Several Thousand Apps and Games Coming to Kindle Fire Next Week

Andrew Edney
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0
Several Thousand Apps and Games Coming to Kindle Fire Next Week

Facebook, Pandora, Netflix, Rhapsody, Games from Electronic Arts, Zynga and Rovio, and Several Thousand More Apps and Games Coming To Kindle Fire Next Week

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Just like with movies and TV shows, music, books, and magazines, Kindle Fire offers a fully-integrated Android apps and games experience – purchase or register for an app or game once, enjoy it on your Kindle Fire and other Android-based devices – and all apps and games are backed up in the Amazon Cloud for re-download anytime

SEATTLE, Nov 09, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) — (NASDAQ: AMZN) – When Kindle Fire customers across the country open their boxes next week, they will be able to choose from several thousand of the most popular Android apps and games, including Netflix, Rhapsody, Pandora, Twitter, Comics by comiXology, Facebook, The Weather Channel and popular games from Zynga, EA, Gameloft, PopCap and Rovio. Kindle Fire customers will be able to download these apps and games without having to register multiple times and using Amazon’s simple and secure 1-Click payment technology. Plus, all apps are Amazon-tested on Kindle Fire for the best experience possible, customers can get a great “paid” app for free every day, and once you’ve downloaded an app from the Amazon Appstore, it’s available on Kindle Fire as well as your other Android-based devices.

“We started talking to app developers everywhere the day we introduced Kindle Fire, and the response has been overwhelming,” Dave Limp, Vice President, Amazon Kindle. “In addition to over 18 million movies, TV shows, songs, books, and magazines from Amazon, we are excited to offer customers thousands of apps and games to choose from on Kindle Fire – from Pandora and Rhapsody to Facebook and Twitter to Netflix, as well as popular games from EA, Zynga and many other top game developers. And this is only the beginning – we’re adding more apps and games every day across all categories.”

With the Netflix app, Kindle Fire customers who are Netflix members can browse and instantly watch unlimited TV shows and movies and resume watching where they left off on their TV or computer. “We’re excited to team up with Amazon to give what we think will be a huge community of Kindle Fire owners the opportunity experience all that Netflix has to offer,” said Bill Holmes, Vice President of Business Development at Netflix. “We’re certain that our members will have a great viewing experience on Kindle Fire.”

“EA is proud to be part of Kindle Fire,” said Bernard Kim, Senior Vice President & Head of Global Sales and Marketing at Electronic Arts. “On Kindle Fire, we’re offering some of the world’s most popular titles with incredible gameplay and breathtaking graphics that anyone can play and enjoy anytime, anywhere.”

“Zynga strives to deliver the best mobile social gaming experiences that can be enjoyed by players anytime and anywhere,” said David Ko, Chief Mobile Officer at Zynga. “Teaming with Amazon to make Words With Friends a featured game on the Kindle Fire provides us with a great way to reach new and existing players on a fresh and exciting device.”

“As Gameloft continues to create games for the mass market, Kindle Fire comes as a very exciting new platform for us to offer our games on,” said Baudouin Corman, Vice President of Publishing for the Americas at Gameloft. “Not only does it provide us with an innovative channel for us to reach new audiences, but the tablet is set to enable a great gaming experience as well. In effect, we plan on providing Kindle Fire customers with a large catalog of top quality premium and free-to-play games.”

“We’re excited to be bringing our massively popular games to Kindle Fire,” said Andrew Stein, Director of Mobile Product Management at PopCap Games. “Kindle Fire is a great gaming device, and consumers will love the touch-screen optimized adaptations of top titles such as Plants vs. Zombies.”

“Personalized radio has the power to enhance all types of experiences anytime, anywhere and we’re thrilled that Pandora is a launch app on the new Kindle Fire,” said Jessica Steel, Executive Vice President of Business and Corporate Development at Pandora.

