Gnarl'd

BassBoomz Portable Speaker Review

Bianca Kendall — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 20:57:27 +0000

For months now, my go-to ear buds have been my BassBuds. The sound is crystal clear, the fit is perfect, and they never tangle…. So I’m very excited about the newest product from the makers of BassBuds… the BassBoomz portable speaker.

In my world, a portable speaker is a must, and for years I have been loyal to my JBL, but my world changed when I got the BassBoomz portable speaker. First and foremost, it’s convenient. It is smaller than my fist and lightweight so it fits into my purse. It is rechargeable, and my JBL had to either be plugged in or used *gasp* batteries. Most importantly, the BassBoomz speaker offers a wired connection or a Bluetooth connection; so it can pretty much connect to anything in our home.

This was my first time connecting Bluetooth anything to my phone (I know, I’m living in the dark ages), and I couldn’t believe how easy it was. I turned the speaker on and clicked connect on my Bluetooth and immediately my living room was full of sound. Not just sound, rich, crystal clear sound. With the twist and release Bass Expansion system, I was able to get sound quality equal to any good speaker system on the market. The sound is equally good on music, video, or audiobooks. I do, however encourage one to get an equalizer app for music (which music lovers would do regardless) to optimize the listening experience. The high grip base of the speaker prevents vibration, which is a big plus compared to a lot of other portable speakers on the market

I am also impressed with the range when connecting through Bluetooth. I can bring the speaker upstairs and leave my device downstairs and it even stays connected when I bring the speaker outside. The speaker also comes with a 3.5 mm audio jack output. The sound quality is consistent regardless of whether you are using a wired or wireless connection. The rechargeable Li-ion battery lasts for about 5 hours, which makes this the perfect on the go speaker for any device. The only hiccup I found in the product was while playing and charging through my laptop at the same time. There was a high pitched tone that I was able to alleviate by charging through the wall jack while playing on the lap top.

Overall, this is another wonderful product from the makers of BassBuds and is definitely a beach must have this summer. For the month of march, if you use the codeBBZ017545 you will save £30.00 (about $45.00) off retail price at checkout. Learn more at http://www.bassbuds.net/usa/bassboomz.

3 Innovative AirPlay Speaker Systems

BassBuds Review – Awesome Earbuds!

Bianca Kendall — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 17:57:18 +0000

Until a couple of weeks ago, earbuds and I have shared a less than warm and fuzzy relationship. They tangle, they crackle, the sound is less than stellar and they pop out of my ears at least once every 60 seconds. The fact that I have two small children who destroy everything I own also does not fair well for these fragile contraptions. For years I have been confined to exercising with head phones, but having a job which requires frequent conference calls – earbuds with a decent mic are a necessary evil.

This all changed a couple of weeks ago when my husband presented me with a beautiful set of BassBuds. My initial reaction was reserved – I mean how many times do I have to endure another failed relationship with these things? But they were shiny and pretty, lightweight aluminum, and the cord looked virtually indestructible so I figured why not? My initial elation what short lived when I tried them on and like all ear buds they popped right out of my ears, but upon further inspection I noticed that there was a smaller size… a completely foreign and wonderful concept to me, because they fit! Further inspection showed two more sets of buds, one in black, and another in black memory foam. I switched them out for the memory phone and popped them into my Droid Razr so I could enjoy my favorite Spotify playlist while cooking dinner. It was in the hour that followed that my relationship with earbuds changed forever.

Once I realized that I found a set of earbuds that would actually stay in and was completely void of the “crackle” sound (three cheers for memory foam). My next priority is sound. Generally ear buds could never compare to head phones, but BassBuds are a definite exception. I mentioned earlier that they are pretty; and one of the prettiest things about them are the Swarovski crystals in the ends of each bud. The crystals not only bring a touch of bling, but they are the key to BassBuds’ Advanced Crystaltronics Sound Technology. The highs are crisp, the lows smooth and the memory foam blocks outside sounds all making my listening experience something well above anything I have ever experienced with earbuds or headphones. After testing them on all of my favorite songs, I switched over to Audible and tried it out on my favorite books. I have generally found audio book listening to be not so enjoyable on headphones, but on the BassBuds, my books are as smooth as if the reader was right next to me. The built in controller makes flipping between tracks or pausing so easy and convenient.

