Starting today TiVo lovers can expect to see Amazon HD availability on their Series 3 / TiVo HD boxes. HD content is priced about the same as normal SD downloads with HD TV shows starting at $3 and newly released HD movies at $4-$5. There's no details yet as to the quality of the picture or download speeds, but from the beta testing HD downloads are supposedly "outstanding" and handle surround sound very well.

With Amazon HD VOD, Netflix streaming HD, and the recently announced Blockbuster OnDemand, TiVo is slowly working to make paid internet content available on your TV. This is all great news but what about some Hulu love? Please TiVo, we beg of you...

THE FUTURE IS CRYSTAL CLEAR: HIGH DEFINITION DOWNLOADS FROM AMAZON VIDEO ON DEMAND COMING TO A TIVO DVR NEAR YOU

ALVISO, Calif. – April 21, 2009 - TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO), the creator of and a leader in television services for digital video recorders (DVRs), today announced the availability of HD movies and television shows for download from Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) directly to their television set. Starting today, broadband connected subscribers with a Series3™, TiVo HD, or TiVo HD XL will have access to high quality HD downloads available from Amazon Video On Demand.

Movie and television lovers from coast to coast can browse through hundreds of selections, all without having to leave their living room and at the fraction of the cost of purchasing a Blu-ray disc. High definition episodes of current TV seasons will be available for purchase at $2.99 and top new release HD movies will be available for rental from $3.99 - $4.99. The experience is made even better with the vast majority of titles providing Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, offering a full surround sound experience.

"Consumers are seeking affordable entertainment alternatives to an expensive trip to the movies. With HD downloads for movies and TV shows, TiVo and Amazon can transform any night into a memorable movie experience, all for a fraction of the cost of the theater," said Tara Maitra, general manager and vice president of content services and advertising sales at TiVo Inc. "Our customers now have access to a new world of ultra high quality HD television and movie choices available when the DVDs are released, something no other DVR, cable, or satellite company can match."

TiVo Search, which is optimized for HDTVs with a wide screen display, will include HD results from Amazon along with broadcast and cable programs when a user performs a search.

"TiVo is enabling customers to access our unparalleled library of hit movies and TV shows, bringing them directly into the home where friends and family can watch from the comfort of the couch," said Bill Carr, Amazon vice president music and video. "Together with TiVo, Amazon Video On Demand is excited to offer HD and increase the selection, quality, and convenience for the TiVo community."

To activate their broadband-connected TiVo DVR, subscribers can log onto Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/videoondemand/tv. After a one-time registration, they can use the remote to search and browse the Amazon selections right from the TV screen, then download the selection directly to the TiVo DVR. To receive more information on how to download HD content from Amazon via your TiVo DVR visit www.tivo.com/amazon.

AMAZON MP3 TO ADD DRM-FREE DOWNLOADS FROM SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT

With the addition of SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT later this month, Amazon MP3 will be the only retailer to offer customers DRM-free MP3 downloads from all four major music labels

SEATTLE—January 10, 2008—Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced that DRM-free MP3 music downloads from SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT will be available to customers on Amazon MP3, Amazon's DRM-free MP3 digital music store where every song is playable on virtually any digital music-capable device, including PCs, Macs®, iPod®, Zune®, Zen®, iPhone™, RAZR™ and BlackBerry®. When SONY BMG is added later this month, Amazon MP3 will be the only retailer to offer customers DRM-free MP3s from all four major music labels, as well as over 33,000 independent labels. Amazon MP3 customers will discover DRM-free MP3s from SONY BMG's vast rosters of artists representing virtually every genre of music.

"We are excited to offer Amazon MP3 customers DRM-free MP3s from SONY BMG, which represents many of the most popular musicians from the past and present," said Bill Carr, Amazon.com Vice President for Digital Music. "Our Amazon MP3 customers will be able to choose from a full selection of DRM-free music downloads from all four major labels and over 33,000 independents that they can play on virtually any music-capable device."

"We are excited to be working with Amazon as they continue to build new markets for digital music," commented Thomas Hesse, President, Global Digital Business & U.S. Sales, SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT. "We are constantly exploring new ways of making our music available to consumers in the physical space, over the internet and through mobile phones, and this initiative is the newest element of our ongoing campaign to bring our music to fans wherever they happen to be."

Launched in September 2007, Amazon MP3 offers Earth's Biggest Selection of a la carte DRM-free MP3 music downloads, which now includes over 3.1 million songs from more than 270,000 artists. Every song and album in the Amazon MP3 music download store is available exclusively in the MP3 format without digital rights management (DRM) software and is encoded at 256 Kbps to deliver high audio quality. Amazon MP3 customers are free to enjoy their music downloads using any hardware device, including PCs, Macs®, iPod®, Zune®, Zen®, iPhone™, RAZR™ and BlackBerry®; organize their music using any music management application such as iTunes® or Windows Media Player™; and burn songs to CDs for personal use.

Most songs available on Amazon MP3 are priced from 89 cents to 99 cents, with more than 1 million of the over 3.1 million songs priced at 89 cents. The top 100 bestselling songs are 89 cents, unless marked otherwise. Most albums are priced from $5.99 to $9.99. The top 100 bestselling albums are $8.99 or less, unless marked otherwise. Buying and downloading MP3s from Amazon MP3 is easy. Customers can purchase downloads using Amazon 1-Click shopping, and with the Amazon MP3 Downloader, seamlessly add their MP3s to their iTunes® or Windows Media Player™ libraries.

Dell Adds New Touch to Tablet PCs Round Rock, Texas, December 10, 2007

* Dell LatitudeTM XT system is the only sub-four-pound 12.1-inch convertible tablet with ground-breaking capacitive touch technology
* System is the thinnest and one of the lightest convertibles available
* Optional daylight viewing display offers the brightest display in its category
* Hardware supports future multi-touch functionality

Dell is setting new benchmarks for tablet PCs with the addition of the Latitude XT, the thinnest and one of the lightest 12.1-inch convertible tablets available. It is also the brightest in its category with an optional daylight viewing panel. The system starts at $2,499 and Dell will begin to take orders and ship the Latitude XT by the end of the year.

The Latitude XT is also the industry's only sub-four-pound convertible tablet with pen and capacitive touch capability. Capacitive technology senses the touch of a finger with no pressure required for the system to recognize input. It is also the forerunner to emerging multi-touch capabilities that allow the use of more than one finger for tasks such as zoom and repositioning a picture, to name a few. Other touch features available on the Latitude XT include:

* Accuracy and speed - touch response times on the Latitude XT are faster than the Lenovo X61T1
* Advanced digital palm rejection technology, helping prevent inadvertent contact that disrupts pen input
* The digitizer technology on the Latitude XT is rated up to 10 times more durable than competing resistive touch digitizer technology
* Maintenance-free, no-battery pen with eraser and "right" mouse click functionality

"We are listening and aim to exceed customers' expectations," said Margaret Franco, director, Dell Product Group. "Until now, customers have been forced to make tradeoffs in tablet functionality to have usable systems. With Capacitive touch technology, the Latitude XT will revolutionize the way customers interact with their systems, allow customers to take full advantage of tablet technology and enables customers to get more done with greater speed and precision."

Most competitive tablets on the market today rely on resistive touch that requires the application of force for the system to recognize user interaction. The older technology can be less accurate and durable than capacitive touch and may not support multi-touch. In addition, many customers who use resistive tablets that support both pen and touch functionality may disable the latter because the palm rejection technology is subpar.

Market Impact of Dell Tablet PC
"Dell's plan to enter the tablet PC market will help promote the platform among its large number of customers and help facilitate the product category to go mainstream," said Doug Bell at industry analyst firm IDC.

The Latitude XT is designed with the future in mind with the capability to support multi-touch. As the technology matures, the system can serve as a premiere development platform for applications that can take advantage of multi-touch.

"By integrating our DuoSense technology into the Latitude XT, Dell creates the ultimate machine destined to lead the tablet PC market," said Amihai Ben-David, CEO of N-trig. "Customers using the new Latitude XT will find that the zero pressure touch combined with the accurate stylus changes the usability of tablet PCs. Once they try it, they won't want to go back."

As part of Dell's ongoing goal to be the "greenest technology company on the planet," Energy Star 4.0-compliant configurations of the Latitude XT will be available in January 2008.

