If this was an audition tape for So You Think You Can Dance, I doubt they’ll be going to Vegas.  Because the judges haven’t been kind. It’s been called “lame.” And even… “creepy.”

If you haven’t already seen the Microsoft Store employees cutting the rug in Mission Viejo, then check it out:

The store’s shoppers seem a little perplexed with the PC guys. But their grooves are getting MAZEL TOV! from the viewers. It’s garnered nearly half a million clicks on Youtube in a couple of days.

Take that – all you emo Apple Store employees!

But “I gotta feeling” about the PC’s resemblance to an earlier group. You know, the one that tore up the Disney Channel a few years back:

(The Wiggles in their prime.)

TAKE THE POLL:

Post from: The Gadgetress: Covering the tech we live with

Are Microsoft Store employees channeling the Wiggles?

But being consumers, we want more. More storage space, more content, more options. Thing is, more is out there but many of us have no access to these DVRs. But what is more?

I posed the question to Broadcom Corp., the Irvine designer of DVR silicon chips. What should a DVR be able to do these days? Plenty, the company tells me. Here’s a list of what Broadcom DVR chips can do. Keep in mind, this doesn’t mean that DVRs with Broadcom chips have all these features enabled. But this is just a list of what is available today.

11 things a Broadcom DVR can do:

Use home Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Bluetooth or MoCA to connect to other devices in the house. You probably know what wireless Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and wired Ethernet are. The newcomer is MoCA, which uses existing coaxial cable running through the house to send high-definition video signals between devices. It’s one way to avoid ripping up walls and installing fiber-optic cables.

Enable a Multi-room DVR so households can skip a second DVR at home. All shows are stored on one box, which can be accessed from any room with TV and receiver (i.e., a standard set-top box for most users). Multiple people can watch the same show at the same time on different TVs and pause or rewind without affecting anyone else’s playback. Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-verse offer one and Cox Communications plans to offer one before the end of the year.

Stream content from your cell phone. Record a video on your phone that you want to watch on the big-screen TV? It’s been possible for a few years. Thanks to Digital Living Network Alliance technology, such DLNA-enabled cell phones or computers can stream digital content from one device to another.

4. Convert HD shows and movies to a format fit for a mobile phone. Broadcom’s chip will transcode the HD content for you and use one of the aforementioned networking technologies to send the video to the phone. While possible, Broadcom says that there are no public roll outs of the technology. I’m just mentioning this because it’s something DVRs could do.

5. Be controlled by a cell phone. Forget to set your DVR to record the premiere of a new TV show? Just go online on a PC or a cell phone to control the home DVR.

6. Rent or buy movies – or anything else. Consumers don’t have to rely on their TV provider’s on-demand library. Now Netflix and others are offering downloadable movie rentals streamed to a TV. Referred to as OTT, short for “Over The Top,” the interactive service isn’t limited to videos. TiVo, for example, lets users order pizza from Domino’s.

7. Surf the Internet, usually through a built-in Web browser.

8. Stream music from the Web through online services like Pandora.

9. Cut down on energy bills. Well, possibly. While all these features are specific to the Broadcom chip inside, another feature of the chip is a power management system to lower power consumption.

10. Expand capacity for more videos. USB ports have been on set-top boxes for years but many TV providers disable the feature because they don’t want to mess with copyright issues. Still, Broadcom DVRs support this feature in order for consumers to easily add an external hard drive to add more capacity to the box.

11. Video conferencing. A DVR is essentially a computer. Add a camera, perhaps using the one in your cell phone, and you can make video calls.

That about covers it from Broadcom’s perspective. Have readers noticed other DVR features not mentioned above? Broadcom isn’t the only DVR chipmaker out there. Also, if you’ve got other suggestions about features you want your DVR to have, please share with me and other readers by commenting below. Thanks!

Previous DVR coverage:

Post from: The Gadgetress: Covering the tech we live with

11 things a DVR should do

Stump the PC Club is a free tech-advice column written by members of the North Orange County Computer Club, which has been in existence since 1976. Visit the club’s site at noccc.org. And don’t forget to stop by the Gadgetress’ home for the PC Club, at ocregister.com/link/pcclub, to find out how to ask a question and read past answers.

QUESTION: In your OC Register newspaper articles, you have links that are not understood by this PC user. In a recent article, for example, you give “File and printer sharing in Windows Vista” (link bit.ly/2DZiib). I have never seen a link like that and never saw an explanation of it and I am sure I am not the only one that does not understand it.

PC CLUB: In the article ”How to transfer files between Vista and XP PCs,” published online on October 6, 2009 and published in print on October 13, 2009, there was a link to get help on “File and printer sharing.”

You are correct in that the link was specified as bit.ly/2DZiib. If you were to type bit.ly/2DZiib into the address bar of your Internet browser, you would be taken to the Microsoft page that provides information on file and printer sharing. You could also have entered http://bit.ly/2DZiib and gotten the same results.

This is a URL shortener. It takes a long web address and shortens it to something with fewer characters. Bit.ly is one of the largest shortening services on the web. Another is TinyURL. These are automated services so the new short address looks like gibberish. You can read more about the bit.ly site at http://bit.ly/pages/about/.

URL shorteners saves space in print and leaves fewer characters for readers to type into an Internet browser.  Instead of typing almost 60 characters into your address bar, you only have to enter 13. Which would you rather do?

By the way, the “ly” in bit.ly is just like the “com” in ocregister.com. The “LY” is the official top-level domain name for the country of Libya just as “US” is for the United States.

Now, back to my example. When you get to the “File and printer sharing” web site, look in your address bar and you will see the actual Web address, a longer one with Microsoft.com in the middle of it.

