On-demand
Though there may be no shortage of free and subscription-based music services, London-based startup Bloom.fm is counting on there being room for one more. It has a trick up its sleeve: a mobile-first approach to market. Not beholden to translating desktop functionality and UI features to the smartphone, Bloom.fm has delivered a distinct take on the mobile music experience. Out today for iOS in the UK, Gizmag takes the first look at the app, and talks to the team hoping to take on the big guns. Read More
JPods PRT vehicles to run on track under solar panel canopy
Autonomous vehicles and personal transportation pods featured quite heavily in our recent round-up of the Top Ten railways of the future, and the JPods concept from Bill James has both. At the center of the scheme is a driverless, on-demand electric four to six seat vehicle suspended beneath an overhead rail structure, which is topped with photovoltaic panels. A user would let the JPod know the desired location via a touchscreen interface and the vehicle's networked computer system would determine the best route and motor there without further input from the passenger. Read More
You've had a party and your garbage bin is overflowing but the regular collection is still several days away. Imagine being able to make a call and have your rubbish collected at a time that suits you. For 100 households in Peccioli, Italy it's a reality. They are part of a two month trial of DustCart, a robot that provides an on-demand garbage collection service - just make a call and DustCart will soon arrive at your door to take away the trash. Read More
Earlier this year we reported on an announcement from Vizio that would see 1080p “wireless HD” integrated into its new range of LCDs, and we’ve now got some information on the set-top boxes that will offer a similar array of support. Three new Blu-ray players have been announced, with the VBR210 and VBR220 utilizing 802.11n single-band 2.4GHz wireless and the more powerful VBR231 upgrading this to dual-band for improved reliability, making it the first dual-band Blu-ray player. Read More
BBC to sell 'Project Canvas' web-based TV concept around the world
Those outside of the UK may not be overly familiar with the BBC iPlayer, a streaming web-based TV service for the British institution’s range of channels that has seen burgeoning success and spawned a number of terrestrial and satellite-based rivals. It’s also worth summarising the aim of Project Canvas, a venture by the broadcasting giant that looks to bring a similar streaming service to the home and will notably look to incorporate other channels, on-demand services and web-based content from sites such as YouTube, Flickr and Facebook, as well as built-in PVR functionality though a set-top box connected to a TV. Read More
A triumvirate of major movie studios – Lionsgate, Paramount and MGM – is planning to launch a new TV service called Epix that will screen recent catalogue titles in HD. But what’s interesting is the group's move to bundle it with a Hulu-like on-demand, commercial-free service that streams the same films in 720p HD. Read More
