Videora Makes Video Playable on Your iPhone

Windows only: Our favorite iPod video conversion software maker Videora now offers an iPhone 3G version. Convert all types of video files like AVI, DivX, XVID, FLV, X264, VOB, MPEG, and DVDs into a format that your iPhone 3G can play (that is, MPEG-4, H.264). Videora iPhone 3G Converter is a free download for Windows, and requires the .NET framework to run. For more on video conversion, check out our top 10 free video rippers, encoders, and converters.

iPhone 2.0 Tips: Safari Shows Embedded YouTube Clips

Much like the way Safari has handled Quicktime videos on former versions of the firmware, the new 2.0 release now allows you to see embedded YouTube content with your iPhone or iPod Touch on Safari. Click and it hands off video duties to the YouTube player. Really, that's better than watching it embedded, and makes the handheld Web browsing world that much closer to its desktop

credit - gizmondo.com

First White iPhone 3Gs Appear in White Boxes

After the recent spate of iPhone 3G unboxing, a vid of AT&T personnel taking 3Gs out of a crate doesn't necessarily qualify as gadget porn, but this snippet happens to contain the first sighting of the elusive white iPhone 3G, in its—surprise!—white box. Luckily for your girlfriend, it looks like we were wrong about Apple cutting AT&T stores out of the white iPhone distribution. If you live in the UK, though, you may still have to cross the Atlantic for iPhono blanco. You can check out the video below.

First Netflix Streaming Box Review, $100 and Unlimited Downloads!

NETFLIX TEAMS WITH STREAMING MEDIA INNOVATOR ROKU ON PLAYER
THAT INSTANTLY STREAMS
MOVIES FROM NETFLIX DIRECTLY TO THE TV

Priced at Just $99.99 and Available Starting Today,
The Netflix Player by Roku™ is Compact,
Easy to Set Up and Intuitive to Use

LOS GATOS and SARATOGA, Calif., May 20, 2008 - Netflix, Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX), the world's
largest online movie rental service, and Roku, Inc., an innovator in digital media streaming
technology, today announced the introduction of The Netflix Player by Roku™, a device that
enables Netflix subscribers to instantly stream a growing library of movies and TV episodes from
Netflix directly to the TV. Priced at just $99.99, the player is available for purchase starting today at
www.roku.com/netflixplayer.

The player is simple to install, easy to use and gives Netflix members instant access to more than
10,000 movies and TV episodes.

"We're excited to bring the first Netflix ready device to the market, " said Anthony Wood, CEO and
founder of Roku. "The seamless integration of the Netflix service into our player has resulted in
true ease of use for the consumer. Now, streaming video isn't limited to people sitting in front of
the PC; it's ready for the TV in the living room."

"The key breakthroughs of The Netflix Player by Roku are simplicity and cost," said Reed Hastings,
chairman and CEO of Netflix. "First, it allows consumers to use the full power of the Netflix Web
site to choose movies for their instant Queue, and then automatically displays only those choices
on the TV screen. That's a major improvement versus the clutter of trying to choose from 10,000
films on the TV. Second, there are no

- more -

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extra charges and no viewing restrictions. For a one-time purchase of $99, Netflix members can
watch as much as they want and as often as they want without paying more or impacting the
number of DVDs they receive."
About The Netflix Player by Roku
The Netflix Player by Roku is surprisingly compact - roughly the size of a paperback book - and
can integrate easily into any home entertainment system. All it takes is connecting the player to a
TV and to the Internet. For homes with wireless Internet connectivity, the player is Wi-Fi enabled
and offers the ultimate in placement flexibility.

From the Netflix Web site, members simply add movies and TV episodes to their individual instant
Queues, and those choices are then displayed on the TV and available to watch instantly. With
the player's accompanying remote control, members can browse and make selections right on
the TV screen and also have the ability to read synopses and rate movies. In addition, they have
the option of fast-forwarding and rewinding the video stream via the remote. In all, the Queue-
based user interface creates a highly personalized experience that puts members in control.

Additional features of the product include optimization of the Netflix video streaming technology,
which eliminates the need for a hard disk drive associated with video downloads, and built-in
connectivity for automatic software upgrades, which will keep the device current with service
enhancements.
Technical Details
In the Box
• The Netflix Player by Roku set-top box (approximately 5"W x 5"D x 2"H)
• Remote control (including 2 AAA batteries)
• A/V Cable (Yellow/Red/White RCA)
• Power Adapter
• Getting Started Guide

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3-3-3-3-3
Video and Audio Connections
• HDMI
• Component Video
• S-Video
• Composite Video
• Digital Optical Audio
• Analog Stereo Audio
Network Connections
• Wired Ethernet
• Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g)

Links from Google News -

Netflix Starts Streaming, With Help from Roku PC World - 1 hour ago Beginning today, customers can purchase the box from a small company called Roku, known for its SoundBridge digital radio, for $99.99. The Roku box is about ...