The site http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb727037.aspx is the same as bit.ly/2DZiib.

The text “bit.ly/2DZiib” or” http://bit.ly/2DZiib” is nothing more than an Internet address. One note: When you use bit.ly addresses, they are case sensitive. Many Internet addresses are not case sensitive, however. For example, www.pcworld.com will take you to the same place as WWW.PCWORLD.COM.

From now on, however, I will try to exclude the gibberish from bit.ly addresses and only offer something like this: bit.ly/pcclub1.

To use this feature yourself, start with finding a web site you want to share.

1. Then highlight the address in the browser address bar, right-click it and select Copy.
2. Next, go to the bit.ly web site where you will see a text box labeled “Enter your long link or file here:” Right-click inside the text box and select Paste.



3. Now, when you click the Shorten button, an abbreviated version of the original address is created.

You can now use this shorter address instead of the previous one. You can click the “Copy” link to paste it into your Word document, e-mail, Twitter post or any other place that accepts the pasting of text.

When would you want to use this? One example is the way we use it in our articles. Another is when you want to share a link with someone else. You can pass on the shorter version to make it easy on the other end for the recipient to use it.

One reason why URL shorteners have become popular in the last two years is that popular mini-messaging service Twitter has a limit on the number of characters users can type in a message. This allows users to allocate more characters to the actual message. If you have a web address that is 60 characters long, you’ll only have room for 80 characters for your message.

Occasionally, web addresses are so long that when pasted into an e-mail they take more than one line, possibly causing confusion. Using bit.ly eliminates this problem.

There is one down-side to using these services and that is, if their site goes down, the short links will cease to work until the site comes back up. Fortunately, this is a rare occurrence. ~Ed Schwartz, NOCCC member. View his Web site at www.edwardns.com.

Visit the Gadgetress’ PC Club page at ocregister.com/link/pcclub. To get this answer delivered to your computer automatically, sign up for the e-mail update HERE. Recent PC Club answers:

Post from: The Gadgetress: Covering the tech we live with

What’s this website bit.ly all about?

Just got a list of Vizio’s Black Friday 2009 prices starting with a $99 BLU-RAY PLAYER! But we all knew Blu-ray was going to hit $99 this Christmas, right?

Noticeably absent: Vizio’s VIA TV, the Internet TV I’ve been waiting for. Ah well. I hate shopping on Black Friday anyway.

But for everyone else who needs a new TV, here is Vizio holiday price lineup:

Costco:

• $300 off  VIZIO 55-inch Full HD 1080P 120Hz LCD TV (VF550M), $1,199.99 at Costco and Costco.com between Nov. 27 to Nov. 29.
• $100 off VIZIO 40-inch Full HD 1080P LCD TV (VO400E), $599.99 at Costco between Dec. 3 to Dec. 20
• $50 off VIZIO 32-inch Full HD 1080P LCD TV (VL320M), $399.99 at Costco between Nov. 27 to Nov. 29.
• $50 off VIZIO 32-inch HD LCD TV (VO320E), $339.99 at Sam’s Club, Costco and their online stores. Available now through Nov. 29.
• $40 off VIZIO Blu-ray Player w/free HDMI cable (VBR110), $99.99 at Costco and Costco.com, from Nov. 27 to 29.
• $50 off VIZIO Sound Bar with Wireless Subwoofer (VSB210WS) , $199.99 at Costco

Sam’s Club:

• $50 off VIZIO 32-inch HD LCD TV (VO320E), $339.99 at Sam’s Club, Costco and their online stores. Available now through Nov. 29.

Walmart:

• $30 off VIZIO 19-inch HD LCD TV (VA19LHDTV10T), $178 at Walmart available now through end of the year
• $99 off VIZIO 26-inch HD LCD TV (VA26LHDTV10T), $248 at Walmart from Nov. 21 to Nov. 27

Are these prices that great? Discuss among yourselves…

Don’t forget to visit the Register’s OC Deals Blog and its special Black Friday page HERE. Recent headlines:

Post from: The Gadgetress: Covering the tech we live with

Vizio confirms Black Friday prices: $99 Blu-ray player, more

The California Energy Commission today unanimously voted to force TV manufacturers to build more energy-efficient big TVs by 2011, reports the Associated Press.

The move affects new TVs up to 58 inches. The change would reduce TV energy consumption by around 33 percent by Jan. 1, 2011, and then 49 percent by 2013. Currently, only a quarter of the TVs on the market today meet this standard, reports AP.

Here is a chart of the new standards: CLICK HERE.

TVs larger than 58 inches will be allowed to use more power.

“This is a really big deal, because once standards are in effect it will cut California’s power bill by $1 billion a year and avoid the need to build a large, 500 megawatt power plant,” said Noah Horowitz, senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council in the AP story. “We hope in the long term, every TV sold in America will be just as efficient as those sold in California.”

UPDATE, 2:45 p.m.: Here’s an image Associated Press just released to graphically describe the new energy savings mandate:

While regulators have pushed for energy efficient TVs, the consumer electronics industry has fought new regulation. Many TV manufacturers, according to the Consumer Electronics Association, surpass minimum standards.

Irvine-based Vizio has a whole green effort, starting with last fall’s EcoTV, which exceeds Energy Star 3.0 requirements by 15 percent. A second TV, the VF551XVT, uses 50 percent less energy than current Energy Star standards.

Samsung plans to release the Luxia brand, which uses 40 percent less power than traditional LCDs. Available TVs in that line appear to use the latest LED technology to brighten screens and use less energy. Sony has the Eco Bravia line, which  also use 40 percent less energy then the rest of the company’s LCD TV line.

Mitsubishi TVs, in Irvine, also reports that it is ahead of the regulations. The company’s  LaserVue TV operates at 135 watts, which is one-third the power of today’s LCD TVs, and one-fourth the power of plasma TVs.

UPDATE: Sharp Electronics also sends a note saying that it has one of the lowest power-consuming TVs on the market. Its  52-inch AQUOS LED LCD TV with the lowest power consumption on the market – 158 watts less than required by California in 2011 and 59 watts lower than required in 2013. That would cut a consumer’s energy bill by 40 percent compared to an older LCD TV.   Plus, all of Sharp’s TVs sold today already meet the energy limit requirements in California, says the company.

Here is the full AP report: Calif. requires TVs to be more energy efficient

Previous OC Register stories about the regulation:

• California moves forward to ban energy inefficient TVs (Sept. 2009)
• Report claims 4,600 jobs lost if Calif. forces TVs to be more energy efficient
• State considers ban on big screen TVs

Post from: The Gadgetress: Covering the tech we live with

Sales of big energy-guzzling TVs banned in California

According to market research firm iSuppli Corp, the battle for first was a close one. Samsung was just 1.1 percent ahead of Vizio based on market share percentage points (added 3:01 p.m.). See the chart below. Samsung had 1.3  million vs. 1.2 million HDTVs sold. Vizio’s second-place finish also meant a drop in market share, the biggest decline of the TV companies in the top 5.

Vizio, otherwise, has been in the lead all year (see earlier report on 2nd quarter and 1st quarter results).

.

Vizio is ahead of everyone else for the year. iSuppli also offered the year-to-date growth, with Vizio at the lead by 200,000 TVs. Samsung, with its spiffy LED-backlit TVs and major marketing campaigns is at a close second.

iSuppli TV analyst Riddhi Patel says it’s Vizio’s “aggressive marketing efforts and its strategy of providing newer technologies at value prices.” But Samsung’s LED back-lit technology make for a super-slim TV and that’s what has gotten consumer attention.

For the year, Vizio has grown 87 percent, compared to the industry’s average of 11 percent, said Laynie Newsome, Vizio co-founder and vice president of sales and marketing communications.

DisplaySearch, another research firm, put Vizio’s year-over-year growth at 70 percent. The industry average is 9 percent.

But Vizio didn’t have the top-selling TV, according to Quixel Research. That honor went to Samsung’s LN32B360, a 32-inch TV selling for $549. Vizio, however, was the only seller to have two TVs in the top-selling 5.

Previous Vizio coverage:

Post from: The Gadgetress: Covering the tech we live with

Vizio knocked to second by Samsung for top HDTV sales

None of these “apps” are that new for the industry. But all are useful. This brings the U-verse TV apps count to 20.

To get an instant $2 discount, U-verse customers just turn to channel 200, get the code, and redeem the coupon instantly on channel 199. Customers can also go to U-verse’s customer Web site and get the discount code. The first coupon will be available on Monday, Nov. 23. If you’re also an AT&T Wireless customer, you can get coupon alerts send to your phone by texting “On Demand” to 9696.

The discount movie coupon is something I hope cable providers will soon add. Time Warner, for example, does offer local coupons on demand (they’re actually sent by snail mail), but to get discounts on its on-demand movie library, customers have to snail-mail back a paper coupon with their monthly bill.

The onscreen Caller ID feature is, of course, only for customers who get home phone and TV service from AT&T. The feature also notifies TV viewers of new voicemails. The messages pop up in a small box on the TV screen for six seconds. This feature is coming soon and right now, only available in Austin, Tex. (AT&T, after all, is based in Texas.)

Lastly, ESPN Full Court package subscribers can watch four basketball games on the same screen on channels 4500 and 621. The package is priced at $105 through Nov. 28.

Here’s AT&T’s official video about how the new apps work:

AT&T U-verse’s other apps include:

1. U-verse TV Multiview, an app that lets you watch up to four channels at once on your TV screen.
2. Mobile Remote Access app for iPhone, an app that allows you to schedule and manage DVR recordings and easily search U-verse TV program listings from your iPhone.
3. Media Share, an app that lets you stream your personal photos and music files located on your home computers to any connected TV in the home.
4. TV Awards and New Shows, an app that helps you follow this fall season’s award shows and series premieres.
5. Weather On Demand, an app that gives you instant access to check the current weather conditions and detailed forecasts in any U.S. city.
6. Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Football, an app to help you manage your fantasy teams from your U-verse TV screen through the AT&T U-bar. AT&T U-bar allows you to get easy access to personalized sports, weather, stock and traffic information on your TV screen, without interrupting your current program.
7. College Basketball from Yahoo! Sports, which gives basketball fans the ability to view tournament brackets, their personalized completed bracket, game summaries and box scores, and more through the AT&T U-bar.
8. Film Awards Interactive, which provides biographies, previews and full-length movies for award-nominated films and stars.
9. 2009 Masters, which featured an up-to-date leaderboard, player scorecards, stats and bios, news updates, tournament photos, video archives and more from the 2009 Masters Tournament.
10. On Demand Top Picks, an app that provides rental recommendations based on their past rentals and lists the top ten titles U-verse TV customers are renting. The app is available to customers in Los Angeles, Cleveland, Hartford, St. Louis, Atlanta, Sacramento, San Antonio and Austin, and AT&T plans to roll out this app to all U-verse TV markets next year.

