We've seen plenty of carefully staged press shots of Bowers & Wilkins' new Zeppelin mini iPod dock, but we're guessing that anyone about to shell out $400 for one of these is going to want a considerably closer, more unvarnished look at it. Thankfully, the folks at iLounge have now stepped in and provided just that and, while the agree it's certainly not for everyone, they do seem to think that those with the money to spend won't be disappointed, noting that the Zeppelin mini is another great example of the "speaker as art." Hit up the link below for a closer look, including a comparison with B&W's full size Zeppelin.
Revo's retro-styled Heritage radio does DAB, WiFi and casual unboxings
It's fair to say that Revo has never made a "normal" looking radio in its entire life, but hey -- that's a-okay with us. The outfit's latest, which is up for pre-order right now at £229.95 ($382), is easily one of the sleekest, most vintage-looking we've ever seen it produce. The aptly-named Heritage sports a wood and aluminum motif, room for your iPod or iPhone to dock, and support for DAB, FM and WiFi radio signals. There's also an OLED display to keep you informed, support for wireless music streaming from your Mac or PC, a 3-inch neodymium speaker driver, 7-watts of power, a 3.5 millimeter headphone connector and even an iPod video output. Heck, they even throw in a multi-country power adapter as a courtesy to you yearnin' Yanks. Go on and tap that via link if you're interested in an unboxing. [Via Stuff]
Bose SoundDock 10 gets reviewed, probably not worth the pricetag
Bose unleashed its giant iPod dock, the SoundDock 10, back in August -- all 18 pounds of it. Well, iLounge has gotten their hands on one of these $600 beasts, and they've given it a nice once over. The SoundDock 10 has a nice solid build, and they grade the overall sound quality as decent... which probably isn't comforting to hear, considering the price, but they do say that it certainly outperforms its cheaper peers. They note the inclusion of extra ports -- an unusual and welcomed addition to a Bose unit -- though they also note the continued absence of video support in the dock. If you're in the market for a serious dock for your player, hit up the read link for the full review.
Apple TV 3.0.1 update prevents data from 'temporarily disappearing'
Enjoy your Apple TV? Not so fond of your data picking up and vanishing whenever it darn well pleases? Then you'll probably want to force your Apple TV to update to 3.0.1... assuming you've already upgraded it to 3.0, of course. According to the engineers in Cupertino, this update prevents content "from temporarily disappearing until re-synced," and we're guessing that most of you would rather keep your content around if possible. Tap the read link for all the instructions, and whatever you do, don't make any sudden movements.
[Via TUAW]
[Via TUAW]
Managed Copy hits Blu-ray Discs December 4th, but you still can't use it
The egg had to come before the chicken right? Well either way, one of 'em came first and in the case of the latest Blu-ray feature, Managed Copy, the Blu-ray Discs will come before the hardware. Less than five months since AACS was finalized and the details of Managed Copy were revealed and so far we've only seen one demo and not a single product announcement. This doesn't surprise us, but AACS-LA is apparently surprised because although all Blu-ray Discs sold after December 4th have no choice but to allow at least one copy to be made, the requirement to label the packaging as such has been postponed until Spring of next year. We'd expect at least a few products that support Managed Copy to be announced at CES and although we highly doubt any stand-alone Blu-ray players will sport this feature anytime soon, we do have our hopes on PC software and expect a few movie jukebox devices like Kaleidescape -- that we won't be able to afford -- will be announced at the big show in Vegas.
Microsoft emancipates Digital Cable Tuners with second Media Center update today

Read - MCE: Digital Cable Advisor Tool Available Now!
Read - ATI DCT Firmware update pops up on Windows Update, DRM-free MCE recordings are a go
Myka ION brings Hulu, Boxee and other web content to your TV

Netflix instant streaming demoed on PlayStation 3 (updated with more video!)

