• by September 7, 2004

Welcome to the post-Labor Day, back-to-work, and school syndrome.

How did you spend your Labor Day weekend?

Well, for at least part of the time, I learned how to use my new iPod mini with the help of a tech geek. Now I know what all the fuss is about. I learned how to get music from my CDs onto the PC hard drive, and then transfer the digital files onto the gleaming little device. I must admit, I'm still a little confused about that second step and how exactly the music made its way onto the iPod. But the rich sound and portability can't be beat. Now I can join the cult of the white-wired people!

Some news today for movie lovers. Reuters reports that Netflix, the online provider of DVD rentals, and TiVo are nearing a deal that would enable Netflix subscribers to download films over the Web to their TiVo boxes. Reuters picked the story up from Newsweek, which cites an anonymous source.

The proposed service would require subscriptions to Netflix and TiVo and a broadband connection. TiVo's CEO said recently that the company wants to offer an array of content over the Web via its set-top boxes. Of course, TiVo is not alone in this desire - RealNetworks, Blockbuster, Microsoft, Sony, and others - also want to figure out the business models and technologies that will enable seamless, subscription-based content downloads. TiVo ought to be able to use its elegant interface and the ability to time-shift programming, to its advantage.

But TiVo's fate always seems to be hanging by a thread. News Corp. unit DirecTV, a significant source of TiVo subscribers, recently dumped 3.4 million shares of TiVo causing the stock to drop 14 percent. Then DirecTV vice chairman Eddy Hartenstein gave up his seat on the TiVo board, making it appear that News Corp. has digital video recorder designs of its own. So far, TiVo has been the "little engine that could." It remains to be seen how long the engine can keep chugging without a significant cable or telecom partnership.