As I said earlier, my earbuds must contain a mic… first of all, I live in South Florida, where immense traffic is an everyday part of life; second, I have a job that requires arduous conference calls that cut into my time, but do not reduce my workload and finally, I have two small children. In other words, the ability to make and receive calls hands free is an absolute necessity in my life. Initially the mic was a godsend. It seemed that no one even noticed that I was using hands free. The MP3 controller also works very well for answering, muting and ending calls. However, the past couple days I have received a lot of complaints about static on the other end; when I take the Bass Buds out there isn’t a problem. My call recipients seem to like them better than speaker, at least.

Other features include the tangle free cord. Now honestly, all cords tangle – but you can untangle this one in less than 10 seconds. I believe this is largely due to the material the cord is made out of. It is virtually indestructible. The lightweight aluminum used for the casing, mic and controls is not only function, but also beautiful, and the velvet bag they come with is great for someone like me who has to keep them at all times. Then there’s the colors; they come in every color combination you could imagine. My husband gave me the dark blue which are a lovely medium between royal and navy blue. Depending on how the light hits them, they also have a purpleish hue. They are stunning. I wear them around my neck all day with a loose knot and I get so many compliments. They seem to appeal equally to the men and women of Miami… and we all know that style reigns in this part of the country.

With the jury still out on the mic, I have to say that overall I am, for the first time ever, pleased with my earbuds. BassBuds get an excellent 4.5 out of 5.

If you’re in the US and are interested in learning more about BassBuds, or would like to purchase your own set check them out at www.bassbuds.net !

10 Awesome Airplay Games for the Apple iOS

Top 10 Android Apps for Cable TV

Guest Author — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 19:27:57 +0000

One of the big reasons that you have an Android device is to watch videos, from wherever you want to be. YouTube and Netflix can only do so much; when it comes to serious TV viewing, you still have to sit yourself in front of the TV itself. Or do you?

Cable subscribers, be of good cheer. Many of the major TV providers have mobile apps now, as do some of the biggest individual cable networks. The services that they offer vary wildly, from true live TV viewing on your device to simple programming guides. Our selection highlights the very best Android apps for cable subscribers, but also takes a jab or two at some major cable providers who could be doing a little more for their customers.

1. DISH Remote Access:

Okay, not technically “cable,” but Remote Access is an essential app for DISH subscribers, raising a high bar for competing cable providers. For one thing, it’s one of the few that offers live viewing and DVR playback right on your mobile device’s screen, effectively turning your smartphone or tablet into a second (or third, or fourth) receiver/TV combo. Plus, Remote Access has full browsing and searching capabilities, and total DVR control from scheduling to deleting recordings. Downside? Well, you need a Sling attachment for your device, and a Sling-compatible DISH receiver. Still, the app is one of the best of the bunch; and if you’re asking “where’s the remote control function?” never fear, for there are also countless helpful (although unofficial) DISH remote apps available at Google Play.

2. TWC TV:

Time Warner cable subscribers have one of the strongest apps of the lineup, but keep in mind that the best thing about it, the live TV viewing of “selected” channels, is only available to Android devices running 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). Otherwise, you’ll get a mostly-average app with remote control and programming guide features, as well as DVR scheduling and parental control functions.

3. AT&T U-Verse:

One of the best options for viewing TV also happens to be one of the worst. Confused? Well, there are two apps available at Google Play: AT&T U-Verse and AT&T U-Verse Live. The first is a free app for U-Verse subscribers that promises programming guide capabilities, DVR control, and some video viewing, but in practice doesn’t seem to deliver much of anything to most Android users. The “Live” app, however, is like getting cable service to your phone or tablet; a monthly subscription gets you plenty of high-quality live TV and On Demand downloads and you don’t need to be a U-Verse subscriber. But it may come “free” with higher U-Verse tiers, and it certainly helps if you’re an AT&T wireless customer (i.e., it’s only available to compatible devices and carriers). Other drawbacks? Some disturbing permissions, and a tendency to force a 3G connection instead of using WiFi.

