TV in the Tub

TV’s are everywhere now, including bathrooms.  I’m a personal fan of the TV’s that come built into mirrors.  You don’t even know they’re there until you’re ready to watch.  But they’re usually small, and size makes a difference.

Whirlpool wants to change all that with its sub-tub concept.  The OLED TV (the size to the tub it stands over) folds down into the tub providing later access to a sink and mirror above.  I like it.  It’s compact and fun.  It’s only a concept so who knows how much it would cost if it ever got made.  Here’s hoping it gets made at all.

Watered Down Television

Portable Televisions aren’t really portable until you can take them everywhere, well they’re getting closer in Japan.

Panasonic’s new ME550 and ME650 portable TV’s are now available and are now waterproof.  Not only do you get a 5 inch LCD display and larger speakers than old models, you can also take the TV with you to the pool, that’s the real upgrade.  No price and no US availability, but not a bad idea over all.

Losing Lost

So Lost ended last night.  I’m not going to review the show or express my feelings now but rather speak about the changes and influence Lost had on television, and how much I appreciate that.

Lost was amazing specifically because it had never been done before.  Serialized story telling, huge ensemble cast, sci-fi plot on network television, nothing should have worked, and yet the show is one of the most successful shows ever.  Without Lost Heroes would not have existed, Flash forward, and V would not have been attempted, and in this world of Hulu and Youtube no one would have paid $900,000 for a 30 second commercial spot.

Yet, this all did happen.  It was the right show at the right time.  You could watch live to avoid spoilers and then review and search for Easter eggs on Hulu the next morning.  You could discuss on message boards, and watch sneak peak clips on fan sites.  Lost worked not only because of its incredible story telling but also because of its ability to transcend television, to reach out online and for fans to reach out to each other.

It’s over now, but Lost will have forever changed television.  Not only what networks are willing to endorse, but also the ways we can and do interact with the stories we love.

Lost Easter Eggs and such

I have a love/hate relationship with the show LOST. I loved its ingenuity, its weirdness, its unique storytelling techniques. I hated it for the same reason a lot of people do–I didn’t have the patience for figuring out all the clues or keeping up with the twisting story over the course of months of being off-air.

Now it all comes to an end Sunday night. I have big hopes for the finale, but we will just have to see. I’m not super-excited that they plan to show alternative endings on Jimmy Kimmel’s after party. I think it should be like the Sopranos and just lay it out there and live with the consequences. Hopefully they will just be skits.

I came across this story from Wired about some hidden clues in a story they wrote on the final season. The clues would have been helpful before last week’s episode, but it is still interesting the lengths to which the show’s producers have gone to keep its fans interested.

Find out more about Lost Easter eggs here.

Hulu Plus

Hulu is upping the price.  Anything would be more than free, but starting in May Hulu will begin testing Hulu plus, a $10 monthly service through its site.

What will you be getting for you money?  Right now it sounds like a far more extensive selection of shows, not simply a mere five episodes, but perhaps a whole season. It’s like loading up your DVR without having to remember to record anything.  Is it worth it?  Maybe.  We’ll have to wait and see what the actual offerings end up to be.

Lost and Back

So tonight is the beginning of the end. The final season of Lost premieres this evening. In honor of the show I love I thought it appropriate, on this bittersweet day to post a link to a beautiful computer with a Lost theme.

This computer mod (created by some Spanish Lost fans) is in the octagonal shape of the dharma initiative logo with a green backlit “Lost” label. The mod also has a picture of the 1977 Dharma team inside as well as a video screen that displays Doctor Marvin Candle’s informational videos from the show.

If you have no idea what I’m talking about never fear, the first five seasons are out on DVD and I recommend them all. For those of you who do know what I’m talking about here’s to the last season, lets enjoy it while it lasts.

Can 3-D save cable tv?

With so much content become available online via Hulu, iTunes and network sites, cable television is increasingly finding itself in a challenging spot. However, new 3-D enterprises by channels such as ESPN, DIsney, Discovery and more.

ESPN plans to start offering programming before the FIFA World Cup in June with more than 80 live events this year.

Manufacturers such as Sony and Panasonic plan to offer 3-D capable televisions soon too. The problem, says experts, is getting enough content out there for people to justify buying new sets. That, and getting people to wear those glasses.

However, within the decade, 3-D will likely be mainstream and like other technologies before it, we won’t be able to imagine our life before it.

It’s like Science Fiction

I visited New York City recently and was lucky enough to run into a free wifi connection over near Rockefeller Center courtesy of the Scifi (or should I say Syfy) channel.

Syfy will be the new name of the Scifi channel in an attempt to encompass fantasy as well as science fiction into their name. More importantly, as part of their advertising campaign Syfy has set up a bunch of wifi hot spots through out the city, starting with Rockefeller Center.

The spot comes with everything from plastic couches to a computer station (in case you don’t have your laptop on you). There are Televisions, a giant viewmaster (for whatever reason) and it’s all set up on a nice patch of grass. It looks cool, it’s useful, and it’s comfortable. What more could you ask for in the middle of NYC?

I feel like the queen of the world

Ok–that may be an overstatement, but I do feel pretty awesome!  Let me explain . . . I finally figured out how to hook up my laptop to my television to watch streaming video via Hulu or whatever I want, whenever I want.   We’ve had limited cable for a while now so this is like opening a whole new world.

Nothing on TV–just watch a movie or a show on a station I don”t even get on my television. There are also an increasing number of HD channels and HDMI outputs from computers so you don’t have to sacrifice image quality.

I know this isn’t rocket science, but it really is liberating to make it happen. It was so simple, actually. Just connect the S-video cable from your laptop to your television. Change your control panel display settings to enable dual monitors–the television primary and the laptop as secondary and voila–instant slave.

To get the sound to work you have to get an audio cable with an adaptor to plug into your computer’s headphone jack and into the t.v.’s audio in jacks.

Pardon me while I go play now.

Falling Flat Screen TVs a Danger for Young Kids

There has been a 41 percent increase in injuries from tipping furniture since 1990 and much of the blame is going to the popularity of flat screen TVs.  According to the study:

Injuries from televisions alone accounted for nearly half of all injuries related to falling furniture during the study period — 47 percent.

The danger with televisions is that often they have narrow centers of gravity and can have small bases. Take steps to appropriately secure your flat screen to avoid danger to your children.  For instructions on hanging your flat panel HDTV, read more here.

Consumer Reports also offers advice for securing your flat panel such as purchasing the appropriate base for you model, ensuring the furniture you set the tv on does not have drawers and is stable, and securing furniture that is holding the television.