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Rumor has it that Research In Motion is working on a media-streaming device.

BlackBerry enthusiast site NerdBerry has supposedly confirmed with a trusted source that RIM will soon offer a digital media receiver, code-named BlackBerry Cyclone and destined for the market this fall.

Details on the device are a bit slim at this point, but NerdBerry reports that it will have access to Netflix and YouTube (not the most compelling lineup; we'd like to assume there would be more content providers upon launch). Other rumored features include HDMI, Wi-Fi, and DLNA/home network content playback.

As for aesthetics, NerdBerry says the media hub will resemble the BlackBerry Presenter, a small device capable of displaying PowerPoint and PDF files from a BlackBerry onto a monitor/projector. No word if it will feature the next-generation QNX interface found on RIM's PlayBook tablet.… Read more

Could Apple be at work on a TV set? That's a theory Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster has been trumpeting for years now. Joining him is UBS Investment Research analyst Maynard Um with a report today about how the gadget maker could expand its market cap by delving into new services in the coming years, notably the TV set business and an expanded version of its tech support offerings.

Um suggests that Apple's in a good position to boost its market cap by anywhere from $50 billion to $100 billion by getting into the business of making and … Read more

Gmail is set up to create a new contact for each e-mail you send. However, there are times when this can be more of a hassle than a handy tool. For instance, if you are replying to a lot of Craigslist ads for different pieces of furniture to put in your new apartment, your contacts list will likely get cluttered with nonsense e-mail addresses. Luckily there is an easy option that you can readily toggle off and on to control this feature of Gmail. Here's how:

Step 1: Log in to Gmail.

Step 2: Open the "Mail settings&… Read more

YouTube captions help to make the service accessible to all types of users. With that in mind, if you want to add auto-captioning (based on speech) to every video you load, you can. Or if you want to disable all types of captioning, you can do that too. Follow these quick steps to find out how to get to these settings:

Step 1: Log in to YouTube so you can access your personal settings.

Step 2: Click your username in the top right to open a small menu, and then choose Settings.

Step 3: Choose "Playback Setup" from … Read more

The case of the energy-hogging set-top boxes and DVRs highlights the challenges of changing existing industry and consumer practices to boost energy efficiency.

The New York Times yesterday ran an in-depth look at the issues surrounding set-top boxes and DVRs, which have become the biggest energy consumer in many homes. The National Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group, published an analysis two weeks ago which found that set-top boxes consume more energy than the TVs they're connected to, and more than EnergyStar refrigerators. Because they're on all the time, they cost consumers $2 billion a year when … Read more

A couple of weeks ago, TiVo announced the Premiere Q, a quad-tuner DVR available only through cable service providers. According to a recent FCC filing by TiVo, though, it might be headed to retail soon, too.

Gleaned from the filing is a new retail name, the Premiere Elite, and that it'll have "increased recording capability, increased capacity (300 HD hours), reduced power consumption, and a space-saving design."… Read more

The longstanding rumor that Apple intends to jump into the business of selling televisions could be coming closer to reality thanks to iCloud, a new analyst report suggests.

Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster, who has long been trumpeting the possibility--or as he calls it, the firm's "thesis"--of an Apple-made TV set, says Apple's recently-announced iCloud infrastructure makes it all the more plausible.

"Apple's iCloud service for media storage makes it simpler to own multiple Apple devices and share content among them," Munster wrote in a note to investors this morning. "At … Read more

The Spotlight feature of iOS allows you to search your entire iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch for an e-mail, a contact, an app, or a particular note and much more. When you start using Spotlight, you may not really like the order of search results, or perhaps you don't want to see music results while using Spotlight. This simple guide will show you how to customize the Spotlight feature to fit your preferences and needs. … Read more

When experimenting with different applications from the Android Market, you might come across a pop-up that asks if you want to set an application as your default choice. For instance, let's say you're trying out Google Voice on your phone and accidentally set it as the default texting app, but you want to be able to choose between Google Voice, Handcent and the default SMS app each time you send a text. Follow these steps to help correct the default app and get your choices back.

Step 1: From the Home screen, press the Menu button and then … Read more