Internet TV Alternatives

by Tim Yu

Apple TV snagged much of the fortune and fame as a stylish, no-fuss way to transfer web content to your television screen. (How very Apple.) For all of the sleek box's plug-and-play appeal, several new products showing up in the market offer different interfaces, capabilities and special features for all people—tech-savvy and not. The following are a few ways to make converting online content to your TV easy for any lifestyle.

Phillips DCP750
A slim and surprisingly lightweight clamshell portable DVD player, Philips thought of most details for their stylish DCP750. Featuring an iPod dock, it also includes a SD/MMC card slot for slide shows and an RCA out to connect to a TV. It even has a 12v adapter for use in the car. Although the screen's resolution could be better, the swivel (though it only turns left) seven-inch widescreen is big enough for viewing from up to four feet away. When docked, the iPod lays flush making for a neat, seamless interface and the remote tucks away as well. Supporting multiple formats—DVDs, video CDs (VCD), DivX, DVDR, and MPEG4—it's convenient and the iPod/iTunes functionality is an obvious advantage. Available from multiple retailers for around $140.

Pinnacle TV for Mac HD Stick
The Pinnacle TV for Mac HD Stick is great in concept but, unfortunately, didn't work well in our offices. Utilizing free over-the-air HD reception, it's highly dependent on your locale. With the Elgato Eye TV lite software, you can essentially turn your Mac computer into a personal video recorder and TV. The USB plug-in is small, but it's a little bulky for use with a laptop's ports. It comes with a remote, but seems like an afterthought—it's not very well designed nor useful. Although the software scans and picks up channels automatically, it would be helpful if there was an indicator showing signal strength, as many channels were available but signal strength was lacking. It's compact size make it perfect for traveling—if you're headed somewhere guaranteed to have good reception. The price is right at $130 here.

MovieBeam 2160
Available for some time now, the MovieBeam 2160 was created by Disney and functions like a video on demand service by wirelessly transmitting a movie into the subscriber's home entertainment system. The device delivers movies directly to TVs via the MovieBeam box, at a maximum of 10 per week. It's extremely user-friendly and after buying the MovieBeam player—no subscription needed—each movie costs $2-5, depending on the quality and release date of your selection. Previews and trailers are free. Subscribers have access to the movie for a 24-hour period, after which the film is deleted. The MovieBeam box is available for $150 here.

X-box 360 Elite
Sporting a black and chrome exterior the X-box 360 Elite might be the most comprehensive alternative to the Apple TV. The Elite has 120 gigs, providing ample space to download and store your favorite movies and games. HD capabilites were obviously a priority; it features a HDMI port and supports 1080p. The unit can also upscale DVDs to 1080p format. When using the wireless network adaptor—a necessary add on to take full advantage of web to TV applications, $99—it can stream video and music from a number of different sources from your P.C., including iTunes. On the downside, after we got it all connected everything seemed to work pretty well, but the interface wasn't very intuitive. At times, it was difficult to find downloaded material as the organization of files was a bit choppy. The wireless controller was surprisingly easy to use when navigating video functions and has plenty of range—we used it from across the office. The online marketplace was easy to navigate and purchase from, but you can only use Microsoft Points. The Zune also connects via a USB port and there's talk of wireless function in the near future. Keep a look out as Microsoft plans to deliver live TV channels by the end of 2007 as well. Available here for $480.

Vudu
Co-developed by former Apple, AT&T, and TiVo employees, the Vudu box allows you to stream thousands of movies without hooking up to a PC or cable box. Streaming MPEG-4, the unit modifies the picture to HD format. The remote only holds five buttons, so navigating the instrument should be easy, but performance and storage have yet to be revealed. Stay tuned at Vudu for more info on release date and price.

via Gizmodo.

TuneCenter Pro
Griffin's TuneCenter Pro is a pretty straightforward dock allowing video viewing and music playback from iPods through televisions, as well as internet radio. While set up requires little more than a power source and an included RCA cable (you can also use S-Video), navigating through the on-screen menu felt clunky thanks to the interface and the remote, which both felt under-designed and slow. Remote functions don't support video, but the images translate well on the big screen. And if you're wondering about using an iPhone, music playback works while video doesn't. It's $110 from Griffin.

Marge, the Low-Fat Milk Cow

by Ami Kealoha

The world's largest dairy exporter, Fonterra, and its bioscience research team ViaLactia, have discovered a gene mutation in one of Fonterra's "cash cows." This Friesian cow, more famously known as Marge, has a genetic predisposition to produce milk that is naturally low in fat, a breakthrough in bovine history.

