The LINK comes with a ‘keymote’ (looks a bit like the old WebTV keyboards) that you can use to search for content. It even plays music, downloaded movies and displays photos. It is WiFi enabled so you can situate it near your TV without having your network and/or computer near by, but comes with Gigabit Ethernet if you’ve got that accessible, as well as 6 USB ports, S/PDIF audio output, and HDMI out.

LINK will tie in with Neuros’ upcoming Neuros.TV site which will allow you to better organize all of the content you’re interested in from the various sites. LINK is currently available directly from Neuros for $299.

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Tags: video on demand, vod, vudu

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Appearing to cave to Hollywood demands, Apple has quietly added a restrictive copyright protection mechanism to its new MacBooks that is preventing customers from watching movies on external displays.

Apple has secretly included a copy protection scheme called High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) in the external display ports on the latest models of it MacBooks, released in the middle of October.

Apple has not disclosed the new anti-copying mechanism, and now increasing numbers of customers are discovering that they cannot play movies bought from the iTunes online store on many external monitors, TVs or projectors. 

"I tried all the movies that I have purchased from the iTunes Store with the same result," said "Maxyourmacs," who complained about the issue on Apple's support forums. "None of them will play on anything but the MacBook's small 13-inch screen. This is crazy unacceptable."

Released by Intel in 2001, HDCP is designed to prevent digital pirates from outputting movies to copying devices, such as digital video recorders. In industry parlance, the technology plugs the "analog hole" -- the security hole created by analog devices like TVs and monitors.

By definition, the technology also prevents movies from playing on non-compliant devices like older computer monitors or flat-screen TVs, which many Apple customers are just now discovering. Even TVs a couple of years old may not be HDCP compliant.

The issue is complicated by obsessive secrecy surrounding the technology. HDCP has been added to many models of Blu-Ray players and other entertainment devices, and several laptops from a range of PC manufacturers. However, it is unclear how many devices are HDCP-compliant: Manufacturers don't explicitly label which products are and aren't. Even industry analysts don't know how widely the technology has been adopted.

Intel declined to comment, and Apple did not respond to several requests for comment.

However, the surging popularity of Apple's laptops and its iTunes online store is bringing the issue to the fore.

The copyright mechanism is posing problems for some customers, who are complaining in Apple's support forum that they had no idea their viewing devices were not compliant with the HDCP standard, forcing them to watch movies purchased from the iTunes Store on their small laptop screens.

"You really shouldn't be expected to know whether your video devices are compliant," said James McQuivey, a technology and media analyst at Forrester Research. "It's not your job. To require that burden on them is an unfair thing to do."

Apple's new MacBooks (including the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air) are the first Macs to include HDCP. McQuivey said Apple is clearly giving in to pressure from its studio partners.

McQuivey said studios are reluctant to deal with iTunes since its movie-purchasing model involves downloading content straight to a hard drive, where it is vulnerable to copying. Movies are easily copied and shared with friends on DVDs or thumbdrives (as long as the sharer also provides their password).

Movies from services like Vudu and Netflix, on the other hand, which stream movies over the internet, are much more difficult to copy and easier to police, he said.

McQuivey noted that iTunes' movie offerings (about 1,500 movies) pale in comparison to Vudu (5,000 movies) and Netflix (15,000 movies) because studios are distrustful of customers downloading movies to their hard drives.

Michael Cai, director of digital media at Parks Associates, a digital market research firm, said the headaches caused by HDCP is largely a result of poor communication between manufacturers.

"The industry hasn't done a very good job in coordinating with each other to make sure their devices are compatible with each other so you won't feel this issue," Cai said. "And they haven't done a very good job in terms of educating consumers with these issues."

Cai, himself, experienced the pains of HDCP. He recently tried to plug his Blu-ray equipped Sony VAIO laptop into his Sharp high-definition TV, and the image wouldn't show up.

McQuivey added that the HDCP restriction might be counterproductive for both Apple and movie studios: It could encourage MacBook owners to resort to illegal means of downloading, such as BitTorrent.

In the Apple support forums, this already seems to be the case.

"Apple will be out of luck, because we will, as of today, buy no more movies from the iTunes Store," writes a new MacBook Pro customer, who said he couldn't play an iTunes-purchased copy of Terminator 2 on his TV. "If this starts hitting the TV shows and the music videos, too, then we'll stop buying them from the iTunes Store as well."

Intel declined to comment. Apple did not respond to several requests for comment.

