Boxee brings your content and the internet's to your TV (well, computer)

Image via CrunchBaseImage via CrunchBaseVery few people that I know have Macs or run Ubuntu (Linux). Otherwise, I would have written about this program earlier.

Boxee is a great program that brings content from your computer and the internet to your computer. It's very easy to use, and though still in an alpha (read: very early) stage, it runs reliably with video quality as good as your sources. The major drawback is that it only runs on Apple or Linux machines (you can also hack it onto an AppleTV pretty easily). Frankly, this program has had me checking out how cheaply I could get a Mac Mini on eBay to plug into my TV (not cheaply enough, I might repurpose an old windows PC with linux, though a proper video card is expensive and might be tough to make work).  Currently, I'm using a DVI to HDMI cable from my Macbook Pro to get the video onto my TV--it works great. The Apple Remote works to easily browse through the interface to access the different content.  Also, you can pull in video RSS feeds, like the TED conference videos.

In addition to the typical mediacenter features, it has social aspects as well. You can set up friends (yes I have invites, just ask!) and recommend shows that you watch to friends with boxee or connect it to twitter to tell the world how much you loved $100 Baby.

Overall, the features of this product are great, assuming you already have hardware that can run it. For more on how to use Boxee check the links at the end of the post. Here's a video intro:

quick intro to boxee from boxee on Vimeo.

More importantly, it's part of the trend towards getting your tv to act as the on-demand device that was promised in that IBM commercial that I referenced when I first wrote about Hulu. This is an amazing trend and one that I have been looking forward to for years. Every major network has full length episodes online. The NCAA streamed March Madness games live online last year (though not in HD, which made it tough suboptimal when I plugged my computer into my TV via VGA). Meanwhile, nearly everyone has a horror story of dealing with the cable company that has a monopoly on providing your service. Maybe Boxee (along with all of the recent set top boxes being made) can be the beginning of a major change in the way we treat our cable infrastructure. This is a topic that I've been meaning to bang out a post about for a while. So, I'll stop here for now.

Boxee raised $4MM from some very respectable VCs in Fred Wilson from Union Square Ventures Bijan Sabet from Spark Capital to join its board. So, next up for Boxee is to find revenues. I have a lot of ideas about how they could make it happen, which is the topic of another post that has been in the works for a while (and that I've been telling anyone who will listen, along with what the ideal mediacenter looks like). Not surprisingly, Fred is anti-hardware for Boxee the company (but loves the mac mini as a mediacenter), so that's out of the picture.

So, if you have a mac or run linux, let me know and I will happily send you an invite to Boxee!

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Google Reader gets a fan! People read FF@6

you are absolutely right. google reader is awesome and i'm now a convert. - Jeff Miller

This is great for two reasons:
1. Another person is around for the shared items feature of Google Reader
2. It means that I have at least one person reading and taking what I say to heart!

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The Bailout

Image by Getty Images via DaylifeI haven't written in a while because I've been more than a little bit caught up reading anything I could about the Bailout being proposed by Hank Paulson and Ben Bernanke (hilariously termed 'Hanke-Panke' Bailout). So, I've shared a lot of stories in google reader that I thought people might like. You can check them out if you are my friend in google reader or you can go to the 'bailout' tag that I made public.


You can also see everything that I've shared.  And, of course, I have a google reader gadget on the left.

I try not to get into crazy political discussions on the blog (and in real life), but I have no idea if I am in favor of the plan or not. I don't know if I really had a problem with the original proposal, though I admit it feels better that they are going to take equity stakes in the new proposal.

The most interesting part of all of this has been thinking about how devastating this could be in a worst case scenario. The vicious cycle created by credit-ratings, bad assets, and capital requirements is amazing.

Mobile RSS - Update

A few weeks ago, I started using Newsgator Go! to read my RSS feeds while commuting. (You already know that I love RSS, even if you don't use it). My impression of it: meh.

Newsgator Go! has a few major usability issues for me.