4. CNN:

The first name in news also happens to have done an exceptional job with their mobile app. Actually, there are two apps, one for smartphones and one optimized for the larger screens of tablets. Either way, you’ll get a great way to browse and view up-to-the minute news video straight from the CNN studios. Keep in mind that CNN is content-heavy, so those with cutting-edge devices will have a better time than those trying to trudge across the finish line of a 2-year plan.

5. WatchESPN:

Like CNN, this app only does one cable network, but it does it VERY well. Sports fans can get around-the-clock live viewing of most pro and college games, as well as every single other show that ESPN has to offer (from SportsCenter to Mike & Mike). The only drawback is that access depends on both your cable provider and your wireless provider; chances are, if you can get ESPN on your TV, you’ll be fine, but there are some exceptions.

6. HBO Go:

Another single-network app, and also dependent on whether you actually subscribe to HBO via your cable provider. But if you do, you’ll get every movie and every episode of every show that HBO offers, whenever and wherever you like. The video quality is great, especially if you have a 4G connection, but some users have expressed disappointment over the app’s design and interface.

7. MAX Go:

Okay, so it’s basically the same as HBO Go, and why not? They’re the same company, after all. But if you love Cinemax (and are a subscriber of a participating cable provider), you’ll get all of the movies and shows to watch whenever and wherever you like. For added value, Facebook and Twitter sharing features are built in to let you post your thoughts on Cinemax programming (but please think twice about some of those Max After Dark updates).

8:Xfinity

Comcast confusingly offers three different Xfinity apps for Android users, each providing different ways to get more from your cable TV. The Xfinity TV app makes your smartphone into a remote control, including DVR scheduling and OnDemand purchasing, and also provides a thorough way to browse and search the channel lineups and genre categories. Xfinity Mobile offers the listings and DVR scheduling as well, but lacks the remote functions. However, Xfinity Mobile adds access to your Comcast account (to pay bills, manage info, etc.) and also provides texting and email. And finally, Xfinity TV Player lets you watch selected shows from your channel lineup. It’s not live, and it won’t give you everything that your TV will, but many shows and movies are available for viewing and downloading on your mobile device.

9. Charter Mobile App:

You might guess from the uninspired name that this app is nothing special, and it’s no mistake that we’re nearing the end of the list. Charter cable subscribers get TV listings with a genre search function and even some videos in the form of On Demand preview clips. Extras include support and email functions, and the news and weather features are a nice idea, but you’d get better results from dedicated apps (and really, who doesn’t have news and weather on their smartphone already?).

10. Cox Mobile Connect:

Well, you get a decent programming guide and DVR controller, access to your voicemail, and some helpful support and troubleshooting info. The lack of actual video and limited STB remote control functions is disappointing, but not all that surprising. A solid app for 2010, but let’s hope that Cox is working on a more compelling update.

You may have noticed your provider’s name missing from this list. For example, the wonderful WOW! and the competent Cablevision are missing in action on the Android app front, and Bright House’s app was not even up to Cox’s humble standards. Conversely, we really couldn’t justify the competing TV services from Sprint and Verizon, as they’re carrier-specific and not really cable TV providers to begin with. Feel free to check out your provider’s options (whether cable, satellite, or wireless) and let us know if you feel that someone was unfairly disconnected from our lineup.

This post is by Greg Buckskin from CableTV.com. He likes to write about the impacts of technology and the internet on pop culture and TV. To see more of his posts, you can follow Greg on Twitter.

