News reports from this week and last indicate that the iPad will soon be enriched with a variety of television programming content. The latest report comes from Bloomberg this past Tuesday, indicating that Apple is close to brokering deals that will bring $.99 television shows from several networks including Fox, CBS and ABC to the iTunes Store. The $.99 will reportedly be for a rental of the shows, not a full purchase. The deal with News Corp. (Fox) is said to include 48-hour rentals.
Originally called Project Natal when it was previewed at E3 in 2009, Microsoft’s motion-based gaming package has finally gotten a price tag. It will cost $150 when it goes on sale this fall, just in time for the holiday season.
Nintendo unveiled its 3DS system recently at E3, and it promises to bring 3D gaming wherever you want to go. The 3DS system is a 3D-capable version of Nintendo’s popular DS portables and includes a 3D slider that adjusts the picture and allows you to see images in 3D. No goofy 3D glasses are needed for the system, which is good since you’re likely to be playing out in public.
All in all, the iPhone gets 100 new features, though many of them will be more interesting to Apple than to customers. Some of the more notable changes include an updated design with glass front and back panels and stainless steel edging; thin, 9.3mm profile that Apple says makes the iPhone 4 the “thinnest smartphone ever;” a Retina Display with four times the pixel density and 960 x 640 resolution; and additional antennas for enhanced 3G and Wi-Fi reception.
Microsoft will be announcing a partnership with Hulu, that lovable video site that allows you to watch all your favorite shows and clips whenever you want over the Internet. Microsoft seems to think that Xbox users might enjoy watching Hulu content on an actual TV, rather than hunched over their notebooks.
Pioneer announced that it will be offering Pandora in two of its satellite navigation systems, providing the option of Web music streaming to drivers that aren’t in the market for a brand new vehicle. The AVIC-Z120BT and AVIC-X920BT will rely on the iPhone to connect to the Internet and will use the free PandoraLink for Pioneer app to bring Pandora to the car audio system.
Google’s Chris Palma stated on Tuesday that Google plans to launch its own e-book marketplace in late June or July of this year. Google’s digital book service, to be called Google Editions, will be offered directly through Google and through book retailers that choose to carry the service. The service will enable small, independent booksellers the opportunity to offer Google e-book content.
We’ve been looking at a lot of media streaming devices lately and Google just shook up the world with a new type of system. With it, Google could change the way we view television and Internet content. Called simply Google TV, the new system is being developed by a powerhouse alliance between some of the biggest names in technology. In addition to Google, Intel, Sony and Logitech are involved with the project.
There has been plenty of tablet news in the technology sector this year, and the latest tablet in the rumor mill is an HP model codenamed ‘Hurricane’. Last month, HP acquired mobile phone manufacturer Palm and HP said that one of the major motivations behind the buy was to gain access to Palm’s mobile operating system: WebOS.
In March, the New York Times reported that Google, Intel and Sony were working on joint technology that would produce Google TVs and set-top boxes based upon Google’s Android operating system. The idea was to make televisions and other equipment that leverage Android-style apps in the living room. At the time, there was no release date given, and it appeared that the project was in its infancy.
