TVSquad

Almost a year after Sling Media announced a SlingPlayer client would be available for European phones running the Symbian operating system, the company is working on an American version.

Sling is currently accepting testers, but the beta is currently live. SlingPlayer for Symbian will officially work on Nokia N75, N95, and E65 phones, although your results may vary with other devices. You'll need a 3G or Wi-Fi capable device to apply for the beta, seeing as how streaming video is going to look pretty bad on any phone without a high speed internet connection.

You'll also want to be on AT&T or T-Mobile to sign up, since the client supports GSM networks.

No word as to when an official US Symbian client will be released. But it's probably fair to say you'll have to wait at least a month or two since the beta is just getting underway.

[via Engadget]

After a long courtship, TiVo and Verizon finally launched a service this month allowing users to schedule recordings through their cellphone. I've long been of the opinion that this is a really cool feature that nobody really needs and few people will use. But the folks at The Tonight Show with Jay Leno seem to have come up with a use that I'd overlooked.



So there you go. I was wrong. There is an upside to being able to schedule your TiVo with a cellphone.

[via TiVo Blog]

TiVo and Verizon officially launched their new partnership today, allowing Verizon Wireless customers to schedule TiVo recordings directly from their cell phone.

Verizon's not the only company offering such services, but this is good news for TiVo customers. Well, those that are frequently in the position where they want to schedule a TV recording from their phone. Given that you can already schedule recordings through TiVo's web site or through Yahoo! TV listings, I can't imagine the phone urge arises too often.

The service which will cost you $1.99 a month, will work with TiVo Series2 or Series3 boxes. On the phone side, you'll need a "Get It Now" capable phone, including the Samsung SCH-a950, LG Chocolate, and LG VX8300.

Not content with using your cellphone to schedule recordings on your PVR? That universal remote control in front of your TV doesn't have enough functions for you? Sony Ericsson's got you covered.

Pushing the limits of product convergence to the point where they just don't make any sense, the mobile phone maker has apparently filed for a patent on a device that combines a television remote control and a cellphone. Because god knows I like to take my TV remote to work with me.

I suppose if it's a universal remote, you could program multiple devices into your phone and control the TV at your office with the same device as the one in your living room. But really, has anybody ever asked for a device like this?

[via uberphones]

Sky+ customers in Britain have been able to schedule their PVRs to record shows via a mobile phone for a while now. But it looks like US wireless carriers are starting to catch up.

AT&T launched a service Tuesday allowing Homezone customers to schedule recordings with their cellphones. Next week Verizon and Vodafone will launch a service allowing customers to program TiVo units by phone. Sprint plans to enter the remote recording market later this year.

This would all be such a brave new world if most mobile phones didn't have screens the size of a fingernail, making browsing TV listings a real chore. On the other hand, if you're working late and suddenly realize that there's a new episode of Survivor on that night that you don't want to miss, these new services could come in handy.

On the other hand, Reuters points out that a Jupiter Research study showed fewer than 10 percent of people actually want the ability to schedule PVR recordings on a cellphone. That may have something to do with the relatively small percentage of the population that actually has a PVR in the house.

UK-based mobile phone company Orange is working on a mobile electronic program guide that will allow subscribers to access their home personal video recorders from their mobile phones. The service will work with Orange's broadband TV service, and should be available during the second half of 2007.

Users will be able to browse listing and schedule recordings, as well as perform keyword searches. Orange customers will also be able to stream television content directly to their phones.

In related news, US-based Gist Communications has ended a beta test of their UGuide software allowing users to control a Windows Media Center system from their mobile phones. A message on the UGuide web site says now that the beta has been concluded, service will be suspended until commercial deployment of the service.

I'm pretty much a technophobe, meaning I'm not only completely inept and ignorant when it comes to any kind of electronic or mechanical gadget, but I actually collapse to the kitchen floor sobbing whenever I make toast. Being who I am, I never would have figured out what our sister site PVR Wire discovered via the Tivo blog, which is that you can use your Tivo (or any DVR with a USB port, I suppose) to charge your iPod or mobile phone. Just plug the USB cord into the USB port on your Tivo, connect your handheld device to the other end, and there you go. I haven't actually tried this yet, but apparently it works. If you folks have any other fancy uses for the Tivo, let me know in the comments.