Other features of the Latitude XT include:

* Optional media base for docking and optical media
* Full-size keyboard with dual pointing
* Up to 64 GB2 solid state drive; up to 120 GB2 hard drive
* Optional battery slice designed to provide up to 9.5 hours of battery life3
* Intel® Core 2TM Solo and Duo ULV processors
* ATITM RadeonTM X1250 UMA integrated graphics

[Dell, Dell Blog via I4U]

New York Times bestsellers and hardback new releases will go for $9.99, with classics going as low as $1.99. Through the service, which is an extension of the Amazon store, you also can subscribe to newspapers (New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post) and magazines, which are automatically sent to Kindle when they drop on the wire.

Talking about the hardware itself, it'll hold 200 books on board, though you can supplement with unspecified memory cards. It'll get up to 30 hours of reading per charge and weighs 10.3 ounces. So, why does such a potentially disruptive device look so very plain? They wanted it to look like "an austere vessel of culture." The moniker Kindle is from the same line of thinking, "the crackling ignition of knowledge." But, thankfully, it doesn't get warm itself.

Some obvious questions are left though, mostly about the "always-on" connection—is the EV-DO-based Whispernet service included in the $399? If not, what's the pricing on that? And what are its limits, since you can go out onto the real web? Odds are, Bezos himself will reveal the answers tomorrow.

The goals here are pretty lofty: "Amazon believes it has created the iPod of reading." We really, really dig Jeff's vision, "that you should be able to get any book—not just any book in print, but any book that's ever been in print—on this device in less than a minute," so we hope about as much as he does that this little beige slab lives up to all the wonderful that they're promising. [Newsweek]

We're live-updating as we find out more after the jump.

Zune Marketplace now has music videos, but no movies. Three million songs total. The 80GB Zune also has a large, 3.2-inch screen, but only comes in black. It's also smaller and thinner than the original Zune. The flash-based Zunes, on the other hand, come in pink, green, black and red, and are the smallest of all. [CNET]

Update: The sharing feature is being expanded so you can send music AND "other media" to other Zunes. The shared songs have no expiration date and can be shared again with other people, but the same 3 play limitation is still there.

Zune's also getting a Zune Social social-networking site. You don't even have to own a Zune to join. You can have Zune Cards to "reflect your musical preferences," based on the music you listen to on your Zune player. The card can have custom pictures and backgrounds. Displays your currently played song. You can also browse other people's cards and sample the standard 30-seconds of the song to see if you like it. There's also going to be community-generated charts to see what's popular right now in the Zune community.

The Zune's got a re-worked navigation button and no longer has brown as a color. Darn, we liked the brown. [NYT]

Update 2: There's additional video codec support as well: h.264 and MPEG4. You don't have to convert all your stuff to WMV.

Zune's also getting a feature to automatically import recorded content from Windows Media Center as well, meaning you can take your TV shows to go just by syncing up with your computer.

Update 3: The 30GB Zune actually isn't being eliminated, and will be offered at $199. Amazon already has it for $165-$185 now. It's going to get Wireless Sync, the upgraded Zune to Zune transfer, and the recorded TV content to go. It's most likely got the same codec support as the 80GB.

Update 4: There's no Zune Wi-Fi store access here. You're still going to have to buy your music from your computer and sync it to your Zune. But, Microsoft says:

Update 5: Wired has a hands on.

What we're waiting to see is more revolutionary changes, such as the ability to access the Zune music service via Wi-Fi.

80GB Zune Feature List:

Beautiful, big color screen. A bright, durable 3.2-inch glass screen delivers uncompromised portable video viewing. Your music, video and pictures never looked better.
• Touch controls. Fly effortlessly through your song, picture and video collections with the new Zune Pad. Innovative new touch controls let you brush or click.
• Wireless sync. Cut the cord to your PC. Refresh your Zune with new content anywhere you charge your device. Connect to your PC through your home wireless network by setting your Zune to automatically sync the latest podcasts, music and more from your stereo dock, AC adapter or speaker dock accessory.
• Zune Social, a beta online community Web site. Discover, share and leave your musical mark. Create a Zune Card and personal profile at Zune.net to reflect your musical identity. Invite friends, share song recommendations, post comments and browse member pages to discover new music and connect to other people with similar musical tastes.
• Zune Marketplace. Get your fill. Over 3 million songs, albums, DRM-free MP3s, music videos, audio and video podcasts and more. Buy individual songs and albums or choose a Zune Pass to get unlimited downloads for a flat rate.
• Wireless Zune-to-Zune sharing.3 Share full-length tracks of your favorite songs, albums, playlists, pictures and even audio podcasts. Listen to the full track of any song you receive up to three times, and even pass along songs you receive to other friends who have a Zune. If you like a song you receive, you can easily add it to your wish list and then buy it from your PC the next time you sync.
• Recorded television content to go. The Zune software will now automatically import broadcast content recorded on Windows® Media Center for Windows Vista® Home Premium or Ultimate, so consumers can sync them onto their Zune and hit the road.4