U-verse is available in certain portions of several cities in Orange County. Those are:  Aliso Viejo, Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, La Habra, La Palma, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Mission Viejo, Orange, Placentia, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Stanton, Villa Park, Westminster, and Yorba Linda. To get the most recent U-verse news, visit the special Gadgetress U-verse page.

Past AT&T U-verse coverage:

Visit the Gadgetress Guide to AT&T U-verse: gadgetress.freedomblogging.com/uverse

Post from: The Gadgetress: Covering the tech we live with

Movie coupons, caller ID, ESPN are latest U-verse TV apps

Now they’re hoping to have a chat with Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo, D-Atherton, who is behind legislation to prevent loud TV ads.  The Commercial Advertisment Loudness Mitigation Act, or CALM, was approved by another subcommittee last month.

“We hope to effectively communicate that audio fluctuation issues are better handled at the end of the chain (i.e. TV sets and/or Set-Top boxes, AV receivers and similar devices) where all variables can be taken into account,” said SRS spokesman Michael Bingham, who heads to Washington with company chief technology officer Alan Kraemer to talk to Eshoo.

SRS’s TruVolume technology is built into some TVs. They somehow have figured out the difference between TV commercial audio and audio from movies and TV shows. Instead of lowering all volume, such as a crowd cheering during a football game or explosions during a movie, TruVolume takes all audible signals, ignores the extreme lows and highs and focuses on the middle range volumes, where TV commercials do their worst. SRS offers a more detailed explanation about what’s really happening in its “Leveling the Volume white paper, a PDF file. Remember my video of the technology in action?

The company recently contacted Eshoo about its technology and she agreed to meet with them. Today.

“We also hope to outline some of the many of the technical hurdles that must be overcome in order to eliminate volume fluctuation once and for all,” Bingham added. “We have no intention of attempting to tear down Congresswoman Eshoo’s position, or the CALM act, because we admire what she is trying to accomplish.

Of course, SRS is trying to sell the world something, but at least TruVolume works and it addresses a problem a lot of people can relate to. As part of its half-million dollar TruVolume marketing campaign, SRS Labs has two TV commercials that will be part of the previews before the new “Twilight New Moon” movie, which debuts this weekend at Regal Cinemas in Orange County and Los Angeles. If you catch a showing, let me know how it sounds.

ADDED 11/18: After seeing all the comments, I wanted to add that if anyone has one of the TVs or devices listed below, it has SRS TruVolume built in so speak up and tell us your experience:

Samsung TVs: LN40B650T1FXZA, LA32B550K1RXXM, LN40B530P7FXZA, LN40B53, LN32B53, LN37B53, LN32B36, LN37B36, LN40B36, LE22B45, LE26B45, LE32B45, LE19B46, LE22B46, LE26B46, LE32B46, LE19B65, LE22B65, LE26B35, LE32B35, PS42B45, PS50B45

VIZIO TVs and soundbars: VSB210WS Sound Bar, VA370M, SV420M, SV320XVT, SV421XVT, SV471XVT, VT420M, Vf551XVT, VP504FHDTV10A.

More on SRS Labs:

Post from: The Gadgetress: Covering the tech we live with

SRS Labs heads to D.C. to tell politicos sound legislation unnecessary

New company alert:

It comes from Clay Berryhill, a former exec of defunct Amp’d Mobile, Sprint and Verizon Wireless, according to a note I got with the press release announcing the company’s launch. Berryhill has been working on Simple for two years in Laguna Beach. The company’s privacy page alludes to Irvine as being the home base.

From Simple Mobile’s press release (I’m waiting for the company to respond to questions), the new company does several things differently:

• Encourages customers to bring their own phone — over 180 are approved (MetroPCS also offers this service for $40)
• Offers GSM service, which is the same technology used by AT&T Wireless and T-Mobile customers (Sprint and Verizon Wireless use CDMA)
• Offers standard prepaid service that includes “no minimum term lengths in contracts, no credit checks, no hidden fees…”

So … is Simple really revolutionary? That’s quite a claim, considering that this year, prepaid wireless services like Irvine’s Boost Mobile inspired post-paid carriers to follow its $50 monthly plan offering a bunch of unlimited calling, texting and wireless features. Plus, MetroPCS has been around for a couple years now hawking its unlimited packages that start at $35/month.

First, the pricing. The cheapest plan is $40/month and includes unlimited calls in the  U.S. and 411 calls, plus voicemail, caller ID and call waiting. By comparison, MetroPCS, which from my research is one of the cheapest wireless services around, offers the same package for $30/month. Simple’s feature-packed $50/month plan (includes unlimited calling, texting and 20 MB of web browsing) compares to the same features offered by Boost’s $50 plan, but Boost tosses in unlimited wireless web.

Coverage area: Simple’s coverage map looks very similar to that of MetroPCS, which is nationwide but very spotty in areas outside of major metropolises. However, the two companies use different technology (GSM vs. CDMA) so that rules out further comparisons. T-Mobile and AT&T have much larger national coverage areas than Simple.

As for features? No mention of 3G service so if you do use the Internet, don’t expect it to be speedy.

So, it’s not cheaper, coverage is not better and its features are on par or below with everyone else. What’s the point? What’s the catch?

I’m not trying to bash a new Orange County company. Every industry could use more competition. But what consumers want to know is why is this service better? There’s very little about the company online and other sites are not having much luck getting information either. When I get some answers, I’ll update.

More on cell phone industry:

Post from: The Gadgetress: Covering the tech we live with

What’s the angle of new O.C. wireless prepaid startup?

The cable TV provider is expanding its Easy Connect service, which was introduced in August for Internet equipment. The service saved customers around $20 if they installed their own cable modem.

