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Tetris is now a daily game show with cash prizes
N3TWORK's mobile 'Tetris' app gets a game show mode and more.
AT&T's latest tablet is basically a vehicle for DirecTV Now
AT&T would really, really like you to try DirecTV Now. So much so, in fact, that it's releasing a tablet where its streaming video services are the centerpiece. The Primetime is a mostly unremarkable 10-inch LTE slate in terms of hardware (more on that later), but it includes a TV Mode with quick access to favorite video apps from your home or lock screen -- naturally, AT&T hopes this means the preloaded DirecTV and DirecTV Now apps. You can use it to jump to the likes of Netflix or YouTube, of course, but the feature is clearly meant for the live TV crowd.
BBC to put major new drama series on iPlayer before it airs on TV
While the BBC is increasingly choosing to air new programmes on iPlayer before they appear on TV, the broadcaster has typically restricted output to low-risk shows and specials. However, with its new supernatural drama, The Living And The Dead, the Beeb has decided it's time to change that mindset -- it'll debut all six episodes this Friday (June 17th), two weeks before they start being broadcast on TV.
Lyft nixed its surge cap and didn't tell riders
Surge pricing is an expensive fact of life for Uber and Lyft riders, but Lyft's policy was to cap their "Prime Time" surge prices at 3x normal. In February Lyft informed drivers it was removing the surge cap — but nobody told the riders. So much for disclosure.
Prime-time TV enjoys its highest ratings since 2007
The drastic change in the way people consume media has stirred up the argument that TV as we knew it is dead. But while prime-time ratings have dipped since the rise of services like Netflix and solid programming from networks such as AMC and HBO, the first quarter of 2014 has been very kind to prime-time TV in the US. According to a report from MoffettNathanson, prime-time TV ratings saw a surge of four percent compared to the previous quarter, and in the process marked the first time TV has seen any sort of growth since over a year ago. As Re/code notes, researcher Michael Nathanson says this is television's "best performance since the last quarter of 2007." But there's a reason for this: Nathanson points out that the increase in TV ratings is largely due to major events that have taken place this year, including the Oscars, the Sochi Winter Olympics, playoff games from the NFL and, most recently, the NCAA's March Madness tournament. We'll see if ratings can keep up this momentum going forward, but, at least for the time being, it's safe to say good ol' TV is far from being put to rest
Google TV's PrimeTime app update welcomes Amazon Prime content
An update to the PrimeTime Android app for Google TV has been released, bringing with it some bug fixes, as well as a "subscription selector" which means Netflix, HBO Go and Amazon Prime content now shows up as free if you're paying for any of those services. Wait, Amazon Prime content, you say? Well yes, we did, as the Amazon Prime Instant Video catalogue has been worked into the new version of the guide and recommendation app. Yet more ways to make sure we're up to date with The Good Wife? Sounds fine to us.
Google TV gets voice search and a quick guide to make content discovery easier than ever
Thought Google TV emptied its bag of tricks with that nifty new YouTube feature that lets folks shoot videos from their phones to their Googlefied TVs with a single tap? Think again, friend. GTV's far from a one-click pony, and today the platform's getting voice search and a new quick guide to make finding your favorite shows, movies and videos a more painless experience. Voice search allows users to now access channels and apps by simply speaking their names into either a Magic Remote or Android phone with the GTV remote app -- it's rolling out to folks with LG Google TVs this week, while other GTV hardware should get the update in the coming months. Searching by show titles and movie genres is supported, and it returns results from YouTube, live TV, Netflix and more. Plus, the system can also answer natural language queries with results from the web, too.%Gallery-170870% In addition to voice search, GTV has renamed its TV & Movies application and added a quick guide version of the app to let folks find other video content without having to navigate away from what they're watching. Called PrimeTime, the quick guide is a less obtrusive means for finding shows, videos and movies. It still uses the suggestion engine to make recommendations based upon viewing habits, and, of course, the full PrimeTime app experience is still available. We got to chat with Google TV's Director of Product Management, Rishi Chandra, about the updates, so join us after the break to hear what he had to say.
Season finale of 1 vs. 100 this Friday has Jimmy Fallon, Bungie
Microsoft already announced earlier this week that Halo luminaries Frank O'Connor and Marty O'Donnell would be stopping by for the season finale of 1 vs. 100, but now Major Nelson has revealed that Jimmy Fallon will be appearing as well. It's not too much of a stretch to see the Late Night host appearing on the game, as games have certainly been no stranger on his talk show (or its commercials). This season's final episode of 1 vs. 100 will begin on Xbox Live this Friday at 10:00pm ET/7:00 pm PT.
