Samsung is working on its own social network that it hopes will rival Facebook. The unnamed project will add social integration across Samsung’s portfolio of gadgets, including smartphones, smart TVs and even cameras. Yeah, cameras.

Hearing that a company is working on a ‘Facebook rival’ is not something that usually inspires confidence. Many have tried, even Google has had a crack with Google+, which is not quite up there with Facebook when it comes to user numbers, to put it mildly. Samsung is riding high at the moment however and given how it has put a dent in Apple’s smartphone crown with its Galaxy series of Android, who knows? It might just be able to pull something off.

Korea Times is reporting that Samsung is planning a move into social, with a new project that doesn’t have an official title yet but which is know internally as “Samsung Facebook”, which is pretty on the nose. Rather than a stand alone social site, Samsung is said to be building a social network into its products.

The service will apparently focus on messaging, photo and media sharing and will be accessible from a variety of Samsung devices. This will include the obvious ones like Samsung Android phones but also less obvious gadgets like smart TVs and Samsung’s range of digital cameras. This may then expand to include devices from other manufacturers.

“The eventual goal is to expand our social media service across different devices from different companies across different mobile platforms. That includes cameras, televisions and Blu-ray players,” a spokesman told Korea times.

Do we need another social network? Are you sick of Facebook and ready to start updating your status on your telly instead? Let us know in the comments.

[source: Korea Times]

Today Sky revealed plans to launch a new internet TV service. Arriving by the middle of this year, this service will allow anyone with a broadband connection to access Sky’s programming through pretty much any device: computer, set-top box, connected TV, games console, tablet, smartphone, you name it. And unlike the current Sky Go service, customers won’t have to subscribe: if they fancy watching a film one evening, they can rent only that film; there’s no requirement to purchase a monthly pass.

But while Sky’s service could put the willies up the likes of Netflix and Lovefilm, Apple could be the company that really loses out as a result. Why? Well, Sky just turned everything into a Sky box.

If you’re a gadget fan, even a casual one, chances are you already have a device that’s compatible with the upcoming service. You probably, in fact, already have a device sitting under your telly – or perhaps inside your telly – that’s ready to receive these programmes.

Apple, it seems, is prepping a brand new Apple HDTV. While we don’t know anything for certain, it’s likely this device will let you access all sorts of lovely TV shows and films, probably through an interface that makes most other interfaces look about as elegant as a bowl of hacked-up pig bladders.

But, and this is a big but… you’re going to have to buy a whole new TV. And being an Apple product (a brand new Apple product at that) it’s highly unlikely to be cheap. Then pile on the costs of buying all this content and you’re looking at a hefty outlay.

Sky’s “box”? Well, like we say, you already have it. And we know all about Sky’s content: not only do you get a bunch of wonderful exclusive TV shows (Mad Men, Game of Thrones) but there are films galore and – and this could be the killer – sport. In particular Premiership football, the broadcaster’s jewel in the crown.

We don’t think Sky will offer football on the same pay-per-view basis as movies (The wording of its announcement implies that it won’t, and it doesn’t seem as though it would benefit Sky financially, when people will already subscribe just for the sake of a few games per season), so you’ll probably have to fork out a monthly fee, but it’s still likely to prove a huge draw to the service for millions of people. Sky Sports with no dish, no cable connection – just your broadband.

Perhaps Apple has foreseen this (hence unlikely rumours that it’s preparing a giant bid for the Premiership broadcasting rights), but perhaps not fast enough: its current Apple TV UK offering is fairly limp (Where the hell is iPlayer?), and it doesn’t seem like any major new deals are in the offing. Content, as the saying goes, is king – but when a company combines the best content with a cheap delivery system, as Sky seems to be doing, it seems like a recipe for huge success.

One thing that could put a spanner in Sky’s works is the issue of HD. People want to watch things in high definition, and the current Sky Go doesn’t offer that. It’s possible: see the BBC iPlayer app on the PS3 for an excellent example. If Sky can manage to deliver a proper HD internet television service, we’ll be among the first to sign up.

The company has announced that it will launch Roku boxes in the UK and Canada in early 2012. Roku boxes are small, cheap (Starting at $59.99 or £37), and offer more than 350 channels to stream, including American giants like Hulu, Netflix and HBO. Some of the latest Roku 2 models also allow media playback from local storage too, and even play games such as Angry Birds.

Roku 2: Five ways it beats Apple TV

By comparison, the £99 Apple TV is a rather less appealing device in the UK than it is in the US, thanks to its lack of British streaming services, and it’s here that Roku could shine. It says its platform will allow for region specific channels, so you’d have to fancy the likes of BBC and Lovefilm will want to get in there with their own apps.

