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Bravo's Scandoval has made Peacock my number one streaming app
The Scandoval is the March Madness of reality TV, and alongside Real Housewives shows, it's turned Peacock into an essential streaming app in my house.
Peacock begins next-day streaming of Bravo shows
Next-day streaming of Bravo shows is coming to Peacock earlier than expected.
Amazon brings voice control to Hulu and other video apps on Fire TV
You can already use Alexa voice commands to steer some video playback on a Fire TV, but Amazon is about to throw the doors wide open. It just unveiled a slew of partners that will use the Video Skills Kit to add Alexa support to their video apps, and these are definitely companies you'll recognize: Hulu, PlayStation Vue, CBS All Access, Bravo, Showtime and multiple NBC apps will all take spoken playback commands. You might not have to lift a finger to skip backwards in The Handmaid's Tale or switch live channels in Vue.
Bravo, you've opened Pandora's app on Xbox One
The Xbox One was originally announced as a console that would bring games, movies, television and other entertainment together in one place. Recently-instated head of Xbox Phil Spencer may be more about the "games" part of the equation, but that doesn't mean the console has stopped supporting its secondary functions. Case in point: This week, the Xbox One has received apps for Pandora, Vevo, Bravo, Telemundo and Popcornflix. If you're unfamiliar with any of the above, here's a quick rundown: Pandora is an online music service that creates playlists based on the input you give it. Enter "Aerosmith" for example, and you'll wind up with a station that plays classic rock. If you like to engage your eyeballs at the same time as your eardrums, Vevo hosts a collection of music videos to enjoy. Bravo Now is an app that lets you watch full episodes of Bravo programming such as The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce. The Telemundo Now app operates on the same concept: Log in with your service provider and watch full episodes of Telemundo novelas, shows and specials. Popcornflix is a free video streaming service that hosts hundreds of films at no additional cost. Enjoy your music and movies, señors and señoritas. [Image: Microsoft/Pandora]
Your Xbox One now plays Pandora radio and Vevo music videos
You haven't had many choices for streaming music on the Xbox One so far; you've largely been limited to Xbox Music or the occasional YouTube mix. You'll have some proper options very shortly, though. Apps for both Pandora's internet radio service (US-only) and Vevo's music videos (in 14 countries) are reaching the game console this week. The two apps don't have any surprising Xbox-specific features in store, but they'll definitely help if you need some tunes for your next house party. And don't worry, movie and TV fans -- you'll get a few apps as well. Bravo Now and Telemundo Now let American TV subscribers stream shows from those networks on demand, while Popcornflix gives North Americans "hundreds" of free movies. If your Xbox One doubles as your media center, you're in for a treat in the days ahead.
Cupcakeroo: kidlet and tween fun
There are roughly a badjillion cupcake apps available on the iOS App Store. They're all vaguely the same, providing a fun interactive way to decorate bake goods. Today, I got a chance to play with Cupcakeroo, a new contender in the crowded field of carb-loaded ornamentation. Retailing for US$1.99 (launch price $0.99 for a limited time), the new app provides one of the kid-friendliest interfaces I have had the opportunity to test. Loaded with lush graphics, fun interactivity, and lots of great design choices, Cupcakeroo offers more than your garden variety "stick stuff on a cupcake". The app lets kids bake their choices from "scratch" or decorate pre-baked items. You can even blow out "candles" and add sparklers. My kids ended up in an iPad nearly-tug-of-war over who got to use the app. BEST OF ALL, and I say this in caps because I am a mother, all these features are available without in-app purchase. Frankly, I'm a bit sick of kid-centered apps whose entire existence seems to be centered around reaching into the parent's wallet. Bravo to Maverick Software for making the right choices and building a loyal mom-base. The game's fun too. Recommended.
NBC lays out 2012 London Olympics broadcast plan on TV, internet, apps and in 3D (video)
Love it or hate it, we're stuck with NBC as our Olympics broadcaster in the US, and the company recently laid out its full plans for the 2012 Olympics in London this summer. The good news first: NBCOlympics.com will live stream every single event (they'll even be on YouTube, and in the UK the BBC has its own plans) for the first time ever including streams of each of its channels, encompassing 3,500 total hours and the awarding of all 302 medals. The bad news is that if you're not a cable subscriber, many of those hours will not be available to you, and even if you are, you're looking at a (likely convoluted) authentication sign-in process. That's a little bit of pain, sure, but it should mean what we've been asking for -- the ability to watch all Olympics events as they happen, not tape delayed for prime time after viewing grainy bootleg streams over the internet. Also new for the internet are multiple streams for the same event, so for example, viewers can select a particular gymnastics apparatus or track and field event at will. On mobile devices, NBC also has plans for two different apps on phones and tablets, with one that brings live video streams and another with highlight clips. It didn't specify what platforms they would be available for, but we'd assume the usual suspects (iOS, Android) will be first up. On pay-TV cable, satellite and telco providers it's also providing dedicated channels for basketball and soccer, although it's up to your provider to pick them up. The same goes for the 242 planned hours of 3D coverage it's producing in partnership with Panasonic, which will unfortunately air on 24 hour tape delay, just like the HD broadcast was back in 2004 (we've got chips.... and salsa!). For the full breakdown of all 5,535 hours of coverage across NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, Bravo, Telemundo and everything else check out the press release after the break, plus an Olympics preview trailer. While there are some limits for cord cutters, sports fans with pay-TV should be ready to experience the best Olympics coverage ever with the ability to watch what we want, instead just what's on the TV schedule.
