Apple TV Review

If you listen to certain bloated technology seers, Apple TV is the start of an electronic revolution in which customers, finally, will begin enjoying TV, movie, music, and photo content on their TVs. And while Media Center and TiVo users will take deserved umbrage at that characterization--they've been doing that and much more for several years now with no help from Apple, thank you very much--I'm here to tell you that Apple TV is nothing more than an iPod designed for your living room instead of your pocket. It is simply yet another way to consume content purchased from Apple's nearly-ubiquitous iTunes Store, an online service that sells music, TV shows, audio books, movies, and other content.

If that's not of interest to you, just stop reading and save yourself $300.

If, however, you're a fan of Apple's service and its various devices, please do read on. Because while the Apple TV is indeed just an overhyped, non-portable iPod that is seriously limited compared to the current crop of competitors, this device should be of much interest to those, like myself, who have invested a lot of time and effort into iTunes. I prefer iTunes to other digital jukeboxes, and while I feel that the music Apple offers online is of almost laughably bad quality, the company does offer high-quality TV shows and movies, and iTunes is an excellent way to manage podcasts and your other media. Overall, iTunes offers the best media experience around, in my opinion.

Anyway, Apple TV is another way to enjoy the content you manage by iTunes, and a natural evolution of the work Apple has done with the iPod. It's not the first to utilize a TV--you can easily connect most modern iPods to your TV with an optional dock and set of cables (and, incidentally, duplicate almost everything the Apple TV does at a lower cost)--but it is the first Apple device designed specifically and exclusively for the living room. And while it is missing some very key functionality that would make this device far more compelling, it's not a horrible first attempt. Let's jump right in and see what all the fuss is about.
What you got: A look inside the box

The first thing you notice about the Apple TV is how small it is: It comes in a surprisingly small (if somewhat hefty) box, typically of Apple's latest packaging design style, and is, like all Apple devices, as stripped down and devoid of buttons as possible. Some have compared it to the Mac mini, which is an apt comparison, though not one that most people will understand. It is, essentially, a pizza box-style device, of tiny dimensions (it is 7.7-inch square and just 1.1 inches tall). In the box, you get the Apple TV, a tiny and almost useless Apple remote (the same one Apple sells for its latest iPod for video), and a brick-less power cable. There are no audio/video cables of any kind supplied, which could be a nasty surprise for some customers: There's nothing like not getting everything you need in the box. Imagine getting an iPod without headphones, for example.

The device itself is almost devoid of ornamentation. On the front, you'll see the IR port and, well, that's about it. The top is graced by a stylized Apple TV logo. On the sides, nothing. On the back, you'll see an arrangement of ports, including the power port, a single promotional usb 2.0 port, Ethernet, HDMI (essentially DVI and digital audio in single cable, and quite common on modern HDTVs), component video (red, blue, green), analog audio (RCA-style red and white), and optical audio. The Apple TV is designed solely for HDTV sets--note the lack of RCA-style composite video or S-Video ports--but actually does support a wide variety of resolutions, including 480i and 480p, which should work fine on some older 4:3 televisions. However, Apple would prefer users utilize the device's HDTV output options, and Apple TV is designed to work natively at 720p (1280 x 720). That's interesting, considering that all of the content Apple currently offers via its online service is available only in standard definition formats (640 x 480 and below). We'll discuss the ramifications of that in a bit.

Inside the Apple TV contains a 40 GB hard drive (there's no higher-end model offered with larger capacities) and 802.11g and 802.11n wireless. The hard drive is used for synchronizing with iTunes, just as you do with an iPod, though the Apple TV syncs over your home network, using either a wired or wireless connection. I synched the Apple TV with a Windows Vista-based iTunes library over the 802.11g wireless network and found it to be monotonously slow, but the good news is that you really only have to go through that process once. As you add content later, individual audio, video, and photo files sync much more quickly than an entire library. That network-based sync feature, incidentally, is one of only two major ways in which the Apple TV is superior to just using an iPod with video and its optional dock and set of cables. With an iPod, you'd have to connect the device directly to the PC or Mac that contained your media library. (There's no reason Apple can't add this feature to future iPods, of course.)

When you turn on the Apple TV, you'll notice that it's virtually silent, save for the low hum of the hard drive. It does, however, getting painfully hot: You won't be able to rest your hand on its top, making me wonder why Apple didn't just make it half an inch taller and include some vents. You gotta love form over function.

gogopal Q5.0 GPS navigator – a lot of kit for the price

The personal GPS navigation device has certainly come a long way and made great inroads, especially in the last half a decade. These days, prices have become competitive, and you can get a very nicely featured unit for a third of the asking price five years ago. And with plenty to pick from, there’s no shortage of choices if you’re in the market for one.