Poll: Did you like the new show V?
The ratings are in and ABC's V was the highest rated series premier this season with a rating of 5.0, a 13 share which equals 13.9 million viewers. Of course this doesn't mean that many actually liked it and since we were pretty split here at Engadget HD, we wanted to know what you thought of this new Si-Fi show. %Poll-36532%
Three new iPhone ads make their debut on prime-time television
Were you watching the two-hour season premiere of House last night on Fox? Maybe you were watching one of the other prime-time shows, but if you had your eyes on the screen during some of the commercial breaks, you probably saw at least one of the three new iPhone ads that hit the airwaves last night.Each of the new ads highlights a total of six apps, up from the three that were formerly the focus of the older ads. The first ad I saw last night, "Dine," looks at Zagat to Go, QuickOffice, TripCase, New York Subway 09, Epicurious Recipes & Shopping List, and Gap Style Mixer. [Note: all app links will open the iTunes App Store]The next ad I viewed was "Nature," featuring iXpenseIt, Daily Finance, Guitar Toolkit, Lonely Planet Mandarin Phrasebook, iBird Explorer Plus, and the ever-popular Pizza Hut app. I didn't get a chance to see the third advertisement, "Pass," until I visited the Apple website this morning. It's a 30-second quick look at Fandango, G-Park, VocabWiz College Vocabulary, 365 Crosswords, Classics, and ABC Animals. I'm happy to see that Apple is maintaining focus on the number and variety of apps in the App Store, instead of resorting to the narcissistic, touchy-feely, celebrity-filled tripe that T-Mobile has been using for their Android-based MyTouch 3G ads.
1 vs. 100 open to Silver Live members this weekend
Microsoft has sent word that 1 vs. 100 will once again be accessible to Xbox Live members with Silver accounts this weekend. From July 17 until July 19, the game will be open to Silver members in the US, Canada, UK, France and Germany. Players in the US and Canada -- excluding a few states and Quebec -- will also earn entries toward the 1 vs. 100 sweepstakes for every question they answer. So, all you Silver members out there, we suggest you grab some friends and give it a try. Be sure to snag a friend that's really quick on the draw with Google, too. You know, so you can look up the phone number of the nearest pizza place.
PSA: 1 vs 100 beta goes live tonight in US at 7:30PM Pacific
Just a friendly reminder that it's not just the neighbors to the north that can get in on the 1 vs. 100 beta anymore. Right in the middle of all the E3 madness, Microsoft kicks off the man vs. mob game in the land of excess (it should be called 1 vs. 1000 here, darnit) at 7:30PM Pacific.We expect full reports from people that get into the game later tonight. We're curious to see how this gaming experiment pans out as it moves south.[Thanks, Disco Ball!]
1 vs 100 beta hops the border June 1, coming to America
For those of you with stockpiles of canned goods and automatic weapons in an underground bunker, patiently waiting for a) the zombie apocalypse or b) a Canadian invasion we have goo ... well, we have news. You can prepare for both occurrences on your Xbox 360 by alternating between Left 4 Dead and the 1 vs 100 beta!Wait, let us explain ... You see, the 1 vs 100 beta has heretofore been limited to The Great Nation of Canada but, beginning June 1st (read: the day of Microsoft's press conference next Monday!), that beta will be expanded to include the US as well. You see where we're going with this: While we can't guarantee you'll be matching wits with Canadians every game, we think you'll agree that the mere potential of a mental mano-a-mano (-a-mano-a-mano-a ...) with real live Canadians presents a thrill you probably haven't experienced since firing that first round into a cardboard cutout of zombie Celine Dion.
1 vs 100 US beta date announcement by tomorrow [Update]
Update: Microsoft PR has just confirmed the 1 vs 100 Twitter account referenced in this story is run by the team responsible for the game; however, no other details were shared at this time.According to a 1 vs 100 Twitter page, a US beta for the Xbox Live Primetime games service is planned and will be announced within the next 24 hours. Of course, as natural skeptics, we bothered Major Nelson to confirm the account is actually affiliated with the upcoming game. According to Major, "The 1v100 team put that up. So, yes it's real." However, when contacted for comment, Microsoft PR hastily denied the Twitter account was connected to the game and insisted no announcement was planned. Thus, the miscommunication parade from Microsoft continues. Over the last month, Microsoft's communication guns have been firing blanks, beginning with accidentally claiming a Wolverine demo was available weeks before it was actually scheduled, followed by the incorrect pricing of Lode Runner and Blazing Birds and mistakenly categorizing Bionic Commando Rearmed as this week's Xbox Live Deal. Joystiq has since contacted Microsoft again, hoping that both hands of its communication arms consult and come to some kind of mutual conclusion. [Via GameShark. Thanks, Jeff M.]
