Gadgetell | Tech News, Reviews, and Interesting Things

YouTube announced that they will be offering full-length TV shows online.  Of course, Google, the proud owner of YouTube, will certainly place advertisements in the upcoming TV shows. 

Google said that the advertisements would be slotted just like ads on television with interruptions appearing during, before and after the actual program That’s not so surprising considering that Google Ads contribute quite an amount of Google’s total revenue.

Well, for those who are dying to find out what TV shows will be offered, expect some CBS properties like “Star Trek” and “Dexter” thanks to a CBS-Google agreement that also allows revenue sharing.  This is a bit of a strange deal considering the owner of CBS is going after YouTube (via Viacom) in a copyright infringement lawsuit.

Read [The New York Times]

Firefox Mobile Concept Video from Aza Raskin on Vimeo.

Rumored to be “soon” or even next week, Firefox Mobile Alpha will be released onto the Nokia N810 internet tablet.  Sure to be the first of many releases, the new web browser designed for mobile devices is sure to mix things up a bit.

One major difference is controls.  Unlike the minimalist Safari for the iPhone and iPod touch, Firefox for Mobile uses the extreme edges for access to special menus.  Just a swipe of the finger off the page to port or starboard brings up controls that were previously hidden.  It is a neat way to get at controls.  Just my opinion?  No, Mozilla calls this the “awesome bar” which I thought existed only in Times Square, NY.

See more interesting features in the alpha version.  Click more to follow.

MORE »

Having converted to smartphones with a candy bar form factor years ago, I was certain I couldn’t be swayed by this cute, light, small Pantech C610.  That was until Pantech sent me one.  Not only does the phone feel great in hand, its list of features would make my smartphone drool.

Check out this smart flip phone - hit the jump for follow.

MORE »

Looking for the next video format war?  It might be in the last place you want it: movie theaters.  Sony announced Thursday that has teamed up with Twentieth Century Fox and Paramount Pictures to promote the new Sony-developed digital projection setup.  This came only a day after five major studios including Twentieth Century Fox and Paramount Pictures as well as Walt Disney Motion Pictures, Universal Studios and Lionsgate Films were announced to be part of a deal with Digital Cinema Implementation Partners ("DCIP") to expand digital screens.  The DCIP deal would try to upgrade 20,000 screens across the U.S. and Canada, while the Sony deal has plans to use put its system into 9,000 screen across North America, Europe and Asia.

According the to most recent MPAA numbers from 2007, just under 5,000 screens across the U.S. use digital systems, with 6,455 screens worldwide.  Both deals want to increase that number, but it might get a bit tough if there are multiple proprietary formats.  The last thing we need is another format war.  More after the break.

MORE »

In a very RIAA-like move, the MPAA has sued RealNetworks for a program that they claim allows its users to steal DVDs.  The program is called RealDVD, which allows you to copy your DVD onto your computer or external hard drive for playback later.  However, Real says that RealDVD has encryption that doesn’t allow users to copy or distribute the DVD files.  Although, theoretically it is possible to get a DVD from Blockbuster, Netflix, or even a friend, copy it, and give it back.

MORE »

With the number of home-based entertainment and productivity applications that are running over home networks growing by leaps and bounds, some Wireless-G routers just can’t handle users’ demands.

Netgear saw this problem, and as a result, developed a new Wireless-N technology, which they feel is leaps and bounds above anything out there now.  The “Green” crowd will also appreciate Netgear’s new products since they are eco-friendly. 

MORE »

Do you remember a couple of years ago when Gotuit came out with “SceneMaker?” It was all new and amazing back then.  It let people take videos from platforms like YouTube, and then cut scenes from it, and tag them with metadata and stick it on a Gotuit (and eventually any other) page.  Although people could edit videos before this, it was never with quite the same precision and tagging ability that SceneMaker offered.

Now Gotuit is teaming up with Pixsy to bring you the ability to search through videos by scenes.  How?  Keep reading after the break.

MORE »

“Every breath you take… Every move you make… Every bond you break… Every step you take..  I’ll be watching you.” Is it the end of privacy as we know it?  People knowing where we are, and when we are there, seeing whatever it is we are doing.  Or, just a cool and fun new way to geotag?  Geotagging is nothing new and most of us are familiar with the term by now.  Take a photo, and “tag” your location to tell all your friends or family where you were at when you shot it.  But now, tagged single shots are going to seem like dinosaurs.

MORE »

Companies are finally realizing that with the economy the way it is that if they want people to keep renting their movies, they need to make them less expensive.  Enter the DVD kiosk.

DVDPlay, the country’s first automated and remotely managed DVD rental kiosk company, recently noticed a need to change their pricing to make it even easier and cost efficient for the customers.  Starting October 1st, all of their DVD rentals will be only $1, and this price will extend to some of their Blu-Ray titles as well for a limited time.

Plenty more on the DVD kiosk business after the jump.

MORE »

How do you get the new Treo Pro free?  Two easy steps:  1. Move to the UK.  2. Sign up for Vodaphone.  In a move that is sure to have Treo fans jealous, Vodaphone is offering the new sexy black Treo Pro to its customers with different plans ranging from free to 340 pounds.

My hands on

Last week, we got to play with the Treo Pro.  To see what Gadgetell thought of it, click more.

MORE »