Entries for September 2007

I was always surprised someone didn't try to sue Sling Media out of existence. The company essentially invented "place shifting," which enables users to watch whatever is showing on their home television from anywhere in the world. Founder Blake Krikorian told me back in 2005, when the company was launching its product, that he and his brother cooked up the idea because their travels forced them to miss too many televised San Francisco Giants games.

From reports so far, Monday night's introduction of the new Halo 3 video game has been a success—which Microsoft could use, in more than one sense. Reviews are good, and Microsoft says it sold 1.5 million copies in preorders before the game launched at midnight.

When it comes to one of my favorite PC tricks, Apple's Macs have been left behind: free, simple access to a computer from afar. So I was delighted the other day to stumble across a new version of LogMeIn for the Macintosh.

LogMeIn makes it easy to use, say, a desktop computer that's at home when you, the user, are far away. Think of it as place-shifting, of teleporting yourself across the Internet back to the home PC. As long as you have access to a PC with broadband Internet, you can operate the home computer as if you're sitting in front of it.

Remarkably, LogMeIn provides basic service free of charge. I use it routinely to access my own computer from the road, saving me from having to drag along a laptop. LogMeIn also sells a version with added features, including, now, the ability to stream audio, for prices starting at about $5 a month. GoToMyPC is a well-known competitor that sells a similar service but doesn't offer a free edition.

The kind folks at AT&T have released their version of the latest BlackBerry device and gussied it up by including WiFi. That allows users to access wireless hotspots for high-speed Web surfing or E-mail.

It's getting more appealing to hook a computer to the living room television, with NBC now saying it will add another way to watch its popular TV shows over the Internet. The new NBC Direct service next month will allow free downloads with commercials, and later a way to buy them without commercials. NBC execs say they understand that consumers want to watch TV when they want and where they want.

We run multiple PCs at home, and it's a drag. They're expensive, and even worse is the time spent keeping each machine working. Something like the start-up NComputing might have the answer.

NComputing links multiple users to one computer. It's what techies call "thin computing" or the Network PC. Few have tried it outside big business. But NComputing has sold 500,000 units of its new, simpler gear around the world. Most have gone to schools in poor nations, but U.S. schools have bought a sizable number.

Microsoft must unbundle its Media Player from Windows, according to a European Union ruling Monday, a decision that perhaps helps a few of its competitors in Europe. A second, more obscure part of the EU court ruling is certain to have impact worldwide—that the EU would also force Microsoft to reveal secrets hidden in the operating system.

Secrets out of the bag don't recognize national borders.

Microsoft must explain to competitors how they can fully connect to Windows with their networking software, according to the ruling by an EU court. Microsoft until now has refused to share some details of linking to Windows, arguing that they would allow competitors to essentially clone key functions of the operating system, and thus steal Microsoft's intellectual property. The EU court said Microsoft wasn't being asked to give up code, just specifications that would put networking competitors on an equal playing field.

After the usual secrecy and buildup, Apple has unveiled a new line of iPods, including an iPhone without the phone. The new iPod Touch looks like a great product, with the touch-screen and finger-flicking software that have made the iPhone so appealing in a package designed to be only (only!) a beautiful hand-held computer. One that slickly handles music, video, and the Web but can't make cellphone calls. For that, Apple is slicing $100 off the price of the iPhone, which now costs $400 after itself getting a price cut.