THE CONNECTED HOME TECH BLOG
YOUR DAILY DOSE OF HOME-TECHNOLOGY NEWS AND VIEWS PAUL THURROTT
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[11/27/2005]
Microsoft Almost Breaks Even on Xbox 360
- Posted by: Paul Thurrott
One of the big complaints about the original Xbox was that Microsoft, unlike Sony and Nintendo, never got to the point at which the console itself was turning a profit. Typically, video game makers introduce a new console and take a loss on each unit sold during its first year or so, and then make up the difference as component prices fall and R&D costs are made up. Also, sales of software and accessories usually provide most profits anyway. With Xbox 360, Microsoft has pledged to turn its console into a money maker over time, as with Sony and Nintendo, and this week, a new report suggests that the company might be on the right track....
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[11/27/2005]
N-Gage Goes Silently into the Long Night
- Posted by: Paul Thurrott
Anyone remember the N-Gage video game system/cell phone? I didn't think so. Recently, Nokia announced that it would drop the hybrid device so that it could focus on portable-device features that actually make money, such as digital music and video. "N-Gage is still being sold, but it was not a success," a Nokia vice president actually admitted. The N-Gage suffered from poor reviews throughout its 2-year lifespan, despite a semi-impressive game lineup and a decent form factor. But because users had to remove the original version of the device's battery every time they switched games (!), users were unimpressed. I still think there's a market...
LAST COMMENT
This device was a "joke" from the moment it hit the market. You could tell it would never do well, a...
John -December 01, 2005
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[11/27/2005]
Microsoft Partner Finally Launches Media Center-like DVR
- Posted by: Paul Thurrott
At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2005 way back in January, I was shown an upcoming digital video recorder (DVR) set-top box from LG that would feature Microsoft's delicious Media Center UI but none of the Windows baggage you get with a full Media Center PC. That device, the LG LRM-519 Digital Media Recorder, is finally shipping. It features a 160GB hard disk, dual USB ports, DVD-burning capabilities, and home-networking functionality, so you can access its stored TV content from PCs, and, in the reverse direction, access digital media content from PCs on your TV. The LG costs $599, which isn't horrible, but it requires a $9.99 monthly...
LAST COMMENT
Here we go AGAIN, that DAMN "just another fee". My goodness, when are they going to produce a DVR wi...
Siegel -December 01, 2005
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[11/22/2005]
North Americans Attack Best Buy for Chance at Xbox 360
- Posted by: Paul Thurrott
Excited game enthusiasts lined up outside Best Buy locations and other retail stores around the United States Monday night for the privilege of being among the first to own an Xbox 360. My local Best Buy informed me that the earliest people in line got there at 9:00 pm Monday, and that location wasn't opening at midnight but rather at 9:00 am the following day. Only the first lucky 60 people in line actually got a console, since that was the store's allotment. But fear not, intrepid gamers. The Xbox 360 will be available at retail outlets for at least the next 5 years. There's still plenty of time to get...
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[11/22/2005]
TiVo Takes TV Content to iPod, PSP
- Posted by: Paul Thurrott
When TiVo announced its TiVoToGo service last year, providing Windows users with a way to copy TiVo-recorded TV content to PCs, notebooks, and (ugh) Portable Media Centers, I thought it was a great idea. But now TiVo is taking this service to the next logical step, providing users of Apple's video iPod and Sony's PlayStation Portable (PSP) with the same capabilities. Because of licensing costs associated with the MPEG-4 video format that both devices utilize, however, there's a caveat: To copy TiVo content to an iPod or PSP, you'll need to purchase a utility from TiVo to perform the conversions. This utility should be available in the coming...
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[11/22/2005]
Xbox 360 Over the Net Without Xbox Live
- Posted by: Paul Thurrott
While I salute Microsoft's decision to open up most of Xbox Live to non-paying customers, I have to admit that the $50 subscription fee is a bit steep for those who simply want to engage in deathmatch contests with friends over the Internet. Enter XLink Kai, a network-tunneling service that essentially lets you set up System Link-type deathmatch sessions across the Internet, a feature that normally requires Xbox Live. So skip out on the monthly or yearly fees and start fragging. The service works with Xbox, Sony PlayStation 2, and Nintendo GameCube....
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[11/22/2005]
Sony Talks PlayStation 3
- Posted by: Paul Thurrott
OK, so Microsoft's Xbox 360 is obviously all the rage this week, but Sony would like to remind gamers that it has a little upcoming product called PlayStation 3 (PS3). Here are a few things to consider. Even if Xbox 360 is a runaway success, the PlayStation 3 will likely still be the dominant player, especially when you consider that the current model, the PlayStation 2, has outsold Microsoft's first Xbox by an almost 4-to-1 margin. PlayStation 3 will also outperform Xbox 360 in a few other areas: It will support true 1080p video output, compared to 720p and 1080i on the Xbox 360. The PlayStation 3 will also support the advanced Blu-Ray disc...
LAST COMMENT
After the recent XCP issue with SONY, I'll NEVER trust a Sony product again. I hope the XBOX kills t...
No Thanks -December 02, 2005
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[11/14/2005]
Palm: We're Not Abandoning Palm OS
- Posted by: Paul Thurrott
Stung by criticism for its decision to create a device based on Windows Mobile, Palm last week reiterated that it would continue supporting rival Palm OS as well. "I'm concerned by the number of posts I've read that suggest that Palm's support of Palm OS is either wavering or short-lived," Palm CEO Ed Colligan wrote in an open letter to Palm developers. "It is neither." Colligan said that the decision to go with Windows Mobile didn't mean that the company would abandon the simple Palm OS system that the company first rode to success. In the future, he said, Palm would release devices based on both systems. The situation is vaguely...
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[11/14/2005]
Take that, iPod: NBC, CBS to Offer On Demand Shows for 99 Cents
- Posted by: Paul Thurrott
Two of the biggest broadcast networks in the United States announced separate deals last week to supply on-demand TV content to viewers for 99 cents an episode, sparking what many analysts believe will be the long, slow death of free TV. NBC Universal is teaming with satellite TV operator DirecTV to provide customers of that system with access to content from NBC, Bravo, USA, and Sci-Fi Channel. Meanwhile, CBS has inked a deal with Comcast Cable to provide cable subscribers with similar on-demand access to its shows. In both cases, new shows will be available on-demand about 1 hour after their live air time. What's interesting about these...
LAST COMMENT
My verdict? DirecTV and Comcast: 99 cents. iPod: $1.99. VCR: priceless. Is't the whole point of this...
MG -November 16, 2005
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[11/14/2005]
Vintage TV Shows Heading to the Net
- Posted by: Paul Thurrott
On Monday, two Time Warner divisions announced a deal in which they will offer episodes from more than 800 classic TV shows for free over the Internet. The shows include such staples as Welcome Back Kotter, Wonder Woman, and The Fugitive, and online viewers will just need to put up with four 15-second ads, which can't be circumvented, for the privilege. Warner says that so far, it has cleared about 14,000 individual episodes for the service, which will require a broadband Internet connection to watch. So the big question is, will the service be successful? I think Warner needs to find a way to let people take these shows...
LAST COMMENT
This will be great...
cfdavis -November 14, 2005
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