ReadWriteWeb

Last night, something amazing happened: Facebook and Twitter came to my TV. No, I didn't go out and purchase some brand-new internet-enabled "TV of the future," I just received an upgrade to my DVR. Thanks to Verizon FiOS and their new "Widget Bazaar," I can now access Facebook and Twitter using only my remote control. Jealous? You should be. TV will never be the same again.

In the U.S., Verizon FiOS customers will soon receive an update to their set-top boxes that will connect their TVs to the web in an entirely new way. The company is preparing a major upgrade to their TV widgets platform which currently serves basic info like weather and traffic. The upgrade will open that platform up to third-party developers. To demonstrate the capabilities of the upcoming SDK, the company built widgets that integrate both Facebook and Twitter with your TV viewing experience. In addition, DVRs will soon be able to access internet content from YouTube and several other video-sharing portals. And all of this web content is seamlessly woven within Verizon's on-screen guide alongside traditional programming information.