tv

If you watch a lot of television, it might be tough to archive all your favorite shows solely in your head. This portable, IMDb-esque download tells you all the essential info about TV shows within a snazzy interface, but it doesn't have much usefulness without a built-in media player.

The program mainly operates as a downloadable version of the Web site TheTVDB.com, a community-driven and open database of televisions shows. Along with episode, actor, and other info from TheTVBD.com, Free TvDB also uses several Web sites, primarily clips from YouTube, to bring users further content related to … Read more

Apple has reportedly hired a display expert with ties to LG and Samsung, and whose most recent work included efforts on OLED technology for TV sets.

According to a report from the OLED Association, Apple has wooed James (Jueng-Gil) Lee, a display and semiconductor technology expert who's had stints at LG Display, Samsung, and now-defunct flat-panel design company Candescent Technologies.

The hire, which Apple has not confirmed, comes while many have their eyes on the company with expectations that it will create its own TV set. Reports have gone back and forth between claims of a more advanced set-top … Read more

Growing corn, tending chickens, and amassing a fortune of golden coins can be fun as a social media game, but how about watching a TV show about it?

Director Brett Ratner is taking a stab at exactly this. He is following in the footsteps of Angry Birds and producing a half-hour animated television series based on Zynga's Farmville, according to the Wall Street Journal.

"Farmville is one of the most exciting brands out there today and its cross-platform opportunities are endless," Ratner said in a statement. "I am thrilled to be expanding the brand with existing … Read more

Thanks to smartphones, tablets, and Windows 8, touching and swiping are commonplace ways to interact with TVs, computers, and mobile devices. But what if you want to do the same without touching the screen at all?

That's exactly the experience EyeSight Technologies, an Israel-based company that focuses on digital interaction, announced today that it's found a way to provide with its new fingertip tracking technology. The company calls this the "world's first commercial gesture technology to allow users to control digital devices with a fingertip" -- remotely, that is.… Read more

Twitter said today that it has bought Bluefin Labs, a company specializing in social TV analytics.

The deal, first reported by Business Insider, would give Twitter the inside scoop on information such as which Super Bowl commercials drove the social conversation. It would likely also help Twitter become more of a media company as it tries to bolster its advertising revenue by working hand-in-hand with brands and with TV networks.

In its blog post today, Twitter said, "We believe that Bluefin's data science capabilities and social TV expertise will help us create innovative new ad products and consumer … Read more

Twitter has reportedly acquired BlueFin Labs, which generates social TV analytics, in a deal which is said to be the social-networking giant's biggest-ever.

According to Business Insider, Twitter has closed a deal to buy BlueFin, a company that specializes in helping media companies understand how people use social media in conjunction with their TV watching.

As Business Insider wrote, "Twitter's move into social TV makes a lot of sense. It hired a Head of TV last fall and there's a strong correlation between people watching shows and tweeting about them. Just look at last night's … Read more

You've got the beers, the wings, the dip, and the chips. Are you really planning to watch the big game on your beat-up old 37-inch TV? Time to man up! (Which, in my world, means buying fancy electronics.)

Today only, and while supplies last, Best Buy has the Insignia NS-55E480A13A 55-inch LED HDTV for $679.99 shipped (plus sales tax). If you really do need it in time for the game, you may be able to pick it up at your local brick-and-mortar BB. (Click "Check Stores" to see availability in your area.)

Update: Weirdness at Best … Read more

Apple and HBO are in talks to bring HBO's on-demand programming to Apple's set-top streaming box, a new report says.

Citing anonymous sources, Bloomberg says the two companies are still working out a deal with hopes of adding it to Apple's streaming lineup by the middle of this year.

Apple declined to comment on the report, calling it rumor and speculation.

"We've said we would like HBO GO accessible on all preferred platforms so we are always having discussions with a variety of companies," an HBO spokesperson told CNET.

Apple's set-top box currently … Read more