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Super Bowl internet debut breaks records, disappoints some viewers

admin — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:11:00 +0000

Not sure what this says about the state of streaming video online, but while the first live internet stream of the Super Bowl was watched by a record 2.1 million unique viewers, it didn't receive glowing reviews. The best indicator, though, is that the engagement for the three (plus) hour event was only 39 minutes. We think the folks over at Streaming Media got it right when they called it the Super Bowl Streaming Fail. It was bad enough that only Verizon Wireless customers could watch it on anything other than a laptop, but even those who could see it were left searching for a TV once they saw the quality. Big sports fans who might've been checking it out for the additional commentary and camera angles were also left wanting more, as the stream was plagued with lag. This meant that the other angle you were in search of was as much as a minute behind the big screen. Ultimately, we're sure everyone's glad the Super Bowl was extended to the smaller screens, but one thing sure seems true, broadcasting an event like this to millions of people is unlikely to ever be replaced by unicast internet streams.

Super Bowl internet debut breaks records, disappoints some viewers originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Firefox 10 out now: full screen apps, fewer crashes, disappearing forward button

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:49:00 +0000

The tenth iteration of Mozilla's browser is rolling out from today and we're sat here waiting for our own go signal. As the biggest UI tweaks will arrive in v12, the majority of changes are under the hood: except that the "forward" button now only appears once you've pressed "back." New APIs provide for full-screen viewing of web apps, Anti-aliased WebGL graphics and an "extended support release" that enables enterprise customers to only download security updates. CSS 3D Transitions are now supported alongside a new CSS inspector for those digging deep into the fabric of the universe internet. Java applet and moving bookmarks crashes should be a thing of the past, but it's not all plain sailing: no new release ever is, after all. On the "to be fixed" list includes herky-jerky scrolling in Gmail, Silverlight videos not working in OS X and vertical scrolling is broken on some touch-pads. Let's hope they get the former fixed quickly, our inbox is already overflowing 'round these parts.

Update: The Mozilla blog has posted a quick demo video of how the new tools can help developers, check it out after the break.

Continue reading Firefox 10 out now: full screen apps, fewer crashes, disappearing forward button

Firefox 10 out now: full screen apps, fewer crashes, disappearing forward button originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Electronista | Mozilla, Mozilla Blog | Email this | Comments

Totally blow out the big game! Super Bowl XLVI

admin — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:16:00 +0000

With Super Bowl XLVI finally upon us all the pretenders have been shaken loose, leaving only the New England Patriots and New York Giants to compete for the NFL championship this weekend. While we're sure Indianapolis is lovely in February, we prefer to enjoy the game from the comfort of home where there's conveniences like affordable refreshments, central heating and of course our full loadout of equipment including HDTVs, computers, tablets and phones. Whether you're already set with equipment or are scouring the shelves looking for a new television in time for game day, we're back again in time for the 2012 game with a few suggestions to make sure you're getting the most out of what you've got -- feel free to drop in your own tips, chili recipes and the like in the comments below.

Continue reading Totally blow out the big game! Super Bowl XLVI

Totally blow out the big game! Super Bowl XLVI originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Silverlight hits 5.0, Microsoft silent as to its future

admin — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 04:06:00 +0000

Last we heard, there were whispers that Redmond's favorite runtime / framework / Flash-killer was due for a fresh release "soon." Confirming those rumors is version 5.0 of Microsoft's cross-platform Silverlight, now available for download. Headlining the release is hardware decoding of H.264 streams, improved postscript printing and a better graphics stack, replete with support for things in the third dimension. Rumors that Silverlight's own luminance is fading still go unanswered, without confirmation or denial from Microsoft -- but why let uncertainty get you down? Hit the source and turn that frown upside down.

Silverlight hits 5.0, Microsoft silent as to its future originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lovefilm’s movie streaming will switch from Flash to Silverlight on PCs in 2012

admin — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 22:22:00 +0000

As it prepares for Netflix's 2012 UK invasion, Lovefilm appears to be taking a page out of its competitor's strategy, and it's all because of the studios. When streaming to Windows PCs and Macs it will only support Silverlight as of the first week in January (we should mention it's coincidentally timed alongside a particular electronics show), ditching Flash encodes for its video. Like Watch Instantly, that will mean a lockout for non-Intel Macs and Linux users who don't have a player that supports the necessary DRM, but it's just those three letters that are behind this. Streaming Project Manager Paul Thompson writes on the company blog that Silverlight beat out Flash and new challenger HTML5 in order to meet studio's anti-piracy requirements, as well as take advantage of its Smooth Streaming adaptive bandwidth adjustments. Everything will stay the same on other streaming devices, while Netflix has been able to support Chromebooks via plugin and is rumored to be working on a Netflix solution, we'll have to wait and see if Lovefilm can do the same.

