Section: Audio, Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Computers, Desktops, Software / Applications  If you already run the desktop version of Winamp and own an Android device, then you will probably be happy to know Winamp has released an app for Android. Personally, I have been waiting a long time to see Winamp launch an app, as I have been a longtime user of Winamp.
If you are running the latest desktop beta version of the software (version 5.59), then you can sync your media library from your desktop to your Android smartphone over WiFi. The Winamp for Android app comes with a neat and simple UI, as evidenced by the image above, which allows for quick operations such as play, pause, fast forward, and rewind. The app allows you to create playlists on the go by managing a play queque. In addition, the Winamp app can be conveniently displayed on your home screen, therefore you can quickly access the app and see which song is playing, without having to open the app. Lastly, it offers support with Pandora, YouTube, Amazon MP3 store, and Last.fm. After downloading and installing the latest desktop Winamp version, head over to the Android Market and search for Winamp to download the Android app. Remember, it is only available for users running Android 2.1 and up. Read [Winamp Blog] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Gadgets / Other, ebooks It seems to have been quite the exciting day for those looking forward to purchasing an ebook reader at Walmart. Earlier today we learned that the Barnes & Noble Nook was coming on October 24th and now it looks like the Kobo Wireless eReader (our favorite of the two) will be joining it. The Kobo reader will be available beginning next week. “The Walmart customer values everyday low prices for quality goods, two principles that we also stand for here at Kobo. The Kobo Wireless eReader will be the opening price in the eReader category, thousands of free books available for download through the Kobo bookstore, today's bestsellers and 100 free literary masterpieces pre-loaded.”
Furthermore, the Kobo Wireless eReader will be available in Borders locations and has begun shipping (as of Monday) for those in Canada who pre-ordered the device. Read [Kobo Blog] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Audio, Video, Web, Google This latest comes more as a nice confirmation than a surprise, that said, the Logitech Revue (Google TV) is now available for sale with Best Buy. Though, it may be a little difficult getting past the ‘backordered’ status right now. It looks like this has been a popular item, that or they just had little inventory to kick things off. Either way though, you can move forward and make an actual purchase. The Logitech Revue is going to be available both in-store and online and you can expect pricing to begin at $299.99. Or for those looking to go with a bundle, there is also a package for $349.98 that ships with two HDMI cables and a package for $599.96 which includes two HDMI cables as well as other goodies including the keyboard. In short, if you are looking for a Google TV setup then a visit to the Best Buy website may be in order given all the available options (seven in total) for the Logitech Revue. Read [Best Buy] Via [Android Central] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Audio With the launch of Windows Phone 7, Microsoft has a chance to bring a lot of new users into it’s Zune service. Perhaps as a way to entice those new users, and to keep current users, Microsoft is offering a cheaper, yearly subscription to the service. Starting today, you can sign up for to “get 12 months for the price of 10.” That means that you can now buy a year of the Zune Pass, including the 10 free downloads each month, for $149.99. That’s about $30 less than you pay per year if you pay it once a month. Not a bad deal, especially if you plan on getting a Windows Phone 7 phone, have a PC and an Xbox 360. That’s $150 a year to get unlimited music on all those devices, provided the music is on Zune. Of course, $150 could still be too much for many, and for those people there are always services like Rdio and MOG which each offer unlimited streaming to desktops and smartphones for $10 a month, which adds up to $120 a month. They don’t have the 10 free downloads a month, however, and you need to make sure they support the device you plan on using. Read [Zune] via [Zune Thoughts] Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Gadgets / Other, ebooks With the holiday season coming soon, many companies are doing their best to get their products into as many stores as possible. What bigger store is there to carry a product than Walmart? Love or hate the retailer, it’s impossible to deny that they are one of the biggest stores in the US, if not the biggest. Starting as soon as October 24, the Barnes & Noble Nook will start to appear in Walmart stores. So this holiday shopper will be able to see the WiFi and 3G Nooks just a few yards away from the Apple iPad. According to Barnes & Noble the Nook has been exceeding expectations for sales, and Walmart will only increase distribution. With Amazon selling the Kindle at Target, it makes sense that Barnes & Noble would go one further and partner with Walmart. This is the third retailer that will carry the Nook. Barnes & Noble retail stores and Best By also carry the eBook reader. The Kindle still seems to own the market, however. Maybe Barnes & Noble can catch up by adding another retailer to the mix. It is curious why this announcement would be made now, just a few days before the Barnes & Noble October 26 press event. Read [Business Wire] Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Apple, Video, HDTV, Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones, Mobile  Verizon has released another iOS app recently, the latest is the Verizon FiOS Mobile Remote and as the name implies—it is a remote. It is available for the iPhone and iPod touch and requires iOS 3.0 or later.
“TV viewing just got more exciting and interactive for FiOS TV customers as Verizon introduces its latest application, Verizon FiOS Mobile Remote, to the iPhone and iPod Touch.”
