Roku vs. Apple TV

post from Daring Fireball on 01 September 2010 09:04:46 PM. © Daring Fireball

If you’re mainly interested in Netflix streaming, I can’t see buying one of these over an Apple TV. Am I missing something?

Roku does have other content, like, for example, MLB.tv. And the Apple TV doesn’t have an API for an App Store. But: what if Apple opens up AirPlay to iPhone and iPad apps? Then the iPhone/iPad MLB At Bat app could stream video to the Apple TV.

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http://www.roku.com/roku-products?gclid=CPDLjYC756MCFZNg2god2gp82w#2

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Put Up or Shut Up

post from Daring Fireball on 01 September 2010 09:04:46 PM. © Daring Fireball

Roger Ebert:

Our political immune system has only one antibody, and that is the truth.

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Read The Full Article:
http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2010/09/put_up_or_shut_up.html

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The Talk Show #6: Todays Apple Event

post from Daring Fireball on 01 September 2010 07:04:46 PM. © Daring Fireball

Recorded this afternoon, soon after the end of today’s Apple event, Dan Benjamin and I discuss each of the big announcements. Lots to talk about.

This episode was sponsored by Instapaper. If you’re not using Instapaper, there’s something wrong with you.

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Read The Full Article:
http://5by5.tv/talkshow/6

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Could Cheap iTunes Rentals Change Television
Online

post from TheAppleBlog on 01 September 2010 06:06:27 PM. © TheAppleBlog

During today’s press event, Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced that 450 million TV episodes, along with 11.7 billion songs, 100 million movies and 35 million books, have been downloaded from the iTunes store, making it the number one digital media store in the world. How will its newly announced 99-cent rental program change the marketplace? It depends what’s on offer.

When we compared Hulu Plus to Netflix Instant during its launch, we found while the back catalog was comparable, Hulu Plus had Netflix easily beat when it came to new episodes of current shows. Apple’s rental program, though, draws from a larger pool of content, which could be a game changer.

Note the use of the word “could” here. Jobs announced that so far, only ABC and Fox have signed up for the 99-cent rental program. While we don’t yet know what specific shows will or won’t be available for 99 cents, based purely on studio, the below chart indicates that about a third of the content Hulu Plus is offering this fall won’t be available for rental on iTunes.

AVAILABLE ON HULU PLUSITUNES RENTAL?24Yes30 RockNoAmerican Dad!YesBonesYesBrothers & SistersYesCastleYesCougar TownYesDancing With The StarsYesDesperate HousewivesYesFamily GuyYesFind My FamilyYesFriday Night LightsNoGleeYesGrey’s AnatomyYesHouseYesJamie Oliver’s Food RevolutionYesLate Night with Jimmy FallonNoLaw & Order: Special Victims UnitNoLie To MeYesMinute to Win ItNoModern FamilyYesParenthoodNoParks and RecreationNoPrivate PracticeYesSaturday Night LiveNoShark TankYesSupernannyYesThe Biggest LoserNoThe Cleveland ShowYesThe Good GuysYesThe OfficeNoThe Tonight Show with Jay LenoNo

NBC is clearly the missing link here, and if it decides to participate in the future, that would put Hulu Plus and iTunes on par with each other. Of course, you can’t necessarily compare a subscription service to a per-item rental service; for the $10 a month I pay for Hulu Plus (which, without shelling out $99 for an Apple TV, I can watch on my television thanks to the PS3), I have unlimited access to the service’s catalog of content.

That definitely works in Hulu Plus’s favor. When the new fall season starts, for example, I’ll be watching the theoretically rentable Castle, Glee, House and Modern Family on a weekly basis. If I were renting them a la carte from iTunes, in a month when each show premiered three new episodes I’d spend $11.88 to keep caught up, and if I wanted to review them after 48 hours, I’d have to plop down another 99 cents each. Compared to Hulu Plus, that’s not a great way to spend my money (even with the commercial-free video Apple provides).

The deal breaker here is that the iTunes catalog extends well beyond ABC and Fox, thanks to its relationships with pretty much every major TV network and studio. If cable or premium channels like AMC, HBO or Showtime — which do currently sell episodes via iTunes — join the rental program, it could be a very different marketplace indeed.

Frankly, Mad Men is half the reason I still have a cable subscription, which currently costs me $100/month. If I could rent the weekly misadventures of Don Draper for 99 cents each, that’d leave me about $96 a month in savings, which I’d find much easier to use towards a la carte rentals and purchases for series and movies not available through subscription services like Netflix and Hulu Plus.

In short: The iTunes rental program might not make me rethink my Hulu Plus subscription, but if more content providers get on board, it could make me rethink cable.

Related GigaOm Pro Content (subscription required): Three Reasons Over-The-Top TV Apps Will Beat Big-Cable

Read The Full Article:
http://newteevee.com/2010/09/01/how-could-cheap-itunes-rentals-change-television-
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New iPod Touch Tech Specs

post from Daring Fireball on 01 September 2010 06:06:17 PM. © Daring Fireball

From Apple’s tech specs for the cameras:

Video recording, HD (720p) up to 30 frames per second with audio; still photos (960 × 720) with back camera.

