The iPhone/iBrick verdict has been given, but what do you do if you've ended up with an iBrick with a voided warranty?
Head over to BuyMyBrokeniPod.com where they promise to send you cash for your used or broken iPhone or iPod. Prices are competitive with those you'd find on ebay for a used product. Furthermore, if you've got a bricked phone this is pretty much your only way to get some cash for it.
The only real downside here is that you have to pay for shipping the product to Colorado, so if you have a lower-end model it might not be worth it to you.
September has been an exciting month for both TVSnob and the television industry. With the continuous move by industry giants and startups alike into the so-far harsh terrain of web TV, there seems to be new products and innovative business models debuting on a weekly basis. But, of course, the industry isn't there yet so let's begin in the present.
In the second half of the month, things got really interesting as Samsung was named the top manufacturer of HDTVs in the world. Apple blundered with the first software update for the iPhone which disabled thousands of phones belonging to users that had either used an unlock hack to access other cellular networks than AT&T or installed third-party applications. This drama will play out well into October, if not beyond.
TVSnob also saw a new editor jump on board and begin to cover not only the world of home entertainment television technologies, but also the developing world of web and mobile TV.
October looks to be a fresh start for TVSnob. We'll have a greater mix of informative content covering all aspects of the television industry while still maintaining our up-to-date product reviews. We'll also begin to unleash some great stuff to get you all prepared for Christmas and it's inevitable TV tech buying needs.
Check out this article from Podcasting News to learn how to rip your DVDs (even encrypted ones) to your iPod Video by using an open-source application called Handbrake that will convert your DVDs to MPEG-4 format. Or you can download the program here and find a user guide on the Handbrake website.
Originally supposed to be produced for HBO, the show will debut tomorrow. The show chronicles in video format, the life of a 13 year old girl with Bloomberger's Disease which prematurely ages the body. It will be released in three one-minute segments per week. Check out the preview clip above.
Forbes.com has gone that far however, renaming Apple TV the iFlop. After promising the Apple TV would revolutionize television, the TV has only sold about 250000 units, one quarter that of iPhone sales which have been made in less than half the time at a price that is double that of the TV. Forbes pointed out that no official numbers have been released regarding Apple TV sales, in contrast to the releases of sales numbers for Apple's hotsellers, the iPhone and various types of iPods. He also seemed much more casual about the product at a conference two months after the March release of the TV calling the Apple TV development "a hobby".
So what has led to such a poor reception for the Apple TV?
1. Hollywood has not been willing to give up control of their business by being "iTunized" by a powerful company such as Apple. When the Apple TV debuted in March, only Disney and Paramount had jumped on the bandwagon to offer not only TV shows, but also movies over the iTunes platform for prices ranging from $10-15. The four other major Hollywood studios, 20th Century Fox, Universal, Warner Bros., and Sony all refused to such price cuts when DVDs regularly sell for a minimum of $20 elsewhere. All in all, Apple made a poor decision in trying to wield their power to dictate prices.
2. Apple is revered for their product design. The company is absolutely masterful in integrating form and function. Most of the time. Not so with the Apple TV. First of all, the Apple TV doesn't have the ability to record shows. This convenience is critical and shows in the success of products such as TiVo. Also, when first released the Apple TV didn't accept content from platforms such as YouTube although Jobs later changed this.
3. To keep the price of the Apple TV at around the $300 mark, Apple had to cut costs somewhere and that somewhere is all the hardware inside the box. Older chips and smaller hard drives were the end result. Forbes.com reported via research firm iSuppli that even with cheaper, and weaker components, the costs of manufacturing an Apple TV still sit at about $237. That leaves only a 20% gross profit margin to be split between Apple and retailers selling the TV. Once sales didn't take off, the low margins for retailers meant the TVs ended up at the back of the store in a corner somewhere, effectively ending any change of turning the sales numbers around.
4. Finally, worsening relations between Apple and Hollywood continue to make the situation worse and eliminate any chances for a future revolutionary TV product from Apple. Near the end of last month NBC and Apple went splitsville as NBC wanted to increase its TV show download prices on iTunes by $3. Once again Apple tried to dictate prices, and eventually cut NBC from iTunes altogether after the network announced it would be pulling its shows off iTunes at the end of the year. Not a week later, NBC partnered with Amazon.com.
