Sunday Night Football Online — Not Available to Mac Users?

We’re still trying to contact NBC Sports for an explanation, but for some reason we aren’t able to watch Sunday Night Football online using either one of the two Macs we have here at MSR headquarters. It may very well be that we haven’t downloaded the appropriate crappy extra plugins needed, since NBC online stuff is terrible for asking you to add junk to your computer that you don’t want.

And though the NBC Sunday Night football online site says Mac users can use any browser they want, when I use Chrome to try to log in I get a message that tells me I need to use Safari instead.

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When I switch to Safari, all I get is a blank screen (other than the banner ads, which display fine) and a message that says “For additional features and the enriched Sunday Night Football experience please use your Windows-enabled PC browser and launch the video player from NBCSports.com/liveextra” — which isn’t much help and really surprising in an era when more Mac PCs and laptops are being sold.

Anyone at NBC who can explain what’s going on? Maybe we can get it figured out before the weather clears in Seattle, where play is delayed?

QUICK UPDATE, 9/17: Just spoke with an NBC representative (more info coming in separate post) who said that streaming IS available to Mac users, but only with Safari browsers. Check back for a longer post with some technical guidelines — not sure yet but guessing my inability to see live video even in Safari (which some other readers also experienced) is probably due to my using an older version of Mac OS or Safari. So: Macs aren’t shut out for SNF, but they are definitely second-class citizens now, in part no doubt due to the deal signed earlier this year between the league and Microsoft. NBC, for example, can now only offer its extended features (multiple camera angles, social media stuff) to Microsoft client devices; wonder what other restrictions the shield agreed to for Microsoft cash?

Apple Breaks out the new iPhone, Times Two

To the surprise of only those who have no access to the Internet Apple’s event at its Cupertino, Calif. headquarters resulted in the first multiproduct offering in the popular iPhone family, with a lower cost model to tag along with the latest high end offering.

This was of course just part of the event as Apple never allows a major event to pass by without discussing the current state of the business and discussing a host of other products either here today or on the very close horizon.

One of the key areas is the next iteration of its operating system, iOS 7. It will have better search features, a more interactive calendar, more active reminders, iTunes Radio and approximately 200 new features in the OS that the company plans to launch September 18.

The first of the two new phones introduced is the iPhone 5C, which will be available in white, red, yellow, blue and green. The phone, Apple’s first low cost offering, is powered by an internally designed A6 processor and will start at $99 with 16GB of storage and a two year contract. It will jump to $199 with a 32GB. A case will be available for $29. It appears to be basically an iPhone 5 in a lower costing case.

Before delving into the details of the new iPhones, it’s worth highlighting the importance of personalization in the world of smartphone accessories. One popular accessory that allows users to express their individuality is a customisable phone case. These cases not only provide protection for your device but also serve as a canvas for showcasing your unique style and personality. Whether you prefer sleek and minimalist designs or vibrant and eye-catching patterns, a customizable phone case offers endless possibilities to tailor your device to your liking. Now, let’s delve into the exciting features of Apple’s latest offerings.

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The second offering is the iPhone 5S, available in gold, silver and space gray and it will be the first from the company with a 64-bit A7 processor. The new iOS 7 and all existing apps should be capable of running on the 64-bit processor. A key technology is the M7 processor (different from the A7) that is being called a motion coprocessor and uses the phones sensors such as its accelerometer and should enable a new generation of sports apps.

As expected it has a fingerprint sensor as an additional level of security, and can be used with either hand or which can unlock the phone and perform a few other functions. Other new features include an improved camera and new lens and a new home button.A 16GB version will be available, with a 2 year contract, for $199. Both phones will be available September 20th.

An interesting move by the company is that it will not be lowering the price of the existing offering, the iPhone 5, as it has always done in the past when it released a new model, but instead will simply replace it with the two new models. Apple said that next month it will ship its 700 millionth iOS device with over 380 million iPhones

What was not here
While Apple pleased some and undoubtedly disappointed others with its two new phones there was a phone that was not here that received a good deal of attention as well, and that is one with an even larger screen. Earlier in the year it had been rumored that the company would join the growing phablet space offering a device that is both a phone and a small form tablet, possibly with a 6-inch screen.

New iPad and iPad mini are expected later this year so that fans wanting new tablet updates to match their new phones will probably not have too long to wait.

Sony hits the market with an 11.6-inch Windows 8 Tablet

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Sony continues to search for the right mix in the tablet space and its latest offerings is the VAIO Tap 11, an offering that will be running Microsoft’s Windows 8 operating system and comes with a host of additional features.

Sony is being coy about some details such as exactly which processor it is using, although it does say that it s one Intel’s latest quad-core offerings. The Tap 11 at 9.9mm thick, without keyboard, is one of the slimmest on the market.

It supports a maximum of 4GB of RAM and 516GB storage with a HD 1920 x 1080 11.6-inch display. The display comes with a digital stylus and a magnetically attached keyboard cover, enabling users to have a variety of input and operating options.

It has an autofocus 8 megapixel rear facing camera as well as a front facing HD camera that also includes autofocus capabilities. There is a variety of interconnect capabilities including WLAN 802.11a/b/g/n; USB 3.0 with USB charge (x1); Bluetooth standard Ver. 4.0 + HS.

The tablet s expected to go on sale this fall, with the pricing to be announced at a later date. Microsoft has struggled to establish a solid presence in the tablet space since its introduction of Windows 8 and Sony has struggled to move up into the ranks of Apple, Samsung, and a few others. The pricing on this platform could be key for helping to reverse the fortunes of Sony and Microsoft in this space.

