Multimedia - Engadget Mobile

Nokia 5330 Mobile TV Edition is... a 5330 with mobile TV

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 17th 2009 at 2:08PM

It's not often that you see an existing handset remixed with entirely different kinds of radios built in, so color us a bit surprised this week to see Nokia announce a new version of the 5330 slider this week sporting DVB-H mobile TV tuning compatibility. Knowing what we know of DVB-H, its presence signifies that a North American release is a straight-up no-go, which is actually a bit of a shame -- it's a slick-looking Series 40 handset with a 3.2 megapixel cam and 3.5mm headphone jack for €155 (about $230) without a hint of contract or subsidy. Then again, just how badly do we want to watch football on a 2.4-inch display?

iPhone gets live Sky Mobile TV, O2 offering 3 months' free access

by Vladislav Savov posted Nov 11th 2009 at 4:23AM

British satellite TV purveyor Sky has been pushing hard lately to expand into new spheres, a desire marked most clearly by its Sky Player integration with the Xbox 360 Dashboard. Now the company is keeping momentum going with the Sky Mobile TV app for the iPhone. The app itself will come free, but live streaming access to the full selection of Sky news and sports (ESPN included) channels will set you back £6 ($10) a month. That's pretty reasonable value if you're into live Premier League matches, which are typically the highest ticket item on a British TV subscription bill. O2 has sweetened that deal even further by offering a full quarter of a year's worth of free access -- a clear response to Orange's infraction on its iPhone turf. You can only stream via WiFi for now, but you have to agree that, at this price point, it's a definite step in the right direction.

[Via Daily Telegraph]

Read - Sky Mobile TV launches on App Store
Read - O2 Sky Mobile TV 3 months free offer

Qik gets rebuilt for Droid, 480p streaming is upon us

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 10th 2009 at 2:46PM

Qik had already been available on Android, but when you bring a monster like the Droid into the mix, it warrants a rewrite -- and that's what the company has put together this week. Qik's new Droid-specific build brings a wealth of new features into play, chiefly Android 2.0 support and an impressive 720 x 480 streaming video resolution, perfect for the Droid's expansive display and 5 megapixel (albeit questionably usable) camera. The version also includes an improved version of what Qik calls the "Speed Sharing Ribbon," an area at the bottom of the display that allows users to drop frequent contacts for sharing recorded videos. There's no word on when the new version hits Droids around the nation, but it's already in an invite-only beta stage, so hopefully it'll be available soon enough. Follow the break for a quick video of that wild 480p support in action -- you ready for the data onslaught, Verizon?

Continue reading Qik gets rebuilt for Droid, 480p streaming is upon us

ST-Ericsson's U8500 platform gives your next smartphone wicked 3D powers

by Darren Murph posted Nov 4th 2009 at 5:31PM

It's one thing for ARM to develop a potent GPU meant to add impressive 3D capabilities to devices that were previously forced to run the likes of "Snake," but it's another thing entirely to see a platform and semiconductor company come forward and take it one step closer to the mainstream. ST-Ericsson has done just that with its U8500 platform, which is the first to integrate ARM's Mali-400 graphics processing unit into a solution that can be easily fitted into future phones. Think your iPhone 3GS GPU is mighty enough? Hop on past the break and mash play -- it'll make those fancy water reflections you're currently drooling over look downright ugly.

[Via B4Tech, thanks Chris]

Continue reading ST-Ericsson's U8500 platform gives your next smartphone wicked 3D powers

AT&T launching voicemail-to-text service, new Mobile TV stations, Canada plans next week

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 4th 2009 at 3:04PM

This coming Sunday marks a straight-up bonanza of new services and tweaks from AT&T -- and while it may not combat a heavily-armed invasion of sentient handsets running Android, it's a nice little win nonetheless. Here's what we've got on tap:

Voicemail to Text: This is a variation on a theme that has launched countless times both on other carriers and in the aftermarket, but AT&T's version is explicitly stated "not to be a replacement for a transcription service" because each message is limited to 60 seconds. Users have the option of routing messages to SMS, email, or both for a charge of $9.99 a month. Unfortunately, moving from basic voicemail to this new service will cause all existing messages to be lost, so be careful when adding this one to your plan.
AT&T Nation with Canada: It's exactly what it sounds like -- AT&T Nation plans with a little extra Great White North thrown in for good measure. No long distance charges on calls to Canada, 1,000 night and weekend minutes that work in both countries plus full rollover and anytime minute compatibility; A-List and early nights / weekends can be added as well.
New Mobile TV channels, coverage, and pricing: Three new channels will be added into the MediaFLO-based Mobile TV mix, though AT&T's being coy about what they are; all we know so far is that there's a comedy station, a "national broadcaster," and a kids' channel. Three new markets are launching between now and December 11, and seven more have launched since September 25. The biggest news here, though, might be that service is dropping from $15 to $9.99 a month, while Mobile TV plus unlimited data goes from $30 down to $24.99. It's still pricey, but it's an improvement.

