New AppleTV Ships (Thanks, but no thanks)

I'm actually surprised at the small number of folks bragging and tweeting about their AppleTV's arriving late this week.

It has started shipping and folks have started unwrapping them, but the most exciting news seems to be that you can backup the Apple SHSH with TinyUmbrella (the tool that allows you to revert back to an older iOS firmware after Apple stops officially allowing you to do so).  This probably means the device will eventually be jailbroken, and at that point, it may have some interesting and useful purpose to me.

Why "Thanks, but no thanks"?  For starters, the closed ecosystem of the device.  You can stream your local content to it, however, the only other source of content is Netflix and the iTunes store (for $0.99 per show or $3.99 per movie).

Sure, $99 is cheap, but it I had to pay a buck every time my kids watched a SpongeBob episode I'd be broke!  Why would I do that, when the content I want to stream is already available for free (as advertiser supported content) over at Hulu and other similar sites.  No streaming of NHL GameCenter Live + no MBL.com + no Hulu = no thanks (for me).

Maybe as a jailbroken device it will have a better justification for a place in my entertainment system.

Let us know what you think:

Can AppleTV do anything that we can't already do?
Does it do any of it better?

Boxee Box's New Features

In my excitement about the Boxee Box pre-orders starting yesterday, I overlooked 4 great new features mentioned in the Product Description on Amazon that are quite noteworthy (and not in the free beta version)

1) When users of the free beta get their Boxee Box and sign-in... "the Boxee Box by D-Link will automatically import your account – making your favorite TV shows, movies apps, and shortcuts instantly available. Booyah."  That "Booyah" is a direct quote from the Boxee Box marketing team, but I second it -- "Booyah!"

2) It's an RF remote!  Double-Booyah! (ok that "booyah" was mine).

3) Looks like there's some new premium pay-per-view services that will be available based on the following quote: "If we can’t find it for free, the Boxee Box will connect you with premium options who can, instantly." 

4) Facebook/Twitter feeds (and it implies to me that you will even be able to post to facebook and  tweet using the QWERTY remote on your big screen but I am reading between the lines on that one...)

Welcome

Welcome to my blog -- http://techhomeblog.blogspot.com

My goal is to provide you with useful information about every day technology applications for your home, especially digital media.

Topics and reviews will mostly focus on digital audio and video distribution throughout the home and the underlying technology.

Imagine sitting on the deck or the back yard with your iPod touch or iPhone, with wireless control of the music being played on the deck and in the kitchen.  Then, using the same device, starting a movie in the basement for the kids to watch.  All wireless, from anywhere in your home (and even away from home).