Save on Handheld Games & Accessories, HDTV, and Blu-ray Players at Amazon

Posted on Thursday, August 18, 2011 by MegaZone

Amazon Logo Amazon has a number of promotions running currently. First up, for the handheld gamers, their Summer Roadtrip Handheld Gaming Event. That’s a fancy way of saying save on a selection of 153 Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, and Sony PSP games, and gaming accessories.

More into staying home that road tripping? Well, you can enjoy the stay more with a new HDTV and Blu-ray deck, right?

Save on select Sony HDTVs. There are thirteen 1080p LCD & LED models to choose from, ranging from 32-inch to 55-inch, nine of them 3D.

Save on select Panasonic HDTVs and Blu-ray players. There are two 32″ 720p LCD sets, a 32″ & 37″ 1080p LCD, a 32″ & 37″ 1080p LED, and a 42″ 1080p plasma set, and three Blu-ray players to choose from.

Save on select LG HDTVs. This promotion has the most choice, with 34 LCD, LED, and plasma models to choose from. There are 720p and 1080p sets ranging from 22 to 60 inch, twelve of them 3D. There is also a promotion for free additional 3D glasses with five LG HDTV models.

All three promotions run through August 20th, 2011.

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Sony Slashes $50 Off the PlayStation3 Price

Posted on Thursday, August 18, 2011 by MegaZone

PS3 Sony has slashed the price of the PS3 worldwide. In the US they trimmed $50, €50 in Europe, and ¥5,000 in Japan. In the US at least that brings the 160GB model to half the price of the 20GB model at launch just over five years ago.

The prices now are ¥24,980 160GB and ¥29,980 32GB in Japan, €249 160GB and €299 320GB in Europe, and $249.99 160GB and $299.99 320GB in the US. The Japanese prices include tax.

I bought my 60GB original model when they dropped the price to $500. No regrets, it’s been an excellent Blu-ray deck – and I even play games once in a while. The PS3 is still one of the best Blu-ray players out there, and they still keep enhancing Blu-ray support in the software updates.

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TiVo Files Again in Their Quest for an FCC Waiver

Posted on Thursday, August 18, 2011 by MegaZone

FCC Logo TiVo has filed yet again in their ongoing quest for an FCC waiver to allow them to sell the TiVo Premiere Elite at retail. This time it seems TiVo met with the NCTA,“to discuss NCTA’s desire to ensure that TiVo’s point-of-sale disclosures and retailer scripts highlighted potential issues encountered by customers who may relocate or change service providers.” As a result of these discussions TiVo is updating their retail collateral and training procedures, detailed in an earlier filing, and they’re willing to make these materials a condition of the waiver.

Personally, I think the NCTA’s concerns were exaggerated and a bit nit-picky, but it doesn’t really do TiVo any harm in this case to make them happy. Though I did notice one thing…

Hey, TiVo, this new wording is incorrect:

Therefore, if your provider has “digital simulcast” and rebroadcasts all of its programming in analog, you will not miss any of your cable channel programming with a TiVo Premiere Elite.

At the very least I think you meant:

Therefore, if your provider has “digital simulcast” and rebroadcasts all of its analog programming in digital, you will not miss any of your cable channel programming with a TiVo Premiere Elite.

A small change in wording; a big difference in meaning. I hope that helps. No payment necessary, but I wouldn’t turn down an Elite if you get that waiver. ;-)

Posted in DVR, FCC, TiVo | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Got an Amazon Rewards Visa Card? Save 20% on Office & School Supplies – Like PCs and Tablets!

Posted on Thursday, August 18, 2011 by MegaZone

Amazon Logo This is almost tempting enough to get me to sign up for another credit card. Amazon is getting into the back to school spirit, and clearly trying to sign up more card holders, by offering 20% off office & school supplies through August 31, 2011 – but only if you use your Amazon card. Now, when I think of office & school supplies I tend to think of pens, paper, notebooks, rulers, etc. But I guess I think too old-fashioned, or just too small, because the offer includes desktop PCs, laptops, tablets, and netbooks! And, yes, pens, paper, notebooks, paper clips, binders, and all the mundane stuff. All the top computer and tablet vendors are part of the promotion, so if you’ve been thinking about picking up a new tablet or laptop – get an Amazon Rewards Visa and take 20% off!

Must resist… have wedding to save for… Wait, my fiancee does have an Amazon Rewards Visa Card. Oh, honey…

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Matthew Zinn, TiVo’s Senior Vice President of General Counsel, Profiled

Posted on Thursday, August 18, 2011 by MegaZone

TiVo Logo A personal profile of Matthew Zinn, TiVo’s Senior Vice President of General Counsel (aka the head of their legal department, originally written for The Recorder has been posted on Law.com. When we think of TiVo we tend to think of the products or the technology, but the legal side of the business is just as important. Contracts don’t negotiate themselves, FCC filings need to be made, and patents aren’t worth anything if you don’t protect them. It’s a fairly standard corporate profile piece, but it gives us a glimpse at the man in charge of TiVo’s legal efforts, more than just a name on an FCC filing. We learn that he was a DJ in college, interned at the FCC and NPR, and worked at Continental Cablevision and MediaOne, before joining TiVo in 2000 as their first in-house lawyer. Now he runs an in-house legal team of six attorneys and a paralegal, plus employing external firms.

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