Samsung, Yahoo confirm Internet@TV content service
updated 03:20 pm EST, Mon January 5, 2009
TV Widgets dates confirmed
Samsung announced on Monday that certain HDTVs in its 2009 line-up will feature the Internet@TV content service first introduced this past summer. The service will be made possible thanks to the Yahoo Widget Engine, an applications platform in its fifth-generation that will bring Internet connectivity to users' living rooms via a number of what the company calls "TV Widgets." Initially, users will be able to check their stocks and news headlines and also browse Internet-based videos and photos as well as interacting with friends.
The compatible Samsung HDTVs connect to the Internet via their built-in Ethernet port or an optional wireless USB dongle that then connect to an existing network. Yahoo-owned online services such as Flickr, Yahoo News, Yahoo Weather and Yahoo Finance can be accessed via the HDTV, as well as USA Today, YouTube, eBay and Showtime Networks, to name a few. Eventually, the content will expand to include video streaming from other sites and other commonly used Internet services, as developers will have access to an open-platform Widget Development Kit (WDK) to create their own lightweight Javascript and XML applications.
