Erictric

Google Chrome OS To Sport a Media Player

Think about what you may know about Google Chrome OS based on what you have seen thus far. Would you be able to describe it in one word? Many folks already have, particularly in the tech sector, and the most common one-word summary I have heard to date with regard to the OS is: limited.

That isn’t of course giving the operating system a fair chance — considering it’s still in early development. But we have seen it in action, and an operating system that works like a browser (using tabs) does seem limited.

But perhaps Chrome OS critics are dead wrong. A recent interview between Ars Technica and Chrome OS developer Matthew Papakipos (along with Eitan Bencuya from Google’s public relations team) mentioned a somewhat interesting potential incorporation into the operating system. More »

BBC iPlayer iPhone Application in the Works

In a monthly press pack released by the BBC, there apparently appears to be some evidence of a future version of iPlayer for iPhone handsets. From what we know (mind you, simply by observing the imagery), there will be an incorporated download feature, and perhaps the option to stream programming live. In the image, you may also notice the device is connected to a wireless network, and whether that’s indicative of a Wi-Fi-only requirement for the mobile app is really anyone’s guess at this point.

While the BBC has yet to officially acknowledge the application, the images speak for themselves.

iPlayer is a free-of-charge service provided by the BBC for viewers in the United Kingdom to catch up on TV programming they may have otherwise missed.

[ via: Neowin ]

First Impressions: Sony SMP-U10 USB Media Player

Are USB Media Players the future? We recently picked up a Sony SMP-U10 USB Media Player and gave it a spin to see just how good it was — and overall, we’re impressed. Let me first start off by explaining the practicality of this product. It’s geared toward the folks who live and breath by their USB sticks. People who store movies, photos, and even music will certainly get a kick out of this player for the reason that it does it all. You’re able to view photos, listen to music, and perhaps best of all, you’re able to watch the movies you’ve got stored on your USB storage stick.

Now, for this particular brief overview, I want to stress how impressed I was with video playback on this device. The player will decode WMA, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, and perhaps best of all, DivX video formats, which certainly makes it useful. You have the option of hooking this device to your television via ordinary composite cables, or if you’re like me — plug it into your high-definition television via an HDMI output. More »

What Google Maps Needs: Street View Route Overview

Have you ever used Google maps to get directions and thought, “Wouldn’t it be so great if I could visually see the route?” I’ve thought about this dozens of times, both pre-Google Street View and now that we have this great application. Google is on a mission to image nearly all of the streets in the United States (maybe the world). It’s already beyond helpful, but couldn’t it be better?

Picture this: you enter two addresses for directions into Google Maps. Of course, you’ll get your typical aerial view with text directions, but imagine an option which would allow you to see the directions from point A to B through a streetview by taking each of the images taken by the street view car, and playing them back at a faster rate (almost like a flip book) to create an actual moving image. More »