Netflix Player by Roku ZDNet - 5 hours ago Well, with the Netflix Player by Roku ($100) that has become a reality. Before we get into just what the box does, it's probably worth mentioning a little ...

Netflix, Roku team up for streaming movies Bizjournals.com, NC - 4 hours ago Netflix Inc. and Roku Inc. said Tuesday they are collaborating on a device that lets Netflix subscribers instantly stream movies and television episodes ...

Netflix Roku: Free Is Such A Beautiful Word Washington Post, United States - 7 hours ago Netflix made a big splash today with their announcement of a $100 set top box, built by a California startup called Roku, that streams free movies (for ...

Netflix Player by Roku Review Washington Post, United States - 8 hours ago The Netflix Player by Roku is the first in what portends to be a long line of devices designed to download and stream movies from Netflix. ...

Netflix Player by Roku PC Magazine - 13 hours ago By Tim Gideon As a confirmed Netflix addict, I was immediately intrigued by the new Netflix Player by Roku, an on-demand video streaming device that works ...

Review: Roku Netflix Set Top Box is Just Shy of Totally Amazing Wired News - 13 hours ago ... viewing can be added to the player’s queue—in fact, the box checks your DVD queue and adds any available content to the Roku player automatically. ...

Netflix unveils device that lets users stream movies CNNMoney.com - 2 hours ago Roughly the size of a paperback book, the Netflix player is made by a Silicon Valley startup called Roku, whose founder developed the first Digital Video ...

Is ‘Roku’ the formula to solve the movie download dilemma? TG Daily - 2 hours ago By Wolfgang Gruener Los Gatos (CA) – Netflix and Roku today introduced a movie streaming box that, for the very first time, may attract the mass market to ...

Netflix $99 Set Top Player from Roku Audioholics, FL - 44 minutes ago They have partnered with Roku (either ahead of, or in lieu of LG) to release a $99 set top box, dubbed the Netflix Player, that allows Netflix subscribers ...

Netflix, Roku Launch Set-Top Box Dealerscope, PA - 1 hour ago Netflix on Tuesday announced that it has teamed up with a Silicon Valley-based company called Roku on a new set-top box that will allow subscribers to ...

Netflix, Roku Unveil Cutting-Edge Netflix Set Top Box TransWorldNews (press release), GA - 2 hours ago Netflix and Silicon Valley start-up Roku revealed their collaborative Netflix Set Top Box on Monday, allowing for cutting-edge technology in home ...

Netflix unveils set-top movie streaming device Macworld, CA - 53 minutes ago by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld.com Online movie rental company, Netflix, has partnered with streaming specialist Roku to release a set-top box that will enable ...

Netflix Player by Roku PVRblog, AZ - 1 hour ago The long rumored set-top box for Netflix movies has finally arrived: Roku's Netflix Player. At $99 it doesn't look like too bad of a deal and along with a ...

Roku Netflix Player Streams Movie, TV Rentals Electronic House, MA - 3 hours ago Maybe it’s one of the 10000 movies or TV shows you have access to with the new Netflix Player from Roku. The player is being released today for $99 as a ...

Netflix to Sell a Device for Instantly Watching Movies on TV Sets New York Times, United States - 13 hours ago Netflix owns a stake in the company Roku, which makes a $99 paperback-size box for viewing films on television. Working with a small Silicon Valley company, ...

Netflix Unveils Streaming Video Device; Lehman Upgrades Barron's Blogs - 3 hours ago Netflix (NFLX) today unveiled a new set-top box to be produced by privately held Roku Inc. that will allow subscribers to stream an unlimited number of ...

Roku intros $100 Netflix rival to Apple TV Electronista, CA - 6 hours ago Roku on Tuesday is seeking to up-end the traditional approach to media hubs with the Netflix Player. The small, five-inch-square hub sheds the local storage ...

Netflix a player? Macworld, CA - 1 hour ago And something has, in the form of Roku’s Netflix Player. This is a $100 box about the size of something that people describe as the size of a paperback book ...

Netflix partnership connects TVs with online movies The Business ... Bizjournals.com, NC - 2 hours ago based Roku Inc. Known as "The Netflix Player," the $99 box is roughly the size of a paperback book. It should work with any home entertainment system, ...