All the techies on the web are trying to figure out what this is. Sony has unveiled a mystery product on their Japanese website of an upcoming product release (picture above) and that is all we get. A picture and a product title: SonyDrive. What could it be? Engadget figures it might be an all-in-one PC. It definitely looks like that could possibly be the case. What do you think?
I've been waiting for the internet buzz regarding the iPhone update to cool down before I made a judgement on the validity of Apple's warning about possible "bricked" phones. Especially since the day of the update there was those saying they had no problems and others saying they did. Today the New York Times reported that Apple's warning was indeed true. Some were spared, but everyone who had third-party applications on their phones lost them and at least one person who had a book contract to write about third-party hacks lost the book contract as well! Those who had just installed third-party programs were the lucky ones though. Most didn't have their phones rendered competely inoperable, but those who took the risk of unlocking their phones to access other cellular networks besides Apple's exclusive partner, AT&T, found that their chances of ending up with a so-called iBrick were pretty good.
Apple definitely had the right to do this. iPhone users are not authorized to install third-party apps by contract (though Steve Jobs of all people should have known this would happen) and AT&T is the exclusive provider of network coverage for the iPhone. By unlocking phones, users threatened the Apple-AT&T partnership and the phone networks business. Many Apple fans though are disappointed at the lengths the company took to prevent people from hacking the phone. Many questioned why it wasn't enough simply to relock the phone via the update and erase the installed applications. Rendering a phone inoperable and forcing users to purchase a new one has been deemed going a little to far by users.
It'll be interesting to see the future drama that I'm sure will unfold in iPhone circles. Will this move on Apple's part affect iPhone sales in the next quarter? What'll be the future of third-party apps for the iPhone? We all know someone will figure out a way to get around the update. It seems only time will tell.
Let us know your iPhone update experiences in the comments section. Also a couple of days back I questioned Apple's honest and transparency in this matter, so I'd encourage you to check out the activity over at Gizmodo. Question of the day yesterday: Are iPhone update problems malicious or unintentional side effect? The debate is still going strong so go check it out!
Tom Ballhatchet, an MA in industrial design, has found a way to utilize the polystyrene packing material used to protect TVs during the shipping process. Rather than throw it in the trash to sit around littering the earth for 100s of years, Ballhatchet has designed a new form of packaging in such a way that it can be used for a TV stand after the TV is taken out of the box. What a great idea! It actually doesn't even look to bad as you can see from the picture above. I could see this taking off with the young bachelor crowd that is typically low on cash.
EngadgetHD ran a fantastic article yesterday showing us how to run power to a wall mounted TV without violating any fire codes or having a mass of visible wires. Using a power-inlet called PowerBridge, engadget shows you step-by-step using plenty of visuals how to install the power source.
As home entertainment systems grow more complex, the majority of us are finding ourselves with more and more remotes and more complicated button-pushing sequences to accomplish all of the task our system do. My wife and I are house-sitting for her parents at the moment and their bedroom TV requires a whopping 6 remotes! Who wants to fiddle with 6 remotes while trying to relax in the comfort of their bedroom? Not me and probably not you either.
Logitech International has come up with a solution that is infinitely simpler than the traditional universal remote. The Harmony 890 and Harmony 1000 remotes reduce the button-pushing sequence for an activity such as watching a DVD to 1. The setup is very easy as well. While the traditional setup method for universal remotes requires looking through a thick manual to locate codes form electronic models and then pushing a million buttons to configure, the Harmony models simply require hooking up the remote by USB cable to your Mac or Windows PC. You then input the device you are configuring the remote to and the accompanying software automatically configures the remote for you by searching through a database of over 200000 devices. It has been reported that it only takes about 15 minutes to set up these remotes as compared to the hours and technical support lines required for the traditional variety.
Our recommendation is - don't. Buy a nice low table to put it on. But in the past we were totally into mounting our LCD TV flat on the wall. How to: Wall mounting a LCD or Plasma provides a pretty in depth analysis and experience with just how tough it is to mount an LCD TV. Remember - mounting something that weighs 50lbs on the wall is not trivial, but it can be done.
