Russell Beattie Notebook

TiVo Update! Casual Games and Podcasting!

Posted on Sunday, December 11th, 2005 10:45 AM

Woohoo! My TiVo finally updated yesterday so I could check out the new online services in the Music, Photos and More section of the TiVo menu. Very cool stuff! I think being able to see the new Yahoo! services are cool (browsing the photos is quick and easy), as are the streaming music stations and being able to buy movie tickets, but two things really stuck out to me, the new Casual Games that were added, as well as the Podcasting!

I had seen the screen shot above before, but was so focused on the new online services, I didn't notice the addition of the SameGame, WordSmith and Skull and Crossbones mini-games at the bottom of the screen! This is very cool. They're slow, and not particularly fun to play with the TiVo remote, but this goes to exactly what I was talking about in my post the other day. Media centers and casual games are a perfect (and it seems, obvious) fit. I wonder when TiVo 3 will come out (if ever?).

The other *really* cool service is the podcasting section. Wow, does that rock or what? It's not video podcasting yet, but I'm sure that'll be coming soon. When I can click a button and watch RocketBoom or MobuzzTV or any of the other video podcasts out there on my television in my living room as easily as I can watch any other recorded show? Man, that's going to rock. Seriously, it just put podcasts up there with Friends.

It's really the beginning of a whole new chapter in media history, really. Personal Broadcasting. Sooooooooo coool.

Exciting stuff.

-Russ