Gadgets: TiVo Roamio boasts superior features

TiVo knows what television junkies want.

The company has faced increased competition lately from such stalwart rivals as cable and satellite companies and newer ones such as stand-alone streaming devices, video game consoles and mobile devices. With its fifth-generation device, Roamio, TiVo answers the challenge by adding more features that TV lovers want.

Roamio, which comes in three models, still lets viewers record and play back shows, as well as pause and rewind live TV. It also lets viewers find programs through such services as Hulu and Netflix.

But TiVo also considered what people want from TV: more choices and more freedom. Roamio was updated to include as many as six tuners, and more storage space, as much as 3 terabytes.

The best enhancement was the incorporation of Wi-Fi streaming, which allows the viewing of live or recorded content on any iOS device on the same wireless network (Android compatibility is coming next year). This allows users to, for instance, watch one program on the TV in the living room and another on an iPad in the bedroom.

Competitors may provide less expensive DVR options, but Roamio bests them with superior features. For serious TV lovers, TiVo's Roamio makes a strong case to upgrade.

It appears that selfies — those self-portraits of you and your arm — are here to stay, even gaining mention in the Oxford Dictionaries.

The $25 gadget works pretty simply. The ShutterBall is a sphere about the circumference of a quarter with a leash you can loop around a strap — your belt, for example. Twist the ShutterBall apart to activate the battery, reassemble, then download the ShutterBall app to your Apple or Android phone or tablet. A mini folding phone stand comes with the ShutterBall, but it holds the phone at only one angle.

Now you can back away up to 60 feet for group shots, or activate the video recorder from a distance to catch your first attempt at a skateboarding trick.

NEW YORK TIMES