1 vs 100 gameplay footage previews prizes, advertisements
We can no longer keep up this thin, false veneer of hatred towards the upcoming debut of Xbox Live Primetime's inaugural title, 1 vs. 100. Yes, it's tragically Saget-free, but the gameplay footage seen above actually looks pretty fun. Hey, even if it doesn't look like your cup of tea, you could potentially nab another game just by playing this one! How can you argue with that? What's that? You're angry because they haven't brought Press Your Luck to the Primetime service? Well that's a stupid argument.
The Daily Grind: When is your gaming primetime?
No matter what hour of the day you log in, there's generally always someone around. Early morning? People are checking the auction house, maybe trying to finish one last mission, checking game mail, or doing some quick tradeskilling. Come the evenings and weekends of course, the server population goes up as folks get off from work and settle in. Some stay up late to game with friends, others get up earlier to enjoy a quieter server. As for our team here at Massively, we've got a bit of everything from crazy wee morning hours gamers to a pretty hardcore late-night crew. We figured we'd ask you; when is your gaming primetime? Are you a fan of early mornings, enjoying gaming with your morning coffee? Perhaps you're an evenings and weekends gamer, with all those adult responsibilities keeping you away from the keys? Maybe you like to grab an hour of gaming with lunch (seemingly very popular here at the Massively offices) or have some combination of them all?
1 vs. 100 will be free for Xbox Live Gold subscribers
Are you disappointed by the lack of perks associated with Xbox Live's "Gold member" status? We expect most membership tiers named after Au-some precious metals to include special jackets, or possibly unrestricted access to some sort of highly exclusive drinking establishment where people much cooler than us hang out. Instead, we get unrestricted access to bold new pejorative descriptors for a number of Earth's demographics.However, Xbox Live Gold subscribers will be getting more bonuses than just hate speech when the service's first Primetime title launches this spring. Yes, according to the game's official page on Xbox.com, 1 vs. 100 is going to be free for all Gold members. This is great news, as we probably wouldn't have bought it otherwise. No Saget, no sale.
New 1 vs. 100 Primetime trailer emerges (sans Saget)
Microsoft has released a new trailer for its first Xbox Live Primetime offering, 1 vs 100. For those that need a refresher on Primetime, it's essentially a scheduled Xbox Live gameshow in which players compete for real prizes. In the case of 1 vs 100, the roles of the host, contestant, mob and even the audience are filled by actual people.It's a really intriguing idea, but there's just one flaw: No Bob Saget. The Avatar hosting the game doesn't even look like Bob Saget. Still, it's hard to argue with winning fabulous prizes right from your couch, possibly in your underwear. Let's just hope the Vision camera isn't supported.
Kilauea: Mountain of Fire gives an HD look at the volcano tonight on PBS
Sure, if you want a great look at nature in HD, Discovery HD Theater has a marathon of Planet Earth going on right now (no seriously, if you haven't seen it, forget the NCAA tournament, Tiger on the links and LeBron's 60 Minutes half court shot, click over right now and watch) but brand new this evening Nature on PBS has an all new look at active volcanoes with Kilauea: Mountain of Fire. The first of this site filmed specifically for high definition broadcasts, Hawaii Magazine certainly seemed impressed by peeks into the vent from the air, underwater lava flows and hikes into the world's largest and deepest lava tube (whatever that may be) promise to give an all new appreciation of natures power for anyone not already peeping Ian McShane on Kings.
CNBC HD is actually HD for the first time tonight
Looking for something watch once the President Obama press conference is over? If CNBC HD+ is in the channel lineup, click over to check out the channel's first true high definition production Cruise Inc: Big Money On The High Seas at 9 p.m. It's the first of several documentaries apparently planned in HD, and not a moment too soon. Taking advantage of the addition space HDTVs can provide (as pictured above) has been nice, but it's good to know we didn't have to go all Jon Stewart on them to get some real HD.[Via Media Bistro]
