equinux’s The Tube 2.0 adds TubeTalk, BuddySurfing
Posted by Dennis Sellers 
Dec 13, 2007 at 11:40am
equinux has released The Tube 2.0, the second generation of its TV software for the Mac, adding new community-oriented features. Using the new TubeTalk feature, TV viewers can chat with one another about the current program or even follow other users as they channel surf with BuddySurfing.
In addition, The Tube 2.0 simplifies the overall recording process and adds a new list of features to The Tube. With TubeTalk, for every running television program, there is a visible chat room, in which all viewers can use to chat with one another. In the channel list, each viewer can see how many viewers are currently watching the running program for each channel, as well as when new messages are being sent. Each user can create their own profile, complete with user name, picture and status. The only thing needed to register is an equinux ID. To make it easier to find other users, you can search under all available profile information, allowing you to add your TV buddies to your TV buddy list.
The Tube 2.0 also adds BuddySurfing in The Tube 2.0. With just one click, you can automate your TV surfing, by setting The Tube to automatically switch the channel along with one of your buddies. So, for example, when your buddy changes to channel 1, 3 and then 6, The Tube will automatically change your channels to 1, 3 and then 6.
Even if you manually start a recording, The Tube 2.0 will automatically stop the recording, as soon as the program is over. What’s more, The Tube 2.0 simplifies the overall recording process, according to the folks at equinux. Once you have a program scheduled for a recording in the EPG, The Tube automatically removes any other shows during that time slot, so there won’t be any problems with overlapping. Even if the computer is in sleep mode when a recording is scheduled, The Tube will wake the computer up when the recording begins and switch it back to sleep once the recording has finished.
To find saved recording faster and easier, search by name or date and search for keywords in the description texts, to help you narrow your search. Users can search via Spotlight, now that all recordings are saved in the Movies folder. TV watchers, using Mac OS X 10.5 can take advantage of the Leopard QuickLook feature and find all necessary recording details at a glance.
Registered users can immediately download The Tube 2.0 for free from the equinux web site or by using the update function in The Tube. A full version of The Tube software can be purchased in the equinux Online Store for € 19.95 (approximately US$29), or The Tube can be purchased with the DVB-T (DTT) USB receiver TubeStick for € 39.95 (approximately $58).
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Dennis Sellers
Dennis has been a newspaper editor/reporter (seven years) and teacher (seven years). He has over 4,000 magazine, newspaper and online articles to his credit. He has also covered the Mac and tech industries for over a decade for such online publications as MacCentral, MacMinute and now MacsimumNews.
