Most people think of Google as a search company, but their primary source of revenue is actually advertising.  It permeates everything they do – there are ads in the search results, they sell ads to advertisers through AdWords and publishers through AdSense, and much more.  Last year they made their first tentative steps into the entertainment business with Google TV, which met with a less than ideal response, although that is beginning to change.  Now it appears Google in beginning to test a new entertainment device.

There’s a real possibility that this is nothing more than the next generation of Google TV, but at this point it all seems a bit mysterious.  Google has filed a request with the Federal Communications Commission to test a  WiFi and Bluetooth enabled device in the homes of employees in four different cities.  From the FCC request:

“Google is developing an entertainment device that requires testing outside the laboratory environment. The device is in the prototyping phase and will be modified prior to final compliance testing. … Users will connect their device to home WiFi networks and use Bluetooth to connect to other home electronics equipment. This line of testing will reveal real world engineering issues and reliability of networks. The device utilizes a standard WiFi/Bluetooth module, and the planned testing is not directed at evaluating the radio frequency characteristics of the module (which are known), but rather at the throughput and stability of the home WiFi networks that will support the device, as well as the basic functionality of the device. From this testing we hope to modify the design in order to maximize product robustness and user experience. Utilizing the requested number of units will allow testing of real world network performance and its impact on applications running on the device, so that any problems can be discovered and addressed promptly.”

The test will be carried out in Mountain View, CA, New York City, NY, Cambridge, MA, and Los Angeles, CA.  The test period will run from January 17th until July 17th.  That means it will likely be quite some time before we get any real information on what this product is.

Alan

Alan is the owner and editor of Making Windows Easy. In addition to writing about technology he is also an avid distance runner and hiker. Read More

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Today at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas Boxee announced that they are teaming up with social networking powerhouse Facebook to bring TV to your Timeline.  Boxee has always been built to allow users to share their video recommendations with friends, but this is their first foray into real social networking.  Boxee started as a computer and Apple TV app, but expanded into their own set-top box a while back, and are now going to offer their new Boxee Live TV.

The TV app for Facebook will allow users to share what they are watching in their Facebook Timeline, as well as discover new videos from others.  When the app is installed on your Boxee Live TV, and you begin watching a live TV show, it can post this information to your Facebook Timeline after two minutes of viewing.  Before you panic about a potentially embarrassing post, don’t worry – the app needs your permission to do this.  If a friend clicks on your shared link then they are taken to a new landing page that Boxee has created with more information about the show including the episode and season information.  They can then save the show for later viewing or add it to their favorites.

The app is opt-in and changes can be made from your Facebook Application Settings page.  As for the new Boxee Live TV, they said they plan to begin shipping it in the third week of January.

Boxee Facebook Live TV Integration from boxee on Vimeo.

Source: Boxee

Alan

Alan is the owner and editor of Making Windows Easy. In addition to writing about technology he is also an avid distance runner and hiker. Read More

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One of our favorite web apps of 2011, Media.io, has issued a major update for the new year.  Media.io is an online tool for converting audio files that can easily turn your music from MP3 to WMA or from any one format to another easily and for free.  We reviewed it a while back and you can check out our hands on here.  Since that review the developer has continued to update the program with more and more functionality.

Media.io developer, Johann, has done a great job of updating the app, as well as it’s audio files capability, and he has now added more functionality to convert all of your music and audio files. New updates include the ability to share music and audio files, language updates, and better uptime.  A full list of the updates added are included below.

• You can now share media.io with your friends using ShareThis. Personally, I’m not a fan of 3rd party widgets and I had to clean up ShareThis’ widget to make it less invasive to your privacy and to make it load faster.
• Korean translation. media.io is now available in Korean.
• Romanian translation. media.io is now available in Romanian. You might ask yourself “why Korean and Romanian?” – it’s got to do with the love media.io gets from particular countries.
• Less resampling. To compensate for flaws in oggenc, I was resampling files to 44100 Hz on the old VPS. This has now been removed, resulting in better quality Ogg Vorbis files.
• Performance improvements. It might seem hard to achieve, but I’ve found one or two tricks that make media.io load even faster worldwide. Every second counts.
• 100 % uptime in December 2011. While not really a new feature, the server media.io runs on has been rock solid in December with absolutely no downtime measured by Pingdom.

With all of the improvements it has become even easier to convert your music files from one audio format to another.  Audio.io was one of the coolest web apps we found in 2011.  It’s free to use and is compatible with almost every music format.  If you have audio files that you would like to convert then head over to media.io to get started.

Alan

Alan is the owner and editor of Making Windows Easy. In addition to writing about technology he is also an avid distance runner and hiker. Read More

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XBMC, the media program named after Xbox and Media Center, has become popular over the past several years as a great free alternative to it’s namesake, the Windows version of Media Center.  Aside from it’s free price tag, XBMC is also popular because of it’s great functionality and ability to run on multiple platforms like Windows Mac, Linux, and Apple TV.

On December 24th XBMC announced a holiday gift for all of their users.  XBMC version 11.0, known as “Eden”, has been released in Beta form for everyone to begin using.  It ran a bit behind schedule, but XBMC promises that “The sheer number of new features, platforms, and improvements to nearly every facet of the XBMC experience found within Eden are nearly too numerous to count”.

New features in version 11 include Addon Rollbacks, improvements to the XBMC default skin (confluence), speed increases, a better library, better networking support, better handling of unencrypted BluRay content and structures, adjustable display refresh rate in OSX (to match the already available feature in Windows and Linux), AirPlay support, an upgraded weather app, plus a bunch more.  In addition to those improvements, XBMC also announced that Eden will be available for two new platforms – the Apple TV 2 and the iPad.

If you are already an XBMC user, or if you are looking for an alternative to Media Center, then you can head over to the download page to get Eden and see what you think.  You can check out a screenshot of the new Eden home screen below.

Alan

Alan is the owner and editor of Making Windows Easy. In addition to writing about technology he is also an avid distance runner and hiker. Read More

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Ironically, from what we have heard, Free Studio will not actually live up to the first part of it’s name soon.  Given that possibility and that the newest version, 5.2.1, just came out, this may be the time to grab a copy for yourself.  Free Studio is a single bundle of all DVDVideoSoft’s free DVD, video and audio software.  To be more precise, there are 44 programs included in the bundle.

With 44 programs included one may worry about a suddenly crowded desktop with all of those new icons.  However, fear not, because you will only see a single new icon added.  This icon launches the suite, which is divided into four categories – Internet, DVD & Video, MP3 & Audio, CD/ DVD/ BD.  From these you can access the individual programs.  The programs include the following list.

Free YouTube Download
Free YouTube to MP3 Converter
Free YouTube to iPod and PSP Converter
Free YouTube to iPhone Converter
Free YouTube to DVD Converter
Free YouTube Uploader

Free DVD Video Converter
Free Video to DVD Converter
Free Video to Flash Converter
Free 3GP Video converter
Free Video to iPod and PSP Converter
Free Video to iPhone Converter
Free Video to MP3 Converter
Free Video to JPG Converter
Free Audio Converter
Free Audio to Flash Converter

Free DVD Video Burner
Free Disc Burner
Free Audio CD Burner
Free DVD Decrypter
Free Audio CD to MP3 Converter

Free Screen Video Recorder
Free Video Dub
Free Audio Dub
Free Video Flip and Rotate

Like many free programs, you have to watch the installation to avoid the browser toolbars that come along for the ride.  Beyond that, though, this i a great bargain that may not remain free much longer.  There really isn’t much that this app suite can’t do.  You can get a copy by visiting DVDVideoSoft.

Alan

Alan is the owner and editor of Making Windows Easy. In addition to writing about technology he is also an avid distance runner and hiker. Read More

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With the popularity of home servers and the integration of computer technology into the living room there is a growing need for easy ways to create such things as digital DVD libraries.  Doing that requires users to “rip a DVD”, that’s the term normally used for taking the contents of a DVD and putting them onto a computer.  There are many formats you can use for your DVD video file – ISO, Video_TS, AVI, WMV, MKV, and countess others.  There are also as many DVD converters as there are video formats.  Most users want simplicity and the simplest way is to convert a DVD to AVI in one shot.

