LAS VEGAS – Every year at CES I make it a point to pass through the Las Vegas Convention Center’s Central Hall at least once just to see the spectacle of new TVs on display. Each year, all the big manufacturers try to out-do one another (including renting booth space under dummy company names and expanding last-minute) just to create the most impressive display. This year, for me, LG’s OLED TV tunnel was a perfect entrance to the mayhem. Thankfully, I got there before the power went out, but that’s another story for another time. For now, just enjoy my tour through the LG tunnel.
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CES – TiVo Demos Alexa, Google, and IFTTT Integrations, Coming in February
LAS VEGAS – TiVo has been making a lot of changes to its user interface lately, and it’s not all just on the surface. Under-the-hood they’ve added some hooks and been hard at work putting all the pieces together for some pretty impressive third-party integrations. Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant integrations are pretty far along, and TiVo is close to getting certifications for both of those, likely being available before the end of February. More than just turning TiVo on and off, these voice assistant integrations allow for fairly granular controls, including channel changing, play/pause, rewind, and even commercial skip. IFTTT integrations take this one step further, allowing bidirectional communications. This means TiVo could tell IFTTT that the “press D to Skip” icon is on the screen, and that could trigger an IFTTT skill to send the “skip” message back to TiVo. Yep, auto-skip is available and I’ve seen it in action! Even better news: IFTTT integration will work all the way back to Series 4 (Premier) units and doesn’t require the new Hydra UI (except auto-skip actually will require Hydra, at least at launch). Look for more from TiVo soon.
Apple KRACK Debacle, iMac Edition, Rubio vs Cook vs China, Apple Hires TV Executives - Pop.0 Ep.24
Bryan Chaffin and John Kheit discuss the AirPort KRACK fix, and why the iMac Pro should really be called iMac Edition. They also dig into political criticism of Tim Cook speaking in China and Apple’s overall position in that country. And when they hear that Apple has hired new television execs, they hope it means Apple’s leadership is learning how to delegate. (WARNING NSFW: PROFANITY & RANTS)
Apple TV App Rolls Out in UK, France, and Germany
You won’t need to install a new update to get the TV app. It will automatically show up for customers in the above countries.
4K TV Buying Tips, Better Holiday iPhone Photos - TMO Daily Observations 2017-11-21
John Martellaro and Andrew Orr join Jeff Gamet to share tips on buying a 4K television, and on how to take better holiday photos with your iPhone.
Getting Ready for the 4K Apple TV - TMO Daily Observations 2017-08-30
Kelly Guimont and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to sort out what a 4K Apple TV means to you and your current TV, plus how to look for a new TV if your ready to upgrade.
Eclipse Tips, AR Needs Eyeware, and No Apple Television Set - ACM 424
The eclipse is coming, and Bryan and Jeff have some tips for viewing it. They also explore practical limitations on augmented reality (AR) without the help of specialized eyeware. For a bookend, they deconstruct a new rumor about a supposed Apple television set. Spoiler, it ain’t happening.
Apple's 4K Apple TV, Arduino Smart Home Experiments - TMO Daily Observations 2017-08-07
John Martellaro and Jeff Butts join Jeff Gamet to share their thoughts on a leak that seems to confirm a 4K Apple TV is in the works, plus Jeff B fills us in on his Arduino kit experiments and HomeKit.
Foxconn Confirms TV Display Factory Coming to Wisconsin
Apple’s manufacturing partner Foxconn is going to build a factory in Wisconsin to make large LCD panels for televisions.
Rural PBS Just Got Saved by T-Mobile
PBS will continue to offer free kids shows, educational programs, and emergency alerts to millions of Americans thanks to T-Mobile.
Universal Search on Apple TV Expands, Plus Crackle, Filmstruck, and Freeform
The fourth generation Apple TV gets several improvements today. The universal search function now includes Spike, Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. Plus, Apple’s TV app now supports the Crackle, Filmstruck and Freeform apps. These apps are supported across multiple devices.
YouTube Is Taking A Step Into the Live TV Business
If you’re frustrated with your cable or satellite service’s huge bundle (and cost), but want the convenience of a DVR, you’re about to have another option. Google just announced YouTube TV, a live TV service that will include all-you-can-eat DVR storage and more.
Apple's Single Sign-on Adds ABC, Disney Support
Apple TV’s single sign-on feature went public yesterday with several channels on board, and today Watch Disney and Watch ABC are joining the list. Single sign-on lets users enter their cable and satellite credentials once instead of individually for each channel.
Apple Rolls Out Single Sign-on for Apple TV
Fourth generation Apple TV owners can finally use the single sign-on feature Apple showed off months ago. The feature went live on Tuesday, although some content providers are still missing, and it’s available only in the United States.
