Google has released Google Media Server, a PC-only beta, “desktop gadget” for Google desktop that utilizes Universal-Plug-N-Play to stream media from your home PC to a network-connected display.
Google’s first toe-dip into the TV advertising pool?
Download Google Media Server.
Media Defender, an “anti-piracy” business (or Content Cartel front) may be getting a richly deserved visit from the FBI over it’s practices, after attacking Revision3 with a Denial-of-Service attack.
Previous coverage of Media Defender shenanigans here and here.
What’s sickening is that if it was a bunch of pink-haired 16-year-olds doing this, they’d get a glorious perp-walk, [...]
A thought-provoking piece from Joel Johnson (Heh…no relation.) at Boing Boing gadgets. It really is only a matter of time before “little computers” are actually built-into monitors.
In Appledom, iTunes is the future, not AppleTV. AppleTV and other PC-based media centers only exist because no television manufacturer has figured out how to make a passable, [...]
Some cool stuff in the next version of Flash, including a tweening/motion editor and 3D.
2008 Producers Institute for New Media Technologies
Bay Area Video Coalition
May 30 – June 8, San Francisco.
Nine documentary teams have been chosen to prototype innovative interactive, mobile, multimedia, and game projects to engage and build audiences for their social issue storytelling during the 2008 Producers Institute for New Media Technologies
Funded by generous lead support from [...]
Blockbuster is apparently looking to develop a set-top box to deliver streaming video rentals. While it would seem that such a device would have an advantage in the size of it’s content library, especially after purchasing Movielink, what really differentiates this (assumed proprietary) box from a “cable channel” that you need an additional piece of [...]
It was disclosed this week at Appleinsider that Apple filed a patent in Oct. 2006 over what appears to be DVR functionality. Apple’s interface design and usability brought to the DVR could be the killer app for the AppleTV.
The patent at USPO.
Worthwhile: Saving the HDi platform for non-HD DVD media.
MS Don’t Kill HDi! An Open Letter from Format War Frontline
On a technical implementation level HD-DVD was farther along than Blu-ray, even at the time of its death. HDi comprised a powerful tool and a competitor that raised the stakes on its rival, especially because it was [...]
Some action this week.
YouTube wiped some sweat off it’s brow, with a ruling in US District Court denying punitive damages in Viacom’s infringement suit.
Also this week, YT bumped up video quality, killed the YT watermark, and announced an expanded API to begin to position itself as a video distribution and services platform. No word yet [...]
From the NYT.
Then there’s Mike, who buys a laptop that has a reassuring “Windows Vista Capable” logo affixed. He thinks that he will be able to run Vista in all of its glory, as well as favorite Microsoft programs like Movie Maker. His report: “I personally got burned.” His new laptop — logo or no [...]
Summaries. Pondering.
iPhone 2.0: Enterprise Ready. Developer Ready.
iPhone Enterprise Beta Program lets suits try 2.0 firmware early
Will Apple’s 3G iPhone Come In Late June, Too?
iPhone SDK, Apple’s Touch Platform, and The Next Two Decades
iPhone ready to take on BlackBerry with enterprise push
iPhone announcements exceed mobile experts’ expectations
iPhone SDK details
AOL has also created a version of AIM for the iPhone in five days despite its developer’s lack of experience for the Mac. Users simply swipe to change active chats.
The iPhone App store
BBC iPlayer Beta now available for iPhone
Developers excited [...]
Silverlight is Microsoft’s Flash-like rich-media technology, first released last year. Scott Guthrie of MS provides a preview/overview of version 2. Sounds a lot like Flash—including built-in interface and data components. A beta of version 2 will be available soon. Version 1 on/for Mac was pretty underwhelming, I must say.
Seth Schoen at the EFF has posted the group’s concerns about the forthcoming implementation of DRM for Flash video. But is it really “DRM” in the strictest sense? Some clarifications from Flashcomguru:
…I think the author has missed the point here, or does not understand the purpose of RTMPE, the new encrypted flavor of Adobe’s Real [...]