Social GTV – Participate in the “Madness” on Google TV

Guest Author — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 19:04:13 +0000

There’s nothing like it. March Madness is the craziest, most entertaining, unpredictable and arguably the absolute best nationwide championship tournament on earth. Why, you might ask? I think It’s because of the intense pressure that produces the drama of the UPSET. Everyone roots for the underdog, and because this tournament is a “one and done” situation, upsets are pretty commonplace.

Consider a quick recap of the six big upsets in the 2012 tournament so far…
USF Bulls (12 seed) beat the Temple Owls, which were a number 5 seed. The NC State Wolfpack (an 11 seed) knocked of The Georgetown Hoyas (3 seed). The Colorado Buffaloes (an 11 seed) trampled a 6 seeded UNLV Runnin’ Rebels team. The Ohio Bobcats (13 seed) beat the mighty Michigan Wolverines (4 seed). The Lehigh Mountain Hawks (15 seed) beat historically dominant Duke (2 seed). And finally, the Norfolk State Spartans (15 seed) took down a 2 seeded Missouri Tigers.

And the “big dance” is not over yet! The madness picks up again soon and and by the end of the weekend we’ll be down to the elite 8. Bring on the pressure cooker!

This year has been especially fun and interesting for me because of one reason. My brother and I have created an Android app for the Google TV that allows you to see what the country is chattering about during the games. The app is called Social GTV and it allows you to show specific tweets based on keyword, username, or hashtag overlayed on top of live tv during the game. Here’s an example of how it looks:

You have complete control of the appearance of the tweet including whether the it appears on the top or bottom of the screen, duration, font style, size, and more. It’s a great way take the the pulse of what the fans across the country are thinking and chattering about. The game experience is more fun and social, especially when the there are lulls in the game because it keeps the conversation going.

Also, we plan to continually update the app. Our most recent addition is the ability to save searches so that you will be able to keep a good sets of #hashtags for your favorite teams. More updates are in the works, which will center around improved tweet filtering and the addition of other social networks (Google+ and Facebook).We love feedback. Please visit us on Google+ plus and let us know what you think of the app and how we can make it better: http://gplus.to/SocialGTV.

Social GTV is free in the Google Play store. Download it today because the current version 4.4 has a FULL FEATURED 3-DAY PREVIEW. It’s perfect timing for the basketball madness that will fill this weekend!

This was a guest post from Will Carter, Android developer and creator of Social GTV.

No related posts.

Top 6 Google TV Apps for News

Israel Kendall — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 18:38:30 +0000

One of the main things I use Google TV for is to get news. There are lots of news apps out there for Google TV, and some of them offer unique approaches to delivering the news to your television. Here are my top six Google TV apps for getting the news (in no particular order, really).

Al Jazeera

The Al Jazeera Google TV app is a great choice for delivering up to date news on a variety of topics. The Al Jazeera Google TV app is basically like watching a cable news channel, with some on-demand videos to choose from as well. Launching it brings up the channel and constantly streams news to your GTV, or you can choose certain programs and customization features. There are also some text articles to read within the app, but these seem like a second thought. This one is really great for you cord cutters out there in particular, as you’ll still be able to get your “cable news” style broadcasting on your Google TV- without the cable.

News Republic for Google TV

I’m not sure why the News Republic Google TV app is not more popular. It gathers news from across the web into categories and displays them in a simple and easy to navigate interface. It’s very easy to add and remove categories and personalize News Republic’s content to your liking. The articles in this app have always loaded quickly for me as well.

You can also set notifications for one topic, two, or as many as you want, and you’ll get a notification whenever there are new articles in your chosen topics. Update frequency can be set anywhere from every 30 minutes to once a day.

And lastly, I can’t end this without mentioning the extra navigation features that are built into the News Republic Google TV app. Clicking any blue text in an article will bring up the news category for the text you clicked. If you were reading an article about the Galaxy Nexus, for example, and you clicked on the text “Google”, the app would instantly take you to the category of news related to “Google”.

Overall, News Republic is a very solid Google TV app and I’d recommend giving it a shot if you’re looking for a good news aggregator.