“We are really stoked to offer our members the Rhapsody experience on one of the most anticipated new devices this holiday season,” said Brian McGarvey, Vice President of Business Development for Rhapsody. “We want to make sure Rhapsody is available on every must-have device, including the Kindle Fire.”

“Being a featured app on Kindle Fire will allow The Weather Channel to continue to fulfill our mission of providing consumers with the most reliable weather information to help plan their daily lives – no matter where they are and what device they use,” said Cameron Clayton, Executive Vice President of Digital Product at The Weather Channel Companies.

Additional examples of apps and games that will be available to Kindle Fire customers include Allrecipes, Bloomberg, Cut the Rope, Doodle Fit, Doodle Jump, Fruit Ninja, Jenga, LinkedIn, Zillow, Airport Mania, Battleheart, Pulse, The Cat in the Hat, Quickoffice Pro, Jamie’s 20-Minute Meals, IMDb Movies & TV, and Monkey Preschool Lunchbox.

Kindle Fire offers more than 18 million movies, TV shows, songs, books, magazines, apps and games, as well as free storage in the Amazon Cloud, Whispersync for books and movies, a 14.6 ounce design that’s easy to hold with one hand, a vibrant color touch screen, a powerful dual-core processor and Amazon Silk – Amazon’s new revolutionary web browser that accelerates the power of the mobile device by using the computing speed and power of the Amazon Web Services Cloud – all for only $199. Customers also enjoy a free month of Amazon Prime, providing access to Prime Instant Video with 13,000 movies and TV shows available for unlimited streaming and the new Kindle Owners’ Lending Library where Kindle owners can now choose from thousands of books to borrow for free including more than 100 current and former New York Times Bestsellers – as frequently as a book a month, with no due dates.

Are you going to buy the Kindle Fire, or have you already pre-ordered it? If so, let us know!

If not, why not pre-order it today?

Packard Bell Unveils Slimmest Ever All-in-one PC

Andrew Edney
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0
Packard Bell Unveils Slimmest Ever All-in-one PC

Packard Bell today announced the arrival of the revamped PB oneTwo, all-in-one PC.

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Available from November, the new PB oneTwo retains the features that made it such a success, with a stunning new streamlined design that will look great in any home.

Now 65% slimmer, the PB oneTwo’s cool design looks great wherever you place it. Light enough to carry from room to room, you can adjust the tilt – so you get perfect viewing whether it’s mounted on the wall or placed on a desk.

The new PB oneTwo is a cinema, digital TV, sound system, photo gallery, meeting point, monitor, DVD player/recorder (including Blu-Ray playback) and more, in just one, super-sleek design.

The PB oneTwo is the new interactive hub for the home and the window to your digital world – a place to have fun, play games, listen to music, watch TV, share experiences, video chat and so much more. 2nd Generation Intel Core™ processor supplies all the power you need for fast, seamless performance. Stunning graphics from nVIDIA®, AMD or Intel® support the amazing Full HD 16:9 display (1920×1080 resolution); vivid 5.1 Creative® THX® TruStudio PC™ with two 2.5 W speakers immerse you in the surround sound experience.

Available in 21.5” or 23”, the PB oneTwo offers intuitive touch capability. The PB oneTwo offers an array of cool touchscreen widgets that make the oneTwo experience come alive. Just one touch, and you can connect with friends on Facebook® or Flickr, view YouTube, tweet on Tweeter, share photos, head to your favourite web pages and so much more. You can even handwrite a memo on-screen, set an alarm, or create a slideshow with your own personalised soundtrack.

Get creative and enhance your pictures using Adobe Photoshop Elements 9-full version. The PB oneTwo is packed with fun, inspiring applications to enhance your interactive experience.

Equipped with 4 USB 2.0 ports, 2 USB 3.0 ports for extra quick data transfer, a 5-in-1 card reader, HDMI®-in , jacks for audio in and out mean you can connect your digital camera, tablet, mobile phone, hard drive, headphones and more with ease.

Luca Rossi, EMEA Consumer Division Director, says “The PB oneTwo has been a sales hit for Packard Bell, and this new version demonstrates the company’s firm commitment to the all-in-one market.”