Before you tackle wall mounting a LCD or plasma, you need to ask yourself one question. Is this something best left to a professional installer? If you’re not sure then the answer is yes. I’m not implying that self installation is for everyone. If you doubt your abilities then by all means it’s worth hiring a professional. However if your reasonably competent with minor home improvement tasks and follow my instructions carefully, this shouldn’t offer you much trouble at all.
So the DEMOfall 2007 conference is over and many neat launches took place. Not surprisingly, many of the startups and product launches had some sort of video-related quality to them. Since I mentioned what I feel are the best of the best a couple of days back, I'll let you check out the videos of all the presentations yourself at the DEMO website!
Do you want to watch your regular old DVDs in high-definition? The latest Oppo player will let you do just that. The Oppo DV-981HD Universal DVD Player also has HDMI, DivX and SACD playback capabilities. While this player doesn't work with your typical analog set, if you have 1080p resolution capabilities and want to wait for the HD DVD and Blu-ray wars to settle, this is your player. It uses a technology called DCDi Farudja from Genesis Microchips that not only upscales regular 720x480 interlaced video but also "detects content that has gone through 3:2 pull down to convert film content to NTSC for video, and recreates the original frames by blending the fields back together" in order to free the images from motion problems typical of high-def. And just a reminder: make sure to purchase your HDMI cables.
Plus if you order it on Amazon in the next 4 hours, you'll be watching high-def by tomorrow with their one-day shipping policy!
Microsoft is apparently announcing today that the company will be releasing a new internet TV system for free for Windows Vista Home Premium and Vista Ultimate Editions. The system will include over 100 hours of content from programming also found on MSN and can be hooked up via your Xbox or the new Media Center Extender device. Windows users should receive the software update this week that will allow for full-screen viewing on your computer and clear picture.
Microsoft's aim with this release is to gain more insight into whether TV watchers' would rather lay back on the couch while watching TV or lean in towards their computer screen. The company's focus will be on longer viewing periods. I would like to know how much money Microsoft is spending on the project because I think the answer would be fairly obvious judging by the failure of so many web TV startups in the past couple of years.
Personally I think this is more of an examination of viewer behavior in advertising interaction. The company YuMe has been put in charge of selling and programming advertising across the system. For 6 months the ad company out of Redwood City, California, will compare user interaction and engagement levels with the videos on all of the devices and see if a difference is made when users hook up the system through their Xbox. It seems like a lot of work to me, especially because I don't believe Microsoft will have to much success moving into online advertising. Stick to the operating systems Microsoft!
Samsung Electronics was the top maker of televisions in the second quarter of this year with a share of 12.4% of the global TV market. Second, third, fourth and fifth place were taken by LG Electronics, Philips, Sanyo Electric and TCL respectively. Samsung's dominance has had a lot to do with the strong sales of LCD TVs this year.
Research firm iSuppli has forecasted that as flat-screen LCD TVs and plasma TVs gain in popularity over the next year, cathode ray tube (CRT) TVs will account for only 38% of TV sales next year compared to 56% this year. Samsung was trailed closely by LG Electronics with only a 1% market share separating the two companies, so it will be interesting to see if this competition heats up as CRT's lose popularity over the next few years.
Halo 3 fans probably know by know that the game smashed first-day entertainment industry sales records by racking up $170 million in sales. With that many games sold, there must be some knowledgeable gamers out there that would know what the best TV is for maximizing the Halo experience. Not surprisingly, Jay Brewer, owner of Blogpire Productions has looked into this before. Check out his article.
In a previous posting I told you about Apple's announcement of potential problems for iPhone users who unlocked their phones to access networks other than AT&T. The latest software update for the phone could possibly render your phone completely unuseable and by unlocking it you've voided your own warranty.
There is a possible solution for those of you that have unlocked your phones. Macnn shows you how to relock your phone. However, as of this posting the relock process outlined is currently in flux and is to be used at your own discretion. You've got nothing to lose though if Apple is serious about the warning.