BeyondPod for Honeycomb

For me a podcast app is a must-have for keeping up with current events and news. And, if you’re looking for a podcast app for your Google TV, look no further than BeyondPod. This app is so packed full of features I couldn’t even begin to list them all here. Just do yourself a favor and give BeyondPod a test spin, you won’t be disappointed!

CNBC Real Time for Google TV

The CNBC Real Time is one for all you stock market junkies out there. It has a CNBC video stream to keep up with all the latest financial news as well as stock tickers that you can customize to keep track of the companies and markets you follow. While I would love to see them add more features (like charts and portfolio tracking), this is the best financial news app I’ve found thus far on Google TV. Also another good one for us cord cutters who might otherwise miss this standard fare of cable television.

WSJ Live

Lots of people just think of business and finance news when they think of the Wall Street Journal, but it’s really much more of a full fledged news organization. The WSJ Live Google TV app doesn’t focus on business and finance either, it’s a source for all around news on topics from politics to tech, life and culture, and yes, even business and finance. WSJ Live is a great choice if you’re looking for an all around news “channel” for your Google TV.

RSSDemon

If we’re talking Google TV news apps, we have to mention an RSS reader without a doubt. And my RSS reader of choice on Google TV is RSSDemon, hands down. It does all the things an RSS reader should do, and only has one “slightly annoying” ad at the bottom.

One thing I really like about RSSDemon is the “Mobilize” button. Some sites have so many flash ads and scripts running on their pages that they run really clunky on GTV (or my PC for that matter). You can avoid these clunky web pages with RSSDemon. If you want to click from your RSS feed to the full article, using the “Mobilize” button in RSS Demon will strip away all the clunkiness and leave you only the meat of the content. It’s almost instant and smooth loaded of web pages on your Google TV, try it out!

What are your top Google TV apps for News?

Those are my “go-to” Google TV apps for news, what are yours? Is there something missing from the list, some hidden gem in the market? Let us know in the comments below, or on the brand new Google TV Forum!

Google TV Hangout On Air Weekend at SXSW

Israel Kendall — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 00:19:44 +0000

If you follow the Google TV page on Google +, then you may have already heard about all the Hangouts they have planned this weekend at SXSW. If not, then you’re about to find out all about them!

Update, March 10: Due to weather conditions the LG Hangout has been moved to 7:00 pm central time and the MOVL Hangout has been moved to 7:30 pm central time.

The first Google TV Hangout on Air is slated to begin Saturday, March 10, at 1:30 pm central time with MOVL. If you haven’t heard of MOVL, you should check out this blog post on the official GTV Blog, these guys are doing some cool stuff with Google TV. If you have any questions for the MOVL guys, post them in this thread on Google +.

Click to add this Hangout to your Google Calendar! (all times CT)

The second Hangout on Air will be Saturday, March 10 at 2:00 pm central time with LG. If you have questions for the guys at LG, post them in this Google + thread prior to the event.

Click to add this Hangout to your Google Calendar! (all times CT)

The final Google TV Hangout on Air will be on Sunday, March 11 at 11:30 pm central time with Pandora CTO Tom Conrad. This Hangout discussion is slated to be “an under the hood look at how Pandora was built from the ground up for Google TV”. If you have any questions you’d like asked to Mr. Conrad, submit them in this Google + post.

Click to add this Hangout to your Google Calendar! (all times CT)

And one last bonus to leave off with. If you want to catch all the highlights from Google SXSW, you can catch them on the YouTube Presents channel Thursday, March 15 from 7:00 am – 3:00 pm central time.

Click to add SXSW Highlights on YouTube to your Google Calendar! (all times CT)

OnLive on Google TV 2.0? Dominance in Summer 2012? Future Logitech Revue Updates? – Q&A with GTV Product Manager

Gnarl’d Deal Alert: Free Roku with Purchase of PlayOn

Israel Kendall — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 20:42:52 +0000

I don’t normally make these “Deal Alert” kind of posts on Gnarld, but this is a pretty sweet deal and I thought a lot of you would want to know about it. Long time readers here probably know that PlayOn is my favorite way of streaming movies all over my house (PS3, Google TV, etc). Not only that, PlayOn is also the workaround I use to watch Hulu on Google TV!

