In the wake of studies showing that people prefer free to not-free (seriously, they needed studies?), ABC says it will offer its hit shows for free download with commercials, at its own Web site. If you simply can't abide the commercials, you can still buy the shows for $1.99 at iTunes (like always). Brilliant? Brilliant. Two points to ABC, assuming it doesn't muck it up with DRM and start firing off C&Ds when the shows end up on YouTube.

Permalink | 3 comments

• Read also: Buzz
• Email to a friend | Print this post

Three cheers for Oregon senator Ron Wyden, who introduced a bill that would prevent telcos from setting up a tiered Internet structure that would favor customers who pay more and (let's not forget this) the telcos' own high-bandwidth offerings. Will the telco lobbyists prevail? Ugh. Probably.

Permalink | 5 comments

• Read also: Buzz
• Email to a friend | Print this post

Man, you can just picture them wiggling in their seats, until finally they couldn't take it anymore, and they burst out, "OK, OK, OK, you got us! Origami is a Windows-based minitablet!!! Wooo! Woo-HOO!" And then, with a soft whoosh, all the air swept right out of the bubble o' buzz they'd so carefully built up over the last two weeks. Sigh. Poor Microsoft.

Permalink | 5 comments

• Read also: Buzz
• Email to a friend | Print this post

Land Rover's big SUVs aren't notable for their environmental responsibility, but the company seeks to change that with its Land_e program. The intent of the program is to develop new technologies that will decrease emissions and give Land Rover vehicles mileage approaching 50mpg, which would be a truly impressive feat. Some parts of the program use hybrid technology: Integrated Electric Rear Axle Drive adds a motor to the rear axle, which drives the car at speeds up to 20mph and lets it creep along in traffic under electric power. The Integrated Starter Generator component lets the engine shut down when stopped in traffic and makes restarts quick and seamless. The Terrain Response system adjusts the performance characteristics of the vehicle's four-wheel drive for optimal efficiency in six different terrain types. It's good to see an SUV maker try to develop vehicles compatible with a sustainable environment.

Permalink | 2 comments

• Read also: Auto shows
• Email to a friend | Print this post

I ran across the TravelPilot Rome Nav55E in the Blaupunkt booth at the Geneva Auto Show. It's a single-DIN stereo head unit with integrated GPS navigation. Because of its small screen size, navigation is limited to route guidance; you won't be studying maps on this thing. Also, destination entry covers only points of interest and city centers. The interface is too limited for full address entry. As for the stereo system, it has the usual tuner and CD player, capable of reading MP3s and WMAs.

Permalink | Post a comment

• Read also: Auto shows
• Email to a friend | Print this post

Microsoft's quest for world domination hit a snag with the very entrenched automotive market, but the first signs of a dam break occurred in its partnership with Fiat. At the Geneva Auto Show, Microsoft showed off its Blue&Me system in a Fiat and an Alfa Romeo. As its name suggests, Blue&Me sets up a Bluetooth network for integrating devices such as cell phones and MP3 players. Although there aren't any Bluetooth MP3 players yet, more than 140 cell phones are supported, a much greater number than most carmakers' stingy compatibility lists. But Blue&Me is much more than simple Bluetooth support--it's a whole software architecture with a hardware reference design. The current system, as implemented by Fiat, also supports a voice-command system and a glovebox-mounted USB port. Microsoft's architecture is expandable and upgradable, so different carmakers can offer different applications, and a five-year-old car can have its operating system updated for the latest gizmos.

Permalink | Post a comment

• Read also: Auto shows
• Email to a friend | Print this post

Building on the success of its TomTom GO, GPS maker TomTom added three new models to its portable car navigation line: the TomTom GO 910, the TomTom GO 510, and the TomTom GO 710. The systems are expected to ship in mid-April, and though pricing and detailed specs have not been released, we do have some information on the new features and improvements:

• New design
• Larger 4-inch LCD touch screen
• Hands-free-calling functionality
• Full integrated MP3 player (and hey, it works with the iPod)
• TomTom Home dock and software for managing, downloading, and storing additional content from your computer
• Text-to-speech functionality for spoken text messages
• In a first, the TomTom GO 910 will include maps of the United States, Canada, and all of Europe

In addition, the company announced some new enhancements to its TomTom Plus service, which provides weather and traffic information. The update brings support for audiobooks, road-condition information, and more. We'll be meeting with TomTom president Jocelyn Vigreux tomorrow, so stay tuned for more.

Permalink | 2 comments

• Read also: Car tech
• Email to a friend | Print this post

In a move akin to adding a these-guys-were-even-better wing to the Baseball Hall of Fame, Microsoft has launched a new budget line of Xbox games called the Best of Platinum Hits. The following titles will retail for $9.99--half the price of a run-of-the-mill Platinum Hit--when the program hits stores this month:

TiVo will soon be offering a new feature called KidZone that will allow parents to more easily control their children's TV viewing, according to a story in today's New York Times. The KidZone function is said to allow parents to choose one of two "family-friendly" programming lists provided by Common Sense Media or the Parents Television Council. With KidZone, TiVo is hoping to create a parental control system that's easier to use than the so-called V-chip. The V-chip allows users to filter their TV and cable box programming by ratings--blocking out shows or movies rated TV-MA or TV-14, for instance. It's been available in all TV, cable, and satellite boxes for years, but despite big ad campaigns from content providers, it remains largely unused. Not only will KidZone prevent the wee ones from watching Nip/Tuck, 24, and South Park, it stays locked into its kid-friendly mode until it's deactivated by an adult. The functionality will be available as an automatic update to TiVo's software in June at no additional charge, according to the Times.

The official announcement hasn't yet happened (an 11 a.m ET press event is scheduled at New York's Museum of TV and Radio), but TiVo stole its own thunder by leaking to the Times. It's just as well, though; the KidZone feature may be welcome by parents, but it's utterly underwhelming to TiVo fans who have been waiting anxiously for the company to upgrade its aging Series2 line. You could sense the anticipation when word of the announcement hit the Web yesterday ("TiVo is hosting a press conference to discuss important new developments"). The company will be giving away its boxes and moving to a subscription-only model! The Series 3 HD TiVo is going to be officially announced! You can download any movie you want from Netflix on your TiVo! Alas, just hours later, the KidZone rumor was already being floated (gearlive.com scooped the Gray Lady by a good several hours, as near as I can tell), and the disappointment among TiVo-ans was as palpable as it was for Apple fans earlier this week.

CEO Tom Rodgers has already confirmed that Comcast customers should be able to seamlessly upgrade their existing DVRs to TiVo-ized versions by the end of the year. More details on TiVo's 2006 plans may be forthcoming next week, when the company conducts its quarterly earnings conference call. I certainly hope so--because that single-tuner, analog-only Series2 box is really beginning to show its age.

Related CNET stories: