TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Verizon TV 'widgets' bring Facebook, Twitter and more to viewers

Verizon

Screen image of the new Verizon FiOS TV system that can run Facebook and other social media websites on screen, while watching television. Verizon activated the system in Tampa on Thursday.

ADVERTISEMENT

By RICHARD MULLINS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 16, 2009

TAMPA - Verizon FiOS customers will have a few more reasons to burn some hours watching their TV screen, starting today.

Verizon is turning on features that allow customers to use their televisions to run their Twitter, Facebook or fantasy football Internet pages.

For example, subscribers with Facebook accounts can log in through the FiOS TV "widget" to update their status, view their photos or view friends' photos and status updates.

Twitter users can watch a stream of messages to their profile and use their remote control to send messages.

Other on-screen widgets work with ESPN's fantasy sports pages or display Internet video feeds from sites such as Veoh, Blip.tv and Dailymotion.

The system has been in private testing for more than six months around Tampa and goes live today for most customers.

Verizon hopes to add dozens of widgets in the coming months and is working with outside companies to develop on-screen systems akin to the Apple app store for its iPhone.

Around Tampa, Verizon has largely completed work on the fiber-optic TV, phone and Internet system and is presently building in north Pinellas County.

Reporter Richard Mullins can be reached at (813) 259-7919.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT