Apple just sent out an urgent email to Apple TV owners to alert them of a necessary, immediate upgrade to Apple TV software version 3.0.1.

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When out and about, sometimes you got a few minutes to kill.  SPBTV for Android phones can help you use up a few of those minutes with a little mindless entertainment or a news update from overseas.

SPB TV is an application that streams live TV from the Internet directly to your phone.  It has a nice interface and some of the streams even have a on screen guide to what is coming up next.

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When I saw the press release announcing that HAVA was coming to the iTunes App Store and that it was an application which allowed for live streaming of your home television, I was intrigued.  I like to think I’m pretty knowledgeable when it comes to the live TV options available for the iPhone but I have to admit I’d never heard of HAVA.

I’m currently running both a Slingbox Solo and an EyeTV Hybrid in my home office.  The Slingbox allows me to view live TV on my Mac as well as my iPhone and doesn’t require the connected computer to be on.  The EyeTV also allows me to view live TV on my Mac and my iPhone and it also allows me to record shows on my Mac just like a DVR.  The recordings are then available for viewing on either the computer or the iPhone.  But the big drawback to EyeTV is that you must have the connected computer on with the application running to view streams remotely.

Both of these setups combined meet my live and recorded TV needs.  But do I really need two systems running independently to satisfy myself?  Turns out I might not.

I might just only need one system and that system might just be HAVA.

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I love Hulu.  The online based service that allows you to watch media content, including movies, TV shows etc. is a staple around my home.  I have it on all my computers and on my Apple TV.  If I forget to record an episode of one of my weekly shows I’m usually able to catch it on Hulu.

Well it seems all good things must come to an end.  You see currently Hulu is 100% free.  While you’re subjected to a few advertisements here and there you pay absolutely nothing for the service.  I know of several people who have ditched their cable service altogether and gone strictly to using Hulu.

Just this week however News Corp. Deputy Chairman, Chase Carey revealed Hulu’s new plan at an industry Summit in New York. Broadcasting and Cable reports that Carey informed reporters that a subscription based system is likely but, there may still be some free content.

So will I have to start paying to catch up on my missed prime time TV shows while my kids can still watch old episodes of “I Dream of Jeannie” for free?

Say it isn’t so!

Via Broadcasting and Cable

Where were you when you first heard about the now infamous “Balloon Boy” incident? On Thursday, October 15th, at a little past 2 p.m. Central Time, Dan and I were IM’ing when he abruptly told me to turn on CNN.

Once I did, the screen was filled with the image of a large silver balloon speeding and spinning, thousands of feet above the Colorado countryside. The balloon supposedly carried a six year old boy, appropriately named Falcon.

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TOOB is the perfect multimedia tool for anyone who never believed their parents when they warned against sitting too close to the TV. Starting at about $3,500 you can get a 3′ x 6′ plastic half dome screen, 12″ reflector table and projector drawer with Mitsubishi HC 1600 720p DLP home theater projector and Logitech G51 surround sound 5.1 speaker system. Simply set the TOOB up on the floor and watch the picture nearly surround you. Larger 16′ screens are available for about $9,500.

TOOB

With my schedule I find myself with tons of down time throughout any given day. Being in Dr’s waiting rooms, bus rides in the spring during baseball season, or just sitting on a bench while my wife spends hours in the mall emptying our bank account…I always turn to one thing, my BlackBerry. While I have tons of games that could pass the time, RSS feeds to read, or movies to watch…sometimes I just want something more, something live, maybe even a newscast to watch instead of reading the news. Well SPB TV Is an application that shows live TV from across the world on your BlackBerry device. I was lucky enough to get advanced review copy of the application, here are my thoughts….

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Apple shook up their hobby project that goes by the name Apple TV. They just dropped the 40GB model entirely and discounted the 160GB model to what HAD been the 40GB price- $226. That is a $100 price cut.

I really like my Apple TV, but don’t use it nearly as much as I thought I would. Regardless, the 40GB version is gone, the 120GB version is $100 less, and most people STILL don’t get the point of an Apple TV.

via MacRumors

Direct TV users will soon be able to watch every single NFL game right on their mobile phones, live.

iPhone included.

NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers can add the Superfan feature to their accounts.

Supercast Mobile, which is included with Superfan feature, includes all the great features of the Supercast computer application. So you can now enjoy live streaming video, highlights, scores and stats wherever you happen to be.

SUPERCAST Mobile will be available for the iPhone, Palm Pre, and select Windows Mobile and BlackBerry devices.

NFL Sunday Ticket Super Fan is available for $100 here.

i. TV is one of the better television guide applications available for the iPhone.

With i. TV you can develop you own custom TV Guide with all your favorite shows.

Yesterday the developers of  i. TV released a major update which just might solidify it as the best of the bunch.

Most notably is the addition of push notification for alerts.  Now it’ll alert you when your favorite show is about to air.

Also included is the ability to use your iPhone to remotely control your Tivo.

The entire interface is not only faster but has been redesigned and it looks super slick.

i. TV is free in the iTunes App Store.

Did you wake up this morning determined to buy a large HDTV? Amazon is offering up to 26% off Samsung Plasma and LCD HDTVs. To enable the lower prices you’ll have to use the coupon codes . LCD and Plasma HDTV sizes are available from 40 to 63 inches and the offer expires 9/5.

Samsung LDC and Plasma HDTV deals

If you’ve been holding off on a shiny new LCD then this could be your day. Web site BuyDig has the Toshiba 32V502R for only $389 PLUS the UPS guy will lug it up your driveway to your doorstep for no extra money. Features include: 32 inch screen, dynamic backlight control, cinespeed LCD, 720p, built-in ATSC/NTSC/QAM tuners and 2 x HDMI inputs. You know what I always say about HDMI inputs — 2 are better than one!

Toshiba

It does not happen very often, except perhaps with Police Drama’s: two TV shows manage to come up with virtually the same concept independently, and both execute it with a fair degree of innovation and quality. Continue Reading

While away on vacation I’ve been watching the series Sanctuary thanks to Netflix streaming and my Roku box. It’s a scifi show that, once you suspend your belief system (and a good portion of your intellect ) is rather fun. Along the way they have made one major tech goof, but later redeemed themselves more than a bit.

Last night the show almost lost me when one character ended a cell phone call on a bridge. The problem was… she was using an iPod Touch.

Note to the show’s technical advisors– iPod Touch’s are great for calls but only when you have wifi and a headset for voip. On a bridge holding the device to your ear… not so much.

Tonight they redeemed themselves when they showed EXCELLENT taste in computers. Continue Reading

The divide between our imaginations and our reality may not as be as wide as we think.

Tonight’s “60 Minutes” had a repeat piece titled “Mind Reading” on the development of a budding technology referred to as ‘Thought Identification’ or in laymen’s terms – ‘Mind Reading’ – and it’s a technology that seems to work with a fair degree of accuracy.  As Lesley Stahl asks:

“How often have you wondered what your spouse is really thinking? Or your boss? Or the guy sitting across from you on the bus? We all take as a given that we’ll never really know for sure. The content of our thoughts is our own–private, secret, and unknowable by anyone else. Until now, that is.”

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