TED talks are considered by many to be some of the most thought provoking content on the Internet. Open source pioneers Boxee have opened up TED’s surplus of valuable ideas to their users in a new app, and the results are fantastic.
TED is a nonprofit organization dedicated to sharing worthwhile ideas with the world. It started as a conference in 1984 that brought together influential people from three worlds: technology, entertainment and design. The event is a collection of talks that doctors, scientists, writers, and artists give to the audience; it is their chance to spread their best ideas in a talk with an 18 minute time limit.
TED’s scope has grown broader since their beginning. They now hold two yearly conferences and their projects and ambitions have grown to include a translation project where the goal is to have volunteers translate every TED talk into every foreign language on the planet.
The people at Boxee view TED as an example of how the Internet can be used to better society. It functions like a powerful stream of knowledge that anyone with an Internet connection can tap into, something that was conceptualized decades ago in popular science fiction.
The belief that open and innovative ideas can make the world a better place is a driving force behind Boxee’s mission to change the way we view online content.
They are blurring the line between TV and the Internet and providing users with an easy and free way to find the best content on the web.
They seamlessly integrate the media content on your hard drive too after a few simple prompts in the menu. It will scan the hard drive as often as you tell it to find new media in the folders you specify.
That’s why the new Boxee TED app was developed. It gives people the most control over what they watch and it gives them access to enjoyable programming that is outside of mainstream culture.
As Newton Minnow said in his famous speech, television is indeed a vast wasteland. The folks at Boxee view Internet TV and content like TED as a way for people to take TV to higher level.
Why can’t we learn complex theories and concepts while maintaining a high level of interest the whole time?
Well, we can and the TED app is an example of how freedom to choose content can lead to some pretty amazing possibilities. TED talks are fun and awe-inspiring yet they deal with high level academic and artistic concepts. It’s proof that we can educate people without losing the attention of the ones who get easily bored.
While browsing the presentations the user will find that with over 700+ videos, there is a subject that will interest everyone. While watching a video by Clay Shirky about cognitive surplus and how it has the potential to change the world I found myself listening with rapt attention.
I then got caught up listening to three more presentations about teaching children to be entrepreneurs, education, and Annie Lennox and her support of organizations that deal with aids. What the reviewers and critics have said about TED talks is true. You really can get lost watching numerous invigorating presentations.
These are the best presenters in the world and they all gather yearly for an exchange of ideas. Boxee and TED have taken that concept, the content from the TED website and turned it into a channel that can be watched on a computer or a TV.
The app is simple to use and it’s easy to navigate the menu to find specific topics. There is also a surprise me button for those who want to dive into a random topic.
The TED app on Boxee is a new twist on informative TV programs. It has all the substance of PBS with none of the old school boredom. It’s worth the time it takes to download Boxee for free just to check out the TED app.