If you don’t know what PlayOn is, it’s worth taking a few minutes to find out about it. It streams media content to multiple devices in your home (including iPads, iPhones, Android Phones…) via your PC, movies, television station, etc. Oh, and that Hulu “web exclusive” content you can’t watch on your TV? Well, you can stream it to your television if you’re using PlayOn.

For a limited time, get a free Roku when you purchase a Lifetime PlayOn License. Try PlayOn for Free now!

The deal is this: buy a lifetime license to PlayOn, and get a free Roku. The license is about $80, then you never have to pay for PlayOn again + get a free Roku ($50 value) + free shipping. If you’ve been sitting on the fence, thinking about buying PlayOn, this might just be the time to pull the trigger!

Top 10 Spotify App Now Available!

Guest Author — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 19:51:43 +0000

Napolean Hill once said, “Indecision is the seeding of fear…” Well Napolean, I’ll let you in to a little secret, I’m extremely fearful. You see, as a Spotify listener, I can never, ever, ever make a decision on what artist to listen to. In fact I hear this wave of indecision affects the majority of music lovers the world over. The end to indecision may sound like a title for the latest ColdPlay album, but for me finally being able to wave goodbye to uncertainty will be a fantastic feeling and one I look forward to whole heartily.

Will it be Bob Dylan or The Clash, I just don’t know? It’s safe to say that this has left me cowering under the duvet of indecision. Ok, that may be a huge exaggeration, but you get the idea..? Overall, Spotify is a really uber cool tool. At just a touch of a button I have access to thousands and thousands of artists. However, with so much choice on offer, it’s hard to make a decision. The new Top 10 Spotify app certainly goes some way to end any musical indecision.

This sleek new app allows users to drag and order tracks into top 10 playlists. This means playlists can be made for any occasion, whether it is a list composed of your favourite band, such as Top 10 Beatles songs or it could a Top 10 made solely for the purpose of working out. It was only yesterday, that my sister created a list titled, “ Top Ten Female Artists with curly hair,” The list included tracks from Kate Bush, Donner Somers, 90’S Madonna and Tina Turner. I spent the afternoon listening to the soulful tunes of Turner and Bush without a hint of indecision at hand. Fantastic! Or as Summers would say, “I feel love!”

That all sounds quite simple right… but where the app truly offers something unique is with its cool social features. Once users have made playlists, they can then share these amongst friends via Facebook, and ultimately compare opinion. Friends can then make their own lists and Top 10 will help to show the most popular tracks amongst your group of friends.

The app also can also explore playlists from wider users, which also makes it useful music discovery vehicle. You can venture into other peoples musical tastes and subscribe to Top 10 playlists made my certain users, viewing different genre tastes and more. The app also builds value by pooling huge amounts of opinion data. From such data cumulative and definitive top 10’s combining all users’ choices are created.

Last words…

Overall, Top Ten’s Spotify app is extremely easy to use, fun and completely addictive and it shows the potential of social music. You also no longer need to worry about indecision. You could say it stops uncertainty dead in its “tracks.” Music tracks. Ok, I’ll stop….

FlickStream – Google TV App Review – Kung Fu, Cowboys, and Grindhouse!

Israel Kendall — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 02:58:01 +0000

FlickStream is a new Google TV app that hit the Android market last week (also available on Roku and iPad). The FlickStream GTV app provides a curated collection of classic movies through four channels; Drive-In Classics, Moonlight Movies, Cowboy Classics, and Kung Fu Theater. Through these four channels FlickStream delivers several genres of films to your Google TV; Kung Fu, Western, Sci-Fi, Horror, Grindhouse, Gang Flicks, and Crime Dramas to name a few.