T-Mobile, Motorola respond to Senator Franken's Carrier IQ questions
The deadline has passed for T-Mobile and Motorola to respond to Senator Al Franken's Carrier IQ questionnaire, and both companies' reports are in. We'll first tackle T-Mobile's letter: the carrier stated that it began installing CIQ last August, and nearly 450,000 Android and BlackBerry devices are infested with the IQ Agent software, which is used for individual troubleshooting cases and marketing purposes. This is a more moderate use than Sprint or AT&T, which both mentioned that it was actively pinging their CIQ-enabled phones to collect data on service and wireless performance on their networks. Nine T-Mobile devices in total contain the IQ Agent: the HTC Amaze 4G, Samsung Galaxy S II and Exhibit II 4G, LG MyTouch and MyTouchQ, LG DoublePlay and the BlackBerry 9900, 9810 and 9360. Motorola, meanwhile, admitted that CIQ is installed on four of its devices: the Admiral, Titanium, Bravo and Atrix 2. While this rounds up all of the companies that were asked by Senator Franken to respond, we're still anxious to see what kind of effect this will have. We've already witnessed one major change, as Sprint's agreed to disable the software on its phones, but who's next? Where do we go from here?
Bloomberg: Xbox Live getting Comcast, Verizon access; expects HBO, Crackle, Bravo, Syfy, Lovefilm, and more
A report earlier this month said that Microsoft's upcoming "Live TV" service -- part of the Xbox 360's upcoming Dashboard refresh -- would feature pay television service from the likes of Comcast and Verizon, who have 22.5 million and 3.8 million TV subscribers, respectively. Now, the far more reputable Bloomberg is reporting the same, citing "people with knowledge of the situation." "Microsoft [...] is in talks with almost two dozen providers of music, sports, movies and TV shows in the U.S. and Europe, and may announce an expanded Xbox Live streaming service as soon as next week, said one of the people, who weren't authorized to speak publicly," Bloomberg reports. But it's not just Comcast and Verizon. Microsoft also "expects to sign deals with Time Warner Inc. (TWX)'s HBO cable channel, Sony Pictures Entertainment's Crackle streaming service, NBC Universal's Bravo and Syfy channels and Lovefilm UK, a subsidiary of Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN)," one of Bloomberg's sources says. Overall, Microsoft is "in talks with almost two dozen providers of music, sports, movies and TV shows in the U.S. and Europe" and it could announce the fruits of those negotiations "as soon as next week." Two of Bloomberg's sources say that existing customers of both Comcast and Verizon will only need to prove they are pay-TV customers to gain access to the services on the Xbox.
Motorola bringing Froyo to Bravo, seeks guinea pigs to test it
Have you spent one too many sleepless nights clinging to your Motorola Bravo, fantasizing about Flash Player and mobile hotspots? There may not be an app (nor a pill) for that, but it seems that the devs over at Motorola's Owners' Forum are anxious to make those bouts of insomnia a part of your past. And as if that wasn't enough to take the excitement level up a notch, a pre-release version -- the final firmware check -- will be doled out to a thousand hopeful participants willing to give the Froyo update a test drive. Successful candidates will be chosen on a first-come, first-served basis and selected through "valid registration responses," so we'd encourage all the dreamers out there to hustle down to the source link and follow the sign-up directions. [Thanks, Josh]
Time Warner Cable iPad app adds channels to replace pulled ones
I never thought I'd be writing about Time Warner Cable as an advocate for consumers getting more content, but sure enough, that's what the cable provider has become. After being forced to remove some channels from its newly-introduced streaming iPad app, TWC has added a whole list of new channels into the app for viewing at no extra charge, including A&E, Disney, Bravo, SyFy, Travel Channel and USA. TW even gets a little confrontational on its official blog, going poetic on the channels that they were forced to remove from the app: "Instead of rowing down the river of history and into the future, these programmers have chosen to sit on the bank and kick rocks." Them's fightin' words, and it's pretty impressive to hear from a company that has traditionally gotten a bad rep from even its own customers. Of course, all of this is great news for iPad owners with a Time Warner cable subscription, and it's good news for the rest of us anyway, as more choices in content for Apple's devices benefits most everyone. If you've got the iPad app and the service, you can get started watching right now. [via Engadget]
Motorola Bravo and Flipside both go live on AT&T today
Windows Phone 7 might be getting the lion's share of the attention on AT&T this week, but the Samsung Focus and HTC Surround aren't the only big launches: the carrier's also hauling in Motorola's Bravo and Flipside today, beefing up its Android lineup just a tad. The full-touch, wide VGA Bravo goes for $129.99 on contract after all the rebates and discounts have been applied, while the landscape QWERTY Flipside comes in at $99.99 with a two-year signup -- not bad if you're in the market for a 3.1-inch HVGA display and a gloriously large trackpad up top. Both are available now.
