Skip to Content

Submit your nominations for the Luxist Awards' Best in Decor
AOL Tech

Sling posts

Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

Ooooo nooooo! SlingMobile for iPhone won't work on 3G

by Mel Martin (RSS feed) on May 12th, 2009

At least, that's what our sister publication is reporting. If true, there will be a tremendous firestorm of anger from iPhone customers who expected to use this app the way the Sling app runs on other devices, including some cellphones on AT&T that are able to use 3G. Using this $30.00 app on just Wi-Fi is a real turn off to many users. This app has had its share of ups and downs, with Sling confidently predicting it was on the way. It may be on the way, but it appears to have been seriously crippled. Editor's note: The story is now confirmed by Sling. Wi-Fi only (at this time).

Engadget is saying the app will be released after midnight EDT tonight. They also say older Sling hardware WILL work with the mobile app, albeit unsupported.I would think hardware stores will be busy today with sales of pitchforks and torches.

We have calls into Sling for an explanation. I don't think this is going to be pretty.

One of our British readers (thanks Adrien) says the app is already in the UK app store. Here is a link to a capture of the page in iTunes. No doubt about it. People are not going to be happy with Sling, Apple, or AT&T.

Tags: app store, iPhone, iPod touch, Sling, SlingPlayer Mobile

Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

SlingPlayer for iPhone getting closer to release?

by Mel Martin (RSS feed) on Apr 27th, 2009

SlingMedia thinks so. In a brief note on the Sling website, the company notes: "We are in close contact with our partners at Apple and are optimistic that it will be approved soon. We hope the wait won't be much longer."

Hopefully the company knows something the pundits and rumor mongers don't. It's been a month of excitement followed by depression as lightly-sourced rumors spread that Apple would turn down the highly anticipated app at the request of AT&T, who worried about all the bandwidth the app would use. There was even a change in the AT&T Terms of Service, that the company later disowned and apologized for.

Of course other phones sold by AT&T and other carriers do offer the SlingPlayer Mobile app, but no other single phone has the footprint that the iPhone has.

There have also been rumors that the app might support WiFi only, which would be a tremendous downer for people who expected to be able to Sling away from just about anywhere. Hopefully, this whole soap opera is drawing to a close, but Sling fans shouldn't throw away their torches and pitchforks just yet.

Thanks to Matt for the tip.

Tags: app store, AppStore, ATT, iPhone, iPod touch, sling, sling player, SlingPlayer, SlingPlayer Mobile, streaming video

Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

AT&T says sorry

by Mel Martin (RSS feed) on Apr 3rd, 2009

Well, that was quite an uproar. Now it seems to be over, at least for the moment. AT&T now says:

"The language added on March 30 to AT&T's wireless data service Terms and Conditions was done in error. It was brought to our attention and we have since removed it. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused."

Hmmm. Now everyone can go back to being mad at Sling for dropping iPhone support for the old hardware. Ah, the power of the internet.

Have a nice weekend folks.

Thanks to our sister site Engadget for ferreting this one out.

Tags: ATT, iPhone, iPod Touch, Sling, streaming

Filed under: Odds and ends, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

As if things aren't bad enough... AT&T terms change targets Sling

by Mel Martin (RSS feed) on Apr 3rd, 2009

AT&T has quietly changed their TOS (terms of service; it looks like the revision is targeted directly at the Sling software that is due out for the iPhone, and also other Sling apps that are currently running on other mobile phones on the AT&T Network.

Here's the nasty little section:

This means, by way of example only, that checking email, surfing the Internet, downloading legally acquired songs, and/or visiting corporate intranets is permitted, but downloading movies using P2P file sharing services, customer initiated redirection of television or other video or audio signals via any technology from a fixed location to a mobile device, web broadcasting, and/or for the operation of servers, telemetry devices and/or Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition devices is prohibited.

They also added this language:

On the 5GB DataConnect Plan, once you exceed your 5GB allowance you will be automatically charged $0.00048 per Kb for any data used. On the 200MB Data Connect Plan, once you exceed your 200MB allowance, you will be automatically charged $10 for an additional 100MB. Unused data from either your initial allowance or any overage allowance (e.g., the 100MB) will not be carried over to the next billing period; all data allowances must be used in the billing period in which the allowance is provided. On other plans with a monthly megabyte or gigabyte allowance, once you exceed your allowance you will be automatically charged overage as specified in the applicable rate plan information.

This can't be good news for those using Sling or Orb software, or those who were expecting the iPhone app. Other carriers do have similar language, but in my old days on Verizon I was able to use the SlingPlayer software on a Windows Mobile phone without hassle or threats.

After everyone already got pretty mad at Sling for making older SlingPlayers obsolete for use with the iPhone app, AT&T can now be added to the roster of offenders.

A Sling spokesperson, Jay Tannenbaum, told me today via email: "The most cost effective way to enjoy streaming content on any phone is by taking advantage of an unlimited data plan, something that we suggest to all our users. If there is no data cap, there's no problem. That said, we try to have good relations with all the carriers and try to deliver the best quality experience within the constraints of bandwidth and technology."

This quote doesn't specifically address the TOS changes, but at least it's dialogue.

Here's a link to the new TOS from AT&T Wireless. It will be interesting to see how this all sorts itself out.

Thanks to Jason and others who pointed this out.

Tags: ATT Wireless, bandwidth, iPhone, iPod touch, sling, slingbox, streaming, television, terms of service, video

Filed under: Peripherals, Video, iPhone, App Store

SlingPlayer for iPhone submitted to app store

by Mel Martin (RSS feed) on Mar 26th, 2009

It's something many iPhone owners have been waiting for since the iPhone first appeared 2 years ago. It was on again, off again, will they, won't they?