Netflix Joins With Roku, Allows Movie Streaming To TV dBTechno, MA - 6 hours ago Washington (dbTechno) - Netflix has announced that they have signed a deal with start-up company Roku to make a set-top box which will allow Netflix ...

Netflix’s Movie Box Launches With Roku; Selection Still Limited ... paidContent.org, CA - 9 hours ago Wood decides to leave Netflix to return to Roku. It also disclosed early this year that its first announced partner was LG Electronics (SEO: 066570), ...

TV boxes let Netflix users bypass mail delivery The Associated Press - 13 hours ago The Netflix box, made by Silicon Valley startup Roku Inc., is the first of several devices that will pipe Netflix's streaming service to TV sets. ...

Netflix Player by Roku launched: reviews overwhelmingly positive SlashGear, AZ - 8 hours ago The Netflix Player by Roku is the first piece of hardware promising to bring download movies to your TV, and going by the launch-day reviews it sounds like ...

Netflix Streams Movies Over Roku's Internet Set-Top Broadcast Newsroom, CA - 11 hours ago By Todd Spangler Netflix subscribers can now watch movies on their TV sets, using a $99 Internet-connected set-top box from Roku. ...

The Netflix Roku box tosses the freshly emerged Apple TV right ... VentureBeat, CA - 12 hours ago Tomorrow, Netflix will unveil a set-top box made by Roku. The living-room bound device will allow subscribers to the Netflix online DVD rental service ...

Netflix Teams with Streaming Media Innovator Roku on Player That ... eHomeUpgrade (press release), CA - 12 hours ago Priced at just $99.99, the player is available for purchase starting today at www.roku.com/netflixplayer. The player is simple to install, easy to use and ...

Netflix offers movie downloads; stock upgraded Reuters - 1 hour ago Netflix said that it and partner company Roku will offer a device that lets Netflix subscribers "stream" movies and television episodes to their TVs. ...

Native Orb App Brings Live TV to Your iPhone

The OrbLive streaming media app is for everyone who is sick of waiting for a Sling Mobile client on their iPhone. As you may (or may not) know, Orb pulls files off your PC and streams them to any device with an app or web browser capable of accessing the Orb interface. From there you can stream music, video files, and if you have a TV tuner card, live TV. While Orb was previously accessible via Safari, this new, official app is supposed to be an easier, more intuitive way to get your media on the go. It does require a jailbroken iPhone, however. Check out the video of the client in action. [Orb via Register Hardware]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EW7Q51Ma22o

ZeeVee: One Box to Broadcast PC's HD Video All Over the House

Today, a startup called ZeeVee is launching the ZvBox, a three-part plan for getting all the good HD video content from your PC out to all the TVs in the house:
• The box itself converts the video from the PC's VGA port into a high-def channel and sends it out to your home's coax cable network.
• A PC app acts as a launcher for all the good PC-based internet video clients, like Hulu, Joost and even Microsoft's own Media Center.
• The remote controls not just your TV, but the app on the PC too, giving you decent control over the otherwise PC-locked experience.

No, you don't have deja vu: Two companies you never heard of launched similar-sounding interactive TV boxes within a few hours of each other. But this one is quite different: It doesn't mess with antennae or try to get in bed with cable or DSL providers. It's just a nice tidy box that sends all the world's content to all TVs in your house—without set-top boxes in each room. There are some catches, of course.

The first catch is that the box-and-remote combo costs $500. Sure, you only need one kit for the whole house (unless you want additional remotes, but every TV would get the same experience anyhow, so there's no point). But $500 is pretty steep.

Another catch is that the content itself is a little up in the air. Yes, there are plenty of services that let you buy or rent movies on a PC, and many more coming along that give you piecemeal content for free. But everyone does it differently, and you will have to become master of many interfaces with that one remote.

The launcher app, called Zviewer (what else?), is useful to aggregate all the different programs you'll want supplying you with video, and it also lists all of the BitTorrent and other video on your hard drive, not to mention photos and music. But there's no way to bring all web video into one seamless interface, and though ZeeVee will try to do just that, they admit that the beginnings will be a tad humbler.

I do like this concept. As soon as you connect your VGA out to the ZvBox and connect that to the coax network in your house, it scopes out the channels occupied by your cable box, and picks one that's not. Any TV with an ATSC tuner will see the ZeeVee stream as a high-def channel, and display it as such via the coax input most cable and satellite customers have generally forgotten about. You put the ATSC tuner to use, your coax cable gets new life, and you get an easy way to toggle from your other cable content to your PC's video bidness.