Lovefilm's movie streaming will switch from Flash to Silverlight on PCs in 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 04 Dec 2011 18:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SkyDrive juices up document sharing and uploading, grabs a HTML5 smoothie afterward (video)

admin — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 18:42:00 +0000

Omar Shahine has sent SkyDrive off to the Microsoft gym in the hopes that it'd trim up ready for its forthcoming update. Users will soon be able to enjoy beefier document management powers, share individual files from private folders, control permissions and post files to Facebook in a couple of clicks. They'll also be able to upload groups of documents whilst navigating the site and best of all, can use the HTML5 file api to drag'n'drop documents in any standards-compliant browser. Slideshows are much improved this time out, and right-clicking fans will be able to edit individual documents and photos inline. The service will purportedly now load in around half the time it did before -- clearly it's been told to shed some of those Silverlight pounds.

Continue reading SkyDrive juices up document sharing and uploading, grabs a HTML5 smoothie afterward (video)

SkyDrive juices up document sharing and uploading, grabs a HTML5 smoothie afterward (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Talk mounts that version 5 could be Silverlight’s last, might only work with Internet Explorer

admin — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:43:00 +0000

Could Microsoft's Silverlight soon be following in the footsteps of Adobe's Flash Player for mobile devices? That's still unconfirmed by Microsoft, but ZDNet's Mary-Jo Foley is reporting that she's heard from several sources who say that Silverlight 5 will be the last version of the rich media platform, and that it's not clear how long it will be supported after it's released later this month. What's more, another source tells Foley that the final version of Silverlight 5 itself might only work with Internet Explorer on Windows, as opposed to earlier versions that have also supported Chrome and Safari on both OS X and Windows. As ZDNet notes, however, the end of Silverlight wouldn't necessarily mean an end to all of the work Microsoft has done on Silverlight -- we've already heard about a Silverlight-like app framework that's coming in a future Xbox update, and many of the same principles can also be found in the Metro-style apps for Windows 8.

Talk mounts that version 5 could be Silverlight's last, might only work with Internet Explorer originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft releases Bing app for Android, iOS, not Windows Phone 7

admin — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 08:52:00 +0000

In a move that can be simultaneously described as puzzling and pragmatic, Microsoft has decided to bring its Bing for Mobile app to Android and iOS before launching it on its very own Windows Phone platform. The company announced the release in a blog post this week, highlighting the app's most noteworthy features, including a revamped maps module, a new deals service and real-time transit feeds. Interestingly enough, Redmond also based its app on HTML5, rather than Silverlight, in the hopes of providing greater continuity across mobile browser and app interfaces. Only at the very end of the post did Microsoft mention Windows Phone 7: "We're working to release the same consistent experience for RIM and Windows Phone 7 devices in the future, and will share more details as they become available." At first glance, this decision may seem somewhat counterintuitive, but it also makes a lot of sense, considering the fact that Android and iOS comprise the bulk of the consumer market (and, of course, the fact that Bing is already integrated within Windows Phone 7). It appears, then, that Microsoft is simply trying to get Bing out to the widest initial audience, which seems pretty logical. Android and iOS users can grab the app now, at the coverage links below.

Microsoft releases Bing app for Android, iOS, not Windows Phone 7 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Nov 2011 04:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft reportedly preparing Silverlight-like app framework ahead of Xbox Live update

admin — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 10:41:00 +0000

Earlier this month, Microsoft announced a new slate of Xbox Live partnerships with Verizon, Comcast, and a host of other content providers. Now, the company has unveiled new details about the code upon which these new apps will run. Sources close to the situation tell GigaOM that the new framework, code-named "Lakeview," will be based on Silverlight, but will also bring a few new features from Xbox Kinect, including voice recognition and gesture-based controls. More intriguing, perhaps, are insider claims that Microsoft's new content partners stream video using Apple's HTTP Live Streaming, rather than Redmond's Smooth Streaming. GigaOM's sources went on to say that Microsoft has been introducing major changes to the platform over the past few weeks, in the hopes of having it ready for third-party developers once the Xbox Live update rolls out. Spokespersons for Xbox and Silverlight said they have "nothing to announce" about the new framework, though GigaOM reports that Redmond is aiming to release the update on Black Friday.

Microsoft reportedly preparing Silverlight-like app framework ahead of Xbox Live update originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Oct 2011 06:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Mediaroom clients to bring Microsoft’s TV platform everywhere this year

admin — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 03:24:00 +0000

The days of being tied to a traditional TV to watch your favorite shows is becoming less and less of a dream -- at least for Mediaroom 2.0 users, like those who subscribe to AT&T U-Verse. It hasn't even been a full year since Xbox 360 owners were first able to launch a U-Verse blade to watch TV, but it has been about nine months when we first heard rumors of Mediaroom clients for Windows Media Center (aka Monaco), Silverlight (aka Taos) and Windows Phone (aka Rome) would see the light of day. A recent post on William Zhang's blog, a Microsoft employee, confirms the rumored code names in addition to giving us reason to believe those using Mediaroom 2.0 software might still realize the three screen dream by the end of 2011 after all.

New Mediaroom clients to bring Microsoft's TV platform everywhere this year originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Sep 2011 23:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Digital Lifestyle | MSDN Mediaroom blog | Email this | Comments