A recent survey* commissioned by IOGEAR shows that interest in watching Internet video on a TV continues to grow.

Nearly 40 percent of respondents stated they would consider getting rid of their cable or satellite subscription in favor of using a product to connect their PC and Internet to the TV. Forty six percent might consider the option and only 16 percent said no.

Nearly 50 percent of survey respondents said they spend between $50-$100 on monthly cable or satellite subscriptions. Thirty five percent spend more than $100. If there were a more affordable option to getting your favorite content, how many of you would end a long-term cable or satellite relationship?

Fifty percent of those surveyed said they currently watch between 0-2 hours of video each week on their computer. Thirty percent watch 3-5 hours and nearly 20 percent of people watch 6+ hours of video on their computers each week.

As these numbers continue to grow, it is obvious that a fundamental shift in the cable / satellite TV industry must occur. The cable and satellite TV industry has always assumed that the more content they give the consumer, the more they can charge, the happier we are.  With the busy schedules we all keep now, flipping through 400+ channels to find something actually worth watching can be a chore unto itself.

Utilizing new technologies that provide high quality video streaming over the Internet users can now watch the shows they want, when they want to.  For a minimal cost for hardware up front, often less then a few months’ worth of cable bills, the elimination of the traditional TV is becoming more of a reality.

Cheers,

The IOGEAR team

*The survey of 2,812 people was conducted by LAPTOP Magazine.

Quarter One for 2009 is coming to an end and it’s been an exciting ride thus far in the computer hardware sector.  With computers being such integral parts in our everyday lifestyle, innovations shining through are getting harder to find.  Here’s a roundup of the best, and a look to what the future may bring.

Today’s Innovations

LaCie iamaKey USB Flash Drive.  Why did it take this long to make a flash drive, commonly called key ring drives, to actually be made of metal and be shaped like a key?  Sure many flash drives can be added to a key ring but they are a bit too bulky and often break apart within a few weeks.  5.5 Designers created this flash drive to be made entirely of metal and it carries a full 2-year warranty.  4GB and 8GB models are available with prices starting at less than $20.

Dymo DiscPainter brings a whole new world of wow to your discs.  The art on a CD or DVD is a dying art, but it doesn’t need to be.  When you burn photos or music to disc for a friend, don’t write on the pre-printed label with a market; use plain white discs and the DiscPainter to create a visually stunning presentation.  This is great for personal or professional use and provides quality second to none.

MSI introduces the Wind Top AE1900, the new line of NetTops, or all-in-one computers.  With a 19” 16:9 monitor and enough processing power to handle all needs, it also sports Bluetooth, 1.3MP web cam, Wi-Fi and a built in card reader.  The AE1900 uses 80% less energy than a traditional desktop, while saving you desk space at the same time.  This elegant new computer is leading the back in the crossover sector of Netbooks moving to Desktops, the NetTop.

Stealth’s LPC-625F Fanless Mini PC might just be the perfect media center.  With more video content coming online, homes are gearing up for a better way to watch them.  Hooking up your old PC to the family plasma won’t cut it, they are loud, big and can’t be stored nicely anywhere.  Stealth’s answer is the bring a Core 2 Duo powered computer in a fanless chassis that holds standard 2.5” SATA drives (up to two), integrated HDMI port for easy connectivity to your TV capable of full HD video playback at 1080p, integrated Gigabit Ethernet (wireless is optional), 7.1 Realtek audio and up to 4GB of memory, all packed inside a tiny aluminum chassis.  Hiding this in your media cabinet or behind the TV shouldn’t be a problem.

IOGear Wireless USB Audio/Video Kit makes hooking the family computer or laptop up to the TV so painless even grandma could do it. Watch anything on your hard drive or streaming over the Internet on your TV that’s up to 30’ away in full 720p resolution.  No more running specialized cables every time you want to watch a Hulu or YouTube video on your TV. This product is available to consumers late Q2.

Future Innovations

jMac and jMac Pro Tower are the next generation computers from Apple.  After running out of products to be created with the standardized “i” that Apple has become so famous for, they’ve moved to the next letter in the alphabet.  This new line will feature AMD powered offerings with a standard 16GB of ram for the jMac and 32GB for the Tower.  2TB solid state hard drives will be standard with an option to upgrade to 10TB by early summer.

Nintendo PowerGlove real world Windows powered PC.  Modeled closely after the iconic PowerGlove introduced for the original NES, this new version will offer an Intel Core Trio powered, 4GB RAM and 32GB SSD hard drive all crammed inside the glove.  Wearers will be able to do all normal computer tasks within a 100’ range of their monitors.  Corporate board meetings once filled with half asleep executives and their laptops will be replaced with the same individuals flailing their arms around, controlling the mouse, typing and communicating.  No official word on what function the middle finger will serve.

Self Stick Bluetooth speakers.  These next generation computer speakers are 12” x 12” and about the same thickness as a piece of construction paper and transparent to boot!  An advanced glue technology allows them to stick to nearly anything and be removed without damage to walls, glass or even people.  A built in Bluetooth device receives music from any computer tied to it and broadcasts it without wires.   These super slim speakers utilize whatever they are stuck to as the woofers to generate sound.

No-scratch Laptop.  In a joint effort, Apple has teamed up with a Swiss designer to start production of plastic based laptops that don’t scratch.  This new polymer is also touted to not stain under the palms or on the white keys from excessive use.  Apple is in talks with Dell, HP and several others to license the technology to them as well.  Several makers of laptop “skins” or protective devices are contemplating a lawsuit, since it will essentially make their over-priced products totally unneeded.  Apple said they started to look into this after the 10 millionth Macbook rolled off the lines, ironically it was the same day the received their 9 million, 999 thousand, 998’th complaint email about how easily their products scratch.

Moving forward, the second quarter promises to bring advances in video cards, internal and external storage options and larger, less power hungry monitors.  Should continue to be an exciting 2009!

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If you believed our future innovations… well just look at the date this was posted (April 1)

After providing a solution for your wire clutter problems on a previous post, we found great interest on the topic; judging from the amount of web traffic sent to that blog post. Here, we expand on the idea of de-cluttering with 4 ways to help move towards a de-cluttered digital life.

1. Wireless VGA – Connecting to your display wirelessly

Whether you are giving a presentation or watching a movie on your computer through a projector at home, you can finally put away that extra long VGA cord. This handy device not only reduces clutter, but adds at least ten points to your coolness factor . Learn more from the video.

2. Use Existing Wires

Using the existing electrical power lines in your home or business you can do some amazing things:

-       Stream music to any room, a great way to create a holiday atmosphere

-       Network your computers without a degree in Computer science

-       Extend a Wi-Fi network to the furthest part of your home or business

3. KVM – Easy Switching and File Sharing Between Two Computers

If you have a PC and a laptop on your desk, a KVM switch will reduce the clutter on your desk while allowing you to control both computers with the same keyboard, video display and mouse.

4. Portable Media Server – Free Your Photos, Songs and Movies

Getting photos, songs and movies to play from your PC onto a TV, HDTV or display usually means hauling a computer around and dealing with a mess of cables. With the Portable Media Server, not only do you eliminate the need to lug a PC around to enjoy your content, you can take your entertainment on the road!

What are your favorite tips for de-cluttering your digital life?