Wikipedia: The future home of video.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

The long-rumored addition of video to on the web encyclopedia Wikipedia is finally near. According to a report in the Technology Review, Wikimedia, the company behind Wikipedia, is just a few months away from adding video to the site.

The Technology Review is reporting that Wikipedia will soon feature an “Add Media” option, which will allow users to search for copyright-free video. They’ll be able to drag the clip into the respective Wikipedia article.

Users will also be able to edit clips, as well as rearrange segments.

I’m excited. Wikipedia is one of my favorite destinations on the Web. From updates on “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” (I have no shame) to information on brain surgery, the site provides us with a lot of great information.

That stated, one of the issues facing Wikipedia is that the information can’t always be corroborated. And some feel that it can’t be trusted, due to editor bias or shallow research.

I think that video can help change that.

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source The Digital Home

Sirius XM is at it again. The company that has faced numerous financial issues over the past few years has finally released its much-anticipated app for the iPhone and iPod Touch. There’s just one problem: it leaves out much of the good stuff.

The Sirius XM app (and its missing channels).

(Credit: Sirius XM)

The new app allows users to access some of the service’s sports, speak, comedy, and music channels. The available channels include, Oprah Radio, MLB Home Plate, NFL Radio, NHL Home Ice, Mad Dog Radio, The Foxxhole comedy channel, and NPR.

Users will also have access to a variety of Sirius XM music channels, including E Street Radio, The Grateful Dead Channel, Eminem’s Shade 45, Radio Margaritaville, Siriusly Sinatra, and others. All told, users will be able to listen to 120 channels. Any music track can be purchased in iTunes while listening to it in the Sirius XM app.

But it’s the omissions that’ll undoubtedly sway public view. According to Sirius XM, “some select programming, including MLB Play-by-Play, NFL Play-by-Play, Nascar Radio, and Howard Stern, will not be available on the iPhone and iPod Touch.”

In its press release, Sirius XM didn’t provide any reason why some of its most popular channels aren’t included. But after some digging, I found that those omissions might be due to “mobile-performance rights.”

“Sirius and XM offer all of the channels for which we have mobile-performance rights,” the company wrote on its iPhone app’s FAQ page. “For that reason, certain channels which may be available on your satellite radio or online radio service may not be available on a mobile device like the iPhone.”

Sirius XM is giving users a free seven-day trial with the app. After that, it’s charging a fee to access the content. I called a Sirius XM customer service representative to see how much it would cost to get that service. He told me that as a current Sirius XM subscriber, I would need to pay an additional $2.99 per month after the seven-day trial. Those who currently don’t subscribe to the service will be forced to pay $12.95 per month for access.

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source The Digital Home

Amazon is bringing the Kindle to all kinds of devices.

(Credit: Screenshot by Nicole Lee/CNET)

Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos spoke on Monday at the Wired Business Conference, discussing his company and the future of the Amazon Kindle.

After discussions on Google Book Search and other topics, Bezos sprinkled in a few tidbits of information that could have a lasting impact both on the e-book business and the tech industry as a whole. According to Bezos, he plans to break the Kindle business into two parts: hardware and software.

Amazon’s e-books are already available on the iPhone. Users who want to access titles can download the Kindle app and purchase books from Amazon’s store. But Bezos wants to do more. He believes that the path to success is through sharing e-book technology with competing hardware makers.

“The device team has the job of making the most remarkable purpose-built reading device in the world,” Bezos stated at the conference. “We are going to give the device team competition. We’ll make Kindle books, at the same $9.99 price points, available on the iPhone, and other mobile devices and other computing devices.”

It might be the smartest move Amazon has made yet.

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source The Digital Home

Metal Gear Solid Rising doesn't need to be this pretty.

(Credit: Konami)

Metal Gear Solid Rising won’t be using the Metal Gear Solid 4 game engine to help Kojima Productions save some cash. Instead, the game’s developer plans to build the title “from scratch” to ensure that it’s as beautiful as possible.

“We’re redoing the engine from scratch, and it’s going to look breathtaking,” Sean Eyestone, the host of the Kojima Productions podcast, stated in a recent episode. “It’s going to be a big project like Metal Gear Solid 4. The entire team is serious about making it look as good as possible on each platform.”

As a Metal Gear fan since the beginning, I really like the series. There’s something enchanting about Solid Snake, Liquid Ocelot, Massive Boss, and all the other characters that make up the story. But I’m deeply concerned by Kojima Productions’ focus on the beauty of the Metal Gear series instead of the content of the games. For years now, the franchise’s individual titles have been preachy and long-winded.

We don’t need better graphics from Hideo Kojima and his team; we need better writing.

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source The Digital Home