First, the web-based Newsgator is not a good experience in my opinion. I don't like the interface, it's just not as intuitive as Google Reader. The other option is to use a desktop-based application. The desktop application for mac, NetNewsWire is fine, and does sync with the server, so multiple instances would reconcile without issue, but it just isn't ideal for me. I ended up creating a feed from a specific tag in google reader that would be just for articles I planned to read on the subway. So, maybe I didn't give the web reader enough of a chance, but I don't see why I should. I'm generally pretty good with the computer, so I think if I don't like it, there's probably a good reason.

Second, the application does not download stories automatically. So, I have to check each of the RSS feeds before I got on the subway each time, if I want to read them. No thanks. That is something that obviously could run in the background automatically.

I do have to admit that NewsGator has some advanced functionality that could be totally cool. The Smart Feeds seem like a very useful feature. Signing up for email newsletters, but having them come to the feed reader would be nice. I deliberately don't sign up for those things now because I don't want my inbox clogged up. But, in my experience, if there exists an email newsletter, there often exists an RSS feed with that same content anyways.

The NewsGator products also do a good job of giving you 'location-specific' options. You can choose which feeds show up where. So, if I wanted to, I could limit NewsGator Go! to have only my 'to read' feed while having the desktop client show all of them.

So, if NewsGator Go! was the only option out there, it would be serviceable. However, (!) the Wall Street Journal put out a mobile RSS reader. Now, this is a product that I like. For one, it gives me free access to WSJ content. Plus, it easily let me import my 'to read' items from Google Reader. It's still not ideal, but at least it updates automatically. And, overall, the program just seems more responsive.

Interesting to note: FreeRange Communications powers both programs, so I'm not sure why they are not more similar. But, I imagine that has something to do with server capacity, syncing, etc.

One thing to note with both of these products is that there does not seem to be a way to let them know that I have a microSD card in my Curve. This means that my memory gets full quickly and I've experienced a weird disappearance of text messages and emails. You can change the options about how many articles these programs should download and keep, but it's still a bit of a swag. Some tips on how to deal with this are here.

If you've given any of these things a try, let me know (in the comments, ideally).

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Google reader improves sharing-still not mobile

Image via CrunchBase, source unknown In case you were waiting to get yourself involved with google reader and RSS feeds in general, google reader introduced granular sharing. You can now set up groups of people to share with. For me, this was never a huge issue, but there were people that thought it was a big deal.

I know that I sing the praises of Google Reader. The truth is that I love RSS in general and the sharing aspect of Google Reader a great addition. There are other features that I would like to see (such as an easier way to make my RSS feeds into a downloadable/syncable 'newspaper for my cell phone'). I'm considering giving bloglines or newsgator a try. Potentially even a (GASP) desktop based RSS client.

Update: I've noticed that newsgator has a mobile version that syncs with its servers. I'm definitely going to give this a try and will report back. First impression: I'm not a huge fan of the online RSS reader.

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Trade you an iPhone for a Curve? Ummm....

Reader Justin writes in:

What bberry did you end up getting? I'm getting ready to start medical school this fall and I want to be smart phone equipped before I arrive. I'm pretty keen on the new iPhone, but I know that proper due diligence requires me to look into the RIM options. You seem pretty happy with yours based on your blog--if you had to choose again now, with the 3G iPhone about to roll out, would you choose similarly again?

Thanks for the question, Justin. I got the Blackberry Curve and I love it. I've actually done quite a bit of customizing since I got it to make it the best cell phone I can imagine having. So, I will NOT be getting the new iPhone, despite its improved 3G speeds.

