SlingPlayer for BB is only available and certified for one particular European BlackBerry Pearl version with Wi-Fi that's not even available in the US right now, but you can try loading it onto other phones and see if it clicks. Sling is adding more models soon, as they've been known to do, so it won't be long until you're hopping onto the can to sneak 5 minutes with Judge Judy in the afternoon.

We've tried the SlingPlayer Mobile on WinMo using a Motorola Q, and we're here to tell you that it's remarkable how well it works even when the connection is not all that good. Let's hope the Slingsters offer the software free to Blackberryites as the company has done for Symbian S60-based Nokia N95 users. [Pocketlint]

EchoStar Announces Agreement to Acquire Sling Media, Inc.

Combination Will Create Industry-Leading Digital Media Solutions Provider

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. and FOSTER CITY, Calif., September 24, 2007 -
EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) announced today
that it has agreed to acquire Sling Media, Inc., a privately-held
digital lifestyle products company. EchoStar, through its DISH
Network(r), is the third largest pay-TV provider in the United States.
The transaction values Sling Media at approximately $380 million and
is payable in cash and EchoStar options. The transaction is subject to
customary closing conditions, and is expected to close in the fourth
quarter of 2007.

Established in 2004, Sling Media has been a leading innovator in the
digital lifestyle space through the introduction of the
internationally-acclaimed, Emmy award-winning Slingbox and
SlingPlayer software. Sling Media's product line is distributed in
over 5,000 retail stores in 11 countries.

In 2006, Sling Media created the Sling Entertainment Group with the
mission of developing entertainment experiences and business models
that reach beyond the Slingbox. The group also fosters and manages
relationships with content creators and owners. Its first initiative,
Clip+Sling , dramatically changes the way consumers socialize around
TV by enabling users to clip and share limited segments of their
favorite television programming.

"As an early investor in Sling Media, EchoStar has been pleased with
the progress and commitment the company has made establishing Sling
Media and the Slingbox as powerful and beloved digital media brands,"
said Charlie Ergen, CEO and co-founder of EchoStar. "With today's
increasingly mobile lifestyle, EchoStar's acquisition of Sling Media
will allow us to offer innovative and convenient ways for our
customers to enjoy their programming on more displays and locations,
including TVs, computers and mobile phones, both inside and outside of
the home. This combination paves the way for the development of a host
of new innovative products and services for our subscribers, new
digital media consumers and strategic partners."

"We are psyched to make this announcement. We have worked closely with
EchoStar for more than two years, and have come to realize that both
companies have similar entrepreneurial cultures and mutual dedication
and passion for creating empowering experiences that benefit the
consumer and the media industry," said Blake Krikorian, co-founder,
chairman and CEO of Sling Media. "By combining strategies, resources
and technologies with EchoStar, Sling Media will be able to rapidly
expand our open multi-platform product offerings, not only for DISH
Network subscribers, but for digital media enthusiasts around the
globe."

It's free if you've already purchased a copy before, but it'll cost you $29 otherwise. – Jason Chen

Download Page [Sling]

Beta Page [via Reg Hardware]

Considering that we saw alphas of the Mac SlingPlayer nearly a year ago, we're just wondering if this development could go any slower. Hopefully we'll be seeing the shipping version of Mac SlingPlayer before humanity begins its diaspora to the fully-terraformed Mars.

On a positive note, the SlingPlayer Mobile software now works on even more smartphones. – Charlie White

Mac SlingPlayer Beta Updated [Zatz Not Funny!]

Weren't people complaining when the iPod with video debuted, "who wants to watch video on such a small screen?" Well, now you can watch the small screen on an even smaller screen. Here, it looks like we're watching Liverpool actually win a game, so lord knows when this screenshot was taken. – Nicholas Deleon

Press Release [Sling Media]

The SlingPlayer software appears to be a Universal Binary, meaning that it'll run natively on both the new Intel-based Macs and the older PowerPC-based systems. You'll need to be running Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) or later to get in the hot public beta action and you'll need the appropriate home network setup in order to fully enjoy the benefits of Slingbox.

Good, now Mac users can get in on that hot "place shifting" action. It's about damn time. – Nicholas Deleon

Download Link [Sling Media]

So now there will be people watching TV while they drive and walk through airports, stumbling all over me. Great. Get the official word, after the jump. – Charlie White (Thanks, Brian!)

"Any program that can be watched at home will be viewable through a Slingbox on supported Symbian smartphones using 3G or WiFi, including support for terrestrial TV, Freeview, cable, and satellite TV. In addition, SlingPlayer Mobile lets users control their home personal video recorder (PVR) to watch recorded shows, pause, and rewind live TV or even queue new recordings while away from home."

