Tag: Apple

Netflix Streaming on The Mac Arrives

mac
NetFlix has finally gotten streaming going for the Mac. It’s been available for the PC for quite some time now.

The other thing that’s been quietly happening is that Netflix has been getting their streaming software onto Blu-Ray DVD players, like the LG BD300 Network Blu-Ray Disc Player.

Netflix has been slowly adding DVDs that you can start watching over your computer or specially equipped DVD player, and they even have a separate device called the Roku (for $99!).

Reporters say, Believe the iPhone Hype


Over on one of my other blogs, High Tech Duck (which looks suspiciously like Magic Lamp right now), I have a couple of pointers to what the NY Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal columnists are saying about the iPhone: It’s not completely perfect, but you should “Believe the Hype”.

Apple and AT&T have worked out a deal for unlimited bandwidth for the phones, so that means you’ll be able to surf the web as much as you like. Without leveraging the web, the iPhone loses a lot. It still has that built in iPod, so you’ll be able to watch movies and listen to music, but you’d be missing out on what they’re calling a first class browser (Safari), YouTube videos, at least while you’re on the road.

Now, you’ll notice I said “while you’re on the road”. The iPhone has built-in WiFi, which means that when you’re near your own network or a public WiFi network, you’ll be able to use that instead of the cell network, Edge, from AT&T. You won’t be able to get phone calls over WiFi, but you will be able to get to the web.

So what does that mean for TV addicts? Well, a lot of big media are posting their shows to the web these days, and quite a few use YouTube.

Good thing the iPhone has a big battery.

Apple’s iPhone

Steve Jobs announced the iPhone today. Very impressive. It has a touch screen, gesture recognition, a sensor that detects when you’re turning the phone so you can use it sideways (to read web pages, for example), it plays iTunes, you can use Google Maps with it, it has WiFi…. There’s a 4 Gig version for $499, and an 8 Gig version for $599.

Yes, I want one.

Maybe two.

You know, as for a spare.

…Anyway, it’ll be released in June, and Cingular will be carrying it. I imagine we’ll be seeing some deep discounts on Palm Treo and Windows Mobile phones this year. It’ll probably be a loooong time before they discount the iPhone though.

What’s Apple up to?

Speaking of mysterious new devices….

Apple will announce something “new” next week, according to the invitations that some chosen few have received. There’s a picture that’s circulating which looks like a small cube. The person that took it says it measures 8x8x8 and has a bunch of ports on the back.

My guess is that it’ll be a device that you’ll connect to your TV, will have a wireless internet connection, and the ability to download movies right to it. I don’t think they’ll go the TiVO route, since there’s still a lot of shakeup about to happen in that market.

People have been going “gah-gah” over the ability to have TV shows on their iPOD…doesn’t it make sense for Apple to introduce something that people will be able to use in their living rooms?

Any other guesses?