There’s a simple program called Ideal DVD to AVI Converter that we have been using for a little while now.  It can handle any DVD encrytion you will likely encounter, and if you find one it can’t handle, the makers promise you can ” just keep the DVD in your DVD drive, click “File”->”Export ifo files” menu, save the exported file and send the .iba file to support@idealdvdcopy.com , we’ll analyze it and fix it within one day.”

Once you have downloaded and installed the app (you can try it 10 times for free) you will be greeted with a message (on the first run only) that will ask if you want to allow it to auto-download fixes for new DVD decryption types.  In most cases you will want to allow this, as you will need Ideal DVD to AVI Converter to also be an up-to-date DVD decrypter.

You will now be greeted by the program’s simple interface.  You are now ready to rip a DVD, or more specifically, convert your DVD to AVI format.

Place your DVD in your computer’s optical drive and click the “File” menu button at the top of the Ideal DVD to AVI Converter window.  Choose “Open DVD Files” and  navigate to your DVD.  Place a check in the box next to the movie file (in most cases it’s the only one listed) and click the big “Start” button at the bottom of the window to begin converting your DVD to AVI format.  You can change the destination folder if you want, otherwise it will be the default folder that Ideal DVD to AVI Converter created in your My Documents folder.

The process isn’t quick – expect about 40 minutes to rip a DVD to be the average.  The good news is you can still do other things on your PC while it is running, or you can walk away – maybe even go enjoy the great outdoors.

Ideal DVD to AVI Converter also has some other cool features, like that ability to change skins (under the Options menu), rip a DVD clip instead of the entire movie, or make changes to the configuration.

Ideal DVD to AVI Converter is a simple and efficient DVD decrypter and converter tool.  You can download and try it for free (10 uses for free), and if you like it, you can buy a license for $29.97.  It’s available from Ideal DVD Software.  Remember that this tool, and ones like it, are for backing up or converting movies you own and should not be used for piracy or other illegal activities.

Alan

Alan is the owner and editor of Making Windows Easy. In addition to writing about technology he is also an avid distance runner and hiker. Read More

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Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge Windows Media Center fan.  This Microsoft app for Windows, that comes pre-installed, is still one of the top living room applications for home theater enthusiasts.  Despite the fact that Media Center is being surpassed by the latest Xbox update, it’s still a top pick for anyone building an HTPC.  You can customize the Media Center experience in many ways, but MyMovies is one of the most popular apps the Media Center enthusiasts install when they set up their system.

Now, MyMovies for Media Center has moved to version 4.02.  According to the folks at Missing Remote, “None of these updates are final releases, but they all come with a couple of new and updated features as well as a host of bug fixes. Be sure to check the changelogs if you want to see everything in the updates and do keep in mind that this is beta software.”  Brian Binnerup, who created MyMovies, listed the following changes to this version of MyMovies:

Added: Option to mark a disc as being a bonus disc. This is to be used for TV Series mapping instructions and for future option of displaying bonus discs in Windows Media Center.

Change: DVD Profiler import changed to new online import option. This deprecates the option to import just data.

You can install MyMovies on your Media center computer or Windows Home Server by visiting MyMovies.dk.

Alan

Alan is the owner and editor of Making Windows Easy. In addition to writing about technology he is also an avid distance runner and hiker. Read More

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Microsoft’s much anticipated Xbox 360 Dashboard rollout, with features announced way back at CES 2011 in January, is coming tomorrow, along with the new Windows Phone Xbox app.  The new entertainment options coming to the Xbox are expected to give Microsoft serious leverage in their battle to win the living room, something we once expected them to try with Media Center.  In all of today’s hype over this news a couple of things have been largely overlooked.  One is that Microsoft is leveraging Bing as the entertainment search engine for Xbox going forward.  The other is that they also confirmed that BBC would be coming in early 2012.