The Slingbox is one of the coolest TV tech gadgets on the market today. Developed by Sling Media, the Slingbox allows you to watch cable, satellite, or programs recorded on a DVR from a remote location provided you have an internet connection. So for example, you could watch your home satellite channels on your wireless laptop while you're having your morning coffee at the local wi-fi hotspot coffee shop. Amazing, eh?
While this technology has been on the market for a couple of years now, Sling Media has been the topic of many a tech conversation the past couple of days as EchoStar Communications announced a couple of days back that they would be purchasing the company for a cool $380 million. While the Slingbox hasn't really taken off yet (the company has stated it has sold "hundreds of thousands" of the boxes and my opinion is a completely subjective one), EchoStar will provide an already established market of 13.6 million DISH satellite users and already developed DVR technology.
Given the purchase on the part of EchoStar Communications, allowing new market opportunities for the amazing technology developed by Sling Media, I think we'll be hearing more about the Slingbox and its related applications in the future.
But guess what. The future is already here as the new Slingbox Solo is going on sale today in the US, Canada, the UK, and the Netherlands. It will be sold for $179.99 in the US. Interestingly, this is the first time the Slingbox hasn't been first offered in the US before expanding internationally. It seems the Sling Media crew is already taking advantage of the reach of EchoStar.
The new Solo, which Sling Media hopes to market as their premier product, is similar to the previous models in design except it is apparently colored black. It is also HD-capable as opposed to previous models that only had standard definition capabilities.
Also watch around year end for the release of the Clip + Sling software that allows users to send live TV clips to anyone, not just Slingbox users.
Watch the Slingbox in action on the Sling Media website! Or if you're not convinced about the usefulness of the Slingbox, watch Sling Media CEO Blake Krikorian watch football while at a horrible play!
Fall football and TV viewing is upon us and so is the higher cost of electricity. Want to find out how 54 LCD TVs' compared to each other with power consumption, and help reduce your power bill and go a bit green? CNET has a very interesting set of charts showing you the cost of owning and operating an LCD TV. We really liked the "Basics of TV Power" article as well.
Sharp Corporation announced that they will be releasing a Blu-ray HD DVD recorder with a 1-terabyte hard disk drive. Sharp hopes to pull ahead in the race with HD DVD rivals Microsoft and Toshiba.
The model, which can record 127 hours of digital high-definition programming, will go on sale December 1 in Japan for 300000 yen, the equivalent of $2616 US. Unfortunately for the rest of the globe, Sharp does not plan to release the model elsewhere at this time.
Are you an avid fan of YouTube and other video content sharing platforms? Do you spend hours each week browsing through and watching online video? Well, if you're that interested stop wasting your time watching videos and start creating them because Samuel Dean from Web Worker Daily shows us how to monetize our own web video by using platforms such as Brightcove, Current TV (of Al Gore fame), and Metacafe!
The fall 2007 DEMO Conference started yesterday in San Diego where some of the hottest up and comers in the tech industry have a chance to launch their products, startups and services in front of a connected audience. Chris Shipley, described as "one of the top trend spotters in the personal technology product industry" hand picks presenters for the conference, all of whom are expected to be key players in the tech marketplace in the coming year.
Every tech conference has its TV-related startups or product launches, so over the next few days we'll cover some of the expected hot TV-related players featured at the conference.
Here are the TV-related highlights so far from the DEMO conference:
Filmaroo-yes, this is another video-sharing content site, but there is a significant differentiating factor when compared to other players in the video-sharing niche. Filmaroo is mainly aimed at families or others who require some form of privacy when sharing video content. When you upload video on Filmaroo, you can share it with those close to you via a P2P system and an email address. So say you wanted to upload pictures of your kids on the site, but are scared of online creeps finding a deviant use for the pictures. Using Filmaroo, the content is only available to those you share it with so unwanted viewers become a non-issue. The platform is also incredibly easy to use as it automates the "collection, conversion, publication and distribution of content" so it doesn't require the knowledge that say, uploading a video clip onto YouTube takes.