Price and availability

The PB oneTwo M (21.5”) and PB oneTwo L (23”) will be available in November for respective ESPs of £599 inc and £699 inc.

PB oneTwo M Specs:

One Two M

PB oneTwo L Specs:

One Two L

The Boxee Box is Getting a Live TV Tuner

Andrew Edney
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1
The Boxee Box is Getting a Live TV Tuner

According to website Gigaom, the Boxee Box is getting a live TV Tuner. This is really good news for Boxee Box owners!

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What Gigaom said:

Boxee Box owners will soon be able to watch live television through the device, with the help of a special USB dongle that functions as a tuner for free over-the-air HD TV signals. The live TV feature is part of a major update to the Boxee platform that is likely going to be rolled out over the coming weeks.

Personally I can’t wait to try it out!

They also had a short video:

 

FireCore Release Media Player 0.94 for 2nd Gen AppleTV

Andrew Edney
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0
FireCore Release Media Player 0.94 for 2nd Gen AppleTV

FireCore have just released an update to it’s Media Player application, taking it to version 0.94. If you have ATV2, go update now!

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Here is what FireCore posted:

Happy Wednesday! To help get you through the rest of the week we’ve got a freshly baked version of Media Player that includes a few new goodies. More details on what’s included can be found below.

What’s new in version 0.9.4?

  • Added new folder artwork in Grid View
  • Added loop and shuffle playlist options
  • Added TV Show series cover art in Grid View and Top Shelf
  • Added top to bottom and right to left navigation in grid view
  • Added global settings for enabling/disabling subtitles
  • Added support for large photo collections
  • Added support for folders containing dot (‘.’) in their name
  • Added (watched) view options in List View (use Play/Pause button to switch mode)
  • Improved metadata caching logic
  • Improved TV Show filename parsing
  • Improved Grid View stability
  • Improved metadata fetching speed
  • Resolved issues with audio file metadata fetching
  • Resolved issues with chapter selection screen layout observed on short files
  • Resolved issues with metadata reloading in Grid View
  • Resolved issues with TV Shows aired date
  • Resolved issues with hangs on certain DVD menus
  • Resolved minor memory management issues
  • Resolved issues with scrolling in Top Shelf
  • Resolved issues with folder names overlapping in Grid View
  • Minor UI improvements

Nice! How do I get it?

With aTV Flash (black) installed, Media Player 0.9.1 can be downloaded on your ATV2 through the Maintenance –> Manage Extras menu. If you need to re-install aTV Flash (black) links for the latest version can be found under the Downloads tab in your account.

New users can pre-order aTV Flash (black) here.

WHS 2011 Add-in: Drive Bender Updated to version 1.2.1.5

Andrew Edney
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0
WHS 2011 Add-in: Drive Bender Updated to version 1.2.1.5

Drive Bender, the add-in for Windows Home Sever 2011 that replaces Drive Extender, has now been updated to version 1.2.1.5.

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What is it?

Drive Bender is state of the art, single point storage pool technology for Microsoft Windows. Drive Bender presents multiple hard drives as a single pool of data storage, either as one or more drive letters, or a network shared drive. Drive Bender is able to do this with any drive recognized by Windows, including external drive such as USB, Firewire etc.

Expandability

Drive Bender also provides the user with the ability to seamless expand their storage pool by simply adding a new drive. Adding a new drive expands the pool by the size of the new drive. Existing data within the pool is redistributed to the new drive to ensure the pool remain balanced.

Drive merging and converting

Drive Bender also offers a merge capability, allowing users to take a drive that contains data, and merge that drive (and data) into the pool. In addition there is also a drive conversion feature. This can take and existing drive letter (mounted against a physical drive) and convert this into a pooled drive. Once completed, new hard drives can be added to expand the once fixed drive.

