Appatic

Opera announced and demoed at CES 2012 their new strategy and offering. A Opera Browser powered TV OS

How things can change within hours. Yesterday i posted about Ubuntu TV being an alternative to Google TV. Noting how there are now 2 true and through TV OSes. 

Little after that, i read on Opera Software launching their own TV OS, called Opera TV Store.

Opera in the desktop is nowhere. They have around 2% of marketshare. Its history reads like a tragedy too. Full of too late decisions and moves.Filled with raw innovation, Salvaged by the competition that copied its best features without most of the tech public even knowing it or acknowledging it. 

In Mobile and Devices on the other hand, they are a very strong proponent and have been so for many many years. Thanks to their several Browser versions. Opera Mini that works and can be made to work in pretty much any device you can think of. Opera Mobile that is on Smartphones and Slates. Opera Console Browser that is more of a white-list thing, famously integrated in the Nintendo Wii. 

It is from the wii and other console work that they have learned a lot about the TV space. It is from their experience in the Mobile and Portable spaces that they got a lot of confidence in going with this new TV OS.

Once i finished reading some documentation and seeing some videos about it. including the official one in this post. What i can tell is how this Opera TV OS do takes from everything that Opera has done so far. It takes from their work in the Wii, from their Opera Mobile, but ultimately it takes the most out of what they have on the desktop version of Opera. 

First Official Demo Video Of Opera TV Store

Linkage

Opera TV Promo Portal 

Opera TV Store Fundamentals Portal 

.

.

Canonical just announced and showed Ubuntu TV at CES12 Today

First Official Demo Video Of Ubuntu TV

While there are many Media Center Apps around as TopBoxes or for PC's like:

WMC, Mediaroom, Zune Software, Zune for Xbox, Xbox TV, XBMC, Boxee, Ruku, Vudu, Plex and Moovida.

Ubuntu TV is more of a Google TV alternative. 

As it is a proper TV OS. It can do apps, got a media center experience, it is smart connected, cloud enabled and it got a browser. So, while there a lot of competition out there for Media Center styled apps and Smart TV ecosystems, there is really not as much competition when it comes TV OSes, Google got one and Ubuntu now has one. 

Both Microsoft and Apple have yet to respond to this specific model. Microsoft will respond in a way thanks to Windows 8, even if it already got tons of Media Center And TopBox software spread around. Apple got Apple TV, the one that just need to be officialized as one in whatever form Apple ends up deciding. But that some hackers have already shown how it can do be a TV OS. 

Ubuntu TV seems like a good and worthy thing to try from Canonical to diversify. Does it will find support, and will it be as good as Google TV? Who knows. The good news is that it cannot be worse or more limited than Google TV either. And because of its relative obscurity and at the same time openness. Ubuntu TV users may find themselves been able to find and watch free content easier than with a Google TV.

What is i do find very amusing, is how the Ubuntu Unity UI-UX seems a lot more fitted for TV usage than desktop usage...

Linkage

Ubuntu TV

.

.

The On-Demand Stream for the last Microsoft CES Keynote  is now available.

You can watch it here or at the official Microsoft CES PressPass Page.

Linkage

Microsoft CES 2012 Keynote

.

.

Linkage

Vizio CES 2012 page

.

.

The New York Times Reported Yesterday January 5, that popular Music Streaming startup Grooveshark is now being sued by all 4 of the top record labels. 

New Lawsuit Means All Major Labels Are Suing Grooveshark

This is what i was talking about three weeks ago when the news broke that Grooveshark was getting sued by the Top 3 Recording Labels:

And like i said, it is possible that Grooveshark don't gets to see the end of 2012. Depending of how quick the lawsuits proceed. Very unfortunate, however Grooveshark luck had already completely ran out in 2011 in the Music Streaming space. With a Spotify growing non-stop, Rhapsody acquiring Napster to retain the top spot in the USA, MOG and Rdio announcing they would now use a freemium model similar to Spotify.  Grooveshark getting kicked out of the top 3 mobile platforms official App Stores.  And Deezer announcing they would go Global in 2012.

Add the lawsuits into this mix of competition and setbacks and you will get why I am indeed thinking 2012 could be the end of the line for Grooveshark. Better enjoy while it last, am now trying to use it on a daily basis since I have not renewed by Zune Pass.

.

.

PaidContent UK has reported today January 6, that LoveFilm has secured a deal for archive content from ITV and BBC Worldwide.

Lovefilm Adding More ITV, BBC Worldwide Archive TV

Barely over a month since Lovefilm announced they would be changing to Silverlight

And it is clear now what was one of the deals they were looking to make, that required that change. As studios and content owners pushed for it because Silverlight DRM and Analytics tech is stronger.

.

.