It’s possible to buy Roku 2 boxes on Amazon right now, but be warned: you won’t be able to watch much of the premium content locked to the US on them for now. We contacted Roku for details on UK channels and pricing, but a spokesperson declined to comment.

(Pictures: The Roku 2 line of devices)

Further reading:

• 10 amazing Apple TV hacks
• Boxee Box gets live TV
• Boxee Box review
• New Apple TV: Siri powers incoming

The Boxee Box media streamer has added a new string to its bow in the US, by unveiling a branded Antenna add-on that’ll bring content from some of the biggest American networks to the device with no monthly subscription.

The Boxee Live TV Stick is a dongle that gifts US customers access to ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC in HD with no monthly fee. That’s a pretty amazing deal considering its $49 (£31) price tag. Boxee suggests that US cable customers sick of incredibly high monthly subscriptions are scared to leave their packages due to a “Lack of live sports, local news, special events and live TV shows,” which is a gap that the Boxee Box Live TV Stick aims to bridge.

Check out our Boxee Box review

There are no plans as yet to launch the device in the UK for Boxee Box owners on these shores, but it’s certainly something that Apple, and to a lesser extent Sony, should keep an eye on. Apple TV is currently no replacement for a package like Sky that combines broadcast TV and on-demand content.

Apple may well look to infuse its TV offering with broadcast content in the near future with an Apple-branded TV, but it’s unlikely to be as generous as Boxee and do so without subscription. Want the Boxee Box Live TV stick in the UK? Let us know below.

Available January (US and Canada-only) | $49 | Boxee

Using wireless HDMI, this 100Hz LCD flatscreen can be used anywhere in your home or garden, the idea being that you could watch the football outside in the garden, or maybe a bit of Jeremy Kyle while doing some ironing.

While the screen itself is surprisingly slim and easy on the eye, behind the scenes is a set top box with four HDMI sockets and the ability to play files off external hard drives, and it can connect to Sharps’ Aquos Net+ service to surf the web or watch video on demand.

Sadly, it doesn’t use wireless electricity like some concept monitors we’ve ten recently – instead, you’ve got a battery inside good for two hours on a charge – but it’s a nice idea for a BBQ nonetheless.

As yet there are no plans to bring the Sharp Aquos Wireless Lifestyle TV to the UK, but nothing is set in stone, so watch this space. Or you know, click it, to see more photos.

Out TBC | £TBC | Sharp

UPDATE: Video!

We’re at BAFTA in London this morning, where Rivera has just whipped the covers off the new service, which lets you choose the stories you want to watch, rather than waiting for them to roll around again on BBC News 24 or Sky News.

With your remote, you can choose from a few dozen stories, see the latest VTs on each, and even pull up the accompanying news report as full screen text, with the video still playing in the background.

It’s definitely a smart move, though for now only limited to Samsung Smart TVs. But the BBC’s mandate means it’ll be bringing it to more platforms with time: Rivera wouldn’t name which TV lines would get it when we pressed him, but did say it wouldn’t be hard to port.

“It’s a web delivered experience, and because of that any device that supports the specification we can deliver this experience on,” he said.

“We’re seeing the emergence of the post-PC world, and we embrace that as the opportunity to deliver our experiences on whatever piece of glass they choose,” he said.

Like the Pico HD, the Crystal Acoustics MediaMatchbox boasts support for SD/MMC cards and USB memory sticks, and comes with its own remote. It’s now even smaller, measuring just 85mm across, but still pumps out 1080p video with subtitle support and offers FAT, FAT32 and NTFS hard drive support.

Crystal Acoustics says it also supports more formats, HD audio passthrough and comes with navigation buttons on the device itself, should you lose the remote. If you acquire your movies and TV shows thorugh “dubious” means, it’s yours for £49.99, and sounds like a match made in Heaven.

The Crystal Acoustics MediaMatchbox isn’t on the official website just yet, but we’ve confirmed it will be on sale through it in July. In the meantime, that format support list in full:

MKV, AVI, TS/TP, MP4/MPV, MOV, VOB, RM, MPG, M2TS, MTS, FLV, WMV, MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, XVID, DVIX, H.264, H.263, WMV / VC-1, RMVB, AVC HD, WMV9, BD-ISO, DVD-ISO, MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC, APE, AAC, AC3, DTS, WAV, JPEG, BMP, MJPEG, TIFF, PNG, GIF

While Toshiba’s (likely very expensive) CEVO engine tellies will be holding the fort for 3D on the high end later this year, the company’s also trying to bring 3D down market with the use of a cheaper passive, polarised 3D display. Toshiba was showing off one model in the line, the Toshiba Regza 42VL863, at the show, and we got up and close to have a look.

While we sadly can’t replicate the effect through use of a camera for your eyes, take it from us that the effect certainly gave the same impression of depth as other passive 3D TVs we’ve clapped eyes on, such as LG’s models.