Data redundancy

To further ensure data safety, Drive Bender can automatically duplicate any file added to a Drive Bender pool. File duplication is determined at the folder level and occurs on the fly as data is being written to the pool. More importantly, files are only duplicated across physical drives ensuring maximum safety and data redundancy.

Non-destructive

One of the key Drive Bender features is its non-destructive file system technology. In short, this means that all drives within a Drive Bender pool are utilizing standard NTFS format and file structures. This is to such an extent that a drive can be pulled from the pool and read on any machine capable of reading an NTFS formatted drive. More over, drives attached to the pool can be done so without modification, if a drive is added (not merged) that contains existing data, that data will remain untouched.

Ease to try

Because of our non-destructive file system, taking Drive Bender for a test drive is easy. Simply specify the drives to be included in the pool, and you are ready go. The drives are not formatted (unless specified), the only change made to the drive is the addition of a folder that holds the contents of the pool and a small number of configuration files.

The technology

Drive Bender employs existing, proven kernel mode file system technology. Having spent many years developing kernel mode drivers, we are able to use this experience to great extent. The end result is a product whose performance will closely match that of the underlying drive.

The story

Early in 2010 we prototyped a Drive Extender style application with the view of releasing a product that would work with all versions of Microsoft Windows. However soon thereafter, Microsoft announced Vail (a new version of Windows Home Server) and a small business server product, codename Aurora, both of which contain their Drive Extender technology. Given this, and the possibility that Drive Extend may well make its way to other Microsoft platforms, we shelved the project.

However later that same year, Microsoft announced that they would be dropping Drive Extender from all their products (including Windows Home Server 2011), leaving the door open for Division-M to resurrect the Drive Bender project!

Release v1.2.1.5 release (2011-11-07)

– Update: Implemented the “Pool setup wizard”.
– Update: Fully integrated help system.
– Update: Documentation has been greatly improved.
– Bug fix: A number issues with add, merge and convert a drive have been fixed.
– Bug fix: Creating a folder now implements the requested attributes against the folder.
– Bug fix: The health monitor could take a very long time to perform a single pool scan.
– Update: The amount of I/O generated by the health monitor has been greatly reduced.
– Bug fix: A number of minor interface and server issues.

Download Drive Bender from here

A Night At The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Launch Party

Andrew Edney
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3
A Night At The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Launch Party

Last night was the Call of the Duty: Modern Warfare 3 launch party in London, and UWHS were lucky enough to be on the invite list.

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Last week an email arrived at UWHS, and who was I to turn down a mission!

Mission

So off I went, in the rain (and the dark) to Call of Duty Headquarters, eagerly awaiting the nights events.

UWHS - MW3 Launch Party Entrance 2UWHS - MW3 Launch Party 024

After proving my identity, it was on with a wristband – without it you wouldn’t gain entry into the Headquarters building.

UWHS - MW3 Launch Party Entrance

Security was tight, very tight. And the bouncers took their jobs very seriously!

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There was even a countdown clock showing just how long it was until the game would be launched.

UWHS - MW3 Launch Party 016

Once inside there was a huge gaming zone where you could play on the game.

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And for some, retiring to the well stocked bar after getting repeatedly fragged!

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They even had the special limited edition MW3 Xbox 360 on display (and with all those guards around I wasn’t about to attempt “a rescue”).

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There was even a special V.I.P. lounge, although for some reason our invite must have got lost for that!

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Apart from getting to see and play the game, by far the coolest part of the evening was the Call of Duty MW3 Experience.

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Nothing was said about what the “Experience” was – we just had to sign our lives away and wait to be taken downstairs in small groups.

Once down there, we donned flack jackets and were handed machine guns. A very quick briefing took place, where we were told their were hostiles in the area and we had to clear them out.

We went in teams of two, covering each other, with guides pushing us on. One of us covering the floor we were on and the other covering the floor above. Green lasers targeted us at every turn. Hostiles would jump out from behind cover. We had to double-tap them and move on.

The whole experience only lasted a few minutes, but it was a lot of fun, and we survived to fight another day.

