Never enough time…

• Place shifting companies must license content in the UK? (eHomeUpgrade)
• UK to outlaw power standby for electronic devices. (Gizmodo)
• MobiTV lands $70 million investment, plans geographic and technological expansion. (GigaOM)
• HD-DVD consortium to spend $150 million on advertising. (HDBlog)

In addition to the features introduced with Beta 1.2, 1.3 adds a conflict manager (about time!) and an audio only mode (which I’ve enjoyed on my 6700). Be aware the firmware portion of this upgrade will add encryption to your Slingstream - effectively killing Applian’s At-Large Recorder. For complete release details and the public download, head on over to Sling Media.

UPDATE: Sling also released their custom UMPC skin today. I find it very attractive and it’s not limited to UltraMobiles — I use it on my laptop for example. Check it out here.

Got a Slingbox? Got a Mac? Time to sign up for beta testing!

Sling Media VP Jeremy Toeman says: The application will be live for the next 2 weeks, after which we will close it down, pick out our crew, and get rolling. The program will last a few months, so please make sure you have some time to commit. During the beta we’ll have some short exercises and surveys for you to fill out along the way. Finally, you must be able to sign an NDA/non-compete with the company in order to be part of the private beta pool.

If you need a Slingbox, they’re on sale for $157 at Amazon and for $150 at Dell — both are offering free shipping.

Never enough time… back in America!

• Cable industry and partners want to bury CableCARD. (PVRBlog)
• TiVo opens system software/bugfix 7.3.1 priority list. (Megazone)
• Slingbox on sale for $149 at CompUSA and BestBuy. (jkOnTheRun)
• HDTV picture quality issues and how to fix them. (Popular Mechanics)
• Archos plans WiFi-enabled PMPs. (Engadget)

Never enough time… in Canada!

• DVD versus download. (CNN Money)
• ATI releases Avivo video converter for portables and DivX. (ATI)
• Comcast buys digital media services company. (GigaOm)
• Slingbox celebrates first birthday. (Sling Community)
• Malaysia gets first DVR. (NextNews)

Applian’s SlingCorder has been updated and renamed (at Sling’s request) as the At-Large Recorder. Feature enhancements include repeating scheduled recordings, an updated interface, and the ability to automatically launch the SlingPlayer. It’s a neat little app and does what it says, though my TiVo already does a decent job handling my scheduled recordings.

As I previously mentioned, the software records your SlingStream as 320×240 Windows Media Video (ASF) and offers a free demo (5 minutes of recording). The full version will set you back $30.

UPDATE:

• 7/13/06, SlingPlayer 1.3 Beta Doesn’t Support SlingCorder

I no longer ride the subway to work, so now my commute is far less interesting and far less productive. However, I still have a fond place in my heart for portable multimedia. The two media apps I find myself using most frequently (which can’t be accessed on a subway) are the portable Slingbox player (it does go full screen) and MiniXM (as shown above on my Sprint 6700). I’m obviously on XM, but Sirius subscribers can stream stations via SiriuCE. TiVoToGo converted shows are played back via the included Windows Media Player and ripped DVDs through TCPMP. Orb could stream my home music collection, video, pictures, and television if I wanted — the TV component isn’t nearly as slick as Sling’s box and custom app, but it is free if you have a PC with tuner card. Down the road, I’d really like to see Windows Mobile support PMP services such as Vongo’s all-you-can-eat movie rentals.