google tv

Google TV Should Finally Push Apple TV Beyond A “Hobby”

For the past couple of the years now, when talking about the Apple TV product, Apple likes to throw out the word “hobby.” It’s as if they’re ashamed of the device. And considering sales are anemic next to Macs, iPods, and iPhones, it’s no big surprise that they talk this way.

But there’s actually nothing to be ashamed of. The Apple TV is a good product. Apple just needs to put some proper time and energy into it, to expand it to its full potential. And news today about the so-called “Google TV” should do just the trick.

Apple and Google are on the verge of war. The formerly close allies are increasingly competing in key spaces for both, and the living room is likely to be a new battleground because it’s still very much up in air. As the New York Times reported yesterday, Google is working with partners including Intel, Sony, and Logitech to bring a Google TV experience into the living room. This is, of course, where the Apple TV resides. And Apple would be foolish to simply cede any ground it does have to its new favorite rival just because it’s focused on other things (*cough* iPad *cough*).

That’s a Microsoft move.

As Nick Bilton points out, this Google TV would be based around the Android platform. This means that the key idea is likely to have third-party developers work on it to make applications built for a television set. That’s easier said than done, but Android’s open nature should yield some interesting results rather quickly.

Apple, meanwhile, is of course anything but open with regard to their devices. In fact, the Apple TV is entirely closed right now, as only Apple is able to modify its software (without hacking it, of course). I suspect that will change, following this revelation.

The idea of running iPhone-style applications on the Apple TV has long been a sexy one. Hell, people have even ported apps over to a TV screen to show how well it could work. The main problem with developing iPhone apps for the Apple TV seems to be resolution. With the iPhone (and iPod touch), Apple offers only one screen size/resolution, ensuring developers have an easy time making great-looking apps — while at the same time, making sure end users have a great experience.

But the iPad has already changed everything. With their new device, Apple has kept things as simple as possible by making iPhone apps scale up two times to work on the bigger display, but it’s still shows a willingness to move beyond the one screen size. Unfortunately, with the Apple TV, it can be attached to a screen that could be a huge variety of sizes, so it would be hard to control that.

Google doesn’t care about that because Android already runs on dozens of phones with different screen sizes. But Apple clearly cares about how apps look on its devices (so much so that the iPad itself was likely designed at a strange ratio simply to make scaling apps look as good as possible). So does that mean they start offering an actual Apple TV (as in a screen)? Rumors of that have been around for a long time. Or maybe they black-box apps to a certain resolution — similar to what they’re doing on the iPad when an app isn’t scaled up?

Who knows. But what I do know is that upon hearing this Google TV news, the Apple TV became a little less of a “hobby” yesterday.

Aside from calling it a hobby, Steve Jobs has referred to the Apple TV as being a potential “fourth leg” of a chair Apple is building. Leg one is the Mac, leg two is the iPod, leg three is the iPhone, and Jobs had hoped the Apple TV would complete the chair one day. But it seems clear now that he thinks the iPad could be the fourth leg instead.

Screw that. I think it’s time for Apple to build a whole dining room set of furniture. We, as consumers, need a living room arms race between Apple and Google (and Microsoft, TiVo, Roku, Boxee, and the rest) to kick the cable companies’ shitty television user experience to the curb.

minnesota twins

Minnesota Twins – 2010 MLB Baseball season preview

It’s kind of hard to imagine that just a few seasons ago the Twins were a candidate for the contraction. Now in 2010 they open a new ball park. Of course giving up the confines of the Homer Dome is one of the big questions facing this team, which will feel like they are in limbo until they can get catcher Joe Mauer’s autograph on a big phat contract extension. They have Mauer for this year, and they might have to make a serious run at a title to keep him. Other random thoughts abut the Twins include the size of their payroll, small market budget my foot.

I cannot believe that they are going to play baseball outside in Minnesota in early April, or late fall. I lie in Detroit, Michigan and I have been to my share of snow interrupted opening days here, I cannot imagine playing baseball outside, that early, further to the north.The Twins have also given up one of their key advantages, they knew how to play in the dome and hit very well there. I cannot imagine, balls flying out of the new park in frigid air like they did in the dome.

le bistro lighthouse point

Kitchen Nightmares: Le Bistro and the Man Who Can Do No Wrong

This week on the Kitchen Nightmares, Gordon Ramsey took on the man who could do no wrong. He was Andy, chef owner of Le Bistro in Lighthouse Point, Florida. Despite mounting debt and customers who never return, Andy was sure that he was doing everything right at his restaurant. Do you know why? Because he was trained in Europe and in Europe they know food.

Yep, this guy says that Americans don't understand good food. That's why they keep returning half cooked steaks and duck pate with bones in it! This guy even had the nerve to tell a customer to order something else when she asked for her steak to be cooked to medium and not rare. No, wait. He didn't have the nerve to tell the customers, he made his wife do it.

That's what really aggravated me about this chef. He thought he was king of the kitchen but he made his staff deal with the angry customers who got bad food or no food at all. The best bit was how only one waiter was allowed to take all the orders in the bistro to make sure the orders didn't come in too fast.

In order to prove how bad the service was, Gordon waited almost an hour after one group had placed their order at Le Bistro, then he went four doors down to a seafood restaurant, ordered an entree, received it and was eating and still the people at Le Bistro had no food. And the fish he ordered even tasted good!

In order to get the chef to listen, Gordon took Andy and his wife Elin out on a lovely cruise, only once they were underway, he sprung a hold full of unhappy customers on Andy, which was a bit mean. He was stuck there listening to everyone tell him how bad his food and service were. Not that it helped.

By the end, though, as is usually the case on Kitchen Nightmares, Andy got the message. He implemented Gordon's new menu, let his sou chef help cook and for awhile, he upped the level of service. But even with this new attitude, you have to wonder if it's too little too late for these places.

I did some checking and Le Bistro is still in business and claims to have won lots of awards (and not just since Gordon was there which seems odd.) But the most telling piece is an article written by the critic who was in the episode where he talks about the process and how chef Andy dealt (or didn't) with the changes Gordon handed down. Check that out right here.

Andy can criticize, but it does seem like Kitchen Nightmares was a dream come true for the business.

playstation move

The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn’s Quest – Playstation Move support confirmed

More Sony Playstation Move news for you now, as it has been confirmed that Lord of The Rings: Aragorn’s Quest will be added to the growing list of titles which will support Sony’s latest motion control technology.

As reported from MCVUK, Aragorn’s Quest will be available for the PS3 alongside the PS Move release in Autumn, meaning that this is a confirmed launch title – we’re sure there are many games to follow in the next few months.

As for the game itself, Aragorn’s Quest is a hack and slash type of game, where players will be able to play as Aragorn through events in the LOTR trilogy. Warner Bros has stated that elements of the game will be enhanced to make full use of the Playstation Move’s features, such as gestures and accurate sword swings.

You’ll also be pleased to know, that you can team up with a friend using motion controls, where you can play as Gandalf in a separate co-op mode.

Ocean State Job Lot

No word on future of Ryan’s MarketA company connected to Ocean State Job Lot bought the former Ryan’s Market for $865,000.

It’s been four months since OSJ PEP Investments purchased the property at 70 Brown St. in the heart of Wickford, and only one thing is clear about its future use: it will not be a Job Lot.