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Zatz Not Funny!

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Following in the footsteps of my fellow geek bloggers (Gotta Be Mobile, Lilliputing, jkOnTheRun, etc) and marketing peeps (Stage Two Consulting), it’s time for a quick post on the gear I’m toting to cover CES.

While I’ve seen more netbooks than I can count here in the press and blogger lounges, I found the vertical resolution of my (former) 10″ MSI Wind too cramped for efficient blogging. And last years 15″ CES laptop (MacBook Pro) was a bit too bulky. So, I’m packing the new 13″ Macbook (running OS X and Vista Ultimate) in the nicely designed and relatively compact be.ez LAbesace shoulder bag. Of course, I’m also toting a phone - and fully anticipate exceeding my voice minutes and SMS allotment while in Vegas. Additionally, the iPhone allows me to “

TiVo Beefs Up Search FunctionalityYesterday

Later today, broadband-connected TiVo Series3 and TiVo HD subscribers will be treated to a revamped search experience. And, marking a first, TiVo is finally taking widescreen televisions seriously with a high-def interface utilizing that extra real estate. And, instead of carrying on with the questionable success of “Swivel Search” branding, this new offering is simply referred to as TiVo Search. Combined with a ‘beta’ designation and the visual similarity to those leaked prototype usability videos, I think what we’re really seeing is the foundation of a new (Java-based) TiVo look & feel. Some details from TiVo:

The new interface not only displays in high definition, it has a focus on finding high definition television content. TiVo search automatically recommends high definition television channels and episodes when users schedule a program to record. Additionally, users can now browse shows season by season and select any episode they want utilizing a robust episode guide. The newly tuned search engine als

Sling’s Macworld Goodies: iPhone, OS X HDJanuary 6

Sling Media is on site at Macworld today and will be demo-ing an authentic iPhone Slingbox software and Mac OS X HD streaming.

If you recall, Sling previously produced a (jailbreak) proof-of-concept SlingPlayer last summer for accessing home television content via iPhone. However, they’re finally ready to get legit with an SDK-produced client which they intend to submit to Apple for approval early this year (Q1). No word yet on cost. I imagine Sling’s still evaluating various price points, in light of Apple’s 30% cut and the small number of iTunes apps priced over $20. (All prior SlingPlayer Mobile clients have run $30 per license, after free 30 day trial.)

Also on tap (Q1) is OS X Slingbox PRO HD streaming. While Windows owners have enjoyed HD streaming these last few months, Mac users have been left out in the cold. That’ll be rectified shortly… via updates to

Netbooks - Race to the Bottom Not Such a Bad ThingJanuary 2

With the netbook craze in full swing, there is some fear that the new cheap portables will inspire a “race to the bottom” for laptop makers. In other words, manufacturers will get squeezed as consumers expect cheaper and cheaper computers available in retail or subsidized with mobile broadband contracts. So is this a bad thing? Certainly not for consumers, but even for computer companies there’s one big upside to declining prices. Namely, computers suddenly have the potential to hit replacement cycles that are much closer to cell phones than PCs of old.

I adore my new Asus Eee. Fast, shiny, and portable, I consider it a dream machine. However, reading today’s GigaOM column in The New York Times about tablet netbooks with built in cellular connectivity, I found myself thinking about a possible upgrade. I immedi

…And an iPod Touch or ThreeDecember 29 2008

Per usual, Christmas with my family was a CE lover’s dream. Among the gifts given and received:

1 Slacker G2 (to replace the one I had to give away)
1 Skooba checkpoint-friendly laptop bag
1 Asus Eee 1000HA (okay, I bought it for myself right before X’mas; it’s a tax write-off)
1 Logitech diNovo Edge keyboard
1 PS3 console
2 Garmins and a TomTom
3 iPods Touch

Sadly, not all of them came home to my house, but a healthy number did. As for the iPods, we were not unique in our gift giving. The iPod Touch was one of the hottest selling items on Amazon this season, and a huge jump in App Store purchases proves the new gifts were put to good use. Why the mainstream popularity? Aside from the obvious portable music/video access, I have a theory that a lot of adults who used to steal their kids’ Gameboys to play Tetris are discovering the iPod as an “a