Graspr-This site isn't even online yet, but I will definitely be checking it out once it goes live. Graspr is a social networking site specifically geared towards how-to video content. This will be a place to look for TV-related how-to's in the coming days. The site contains an online video editor making it easy to use and will debut with over 10000 videos already on its site.
Both startups are taking advantage of unmet needs in small niches of a huge market. We'll keep an eye on these sites in the year to come.
Up here in Winnipeg, the fans of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are famous for their tailgate parties. Or perhaps infamous might be a better choice of words since the city attempted to ban them altogether for our Labor Day Classic with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
I haven't seen anything like this showcased at any of our local tailgate parties though. uncrate reported today that a company called Gameday Customs has released the Gameday Customs Ultimate Tailgate. By ultimate, we mean ultimate.
A little pricey at $13900, the Gameday Customs Ultimate Tailgate includes a 26" LCD TV, satellite dish, CD/DVD player, 1000 Watt generator, 10 gallon fresh water system, 5 gallon holding tank, complete draft beer system and even a toilet!
If you're like most people you probably leave your TV on all day long, a perpetual background of color, movement and sound to the action of everyday life.
If you're in the mood for something a little more soothing, Oh!Gizmo has pointed us to a Colorlight DVD product offered by Charles & Marie that you just pop into your DVD player which then illuminates your flat screen with a rotating selection of soothing colors. Kind of like a computer screensaver.
As you all know it's the time of year for season premieres! In fact I enjoyed the first episode of CSI Miami tonight. Who knew Horatio had a son? If genetics play any role in criminal behavior it seems the good Horatio has some bad blood in him after all! I'm a big believer in environment playing a key role in developing anti-social personality characteristics and his son didn't have the greatest upbringing, so I suppose I should cut him a break.
I must admit too that I was forced against my will to watch the pilot episode of Gossip Girl by my dear wife. Marriages are all about give-and-take though and geek is the new chic when it comes to this fall's prime-time line-up, so you can bet your lucky stars that when Bionic Woman debuts tomorrow I'll be sitting there watching.
Here are today's season premieres:
September 25-
NCIS (CBS)
Bones (Fox)
The Unit (CBS)
House (Fox)
Reaper (The CW)
Boston Legal (ABC)
Cane (CBS)
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC)
Oh and by the way, if you're looking for a CSI Miami refresher, a package of seasons 1-4 are available here and season 5 will be available on October 30.
Best Buy Reveals 89% Of Consumers Don't Fully Understand HDTV
Frustrated with the amount of HDTVs returned last Christmas season, as well as the number of customers entering stores equating flat-panel TVs with HDTVs, Best Buy recently commissioned a study that shed light on the lack of consumer education available for potential buyers of HDTVs and how that has affected Best Buy's sales.
Best Buy estimates that it takes in around 70% of its annual profit during the Christmas season and they expect to rely on flat-panel HDTV sales to fuel much of that profit. So, they must have found it shocking that the study, conducted in the form of a survey of 1012 consumers nationwide in early August, revealed that "89% of people lack a complete understanding of HDTV technology" and 48% completely underestimate the costs of buying one.
What's the reasoning behind the high numbers? Well, you must remember that if you're looking for a flat-panel TV you're not necessarily looking for an HDTV. Purchasing an HDTV isn't just a financial committment that ends once you purchase the TV. You must upgrade to an HDTV service provider and consider additional costs for cables, audio equipment and other related products.
Best Buy has moved to correct this by launching an "HD Done Right" education campaign on its website where the company provides resources that allow you to design the best HDTV package for your needs. They also provide links to a wealth of home entertainment information on CNET.com.
Obviously the majority of the education program is meant to increase awareness of Best Buy products, so we'll be offering in anticipation of the coming Christmas season a whole line-up of articles solely devoted to increasing your knowledge of HDTV so you can make the perfect purchase this holiday season.
We think this article on LCD TVs on a Budget is pretty solid. Though the reviewer picks out some 15" LCD TVs, we think you can even get a 20" on a shoe string budget.
LCD TVs are no doubt the Cadillac of televisions. They bring us a crisp, clear view of our favorite movies and shows the way a plasma or regular old TV can never do. They are designed so that you can watch television from any angle and the view won’t be distorted. You get less glare with your LCD TV, and they are the lightest and most compact televisions on the market. Not to mention the fact that your husband drools when you say, ‘LCD TV.’
