You may already know that I think the world of VUDU.

Here is the most recent blog entry written after we received our very own VUDU box (yeah..that was before they were embedded in TV’s and Blu-Ray players…and way before Wal-Mart).

I suppose you could say, I know how to pick ‘em!

Sure hope I am right about coworking and the Tracy Virtual Office

What is the point of this entry (other than finally posting something new on my Technical Blog)?

Here is the latest Press Release sent to me by VUDU:

“”Walmart Announces Acquisition of Digital Entertainment Provider, VUDU

Company takes next step to enhance home entertainment

and information delivery options for consumers

BENTONVILLE, Ark., Feb. 22, 2010 — Walmart announced today a definitive agreement to acquire VUDU, Inc., a leading provider of digital technologies and services that enable the delivery of entertainment content directly to broadband high-definition TVs and Blu-ray players. The deal is expected to close within the next few weeks.

VUDU is a revolutionary service, built into a growing number of broadband-ready TVs and Blu-ray players, that delivers instant access to thousands of movies and TV shows directly through the television. Customers with broadband Internet access and an Internet-ready TV or Blu-ray player can rent or purchase movies, typically in high-definition, without needing a connected computer or cable/satellite service. New movies and features will be added continually, enabling customers to enjoy a product that continues to become more robust long after they have left the store.

“The real winner here is the customer,” said Eduardo Castro-Wright, vice chairman for Walmart. “Combining VUDU’s unique digital technology and service with Walmart’s retail expertise and scale will provide customers with unprecedented access to home entertainment options as they migrate to a digital environment.”

VUDU has licensing agreements with almost every major movie studio and dozens of independent and international distributors to offer approximately 16,000 movies, including the largest 1080p library of video on-demand movies available anywhere. Via their broadband Internet connection, users have the ability to rent or buy titles and begin viewing them instantly.

VUDU will continue developing entertainment and information delivery solutions such as VUDU Apps, a platform that delivers hundreds of streaming Internet applications and services to TVs and Blu-ray players with built-in Internet connectivity. VUDU has partnered with some of the leading names in Internet and media entertainment to offer applications on its platform including Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, The New York Times and The Associated Press.

“We are excited about the opportunity to take our company’s vision to the next level,” said Edward Lichty, VUDU executive vice president. “VUDU’s services and Apps platform will give Walmart a powerful new vehicle to offer customers the content they want in a way that expands the frontier of quality, value and convenience.”

VUDU, based in Santa Clara, Calif., will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Walmart. The company is not disclosing financial terms of the agreement as the acquisition is not material to its first quarter earnings for fiscal year 2011.

About Walmart

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT), or “Walmart,” serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at more than 8,400 retail units under 53 different banners in 15 countries. With fiscal year 2010 sales of $405 billion, Walmart employs more than 2 million associates worldwide. A leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity, Walmart ranked first among retailers in Fortune Magazine’s 2009 Most Admired Companies survey. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting www.walmartstores.com. Online merchandise sales are available at www.walmart.com and www.samsclub.com.”"

Interesting development this morning as Comcast purchased NBC Universal from General Electric.

The technology mergers continue.  In recent weeks we have seen the marriages of Tandberg and Cisco, Logitech and Lifesize, and now Comcast and NBC.  Very interesting times…

A NY Times article says:

“Almost immediately, the transaction reshapes the nation’s entertainment industry, giving a cable provider a huge portfolio of new content, even as it raises the sector’s anxieties about the future.”

Click here for the full NY Times article.

Rating: 4 WaterTowers (the next step?)

I remember the Wyse terminals that connected to, and totally relied on, a mainframe computer.  There were also Internet dependent thingy’s that came out awhile back (hey…getting old, memory is fading).  I worked for a start-up briefly in the mid-90’s with the idea of putting apps on the Internet…we died.

I could be wrong…..but,  the Google Chrome OS seems to be the next step in the dumbing down (in a good sense) of the personal computer.   Your Netbook computer (or regular one?) can now (or will soon be able to) connect to the Internet to do what you need to do faster than you can now.  To me….it is the latest version of a Wyse terminal.