• Built-in FM radio. With the built-in FM tuner you can listen to your favorite local FM radio stations while you're on the go. Advanced tuning capabilities allow you to see the name of the song and artist currently playing on select frequencies.5
• Import your music. Zune software will automatically import your existing music, pictures and videos, including music you have ripped into iTunes and Windows Media® Player, even transferring your existing playlists and song ratings in one easy step. Some content may be protected by the service you purchased it from, so those files cannot be imported.
• Your games. Your music. Your way. Plug your Zune into your Xbox 360® and customize the soundtrack in your favorite games. You can also stream the music, pictures and videos from the Zune software on your PC to your Xbox 360 console using a wireless connection.
• Accessories. A full line of Zune accessories are available to enhance your experience wherever you are, at home, on the go, in the car or working out.

T-MOBILE AND RIM INTRODUCE BLACKBERRY CURVE 8320 
WITH WI-FI CALLING FEATURE

Now Available, the BlackBerry Curve 8320 From T-Mobile Is the First 
All-In-One Handset Designed to Work With T-Mobile HotSpot @Home

Bellevue, Wash., and Waterloo, ON - Sept. 25, 2007 - T-Mobile USA, Inc., and Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM: TSX: RIM) announced the Wi-Fi®-enabled BlackBerry® Curve™ 8320, the first BlackBerry® handset available in the U.S. that supports T-Mobile® HotSpot @HomeSM over a Wi-Fi connection and great in-home mobile coverage.

Available in two distinct finishes - titanium and pale gold - the BlackBerry Curve 8320 from T-Mobile strikes a unique balance of design, features and functionality that's as perfect for staying close to friends and family as it is for a busy day at work. Available from T-Mobile in the U.S., the BlackBerry Curve 8320 features RIM's smallest and lightest full-QWERTY handset design.

With built-in support for T-Mobile HotSpot @Home, customers can enjoy great mobile coverage and, with the HotSpot@Home Add-On Plan, customers can enjoy unlimited calling over a Wi-Fi network as well as unlimited Wi-Fi calling at nearly 8,500 T-Mobile HotSpot locations nationwide. When you leave home or a T-Mobile HotSpot, calls are seamlessly transferred onto T-Mobile's wireless network, and the same is true for transferring calls from T-Mobile's network onto Wi-Fi networks. T-Mobile introduced its HotSpot @Home service in June.

The BlackBerry Curve 8320 provides advanced multimedia capabilities including a two-megapixel camera, a music and video player, a 3.5mm stereo headset jack and a microSD card slot for expandable memory storage. Access to personal and corporate e-mail accounts and Web browsing is fast and easy thanks to the powerful BlackBerry platform, Wi-Fi connectivity and T-Mobile's robust nationwide EDGE network.

"Consumers have adopted the HotSpot @Home service because it provides great in-home coverage and unsurpassed value. The BlackBerry Curve from T-Mobile further extends the appeal for HotSpot @Home by adding a compelling all-in-on device with Wi-Fi," said Leslie Grandy, vice president of Product Development at T-Mobile USA. "The BlackBerry Curve is an ideal companion for staying connected to friends, family and life while at home, at work or on the go."

"The evolution of the BlackBerry platform is at a particularly exciting stage where we are able to synthesize an amazing array of technologies and features to enhance the user experience," said Mike Lazaridis, president and co-CEO at Research In Motion. "Together with T-Mobile's Wi-Fi and cellular services, the new BlackBerry Curve 8320 provides customers with an extremely powerful communications and multimedia solution in a mobile handset that remains sleek and easy to use."

