Expect Apple TV in 2014, Analyst Says

Apple will not launch its smart television in 2012, according to an analyst. However, the analyst thinks that a "full-fledged" TV is on its way and could arrive in 2014. In the meantime we can expect great things from the Apple TV set top bow.

J.P. Morgan analyst Mark Moskowitz wrote a note to investors saying his research: "Does not indicated any looming TV-related product launch."

Moskowitz suggested that the "strained" economic conditions mean that it would not be wise for Apple to release a television this year, reports AppleInsider.

Moskowitz also notes that several television makers already offer "suitable" solutions. He said: "We are not sure that the Apple premium could prevail in the TV market, unless there is a radical change of the user interface, integration of the TV programming and data content, and use of gesture or voice control."

J.P. Morgan still views Apple as the company to "radically alter the TV landscape", just that Apple's approach will be slow. In the meantime, Moskowitz suggested that Apple might expand the Apple TV into "more of a set top box module."

"We believe Apple can design a smarter set top box to manage all components behind the end user's TV experience, as well as eliminate the oft-cumbersome user interface provided by the cable and satellite operators."

New features for the Apple TV could include universal remote capabilities through Siri or gestures, advanced set top box capabilities, DVR capability and gaming console options, Moskowitz wrote.

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How to Use Plex to Get Media From PC to Roku Box

Here's how to use Plex, a free tool for streaming media from a PC to a Roku set-top box. And if your PC seems to be too sluggish to play media promptly, I'll give you some tips to decide when it's time to reinstall Windows.

My tiny Roku set-top delivers everything I could possibly want to my TV: Amazon (both Prime and Instant), Netflix, Hulu, HBO, and Pandora.

Well, okay, not quite everything: The Roku can't stream my personal library of music, photos, and videos without a little help from Plex, anyway. Plex works like a charm, though it can be tricky to set up. Here's how to get started:

1. Add the Plex channel to your Roku.

2. Download and install the Plex Media Server utility for Windows. This is the software that'll link your media library to your box.

3. Right-click the Plex Media Server icon in your System Tray, then choose Media Manager. That should open a new tab in your browser, which is where you'll set up the media you want to share with your Roku. It may take a minute or two before any options appear, so be patient.

4. Eventually you'll see five options for adding media to your library. The process is the same for all, so click one (say, Photos), then click Add and navigate to the folder containing the photos you want to add. Click Add again if you want to include additional folders.

5. When you've finished making your selections, click Add Section. Again, it may take a minute or two for your media to appear in the browser tab.

6. Now head to your TV, fire up the Roku, and choose the Plex channel. You should see your selected media channels, which you can now browse and view as you like.

If you have trouble navigating your media owning to filename confusion, check out Plex's Naming Guide, which is a bit confusing but can ultimately be of some help.

Also, if you have trouble with pixelation, grab the latest version of Plex Media Server directly from Plex.

So what if your system crashes a lot when you're trying to watch a movie? Does your system take a solid 10 minutes of boot-up time before the hard drive stops thrashing and you can do anything?

If programs won't run properly, Windows crashes often or takes more than a few minutes to boot, or you've got a malware issue you simply can't overcome, that's when you need to cut bait and start over.

I've reached that point with my system. So I'm making lists of all the essential programs and utilities I'll need to reinstall, backing up all my important data (including easy-to-overlook stuff like address books and iTunes folders), and syncing as much stuff to the cloud as possible (for ease of retrieval after the system wipe).

If you feel like this is beyond your capabilities consider hiring professional help. It'll cost you a few bucks, but certainly less than a new PC would.

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Netflix Launches Snazzy New In-Browser Video PLayer

Netflix Wednesday rolled out a much-needed update to its in-browser video player. The new player features a revamped control bar, the ability to browse other episodes during playback, and informative text overlays that pop up when you pause the video for a few seconds.

The new player appears to have some issues with Google Chrome on Mac OS X -- if you try to start the player in Chrome running on OS X, you get a warning pop-up that says the browser is not yet supported. That said, it may still work on your particular machine -- if you click through the warning, you may still be able to get Netflix to run with no issues.

A Netflix representative explained to GigaOM that "Chrome on Mac support is a limitation of Microsoft Silverlight, not Netflix. It works on some Macs but not on others, so we allow it and give users a warning."

The first thing you'll notice when you open up the new Web player is that the picture now hits the edges of the browser window -- you're no longer looking at a little box within your browser. This is because Netflix has moved the control bar onto the picture -- it appears as an overlay when you move your mouse over the video.

The new control bar has a couple of new buttons, including a button that lets you change the language (if applicable) of the video and turn subtitles on or off.

If you're watching a TV show or a series, you can now preview other episodes from within the video. The "preview" gives you an image from the episode, as well as a brief synopsis. You can jump directly to that episode by clicking anywhere within the preview box.

The last major visual change is the lightbox-like text overlay that appears when you pause the video. After the video has been paused for a couple of seconds, the image dims and an informative text overlay pops up with the title of the movie/show you're watching, the rating (if applicable), the season and episode (if applicable), and a brief synopsis. This overlay disappears when you move your mouse over the video.

