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Shazam Encore Pretty Much Nails 'Name That Tune' May 04, 2012 I think I may have asked Shazam Encore to do the impossible. I had downloaded the app just before a planned lunch that included a sojourn to my neighborhood car wash -- which conveniently features a simple Mexican eatery. Sitting on the bench in the shade after the nosh, I detected the faint yet unmistakable tinkling sound of elevator music above the roar of the blowing drier. "Aha," I thought, wits about me, "Shazam reckons it can identify songs instantly?"

Waiting for Apple to Charge the Gates of TV Land May 04, 2012 Speculation about Apple producing a television set that will revolutionize how we watch entertainment at home has been percolating for months, as has the arrival time for the super set. Initially, it was predicted to arrive in time for the 2011 holiday season; then it was going to share the stage with the new iPad in 2012; and when that didn't happen, it was pushed to sometime in 2012 or the first half of 2013.

Amazon: Hey, Gang - Let's Put On a Show! May 02, 2012 Amazon is taking the long-expected step of developing its own content for Amazon Instant Video. It is doing so via its content development division, Amazon Studios, which uses audience feedback to suggest content for its customers. Now it has pushed this model further, though, inviting series creators to upload proposals for comedy and children's programming. Those selected will be distributed through Amazon Instant Video.

Smart TV May Be Too Smart for Its Own Good April 27, 2012 If you've been anywhere near a consumer electronics retailer lately or have leafed through the consumer electronics circulars and ads that supplement Sunday newspapers, you've no doubt noticed the words "Smart TV" shouting out at you. And if you've been wondering what a Smart TV is, or whether whatever it is may be smarter than you are, read on.

Speakers Tussle Over Internet's Future at The Next Web Conference April 26, 2012 The Next Web, a network of online technology outlets, kicked off its annual conference Thursday morning in Amsterdam. One of the morning's headline speakers was Alexis Ohanian, cofounder of the social news site Reddit, whose 25-minute talk discussed the ongoing -- and increasingly litigious -- battle over Internet rights.

Netflix Doubles Down on European Gambit April 24, 2012 Today in international tech news: Netflix vows to increase its European expansion, malware shuts down Iranian oil facilities and government websites, a Chinese company challenges Apple on its use of the name "iPad," Giga OM looks at the roots of the recent YouTube/Germany dispute, and some 38,000 entrants in the London Marathon had their information published publicly.

Netflix Struggles to Right Itself April 23, 2012 What a difference a year makes. Netflix, the tech industry's golden child last spring, has been struggling to overcome a series of missteps it made later in 2011. There is guarded optimism that when the company posts its fiscal first quarter report after the closing bell on Monday, some progress will be evident. However, Netflix is expected to report a net loss of $9 million to $27 million for the quarter.

EU Greenlights Sony's Lane in Complex EMI Deal April 20, 2012 The European Commission's competition authority has given an investment group led by Sony the go-ahead to acquire EMI Group's music-publishing division for US$2.2 billion. The commission's approval is conditioned on Sony, which is partnering with ATV in this transaction, selling certain music assets and changing some business practices.

UK, US Play Piracy Tug-of-War April 19, 2012 There is cross-party pressure in the UK to stay the extradition of 23-year-old Richard O'Dwyer, who founded a website that shared links to TV shows. Last month Theresa May, the UK home secretary, approved the extradition request to send O'Dwyer to the U.S., where he faces up to 10 years in prison for copyright violations.

Entertainment Device Convergence: The State of Play April 13, 2012 The tumultuous convergence of entertainment devices, greater interaction with the television-viewing experience, and increased involvement of social networks were all in the Klieg lights at the IP&TV World Forum, the Internet television show I attended recently in London. I was immersed in the future of television content delivery mashed with user interaction.

2 Countries, 2 Companies, 1 Big Headache April 12, 2012 This one is a little muddy: A judge in Seattle has ruled that Motorola Mobility Holdings can't seek to ban Microsoft's Xbox or Windows products in Germany. BusinessWeek unpacks some of the details: "Motorola Mobility, which owns patents related to industry standards for video compression and WiFi, petitioned a German court to ban Microsoft products that comply with those standards."

Xbox Lassos More Content to Wrangle More Eyeballs March 28, 2012 Microsoft continued to expand its television offerings for members of its Xbox Live Gold service Monday by adding HBO Go, Major League Baseball video and Comcast's on-demand video service. Comcast Xfinity TV allows Xbox Gold members to access the cable carrier's expansive library of entertainment programming whenever they want it.

IP&TV World Forum, Day 3: Multiscreen Mania March 23, 2012 I'm surrounded by screens here at the Olympia exhibition hall -- tablet-sized, big screens, you name it -- and they all connect with each other. It's day three at the IP&TV World Forum. The lowly remote control can soon be buried under the sofa cushions for good, judging by the offerings from set-top box manufacturers here.

IP&TV World Forum, Day 2: The Future March 22, 2012 I'm attending the IP&TV World Forum, aka the Internet Protocol Television Show, at the Olympia exhibition hall in sunny London. I have been checking out technologies being deployed in Europe that we may be seeing state-side very soon. HbbTV is a hybrid television delivery system available now in some European countries that combines synchronized broadcast with broadband.

IP&TV World Forum, Day 1: Disrupting a Disruptive Technology March 21, 2012 Internet-delivered television was once thought of "disruptive," but it looks like it's about to be firmly adopted by common television programming suppliers worldwide and incorporated into their delivery systems. Looking around at the IP&TV World Forum, I'm seeing a whole bunch of monkey wrenches sitting on the sidelines. I'm at the stunning Victorian-era Olympia exhibition hall in a surprisingly sunny London.

AT&T Flails in the Quicksand March 17, 2012 The name of AT&T's pain, for this month anyway, is Matthew Spaccarelli. He's a customer that gave the carrier a small thumping in court, and that would have left AT&T with a very minor scab. But it seems the company just couldn't resist picking at it. It all started when Spaccarelli took AT&T to small-claims court over his smartphone data rate being throttled.

Cisco Bets Big Bucks on TV Services With NDS Buy March 16, 2012 Cisco Systems has revealed plans to acquire NDS Group, paying $5 billion for the video software company as part of an effort to increase investment in its software and video services. NDS software ensures that paid digital content gets to appropriate set-top boxes, smart TVs and consumer gadgets.

Opening the Vault: How Classic B-Ball Footage Finds New Life Online March 15, 2012 March Madness is upon us, and there are few better places for hoops fans to get their fix than the NCAA Vault. The Vault, powered by Thought Equity Motion, is a treasure for hoops nuts, hosting video content of the NCAA Basketball Tournament dating back to the 1970s -- dunks, buzzer-beaters, even entire games.

Has Intel Been Bitten by the Pay-TV Bug? March 13, 2012 Intel is rumored to be considering entering the pay-television service market. The chipmaker reportedly has reached out to media companies and cable channels as part of its research. The service would be based on a Web-connected set-top box that could offer both streaming TV and video-on-demand programming.

iPad: What's in a Name? March 10, 2012 Apple finally drew the curtain on its next-generation iPad, revealing a device that looks a whole lot like last year's model but is definitely packing some heavier guts. First of all the screen is now a super-sharp Retina display, so named because theoretically you shouldn't be able to spot the individual pixels with a naked eye.