Via Xbox 360 Microsoft is bringing IM and later voice-based chat to TV. TV is going to be even more interesting perhaps than mobile as it develops as a social networking tool and medium to access Internet content.
In a related article, here’s David Pogue (of the NY Times) on TiVo’s upgrades and enhancements that make it much more than a time-shifting recording device. There are now a number of local search content and features, including local movies and weather and traffic.
Unlike the WebTV of old, “TV 2.0″ will be a very interesting hybrid of content and capabilities, with much of that modeled on the Internet or literally from the Internet. AppleTV, TiVo and Xbox may be in a 3-way race for adoption among consumers in this emerging category.
___
Related: My previous posts What Will Local Search Look Like on a TV Screen? and 3-D Metaverses Will Bloom on TV
April 9, 2007 at 8:08 pm
Interesting! I fear Microsoft are not planning anything particularly ground-breaking yet, but the possibilities are huge. What would twitter for groups of TV viewers look like? I am sure there are some cool applications to be build around genre such as sports or reality, and this could be an important tool for networks to stay connected and understanding their users…