Forget files on your hard-drive…..all your stuff now will be in (on?) the Internet.  Your emails, documents, photos, movies, and all the cool things you do on a daily basis (write a blog!) will be located in the cloud.  What happens if your Internet connection goes down?  READ!  :-)

Cloud computing!?  Grid computing!?

Anyway…here is a coolio video from Google explaning a bit more about this new Operating System.  Hmmmmm, I wonder what Microsoft thinks about this?

One thing is for sure…7 seconds or so booting up is appealing. I use Google Chrome because it is soooo fast, I simply can’t go back to Firefox or, yuk, IE.

From the video:  1990 is a LONG time ago????  Yikes!  Seems like yesterday to me….

Thanks to (Twitter) @pyale for the discussions and links leading to this blog!

Rating:  4 WaterTowers (cool laser wireless mouse)

Last night we went to Best Buy in Tracy, CA and, as usual, I browsed the aisles to find technology that, to me, might be new and exciting.  In the computer section, I saw the Logitech V450 Nano Cordless Laser Mouse and picked it up.  $50 or so.

Don’t wanna read?  Watch the video

Background

I started coworking in the Tracy Virtual Office.   Prior to last week, I had set myself up with a “desk” and “office”, but, I decided to cowork like everyone else and quickly realized that I had too much stuff.  One of the issues I am running into are wires!  Wires everywhere.  If I could eliminate a wire or two or three…..that would be good.

A wireless mouse is one more step in the wireless direction.

I also had a slight issue with the old mouse….it did not work on some of the plastic tables (remember the TVO is a new operation) we have for coworkers.  So I had to use my Mickey Mouse Pad, which is ok, but, one more thing I had to stuff in my carry-all.

I am finding out….when you cowork, less is better.

Old Mouse and Mickey Mouse Pad

I also figured I’d give the the laser technology of the V450 a try on the different surfaces. (It works!)

One more cool thing:  The USB receiver (operating at 2.4 GHz for the wireless communication) is very small and meant to stay in the computer.  The simplest solutions are the most elegant!

Mouse and Nano USB Receiver

Installation

I installed the two AA batteries in the mouse and turned the computer on.  After the computer booted up, I installed the nano receiver in a USB port in the back of the laptop and turned on the mouse.  The computer (my very old Toshiba laptop running Windows XP) found the new hardware and after a few seconds I was good to go!

Nano USB Receiver Installed

New Wireless Mouse

Rating: 4 WaterTowers (cool phone and service)

I am dreaming of owning a phone that will allow me to stay in contact with all my friend via Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Email, Text, and, oh yeah, that old fashioned thing called a phone.  Imagine if you can monitor the Twitterverse on the front screen of your phone right alongside your Facebook News Feed?  What a wonderful life!

Guess what…here it is!

A friend recently purchased a Motorola Cliq with MotoBlur to use on his T-Mobile account.  He spent a few minutes showing me the phone, and giving me the lowdown on what he liked (a lot)  and what he did not like (not much) about it.

NOTE:  A couple of years ago I looked at the iPhone when it first came out (in fact, the first or second day) and decided that that technology was going to change the world of cell phones.  It pretty much has.  The Motorola Cliq offers the customer a user interface very similar to the iPhone…touch and go……and much more with MOTOBLUR putting all the pieces together in software.

Awesome.

Motorola Cliq and MOTOBLUR Features

You can visit the Motorola web site for Cliq here for a lot more information, but, really quickly here are some of the features that caught my attention (not in any particular order).

1. It uses Google’s new open source Android (1.5 Cupcake) operating system which is making inroads into many portable devices and from what I have seen and heard, is stable and reliable (so far).

2. It connects to the 3G network as well as WiFi (802.11b and g) and older telecom networks like the Edge.  It can connect to your computer via USB 2.0.  And has GPS, so you will never be lost again.

3. It has a 5 Megapixel camera with a 4x zoom.  Who needs a camera anymore?  You can snap and post to Facebook, Twitter, instantly (well, nearly).

