The days of being tied to a traditional TV to watch your favorite shows is becoming less and less of a dream — at least for Mediaroom 2.0 users, like those who subscribe to AT&T U-Verse. It hasn’t even been a full year since Xbox 360 owners were first able to launch a U-Verse blade to watch TV, but it has been about nine months when we first heard rumors of Mediaroom clients for Windows Media Center (aka Monaco), Silverlight (aka Taos) and Windows Phone (aka Rome) would see the light of day. A recent post on William Zhang’s blog, a Microsoft employee, confirms the rumored code names in addition to giving us reason to believe those using Mediaroom 2.0 software might still realize the three screen dream by the end of 2011 after all.

New Mediaroom clients to bring Microsoft’s TV platform everywhere this year originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Sep 2011 23:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engadget

by jeremi

Gadgets and Gizmos

Buying the latest gadgets and gizmos is one of those major highs for the techno savvy that has few parallels. In particular if they are high tech gadgets or computer gadgets. The mere announcement of the tablet display, sized at 7”, by Apple has all computer aficionados in a whirl. The screen of this new device is practically the size of the gizmo itself. All in all as far as high tech gadgets go, this one promises to be a delectable blend of design and ingenuity.

Those hooked on acquiring the latest gadgets and gizmos, and who feel that Nook, Kindle and the like are old hat, now can revel in the world’s first dual screen device — the enTourage eDGe. It combines a notepad, netbook, e-reader, and video/audio recorder and player in one Linux with Google® Android® OS device. What does it do? Much of what you might want to at any given time — web surf, read an e-book, get email, watch movies or listen to music from anywhere.

Essentially this is a student-friendly device aimed at freeing them from carrying books and notebooks. Since it is first and foremost an e-reader, the glare-free screen, zooming features, and the ability for a person to read in sunlight make it a particularly desirable gizmo. There is a journal page that can be opened and used by hand or with the help of a virtual keyboard — very useful for taking notes. This feature is enabled by e-ink technology, which further allows people to make notes on the book they are reading.

If latest computer gadgets are what you are hooked on, there are quite a few in the market just now. The Lenovo Multimedia Remote with 2.4GHz Wireless Keyboard comes in a compact style. Once connected, this multimedia remote can be used for using multimedia controls on the PC like with Windows Media Center. There is also the BearExtender n3 which Rokland Technologies has recently rolled out. It is a long-range 802.11n high-powered wireless adapter for Macs that offers up to four times the range of standard Apple-branded AirPort wireless cards. The Wi-Fi adaptor combines 802.11n compatibility with a powerful 700mW Wi-Fi radio that enables the device to pick up 802.11g and 802.11b signals from long distances.

IOGear Multimedia Keyboard with Laser Trackball and Scroll Wheel, 2.4GHz Wireless GKM561R (Black)

• Ultra-slim ergonomic wireless 2.4Ghz keyboard with built in laser trackball, left / right buttons and scroll wheel features.
• 2.4Ghz technology offers greater range up to 33 feet away from your computer, Built-in laser trackball with 400, 800, and 1200 dpi selections
• Built-in left and right mouse buttons with built-in scroll wheel, 19 hotkeys for multimedia functions
• Slip Resistant design on both sides with rubber grip, 78 channels for Keyboard with unique ID to avoid interference (automatically switches)
• The perfect solution for Digital Living Rooms, ON/OFF switch for battery saving

IOGear GKM561R 2.4GHz Multimedia Keyboard with Laser Trackball and Scroll Wheel you can enjoy the freedom of wireless connectivity with IOGEAR’s slim and ergonomic wireless 2.4 GHz keyboard with built-in laser trackball. The 2.4 GHz wireless keyboard and laser trackball combo allows you to work up to 33 feet away from your computer. It’s the ideal solution for the living room home entertainment and computer enthusiast; also a perfect solution for meeting room presentation needs. Great for HTPC (Home Theater PC’s) setups or MCE (Windows Media Center) applications. The ultra-slim, and low profile keyboard lets you type with style and comfort from any angle in the room. In addition to its creative design it has built-in left and right mouse buttons with a scroll wheel and uses the latest laser trackball technology. This enables you to control the mouse cursor speed from 400 dpi, 800 dpi or at a lightning speed of 1200 dpi. An inclusive, ergonomic, smooth and superb wireless solution for y

Rating: (out of 147 reviews)

List Price: $ 49.99

Price: $ 38.99

I want to setup a Windows Media Center PC in my living room and I want to use our HDTV as the monitor. Can I realisticly use the HDTV as a monitor for web browsing, email and word processing? What kind video card options and connection options do I need to take into consideration?

What is the best, or most realistic connection option? Do I need some kind of converter box?

This may very well be the first time I’ve ever seen Brando sell a product from a big name manufacturer. Normally known for whimsical crap gadgets from faraway lands (and I mean that in the best way possible), the web store is now selling the HTPC-friendly Lenovo Mini Wireless Keyboard for $64.

As previously reported, the device mixes a thumb keyboard and a trackball into the body of an oversized remote control. It uses a 2.4GHz wireless connection and works up to 30 feet away, making it a good candidate for Windows Media Center, Boxee, or just about any other media center application that runs on a PC. It’s powered by two AAA batteries and the USB receiver fits right inside the battery compartment.

If you’d rather order directly from Lenovo, you can get it there for $60 instead. Might be a better idea, no? Lenovo’s always got some coupon codes floating around, too.

Lenovo Mini Wireless Keyboard [Brando]

Both Boxee and Windows Media Center are amazing and among the most popular media playback programs. However, they don’t really work together as they are both more platforms than anything else. You have to close out of one program to start the other and that’s not an easy task if you’re controlling your HTPC with just a remote from your couch. Enter Boxee Windows 7 Media Center Integration 1.0 plug-in.

This plug-in is so simple. It inserts a Boxee icon into Windows Media Center that when pressed, runs a script that closes WMC and starts Boxee full screen. When you close Boxee, WMC starts back up. Genius! It’s the next best thing instead of a true Boxee Windows Media Center app. [BoxeeWMC via Lifehacker]