Verizon must think we don’t get enough social-media updating via our
computers or hand-held devices, with its new plan to bring those types of
services to our TVs. Just announced today, Verizon FiOS Tv has worked with
social media giants Facebook, Twitter, ESPN and a handful of other video sites
(no YouTube yet) to bring an application store to its TV menu. Now, subscribers
to its TV service can update their statuses, look at their friends’
photos, watch internet video and find out the latest Tweets of the stars of the
show they are currently watching. But unlike most app stores we have seen from
Apple and Palm via the iPhone and the Pre, Verizon’s TV Widget Bazaar
store is very limited and will not have the high number of downloads users
would be used to. Something that will probably change if this is successful.
So, for Facebook and Twitter mega-fiends this might be something worth changing
services over, but for the rest of us moving from the couch to our computer
desk doesn’t sound too painful. Does it?
I played around with both Twitter and Facebook on FiOS last night. The widgets aren't meant to be fully featured PC interface replacements like an iPhone app, but are more integrated in the TV watching experience.
Basically you can quickly see what others are tweeting about the show you're watching, say American Idol, and see if others are having the same reaction as you.
The Facebook widget lets you see what your friends are up to and can update your status to say "Tom is watching The Office on FiOS TV".
Posted by: Tom M | July 16, 2009 at 03:42 PM