Here's why:

First, the iPhone does not have a native instant messaging app. I use Google Talk for the Blackberry constantly. I LOVE being on IM all the time, its infinitely better than text messaging (I talked about it here). So, even though Google Talk signs out sometimes when you lose reception (e.g., the subway), I still have Blackberry's proprietary BBM system that fills the gap and delivers messages when you get back in range. Seriously, I think this is the deal breaker for me. Not only does the iPhone not have mobile IM, it doesn't even come with text messages anymore, so the price becomes substantially more expensive while the usability actually decreases on my favorite feature. I know that Google Talk just launched an iPhone version, but I don't hear great things about it.
Reviews of iPhone Gtalk at VentureBeat, TechCrunch, GigaOM, CNet and Lifehacker

Second, the mobile internet. I thought this would be the game changer for the iPhone. However, the pages I use most frequently when I'm on the move are typically formatted for my blackberry (ESPN, Google Reader). I also just downloaded Opera Mini, which brings the FULL browsing experience to the blackberry (and is completely free). The navigation is not as cool as the iPhone finger flick, but the keypad and ball work just fine for moving and zooming. Opera Mini has a feature of saving pages down to the MicroSD card that I've installed. That makes offline reading possible, and opens the potential for me to read my RSS feeds on the subway (which is something I really want). Granted, it's still EDGE network, but I can deal with it (and frankly 3G still doesn't seem like it will be as fast as my home wifi connection, so it may be a bit overhyped). Also, I've grown to distrust Apple with their 'we control the ecosystem approach' and don't think they'll really let people put a web browser that is not Safari on their iPhones. And, Mozilla is working on a mobile browser that could be pretty sweet.

Third, the first reviews for the 3G iPhone indicate that it has poor battery life. That's part of the reason Apple does not let apps run in the background. The battery on my Curve lasts for almost 2 days of normal use (from morning day 1 to night day 2), which includes much mobile web browsing and instant messaging, a little bit of talking and taking a few pictures. The iPhone battery is said to last 10 hours with the 3G turned off and only 5 hours with it on! To me, that is in no way going to get it done.
Reviews of iPhone 3G from David Pogue, NYTimes and Walt Mossberg, WSJ

Fourth, the big benefit of the new iPhone is the app store, which is just launching and available to old iPhone owners as well. And, Blackberry has had developers writing apps for it for some time already (like Opera Mini or Google Maps). Also, there are a few other programs that I have tried to varying degrees of success. I wrote about voice enabled services, and I really want to like them, but they don't really have use for me since I basically never drive. GigaOM reviews Vlingo.

I really like having a physical keyboard. I haven't used the iPhone keyboard that much, but I do have some difficulty with it (though I'm sure I could get used to it). What makes me nervous about it is that in my effort to type more quickly, as I move my fingers to type, I would hit every key as though I dragged them along the keyboard. I haven't tried this, so I don't know, but I could imagine that I would have to lift my fingers a bit more and that would annoy me (though this has to be slightly insane on my part). Also, there is NO CUT AND PASTE on the iPhone. That amazes me as an oversight. I use cut and paste all over the place with my phone for emails, IM, text messages and adding contact information (so I don't constantly have to ask for people's addresses).

Admittedly, I have never had an iPhone, so I haven't been able to set it up to match what I want like I have with my Blackberry. I've set up the smart keys on the side of my Curve to launch the programs that I use most often and I've got my icons arranged in order of use. I use email a lot, so it goes first, etc. I feel like the blackberry has a lot of customization possibilities where the iPhone may not. The iPhone may get more options with new software from the app store, etc, but those will likely cost real money. But, I have to admit that the iPhone apps for jailbroken phones that are already out there seem pretty sweet (though I haven't met anyone who took the risk of jailbreaking).

All of this said, I may consider picking up a used iPhone 1.0 for cheap if the price is sweet enough (circa $50), though I mostly want to use it to remote control my computer. But, I have to admit, I think the games look really cool (sorry, brickbreaker).

Justin, I hope that answers your questions. And, if you decide on the iPhone anyways, I definitely want to hear all about it.

New News Aggregation Site

I have a few Alpha invites for a new news aggregation website called socialmedian. I haven't actually be using it as much as google reader. However, I will admit that the social aspects of socialmedian seem to have potential to be far superior to google reader.

Anyways, if you want in, just post in the comments here and I'll send you an invite code. I think if we get a bunch of people we know on there, it could be really cool. Think I'm making it up? Remember when I got you pre-invited to Hulu?

Deal on New Microsoft Office

If you were on Google reader, you would have seen this already in my shared items (also at left), but there's a major deal on Microsoft office. That I found from Lifehacker.

