Never enough time…

• Video of SlingPlayer (10fps?) on Motorola Q. (Mobileburn)
• Dell to announce home media product today? (PVRWire)
• IPTV over WiFi. (CNET)
• Macrovision inks deal to put ACP in AACS. (HDBeat)
• Bloggers are journalists, protected by First Amendment. (MacWorld)

I can’t say I’ve picked up much amazing or inspiring technology in the last few months. However, when jkOnTheRun mentioned SanDisk has temporarily dropped prices on the convertible SD -> USB card, I needed in!

Of the various computers I use regularly, none have card readers… meaning I either have to drag one with me or make sure I have the correct USB cables present for my devices. This little guy is a clever convenience who works as advertised — I probably should have picked one up earlier. I do have concerns I might snap him at some point, but the guys at work disagree. Time will tell.

Sadly the “deal” was 5/20 - 5/24, when I picked up the 1GB card from Amazon for about $46. Buy.com had it for a low $39, but that involved rebate hassles. If you too feel compelled, the price is still a reasonable $56.

For those of you on the fence regarding Amazon Prime, the $79 two-day shipping plan, let me tell you half my purchases arrive overnight (such as this card).

Never enough time…

• MPAA accused of hacking file-sharing portal. (eWeek)
• Yet another mediocre HD DVD review. (PC Mag)
• Broadcast networks petition Congress to prevent downconverting. (HD Beat)
• Public beta begins for MS Smartphone SlingPlayer. (Sling)
• Official DivX Universal Binary player and encoder released. (TUAW)

Despite reporting difficulties in working out licensing agreements with the major studios, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings tells Business Week they intend to offer movie downloads by yearend. Perhaps the first iteration of their service, via TiVo or purely web-based means, will consist of the 90 independent films they’ve licensed for distribution.

Business Week says: Nevertheless, Hastings is hedging his bets by expanding Netflix into niches that will help it maintain an edge as new rivals emerge. He also wants to be a player in Web distribution, which it will launch by yearend even though Hastings thinks the market for downloading will be tiny for years. Netflix hopes a rep as the cool auteur’s friend will build an army of loyal customers before its download service competes with Apple Computer, Yahoo!, or Comcast.

As I mentioned earlier, the PAL Slingbox has been released… which coincides with an updated SlingPlayer download. Though the US website hasn’t been updated yet, the UK site has the software download available. New features include support for skins, multiple channel bars with drag and drop buttons, an option for widescreen 16:9 display, and double the resolution when slinging locally. I’ve installed and it seems to work just fine with my US Slingbox. Check it out here! Additionally, the new Sling Central online resource of skins, tool bars, and tutorials has launched.

Never enough time…

• PAL Slingbox released in UK for £179.99. (PC World)
• Sprint ponders expanding mobile video, in talks with Sling. (Reuters)
• TiVo’s quaterly conference call analyzed. (Thomas Hawk)
• New Mac PVR products arrive. (PVRWire)
• iTunes sells overpriced NHL clips. (TUAW)

Altec Lansing is obviously looking to harness the power of the blogosphere… and I’m more than happy to help! A few weeks ago they sent me the XM3120, and Tuesday these sexy headphones were waiting at my door.

First off, I’m a sucker for good looks… and the AHP612 cans are pretty sleek other than the prominent “Altec Lansing” advertising on both ears. (I wonder if some nail polish remover could take care of that.) They also happen to feel pretty good — not too bulky, heavy, or constricting though my ears did get warm after prolonged use. Three included AAA NiMH rechargeables supposedly provide 8 hours of listening time, though I didn’t put that claim to the test. For charging, the headphones easily drop into their powered cradle. As you can see from the pics, each ear has a variety of buttons (and lights!), including the all-important volume up/down which work as advertised.

As far as performance goes, the clarity of the audio and the wireless range surprised me. Because the AHP612 headphones operate at 900Mhz, they shouldn’t interfere with WiFi gear or modern cordless phones. In testing I found the signal to be perfect in all areas of my 1100 sq. ft. apartment. To further test the range (listed at 150′), I visited the apartment two floors down and maintained excellent reception. Now the bad news… I’m no audio snob, yet even I can tell you the audio quality is just average. Perhaps that’s the trade we make for wireless freedom.

The AHP612 (couldn’t they have come up with a more memorable name?) retail for $150, though a quick search of Froogle shows several listings under a hundred. Overall, I think these are pretty slick if you have a need for wireless headphones. Since I don’t, I’m gifting them to Kevin over at jkOnTheRun – keep an eye out for his opinion in the coming weeks!

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