4. You can watch video and listen to music.  It supports viewing of H.264, H.263 , MPEG 4, and YouTube.  And you can listen to audio files in MP3, AAC, WAV and a few more.

Acronyms and buzzwords aside…you can watch video and listen to songs.

5. It has a qwerty keyboard for the text’er in you.  Or maybe I should say you can make a phone call with it if you have the need.

QWERTY keyboard

6. There are thousands of apps you can download from the Store.   You can add memory using a microSD card.

7. MOTOBLUR takes everything (almost literally) and makes it easy to access on the Cliq.

Quincy’s Observations

News and Email on Quincy's Phone

Initially the battery life on the Cliq was a concern, and, almost resulted in Quincy returning it.  The battery life did get longer and longer with each charging, however, and now seems to have stabilized at a point where Quincy is no longer concerned about it.

The phone keeps a number of applications live and ready to go, but, to save processing power (and battery?) there is an application killer that you can use to minimize the open apps.

One very handy feature is that the Cliq, well, MOTOBLUR, can add contacts from a number of different sources including Quincy’s Facebook, MySpace, Email, Phone, etc.

One issue is that the speaker in on the back of the phone.  When you set it down (face up) the volume of the speaker goes down.  If you put it down face down…you are looking at the back of your phone.  Quincy thinks the speaker on the side might be a better  option.

There are thousand or so free applications.  Quincy, being a cop, uses a  Zip code finder app feature at work.  He showed us how the bar code scanner worked (very well) and there is a MATH app that I would love to have for my students to practice with.

Some of the apps on Quincy's phone

You can browse the Internet.  I took a turn entering my web site URL (and learned how to use my thumbs instead of index finger hunt and peck).

Browsing

My favorite feature though is that you can use your favorite song as the ringtone, and you can upload songs from your computer.  Goodbye ringtones…hello Chris LeDoux!

Summary

Whew.

There are a LOT of features in the Motorola Cliq and MOTOBLUR service.  If I lived with it for a year, I probably would not use all the features (since that is my M-O anyway).

The world is changing very rapidly.  There are soooooo many ways to communicate that it can be overwhelming keeping track of everything.  I mean how can I possibly keep track of 10,000 followers on Twitter @TracyVirtOffice.

It is nice to see that progress is being made combining all these disparate sources of information into one easy to use package.

Did this work? If so….very cool!

I was breezing thru some news and saw that Logitech plans to acquire Lifesize.  Well the world of videoconferencing just gets interestinger and interestinger.  The mergers continue…who will be next?  

What do I think?  Lemme ponder this…….Logitech makes some great products, Lifesize is a leader in HD videoconferencing and is leading the SIP charge into the future. 

OK, here goes….desktop videoconferencing (which I have been a proponent of since, hmmmm, well the very first product, the Cameo from CLI in 1992) may emerge stronger than ever (hear me cheer!  WhoooHoo!!).  See my recent Lifesize Desktop Review.   Cool super-HD Web Cams on the way?  SIP finally taking big time hold in the VC world?  HDVC in the home?   

This URL has the text of the announcement, but, I took the liberty of copying it and printing it here:  

”

To LifeSize’s customers and partners:

We’re delighted to announce that LifeSize will soon be joining Logitech.

Our two companies share a vision for the role of video in business and professional communication, believing that anywhere there is voice there should be video. That means offering a life-like, HD-video communication experience that is as seamless and mainstream as a telephone call – not just in the board room for a select few, but in any meeting room in the enterprise, as well as at one’s office desk or while telecommuting from home.

LifeSize started this journey with many of you more than five years ago. And together we have changed the landscape of workplace collaboration and built relationships with more than 9000 customers around the world.

It’s time to go farther. Logitech, the world leader in webcams and a pioneer in the development of PC-based video calling, is a natural fit for LifeSize – from a business, innovation and cultural perspective.

With Logitech’s backing, LifeSize will be able to scale more effectively to deliver technology solutions to more customers and partners around the world. And by closely collaborating on innovation, we believe that we can accelerate the realization of our vision.