A few bloggers at some of my favorite blogs have been getting ahead of themselves by over-reading into Microsoft Job postings.  Including Kip Kniskern over at LiveSide.net.

http://www.liveside.net/2012/01/05/xbox-live-mobile-gaming-coming-to-android-and-ios-soon-3/

Xbox Live is coming to Android as the My Xbox Live app that came to iOS. Later on both apps will be deprecated in favor of the Xbox Companion App right now exclusive to Windows Phone. Windows Phone will then get other exclusive features. In short Windows Phone will always have exclusive Xbox Live related features for close a whole year. Apart from having exclusive Xbox Live Gaming. A few Xbox Live games will do come to iOS and Android like Kinectimals as promo game apps.

Or at least that is what i so far know as a go. In specific to Xbox.  You know, rumor, unconfirmed news, etc.

.

.

CNET has reported that HBO will no longer dealing directly with Netflix for the selling of the content programming in DVD format. Netflix will now be forced to buy the DVD’s with HBO content programming form a intermediary or unrelated third party.

HBO forces Netflix to go elsewhere for its DVDs

Hah, this is clearly a HBO being mad at Netflix entering the original content programming business, the same one where Netflix will be soon debuting their first originally produced and exclusive series this February. Not much of a big deal, as it is only about a 10 to 15% increase in cost for Netflix at most on whatever they were paying for HBO DVD’s before.

The problem will of course come when they have to buy rights for the streaming of HBO content. Netflix only ace is that because of how HBO works, they cannot be denied the right to buy the streaming rights to HBO content. As that would be anti-competitive behavior.  Unless that no longer is frown upon anymore…

What HBO can and probably will do is to take whatever delay time window they can and throw it to Netflix. If they have not done it already. Have not renewed for Netflix U.S.A, so i would not know. Am now only on Netflix Mexico, thanks to me getting 3 months free of the service.
.

.

The Walt Street Journal has reported that Kodak is now preparing to enter into Chapter 11 Of Bankruptcy

Which in turn means that they will be entering in a state of Bankruptcy protection, where they pretty much announce that right now they cannot immediately pay their debts, that they want to renegotiate their debts and enter a deal to pay those debts. While at the same restructure the company to more effectively pay without shutting down operations.  In a  simplified nutshell, that is what Chapter 11 Of Bankruptcy  means.

How Did Kodak Ended Up In This Position?

For years i struggled understanding how Kodak EPIC FAILED this bad, considering they had plenty of time to correct their course. It was not until last year that i got a clear answer on that. Thanks to an interview to Bob Herbold for TechFlash. Where he recounted a story about how Kodak had went to Microsoft to check out new stuff back in the early 90's and how Bill Gates himself told them that Digital Cameras was where it was. And how Gates liked Digital Cameras so much that he even gave them away as a gift at a year end dinner. 

With the meat of the story being that Kodak Top Executives having all the knowledge they needed of the new tech and software to come years later and even direct advice from Bill Gates telling them how things were going to be. All that resulted in Kodak going off their way with all this knowledge and insight and 1 or 2 years of time of action, to end up coming up with the Advantix Film and Camera Line, and also betting very big on it. The Advantix Cameras were Digital cameras that needed film. In a way that made both the cameras and the film processing more expensive...

In Mexico there is a saying that can explain those kind of actions better than I could put it myself:

“There is no worst Blind Man, than the one that don’t wants to see”

It does reads back better in Spanish though: “No hay peor Ciego, que el que no quiere ver”

Having said this, the only thing Kodak can do is to pay back whatever it is that the owe, try to make one last big bet to reinvent themselves and sell up or license up all of their patents to refinance themselves. That is of course if they really want to keep the company alive. 

.

.

Meaning that right now you will be able to get all The Paybook Models at the same price:

16GB for $299.00 from the original launch price of $499
32GB for $299.00 from the original launch price of $599
64GB for $299.00 from the original launch price of $699

Considering it is a promo discount to create headlines. The quantities for the 64gb and 32gb version of The Playbook must be of limited supply. Anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 units based on the amounts they had available for the X-MAS and Employee discount promotions. On the other hand i doubt there is any limitations in supply for the 16gb version. As $299 will be or is meant to be the new official price. With the 32gb and 64gb getting a price cut past this promotion. To be left at $399 and $499 respectively. Or that is what someone working for RIM, here in Mexico told me. 

On what exactly the update for The Playbook will bring can be put as 3 main things in order of importance:

1.- Missing Basic Native Apps
2.- Android App Player beta release access.
3.- Performance And Stability updates. 

Finally making The Playbook a round-up Slate. Additionally, the guy that told me about the price cuts to the 32gb and 64gb versions, also let me know that RIM may also finally be able to push the missing accessories too. 

In summation: RIM will be able to offer The Playbook and The Playbook will finally reach, the way and the state it should had been offered back when it launched.

While i still must mark what i post here as rumor, it would be shocking the info got to be wrong considering the source i got it from. As that would just not make any sense, if RIM does indeed want start selling The Playbook well.

Linkage

Blackberry Playbook Store

.

.