Apple warned iPhone users today that a new software update to be issued later this week could make hacked iPhones completely inoperable. Recall that since the iPhone's North American release in June, several hackers have posted methods online that show users how to unlock the phone's cellular network so it can be used on networks other than AT&T.
How exactly the new software will disable hacked phones hasn't been reported, but Apple has said that the network hack can apparently cause software damage to the phone. They have also stated that this software update is not a proactive attempt to prevent users from switching cellular networks, though I find the fact that this statement has been publicized to be kind of suspicious.
Apple is an amazing company though, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt for now. Not that they don't have the right to prevent the issue, but transparency and honesty is something I believe every public company should espouse.
On a final note, I should mention that the software update is in preparation for the Apple-Starbucks partnership commencing in early October as well as access to the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store, among other features. Also for those of you who have hacked your phones and are planning on using your warranty in case of software damage, you've voided your own warranty and are out of luck!
Your Truman Show Hot Topic Of Conversation Pre-DEMO Conference
Check it out for yourself!
I know I've been pretty heavy on the web TV lately, but I'm one to always be looking ahead and despite its many detractors, I feel that it will catch on sooner or later. Not only that, but with the TechCrunch40 conference just past and the DEMO conference starting tonight in San Diego, web TV is a hot topic of conversation at the moment.
DEMO has been one of the world's premier launching pads of hot startups, products and technologies for the past 17 years. In the past few years well-known companies such as Six Apart, Feedster, Kosmix and kaboodle have been showcased at the conference. And as you ay have guessed by now, I'll be following the TV and video-related startups and products being launched at the conference.
Most of the talk pre-conference is focused on Your Truman Show. Your Truman Show is a video platform aiming to basically take the original personal journal focus of the written blog and move it into livecasting terrain. Yes, very much like a video blog or personal podcast but Your Truman Show aims to take user-generated content from single video to multi-episodes series'. The video platform hopes to accomplish this feat by using something called a "V-link interface" to chronologically order video content.
Tonight, the startup is taking thing a step further, by showcasing a Video Map Widget that can be placed on popular social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace and be accessed by anyone who wants to see your video life story.
Stay tuned for more television and video related launches at the DEMO conference.
We're big fans of Andru Edwards and Gear Live TV. If you want to see real people dealing with tech gadgets and other cool stuff you'll really want to watch a few episodes.
Samsung must be on to something. Oh, wait, I know what it is...quality. Samsung is absolutely blowing away the competition in Amazon television sales with 8 of the top 10 best-selling models. Another contributing factor to the brands hot sales is definitely the European style design of the newer models. I'm a big believer in innovative product design being a key to successful sales numbers, especially in a saturated market like that of televisions.
Here are the top three selling Samsung televisions at Amazon right now. Remember Christmas is coming and it's never to early to get your shopping started!
Customer reviews are notoriously harsh, but of 124 reviews on Amazon customers rate the Samsung LNT4065F an average of 4.5/5. Pretty impressive. The 1080p resolution and 15000:1 dynamic contrast ratio mean this model "will display finer gradients of shading making for more detail in darker scenes" meaning blacker blacks. The 10 bit video processor means sleek, smooth motion in faster moving scenes. SRS TruSurround XT audio technology means a thrilling surround-sound experience with speakers built right into the TV. Definitely something to consider!
We still have the full 1080p resolution with this model and of course a larger screen. And you know what they say about TVs: bigger is better. This model uses Auto Motion Plus 120Hz technology that reduces motion blur by doubling the frame rate from 60 to 120 frames per second and then intelligently guessing what each image looks like between frames. That means no 2 frames are alike and you have a smooth picture with little blur. The Samsung LNT4671F also utilizes SRS TruSurround XT audio technology, but boasts a 25000:1 dynamic contrast ratio meaning shades and blacks like you have never seen before.
Get Paid For Your Used Or Bricked iPhone!
Our recommendation is - don't. Buy a nice low table to put it on. But in the past we were totally into mounting our LCD TV flat on the wall. 