At this point, it's still a work in progress. Though the company promises a June ship date, the hardware shots are just renderings. The software, barely in beta, will only run on Windows XP and Vista, though ZeeVee assures us a Mac version will be out this year. I am a little leery of trying to use PC apps while sitting at my couch, so hopefully the software itself will handle most of my needs.

Promotional screenshots shown below depict some pretty nice media management, but the company admits that these are more aspirational, and will not represent the initial user experience:
If you think about it, the PC is kind of arbitrary here. I asked Brian Mahoney, ZeeVee director of marketing, if the company couldn't all the same turn this into a whole-house extender for my TiVo HD, or maybe a video iPod, and he said, "We can indeed take the video inputs from any device. That is a path we're looking at in the future."

My question for you, dear Giz readers, is this: Remote and PC software aside, how easy is it to build the box ZeeVee is talking about? And is it worth $200 to $250? Maybe it is. If you're really eager, it's going on pre-order at Amazon today, with plans to ship in June. If I were you, I'd wait until your friends at Gizmodo at least saw the thing in person before shelling out five bills. [ZeeVee]

• HOME ENTERTAINMENT,
• HULU,
• JOOST,
• PCS,
• SET-TOP BOX,
• ZEEVEE,
• ZVBOX,
• ZVCAST,
• ZVIEWER

Twinkle for iPhone lets you surf Twitter by location

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Got a jailbroken iPhone? Then you've got to download a fantastic app called Twinkle that's doing some amazing things to make Twitter even more useful for people while they're out and about. Besides being a delightfully simple Twitter client (see also: ThinCloud and Hahlo), Twilight's killer app is its location tool which taps into the LocateMe feature introduced in iPhone firmware version 1.1.3. Using this it can narrow down not only where you are (to be included in your Tweets), but also let you see who's around you anywhere from one to 252,000 miles away using local cell phone towers or your Wi-Fi connection.

You might be wondering how this would be useful for anyone besides potential stalkers. The answer is that if you're in a Twitter-rich city, drilling down to 1-5 mile radius around you will let you know all sorts of things going on in your area as they're happening.

Twinkle's other fantastic feature, which I demo in the video below, is the built-in photo integration which uses the iPhone's camera to take pictures you can attach to your Tweets. The only catch is that you've got to be using Twinkle to see the photos. It's fantastically simple, and something I think will make its way into Twitter applications for other handsets.

We've featured disaster preparedness tools using Twitter several times before, but Twinkle puts it together in a portable, user-friendly package. I fully expect it to be released as a standalone application in the iPhone App Store in a few months when Apple updates the firmware.

Related: Twitter + Maps = Global stream of consciousness

(CBS) GPS devices in your car or truck can help you navigate, but they didn't alert you to traffic jams in your possible path -- that is -- until now.

As CBS News correspondent John Blackstone reports, there are at least two GPS systems designed to zip you around those time-wasters.

Microsoft has just unveiled software called "Clearflow" that promises to instantly find you alternate routes around traffic jams.

The other is called Dash Express, which Mark Williamson helped design.

"We take that stress out of your daily life," he remarked to Blackstone.

Dash Express, he says, is meant to beat traffic jams.

"If more people had a device like this, is this the answer to traffic?" Blackstone asked. "Yeah, we really think it is," Williamson replied.

Dash Express, which just hit the market, uses GPS along with road sensors, highway alerts, and other Dash Express users to do its job, Blackstone explains. Each unit sends real-time traffic data to a central computer, so any dash device on the road would know that a given stretch of highway is clear.

"It's almost like being able to phone somebody a couple of miles ahead of you on the road and say, 'How are things going up there?' " Blackstone observed, and Williamson agreed.

If drivers opt to get on a highway, they could know how far a traffic jam they encounter will stretch for, Williamson says, adding that is sure beats wondering.

When Owen Rubin is driving, his Dash Express is both sending and receiving traffic information automatically. He says something of a community is developing around it, noting that his "information tells other Dash users what's happening to me."

It's the same, Blackstone points out, as truckers trading traffic info on C-B radios -- but this is a digital convoy.

"We're the first Internet-connected device," Williamson says," ... collecting traffic data from real people driving real routes in real commute hours."

---

For much more on this, click on these addresses:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/10/technology/10maps.html?ref=technology&pagewanted=print

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/24/AR2008032402502_pf.html

http://www.dash.net/product/traffic.php
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/11/earlyshow/main4008377.shtml