Now customers can install their own cable box or DVR as well. If customers order new or upgraded digital cable boxes or Internet service over the Web or by phone, they’ll receive the equipment within 48 hours. No waiting on the cable guy. Plus, customers won’t have to pay the $19.95 for professional installation. The kit comes with a video showing the five installation steps.

Of course, you could also head to one of Time Warner’s local stores and get a box the same day (if they’re available) and install it yourself.

Time Warner’s spin is that it gives “customers control in ways that are simple and easy.” True, but keep in mind, this probably saves Time Warner a lot of money too. I don’t know what the going rate is but having a professional contractor stop by a customer’s house probably costs Time Warner more than $20.

For the consumer, $20  to have a pro install service doesn’t seem too high but  for most readers, the time lost waiting for the cable guy to arrive is much more valuable.

Most recent stories on Gadgetress:

Post from: The Gadgetress: Covering the tech we live with

Time Warner expands its do-it-yourself service

It’s a lot more work for the advertiser. The ad agency behind the interactive Axe commercial (where freestyle motocross champ Adam Jones demonstrates the product by spraying his armpits while in the middle of a stunt) had to be sent to TiVo, coded, and then distributed to TV providers. All that work and only DirecTV customers could spot the “learn the move” overlay and go to another channel to watch the making-of video. Some 3.5 million people did go there, spending an average of 5 minutes playing with the ad.

Reminder, cable companies are also doing this. Time Warner rolled out its ads on demand, allowing viewers to turn to a channel, watch specially chosen TV commercials and then request a coupon. Read the earlier story: “TV ads on demand? Only from Time Warner.”

The WSJ’s conclusion? It’s worth the extra work and advertisers are plowing ahead. So, expect more ways for your TV to talk back to you.

Read: “Talking Back to the TV.”

Post from: The Gadgetress: Covering the tech we live with

Interact with burgers, toilet paper and men’s body spray on TV

View complete HD channel lineups:

Cox Communications just told me that Orange County customers will be getting 15 new HD channels by Dec. 15. Two others were added this week.

The Rancho Santa Margarita cable provider can do this because it is shifting some non-HD channels to the new technology and freeing up space. For more on how this technology works and why certain customers won’t be able to access the affected 100 channels, read the earlier story “Cox moving 100 channels to on-demand format.

Cox is set to end 2009 with 82 HD channels, ahead of Time Warner Cable, with 75, but behind local leader Verizon FiOS, which has 133. See the full list of Cox HD channels HERE.

Here are the newest HD channels:

Most recent Cox Cable news:

Post from: The Gadgetress: Covering the tech we live with

Cox adding 15 HD channels in December

In a letter mailed to customers this week,  Cox said it is migrating to the Switched Digital Video platform, which is one way cable companies can offer customers more channels. This opens up space for Cox to offer more HD channels. I’ll get to those new channels in my next post. UPDATE: And here’s that post: “Cox adding 15 HD channels in December.”

Cox, like other cable providers, is operating at maximum channel capacity. It can only air a certain number of channels 24 hours a day. But some channels take up more room than others — one analog channel occupies the same space as about 12 to 15 digital channels. Switching those analog channels to digital is one way for cable companies to free up space. This is what Time Warner is doing (see story: Time Warner makes room for 100 HD channels, kicks out others“).

The other method is by moving to switched digital video, which converts channels to a type of on-demand-only service. Customers still use their remotes as normal, turning to the channel they want. The majority of customers won’t notice the change — only, I’m told, a slight delay when they turn to a switched channel. But customers who don’t have a set-top box and rely on CableCARDs won’t be able to access the channels. Alternatives for these users are below.

“Switched Digital will allow us to maximize our network capacity, enable increased HD channels and entertainment options in the future. For example, now we have over 400 HD programming options [hours] and we continue to launch more HD channels,” said Cox spokeswoman Lana Ong. (Corrected at 4:45 p.m. Ong says she meant to say 400 HD hours of programming is available.)

Here are the affected channels — 100 in all:

There’s good and bad news for CableCARD customers. Those who use a CableCARD with a TiVo — about half of Cox’s CableCARD customers — will soon get an adapter so they’ll be able to get all those switched channels. The device, which will be free for all Cox customers, is expected to be available before the end of the year. See my earlier story: “Cox to begin testing TiVo adapter this week — only in O.C.”

For all other CableCARD customers, you’ll need to get a set-top box.  Cox is offering these customers a free HD receiver for six months or a standard digital receiver for $1.99 for the first year. If you’re interested in one of these, you can call Cox at 888-246-3465.

More on switched digital video:

Post from: The Gadgetress: Covering the tech we live with

Cox moving 100 channels to on-demand format

This marks the fifth anniversary of the chilly night thousands of local fans stood in line at Fry’s Electronics in Fountain Valley to buy the game at midnight. That was also about the time I started covering Irvine’s Blizzard Entertainment,which had just a few hundred employees. Seems like yesterday.

WoW, Blizzard’s first and only massively multiplayer game, wasn’t expected to be a huge success. The company hoped to attract just a few hundred-thousand gamers willing to pay a monthly subscription to play. Today, there are more than 10 million players worldwide.

I’m working on a story and am looking for reader memories of WoW or the original game, Warcraft, which turns 15 this year. Tell me your story and you just may make it into the newspaper. E-mail me or comment below.

Samwise shares a memory

What am I looking for? Stories like one I just heard from the fabulous Blizzard artist Sam “Samwise” Didier (pictured on right during my visit to Blizzard’s Irvine headquarters this week).