So all in all it was a great night and a lot of fun, and the game looked great.

Look out for our hands-on review of the game soon.

PacketVideo Release New Twonky Apps including myTwonky

Andrew Edney
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0
PacketVideo Release New Twonky Apps including myTwonky

PacketVideo announced today the release of myTwonky (beta), Twonky Video app and Twonky Music app.

mytwonky

Here is what they said:

The suite of free products provides easy access to your existing library of music, photos and videos – as well as new content from the Web – whenever, wherever on your smartphone, PC or Mac.

myTwonky is a user-customized Web portal that searches the Internet for new content based on your personal video, photo and music preferences – eliminating the need to comb the Internet one website at a time for new, relevant content.

Simply tell myTwonky what topics you are most interested in (e.g., Lady Gaga or the San Francisco Giants) and you’ll instantly receive a running stream of related videos, side-by-side with videos, music and photos from your existing library of media content.

Once you create a free Twonky account, you can begin creating specific video channels and bookmarking your favorite content for easy playback.

Select streaming radio stations by genre and view your own music library in the same location.

Integrate your Facebook, Flickr and other social media networks with myTwonky for easy access to multimedia stored within those networks. You can also share content found using myTwonky directly with your social networks.

When coupled with the Twonky Music app and Twonky Video app, myTwonky gives you the ability to access both online and personal content anytime.

Preferences set within your myTwonky account translate to your Twonky Music and Twonky Video apps, eliminating the need to reset your personal settings for each platform.
Using the free Twonky Music app for Android, you can access your existing music library and create personalized and genre-specific streaming radio channels, as well as access music stations remotely with no time limit.

You can also discover artist bios, news and song lyrics using Twonky Music’s “more info” feature.

The free Twonky Video app for Android, gives you the option to either browse online for your favorite video clips or access personal video content stored on your phone or home network.

Giving you even more freedom to enjoy your videos, music and photos on more devices, myTwonky also contains Twonky’s patent pending Beaming technology that allows you to
beam content found within your myTwonky account with any Web-connected TV or device in your home.

o Twonky Music app and Twonky Video app work with Airplay-enabled devices, such as Apple TV, and UPnP- and DLNA-certified devices.

o myTwonky currently supports UPnP and DLNA-certified devices, and will support Airplay-enabled devices soon.

Adults can use myTwonky’s parental controls to ensure kids are receiving appropriate media content.

myTwonky is currently available at www.myTwonky.com. Twonky Video and Twonky Music apps are available in the Android App Marketplace.

My Movies Collection Management for Windows Media Center 4.02 PR7 Released

Andrew Edney
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0
My Movies Collection Management for Windows Media Center 4.02 PR7 Released

As well as the PR7 updates for My Movies 4.02 for Media Center and My Movies 2.10 PR6 updates for Windows Home Server 2011, Brian has also released version 4.02 PR7 of the Collection Management component.

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Here is the changelog:

My Movies for Windows Media Center and My Movies Collection Management 4.02 Pre Release 6

Added: Option to debug playback by adding DWORD “PlayBackDebug” in HKLM\Software\My Movies and setting it to 1.
Added: “certification” node to NFO XML for YAMJ
Added: TV Series are now synchronized to and from the webserver.
Added: Only added/deleted/changed titles are updated on database sync.
Changed: Series search now uses language search on server.
Changed: Folder monitoring now checks if titles on UNC paths that no longer exists have the above folder existing, and if so, removes the title, where it previously was kept.
Fix: Dune index was broken due to some changes in Windows Home Server part.
Fix: Connection was not closed, causing load of TV Episodes to be slow.
Fix: Playlist files played as audio rather than video.
Fix: Background graphics for watched/unwatched count did not disappear on TV Series when last show was watched or unwatched.
Fix: Unidentified disc dialog could come up when it should not.
Fix: Watched changes on from a season did not update all seasons or visa versa.
Fix: Reverting fix to help proper stop, as it gave problems.