More importantly, images didn’t seem to suffer from lack of brightness, the usual problem with 3D TV viewing. Toshiba says its Intelligent 3D technology makes sure it’s bright enough whatever you’re viewing, and since this process is entirely automated, that seems like a smart move to us.

What’s the catch? The nature of passive tech – two images are displayed at the same time, and filtered out by the lens of each eye – means that you don’t get the impression of full HD 3D video as you can with active TVs. Certainly, the test video on loop appeared rough around the edges, but that might not be a concern if you plan to watch a lot of fast moving sport – passive 3D doesn’t suffer from the crosstalk and ghosting effect active 3D TVs do.

And of course, the ability to use easily replaceable specs (You get four in the box and they cost pennies – they’re the same RealD ones you’ve likely used in the cinema) that by their very design will never malfunction, will doubtless prove very appealing to many families – if 3D does at all, of course.

As you might expect for a mid-range model, the design itself was nothing to right home about: it’s black, and just thin enough to house the usual prerequisite of four HDMI ports, two USB ports, a Freeview HD tuner and Ethernet connection (Wi-Fi requires a dongle). It will be one of the first models in the UK to offer Toshiba Places however, and separate from Toshiba’s internet portal, it’ll connect to YouTube for all your OMG cat needs.

The Toshiba Regza VL 3D TV line will be out in June: click the pic and have a peek at one model here in our gallery right now though to see what to expect.

Out TBC | £TBC | Toshiba

These two media streamers, the WiGO 1 and WiGO 2, have been made by Taiwanese manufacturer Wistron, and are nominated in the International Forum of Design product design awards 2011. The winners are being announced at CeBIT tonight, but frankly, we’re not interested if it isn’t these two beauties.

Unfortunately, a Wistron representative couldn’t be reached for further details: all we know about the WiGO 1 and WiGO 2 is what we’ve gleamed from the iF website: connecting “via HDMI cable to the TV…you can enjoy…relaxed multimedia on local drives and network devices or streaming content from the Internet.” So that’s a media streamer then. The WiGO 2′s rear sports an optical audio connection, ethernet port, USB socket and what look like speaker and line in/out connections. There’s also that HDMI connection.

The WiGO 1 meanwhile, is a mystery. We can make out an infra red receiver up top, which ties with the press images we’ve found showing it working with a similarly transulcent remote. Other than that though, we’re struggling to see where Wistron has hidden its connections. They must be underneath, which will mean it looks like a jellyfish when all its cables are attached.

Fingers crossed that these stunning set top boxes make it past the drawing board and onto shop shelves. Wistron’s own website is suspiciously lacking in any information on them though. In the meantime, check out the hands on photos right here in our gallery.

What do you make of these? Are they the slickest media streaming devices you’ve ever seen, or are they just a distraction from what you’re trying to watch? More to the point, are they giving the Boxee Box a run for its money in the weirdness stakes? Shout up with your comments below.

Olivier Van Wynendaele, Toshiba’s IPTV head in Europe, was on hand at Toshiba’s UK Spring launch just outside of Watford today to run through Toshiba Places ahead of its UK launch on two new TV lines, the UL and SL series, in May.

Also available on laptops, set top boxes in France, and soon tablets as well, Toshiba Places lets you peruse various internet TV and media services from the comfort of your sofa – the version we saw tapped into Flickr, Dailymotion and a French movie rental service, for instance – with a pleasant, clean black and red UI that’s much faster to nip around than your average EPG, or Samsung’s achingly slow IP TV service.

Sending content to other Places users is surprisingly easy

All par for the course, but where Toshiba Places really deviates from bogstandard IPTV efforts is by assigning users with accounts, and once logged in, your feeds and favourites will appear. You can send links to pictures and videos on the service to friends on Toshiba Places quickly and easily, but best of all, you can pause a video on one device, then sign in on another and pick up where you left off – handy if you own both a Toshiba TV and Toshiba laptop, say.

We saw a Dailymotion video paused on one Toshiba Places TV, then continued seamlessly on another where it stopped

Wynendaele wouldn’t reveal what UK partners would feature on Toshiba Places just yet, beyond saying that “we will supply access to [BBC] iPlayer through Toshiba Places” this year, but we’d hazard a guess that Flickr and YouTube could play a prominent role.

What we won’t be seeing anytime soon in the UK however are Toshiba set top boxes running Toshiba Places, as is the case in France. “Our target is to deliver outside France in the TV first…not set top boxes,” he told us.

That’s a bit of a shame considering Toshiba Places’ best features seem like they’d require a critical mass to really be useful. Still, we like what we see, and we can’t help but wonder if an iTunes cloud streaming service might work in a similar way, should it ever materialise.

Out May | £TBC | Toshiba