Summary: News: Vizio's Co-Star: $99 Google TV box with OnLive gaming support Vizio, a company best known for its inexpensive HDTVs, is looking to expand into another new market: it has just announced the Co-Star, a Google TV set-top box that will begin selling in July for $99.99. In addition to the standard complement of video streaming services and Google TV features, this new box will differentiate itself by including support for OnLive's streaming gaming service. The Co-Star includes support for 1080p video over HDMI, 802.11n wireless, a USB port for storage and peripherals, and a Bluetooth remote has a QWERTY keyboard on its reverse side. In addition to OnLive, it features support for the standard complement of streaming video services including Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, and YouTube. Being a Google TV product, it also features a full Flash-enabled Google Chrome browser, and Vizio has also included support for DLNA streaming media servers. The presence of OnLive on this new box is an interesting choice for the gaming company, since at $99 it matches the price of the company's own OnLive MicroConsole, which doesn't include the browsing and streaming video capabilities offered by Google TV. The MicroConsole does ship with its own gamepad, but this is available separately for $49.99, and it should be compatible with the Co-Star. This news comes hot on the heels of Sony's next-generation Google TV boxes—the streaming-only NSZ-GS7 and Blu-ray-toting NGZ-GP9—but at $199 and $299 respectively, the Co-Star undercuts them both on price. All of these newer Google TV devices are cheaper than the first-generation devices like the Logitech Revue thanks in part to their new ARM processors, but some of Google TV's innate problems (including lack of buy-in from the cable companies) remain. http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012/06/vizios-co-star-99-google-tv-box-with-onlive-gaming-support/ YouTube for PS Vita now ready, will help you watch more kitties than Killzone Sony promised us a YouTube app for the PlayStation Vita this month, and although it's just sliding under the wire, that app is here. The viewer as it hits the console will play videos over 3G and WiFi as well as in HD quality, if you've got the bandwidth to burn. Most of the basics for favorites and searches are covered, including a small player that will let you hop between clips. There's no mention of subscriptions for those perpetually addicted to Maru or Ray William Johnson, however. That quirk aside, the free app is due to swing by the PlayStation Store any moment now, so fire up your Vita and get ready to watch game strategy videos distracting pet clips on that OLED-packing handheld. http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/26/youtube-for-ps-vita-ready/ ************ Geek This Week: Aaron: Uber cab service. Gozer: Lego Batman 2 DC Superheroes for PSVita. Skyrim “Dawnguard” expansion. Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter. ************* The Geek’s Choice: Apple Podcast App ************** Featured Segment: Fitbit Fitbit.com ************** Feedback & Items of Note: ************** Sponsors: Hover.com: Domain names made simple! Experience minimal cross-sell, ‘no wait’ phone support where your call is answered on the first ring, and a simple interface. See how easy and hassle-free registering your next domain can be. Just visit http://www.hover.com/geekcast and see for yourself. Audible: Try Audible Now and Get 1 Free Audio Book Download with a 14 Day Trial. Choose from over 85,000 Titles. Continue your membership and receive 1 audio book credit a month for only $14.95 per month! Just visit <a href="http://www.audiblepodcast.com/TheGeekcast">AudiblePodcast.com/TheGeekcast</a>