Sling Media Website

Press release: Sling Media and Symbian partner to bring personal TV home viewing to consumers

The Symbian Smartphone Show, London, UK- 17 October 2006 — Sling Media, Inc., a digital lifestyle consumer electronics products company and Symbian Limited, the market-leader in open operating systems for smartphones, today announced that the two companies are partnering to bring consumers a powerful mobile TV experience to Symbian smartphones.

Sling Media will deliver a version of its popular SlingPlayer Mobile software application, currently available only in the U.S. and Canada, for Symbian OS in select European and Asian countries during Q4 and will extend availability to the U.S. shortly thereafter. Unlike other offerings available on the market today, SlingPlayer Mobile delivers customers' complete home TV experience on mobile handsets using standard network connections, including 3G cellular and WiFi.

The new SlingPlayer Mobile for Symbian OS software package will enable users to transform their supported Symbian smartphones on S60 and UIQ into personal, on-the-go digital TVs providing anytime, anywhere access to their living room television experience. Any program that can be watched at home will be viewable through a Slingbox on supported Symbian smartphones using 3G or WiFi, including support for terrestrial TV, Freeview, cable, and satellite TV. In addition, SlingPlayer Mobile lets users control their home personal video recorder (PVR) to watch recorded shows, pause, and rewind live TV or even queue new recordings while away from home.

"Symbian's market leading position drove our decision to work with them and deliver the Slingbox experience to a large mobile customer base," said Blake Krikorian, co-founder and CEO of Sling Media. "People love their living room TV programming and simply want the ability to watch it on any device wherever they happen to be, whether at work on their PC, around the home on their wireless laptop, or on the go via their mobile phone. I've been using a beta version of the SlingPlayer Mobile on a Symbian smartphone, and it's pure sweetness."

Symbian licenses Symbian OS to the world's leading handset manufacturers. To date, over 82 million Symbian smartphones have been sold worldwide to over 250 major network operators. According to Gartner, Symbian accounted for about 71 percent of worldwide smartphone shipments in the second quarter of 2006.

"Symbian works collaboratively with its licensees and partners to foster innovation and set trends for new smartphone features and capabilities, thereby expanding the market for 3G-based multimedia applications," said Jerry Panagrossi, vice president, US operations, Symbian. "SlingPlayer Mobile is a breakthrough in mobile TV viewing that captures the essence of the new smartphone lifestyle, representing a new level of interaction with the world and immediacy for information and entertainment."

The combined mobile TV experience is driven by Sling Media's breakthrough product, the Slingbox. The Slingbox redirects, or "placeshifts," a single live TV stream from a standard or Freeview cable connection, cable box, satellite receiver or PVR to the viewer's 3G handset or PC located anywhere in the home or anywhere in the world.

What's new? There are mostly features that support the newest Slingboxes, such as a wide screen menu option, and the software now shows the correct number of inputs for those latest iterations from Sling Media. There are also a few interface tweaks, and optimization time is sped up when you change from portrait to full screen mode.

Seems like just yesterday when the SlingPlayer Mobile was released, and now here we are already on version 1.1. Anyway, we can't wait to get our hands on these new Slingboxes, and we'll be testing a Slingbox Pro in these parts before you know it. Stay tuned. – Charlie White

Download Page [Sling Media, via Zatz Not Funny]

This deal is in conjunction with the recent release of SlingPlayer Mobile for Windows Smartphone. This isn't that great of a deal, the Slingbox itself will set you back $200, so what is another $30 so you can watch TV on your phone or PDA? It is good to see a finalized version of the SlingPlayer for Windows Smartphones, though. – Travis Hudson

Press Release

Mobility Today and Zatz Not Funny got an exclusive look at the Slingbox "skin" for UMPCs via SlingPlayer 1.2 beta. The skin has larger buttons so larger sausage hands won't mash three at once—quite useful for some of us.

To support the UMPC's touch screen, Sling provides oversized UI elements for easy control via finger or stylus. The skin is quite attractive and I'm actually enjoying it on a standard laptop. Sling Media VP Jeremy Toeman indicates this first version of UMPC support is slated for an imminent release.

Now this is one thing that UMPCs are probably good for. Touchscreen, relatively big screen for a mobile device, and good connectivity. Sounds neat to us.

UMPC Slingplayer Video Preview [Mobility Today]

UMPC Slingplayer Preview [Zatz Not Funny]

Thanks Dave and Dave!

Got a Slingbox and a portable Windows device? Sling Media's finally officially released their SlingPlayer Mobile software today, so you can finally watch endless reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond and Crossing Jordan on the go. Don't you love living in the future?

SlingPlayer Mobile [Sling Media, via Zatz Not Funny]

Press Release