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  • The Paradox of Consumer Choice
    A few years ago I read a book called The Paradox of Choice: Why Less is More by Barry Schwartz. His anecdotes were insightful and pointed to truths about the amount of choice the free market has laid on us as consumers. Of course free markets and consumer choice should be good things, but there are certainly experiences I have had where the overwhelming sense of having too many options made it difficult to actually make a decision. I related to much of what the book was saying, particularly with the experience of picking out a DVD to watch from my massive collection. I recall staring at a wall of DVDs and having the most difficult time deciding what to watch. The decision-making process when faced with so many good choices was simply immobilizing.  
  • The Future of PC and Mobile Processors

    I've spent a lot of time with a number of hardware manufacturers recently, trying to get a glimpse into the next generation of processors and the ways in which they'll impact future gadgets and PCs. In all my meetings, one term has arisen time and again: SOC, or system-on-a-chip.

    Traditionally, chips have been created independently and then coupled together to provide multiple computing features. For example, a manufacturer would create a core processor like an Intel Centrino with a built-in Wi-Fi radio, and then attach that to a systems board, perhaps linking it together with a separate graphics co-processor, in order to deliver enhanced PC graphics. Another might take an ARM core processor and then add on additional features like extended graphics to enhance device functionality.

  • Apple's iPad: Live up the Hype? It Will....
    It was interesting to hear all the chatter after last week's iPad launch. Most reactions I heard from other analysts and media were lukewarm at best...which was what I expected. If you think about it, how can anything live up to the kind of hype leading up to this launch? But there was a lot missed in the media about the event and the product that I hope to share in order to maintain our perspective on not only the iPad but on Apple and their products.  
  • Innovation Abounds - CES 2010 Post Show Analysis

    This year's CES was very interesting. I had felt for the past few years that CES was sorely lacking in the innovation department. But this year it looks like things have changed in the technology industry. Technology companies have realized that to reach the consumer the pace of innovation needs to accelerate, and this year's CES was a start in that direction.  Several things stuck out that I'd like to highlight:  

Canceling TV service to explore the world of online TV

Written by Ben Bajarin Saturday, 07 July 2007 09:54

TVI was thinking that the recent downturn in the economy, along with my wife and my decision to cut out unnecessary expenses, provided me with a great opportunity to cut our cable service and explore online TV. 

I have for a long while now used computers as the backbone of my home media network but never for TV. So the day has arrived for me to completely buy in. To do this I have chosen a unique piece of hardware to be connected to my TV in the AlienWare Area 51-M15x.   This is one of my favorite pieces of hardware and I know it will succeed in this task. 

 

 

My first observance was that not all the networks have all the shows I like available to stream online.  Things like American Idol, The Big Bang Theory, a host of cooking shows I like etc are not to be found online.  A host of shows on Disney my girls like are also not available.  When I looked at iTunes and possibly subscribing to shows I found the cost to be too hard to swallow and a lack of up to date availability of some of the same shows.  

The next problem I have encountered is not so much a problem then a frustration.   There is no good software online that exists that blends all the online streaming shows I like into one nice guide and user-interface.   Joost does some but not all, a new company Boxee TV does some but not all.   Both get close and are useful but I am yet to find something that brings it all together in one elegant guide and UI. 

So what I have resorted to doing to make the process as quick and painless as possible is to bookmark direct links to my favorite show pages in my browser.   So in this case a wireless mouse is my remote. 

So far it has not been to bad.  I actually have found myself watching more shows then just the ones I like to see whether I like them or not.    

I have also greatly enjoyed the Netflix streaming direct to my PC.  

All which leads me to my next discovery.    A company I heard about at CES called Allio TV which has built into the TV a fully function PC.   I am getting one of these for our Lab in order to give it the full hands on treatment but I have high expectations.  

I will continue to post feedback on this adventure.  There is a lot to be done but I do feel that many of the experiences show a ton of potential more capable computing devices show up in the digital living room.

 

 

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