Before installing a pre release version, you must make a backup of your database. There are no guarantee that a pre release version functions as expected, and it should therefore only be used for evaluation purposes. The database backup ensures that you can revert back to the latest stable version.

My Movies 4.02 Pre Release 7 can be used as client for My Movies for Windows Home Server 2011 2.10 Pre Release 6 or My Movies for Windows Home Server 2.00.

MM CM PR7

Download My Movies 4 Collection Management Now

I’m updating from 4.02 PR6 right now!

What do you think of My Movies?

Check out our review of My Movies for Windows Home Server 2011 2.0 Pre Release 7

My Movies for Windows Home Server 2011 Version 2.10 PR6 Released

Andrew Edney
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0
My Movies for Windows Home Server 2011 Version 2.10 PR6 Released

Brian has also released version 2.10 PR6 of My Movies for Windows Home Server 2011.

Windows Home Server 2011

My Movies for Windows Home Server 2011 operates as database back-end for My Movies clients in multi-zone environments.

The My Movies for Windows Media Center or My Movies Collection Management products can be downloaded and installed on client PC’s to maintain movies in the database on My Movies for Windows Home Sever 2011.

My Movies may not be pre-installed on commercial products, nor in any way redistributed or provided to end-users by installers that is not part of our installer program.

Change Log:

My Movies for Windows Home Server 2011 2.10 Pre Release 6

Fix: Update of Title Collection used wrong indexing.

MM WHS PR7

Before installing a pre release version, you must make a backup of your database using the Collection Management program. There are no guarantee that a pre release version functions as expected, and it should therefore only be used for evaluation purposes. The database backup ensures that you can revert back to the latest stable version.

My Movies for Windows Home Server 2011 2.10 Pre Release 6 can be used as server for My Movies 4.02 Pre Release 7 clients.

You can download the Windows Home Server 2011 edition here Check out our review of My Movies for Windows Home Server 2011 2.0 Pre Release 7

My Movies for Windows Media Center 4.02 PR7 Released

Andrew Edney
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1
My Movies for Windows Media Center 4.02 PR7 Released

Brian has just released My Movies for Windows Media Center version 4.02 PR7.

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Here is the change log:

Fix: Issue with automatic update of online collection.
Fix: Exception could occur when uploading collection changes if database became unavailable.
Fix: Exception could occur when inserting a damaged disc.
Fix: Incorrect attempt to display a dialog if user already exited application.
Fix: Exception could occur if network drive became unavailable.
Fix: Collection sync now ignores episodes that are local only.
Fix: Error in TVUpdateStatus when chaning lock on possible updates.
Fix: Minor error when changing banner on TV Series

Before installing a pre release version, you must make a backup of your database using the Collection Management program. There is no guarantee that a pre release version functions as expected, and it should only be used for evaluation purposes. The database backup ensures that you can revert back to the latest stable version.

My Movies 4.02 Pre Release 7 can be used as client for My Movies for Windows Home Server 2011 2.10 Pre Release 6 or My Movies for Windows Home Server 2.00.

MM WMC PR7

Download My Movies 4.02 PR7 now Check out our review of My Movies for Windows Home Server 2011 2.0 Pre Release 7

Amulet Voice Control of My Movies 4.0

Andrew Edney
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0
Amulet Voice Control of My Movies 4.0

Amulet have posted a video showing Voice Control of My Movies 4.0.

Amulet

This is what Amulet posted today:

If you’ve been following the Amulet beta software releases, you probably already know that Amulet V3.0 includes full voice support for the popular My Movies 4 plug-in for Media Center.

For everyone else, here’s a preview video showing how well the voice integration works:

Amulet Voice Control of My Movies 4.0

 

If you’re not familiar with My Movies, it’s one of the nicest, most cleanly integrated Media Center plug-ins out there. It presents a very professional and user-friendly front-end to all your TV & Movie media files, automatically provides movie backdrops, descriptions, actor lists, etc. and even lets you store your own DVD titles directly on your Media Center; highly recommended.