Enjoy!

RSS Awareness Day!

Seriously, it's RSS awareness day.

readwriteweb has a great overview of the wonder that is RSS. Give it a read. Have any of you started using RSS lately?

PS - This is my first ever attempt at blogging from my blackberry. I'm gonna need to improve this interface or set up the email a blog post setting.

New Features

Friends, you may have noticed that I've added a few more items to my sidebar. One is a quick view of my shared items on Google Reader (which I love, but you knew that already). I also added two things related to del.icio.us (which I praised here). The first is a sidebar item with my most recently bookmarked items. The second is an RSS feed to my most recently posted del.icio.us items. I thought this feed would be interesting for two reasons. First, it lets me easily share items with everyone regardless of which feed reader you use (and I have to assume that no one is using Google Reader because I have no new friends). Also, I think that I read a lot of interesting stuff and rather than email it out to people and feel bad about sending around a bunch of stuff no one is interested in, I can have this feed where people can choose how and when to consume it. I think you might be able to create your own feed from my bookmarks based on the tags by adding /'tag' to the end, but I'm not sure.

Hope you take advantage, and if you set yourself up with a del.icio.us account, let me know so that I can get into your network.

More about RSS

Tips from ReadWriteWeb about Making the Most of your RSS.

Again, I highly recommend getting yourself set up with an RSS reader.

Do it already!

Going to Websites is a Waste of Time

Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is a way to get articles, blog posts and almost anything else delivered as it hits the internet. This stuff has been around for a bunch of years now, and it's only getting more useful and easier to use. Plus, as non-MSM (mainstream media) becomes more commonplace as a source of news and entertainment RSS feeds could replace your newspaper and become as indispensable as email. If you already have a personalized iGoogle or other start page, you're already subscribing to RSS feeds.

Very few people around me actually use an RSS reader, mostly because they have no idea what it is. They prefer to check their favorite sites several times a day, manually! In this day and age! Can you believe that people wouldn't automate the process?! Ladies, TMZ can be delivered to you. Imagine all the Lindsay, Paris and Britney you can stand, and all from the luxurious comfort of your very own feed reader.

Plus, RSS feeds can be used for more than just reading news on the internet, but we'll get to that later.

Your web browser probably has a built in feed reader function, but you don't need to mess with it. I'm enamored with web services in general, and feed readers are a perfect match. I like that I can check my email or read my feeds from any computer with an internet connection. Plus, now that I have a smartphone, I can check my email and read RSS feeds from anywhere.

I use Google Reader. I feel like it has the functionality that I need, though I haven't really experimented with others because I can't think of much more that I want to do with my feeds. You can share, tag and star posts to organize them and it has keyboard shortcuts. Probably the biggest reason I went with Google Reader is that I already have a google account, so I use all of their online products from Gmail to Google Docs to Blogger to Grand Central. It's not that I think they are the best, but they at least copy everyone else fast enough that I don't notice. Plus, it's free.

Other free options include Bloglines, which I hear good things about, and News Gator, which I've heard less about. There are a million others out there that I don't feel like searching out, but if one of my (three?) readers uses a different one, I'd be very grateful if you would tell me in the comments why you chose and love it.

For step by step help: Getting Started with RSS.

You don't have to feel limited by the idea of a single aggregator website. If that's not how you roll, check out these 14 other slick ways ways to get your feeds (e.g., through email or IM).

Compounding the coolness, RSS feeds can be used for purposes other than staying up on current events and gossip:

• Simple Tracking let's you create an RSS feed to track your packages (Bloglines has this feature built-in)--so you can be updated on the status of your most recent Amazon order.
• Some websites let you create RSS feeds of your particular search criteria, like this job search website. And others like it
• Lifehacker has a ton more RSS tips and tricks
  

The bottom line is that RSS feeds are fantastic and I highly recommend everyone get set up. And, if you choose Google Reader, let's be friends and share some posts.

Oh, an once you get a reader set up, make sure to sign up for my feed.