Key features of the BlackBerry Curve 8320 from T-Mobile include*:
Impressively small and lightweight design at 4.2'' x 2.4'' x 0.6'' and approximately 3.9 oz.
Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g) connectivity for expanded coverage, as well as faster Web browsing and file downloading
Support for T-Mobile HotSpot @Home add-on plan
Enabled for T-Mobile's myFaves SM so customers can stay in touch with those who matter most with quick, one-click access via instant message, e-mail, or by calling or texting their five favorite contacts from the home screen
Popular instant messaging clients: AOL®, Yahoo!® Windows Live®, Google® and ICQ®
2-megapixel camera with 5x digital zoom, built-in flash, self-portrait mirror and full-screen viewfinder
Advanced media player with search capabilities, full-screen video playback, stereo Bluetooth® support (A2DP/AVRCP), 3.5mm full-size stereo headset jack and dedicated volume controls - supports MP3, AAC, WAV, WMA audio and MPEG4, H.263 and WMV video formats
Roxio® Media Manager for BlackBerry® (included with BlackBerry® Desktop Manager software), which allows customers to easily search for media files on their computers, view and organize them, create MP3 music files from CDs, add audio tags, create playlists and automatically copy or convert pictures, music and videos for optimal playback
High-performance HTML browser for visiting favorite Web sites while on the go
Incredibly intuitive user interface with an easy-to-use trackball, dedicated 'menu' and 'escape' keys, and context-sensitive menus that make navigation feel instinctive and fast
Full QWERTY keyboard for easy text entry
Large, ultra-bright 320x240 color display for vibrant imagery
Innovative light-sensing technology that automatically optimizes the screen, trackball and keyboard lighting for indoor, outdoor and dark environments
E-mail and memo spell-checking available in various languages including English, French, Italian, German and Spanish
Premium phone features with Speaker Independent Voice Recognition (SIVR) for Voice Activated Dialing (VAD), dedicated 'send', 'end' and 'mute' keys, noise-cancellation technology to offset background noise, a low-distortion speakerphone for hands-free conversations, and Bluetooth® support for hands-free use with headsets, car kits and Bluetooth peripherals
Intuitive call management features such as smart dialing, conference calling, speed dialing and call forwarding
Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE/Wi-Fi network support for international roaming
BlackBerry Maps, a mapping application that provides customers with driving directions
Built-in Handango™ InHand catalog of additional software applications available for download
Support for polyphonic, MP3 and MIDI ring tones
Expandable memory storage via microSD expansion slot
Ultra-thin, high-capacity, removable battery that further extends the exceptional battery life for which BlackBerry smartphones are known
BlackBerry® Internet Service support allowing access to up to 10 supported e-mail accounts, including most popular ISP e-mail accounts such as Yahoo!®, AOL® and Gmail®
BlackBerry® Enterprise Server support tightly integrated with IBM Lotus® Domino®, Microsoft® Exchange, and Novell® GroupWise®, and featuring IT policy controls for IT departments to manage usage and deployments

The new BlackBerry Curve 8320 from T-Mobile is available at T-Mobile retail stores, select authorized dealers, online at www.t-mobile.com, or by calling 1-800-T-MOBILE. For more information about T-Mobile HotSpot @Home, please visit www.theonlyphoneyouneed.com. For more information about the BlackBerry Curve 8320, please visit www.blackberry.com/blackberrycurve8320.

Of course the device is 3G and will feature SMS, IM and push email. A 2MP camera will support pictures and video, while 150MB of internal memory can be expanded through a microSD slot. And yes, there's Bluetooth. Vodafone will launch the first units in October and Palm is describing it as a premium product that will still be free with contract on most carriers. I've officially gone from hating this device to looking forward to its promise. What about you? [pocketlint]

Desktop
Finder
Quick Look
Time Machine
Spaces

The WWDC Keynote – Ben Longo

WWDC Keynote Liveblog [Gizmodo]

SUNNYVALE, Calif., May 29, 2007 - Jeff Hawkins, founder of Palm, Inc. (Nasdaq: PALM), will host a live video webcast on Wed., May 30, to describe a new category of mobile device. The webcast will follow the announcement of this new product at the D: All Things Digital conference in Carlsbad, Calif.

The webcast happens after the unveiling. Which means All Things D is the only place to hear this news, if you want to hear it first. Mossberg sets up the conference, and they all line up to deliver the scoops like sacrificial virgins. That's how to break news with style. – Brian Lam

The player has two built-in speakers, a 1.5-inch screen, 2GB storage, 30 hours of battery life, MP3/WMA/WAV playback and Transcoded AVI support. There's not much else going on with this player, but as far as we know it's only in Singapore for now. Check out their site if you want a closer look. – Jason Chen

Product Page [Creative]