While many Blizzard fans recognize the name, they may not recognize the face. However, because of public events like the BlizzCon fan convention, Didier may soon need to slip those shades on everywhere he goes.

The story goes something like this. Didier was waiting in his car at an El Pollo Loco drive-thru sometime after a BlizzCon event. The cashier had his head down when Didier drove up to the window.

“He was taking my order and then looked up and said, ‘Hey, you’re Samwise. I liked your show,’” recalled Didier, a bit bewildered. “I think he meant the concert at BlizzCon.”

Art-schmart … good enough. Didier happens to also be lead singer for the Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftain band, comprised of Blizzard employees, including cofounder Mike Morahime.

Tell us: What’s your favorite personal WoW memory?

With this post, The Gadgetress welcomes Blizzard back into the blog. For those interested in just Blizzard coverage, check out the Blizzard page, at ocregister.com/blizzard, for tons of exclusive photos and older stories.

Post from: The Gadgetress: Covering the tech we live with

WoW turning 5! Samwise shares a memory

According to my count, this brings Time Warner’s HD offering to 75 in the Orange County area (see my new Time Warner HD Channel page: HERE). It’s still nowhere near Verizon FiOS, which has 133 HD channels (see the FiOS HD channel tracker HERE), but at least the cable provider continues to add channels. Reminder, it added Fuse HD yesterday.

Also, all of the new Time Warner channels are included with digital cable so current subscribers don’t have to pay a penny extra. CLARIFICATION, added 2 p.m.: Darryl Ryan, Time Warner director of media relations, clarifies that some of the new HD channels are only available to customers at no extra charge if they already get certain digital tiers, such as the sports tier. The new channels, such as NBA TV HD, don’t cost extra if you already subscribe to that tier. Thanks reader Tim for asking.

After interviewing the local presidents last week (my reports are coming soon, I promise!), they assure me that their goal is to get 100 HD channels in all markets as soon as possible.

The new HD channels coming next month are (drumroll please)…:

1. AMC HD (Channel 479) — Classic movies but also home to talked-about TV series “Mad Men.”
2. IFC HD (Channel 480) — The Independent Film Channel has a ton of movies you’ve probably never heard of plus broadcasts from the Independent Spirit Awards and Cannes Film Festival and other movie festivals.
3. WE HD (Channel 486) — Part of the WE tv network that targets women. Shows include “Bridezillas,” and “The Locator.”
4. E! HD (Channel 487) — For entertainment, of course. E! is responsible for bringing us shows like “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” and “The Girls Next Door.”
5. G4 HD (Channel 495) – The channel for video game lovers.
6. The Style Network HD (Channel 488) — Possibly better know for housecleaning shows like “Clean House” rather than beauty and fashion.
7. History International HD (Channel 455) — Need to know about the history of anything? There’s probably a show here for you.
8. Investigation Discovery HD (Channel 449) — Another history-inspired show broadcast as part of the Discovery Channel lineup.
9. CBS College Sports HD (Channel 474) — a 24-hour channel covering 25 men’s and women’s sports
10. NBA TV HD (Channel 472) — All about NBA basketball, includes live games 4 days a week during the season. Your local game may not be broadcast however due to local blackout restrictions. Broadcasts international games on weekends.
11. BBC America HD (Channel 448) – The British Broadcasting Corporation’s channel of British shows
12. Turner Classic Movies HD (Channel 478) — Classic movies. How many? 400 a month, according to Time Warner. That adds up to “over 2,000 unique movies a year that aren’t on any other television channel.”
13. HLN HD (Channel 447) — This is CNN’s Headline News channel, which cycles through the news, offering updates when available.
14. MSNBC HD (Channel 446) — NBC’s cable news channel for 24/7 news coverage.
15. WGN America HD (Channel 458) — Part of the network that offers Major League Baseball and NBA Basketball games and World Wrestling Entertainment coverage. Also includes movies and reruns.
16. Outdoor Channel HD (Channel 499) — Hunting, fishing, off-roading shows, you get the picture. Channel says that 80 percent of its original programs are in HD so it makes sense to finally offer an HD version.
17. TV One HD (Channel 498) — A channel targeting African American adults. TV
18. HSN HD (Channel 489) — No need to go online to shop with the Home Shopping Network in high definition. Open 24/7.
19. QVC HD (Channel 490) — Shopping TV competitor that is also open 24 hours a day.
20. KMEX HD (Channel 400) — The simulcast of KMEX Univision 34, a Spanish-language network.
21. TFTR HD (Channel 399) — The West Coast station of the TeleFutura network. Programming includes sports, particularly boxing and soccer, productions from Mexico and Venezuela and major motion pictures dubbed in Spanish.

For more Time Warner news, read the archive at gadgetress.freedomblogging.com/twc. The 10 most recent Time Warner Cable stories:

Post from: The Gadgetress: Covering the tech we live with

Time Warner adding 21 HD channels in December

Why there? An AT&T spokeswoman tells me that generally, “We determine where to place cell sites on a case-by-case basis depending on a variety of factors including where subscribers are located and where better coverage is needed.”

So, if you ever notice issues with poor cell phone coverage, REPORT IT! AT&T is listening. (Here are some other tactics AT&T suggests if you’re experiencing poor reception: “Troubleshoot poor call quality.”)

Also today, the company announced that it is adding new cell sites in Santa Clarita, Long Beach and Riverside.

The new sites are part of the company’s goal to add 200 new cell sites in California this year, plus upgrade 320 others to 3G.

Related stories:

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AT&T improves cell reception in Westminster

Stump the PC Club is a free tech-advice column written by members of the North Orange County Computer Club, which has been in existence since 1976. Visit the club’s site at noccc.org. And don’t forget to stop by the Gadgetress’ home for the PC Club, at ocregister.com/link/pcclub, to find out how to ask a question and read past answers.