One such device is the gogopal Q5.0 GPS navigator. We received a unit for evaluation some time back, though admittedly there hasn’t been the chance – or need – to use it much, given the familiarity of the Klang Valley and the usual haunts visited. In any case, we finally put the unit through the paces, so we can now finally report on it.

Full story after the jump.

The unit features a 5-inch 480 x 272 resolution TFT touchscreen, a SiRFatlasV 533MHz CPU, 128MB of internal memory, 64MB of SDRAM memory as well as a 2GB MicroSD storage card and a Windows CE 6.0 operating system. The Q5.0 uses a SpeedNavi SQ Version 3.1 software from Korean company Hyundai MnSOFT (part of the Hyundai-Kia Group), with Malaysian and Singaporean maps from MapIT loaded.

The Q5.0 comes bundled with a car charger, promotional usb cable and car cradle. Additionally, the gogopal also comes with a special storage pouch and a house charger (worth RM79) as standard, items that are usually optional extras for other brands. With every purchase comes a year’s worth of free map updates.

Features include support for eight languages (English, BM, Mandarin, Cantonese, Thai, Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese), as well as playback functions for video, music and photos, and it also has Flash player support and eight games, for those moments you’re seemingly bored and not needing the use of the GPS.

Functions of the unit include 3D building rendering, which makes for easier on the eye navigation, as well as a separate junction zoom split display, where every junction features a top-down view on approach to afford the driver unmistakable view of where exactly to turn.

There’s also 3D photo navigation, where selected junctions feature a photo rendered from full 3D-models to help you make the right turn. Another unique feature is the provision of lane information to guide drivers onto the correct lanes for an upcoming turn or maneouvre, with the designated lane marked by a yellow arrow.

Additionally, there’s a special house numbers search feature that allows you to navigate to the exact house on the road you’re looking for, and this is available throughout Malaysia and Singapore. If you’re travelling to Singapore, you can even search for a specific location via the postcode search, since all buildings in the Republic have a unique postcode.

In use, satellite acquisition time is fairly quick, even in hemmed in locations – such is the advent of technology that the SiRF Atlas III on the Nuvi 610 is well eclipsed in terms of locking speed. The rather slow take-up in satellite acquisition aside, the Garmin has been a steadfast tool in the four years I’ve had it, even if it really is only called in when travelling out of town these days, primarily for its POIs (read speed trap locations along the North-South highway) and its wealth of eatery options in its directory list, courtesy of the fine folk from the Malfree map community.

Yes, the Nuvi 610 it has its quirks, like in its search functions, and how sometimes keying in a road name doesn’t always get the desired results (which shows up when you go to the general area and zoom in!). And it has its fair share of omissions, like the inability to do way-points and plotting a user defined route, which most units now offer as standard. By and large, however, despite its little foibles, it has been thoroughly dependable. Certainly, coming to it from a Magellan GPS 320 was life changing (those into their navigation devices will know exactly what I mean).

SiriusXM Universal Tuner, Pandora Lead Sony Car Launch

Sony will bring control of Pandora's Internet radio app and SiriusXM's universal satellite-radio tuner to a wide range of aftermarket head units in the coming weeks at opening price points lower than competing suppliers' offerings.

At a suggested $90, the CDX-GT360MP will be the aftermarket's least-expensive head unit with universal connector to connect to the universal SiriusXM tuner,"At a suggested $90, the CDX-GT360MP will be the aftermarket's least-expensive head unit with universal connector to connect to the universal SiriusXM tuner,"
Among eight new Sony single-DIN CD receivers, four feature SiriusXM universal-tuner connector at suggested retails of $90, $100, $130 and $150.

Four head units are the company's first to control a Pandora app on a USB-connected iPhone. They include the $130 and $150 head units with universal connector and two head units at $200 and $280 without universal connector.

Among competing suppliers, control of Pandora on a USB-connected iPhone starts at a suggested $150, said Mike Kahn, director of Sony's mobile business unit. Head units with universal connector are available only from Alpine at $199 and, for a CD receiver bundled with universal SiriusXM tuner, $229, excluding a $30 mail-in rebate available through the end of the year from SiriusXM for its $69-suggested universal tuner.

Sony's $280 DSX-S310BTX will be the aftermarket's first head unit to use Bluetooth's AVRC profile to control all functions, excluding custom channel creation, of a Pandora app residing on smartphones other than the iPhone. The app uses technology jointly developed by Pandora and Sony, but the technology will be available to other suppliers to build into their head units.