Voice-only communication knows almost no boundaries. We believe Logitech and LifeSize  – in partnership with other leading technology companies – can drive innovation, price/performance and open standards so that the experience of visual communication is just as common and natural.

Together with our partners, we will continue to deliver standards-based, high-quality, flexible video-communication solutions that are scalable, secure and accessible to anyone, anywhere.

We are in the early stages of an important communication revolution and we will continue to set the pace of innovation for our customers and our partners. We look forward to making this journey together with you.

Sincerely,

Craig Malloy, CEO of LifeSize Communications

 

Gerald P. Quindlen,
President and CEO of Logitech

“

I am still concerned / cautious and still recommend “cell-phone-use” moderation.  However, the dramatic increase in texting may actually help.  Sure your fingers and thumbs may experience more problems, but, keeping the cell phone away from your brain is, to me, a good thing.

Today I spotted this article on CNN about this topic.  Enjoy

“Evidence Still Fuzzy on Cell Phones, Cancer”

TelBitConsulting says: A healthy respect for microwave radiation is prudent.

Here is the current list:

903–KCRA NBC
904–KQCA My58
906–KVIE PBS
908–KTXL Fox
910–N10HD ABC
912–KMAX CW31
913–KOVR CBS
914–HGTV
915–NGCHD (National Geographic)
916–HISHD (The History Channel)
917–NFLHD
918–A&EHD
920–CSNHD (Comcast Bay Area Sports)
921–CSNCD (Comcast Bay Area Sports)
922–HDT Discovery HD Theater
923–ESPND (ESPN)
924–ES2HD (ESPN2)
925-GOLFD (Golf)
926–TNTHD (TNT HD)
927–UHD (Universal)
928–PLDHD (Palladia High Def Music…they have Country too)
929-MLBHD (Baseball)
930–HBO (Need to pay extra)
931–ENCHD (Encore HD)
932–MXHDW (Need to pay extra)
933–HALLD (Hallmark Movies HD)
934–SZHDW (Starz) (Need to pay extra)
935–BRVOD (Bravo HD)
936–SHO HD (Need to pay extra)
937–USA HD
938–DSCHD (The Discovery Channel)
939–SCIHD (Science HD)
940–E!HD
941–FOODD (Food HD)
942–SyFyD (SciFi Channel)
943–SPKHD (Spike)
944–TLCHD (TLC)
945–CMDYD (Comedy)
946–CNNHD (CNN)
947–CNBCD (CNBC HD)
948–FAMHD (Family Channel HD)
949–DISHD (Disney Channel)
950–TOOND (Cartoon Network)
951-APHD (Animal Planet)
953–TBSHD
954–QVCHD
957–FNCHD (Fox News)
958–FBNHD (Fox Business)
960–FXHD
964–TRAVD (Travel HD)
965–SPDHD (Paid Programming)
966–VSHD (Outdoor stuff)
967-NIK (Nick)
976-TWCHD (Weather)
978-CMTHD (CMT)
981-VH1HD (VH1)
982-MTVHD (MTV)
985-NFLRD (NFL Red Zone, need to pay?)
995-LIFEHD (Lifetime)
998-AMCHD (AMC)

Rating: 4 WaterTowers (Cool Twitter app)

Do you Tweet?  If so, you may want to try HootSuite 2.0….I think you will like it.  I have been using HootSuite for a few days now and I am hooked, hmmmm..well, I’m getting there.

HootSuite does almost everything I need it to do, and it does some stuff I have not used yet. For a full list of features, visit the HootSuite web site.

Sign Up and Installation

Since the folks using HootSuite are computer (or other electronic devices) users, the installation, for them, is a breeze.

I had a bit of an issue logging on to my TracyVirtOffice Twitter account, but, the next day I came back to it and it worked perfectly.

TelBitConsulting says: HootSuite will only work as well as Twitter works.   If you see the Big Blue Whale…you are down until the Whale goes away.

What I Like

Since I have only been using HootSuite for a few days (and love it!) I have yet to try every feature offered (and, knowing me, I probably never will), but, here are the features I do use (or friends use) and like a while bunch.