Here’s something the video doesn’t show, which you might find interesting: while the SHOW MOVIE command shows details for any movie in your collection, you can bypass this and start the movie immediately, from anywhere in Media Center, by just saying PLAY MOVIE name. I find this very convenient when calling up Toy Story or Winnie the Pooh for the umpteenth time at the request of my three-year-old!

We’d love to hear feedback from those of you already trying out the beta software with My Movies. If you already have an Amulet Voice Remote and want to give it a try, head over to the beta forums and download the latest version.

DVBLogic Looking for North American Testers

Andrew Edney
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0
DVBLogic Looking for North American Testers

DVBLogic today tweeted that they were looking for NA-based volunteers to test ClearQAM support in DVBLink TVSource.

DVBtweet

Can you help them? If so, get in touch.

Ford Announced Upgrade to MyFord Touch

Andrew Edney
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1
Ford Announced Upgrade to MyFord Touch

Earlier this year I spent time at Ford’s headquarters in Dearborn. One of things I saw was MyFord Touch. Yesterday Ford announced some upgrades!

MyFord Touch

Here is the information from Ford:

· Ford will launch performance upgrades and new features for MyFord Touch® beginning with 2013 models – no-charge upgrade will be available to existing owners

· Simpler graphics, faster touch-screen response and easier-to-use controls are among the many enhancements to the voice-activated in-car connectivity system

– Ford customers said MyFord Touch® could be faster and feature simpler graphics that are easier to use and that’s exactly what Ford plans to deliver with a broad set of performance upgrades to the system – launching first on the new 2013 Ford Escape, Flex, and Taurus.

Available early next year – and also offered at no charge to existing MyFord Touch owners – the software upgrade enhances the ownership experience as it was developed by listening and responding to customer feedback.

“SYNC® has clearly been a game-changing technology, and now we’re changing the game again, showing how quickly we can deliver more of what customers really want,” said Graydon Reitz, director, Ford Global Electronics and Electrical Systems Engineering. “Our strategy to create the SYNC software platform and add the customizable screens of MyFord Touch gives us a level of flexibility and speed to respond to customer input like never before seen in the auto industry.”

The new touch-screen interface features new simpler graphics and controls that are easier to use. Customers will also experience significantly faster touch-screen response times, one of the top requests from owners.

New features include support for tablet devices and Audible.com audiobooks, improved navigation maps and enhanced voice recognition interaction.

Listening to customers

Since MyFord launched last fall, Ford has held four customer clinics in which owners talked directly to Ford engineers about their experiences with the new technology. Owner feedback was clear and consistent, revealing that MyFord Touch was a key purchase reason.

A survey of 2011 Ford Edge owners shows that four of the top seven purchase reasons were elements of the MyFord Touch system: the touch-screen, steering wheel controls, voice recognition and interior styling.

While owners reported that they love the system, there were distinct areas where they wanted improvements. Earlier this year, Ford started delivering on their requests, beginning with more instructions and information on how to best utilize the capabilities of the system.

Ford launched two programs modelled after what consumers experience when purchasing a new electronic device. First, the company added a new MyFord Touch owner support website featuring how-to videos at www.syncmyride.com. Second, free “SYNC My Ride” personalized training sessions for new owners are now offered through Ford dealers – scheduled at customers’ convenience.

“The keys to continuous improvement are simple: Listen, learn and respond. That’s how we’re going to keep our customers happy,” said Gary Jablonski, manager, SYNC Platform Development. “Evolving the software with meaningful enhanced features was part of our plan from the very beginning. It’s no different than the experience with our smartphones and laptop computers – except now, it’s your car that gets better.”

 

New look

The visual enhancements to MyFord Touch are based on simplifying the graphics with larger, bolder fonts, removing low-priority visual content, and designing screens based on a consistent pattern. More than 1,000 screens in total have been updated with the improved look.