The new Bing for Xbox will search through all of your entertainment content, including movies, games, TV shows, apps and music, all by voice (if you don’t have a Kinect you will have to use good, old-fashioned text).  In addition, it will also search across services like Netflix, Hulu Plus, Comcast Xfinity on Demand, HBO Go, Zune, and more.  Microsoft compare this new development of search across entertainment sources to the addition of search engines on the internet.  “Bing on Xbox opens up living room entertainment the same way search engines opened up the web. When you think about the state of entertainment, there isn’t a lack of selection, the challenge is finding what you want in a timely manner.”

Don’t extect all of this search functionality to appear tomorrow with the Dashboard update.  It will be rolled out gradually beginning tomorrow and it may take several weeks before some users see it.

Microsoft also confirmed that BBC content would become available to Xbox customers beginning in early 2012.  It will join other content providers such as ESPN, Hulu Plus, Netflix, YouTube, and Today (MSNBC).  Entertainment providers will begin rolling out their offerings tomorrow and it will continue over the next few week.  There is no set date for the BBC content as of yet.

The addition of Bing is potentially huge for Microsoft, as it will allow them to push Bing to the forefront in a what will likely prove a key market in the future.  The success of Xbox will put Bing far ahead of Google with their flagging Google TV offering.  The addition of BBC content, along with Sky, for the U.K. crowd will also prove a potential game-changer.

Alan

Alan is the owner and editor of Making Windows Easy. In addition to writing about technology he is also an avid distance runner and hiker. Read More

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Microsoft’s goal has always been to get the Xbox into everyone’s living room.  That goal to dominate home entertainment may have begun with Media Center, but it has clearly shifted to Xbox in recent years.  They recently announced new streaming TV coming soon.  Of course, DVR functionality still requires a Media Center computer that serves as the front-end for live TV watching and recording.

Now it’s possible that Microsoft is taking a step forward in getting that Media Center TV capability into the Xbox 360.  In the first baby-step, today they announced a new media hard drive for the Xbox.  They will be releasing a 320 GB external drive that works with the 360 for media storage.  The HDD will be available later this month and will include a free download code for Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars.

Of course, this in no way means that DVR or live TV capability is on the way to the Xbox 360.  As of now, it is simply storage for your Xbox files.  However, a lot more can be read into this move, if one chooses to do so.  Media Center has a small, but loyal following, and had been called the best DVR operating system available.  Xbox 360 has quite a large following, and is adding media functionality at an ever-faster rate.  It’s seems the two are on a collision course that will meld them into one, hopefully, cohesive entity in the coming months and years.

The 320 GB media hard drive will be available this month (October) for $129.99.

Source: WinRumors

Alan

Alan is the owner and editor of Making Windows Easy. In addition to writing about technology he is also an avid distance runner and hiker. Read More

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There are many sources for TV guide and news information on the internet.  Fav.tv has been around for a while as a mobile app where it provided guide data, but it has now moved to the computer and expanded into the social realm.  You can sign up for a free account to get all of the features, but if you don’t want to do that, you will still find lots of useful information.

The homepage gives a synopsis of shows on that night, episode previews and clips, and you can even check out what your friends are watching.  The top menu gives simple access to Shows, News and Guide.

Creating an account is free, and allows you to get a lot more use out of the site.  When you set up your account you can add your favorite shows so that information on those shows is always at your fingertips when visiting the site.

You can add shows to your news stream by following the show’s page.  You can also find schedules for new episodes, IMDB data, Fav.tv fans, and a lot more.

When you click on the Guide, after adding shows to your favorites, you will be presented with a schedule for the week that lets you know when your shows are on.  You can click on an episode to get a more detailed description.  You can even have this guide displayed in your calendar if you are using iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook.  Some people may not want that type of information clogging their calendar, but it’s a great option for those who do need that type of reminder.

Finally, there are mobile apps available for Android and iPhone.  iPhone is where this all began, and it has grown remarkably fast over the past couple of years.  Add the mobile app for your device to get the most out of your account.

For TV addicts this app is a must-have.  For the casual viewer it’s still a nice addition to keep you up-to-date on what’s on and when, as well as news about episodes and recommendations based on what you like and what your friends are watching.  Best of all, it’s all free.

Alan

Alan is the owner and editor of Making Windows Easy. In addition to writing about technology he is also an avid distance runner and hiker. Read More

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