QUESTION: I receive many e-mails with attachments which I download to a folder called Temporary Files.  How do I delete the Temporary Files? I know it’s slowing down my PC.  Thanks.

PC CLUB: I don’t believe that Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7 normally has a folder named Temporary Files. If you have a folder with that name, either you or perhaps some program may have created it. However, there are folders named Temp and Temporary Internet files.  That doesn’t mean that you don’t have such a folder, however. To delete the contents of that specific folder it’s necessary to first locate it.

In Windows XP, click Start then select Search. In the left column, select “All files and folders,” as pictured below. Change the “Look in:” to “Local Hard Drives (C:)” and at the top where it asks for “All or part of file name:” enter the name of the folder that you or searching for. In your case type “temporary files.” Next, click Search.

Results of the search will appear on the right where you can select the item and note its location. To open the folder location, right-click the entry and select open. From there you can review the contents and delete any files that you no longer require.

For a detailed tutorial on using the Windows Search function see instructions from a Georgetown University page at “How to use Windows XP: Using the Search Tool.” (link: http://bit.ly/1GcWHW).

In Windows Vista, click Start then select Search. Enter your search in the box at the top right and select the Advanced button. Make sure the Location is set to your C drive and place a check in the box labeled “Include non-indexed, hidden and system files.”

It’s unlikely that files in a folder named temporary files will slow down your PC but it may increase the time it takes for Anti-Virus or Anti Spyware programs to scan your PC.

Temporary Internet Files

There is another location that accumulates files called “Temporary Internet files.” This folder should be cleaned up on a regular basis. I recommend weekly. You don’t have to know where the location of this folder is though. It can be easily cleaned by doing the following:

1. Open Internet Explorer
2. Select Tools
3. Select Internet Options
4. On the General tab, select “Settings” in the Browsing history area
5. Select “View Files” to see all the temporary files stored in your computer. Many will be cookies.

The reason you do not have to know the location is that there are several safe ways to clean this folder. One way is to click the Delete button in the Browsing history section. An even better way is to download and install the free program called CCleaner at www.ccleaner.com.

The safest way to keep your PC clean is to rely on a program such as this rather than to search on your own and possibly delete the wrong files.

Temp folder

Another location that accumulates files is the temp folder. In fact, there may be several of these but the one used mainly by Windows can be located by clicking Start, Run and entering %temp% in the box labeled Open and clicking the OK button. From here you can delete the contents of this folder. If there is no Run command on your Start menu, press the Windows key and tap the R key.

The temporary internet folder, believe it or not, stores a copy of every web page that you view and some nasty stuff can lurk there. It’s especially important to clean out this folder prior to using any malware removal tools.

Regarding saving attachments, you should create a folder and call it “downloads” or “attachments,” for example, to store your saved attachments. This will keep them isolated from any of the Windows temporary folders. You can also create sub-folders to organize your attachments by type or any other category. This requires a little discipline but it is well worth it. - Ed Schwartz, NOCCC member. View his Web site at www.edwardns.com.

Visit the Gadgetress’ PC Club page at ocregister.com/link/pcclub. To get this answer delivered to your computer automatically, sign up for the e-mail update HERE. Recent PC Club answers:

Post from: The Gadgetress: Covering the tech we live with

How to get rid of Windows temporary files

Today, it’s Fuse HD today, a national music TV network. Customers can access Fuse HD on channel 494. The channel is included with digital cable TV service so subscribers won’t have to pay extra.

Fuse may be making a big push with TV providers right now because it’s trying to promote next Tuesday’s John Mayer concert being broadcast live from New York’s Beacon Theater at 6 p.m.

Last month, Verizon FiOS added Fuse HD on Channel 716. I’m waiting to hear back from the network to find out what other providers offer Fuse HD. I’ll post here when the answer comes in.

Non-HD versions of Fuse are also on channel 339 for DirecTV customers, channel 158 for Dish Network customers, channel 535 for AT&T U-verse customers, and channel 347 for Cox Cable customers.

Fuse is owned by MSG Media, which is part of Madison Square Garden LP, which in turn is a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corp. This could be a sign that Time Warner plans to add more HD channels from Cablevision, which also owns AMC, IFC, Sundance Channel and WE tv.

If you missed my earlier report, Time Warner did mention this week that new HD channels AMC HD, The Weather Channel HD, History International HD, ESPNU HD. Read the earlier story, “Time Warner makes room for 100 HD channels, kicks out others.”

Related stories on Time Warner Cable:

Post from: The Gadgetress: Covering the tech we live with

Fuse HD coming to Time Warner Cable

The company’s plain-named Portable Laptop Stand is made from a thin slice of aluminum that folds up like an accordion when done. Last night, it was named an International CES Innovations 2010 Design and Engineering honoree, joining a bunch of other companies.

You really have to see how it works to understand why a laptop stand is getting noticed by the tech industry. Here’s the YouTube video:

The stand works with all laptops, up to 17 inches. The company says it also decreases screen glare because of the 12-degree angle. Like most laptop stands, this props up the computer to dissipate heat. When folded, the stand is a mere 1/4-inch thick.

AViiQ was founded by Alan Yeung and Chris Bryce, who came up with the idea because they traveled a lot and needed something portable. Yeung, a producer at Costa Mesa’s CRISP brand agency, brought in the agency’s senior product designer, Cezanne Farris-Gilbert, to help create the product.