While most cows produce milk with around 3.5 percent milk fat, Marge's milk contains only about 1 percent. Her milk is also higher in Omega-3s, lower in saturated fat and produces butter that, even after a night in the fridge, remains soft and easy to spread. Since the variation is naturally occurring, the milk steers clear of concerns over GMO related issues. The milk also avoids extra processing steps and therefore has less chance for contamination.

The best news of all is that the gene has been passed on to Marge's offspring. Unfortunately, we can't expect to see Marge's milk in the dairy section anytime soon. Fonterra says it will still be a few years until there's a herd of cattle large enough for mass production of the white stuff delivered to your local grocer.

For more information, download the press release here.

by Roseanna Roberts

Electrical Tape Sign Art

by Ami Kealoha

Shinjuku Station? Huge. With 3.3 million people passing through one of Tokyo's busiest stations daily, it's not exactly a place that can be closed for renovation. Starting in 2003, a construction worker by the name Shuetsu Satoh began creating temporary signs made from strips of adhesive tape. These weren't typical construction signs, but instead, elaborate works of art. Not only did his work help herds of commuters find their way through the Shinjuku Station labyrinth, but they were also strikingly attractive.

Using multi-colored electrical tape, trimmed to create different shapes, Satoh employed a distinctive stylized blocky font for his creations, which differed greatly from the bland font the station was already using. According to Satoh, his boss asked him to hurry up with his sign creation—not so much because Satoh was working too slow, but rather, because his boss wanted to see Satoh's latest creation. Now that his work at Shinjuku Station is finished, he is now creating signs and arrows for the Nippori Station, currently under renovation. There's a documentary about Satoh's Shinjuku signs ( here and here) in which he talks about the challenges of creating these signs, and a new doc in progress looks at his new work. It's fascinating, even if you don't understand Japanese and beautiful no matter what language you speak.

See more images here and here.

by Brian Ashcraft

Sneaker Freaker Issue #10 Global Launch Parties

by Fiona Killackey

CH ally and Sneaker Freaker founding editor Woody is going large this with launch parties for Issue #10 taking place in eleven of the world's top cities. Starting off in his home town of Melbourne last week, Woody is now up in the skies on his way to party in Berlin (24 July), hitting Johannesburg, London and Naples on 26 July, Singapore and Copenhagen on 27 July, Boston and Reykjavik on 28 July, Mexico City on 31 July and, completing the near-around-the-world tour in Auckland on 2 August. Given the eclectic and electric vibes of past Sneaker Freaker global events, it's likely the launch of Issue #10 will be one of the best events you're ever likely to attend. Throw on your dancing shoes and welcome in the latest issue in your nearest town. (Just make sure you scrub up those sneakers—no ratty canvas allowed.)

Artists, Art and Culture of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea

by Jacob Resneck

It's not often that the flag of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (D.P.R.K.) flies over London's Pall Mall, a few hundred yards from Trafalgar Square, but it was this week during a rare exhibit of North Korean artwork from the isolated nation's "people's artists," a select group that numbers less than a dozen. One attendee of the opening, which featured North Korean diplomats and their wives, described the scene: "There were loads of people, it was really packed. The embassy was there and some old (British) hanger-on Communists—you know the type, with their bad-fitting cheap suits and beards—they were being a bit weird and annoying people."

The artwork itself, all from the famed Mansudae studio, ranges from original propaganda posters (unsigned), ceramics, pastoral landscapes and "jewel" art—a form of painting made from crushed minerals that are bountiful in the mountainous Korean peninsula. Over two years in the making, the show is a chance to get a peek at a rich culture, including top North Korean artists Jong Chang Mo, Son U Yong and Hwang In Je. See London Korean Links for more info.

Artists, Art and Culture of D.P.R. Korea
Through 2 September 2007
La Galleria
5b Pall Mall
Royal Opera Arcade
London SW1Y 4UY
tel. +0207 9308069

Flavorpill's No Reservations Event Ticket Giveaway.

by Ami Kealoha

Celebrating the fourth and newest season of rockstar chef Anthony Bourdain's show "No Reservations," our Flavorpill friends have offered a few pairs of tickets to the premiere at NYC's Tribeca Cinemas taking place tomorrow, 24 July 2007, from 7-10pm. The event also includes a cocktail reception and afterparty with food and music from the show.

To enter, follow the contact link at the bottom of the page, select "No Reservatons Giveaway" from the pull-down menu and tell us about the weirdest thing you've ever eaten before Tuesday, 24 July 2007 at 12:00pm EST. We'll choose the most interesting (and most believable) answers as the winners.