All of the new head units will be shown publicly for the first time at The Mobile Electronics Retailers Association's (MERA) KnowledgeFest at the end of August, said Kahn. Some ship at the end of August to dealers, and the remainder ship two weeks later. All will be on display in stores by mid September.

At a suggested $90, the CDX-GT360MP will be the aftermarket's least-expensive head unit with universal connector to connect to the universal SiriusXM tuner, Kahn said. The head unit will also be priced lower than satellite-ready head units that require the installation of a translator box and adapter cables designed for specific head-unit brands, he added.

SiriusXM's new $69-suggested universal tuner connects directly to any brand of head unit with a universal connector via a single cable that also delivers power to the tuner. The universal tuner and connector are designed to drive down the cost of buying and installing satellite radio and simplify inventory management.

Satellite-ready heads requiring translator boxes and adapter cables start at about a suggested $120, Kahn said, and the add-ons themselves add another $150, excluding additional installation costs of up to $75.

"I can see [the $90 CDX-GT360MP] being very promotional and bundled with the tuner," Kahn said.

Sony's $280 DSX-S310BTX will be the aftermarket’s first head unit to use Bluetooth’s AVRC profile to control all functions, excluding custom channel creation, of a Pandora app residing on Android and BlackBerry smartphones."Sony's $280 DSX-S310BTX will be the aftermarket’s first head unit to use Bluetooth’s AVRC profile to control all functions, excluding custom channel creation, of a Pandora app residing on Android and BlackBerry smartphones."
Other features of the CDX-GT360MP include slot-load CD, MP3/WMA-CD playback, and analog aux in to connect MP3 players.

At a suggested $100, the CDX-GT56UI features SiriusXM universal connector and USB control of a connected iPod and iPhone. iPod/iPhone control previously started at $120 in the company's line.

At a suggested $130, the CDX-GT565UP combines universal connector with control of Pandora's app on a USB-connected iPhone. It also adds user-selectable choice of 35,000 faceplate-illumination colors.

At a suggested $150 in the Sony line, the CDX-GT660UP also features universal connector, Pandora control via USB and choice of 35,000 illumination colors, but it adds drop-down front panel concealing a CD slot. The hidden CD slot opens up space on the front panel for a two-line display to simultaneously display artist and track metadata. The head unit also adds SensMe technology, which lets users select songs for playback by any of 16 moods. SensMe works with music on USB drives, MP3 CDs, and all MP3 players but Apple-branded players.

At a suggested $200, the DSX-S210X lacks universal connector but controls Pandora on a USB-connected iPhone, and it adds drop-down front panel concealing a Tune Tray slide-out tray that holds an iPhone, iPod, USB drive, or other USB-connected MP3 player to control and play back stored music.

The DSX-S210X also features four-line OEL-LED display viewable in sunlight. It adds dual USBs and seven-band digital EQ with time alignment. SensMe is also included.

At $280, the DSV-S310BTX is a Tune Tray model that also lacks universal connector but features control of the Pandora app on a USB-connected iPhone and adds Bluetooth AVRCP control of Pandora on Android and BlackBerry smartphones. It doesn't offer Pandora control on a Windows smartphone. Pandora content will stream to the head unit via stereo Bluetooth. It also features four-line display, SensMe, dual USBs, and digital EQ and time alignment.

"We expect to be alone with this feature this year," Kahn said of Pandora control via Bluetooth. At January's International CES, Sony plans a second head unit with Pandora control via Bluetooth as well as more heads compatible with the universal tuner, Kahn said.

Two other head units among the company's eight new SKUs are the $70-suggested CDX-GT260MP single-DIN slot-load CD receiver with MP3-CD playback and analog aux-in. These features were previously available at a suggested $90 in the Sony lineup.

The other head is the $95-suggested CDX-GT40U, which adds USB port to connect and control music selection on a promotional usb or non-Apple MP3 player. That feature was previously available at $110.

All heads feature improved DSP to clear up FM multipath and a new IC amplifier chip to reduce distortion and increase signal-to-noise ratio. All also feature RDS-FM tuner. The models with iPod/USB input capture an iPod's digital PCM output.

Sony said it launches some of its car audio aftermarket products in the fall to coincide with automakers' production cycles.

New USB Power Spec Could Power PCs Over USB

Can you imagine powering a laptop over USB, and not just a phone? Under a proposed new USB power specification, you might be able to.

The USB 3.0 Promoter Group said Tuesday that it has submitted a new USB Power Delivery solution that could deliver as much as 100 watts via a USB cable, specifically USB 3.0. Plans for a pre-relase industry review will be discussed at the Intel Developer Forum in mid-September.

In reality, however, the increased power specification will likely mean that an increasing number of devices can be bus-powered, meaning that they will not require an extra power adapter. That will mean less cost, and less hassle, for the average consumer.

