Cool Tech Reviews

Ed Oswald at BetaNews has the story:

Most TiVo customers use the devices to skip over commercials within recorded shows. However, the DVR maker on Monday announced that beginning in the spring of 2006, it would use the set-top box to deliver on-demand advertising to interested subscribers.

TiVo says this is the first time television would be used as a medium to deliver such targeted ads to potential customers. These commercials would be found based on keyword searches, similar to the way Internet advertising currently works.

A user would be able to search for information on products or services based on particular needs. The ads would be set up into various categories, including automotive, travel, telecommunications and consumer-packaged goods. TiVo says the ads would be non-intrusive and interactive, and only offered on an opt-in basis.

I presume that these are more like infomercials than 30-second spots, but I’m still rather dubious. So is Wall Street:

“I continue to question whether any of these initiatives are going to be accretive to shareholders,” said April Horace, an analyst at Hoefer & Arnett Inc. “I don’t see the revenue opportunity anytime in the near term.”

TiVo shares fell 2.69 percent, or 16 cents, to $5.78 on Nasdaq at mid-afternoon.

But, not surprisingly, you have to buy a new system to get it (via Bink.nu):

Apple has quietly launched an offer to give Mac buyers money off Microsoft software.

The ‘Office Bonus’ offer, which runs until the end of January next year, gives shoppers 50 per cent off Microsoft Office for Mac when they buy a new Apple desktop or laptop.
…
Apple is seemingly hoping to cash in on the ‘iPod halo’ effect — where new buyers of Apple’s signature music player then go on to buy more Apple kit. Analysts believe that more than one million Windows users may have made the switch to Mac this year, mostly driven by this halo effect.

And a cheaper Windows Office for the Mac might help them make the jump. This article is from the UK, but I checked and the offer is also available at the online USA Apple store on all “new or Apple certified refurbished Apple computers.” Presumably it is available worldwide.

(Originally published at the Microsoft News Tracker.)

Eric Dahl at PC World:

The Buzz: If you can’t beat ‘em, block ‘em. Increasing competition from Internet phone providers like Vonage and from services such as Skype is causing traditional telephone carriers around the world to look at methods to slow or stop IP-based calls that cross their networks. The key technology, from a firm called Narus, can detect VoIP packets and either block them or deprioritize them to reduce call quality. A number of foreign telephone carriers have already enlisted the company’s services.

Bottom Line: Domestic telcos are legally prohibited from completely blocking competing VoIP services, but there’s no rule against prioritizing other traffic. And filtering software could put a serious damper on international-call savings if more countries begin to say nein to VoIP.

VoIP packets have a standardized format so they are easy to “adjust.” If this sort of thing really becomes widespread, I would guess that VoIP packets will soon be wearing camouflage.