual royalties to both groups.
Uh-oh, Blu-Ray: Sony looks to streaming movies
Sony's plans for the near future, which company chief executives discussed today in Tokyo, include streaming video for both the Bravia line of TVs and the PS3. Looks like the game console could portend the future of media after all.
According to Kazuo Hirai, head of Sony's video game unit, the PlayStation 3 will be getting a movie download service before the end of the summer in the United States, with Japanese and European markets shortly thereafter. Rollout dates, video quality, and payment schemata were not discussed, but more information is expected from the company in July.
Live from Digital Experience NYC 2008
BetaNews' Jacqueline Emigh and Ed Oswald were on hand in New York City Wednesday night for Pepcom's annual June confab, where close to three dozen companies showed off their wares for the technology press.
You could say it was a jungle out there -- in fact, literally. Some of the things we spotted: Mio making the dreams of "Knight Rider" fans (from the Hasselhoff era) a reality with their very own KITT; Matsushita debuting its Laser TV technology; and Nokia embracing WiMAX with their newest version of the Internet Tablet device.
RIM denies delays for its 3G BlackBerry Bold phone
A RIM representative last night denied rumors of availability delays for the 3G device widely seen as RIM's answer to the iPhone, telling BetaNews that BlackBerry Bold is now being tested at AT&T Labs, and will be ready in August.
NEW YORK CITY (BetaNews) - During a demo of the Bold at last night's "Digital Experience" press event, Erik Van Drunen, Research in Motion's public relations manager, attributed press reports of a Bold postponement to "rumors from bloggers."
Indie film distributor starts a 'virtual film studio' online
The company behind the popular IndiePix Internet distribution service of independent films has launched a new online studio for indie filmmakers.
IndiePix decided to create the service, it said, because its editorial team is receiving around 10 projects per week from filmmakers around the country. The new site, Indiepixstudios.com, will offer indie filmmakers and directors a new forum community, distribution tips from established filmmakers, and other benefits. More importantly, the site will allow filmmakers to track sales and other financial information involving their video. The ability to track sales online any time will provide more accurate sales numbers than waiting for a quarterly sales report.
Dell launches new, custom desktop apps for its Studio series
In conjunction with the launch of Dell's Studio 15 and 17 notebooks, Dell is debuting two new built-in apps for organizing and customizing the PC desktop, and for video and VoIP sessions.
NEW YORK CITY (BetaNews) - In a recent demo session, Dell's Anne Camden showed BetaNews how its new Dell Dock software lets users organize their desktop software around tasks such as playing music, editing photos, or creating videos.
Dell launches a rainbow of $799 customizable notebooks
As part of its ongoing effort to seize back the initiative in PC sales, Dell today rolled out its Studio 15 and Studio 17 line-ups, a series of personalizable notebook PCs available in a variety of colors.
NEW YORK CITY (BetaNews) - The range of personalization choices for Dell's latest Studio series laptops starts with the laptop case but extends across drive and wireless options, Dell officials said, during a briefing for BetaNews at press preview in New York in May. Information about the laptops was held under press embargo until Thursday morning.
Nokia will buy Symbian, but doesn't want to control it
"This is the fastest and the best way [to] go forward," said Nokia's XVP yesterday. "What we are gaining here is the knowledge and the experience from the employee base in Symbian Ltd. For Nokia, this is a good investment."
During yesterday's press conference with soon-to-be members of the Symbian Foundation -- the group being assembled by Nokia after its historic purchase of Symbian Ltd. is complete -- the one aspect of the deal that reporters couldn't quite wrap their heads around was this: Nokia wants to set Symbian free, so it's buying it. Is this how Nokia expects to answer the challenge from Google's Open Handset Alliance with Android?
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