Many conventional laptops use as little as 20 watts or so even while plugged in and running at full performance, meaning that conceivably - and, at this point, we're not sure why you would want to - devices like a laptop could be powered by a USB cable running from another computer.

"Building on the rapidly increasing industry momentum for using USB bus power to charge a broad range of mobile devices, the new USB Power Delivery specification extends USB's cable power delivery capabilities beyond simple battery charging," said Brad Saunders, USB 3.0 Promoter Group chairman, in a statement. "For example, charging the battery of a notebook PC, or simply powering that notebook PC while actively using the USB data connection, would be possible. Conceivably, a notebook PC could rely solely on a USB connection for its source of power."

According to preliminary specifications released by the promoter group, the power could be supplied in either direction, without the need to swap a cable. The new specification would be compatible with existing cables, according to the group. More importantly, it would also be compatible with the existing USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 specifications, as well as the USB Battery Charging 1.2 spec already in existence.

First announced in 2009, USB 3.0 started appearing in early 2010 in external hard drives like the WD My Book. Real-world tests, however, were initially unimpressive, and the technology got caught up in the furor over a competing Intel technology, Light Peak or Thunderbolt, which was included on new iMacs. But, since then, Thunderbolt has yet to appear on another PC.

The USB 3.0 Promoter Group iscomprised of Hewlett-Packard Company, Intel Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, Renesas Electronics, ST-Ericsson and Texas Instruments.

Protecting the Supply Chain–The CSO Rides Shotgun

When I was a teenager and a group of us headed to the car for some fun, someone would inevitably yell “I’ve got shotgun,” kicking off a race to the car and a round of “discussions” before seating arrangements were finally settled – specifically, who got to sit in the front and who had to sit in the back.

The term “riding shotgun” is shorthand for “I’m riding up front” and while the practice of sitting up by the driver with a weapon to guard the horse-drawn stagecoaches of the Wild West is well documented, it appears that the actual term emerged somewhat later.

Back then, they must have had another name. Perhaps this much-loved (by drivers and passengers) guard was called the CSO (Chief Shotgun Operator), since he was responsible for risk mitigation on those coach rides and making sure passengers and freight made it to the destination as expected.

The CSO of today might feel a bit like they are still in the Wild Wild West, with potential threats lurking everywhere along the trail, especially when considering the challenges of enforcing cyber supply chain security.

While CSOs, CIOs and others in IT are no strangers to the threats to risk management for threats of all kinds, IT professionals tasked with protection of resources that might be part of national critical infrastructure have been bringing more focus to the issue of cyber supply chain integrity and risk.

From a formal standpoint, the University of Maryland Cybersecurity Center provides this definition:

“The cyber supply chain can be described as the mass of IT systems―hardware, software, public, and classified networks-that together enable the uninterrupted operations of government agencies, companies, and international organizations. Attacks on the cyber supply chain can include malware inserted into software or hardware, vulnerabilities found by hackers, as well as compromised systems that are unwittingly brought in house. Tackling the problem of cyber supply chain protection requires new levels of collaboration among security, IT, and supply chain managers, taking into account the roles of developers, vendors, customers, and users.”

From an informal standpoint, there’s the case of the Trojan Mouse. Asked to test a company’s security without relying on e-mail or other traditional malware venues, NetraGard gutted a Logitech USB mouse, and stuffed it with its own circuit board. The team learned, from a social networking site, which antivirus software the company was using, and then wrote code to circumvent it. The next step was to get the mouse inside the company. Taking a page from the ancient Greeks who presented Troy with the gift of a wooden horse bearing hidden warriors, NetraGard repackaged the mouse and sent it to an employee as a modern day gift: A promotional item . . . bearing hidden code.

The take-home lesson, apart from the continuing relevancy of Greek mythology to modern society (beware of marketers bearing mice), is that when considering cyber supply chain security, the threats can come from just about anywhere, making the job of the CSO and other key players all the more challenging. While administrators building critical infrastructure may be more concerned that a typical CSO, as we rethink the cyber threat, and must be concerned about cyber espionage, it might be prudent to update our thinking to include cyber supply chain issues in our risk management processes.

The good news is that the cyber supply chain isn’t as chaotic as the Wild Wild West (companies, and countries, realize that to place a backdoor into every product they shipped would be to invite detection, which would mark the fiscal end to any such company as the market en mass reacted). But it does mean that companies large and small (and countries large and small) will need to develop new ways of ensuring transparency, trust, and security in their cyber supply chain. Expect IT to play a major role in this. In short, every organization is going to want a guard riding shotgun, and who better than the CSO?