Netflix's browser app redesign comes after the company updated a few other platforms, including its tablet app and its Xbox 360 app.

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New Sony Projector Can Show, Record Notes Scribbled Onto the Screen

Sony said Monday it will sell a projector that displays and saves notes scribbled onto the images it projects.

The projector comes with two battery-powered infrared pens, which it uses to track what is being written on the screen. Both pens can be tracked at the same time, and each can also be used as a standard computer mouse during presentations.

The company said the projector can be used in classroom settings to save comments written on screen during a lesson, then posted or used in future classes. In business settings, the device can be used as a virtual whiteboard and to save meeting notes directly to a computer.

The device will go on sale next month in the Japan, Europe and the U.S., at an estimated price of ¥260,000 (US$3,200). Sony intends to target academic institutions that could use it for classroom presentations, as well as traditional business customers, a company spokeswoman said.

Special software must be installed on the PC connected to the projector for the pen-tracking feature to work. It has HDMI as well as standard video inputs.

The Sony VPL-SW535C projector comes with a 3,000-lumen bulb, bright enough to be used in normal lighting, that will typically last for 6,000 hours. It also uses a mirror-based projection system that allows it be used very close to the screen -- Sony said it can throw a 70-inch image when mounted about 11 centimeters away. The projector itself is about 40 centimeters in length, and has a 10-watt speaker.

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Slingbox Solo, $130

Sling Media's Slingbox Solo media streamer usually sells for about $160 online. Right now, though, you can snag one for only $130 at Buy.com--and shipping is free.

For hot tech bargains in your inbox every week, subscribe to the PCWorld Bargain Bulletin newsletter.

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Sony to Launch 5GB Online Photo Sharing Service Next Week

Sony said Friday it will launch its online photo sharing service, "PlayMemories Online," next week.

The service will initially be available in six countries -- Japan, the U.S., Canada, Germany, France, and the U.K. -- from April 25, and will offer 5GB of free storage. The service will allow users to upload photos and videos taken with Sony cameras, using its "PlayMemories Home" software for Windows and Macintosh. Photos can also be uploaded from smartphones and tablets using an Android app that will be available from the Google Play store.

The photos can be shared online, or viewed using Sony's Bravia TVs or digital photo frames. Some Sony cameras equipped with Wi-Fi can also send images and videos directly to tablets or smartphones, which can then be uploaded to the service.

The service is part of a major effort by Sony to link its various products through online platforms, much the way rival Apple allows sharing with its iCloud service across its phones, tablets, and computers. Other manufacturers such as Samsung are also said to be rolling out their own cloud platforms.

Sony is also trying to incorporate its gaming products into the effort. Last month, Sony announced a new photo editing suite for the PlayStation 3, for use together with PlayMemories Online. Files stored on the gaming device can also be viewed and edited using Sony's handheld Vita and PlayStation Portable consoles.

The company is also working to strengthen its online offerings in other areas. It has grouped many of its online music, movies, and games into its Sony Entertainment Network, and is developing a PlayStation platform that will expand the brand beyond Sony-made consoles, on approved devices made by other hardware manufacturers.

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XBox Live Adds HBO Go, MLB.tv and Comcast Xfinity Apps

The latest update to Xbox Live brings premium streaming video from Comcast Xfinity, MLB.tv and HBO Go right to your Xbox 360 console. The update, announced on Microsoft's Major Nelson's blog, isn’t a cable killer because users will still need a cable subscription to access the features.

If you're a subscriber of Comcast, HBO or MLB.tv, head to the Xbox's App Marketplace on your Xbox 360's dashboard and download your flavor of entertainment. In order to get all three, you'll need a Comcast Xfinity cable subscription with HBO (roughly $90 per month), an MLB.tv premium pass with all-device access ($25 per month), and an Xbox Live Gold membership ($60 per year) -- so you'll be spending roughly $1,440 for the added convenience of utilizing your game console as the ultimate media streaming machine.

Add in one of Microsoft's Xbox 360 Kinect Sensors ($150, not the $250 Kinect for Windows version) and erase the static dullness of clicking remotes. With the Kinect, you can control Xfinity and MLB.tv with your voice or using hand motions, or search HBO's entire catalog with your voice.

Comcast has declared that Xfinity On Demand on the Xbox will not count against your 250GB bandwidth cap, saving you some dollars.

"Since [Xfinity On Demand] is being delivered over our private IP network and not the public Internet, it does not count against a customer's bandwidth cap. XFINITYTV.com and the XFINITY TV app stream content over the public Internet and count toward the customer's bandwidth cap," Comcast wrote in its Xbox FAQs.

This has raised the ire of the net neutrality advocate group Public Knowledge, which, in an e-mailed statement to Ars Technica, claims that this corporate-determined differentiation between public and private Internet "raises questions not only of the justification for the caps but, more importantly, of the survival of an Open Internet."

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