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Apple TV update adds high-def TV episodes, Genius playlist support

Apple has added HD television episodes and support for Genius music playlists to the Apple TV.

Firmware 2.2, available now as a free download, adds the ability to purchase TV episodes of select shows in high-def (for $3, versus the $2 price tag for standard-def versions). That makes good on a pledge that Steve Jobs made at the company's September 10 event.

The updated Apple TV now also supports the Genius playlist feature that was introduced on new versions of iTunes and iPods at the same event. Genius is designed to help listeners discover--and buy--new music based on … Read more

Hasta la Vista baby, we're just not interested

Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system is still playing second fiddle to XP with business users, with more enterprises confessing to checking out the unreleased Windows 7 OS than its predecessor.

More than half (58 percent) of businesses using Microsoft technology are "exploiting" Windows XP compared to just 4 percent for Vista, according to the "reality checker" research by the Corporate IT Forum (Tif).

Tif's reality checker surveys help its members quickly compare the progress and position of their companies' IT against the technology choices of other members.

The group also found that 35 percent … Read more

The 404 185: Where we're banned from using the phone

CNET Tech Editor Matt Fitzgerald joins us on today's show to shoot the film with us on a flurry of random stories from around the Internet, including George Takeiiiiiii's marriage, the inevitable death of TRL, the new POS Dragonball Z movie, the final word in iPhone updates, and more!

The morning starts off with a few crank calls (do I smell a new recurring segment?) that ends with us being forever banned from picking up a CNET telephone. Oh well, phones are overrated anyway. Anyway, I know we all bitch about iPhones incessantly on the show (especially Jeff "Hatin' on Fools" Bakalar), but most of our former qualms are solved by the newest firmware upgrade to end all firmware upgrades, version 2.1! If you have an iPhone, 3G or Edge, do yourself a favor and install the upgrade. Battery life is increased, phone crashes and dropped calls are nonexistent, and no more text lags! After three tries, Apple finally got it right. Now, if only they enabled cut/paste, SMS forwarding, and picture messaging....baby steps, Mr. Jobs, baby steps.

EPISODE 185 Download today's podcast … Read more

AT&T rolls out upgrade to U-verse DVRs

AT&T is upgrading the digital video recorder on its U-Verse Internet-based television service, allowing users to record and play back multiple programs on up to eight televisions.

The upgrade, called Total Home DVR, is free as part of a U-verse subscription, which costs from $44 to $99 a month. The service is already available in the San Francisco Bay Area and is expected to be rolled out to all customers by the end of the year, the company said.

Total Home DVR, which can store up to 133 hours of standard-definition programs or 37 hours of high-definition programming, … Read more

Google upgrades Gmail for IE 6 users

There's a lot of action in the browser market these days: Google just launched its Chrome browser, Firefox 3.1 is due in months, Apple hopes Safari will spread across the world of Windows, and Microsoft is touting its second beta of Internet Explorer 8.

But a huge swath of Internet users is still getting by with IE 6, which is no doubt is why Google just released a new version of Gmail for the vintage 2001-era browser.

The update means IE 6 users will get access to colored labels for messages, Gmail Labs features, integration with AOL Instant … Read more

Ixia kicks off competitive upgrade program

Ixia, a leading company in IP performance testing, announced a competitive upgrade program today as part of its "Switch to Ixia" campaign.

The program will last through the end of September 2008. During this time, new and existing customers from all over the world can trade equipment from Ixia's competitors, including Spirent, Agilent, and Shenick, in for Ixia's latest test equipment and applications. Or they can earn up to a 50 percent credit toward a new purchase.

Ixia also offers IxFinancing Leasing, a special financing solution that allows you to pay for Ixia products, software, and … Read more

Upgradeable speakers--everything old is new again

You can't make your Nikon D200 DSLR into a D300. If you want the new one, you must buy it.

Even Steve Jobs can't transform last year's iMac into the latest, greatest iMac. And you can't add HDMI switching to your 4-year-old Sony receiver. But...that's exactly the sort of upgradeability that some high-end companies offer.

Take Zu Audio. The company offers an upgrade kit that'll transform any Druid speaker built from 2001 forward into the current Druid Mk 4/08 model for $600 ($800 upfront, with a $200 refund with return of original drivers). Since a pair of new Druid MkIV/08 go for $3,400, the $600 fee seems very reasonable to me. Complete new Zu speakers are sold factory direct with a 60-day money-back guarantee. They are manufactured by Zu Audio in Ogden, Utah.

Last year, I raved about the Druid MK IV speakers and dubbed them Speaker of the Year. So I was eager to install the kit and see for myself if the smart folks at Zu could actually improve this great speaker.

The upgrade kit includes a pair of new woofers and tweeters and all of the necessary tools to get the job done. Examining the quality of the parts and build integrity of the Zu's designs from the inside of the speaker only increased my respect for the design.

Zu even produced a how-to DVD that shows the installation in real time. Druid owners who'd rather not roll up their sleeves can ship their speakers back to Zu and have the pros handle the job--for free--but the owner pays for shipping. I needed around 50 minutes to complete the upgrades, and I was taking my time. I wanted to get the job done right. The first time.… Read more

Apple's iPhone 2.0 update is failing

Look familiar? It's what I and others have been seeing this morning when trying to upgrade to the iPhone 2.0 firmware. Apple's servers are apparently being dismantled by heavy traffic. That's nice. But now I have a brick with no ability to call, no contacts, nothing.

Isn't there some way to prepare for this? Don't hype a product unless you're prepared to let people actually use it.

Follow-up: Unfortunately, the day didn't get any better. It veered toward success with an eventual 2.0 upgrade on my existing iPhone and success with ActiveSync and Zimbra, … Read more

iPhone 2.0 software is available for download

In conjunction with the App Store that launched earlier this morning, there's an upgrade available for iPhone users to bring their devices up to speed with the compatible iPhone 2.0 software.

There's not an easy path to it yet, but the firmware is on Apple's servers, MacRumors.com reported Thursday.

Twitter users reported that the software is 225 megabytes in size. The download is free for iPhone users and $9.95 for iPod Touch users.

The iPhone 2.0 software allows existing iPhone and iPod Touch owners to have access to the software features that will … Read more