Well, it seems they did. Sling has announced that SlingPlayer for iPhone has been submitted to the app store for approval. The company had previously said the app would be submitted this quarter, and it's in just under the wire.

Sling already has versions for Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Symbian and Palm smart phones. No one can predict when, or if, Apple will approve the software, but there will be iPhone owners with pitchforks and torches outside Apple headquarters if the much sought-after app does not appear soon.

The Slingplayer is a multimedia system that allows people who have one to watch their TV or other video sources on a PC or laptop, from anywhere in the world. The mobile versions allow you to control your home TV from your handheld device, changing channels, even controlling a DVR. It's a tremendously popular system, and that will be enhanced when the iPhone version makes the scene.

Hopefully, AT&T is on board, and Apple realizes that the SlingPlayer will drive even more iPhone sales. Now stand back and watch the buzz build. Yay. Finally.

Thanks to Rob for the tip.

Tags: app store, cable, iPhone, multimedia, satellite, sling, SlingPlayer, television, video

Filed under: Hardware, Video

SlingCatcher to tread on iTV vapor trail?

by Michael Rose (RSS feed) on Jan 8th, 2007



In the first of what will probably be several moments of Macworld/CES friction, there are reports from Engadget, among other sources, of the latest Sling Media product: the SlingCatcher, a remote receiver for Slingbox streams that will work as a set top box for TVs. With wireless networking and an internal hard drive for storing hypothetical purchased content, this begins to sound very much like a preannounced product we've heard about.

It was too much to wish that everyone else would stay out of Apple's way while the iTV finished baking; perhaps the shadow of SlingCatcher and similar devices on the horizon caused the atypical WWDC "It's Showtime" preview of unreleased hardware. If you knew that the simplicity of the iPod/iTunes combo was on the way for your video streaming, would it be worth waiting for? Or would you go Sling instead?

Tags: ces, itv, macworld07, sling, slingbox, slingcatcher

Filed under: Hardware, Software, Internet Tools

SlingPlayer for Mac OS X (beta) lands 10/31

by David Chartier (RSS feed) on Oct 25th, 2006

We've seen screenshots, and we've even seen it in action, but now Sharon R., in her first corporate blog post for Sling Media, has laid down the law by announcing a Tuesday, October 31st release date (yea, All Hallows' Eve) of their much-anticipated SlingPlayer for Mac OS X public beta. She even went so far as to 'guarantee' it, so that's gotta be worth something. We'll see whether they get hung up by a little too much partying over the weekend soon enough. Stay tuned (hah!).

Thanks Mr. Zatz

Tags: beta, internet, mac, os x, OsX, sling, sling box, sling media, SlingBox, SlingMedia, stream, streaming, tv

Filed under: Software, Video, Internet Tools

Found Footage: SlingPlayer for the Mac in action

by Scott McNulty (RSS feed) on Oct 17th, 2006

We've written about the Slingbox in the past. If you're not aware of what Sling does, it is a network device that streams live TV from your television (or Tivo, or DVR) to a number of different devices including PDAs, PCs, and soon Macs. This video shows off the Sling Player for OS X running on a MacBook.

This thing is so cool that I'll forgive the Sling guy for calling the Dock a 'taskbar.'

Oh, and the public beta for Mac should be available at the end of October/start of November.

[via Gizmos for Geeks]

Tags: sling, sling mac, sling player, SlingMac, SlingPlayer

Filed under: Software, Video, Internet Tools

Slingbox beta client coming for Mac OS X

by David Chartier (RSS feed) on Sep 15th, 2006

If you're primarily a Mac user, you probably haven't heard much about Slingbox, largely in part because it's never had a Mac OS X client. Slingbox, for those interested, is a device that attaches to your home TV/cable/DVR setup and allows you to stream your TV programming over the internet, typically to a Windows PC or even some mobile phones - but soon, a Mac as well. Blake Krikorian, Sling Media's CEO, confirmed yesterday in an interview with the The Guardian that a beta Mac client was coming "this week" for Slingbox, though since it's already Friday even in the U.S., maybe Blake includes 'the weekend' when defining 'a week'.

All joking aside, this is great news for Mac users, as the Slingbox has typically been in the ranks of those gadgets reserved for the elite Windows nerds who just gotta have their TV (don't forget, 'nerd' is technically preferred over 'geek' as a positive adjective). We'll keep you posted when an actual Slingbox client is launched.

Thanks Dave Zatz

Update: Dave Zatz just informed me that Sling Media's VP dropped him a line to say that Blake was misquoted by The Guardian. As it turns out, the private beta is live and well, but the public beta is still a month or so out.

Tags: internet, media, share, sling, sling media, slingbox, SlingMedia, stream, tv

Tip of the Day

Reply in the Mail.app with a specific quote.
Select the text you want quoted and then hit the reply button.
Only your selected text will copied to the reply email.

Learn More

Follow us on Twitter!

TUAW flickr Pool

www.flickr.com
 TUAW [Cafepress]

Featured Galleries

DNC Macs
Macworld 2008 Keynote
Macworld 2008 Build-up
Google Earth for iPhone
Podcaster
Storyist 2.0
AT&T Navigator Road Test
Bento for iPhone 1.0
Scrabble for iPhone
Tom Bihn Checkpoint Flyer Briefcase
Apple Vanity Plates
Apple booth Macworld 07
WorldVoice Radio
Quickoffice for iPhone 1.1.1
Daylite 3.9 Review
DiscPainter
Mariner Calc for iPhone
2009CupertinoBus
Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D
MLB.com At Bat 2009
Macworld Expo 2007 show floor

 

Most Commented On (7 days)

Recent Comments

More Apple Analysis

More from AOL Money and Finance

AOL Radio TUAW on Stitcher