Samsung Starts the Clock on the Smartwatch Battle

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Samsung the first among the major consumer electronics players to take the wraps off of its smartwatch with its unveiling yesterday of the Galaxy Gear smart watch as that space takes a major step forward becoming a reality.

The Galaxy Gear features a 1.63-inch display and is designed to connect to a Galaxy phone providing e-mail alerts and news routed from that device. However it is more than a glorified pager as it also features a 1.9 megapixel camera that will enable point and shoot photography. It has a built-in microphone that can be used for composition of memos, emails, calendar appointments and more.

One of the areas that early smartwatch pioneers have worked to cultivate has been in the exercise and training field and the Galaxy Gear is designed to compete in that space as well and will support a number of popular apps in that space such as RunKeeper and Life360 and can function as a pedometer.

Last but not least the Galaxy Gear also serves as a wristwatch and includes several face options and will come preloaded with 10 different clock options and more choices will be downloadable via Samsung Apps. It will be available in six colors that will be available at launch: Jet Black, Mocha Gray, Wild Orange, Oatmeal Beige, Rose Gold, and Lime Green. The company said it would ship on September 25th and it will listed at under $300.

There has been a great deal of talk over the last year about smartwatches-which companies will or will not release one, when that will occur and if this means the death toll to the smaller players such as Pebble that have been working to pioneer this space.

Apple has been another of the players that have been rumored to be in development in this space, and recently Google announced made a major move into the space (which actually closed last year) with its purchase of WIMM Labs, a company that first showed its smartwatch design in 2011. Expect others to follow suit in the near future.

It will be hard to predict how this space will pan out. Will the devices be viewed as a fad with a fast adoption rate and an equally fast abandonment rate? Remember a few years back when the race in smartphones was to see who had the smallest form factor? Then as apps started to make them multifunctional they went to larger and larger formats, and now the phablet space is a huge one with oversized screens.

Watches will have small displays. They are good for quick updates and alerts and a surprising range of other features, but they also duplicate everything that is on a smartphone, and so will the majority of users want to carry two pieces of hardware when they have one that already does all of the tasks and more?

It will also be interesting to see if their is a backlash like there appears to be for Google Glass. Will casinos ban smartwatches and how will they do that?

Friday Grab Bag- MLB.TV at a Discount!

The Fall Classic is coming into sight and if your team is looking to make the playoffs (mine is not) then you might want to consider this offer from MLB. It is offering its TV package, MLB.TV, for $19.99. Subscribers can watch games not just on a TV but also laptops, iPhones and iPads as well as the Xbox 360.

Motorola to Xoom no more
If you have a Motorola Xoom tablet it might be a collectors’ item. No the company is not phasing it out, but it has settled a trademark dispute with Xoom Corp. that spells the end Motorola using that name for its tablet.

Xoom Corp., an online payment company, convinced Motorola that it infringed on Xoom’s trademarks when it released the Xoom tablet, so expect Motorola’s next generation tablet to carry a different name.

Facebook’s CEO Seeks Expanded Mobile Internet Access
Mark Zuckerberg has a tech alliance called Internet.org that will seek to expand the availability to billions around the globe that currently have no method of getting online. He called the effort “the greatest challenge of our generation.”

Members include Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung, Qualcomm and Opera. Rival Google, which is working on its own solution to this issue, is not a member nor is Intel which has also been active in this area.

Apple to refresh both iPad and iPhone at same time?
Rumors have been going around that Apple would refresh one then wait a few weeks and refresh the other but now they are reporting that both will be done at an event that Apple is expected to host on Sept. 10.

Bloomberg has reported that Apple will release on that date, which interestingly is after several rivals such as Samsung and Sony plan to also release new offerings. Samsung is expected to do Apple one better and debut its smartwatch as well.


Intel preps next generation tablet processor

Intel often has interesting names for its processors and the next two coming down the pipe, Cherry Trail and Willow Trail are expected to be much faster processors than the current Silvermont family which is just now coming on line.

Cherry Trail is expected to hit the market in the third quarter of 2014 while Willow Trail will follow the next quarter, according to a report from Tech Radar.

Details of Archos tablet revealed in FCC filing
Slash Gear is reporting details of an upcoming tablet from Archos that is expected to be called the Archos 101 XS 2, which the company is expected to unveil next month at the IFA show. The tablet will feature 1GB RAM, a 10.1-inch display, 16GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot for additional capacity.

ESPN introduces Major Revamp to WatchESPN App

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WatchESPN, the mobile app for iPads, iPhones and iPod touch from the sports broadcasting giant has be upgraded with a host of new and enhanced features as the company provide mobile access to a number of its channels including to ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3 and ESPN Goal Line/Buzzer Beater.

Among the additions is access to ESPN3 for college students and military personnel via on-campus (.edu) and on-base (.mil) Wi-Fi network. Also new is ESPN on ABC, providing access to live programming on ESPN on ABC events and will redirected users to the WATCH ABC App for access to that content

For the iPad it has added Live Toolbar, a feature that has the ability to shows stats and scores without opening an additional digital stream. It has three components in the form of tabs that reside at the bottom of the screen.

The first is on called Live TV Lineup that is just what it says, an interactive guide to all of the programming that is available on the network. The second is called Scores, and is designed to not only provide the scores that a fan might be seeking but allow them to gather pregame info on sporting events with a feature in Scores that is called Pre-Game View. The Live View function shows cores of events that are currently on-going and Post-Game View for the wrap up.

The third tab is called Top Video and is an on-demand feature that provides up-to-date news, analysis and highlights. This can be used in split screen mode so that you can continue watching an event at the same time.

The WatchESPN App is available for free from the App Store on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch or at www.AppStore.com/WatchESPN. It should be noted that you can only use the app if you also get ESPN as part of a cable broadcast package from one of its broadcast partners.