So, who's signing up for tiny teevee now that it's just a little bit cheaper?

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

Gallery: AT&T launching voicemail transcription service, new Mobile TV stations, Canada plans next week

Public Radio App lets you resume 'This American Life' whenever you please

by Darren Murph posted Nov 4th 2009 at 1:02PM

Now that you've got an NPR-lovin' stereo in your bedroom, the only thing missing in your otherwise completely fulfilled life is an NPR application that enables you to listen to your favorite programs whenever, wherever. If we just rung your bell, you can now drift away and die happy. Available this very moment in the 100,000-strong App Store is the Public Radio App, which essentially acts as a DVR for the iconic station. Once fired up, the app can "pause and rewind public radio streams from NPR, PRI, APM and local public radio stations," and there's even an alarm clock setting that wakes you up with your favorite public radio stream. Unfortunately, on-demand streaming is still a pipe dream, but there's nothing to stop these guys from adding that very feature in the next iteration. Go on -- try and lay off the trigger. It's not like that awfully low $2.99 price point is tempting or anything.

Samsung develops first chip for US mobile digital TV transmission, provides no release date

by Darren Murph posted Oct 19th 2009 at 9:33AM

Mmm, nothing like a pinch of predictability to wake us in the morning. Just days after the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) finally announced that a North American mobile DTV standard was struck, Samsung has jumped in with what it's calling the planet's first single chip solution designed to handle those very transmissions. All we're told is that the solution combines RF and "digital chip components" into one 65 nanometer chip, making it ideal for smaller devices such as smartphones, car-mounted televisions and portable media players. Of course, Sammy doesn't even bother to mention a mass production date, so we're guessing we all just rise awkwardly and start a roaring slow clap to celebrate the accomplishment.

TI's OMAP-DM5x coprocessors promise 20MP cameraphones, 720p recording and freedom from heartache

by Darren Murph posted Oct 16th 2009 at 9:26AM

Another season, another Texas Instruments coprocessor for us to wonder about. For what feels like ages now, TI has been pumping out silicon that promises to bring high-def recording capabilities to cellphones, but by and large, most everything has been stuck at VGA or below. Oh sure, we've seen our first batch of 12 megapixel cameraphones, but it's not like those things are replacing DSLRs en masse. Bitterness aside, the OMAP-DM525 coprocessor is supposedly capable of bringing 20 megapixel imaging to handsets along with 720p video recording, while the OMAP-DM515 hits the ceiling at 12 megapixels. Of course, the DM525 won't actually be ready for volume production until sometime next year, but here's hoping a sample or two slips out at CES.

[Via LetsGoDigital]

Nokia grants service extension to early UK Comes With Music buyers

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 15th 2009 at 12:33PM

Being a serial early adopter can be a rough existence -- you pay more, you deal with more bugs, you stand in long lines (disproportionately in the cold, it feels like), and you deal with less-experienced customer service staff. Every once in a while, though, cosmic balance swings in the other direction and rewards you for all of your trials and tribulations. Take Nokia's Comes With Music service, for example, which is celebrating its one-year anniversary of British service by extending the original one-year agreement by an additional 90 days for those who were "among the first" to sign up. They're not specifying what the cutoff is here, but subscribers are being told to keep an eye on their email -- so get ready to enjoy another 90 days of unlimited download bliss.

HAVA media streamer for iPhone available now

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Oct 15th 2009 at 10:51AM

Just a quick note to all you HAVA Player enthusiasts: the iPhone app that the company announced at CES is finally ready for public consumption. Available from the App Store (of all places), the software lets HAVA owners control it all remotely -- including cable, satellite, and your DVR. What's more, you can stream your recorded programming right onto the handset for all those times when you can't stand to be apart from Jim Kramer. Supports iPhone and iPod touch with (OS 2.2.1 or higher) and will run you $9.99. PR after the break.

Continue reading HAVA media streamer for iPhone available now

INQ working on Spotify-branded phone, possibly running Android?

by Paul Miller posted Oct 9th 2009 at 11:53AM

While the Spotify music service continues to tease us US-bound folks from afar, there's word of a Spotify handset now to make us even more jealous. The phone is apparently being built for Swedish provider Telia (Spotify already accounts for 35 percent of digital music sales in Sweden), and according to TechCrunch, INQ is building the phone. Interestingly, the last thing we heard from INQ about future plans was a forthcoming Android handset, and we also have a source that says that Spotify probably wouldn't be placed onto a regular BREW-powered INQ handset, so the optimist in us would like to believe that this Spotify phone could be INQ's big Android play -- there is already an official Spotify Android app to make that whole process seem even more doable. Either way, Telia's Spotify handset should be on the market in a "couple of months."