[Thanks, Otis]
Update: Our best buds over at Joystiq got some quality hands-on time with this (video is now after the break), so be sure and check it out!
TiVo's AN0100 802.11n WiFi adapter hits the FCC, stirs up imaginations
TiVo's Wireless G USB network adapter has been out and about since late 2005, so to say an 802.11n version is past due would be understating things dramatically. At long last, it seems as if high-speed network access is coming to the heralded DVR, with an AN0100 802.11n AP recently splashing down at the FCC. There's no instruction manual or indication of whether this is the device we've been waiting for in order to stream networked media to the TV through one's TiVo, but why else would the outfit bother with tossing out a new dongle with support for higher throughput? We know, we're letting ourselves get a bit too optimistic here -- but c'mon, can you really blame us?
ASUS O!Play AIR HDP-R3 arrives with WiFi and card reader
We had a sneak peek at ASUS' BR-HD3 just a week few back, and rather than holding out on us any longer, it looks as if the company has come forward to make things official. The O!Play Air HDP-R3 isn't a tremendous update from the previous edition, though the addition of 802.11n WiFi and a multimedia card reader are certainly appreciated. Reportedly, the media player packs an HDMI 1.3 socket, support for just about every file format known to man and a respectable price tag of around €90 ($133). Too bad the Yanks in attendance are left in the lurch.
[Via Engadget Spanish]
[Via Engadget Spanish]
Orb for Mac finally arrives, streams media from OS X to any internet-connected device
Wow, where've you been, Orb? It's been a full year since we heard anything from the once-adored media streaming outfit, and while it's been streaming out content to iPhones for quite some time, those relying on Macs to do it have been left in the damp night air. Until now, that is. Orb for Macintosh has finally hit the streets, bringing with it OS X 10.5 and 10.6 compatibility that enables any and all media from iTunes to be sent out over the internet and consumed on any outside device with access to the web. We're talking laptops, UMPCs, smartphones and even that ancient PC your grandmother still uses with Windows ME. There's no mention of any DRM restrictions, and it'll even allow you to stream live TV if you can manage to connect a tuner card to your Apple. Oh, and did we mention that Orb is completely free? Hit the download link below to get your weekend started off right.
Read - Download Orb
Read - Press release
Read - Download Orb
Read - Press release
Netflix shipping out PS3 instant streaming discs!

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
VUDU brings Pandora, Picasa and Flickr to connected HDTVs, promises more apps soon
And you thought HDTVs were made for watching TV. VUDU has today slung its (admittedly paltry) library of applications over to its television partners, making both Picasa and Flickr access possible through LG and Mitsubishi sets with integrated VUDU software. Of course, all of this was already available to those relying on one of VUDU's dedicated set-top boxes, but it's always nice to have everything wrapped up neatly within the display itself. In related news, Pandora streaming is also available on VUDU-infused Mitsubishi panels, though for whatever reason, LG has "requested that only free TV and games be available on their devices." All bummers aside, the company has asserted that even more internet apps will be released to VUDU customers in the coming months, so make sure hold 'em to their word.
ViewSonic's VMP70 media player does 1080p for less than a hundie
The WD TV is still more or less the king of the tiny media player boxes, but now Viewsonic is getting into the game at a lower price point -- and minus the whole network compatibility bit. The VMP70 is a "direct connect" media device, so it will play content from your choice of USB-compatible storage, pumping it at up to 1080p to your display over HDMI or component cables, also sporting composite for lower-def fare. It packs an S/PDIF port to get clean audio, and supports a slew of formats including the usual suspects (DivX,Xvid,H.264) along with some slightly less usual ones (RM/RMVB, DTS, OGG). It's all available for an MSRP of $129.99, but order now and you'll get special holiday pricing of $98.99. Operators are standing by... somewhere... probably.
Gallery: Viewsonic's VMP70 Media Player
EOps i24R3Portable speaker is mad, bad, and waterproof
Think of a soundbar rolled into a circular, battery-powered body and you'll have a pretty good idea of what we're looking at here. The product's name -- EOps i24R3Portable Wireless Waterproof Digital Speaker Platform -- should tidy up any further queries you may have. Michael Young's latest design for EOps, whose appearance only hints at its i24R3 heritage, is a fully sealed noisemaker that can communicate via wireless USB or Bluetooth, depending on the model. You should pick your poison with care as there are no options for wired hook-ups. With a Li-Pol battery pack and an array of flat panel speakers and passive radiators inside, this could well be the ultimate in portable weatherproof speaker design, but even if it isn't, we'd still consider mounting it on a wall and worshipping it as our Sun God.
[Via Design Spotter]
[Via Design Spotter]



