Shrink the URL right on the page

Using Twitter I had been using the TelBitConsulting manual method to shorten a URL:  I went to the web site, copied the url, went to j.mp, pasted the long URL in, shortened it, copied the new shortened URL, tested it, then put it in  the tweet.

Whew.

The new HootSuite procedure is:  Go to the web site, copy the URL, paste it in HootSuite, click “Shrink It”, send the tweet.

Much better!

Profile and Keyword columns

If you want the big view of your tweets and want to follow tweets with certain keywords (coworking, Neotics, etc) as well as view your Direct Messages (in and out boxes), and what you sent….Hootsuite shines!  The figure below shows the first page of columns for my account.

Three HootSuite Columns

The Home Feed is what I would see on Twitter.   I have a column looking for the keyword “coworking” next and then a column looking for “Mentions” of TracyVirtOffice.  Very cool.  I have more columns if you slide the pages over.

Oh yeah…if you find you need to move the columns…just grab one and slide it over to where you want it.  Extreme coolness.

Statistics

As you may know, I am a stats freak.  HootSuite satisfies my need for stats.

You can view general stats which show how many clicks to the URL’s you embedded in your tweets.  Better yet, you can dig down and look at the clicks from each individual tweet.  You can also see where the people live who clicked and where the clicks took place (Facebook, Twitter, etc).

Total Click Statistics

Individual Tweet Click Statistics

Very easy to Retweet (RT), Reply (RE) and Direct Message (DM)

Just click the appropriate icon.  Dang….HootSuite makes this soooo easy.

In Twitter:  I copied the message, hit the “Reply” icon, typed in RT (or RE), pasted the message, then sent it.

Multiple “Profiles” and the ability to assign other users on a per “profile” basis

If you have more than one Twitter account, you can easily monitor each of these, send tweets from any or each, and set up users who can tweet from that profile.

I do not have multiple accounts, but, @nitewraith does and he loves this feature (I got this info from him!).

Delayed sending of a tweet!

I can be tweeting when I am sleeping (which happens earlier and earlier the older I get).  You can also experiment to find the perfect time period where everyone is looking at tweets and ready to click on your URL or RT.  

RSS / Atom feed

I blog…obviously.  In Hootsuite I set up the RSS / Atom feeds to this blog as well as my Book Review blog.  6 hours (or less) after I publish a new blog entry, a link to it, with a few words and the title are tweeted.  The time Hootsuite scans for new entries is settable from 2 hours (see dislike below) to 24 hours.

RSS / Atom Feeds

What I Don’t Like (or What Can be Improved)

Caveat:  I may have missed the following or I may not know how to do it.  If that is the case, please leave a comment enlightening me!

I can’t see who I am following or who is following me.

I sometimes have to go into those lists to add a person to a tweet.  For those times that I need to see these lists, I have to go back into Twitter.

Embed a keyword column on my Blog or Web Site can’t be less than 300 pixels wide

My blogs columns, where I put ads and other interesting stuff, are 230 (or 250…I forget) pixels wide!  Yikes!  I can’t put the HootSuite embeds in my blogs.

I would to shrink the columns to fit 4 or 5 on a single page.

There is no number in front of  ”hour” when setting RSS / Atom feeds.

@nitewraith just pointed out that you can set the RSS / Atom feed to 1 hour.  I missed that because my mind was looking down the list:  24 hours, 12 hours, 6 hours, 3 hours, 2 hours, hour.  Where is the 1 in front of the hour?    ;-)

When I click on the icon of a Twitterer I cannot tell if I am already following them or not.

I can only find that out AFTER I click on “Follow” or “Unfollow”.  It would be nice if there was an indication ahead of time.

IDEA for HootSuite:  Possibly a color change?  For example, if “Follow” is RED, it means I am already following that person.

Summary

HootSuite 2.o is a cool Twitter application.

I am using it, and will continue to use until something better comes along.  I will only go back to the Twitter interface when I need to find my followers or who I am following.

Oh yeah…sometime in the next 6 hours, you will see this on my Tweet!  :-)

Posted:  11:04 AM, Pacific, Nov 6, 2009.