[Via Pocket-lint]

Flash 10.1 announced for just about anything with a screen, webOS and WinMo betas this year (update: Pre video!)

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 5th 2009 at 1:31AM

Flash 10 already supports HD video on the desktop, but 10.1 -- announced this week at Adobe's MAX conference in Los Angeles -- is being billed the first to really reap the full benefits of the Open Screen Project by unifying feature sets across a wide variety of platforms on the desktop, the laptop, and the pocket. As usual, Windows, Mac, and Linux will all get hooked up with the latest release, but public betas of 10.1 for Windows Mobile and webOS will be hitting before the end of the year as well followed by Android and Symbian in "early" 2010. RIM's also gotten official with its rumored membership in the Open Screen Project, though the lack of a timeline for 10.1 support in BlackBerry OS is a stark reminder of the long technical road that lies ahead for Waterloo as it tries to match the smartphone competition tit-for-tat in the multimedia space. At the end of the day, mobile Flash means nothing without the horsepower to properly drive it, so let's hope that Tegra, Snapdragon, and next-generation architectures like OMAP4 start to come on board en masse just as these builds come out of beta.

Speaking of fast chipsets, the other big news out of the show is that Flash 10.1 will take advantage of GPU acceleration on a number of key mobile platforms, including both nVidia's Tegra and Qualcomm's Snapdragon alongside ION for smooth (well, theoretically smooth) 720p and 1080p video on the latest generation of netbooks and smartbooks.

Update: Added video of the Palm Pre running three instances of Flash in parallel after the break.

Read - Flash 10.1 announcement
Read - RIM joins the OSP

Continue reading Flash 10.1 announced for just about anything with a screen, webOS and WinMo betas this year (update: Pre video!)

Livestream Livepack: a 'satellite television truck in a backpack'

by Darren Murph posted Sep 30th 2009 at 5:44PM

"Game changing" is thrown around way too frequently these days, but man, this thing just might be. The Livepack is being described as "a satellite television truck in a backpack" by creator Livestream, and for all intents and purposes, it is. Put simply (or as simply as possible), the pack includes everything one would need to stream "HD quality" footage: encoding hardware, a Firewire cable and the real kicker, a built-in wireless connection with six load-balanced 3G modems over three carriers (AT&T, Verizon Wireless and Sprint if you have to know). Users simply provide their own camcorder, mash a button when it's show time, and out goes the signal. The Livepack can currently be rented for $2,500 per month (includes 30 hours of streaming) or $1,500 per month if you commit to a year-long agreement. So, who's up for showing the world their high school prom live in HD? Demo vid is after the break.

[Via Red Ferret]

Continue reading Livestream Livepack: a 'satellite television truck in a backpack'

mSpot brings new release movie streaming to major US carriers

by Darren Murph posted Sep 30th 2009 at 11:34AM

mSpot has been streaming full-length movies to cellphones for a few years now, but not until this week has the company had a potential customer base of 40 million. As of right now, mobile phone users on Sprint, AT&T, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile (yes, that includes the G1, Pre, iPhone and every other smartphone with a half-decent browser) can surf over to m.mspot.com in order to stream major motion pictures, and being that the service is on-demand, you can also pause and restart 'em whenever you darn well please. Deals have been inked with Paramount Studios, Universal Pictures and the Weinstein Company, and we're told that more agreements are in the works. Movie rentals will cost $4.99 per title, and can be viewed from 24 hours to 5 days after they're rented. Naturally, mSpot recommends paying for an "unlimited" data plan, and if you're smart, you won't utilize the service whilst traveling abroad.

Nokia, Samsung, Toshiba and Sony align on Mobile High-Definition Link

by Darren Murph posted Sep 29th 2009 at 10:19AM

Say it with us now: "Yippee!" Why such joviality? We'll tell you why. Nokia, Samsung, Toshiba, Sony and Silicon Image have all teamed up to create yet another new connector, with this one hoping to forever harmonize the strained relationship between mobile phones / PMPs and high-def displays. The so-called Mobile High-Definition Interface Working Group is seeking to create a new "industry standard" for connecting handsets and other portable consumer electronics to HDTVs and displays, though we're still wondering why exactly we need a replacement for HDMI, DisplayLink and the forthcoming Light Peak so soon. As with most of these things, details about the actual product(s) are slim, but trust us, they're working on it. And they're working hard.