Tweet And Update Facebook From Your TV
Verizon's betting that more and more television viewers want to Tweet and update Facebook while watching their favorite shows, movies and sporting events. Now FiOS customers can do just that through widgets developed for Verizon's TV services.
With this new addition, perhaps Comcast will have one less "don't fall for FiOS" FUD point that they can throw at unsuspecting TV viewers. Here's a quick-take look at the new interface, which can be driven from the comfort of your remote control.
Verizon Twitter Widget
From the Twitter widget (price: free), viewers can:
• Follow Tweets related to the show they're watching
• Check out Tweets about the latest Trending Topics
• Use Tweet Search
• Create and save a favorite topics list for future viewing
• Log into your Twitter account and, using an on-screen keyboard, post Tweets - either of their own creation or from a list of predetermined messages
Verizon Facebook Widget
From the Facebook widget (same price), viewers can:
• Log into Facebook to view their own and their friends' photos and status updates
• Update their own status, using the on-screen keyboard
But, as Billy Mays might have said, WAIT! There's more!
Verizon is rolling out a developer's kit for its Widget Bazaar, so folks can start developing their own widgets for use on FiOS. Said Verizon's chief information officer, Shaygan Kheradpir:
Developers should start thinking now about applications that are appropriate for the 'big screen,' not the pocket-sized screens they've been writing for so far. We'll be looking for tools that engage TV viewers and enrich or enhance the 'living-room' experience in new ways.
The kit will include a "platform emulator" for testing the widgets once they're developed. Then Verizon will review widgets for "appropriateness" before posting them in the Widget Bazaar.