I’ve been testing out the FlickStream Google TV app for the last few days, read on below for my review:

Interface

FlickStream has a simple and easy to navigate interface. Upon loading the app, you’re greeted by a screen displaying FlickStream’s four Google TV channels (Drive-In Classics, Moonlight Movies, Cowboy Classics, and Kung Fu Theater). Choose a channel, and the app sends you off into a Chrome browser to the channel’s page (optimized for Google TV). Choose your movie from among the many sub-genres and start watching!

While the movie is playing you still have navigation options; you can scroll through a selection of movies from the sub-genre you chose without stopping your movie. There are the standard pause, fast forward, and rewind buttons, as well as a button to return to the sub-genre menu and a button to get the details of the movie.

I like the simplicity of the navigation; it’s easy to find movies through the interface and the presentation is nice. One thing that irks me about the interface though, is that I can not find a button to bring me back to the home screen of the app, I have to alt+tab over or keep pushing “back”.

It would also be useful if movie descriptions were provided on the movie selection screen. As it stands now, the only place I can find movie descriptions in FlickStream is in the screen where I’m actually watching a movie. Sure, it’s nice to be able to click over to the movies description while watching it- but it would also be helpful to have access to this information before choosing the movie.

Content and Viewing Experience

There are fewer titles available compared to some other video streaming offerings, but FlickStream has what seems to be a carefully curated collection of films in their Google TV channels. There are several Bruce Lee flicks, Jackie Chan, some John Wayne, and lots more. The movies in FlickStream’s collection are mostly what I would think Quentin Tarantino would pick if he were putting together a Google TV channel- great classic genre films, very much like his movies are based on.

The picture quality of these movies is about what you would expect from really old films, grainy with some visual artifacts. That being said, better quality versions of these old films may not even exist, and some would even argue that these visual artifacts add to the experience of watching classic cinema. FlickStream also offers some 3D movies, but I did not test these out due to a lack of 3D glasses.

When watching movies through FlickStream you’re going to have to see a few commercials. There are two commercials that will play when you first launch a movie (roughly one minute of commercials) and after that there seem to be two more commercials every ten minutes, like clockwork. Commercials aren’t a deal breaker for me, developers have to get paid somehow- I’m only mentioning this for the sake of being thorough.

I have run into the occasional bug when watching movies through FlickStream. Things such as commercials not playing (the screen goes black, there’s a timer, but no commercial). On a couple of occasions movies would not play, but after a few minutes they played as if nothing ever happened. Once, after lots of playing with the interface, the menu got stuck on screen for the rest of the movie I was watching. While these bugs are minor irritations, they’ve not deterred me from using FlickStream one bit.

Click the FlickStream logo above to get it in the Android Market

Conclusion

I’d like to see some improvements in the user interface, such as a “Home” button and movie details in the selection screen. Also, some minor bug fixes may be needed. These little flaws don’t deter me from using FlickStream, though. I’m a big fan of some of the genres offered by FlickStream’s Google TV channels, and it’s really nice to have all the movies gathered together in one place. I’m enjoying the app and would recommend any other fans of the aforementioned genres to give it a try.

FlickStream fills what was an empty niche in Google TV’s offerings and they fill it rather well. I’m looking forward to future updates of FlickStream with hopes they will continue to add content, and continue improvements of the of the overall application. FlickStream has the potential to grow into a “must have” Google TV app for Kung Fu, Cowboy, and Grindhouse fans (among other niche genres).

