Surrounded By Pressure In US, Sony Turns To Other Countries For E-Reader

May 27 2010, 3:21pm CDT | by Jordan Cressman

As it struggles to maintain relevance in the e-book market in the US, Sony is now turning to Asia, Australia, and Europe as it ramps up its international distribution of its e-book gadget.
You can just picture it, can't you? Best Buy executives saying "let's build a TV with a Tivo interface, but strip away everything that most people associate with Tivo." Makes sense, doesn't it?

The #1 electronics retail chain has partnered with Tivo to incorporate the look and feel of the iconic DVR box, and will use Tivo's software to navigate through menus and features, but they will be completely different features than those on an actual Tivo device.

The new line of TVs, to be produced under Best Buy's Insignia brand, will have Internet connectivity and offer on-demand content through CinemaNow.com, a streaming movie site that the retailer recently acquired.

"The beauty of TiVo software is that it creates a single interactive interface right on the television and integrates the myriad of online content and services," said Best Buy VP of Exclusive Brands Fernando Silva.

Tivo and Best Buy have been joined at the hip for the last year or so after they joined a cross-promotional agreement. Thanks to its obligated presence at the stores, Best Buy is one of the thin threads that is helping Tivo stay alive.

Surely, though, offering a "Tivo TV" without a DVR, which is the very definition of what Tivo is, will greatly confuse customers. And how many people out there really think that the Tivo software is the best CE interface for a set-top device? This plan doesn't seem to make a lot of sense, but crazier things have happened.

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8 Hot Gifts For Dads and Grads

Source: Columbus NBC 4

Lots of students are graduating in the next couple of weeks and Father's Day is on the horizon. So NBC4’s Robyn Haines has some ideas for dads and grads who are all about technology. Jim Barry, known as the “Digital Answer Man,” was in Columbus l ...
Full article at: Columbus NBC 4 More like this 1 day ago, 5:03am CDT