what.com.es/next

Tons have been talked lately about whether YouTube’s video about how to get into Google TV is hoax or reality. Well, it is still not clear if it is hoax or reality. Some people claim that it is an amazing hoax while other people are conceited to have got a Google TV account.

Anyway, I believe that even if *this* Google TV is hoax, it will be a reality soon. Looks like, after social networks revolution, IPTV (TV over Internet) is the next big revolution and such player as Google won’t be out of this business.

Evidences? Friis and Zennstrom, the Skype and Kazaa guys, have recently launch Joost a new TV service based on peer-to-peer technologies. There is another new TV service called Babelgum, which combines social networking with TV viewing experience (web 2.0 with IPTV 1.0 ;-). Both, Joost and Babelgum are available only as a closed beta. There is also Apple with its Apple TV presented in last MacWorld Expo, a mixture between TiVo and an Internet computer. Even Bill Gates has been talking about this revolution lately while the brand new Windows Vista is more TV-oriented than ever (will Microsoft come next with Zune TV?).

Is there anybody out there who thinks that Google is not going to launch a “Google TV” service? What comes next? Only time will tell.

Just one week for commercial launch of Windows Vista, but looks like good old times were really better.

August 1995 was top for Microsoft’s enthusiasts when Gate’s Company managed to get people to queue for miles to buy its brand-new Windows 95. This time, only CompUSA plans to keep its stores open past midnight on Tuesday, January 30th for those people who like to be the first ones in getting the new operating system as soon as it is launched. Best Buy and Circuit City will each keep a few stores open late, but most of their stores and those of other retailers are planning normal hours.

Of course, all retailers agree with the idea that this is a good opportunity that only happens once in five years (or more) and all of them are hoping something special, but though Microsoft’s operating systems are more attractive for customers and dealers than its zune, it looks like Windows 95 expectation has been left behind. What comes next? Only time will tell.

Tons have been said about the new product launchings Apple will announce in current MacWorld Expo. Everybody is expecting Steve Jobs to show the new iPhone, a gadget which is been widely thought of being a mixture between a digital music player and a smart phone.

Well, I don’t know if Steve (no last name is needed) is going to show the world the iTV (Apple’s thought device to compete against TiVo) or a new music player able to make phonecalls, but what I am really sure is that the latter is not going to be named iPhone anyway.

Linksys, a division of Cisco Systems, registered “iPhone” as a mark back in late nineties, but it has not been but till now that they have launched the iPhone product, which is, as Linksys says, more than a phone as it is able to connect to Skype network or to send instant messages via Yahoo! Messenger but no mp3 player at all (just access multimedia content from the Internet).

The question is: why now? Has Linksys taken advantage from all the branding campaing to launch their product or is it just a coincidence? The choice is yours but if I were a Microsoft guy I would prepare the launching of the “Zune Phone” as soon as possible! What comes next? Only time will tell.

After a decent start in mid-november when it was unveiled, Microsoft’s Zune has not been able to reach more than #4 in portable music players war with just 1.9 percent market share compared to 62 percent for Apple’s iPod. SanDisk and Creative are second and third respectively.

Anyway, this is not peanuts at all for a new player in a estimated $6 billion market, but the worst thing is that Microsoft still has not convinced dealers. Only 10 percent of them recommend Zune over iPod, which is recommended by 70 percent of dealers.

This are no good news for short-term sales but Microsoft still claim its long-term commitment to the digital music player market. In spite of these sort-of-bad starting results, this is not the first time Microsoft is late for a market that would have almost ended dominating. Remember X-Box versus Sony’s PlayStation and even Windows-PC versus Apple’s Macintosh. What comes next? Only time will tell.

Stop being just a listener. Now your iPod can be bidirectional and you can sing (or try to sing) lead vocals in your favourite songs.

iKaraoke is very compact all-in-one karaoke solution for your iPod as it is a microphone and processor in the same device. It works by isolating lead vocal track and fading it so you can make the song yours.

You can control the music, volume and reverb from the mic and, even more, everybody in the house can enjoy your talent (if you want) as it can be plugged into your music system or music can be broadcasted as FM signal you can tune in your home or auto receiver, turning your iPod into a wireless karaoke machine!

It works with any iPod with a dock connector and can be purchased online for $49.99. What about the Zune? What comes next? Only time will tell.