It’s like the Justice League of Technology: Google, Sony, TiVo, Mitsubishi, Best Buy and two lesser-known companies (NagraVision and SageTV – Think of them as the Martian Manhunter and Aquaman of the team) have joined together to support the Federal Communication Commission’s AllVid proposal, calling themselves the AllVid Tech Company …
Apps & Web
Spotify Signs With EMI. Is It Closer to a U.S. Launch?
Spotify has taken a large step towards its US launch, if rumors are to be believed, by finalizing a US distribution deal with EMI Music. All Things Digital is reporting multiple sources as saying that the deal is done, although EMI and Spotify are officially refusing comment.
This means that the streaming music service now has US …
Want to Find The Closest Brewery? BlackBerry’s Brew World App Can Help
Need beer right away and don’t want to settle for that water in a glass bottle that they sell at your local convenience store? Brew World can help you out.
Their Blackberry app has compiled a list of over 1,600 breweries and over 3,000 beers in the United States. Using Blackberry maps, it can pinpoint the closest brewery and beers …
5 Google Demo Slams Worth Watching
These days, it seems like everybody wants to be famous, or at least relatively Internet-famous. Google was probably banking on that idea, at least a little bit, when it announced its “Demo Slam” competition last October. The publicity stunt of a competition, for which it appears the only reward will be lots of Internet fame, asked users …
Top 20 Must-Have Android Apps
If you’ve just purchased your first Android phone or you’re looking to round out your existing collection, here’s a list of 20 must-have apps that every Android owner should consider. They’re all free, too!
The Comic Book Club: Jennifer Blood, Silver Surfer and Spider-Man
This is what happens when Techland goes to the comic book store: we end up discussing what we picked up. This week, Graeme McMillan, Evan Narcisse and Douglas Wolk talk about the first issues of Jennifer Blood and Silver Surfer, as well as Amazing Spider-Man #654.1.
DOUGLAS: It’s been very strange to watch Garth Ennis over the past …
Behind the Scenes of ‘TRON: Legacy’s’ Light Jet Battle Sequence
Whether you liked the movie or not, one of the best parts of TRON: Legacy was the light jet battle sequence near the end of the film. The futuristic light-lined planes engaged in an aerial fight set to Daft Punk’s music showcased the capabilities of 3D animation.
“It was the logical evolution of the light cycle is that there would …
Facebook Adds Civil Unions To Its Relationship Status Options
Today, Facebook relationship statuses made strides for gay rights by including civil union and domestic partnership as relationship status options.
Done with the consultation of national LGBT and human rights organizations, the changes are reflected in the profiles of users in North America, France, the U.K. and Australia – a …
Needed: Cars as Smart as Smart Phones
As part of my research for this week’s TIME.com column on tech-savvy cars, I got to spend a few days test-driving a 2012 Ford Focus Titanium hatchback that was decked out with MyFord Touch, an advanced infotainment system with an 8-inch color touchscreen, voice input and output, Bluetooth, multiple jacks for hooking up external devices, …
Sony Exec: “No Intention” of Ending Partnership With iTunes
Despite having their e-reader app banned from the App Store, Sony Network Entertainment COO Shawn Layden said the company has no plans of stopping their relationship with Apple’s music service, even though they are launching their own music subscription service, Music Unlimited, in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand today.
“Sony …
Redbox Announces Plans To Become The New Netflix. Is Amazon Involved?
Redbox isn’t just content with fighting with Netflix over DVD rentals – now it wants to have it out with digital distribution, as well. The company announced yesterday that it will launch a monthly subscription-based service that will allow users to watch Video-on-Demand movies on multiple devices as well as granting them disc access …
Apple’s ‘MobileMe’ Service May Record Your Life on a Webpage
One of the latest rounds of iPhone rumors indicated that Apple may also be overhauling its “MobileMe” online service. Currently a $99 per year subscription that lets you synchronize e-mail messages, contacts and calendar appointments between portable Apple devices and computers, rumor has it that this revamped MobileMe service would be …