Able Remote for Google TV – Android and Google TV App Review

Israel Kendall — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:48:20 +0000

Able Remote is a new app for Google TV that turns your Android device into a remote control for your GTV. Google has already provided users with an official Google TV Remote app- but Able Remote’s developer, Entertailion, aims to one up them with a more intuitive interface, improved voice command functionality, and one touch app launching. How does the Able Remote Google TV app stack up against the competition? Read on below…

Features

Able Remote boasts all the same features of the official Google TV Remote app, plus a little extra. Here is a quick rundown of the features:

Touch navigation and controls -- Simple swipes across the screen of your Android device provide navigation of your Google TV. This includes touch controls for playback and a cursor touch navigation and tap to click option.
View Pics and Vids on your Google TV -- From the gallery of your Android device, you can send pictures and videos directly to the big screen of your Google TV.
Viral button -- A push of the “Viral” button will take you to a trending viral video.
Send web pages to Google TV -- Just click “Share-->Able Remote” while viewing a web page on your Android device and it will be sent directly to the screen of your Google TV.
One touch app launcher -- A single touch on your Able Remote can launch an app, no need to navigate menus.
SMS and Caller ID sent to Google TV -- If you receive an SMS or phone call while using your Android phone as a remote, the SMS and caller ID notifications are forwarded to your Google TV.
Voice commands -- Change channels, launch apps, or search using voice commands.
Control almost everything -- You can control certain features of devices such as receivers, set top boxes of different types, and televisions with the Able Remote Google TV app.

User Interface

Able Remote’s user interface is a refreshing change from the official Google TV Remote. Able Remote has the same buttons (functionally) as Google TV Remote, but spreads them over two screens. This allows for more space to make the buttons larger, and leads to a less cluttered interface. Able Remote’s buttons are a dark grey highlighted by day-glo green, giving it the look similar to a standard television remote with glowing green buttons. These grey buttons contrasted with the day-glo green highlights make the interface dark enough to not disturb your television watching, but also bright enough to easily see what you’re doing in the dark.

The touch pad portion of the screen, where you swipe and tap, is located at the bottom of the screen (where your thumb would naturally fall) on Able Remote versus the top of the screen on Google TV Remote. This is a nice change, making overall use more intuitive and virtually eliminating any accidental button clicks.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3PtZAIrbLA

The first two screens house the same buttons as the Google TV Remote, but there is a third screen with buttons that are not available on the Google TV Remote. These are the quick launch buttons that will launch apps with one touch. No need to navigate to the home screen or your app drawer, just click the app and it launches from whatever screen you’re on. The drawback to these quick launch buttons is that the only apps currently available (aside from the Viral button) are pre-installed apps like Netflix, Pandora, Chrome, Android Market, etc. There is no ability to customize what apps are on your quick launch menu, but Able Remote’s developer tells me this feature will be included in a future update.

Another aspect of Able Remote’s user interface is the voice command function. With the official Google TV Remote’s voice control users must push a button, speak, then push another button to either “Search” or “Send”. Able Remote eliminates the need for that second button push, and adds more functionality to the voice command feature. With Able Remote you can not only search by voice- you can also launch apps or change the channel by the sound of your voice.

Performance

While I didn’t do full feature tests, I did put the Able Remote through some heavy usage (with Motorola Droid and Samsung Galaxy Nexus) and have had no major issues with it’s performance. My Logitech Revue responds promptly to my swipes and taps from the Able Remote. Voice commands work well as do the one touch app launcher buttons. Sending pictures, video and web pages from my phone, although a bit sluggish, works as well as it does with the official Google TV Remote app.

Click for Able TV Remote -- Google TV App

Click the image above for the app you need to install on your Google TV

Then install this app on your Android device

Conclusion

Able Remote has replaced the official Google TV Remote app on my Android phone. It offers greatly improved functionality over Google TV Remote and is so intuitive that I rarely have to glance down at my phone when using Able Remote. The buttons are big enough for regular sized hands, one touch launch buttons are quite convenient, and the voice commands are well implemented.

On the negative side, I think the GUI could use a little more polish. Perhaps rounding on the buttons and icons, and giving them a more three dimensional look would be nice. Customization of the apps available on the quick launch menu is a much needed feature. You will probably have several apps on the quick launch that you won’t use and will wish you could replace.

In conclusion, I give Able Remote four stars out of five. With a little more polish, and some customization features Able Remote would get that fifth star in my book. I’d recommend Able Remote to anyone wanting to get more out of their Google TV remote control app.