The app is free to download and free to use, though you will need to have a Verizon router installed in your home. That and, the obvious in that you also need to be a Verizon FiOS customer. As for using the app, wonderful. I did some playing this morning and found that the app was easy to get set up and easy to use. In fact, for most use cases it seems to work better than the remotes that came with my set-top boxes. The app allows you to do pretty much everything from turning the boxes on and off to adjusting the volume and changing the channels. You still have access to the guide, DVR and even your Favorites. And nicely, you can add multiple set-top boxes in the app, which means you can carry your iPod touch (or iPhone) from room to room. Or you could sit in another room and screw with the person watching the television, which seems to have become a favorite past time of my daughter, but I guess we can overlook that for a while considering I hijacked her iPod for the testing. Read [FiOS Mobile Remote (App Store link)] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Video, Content, Video Providers, Communications, Smartphones, Mobile  Coming as a bit of good news for those who may be planning to pick up a Windows Phone 7 handset—SlingPlayer Mobile is coming. The when is still the question, and in terms of price, that is likely to be $29.99 which is the same as the rest of the SlingPlayer Mobile apps. That said, that was not an official pricing statement, simply speculation on my part. Either way though, the importance here comes in with the above video and the nice little walk through that we are getting. One perk comes in with the quality, according to what was mentioned in the video, the Windows Phone 7 app will be able to offer “up to 4 times the resolution of previous Windows Mobile devices.” Watch [YouTube] Via [Engadget] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Video, Content, DVD/DVR/Blu-ray, HDTV 
Wow. 20% of downstream traffic during primetime hours is streaming video from Netflix according to Sandvine's “Fall 2010 Global Internet Phenomena” study. Netflix says only 66% of its customers have streamed video online so far. The company looked at traffic sources and expects its news to be a wake up call to US carriers. Thats not a good thing, I think, for consumers. Sandvine president and CEO Dave Caputo said, "You (meaning carriers) may have to address the peak-time surges by getting people to shift their usage on non-sensitive apps to prime time. Now, apps like online back-up and bulk downloads are happening in prime time, and service providers may need to convince customers they will get better quality if they do those things during non-peak hours." It should be noted his company is in the policy and policy control business, so take it with a grain. However, as Netflix gets more and more of its customers to stream, that 1 in 5GB will grow. Netflix’s number of streamers grew from 41% last year for the same quarter. That’s significant growth and Netflix keeps getting on anything with a plug. As an asides, its an interesting statement on either the quality of primtime TV (what streamers are not watching) or at very least, the value of watching it live. Read: [Multichannel News] Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones, Mobile  With yesterdays ban on talking about reviews lifted, Windows Phone 7 was exposed. The news? No one is championing this OS?
A quick look around the net finds these unvarnished opinions:
-“Quite honestly, I doubt if any current iPhone or Android owners will switch to Windows Phone 7” - Todd Ogasawara, Think Mobile
-” I see Windows Phone 7 as inferior to iPhone and Android for most average users. It's simply not fully baked yet.” -Walt Mossberg, All Things Digital
- It still feels like the company is a good year behind market leaders right now, and though it’s clear the folks in Redmond are doing everything they can to get this platform up to snuff, it’s also clear that they’re not there yet.” -Joshua Topolsky, Engadget
-“Let’s just get it out of the way: Windows Phone 7 is the most exciting thing to happen to phones in a long time.”-Matt Buchanan, Gizmodo Wait, what? Big reviews fall down and Giz is the only one facing into the storm? We go from a strong, “not ready for primetime” to “Windows Phone strikes the best balance of any smartphone between web-oriented and local storage.” Read his “review”; I use quotes here as by comparison, it’s light, caffeine-free-diet light. Buchanan even ends his “review” with a question: “Should you buy this instead of an iPhone or Android phone though?” and his answer: “In six months, after the ecosystem has filled out, the answer will be more clear. But right now, Window Phone is definitely an option. Considering where Microsoft was just a year ago, that’s saying a hell of a lot.” This was the same blog that refused to review the Nokia N8, on principle. Gizmodo aside, most reviewers agree iPhone and Android won’t feel a Windows Phone 7 sales pinch, Blackberry might. Though most reviewers note the phone is very consumer friendly, competing with BlackBerry brings corporate users to the forefront. That’s right where Windows Mobile (the old OS Microsoft pushed well past its prime) left off. Can MS regain what it had? Is that what it is fighting for and invested a barge-load of dollars for? I suspect not. Ouch. Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Video, Video Providers Netflix was once thought by many, and likely still is, as a DVD-by-mail service—however it looks like the times are changing. Co-founder Reed Hastings recently summed this up rather nicely with a statement. In fact, by every measure, we are now primarily a streaming company that also offers DVD-by-mail," said Reed Hastings, Netflix co-founder and CEO.
A streaming company that also offers DVD’s. Very interesting to read. Of course, this comes due to the growth in the streaming side of the business and the fact that 66 percent of their customers have streamed either a movie or television episode. And just for comparison, that 66 percent was up from 41 percent from the same quarter in the previous year. With that, this means those in the US waiting for a streaming only service may soon get what they are waiting for, that is, according to Netflix. "At the same time, the introduction of our streaming offering in Canada in late September has provided us with very encouraging signs regarding the potential for the Netflix service internationally."
Read [Netflix] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile T-Mobile has once again taken to Twitter and unveiled a release date and pricing, this time it was for their upcoming Windows Phone 7 release. The handset is going to be the HTC HD7 (we already knew that) and it will be available as of November 8th and selling for $199.99. And of course, that $199.99 is based on a two year agreement. Otherwise, the HD7 looks to be one of the nicer (and larger) Windows Phone 7 handsets that we are going to see come available. Just to refresh, the HTC HD7 features a 4.3 inch display, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 16GB of storage, 5 megapixel camera with 720p video recording, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and will arrive with pre-installed apps to include Slacker and Netflix. Via [Twitter @TMobile] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
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