SlingCatcher, for sending web video to television
People seem to want TV broadcasts on their computers, but do they want internet video on their TVs? Sling Media will soon find out the answer. The company is launching a device that allows viewers to watch web video on their TV screens. The new device, called a SlingCatcher, will be available for about $200 starting in July. It hooks up to a cable box or satellite TV box and the internet over a wireless or networking cable connection. It also enables viewers to pull off clips from TV shows and send them out to others through email. The two-year-old company's Slingbox was a pioneer in what's known as "place-shifting," or watching TV shows via the internet through a desktop computer, laptop or cell phone. Other companies also are expected to introduce gadgets similar to SlingCatcher at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week.

Survey says: Google rises to top brand in the UK
If world domination truly is Googles goal, its making good inroads. Already ubiquitous in the U.S., Google this year rose to the No. 1 brand in the United Kingdom in 2006. According to research from Millward Brown, Google was also the brand that grew the most in popularity last year. This was the first year that the internet search engine made the top 10 on Millward Brown's list, an annual ranking released since 1998. Other top brands on the list: Microsoft at No. 2, McDonald's at No. 3, and Nokia, which was the top-rated brand of 2005, at No. 4. Coca-Cola, Ford and Vodafone also made the top 10, according to the list published by Londons Guardian, while Google and 3, a UK mobile network, headed up a list of top 10 brands to watch this coming year.

Sears tries virtual reality showroom for Second Life
Sears has very publicly donated tons of appliances to needy families for hit ABC show "Extreme Home Makeover" yet even with all the good will it still suffered declining home dcor sales third quarter last year. So now, the company is trying a new way to promote its products: a virtual showroom at virtual world Second Life. Sears Holding Corp. has launched "Sears Virtual Home," where customers can play with different colors and customize various home improvement items that may one day show up in their home for real. The site was introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show yesterday in Las Vegas. The 3D Internet and Virtual Worlds at International Business Machines Corp is responsible for building the Sears site.

Bravo searching for 'Real Housewife' on YouTube
Bravos The Real Housewives of Orange County is looking for another real housewife from, well, anywhere. To help promote the Jan. 16 launch of the second season of Real Housewives, the network is holding a YouTube contest in which a viewer can win airtime and a spot in Star magazine. Starting yesterday and running through Feb. 6, women are encouraged to post a three-minute video diary on YouTube explaining what makes them a unique housewife. The creator of the best video will get her diary featured on BravoTV.com, a personal appearance on the network itself, a trip to New York or Los Angeles for a photo shoot, and a feature in Star magazine. Bravo will also use the Real Housewives channel on YouTube to promote the show by running a recap of the first season and weekly previews of upcoming episodes. The show grew in popularity during its first season, its finale jumping 186 percent among viewers 18-49 and 127 percent among total viewers versus its premiere episode.