For example, DO get a subscription to Netflix:

Right now the combination of Netflix and Xbox Live is the most convenient, affordable, and generous way to stream a library of high definition content into your house. But you need a Netflix account on top of your paid Xbox Live subscription. However, I can only speak to the theoretical application of this. Right now, as of two hours after the launch of the service, it's not working and the official advice I got from Netflix's tech support an hour ago was "We're recommending you wait and try again in a half hour". And even if it were working, it looks like Sony will block their movies from being viewable over an Xbox 360. It's going to get a whole lot uglier before it gets better.

To read the rest of this post, hop on over to our sister site, Fidgit, which is all about gaming.

The latest generation of the popular corporate mobile communicator is the first touch-screen device from BlackBerry and it obviously took its lead from the most talked about phone in the past two years. The Storm goes on sale Friday from Verizon Wireless but we were visited this week by Verizon’s Irvine folks, who demonstrated all that the Storm could do.  Check out the photo slide show.  

Curt Keller, Verizon Wireless’ director of data sales, gave us the quick tour. While 30 minutes of play time really isn’t enough to really get to know a gadget, I feel that it is all I needed. This won’t be my next phone. But I believe the corporate world, BlackBerry fans and smartphone lovers will and should be excited.

Watch the video, produced by staff videographer Robert Whitfield:

Click here to view the embedded video. 

Keller said he’d only been playing with the Storm for about week. Plus, the model he had was not the final product. That could explain why, as you can see on the video, it wasn’t easy to scroll down a web page by sliding a finger down the screen. Typing was hard too — you have to press harder on the screen than you think. But then again, I have a hard time typing on the iPhone’s virtual keyboard (which I don’t own, by the way).

Another first-time feature for a BlackBerry was that it could play movies. But for many smart phone users, that’s far from unique. With a 3.2-megapixel camera, it also records video — something the new T-Mobile G1 (aka the Google phone) doesn’t do, but many other phones do.

However, I did like several features. Mobile versions of Microsoft Office tools — Word, PowerPoint and Excel — are available. And unlike many other phones where the software can only be read or written to, the Storm lets users create files on the phone. Why anyone would want to create a spreadsheet on a 3.25-inch screen beats me. But hey, I’d love to have that option.

Another plus over the iPhone: Photos taken with the 3.2-megapixel camera can be easily sent like as a multimedia message (or MMS)  to another phone. (I can’t believe Apple didn’t build this feature in, but apparently someone has found a way around this.) 

Also, there’s a removable battery, something the iPhone doesn’t have. Keller made a good point. If a CEO was using an iPhone and the battery died during a business trip, he’s out of luck until he can plug in.

Several applications are also available and can be downloaded to the phone. Software tools for the Storm include Facebook, Flikr, all sorts of IM services. … More are coming although no where near the scope of the iPhone Apps Store.

Another cool feature is Visual Voice Mail, which Verizon offers on a few other premium phones. This looks like an e-mail inbox because it displays a list of voice-mail messages. But instead of having to call in, just hit the ‘play’ button to hear the voice message. Technically, it’s just a nice interface. Hitting ‘play’ is a shortcut that dials “*86″ and “send” to get messages.

Also, I love that the Storm isn’t too proprietary with its cables. It takes standard 3.5 mm stereo headphones and uses a micro USB cable to transfer files and charge.

Some of the other details I feel are important to highlight:

• It has 1 GB of memory, plus a slot to add an 8 GB MicroSD memory card (included). 
• Includes a SIM card so phone can be used in other countries.
• No Wi-Fi! How dare it!
• Because it’s a BlackBerry, users can add up to 10 e-mail accounts.
• It’s Verizon’s first phone to utilize the high-speed Internet technology of EVDO Rev A.
• It’s $249.99, plus there’s a $50 rebate. 
• Verizon’s data plan is about $30/month for consumers and $45/month for corporate users.

Verdict: Strange, but one feature really turned me off on the Storm: the not-so-sensitive touch-screen. Again, the unit Verizon showed me was a pre-production model. With the launch just a few days away, I’d wait to hear what real users have to say about it.

I’m also not a BlackBerry user so I don’t really understand the intricacies of why its nickname is the crackberry. However, I’m definitely impressed by what I saw. With all the new entertainment options plus the useful features absent from the iPhone and Google phone, the Storm is a great new phone option that has a few minor dings. 

Interesting BlackBerry Storm posts from the web:

• 8 reasons to pick the iPhone over the BlackBerry Storm (PC World)
• Why I’m picking the BlackBerry Storm over the iPhone (Daily Tech)
• BlackBerry Storm is a little too consumer for some (The Register)
• BlackBerry Storm vs. iPhone 3G: 8 Reasons to Pick the Storm (IT World)

More cell phone posts:

• A picture frame with its own phone number
• Cell phones aren’t cheap, how to save money
• T-Mobile offering free airline tickets
• It’s official: BlackBerry Storm pricing, launch date
• When AT&T, Guitar Hero and O.C. mix
• AT&T’s program eases cost of calls among military families
• How any consumer can ‘test’ a cell phone
• AT&T adds McDonald’s to its Wi-Fi hotspot arsenal
• Verizon Wireless improves cell coverage in O.C.
• BlackBerry Bold selling out in … one Irvine store

Post from: Alt+Save with the Gadgetress

BlackBerry Storm: First look at its first touch-screen phone

While Netflix offers 24fps movies in their native frames per second, their other content peaks at 30fps. The company researched the 60fps content found on Blu-ray discs, they realized that they'd be better off reserving that sort of quality for another era. Good call.

While it's a bit unfair to compare bitrates across codecs, Vudu's premium HDX material is still the top dog in streaming, supplying encoded rates ranging between 9Mbps and 20Mbps. Then again, most of us can't watch that footage in real time. [Netflix via CNET]

• Car Care Kit – Basic spray-on Meguiar's Quick Care Auto Detailing Kit for $10 at Amazon. Just the spray-on stuff, but the chamois is probably worth $10. Remind me to ask you guys later about polishing compounds. I think I screwed up the new paint job on the 2002 by taking it through an automatic car wash. (I know.) [Slickdeals]

• HTPC Infrared...Thinger – As far as I can tell this "Antec Multimedia Station Basic" is a $25 box that fits into your PC's 2.5-inch drive bay and adds an infrared receiver for home theater PC control. [Dealnews]

• Media Streamer – Western Digital WD TV HD Media Player (for connecting to a HDTV and watching movies over the network or from attached hard drives) for $100, shipped. About $20 off. [Dealnews]

• Cow or Pig Flashlight Keychains – I'm linking this mainly because I want to quote Dealnews' write-up: "$1.35. With free shipping, we couldn't find a similar cow keychain for less. It features two LED emitters in the cow's nose." Also, the pig version is 24 cents cheaper. [Dealnews]

• Motherfucking – Woot -Off, yo.

The minimalist design, the large touch-screen, and the cube-shaped glossy menu icons really do not remind us of the ubiquitous media player.

Alright, so we are kidding. But who are they kidding? Unsuspecting moms everywhere, it seems, as Neiman Marcus is taking the opportunity of the holiday season to sell these at the premium price of $300. I actually overheard an older couple in a city store talking about this as a gift possibility for their daughter a few weeks ago.

The problem is that it is $100 more than the cheapest iPhone (8GB), which could easily serve as the main kitchen helper and access thousands of recipes online. (Did anyone say Epicurious?)

The only apparent difference between the devices is that this one is 'splash resistant,' and of course, doesn't make calls, play movies, or have hundreds of interesting other online applications, like the steak cooking timer. And you can cover the iPhone with any available crappy plastic protectors.

With the recipe reader, you can upload your own recipes to the device by syncing to your computer and it holds up to 2,500 recipes. It does have a slightly bigger screen though, at 7 inches.

But really, the only way this could be a more shameless copy of the iPhone was if it had a picture of Steve Jobs serving up pie with his regular Kool-Aid at a bountiful Thanksgiving feast.

Is this the perfect gag gift for the Apple aficionado who can't wait for his third iPhone Touch? We think so.

One look at the HP TouchSmart tx2 notebook, and you'll want to get your hands on one, literally. Its 12.1" widescreen display swivels into a tablet, and lets you use two fingers to expand and pinch graphics, rotate and move objects around the desktop, drag things around and double tap to open — no mouse required.

As you can do with HP's first TouchSmart desktop PCs, you can also attach a stylus pen and paint or sketch. Or you can just write on the 1200 x 800 screen and your handwriting is converted to typed, editable text. If you want to type something in the conventional way, just unfold the screen and it works like any other laptop. Wow — we could get used to this.

It's nice and light at 4.5 pounds, and is loaded with MediaSmart software for its third mode: HDTV, letting you watch movies, broadcasts, or shows from lots of popular cable channels. The TouchSmart tx2 starts at $1150, available for pre-order today and shipping at the end of November. Take a look at the gallery below, and click Continue to read more details in HP's press release.