Dish Network could announce a multi-room DVR and broadband satellite service at CES

Satellite provider Dish Network might unveil a broadband satellite service and a new home DVR solution called the “Hopper” at CES Monday, according to leaked reports.

The Hopper DVR will work across multiple rooms, allowing you to stop a show in one part of your house, and pick up where you left off in another. It will have three tuners: the 2 terabyte main unit acts as a server, and two extender units, called “Joeys,” … Continue Reading

Dish Network bids $1.38B for TerreStar Networks

TerreStar Networks on Wednesday revealed that Dish Network had placed an opening bid of $1.38 billion for the ailing telecommunications company’s assets through a bankruptcy auction, according to Reuters. TerreStar has operated under bankruptcy protection since Oct. 19.

Dish Networks likely wants TerreStar’s assests so it can acquire the company’s sought-after wireless spectrum, which could be used to build a wireless broadband network. The frequencies that Dish and TerreStar own are similar to what Sprint … Continue Reading

New Dish CEO promises more acquisitions, shakes fist at Netflix

New Dish Network CEO Joe Clayton isn’t planning to sit still. After being named CEO on Monday, Clayton says Dish will continue with its somewhat unusual acquisition strategy as it pieces together a “new video model” to combat Netflix and cable/satellite competitors, the AP reports.

If this were any other company, I’d already have a headache from rolling my eyes. But after purchasing the ailing Blockbuster Video in April for $228 million, Dish is definitely … Continue Reading

Google Map Maker opens in the US to improve local mapping

Google has opened its Map Maker tool, which lets locals contribute mapping information to Google Maps, in the United States.

Map Maker has previously been open to 183 countries and regions around the world. But Google has presumably held off on introducing the tool to the US market — for which there is already a ton of data available in Google Maps — until it had thoroughly tested the add-on.

Using Map Maker, citizens can … Continue Reading

Review: Logitech's Revue with Google TV has potential, but isn't for everyone (yet)

“Potential” is the key word when discussing Google TV. It has the potential to completely reshape the way we watch TV, the potential to change the way content providers do business, and the potential to give Google the sort of dominance in the TV market that it’s already seeing in search and mobile.

But does it live up to that potential yet? Not quite.

First, a primer: Google announced its intention to take on TV … Continue Reading

IBM's new platform delivers cloud computing to telcos and ISPs

IBM announced its new cloud services platform today, which aims to make it easier for communications service providers (CSPs, which include communication companies like telcos, ISPs, and satellite companies) to take advantage of cloud computing.

Dubbed the “IBM Cloud Service Provider Platform” (creative Big Blue is not), the new platform is “a comprehensive set of hardware, software, and services” that will let CSPs deliver new cloud-based services to their customers. It could potentially let providers … Continue Reading

Nokia to make phones for LightSquared's wholesale 4G network

Nokia has announced that it will develop mobile devices for billionaire Philip Falcone’s LightSquared — an ambitious 4G cellular network venture meant to compete with established carriers like AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint, Bloomberg reports.

Falcone’s Harbinger Capital hedge fund is backing the project, and Nokia Siemens has committed $7 billion to building up the 4G network over the next few years. LightSquared plans to have 92 percent of the U.S. population covered with its network … Continue Reading

Dish Network brings live TV to the iPad and mobile devices

Dish Network subscribers will soon have free access to live television streams and content recorded on their digital video recorders from a variety of mobile devices, according to a report by the Associated Press.

The satellite TV company will release a new mobile app for the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, and BlackBerry phones in September, and on Google Android devices in October. Subscribers will need to either purchase a Slingbox device — which lets users … Continue Reading

Google testing Android-based TV search on Dish Network

Dish Network subscribers will soon have free access to live television streams and content recorded on their digital video recorders from a variety of mobile devices, according to a report by the Associated Press.

The satellite TV company will release a new mobile app for the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, and BlackBerry phones in September, and on Google Android devices in October. Subscribers will need to either purchase a Slingbox device — which lets users … Continue Reading

ProtoStar makes huge Asian satellite-to-TV bet; raises $210M

Dish Network subscribers will soon have free access to live television streams and content recorded on their digital video recorders from a variety of mobile devices, according to a report by the Associated Press.

The satellite TV company will release a new mobile app for the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, and BlackBerry phones in September, and on Google Android devices in October. Subscribers will need to either purchase a Slingbox device — which lets users … Continue Reading