“Our goal when designing the upgrade was to simplify the screens and give customers a fast and easy way to get information at any given moment,” said Jennifer Brace, user interface Design engineer for Ford. “That meant removing buttons, relocating high-use controls closer to the driver’s reach, simplifying tasks and improving font size.”

The new fonts are as much as 40 percent larger on some redesigned screens. The fonts also are wider and bolder to provide easier legibility, particularly among the rapidly increasing number of drivers age 60 and older.

New features

Ford also took the opportunity to update the performance of the system and add new features for customers to help them keep pace with the fast-moving consumer electronics market.

Faster touch-screen response time, for example, was a key request from owners. Initial testing shows that touch and voice response is at least two times faster than the current system.

Also, the software upgrade includes the following enhancements:

 

· Improved voice recognition experience powered by Nuance

– Quicker voice recognition upon startup and faster command prompt when the voice button is pushed

– Voice commands used in conjunction with navigation are simplified through elimination of the need to provide street direction, e.g., “Main Street” instead of “North Main Street”

– Music requests are simpler by removing the need to include the additional song, album or artist information often found at the end of a name in (parenthesis) or [brackets]

– Customers can find their favorite sports team in action via new Sirius Game Finder simply by saying a command such as “Tune to Detroit Lions game”

 

· Tablet device compatibility

– Music and other media content from most popular tablet computers like the Apple iPad can now be accessed through a simple USB connection

· Audible.com audiobook support

– Listen to Audible.com content using voice commands or the easy-to-use touch-screen controls

 

· Connected navigation powered by TeleNav features new map data by NAVTEQ

– Updated map views are richer and feature more 3D landmarks

– Views of freeway junctions and signs are enhanced through photorealistic screen images

– Smart routing options are provided based on a database of historical traffic patterns

 

· Phone compatibility

– Automatic Bluetooth® connection upon vehicle entry has been improved

– Noise and echo cancelation during phone calls has been improved to enhance call quality

 

· Gracenote® album cover art database

– Inclusion of the latest music metadata available enhancing the music playback experience

– Improved voice recognition for music search allowing drivers to pinpoint artists with hard-to-pronounce names or nicknames

MyFord TouchMyFord TouchMyFord TouchMyFord TouchMyFord TouchMyFord TouchMyFord TouchMyFord Touch

And a short video showing it as well:

Xbox 360 Limited Edition Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Console Announced

Andrew Edney
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Xbox 360 Limited Edition Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Console Announced

Today a limited edition Xbox 360 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Console was announced.

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Here is what Major Nelson posted:

Today at the Call Of Duty XP event in Los Angeles, we announced the Xbox 360 Limited Edition Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Console and two limited edition Modern Warfare 3 themed accessories. Here are the details:

This limited edition console includes a customized console with graphics from the game, along with two custom wireless controllers, a 320GB hard drive, a copy of “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3,” as well as custom sounds when the console is turned on. Here are the .WAV files of what they what they sound like: power on/off and disk tray eject.

A one month Xbox LIVE Gold subscription to Xbox LIVE is included, as well as exclusive avatar items that show your Xbox LIVE friends you’re one of the lucky ones to own this coveted console.

The console will launch on November 8, 2011 in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and EMEA for $399 (U.S. ERP), and you can pre-order today at participating retailers.

In addition to the console, Xbox 360 will be releasing two limited edition accessories, both shipping to stores October 11:

The Xbox 360 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Wireless Headset with Bluetooth provides the ability to chat with friends during multi-player game play or with Bluetooth®-enabled mobile phones, PCs and other devices. Its artwork matches the custom console and includes a charging cradle, ear loop, ear gels, and an Xbox LIVE token for an exclusive download for $69.99 (U.S ERP).

The Xbox 360 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Wireless Controller allows you to show all your friends your passion for the franchise. The controller includes exclusive artwork and a transforming D-pad that can be rotated to adapt to the user’s game play, as well as an Xbox LIVE token for an exclusive download, all for $59.99 (U.S. ERP)

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I have seen the MW3 console here at the UK launch party, and it looks pretty cool.

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