While no electronics are inside the stand, this is really a gadget’s gadget. Also interesting to me is that this reinforces Orange County as a hub for gadget companies, with leaders like Targus and Mobile Edge calling Anaheim home.

Miss the gadgets? If 500 people sign up, I’ll bring them back. Just click the blue image on the right to sign up. (This takes you to Feedburner, where you can subscribe by e-mail or an RSS reader. All who subscribe will be notified if regular gadget coverage returns.)

Post from: The Gadgetress: Covering the tech we live with

Sleek laptop stand for non Macs? O.C. start-up gets noticed

The change will make room for several new HD channels, including AMC HD, The Weather Channel HD, History International HD, ESPNU HD and “many more,” according to a letter sent to subscribers this week. Next month starts the company’s kickoff to reach 100 HD channels.

The analog channels that are moving – KWHY, Shop NBC, AMC, The Weather Channel, ABC Family, Oxygen, TruTV and Style — will all still be exist on the same channel number, but only in a digital format. If you don’t have a digital set-top box, you won’t be able to access them.

For customers who don’t have a digital box, Time Warner will let you borrow one for free for one year. This offer only applies to households without a digital box. If you already lease digital boxes but have an extra TV plugged into the wall, you’ll need to pay for a digital box to get all the channels on that TV.

“With more digital carriage space available, we will be able to free up bandwidth for future uses, such as launching new channels, providing more services and offering even more HD, not to mention, this will enhance picture quality and sound on existing services,” said Darryl Ryan, Time Warner Cable’s local director of media relations.

Lots of things are going on here including:

1. Time Warner is maxed out on capacity for TV channels so it’s moving some space-hogging analog channels to digital. Time Warner says that one analog channel occupies the same space as about 12 standard digital channels or about 3 HD channels.

2. This won’t end channel duplication. The Weather Channel, for example, will continue to live on 47 and 204.

3. As mentioned, this creates room for more HD channels.

4. Time Warner hints that another technology is on the way. In the letter, the company says certain users will need a special adapter to get the channels. That’s not totally correct, Ryan said. While the company plans to move some channels to switched digital video technology, it hasn’t done so yet except during a test in the San Fernando Valley. The technology turns a regular channel into on-demand only so it doesn’t take up space by broadcasting all the time. When a viewer turns to a switched channel, there may be a slight delay before it begins broadcasting. Customers with CABLEcards and TiVo’s or Digeo DVRs won’t be able to get the switched channels unless they have a special adapter. This hasn’t started in Orange County yet. If any readers notice they can’t get the channels, please let me know. (Read some earlier stories on switched technology HERE.)

Ultimately, the changes will affect a minority of customers, according to Time Warner. Most won’t notice any change. Time Warner says that about 80 percent of its Southern California customers have digital equipment.

Recent stories about Time Warner Cable:

Post from: The Gadgetress: Covering the tech we live with

Time Warner makes room for 100 HD channels, kicks out others

Update:

The online movie-rental service allows Netflix members to download movies straight to the game console and watch them on a big TV.

Of course, it’s not free but it’s cheaper than any paid TV service out there. Members must pay a minimum of $8.99 per month. That fee gets viewers access to an unlimited number of movies and TV shows that are available on Netflix’s streaming service.

Netflix offers the video streaming service to certain electronic devices, including the Roku players, Microsoft Xbox, TiVos and a few TVs and Blu-ray players. But that means you have to buy a device in order to get access. Adding the PS3 opens the service up to 9 million PS3 owners.

In order to activate the service on a PS3, users must order a special DVD from Netflix and run it through the console. Here’s the link: www.netflix.com/NRD/PS3.

Earlier on web TV:

Post from: The Gadgetress: Covering the tech we live with

Netflix users can start renting videos on PlayStation 3

Google Inc. wants to give consumers an early Christmas present and said it will sponsor free Wi-Fi Internet at airports across the country through Jan. 15, 2010. The company has agreements with 47 airports plus the big Wi-Fi provider Boingo Wireless, which typically charges $7.95 a day.

Unfortunately, this freebie doesn’t include the two big ones here, John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana or Los Angeles International Airport. Boingo doesn’t provide service to John Wayne, but it does offer it at LAX. The Long Beach airport, of course, has free Wi-Fi all the time in the JetBlue section. UPDATE: Google says that it didn’t restrict the promotion to certain airports. All airports listed wanted to participate and wanted to make this happen. “If there are other airports who are interested in potentially participating in any future programs, they should contact us at freeholidaywifi@google.com,” said a Google spokesman.

However, if you’re traveling beaucoup this upcoming season, the “free gift” will be available at some local airports, including San Diego and Burbank. More likely, however, travelers will get to take advantage of free Wi-Fi if they’re in San Jose, Boston and Las Vegas.

Here’s a complete list of airports offering free Wi-Fi:

Google is working not only with the airports but Wi-Fi providers, such as Boingo Wireless, Advanced Wireless Group and Airport Marketing. Additionally, Google is working with Virgin America airlines to offer free Wi-Fi to passengers traveling in Boston, Seattle, Las Vegas, San Diego and Fort Lauderdale through the same period. More details at www.freeholidaywifi.com.

Coincidentally, Boingo announced this morning that teaming with hotel chains to offer “sponsored access” has increased revenue up to 35 percent at select airports, and generated click-through rates of up to 39 percent for sponsors. Typically, such campaigns have offered travelers 15 to 20 minutes of free Internet in exchange for watching a 30-second video.

Google did not say whether it will make users watch a commercial in exchange for free access.

Did you miss these earlier stories on Gadgetress?

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Happy holidays! Have some free Wi-Fi on Google unless you’re in O.C.