Music & Videos

Windows 8/RT App Updates: Xbox Music and Xbox Video (May 2013)

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:45:00 +0000

After months of silence, the Xbox media apps are really starting to improve

Late last week, Microsoft silently updated the Xbox Music and Xbox Video apps on Windows 8 and RT, but didn’t provide a change log so we could see which features had been updated. Here’s what’s new, according to Microsoft.

Introducing Amazon Cloud Player for Windows Desktop

Mon, 13 May 2013 22:47:00 +0000

It's an alternative to iTunes from Amazon

So this is interesting. For the past several months I’ve been clamoring for Amazon to release a Cloud Player mobile app for Windows 8/RT (“Metro”) and Windows Phone 8. Nothing on that front, yet, but today Amazon surprised me with a Cloud Player application … for the Windows desktop.

No iTunes Mobile App for Windows 8/RT? Good!

Sat, 11 May 2013 19:30:00 +0000

We don't need no stinkin' iTunes

Microsoft revealed this week that Apple has no plans to make a “Metro” mobile app version of iTunes for Windows 8 and RT. Sounds good to me: iTunes is an anachronistic and outdated music service that hasn’t kept up with the times.

Roku: 5 Million Devices, and What This Says About the Living Room

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:55:00 +0000

The market for living room technology is surprisingly small

I’ve made the case that Microsoft’s Xbox 360 sales over many years do not constitute a particularly large market, especially when compared to those for PCs, tablets, or smart phones. But this week, Roku announced that it has now sold 5 million of its living room set-top boxes. What does this say about the state of this market?

Naming the Books

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 15:43:00 +0000

I think I've settled on good names for the books series, and for the books

I think I’ve finally settled on the brand I’ll use for the books and book series I’m writing and will continue to write going forward. That said, I do need a bit of help clarifying the exact names.

Pandora: 200 Million Customers

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:50:00 +0000

Pandora is one of a handful of no-brainer online music services

Between Xbox Music Book and the release of Windows 8/Windows Phone 8 apps for Spotify, Rhapsody, Nokia Music+, and other services in recent weeks, I’ve been thinking a lot about online music services again. And with Pandora announcing this week that it has crossed the 200 million customer mark, the service jumps, if temporarily, to the top of the list again.

WD TV Play Review

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 15:00:00 +0000

An interesting device for those with Windows-based content shares on their home networks

With the WD TV Play, Western Digital expands its living room set-top box product lineup to the low end of the market, giving it reasonable alternative to similarly-priced Roku units. It’s particularly well-suited to those with their own video library, whether it’s on external USB hard drives or a network share.

Windows 8 App Pick: Nokia Music

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 21:38:00 +0000

Nokia finds an interesting mix (ahem) between Internet radio and more comprehensive music services

Already available for Windows Phone, Nokia Music is a Windows 8/RT front-end to the firm’s widely misunderstood online music service, Nokia Music+. It offers a bit more functionality than traditional streaming Internet radio services like Pandora, but quite a bit less than more full-featured services like Xbox Music Pass. Does Nokia Music hit the sweet spot on Windows 8/RT?

Xbox Music Book 1.3

Sat, 30 Mar 2013 22:18:00 +0000

A second draft of Xbox Music Book addresses recent changes to the Xbox Music app for Windows 8/RT

The first draft of Xbox Music Book has been updated to address the changes in the Xbox Music app for Windows 8/RT update that shipped earlier this week. This version of the book is essentially an update to the first draft.

Roku 3 Review

Sat, 30 Mar 2013 20:33:00 +0000

The best yet, but not a major leap forward

While it’s certainly fair to say that the Roku 3 is the best version of Roku’s living room set-top box yet, it’s also not a huge leap over previous generation devices. It includes an important update to the user experience and some minor functional changes, but no big performance gains.