So it’s not the same camera as the iPhone 4. It does do still photos, but they’re under one megapixel in resolution. Not surprising, though — there’s way less room in the thin frame of the Touch.

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Read The Full Article:
http://www.apple.com/ipodtouch/specs.html

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Free Demo Version of Epic Citadel

post from Daring Fireball on 01 September 2010 06:06:16 PM. © Daring Fireball

This is the game Epic demoed during today’s event. Impressive as hell.

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Read The Full Article:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/epic-citadel/id388888815#

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Downgrade iOS 4.1 to 4.0.1 for iPhone 4, iPhone
3GS 3G

post from iHackintosh on 01 September 2010 05:02:48 PM. © iHackintosh

Apple released iOS 4.1 GM for developers, latest version of iOS features several improvements like resolution of several bugs including the proximity sensor iPhone 4 and some new functions like High Dynamic Range Photos, Ability to upload videos in HD on[...]

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http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ihackintoshfeed/~3/gAOMzpeZZKQ/

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The New Nano: Camera for Touchscreen, Good Trade

post from TheAppleBlog on 01 September 2010 04:04:58 PM. © TheAppleBlog

The new iPod nano was announced today alongside upgrades of all other iPods (besides the notably absent classic). It got a touchscreen display with the multitouch features Apple is known for. If you turn it around expecting to find a camera lens, though, you’ll be disappointed. The nano’s traded that in for a clip.

The new form factor is quite small (only marginally larger than the shuffle, in fact, at around 1.5 inches square). The 1.54-inch TFT touchscreen boasts a resolution of 240×240, which should be plenty for showing off the album artwork or even getting a look at some of your favorite pics. It could also work well as fancy watch, as one Apple exec is planning on using it, according to Jobs.

Despite the presence of the touchscreen, the new nano is not without physical buttons. There’s a sleep/wake one on top, along with who physical volume +/- controls. Ports on the bottom include a 3.5mm headphone jack and the standard 30-pin dock connector.

Multitouch features include swiping to navigate the home screen, and to return from the home screen from anywhere. You can also swipe up and down to browse through lists, and rotate using the two-finger gesture iOS users are used to. Double-tap on photos to zoom, and touch and hold to re-arrange your home screen app icons.

Shake to shuffle, Genius mixes and playlists are also all included, as is FM radio with Live Pause. VoieOver is also included, as is built-in Nike+ support. As Jobs pointed out, the nano is probably the best option for those looking for a fitness-specific portable music device.

I probably shouldn’t even dare to dream, but if Apple eventually allows third-party devs to create mini-apps for the new nano, I’ll grab one in a second. It would make an awesome feature watch clipped to a wristband, though it would be even better with Bluetooth A2DP support for stereo headsets.

The new nano comes in seven colors, including a (PRODUCT)RED special edition, for $149 for the 8GB version, or $179.00 for double the storage capacity at 16GB.

Anyone getting one of these?

Read The Full Article:
http://theappleblog.com/2010/09/01/the-new-nano-camera-for-touchscreen-good-trade
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Apple Updates iPod shuffle, Brings Buttons Back

I wasn’t a huge fan of the third-generation iPod shuffle. The lack of proper controls was just not my thing. Today, with the release of the fourth-generation shuffle, Apple seems to have seen the light and gone back on itself (something it doesn’t do often).

The new shuffle brings back the buttons found on the second-generation model, but the body is squared-off rather than rectangular, so it’s smaller. How much smaller? The new one is 1.14″ high, 1.24″ wide, and .34″ deep. Compare that to the size of the second-generation, which was 1.07 x 1.62 x 0.41 inches, and it turns out to be about 15 percent smaller.

The new shuffle comes in five colors: gray, blue, pink, green, and gold. Battery life is bumped up to 15 hours from 10 for the previous model. The price is $50 and there’s only a 2GB model available, which is a bummer.

You could speculate on why Apple didn’t just replace the shuffle with the new iPod Nano, since they both have similar form factors, and I think the reason is that the shuffle is perceived as the iPod you take to the gym, and Apple isn’t sure how people will react to using a touchscreen when they’re working out.

Did you prefer the buttonless third-generation shuffle? Should Apple just replace the shuffle with the new nano? Tell us what you think in the comments.

Read The Full Article:
http://theappleblog.com/2010/09/01/apple-updates-ipod-shuffle-brings-buttons-back
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Apple Released iOS 4.1 GM for Developers

Apple just released iOS 4.1 GM seed to developers. Regsitered developers can download GM seed from their respective developer accounts. iOS 4.1 features several improvements and new functions like resolution of several bugs, including the proximity[...]

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http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ihackintoshfeed/~3/PKiXrhPBeIg/

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