TV viewers and radio listeners will witness a shared moment on Wednesday November 9th when the National Emergency Alert System is tested for the first time.

The Emergency Alert System has been used locally for decades by providing listeners and viewers with weather alerts and other issues of immediate purpose however the new system marks the first time that a national message will be sent.

The new system will be tested at 2pm Eastern time and is expected to last approximately 30 seconds.

FEMA chief Craig Fugate tells ABC News:

“Because of the system design, not all of you will see the crawl that says this is a test,” while he adds, “It will say this is an emergency alert. But we want you to understand this is a test.”

The system is being tested by Homeland Security and the FCC and is meant to determine if the system works as planned and to ensure that non-native English speaking listeners understand the purpose of the message.

Here’s the official FEMA video that explains the new National EAS:

What type of messages do you think the new national emergency broadcast system should deliver?

[Image via ShutterStock.com]

Nationwide Emergency Alert System Being Tested On Wednesday is a post from: The Inquisitr

Software engineer Jeff Robbin, best known for his creation of the Apple iTunes program and help developing the iPod has been tapped to build Apple’s first standalone TV.

A source close to the project told Bloomberg on Tuesday that Apple hopes to have the project completed and ready for sale by early 2012.

The news comes after Steve Jobs told his biographer early this month that he “finally cracked” how to build a TV consumers would want while integrating all of their media into one spot. According to Jobs the TV was to have “the simplest user interface you could imagine.”

The project is said to have a search function that can search all of a users media streams including cable, Netflix, Hulu and other sources simultaneously, although some content providers have not been participating with that search initiative.

Jeff Robbin was so important to Steve Jobs that at one point he would not mention his name in the media for fear that they would jump ship when poached by another company.

Would you be willing to purchase a TV manufacturer with Apple if the search functionality and user stream information is as good as Steve Jobs has promised? One thing is for certain it will probably look amazing like all the rest of their hardware.

iTunes Creator Working On TV For Apple, Could Arrive Next Year is a post from: The Inquisitr

The United Football League has had a pretty good off season. After a PR disaster at the end of their second season, this league is getting all of its ducks in a row and getting ready to make a big splash in 2011. That splash could be a lot bigger if the NFL labor mess drags on into the fall, but the upstart league is getting ready to announce a new TV deal. Following the hiring on Jerry Glanville and Marty Schottenheimer, and a very successful player draft that utilized social media to bring in fans, this league is now set to announce its new TV deal.

They are planning to offer at least some of their games in 3D and that rules out a lot of the little cable network. Versus, Spike TV, and the like are not what this league needs anyway and cannot broadcast in 3D. The big player out there that can is ESPN, and that would be a huge win for this league. Finally they would get their product in front of a large number of eyes, and I believe once people start watching they will get hooked on this league like the minority of us that have already found it.

Versus and HD Net got their games on the air in the first two years, but they did not deliver a broad enough audience. Having games on ESPN, like the USFL had in the early 1980′s, would be a huge step forward for this league. Of course ESPN has previously treaded very carefully when doing things that might anger the folks at the NFL. I am of course talking about the cancellation of the show Playmakers, so a different partner may be in play here.

Related Links:

• The Business of the UFL
• Joshua Lobdell.com

The UFL is set to announce a new TV deal is a post from: The Inquisitr

It doesn’t seem anyone really ever bought the official explanation that commercials were being played in a somehow different way from regular programming, causing advertisements to often sound far louder than regular programming through no intention of TV stations or advertisers- or that ads were never really louder to begin with.

The disparity seems to have grown ever further in the past few years, and you’ve probably experienced straining to hear programming dialogue only to have someone come in and chide you to “turn it DOWN” once the “super loud” adverts come back. It seems lawmakers are finally tired of shouty commercials blaring forth from their tee-vee sets, because both the House and the Senate have approved legislation to prohibit advertisements to play at a louder volume than regular programming.

Ars Technica quotes New York Senator Chuck Schumer’s remarks on the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act:

“It’s about time we turned down the volume on loud commercials that try to startle TV watchers into paying attention. This is a simple step that will keep ads at the same decibel level as the programs they are interrupting,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), sponsor of the Senate version of the bill. “TV viewers should be able to watch their favorite programs without fear of losing their hearing when the show goes to a commercial.”

The legislation has to make one more trip back to the House before it goes to the President for approval.

House, Senate move to ban screaming loud commercials is a post from: The Inquisitr

Much admired TV writer David Mills, who has been working on the upcoming HBO show Treme, died of a brain anuerysm in New Orleans yesterday.

Less than two weeks ahead of Treme‘s premiere, HBO released a statement addressing Mills’ sudden death:

“HBO is deeply saddened by the sudden loss of our dear friend and colleague David Mills,” said a network statement. “He was a gracious and humble man, and will be sorely missed by those who knew and loved him, as well as those who were aware of his immense talent. David has left us too soon but his brilliant work will live on.”

In addition to his work on Treme, Mills worked on Homicide, NYPD Blue, The Wire and ER. Mills first came to prominence as the writer behind the infamous Sister Souljah interview in which the female rapper said:

“If black people kill black people every day, why not have a week and kill white people?”

The nature of TV writing means some of the people most responsible for the shows you love so dearly don’t get the recognition and press attention some of the stars and other creative staff do. If you’re interested in learning more about David Mills, you can read his hilarious and thought provoking blog, Undercover Black Man. (Mills’ last update was Monday, March 29th.) You can also read this in-depth piece on Mills by journalist friend Alan Sepinwall.

David Mills, acclaimed TV writer, dead at 48 is a post from: The Inquisitr

3D TVs and even 3D Gaming are all the rage at CES this year, however better video isn’t always about 3D objects popping out at the user, sometimes just adding depth to your videos can be a great way to add new dimension to your games and that’s what V-Screen has attempted to do.

Using a large magnified display V-Screen created depth inside the screen, giving a “more full look to games” according to a CES observer as they looked at the screen for the first time.

V-Screen works with PSP 1000, 2000, 3000 and slim models and on television screens, including the 42 inch display I first spotted the unit on. They are also easy to attach, for televisions and PSP units you just slide the screen onto your device and you’re ready to go.

The screens are also made with a nice silicon cushion, ensuring you don’t scratch up your handheld units or television, while still providing access to your devices ports when needed.

I witnessed the unit in stark lighting and it looked nice, but I believe in darker “gaming” light it would look even better.

V-Screen Gaming Display brings "Realview" to CES 2010

The images don’t do the technology justice, even the team at V-Screen said before photo taking that capturing 3D depth would be hard on a digital camera and they were certainly right, either way check out their products, most users at their booth seemed to really enjoy the new depth the screens brought to gaming.

V-Screen Shows Off At CES Adds “RealView” Depth To PSP and TV Gaming is a post from: The Inquisitr

Not many people will publicly admit this, but I will:  there’s a soft spot in my heart for the SyFy Network (formerly “SciFi”), and always has been.  But just because I’m sympathetic to the cause doesn’t mean I unilaterally support your decisions, which is why this is being written.

Over the years, you’ve produced alot of great content that’s sadly balanced by a similar amount of trash:  Stargate: SG-1 vs. Eureka, Battlestar Galactica vs. Scare Tactics, Warehouse 13 vs. all non-Stargate “original movies”.  There are a few mini-series that managed to be decent, but your best content has always been TV shows – not movies, not mini-series.

The main problem lies in potentially good ideas that lack sufficient funding – “Android Apocalypse”, a movie based on a Terminator-like premise, with poor acting, shoddy special effects, and lackluster camera work.  But this is not limited to your movies alone; the first season of Stargate: Atlantis, especially the first few episodes, suffered the same fate.

In the Hollywood world, larger budgets generally equate to a better overall product, something you should have realized over the course of your sixteen year history.  While this isn’t always true (*cough* NBC *cough*), it does bring more talented actors, more believable special effects, and higher quality camera work – all essential pieces to a successful science fiction release.

You do occasionally get it right though: Battlestar Galactica was all-around amazing from the start, and its already-significant financing obviously increased as the show progressed to its natural conclusion this past Spring.  Stargate: Universe looks to be a mix of the different Stargate styles (SG-1 vs. Atlantis) and BSG, with enough money to do it properly – I’m waiting with bated, but excited, breath.

Maybe you should focus on what you’re good at, and ignore the rest: produce quality science fiction television, ignore reality shows, and release only a fraction of the “original movies” you currently do.  If you follow this simple equation, you’ll have enough money to fund what people actually want to watch, rather than attracting small, loyal audiences.  This flies in the face of the recent name change, something else I can’t agree with, since you seem to be intent on producing more fantasy (read: medieval magic) and paranormal (read: vampires) content, but you should consider it all the same.

Hopefully your dedication to the Stargate, BSG, and other worlds will continue:   their shelf-life shouldn’t be dragged out further than necessary, but rather reinvigorated with new chapters in the continuing saga.  Just stick with what works, ignore what doesn’t, and keep an eye out for ways to expand your audience without ruining your already precarious reputation – the TV adaptation of Terry Goodkind’s “The Sword of Truth” series would have been perfect for your network, and may have actually been worth watching, as opposed to its current incarnation.

If you learn anything in your new incarnation and quest for ratings, it should be this:  a large audience is not necessarily a great audience.  Don’t let Battlestar Galactica be the pinnacle of your success, because scifi nerds worldwide are secretly rooting for you.

Sincerely,

Kyle Brady, sympathetic to the cause

p.s. I actually liked “Cube 2: Hypercube”.

Kyle Brady is a contributing columnist for the Inquisitr, an entrepreneur, and has a future in science fiction.  He can be found at his blog, via email, or on Twitter.Until then, he can be found at his blog.

An Open Letter to the SyFy Network is a post from: The Inquisitr

the following is reposted with permission from “Kyle Brady: A Blog”

…maybe.

Potentially legitimate rumors have surfaced that Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles will be returning to television, presumably with cries of joy from around the world, starting with a direct-to-DVD release prior to the next chapter in the Terminator movie saga, and a TV show potentially following – all starting some time in 2010 or 2011.  The network sponsoring the direct-to-DVD process isn’t clear, although the WB was mentioned several times, not to mention the total silence on whether the TV show would appear on FOX.  Either way, it seems that the important people in this dance listened to both the praise and wails of fans.

This news, if true, could prove to be a gamechanger for the future of television – TV networks that actually produce intelligent, thought-provoking, and deep shows that fans want, even if they don’t achieve the hyper-success of idiotic nonsense like American Idol.  If the WB is the network for the future of Sarah Connor and her band of rebels, which includes one humanoid robot, FOX will be highly embarrassed should the show do well, but if FOX somehow manages to hold on to the baby they threw out the window, they will still have dirt on their face at the end of the day, and be subject to the emotionality of a rabid fanbase.

Even if the show continues thematically mostly on its own, despite rumors of being intertwined with the upcoming movies, TV as a whole will be all the better for it, and so will the Terminatorverse – Terminator: Salvation was a good action movie, and a halfway decent Terminator film, but it fell flat on the expectations of a smart and highly complex film that many hoped would have more in common with TTSCC than T3.  The cast itself is critical component of the show’s brilliance:  Lena Headey is a much better Sarah than Linda Hamilton ever was, and Thomas Dekker has evolved from a whiny “emo” teenager into a very believable and intensely brilliant John – not to mention the characters played by Summer Glau, Brian Austin Greene, Richard T. Jones, and Garret Dillahunt that make a beautiful small-screen ensemble and help set the tone of the show.

Regardless of the acting prowess of Christian Bale, the simple fact is that barring an extreme change of pace and tone in the upcoming T5 movie, the Terminatorverse is likely to have a longer, smarter, and better future on television.  All of that changes if the network behind the TTSCC decides to place demands on the writers, restrict the show’s budget, or act in other stereotypically ignorant behavior that is so often seen at FOX.  However, if the show returns in “same or better” form than when it was canceled, fans will flock in droves to any network that cares to finance the triumphant return of Sarah Connor.

— — —

Update (8/15/2009 11:15am PST): Another source confirms this, unrelated to the original.

Kyle Brady is a contributing columnist for the Inquisitr, an entrepreneur, and has a future in science fiction.  He can be found at his blog, via email, or on Twitter.

The Triumphant Return of Sarah Connor is a post from: The Inquisitr

After the success of the Nintento Wii and it’s ultra popular WiiMote gaming controller we knew it was only a matter of time before other companies jumped on the motion controlled bandwagon.

While only a concept, the Remotion TV remote from Ryan Sorrell promises to deliver TV surfing like never before. According to recently announced plans the device can surf channels by flipping the remote from left to right and right to left, while also adjusting the TV’s volume by shaking the controller in up and down motions.

We don’t know if the gadget will ever come to market, either way it proves the far reaching effect the Wii is having on everyday objects. [thanks to SlipperyBrick]

WiiMote Meet The Remotion. Controlling Your TV Has Never Been More Tiring is a post from: The Inquisitr

“Unfortunately, this video is not available on your platform. We apologize for any inconvenience.” Burn.

Sometime this weekend, Playstation 3 owners began reporting inability to access Hulu through the device, and receiving  the above message. Hulu was kind of all huhwha? about the whole thing, but Engadget reports that Hulu terms of service were updated on June 26th. While it was initially speculated the issues could be connected to a recent firmware update, altering a browser’s user-string that way indicates the PS3 was specifically blocked by Hulu.

But why, Hulu? Why you gotta be like that?

Way back in March, Hulu blocked the hell out of Boxee, citing consumer convenience bitching content providers. Since then, it’s been an on/off thing, spawning this Twitter feed:

While Hulu can’t bite the content-providing hand that feeds it, it’s extremely counterintuitive to provide such a service just to add arbitrary blocks making it inconvenient to use. And as Hulu hasn’t given a reason for the new lockdown, we can only speculate as to why the PS3 was selected for this round of “no content for you!”

IT World presents two theories on the matter. Theory #1- quit bringing the content to your TVs, damnit! If you’re gonna watch Hulu, it’s gonna be on your smudgy little laptop screen or not at all! (Because no one can hook computers up to TVs, that’s just crazytalk?) Theory #2- Hulu’s coming to the XBox 360, and Microsoft paid Hulu to cut off competition.

Whatever the reason is behind this latest round of early-adopter jerking-around, it’s just another example of short-sightedness regarding a changing marketplace. The same consumers that use services like Hulu are likely the ones who are already aware of how to implement a work around, like PlayOn. So they’re not really stopping anything, just pissing everyone off.

Hulu for PS3: Denied is a post from: The Inquisitr

In a small gathering of press this morning, YouTube unveiled YouTube XL- a new service that brings your favorite cat falling off stuff and shoddy folk cover videos straight to your TV!

While online computer-to-tv streaming services and Hulu and Boxee offer content optimized for TV, YouTube videos often didn’t even really do well in monitor full-screen mode. But YouTube XL changes that, optimizing content for viewing even on huge-screen TVs.

Although YouTube XL lacks some features of regular YouTube, (most notably the comments, yay!) YouTube XL supports playlists, HD video and even has an application called Gmote for Android phones. (Where’s the iPhone love at, YouTube?) And unlike Hulu Desktop, which needs a computer to rock and roll, you can use YouTube XL on devices with a browser such as the Wii, XBox and PS3- making the interface friendly for a larger group of users.

Wanna take it for a spin? Go on!

Sweet: YouTube coming to your TV! is a post from: The Inquisitr

According to the convergence panel, the heaviest users of the Internet are also among the heaviest viewers of television: the top fifth of Internet users spend more than 250 minutes per day watching television, compared to 220 minutes of television viewing by people who do not use the Internet at all.

Nielsen found that the reverse is true as well– the lowest consumers of television have the lowest usage levels for the Internet.

Nielsen also found that nearly 31 percent of in-home Internet activity takes place while the user is watching television, demonstrating that there is a significant amount of simultaneous Internet and television usage. Conversely, about 4 percent of television viewing occurs when the consumer is also using the Internet.

Now In understand why my daughter and son are not shutting off their computers even when watching TV… including me.

TV viewing and Internet use go hand in hand is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Widget Channel will use Intel’s new Media Processor CE 3100 along with Yahoo’s Widget Engine to bring Web content to a television platform. The technology will essentially deliver a degree of Web 2.0-type service to the TV, letting you interact with content and share information with friends. It’ll also offer news headlines, photo access, and video-on-demand-style services.

Much of the content will be powered by established Internet services, including Flickr, Yahoo Sports, Yahoo Finance, eBay, and Blockbuster. A slew of other companies is working on new widgets, too — everyone from CBS Interactive to Disney, MTV, Samsung, and even Twitter.

Here’s the other interesting part: The whole platform is designed on open standards, so smaller developers will be able to get in on the action as well. Javascript, XML, HTML, and Adobe Flash will all be supported. As of now, the SDK is still in its early stages and is only being released on a limited basis.

Intel & Yahoo Team Up for “TV Widget” System is a post from: The Inquisitr