Motorola Bravo, Flipout and Flipside hands-on: hastily handled and summarily shot (video)
Looking for a new Android form factor on AT&T and don't mind a bit of BLUR? Motorola's got you covered, with the mid-range Bravo, low-end Flipside and budget Flipout you see immediately above. We spotted the trio of Android 2.1 devices at CTIA 2010 and had to give them a try, and though none really impressed they've got some interesting designs. You won't hear us clapping for the $129 Bravo, as it's basically a pared-down Defy -- the same 3.7-inch WVGA slatephone, but with a fixed-focus three megapixel camera and without the ruggedized outsides. Meanwhile, surfers, skaters and virtual keyboard haters could possibly enjoy the $80 Flipout and $100 Flipside. The former's got the same sort of irresistible, pocketable style that made Nintendo's Game Boy Advance SP an instant hit half a decade back, arguably even more so than its inspiration, though as you'd imagine the 2.8-inch QVGA screen and other Charm features leave much to be desired. It's a painfully slow, low-res experience for those used to serious smartphones. Though the Flipside throws in a decent landscape keyboard and an HVGA screen, they don't help much when it's got the exact same silicon and yet another iffy three megapixel shooter inside. Still, the wonderful thing about the internet is that you can look before you buy, so feast your eyes in galleries below and videos after the break! %Gallery-104590% %Gallery-104592% %Gallery-104593% Sean Hollister contributed to this report.
AT&T debuts trio of Motorola Android phones: Bravo, Flipout and Flipside
Looking to get an Android device on AT&T? Then you're soon going to have a few more options to consider -- the carrier has just announced three new Android-based phones from Motorola. Those include the touchscreen-only Bravo (not to be confused with the HTC Bravo), and the QWERTY-equipped Flipout and Flipside, all of which will ship with Android 2.1 and the latest version of MOTOBLUR. Of the three, the Bravo is the highest-end, with it packing a 3.7-inch 854 x 480 display, an 800MHz TI OMAP 3610 processor, a 3-megapixel camera, and DLNA support for media streaming. The Flipout and Flipside, on the other hand, each pack a 720MHz TI OMPA 3410 processor, the same 3-megapixel camera, and a 2.8-inch QVGA and 3.1-inch HVGA screen, respectively. Somewhat notably, the Flipside also boasts a surprisingly large trackpad, which AT&T says will let you navigate with one hand while keeping your fingers off the screen (though it does, in fact, have a touchscreen). Look for the Flipout to be available first on October 17th for $79.99 on a two-year contract, while the Flipside and Bravo should be each available before the holiday season for $99.99 and $129.99, respectively. P.S. - We just heard from a trusted source that the Bravo and the previously-leaked Kobe are, in fact, one and the same. Nice to close that thread, then. %Gallery-104311%
Motorola Flipout coming to AT&T this weekend, Windows Phone 7 gear on October 17?
We've just taken delivery of a fascinating (as opposed to Fascinating, we suppose) list of rumored upcoming launches on AT&T, so let's flesh 'em out. First up, we're apparently getting the Motorola Flipout and the LG Neon II this Sunday; the Flipout has been rumored for AT&T delivery and the Neon II is an obvious replacement (which Rogers has already launched) for the aging Neon, so that all makes good sense. Next up, RIM should contribute the BlackBerry Pearl 3G and Curve 3G on October 3rd alongside a device called the Laser from Pantech. October 17 is where things really heat up, though: we've got the Motorola "Bravo" and "Flipside" (we don't know what either of these are, but we can pretty safely assume they're Android offerings) along with the "Patek" and "Universe" from Samsung. Given the date's proximity to the presumed Windows Phone 7 launch, we'd argue that at least one of these is likely the Cetus or another Microsoft-powered handset to kick off AT&T's dive into the platform. So, who's lining up for the Flipout this weekend? [Thanks, Nawaid]
Windows Phone 7 slides into TV spot, Rachel Zoe's life
If you knew anything about The Rachel Zoe Project, you'd know that dear Rachel never, ever leaves home without her BlackBerry. Apparently, her comforting hubby -- known affectionately as Rodger Berman -- isn't going far without his unbranded Windows Phone 7 device (and a little help from Bing, naturally). Curiously enough, the date on the screen shows July, so there's a halfway decent chance the software they're playing with is of the pre-production variety... particularly since he's wielding a Samsung Omnia i9810-based prototype. Oh, and as you can see above, we're guessing he's relying on WiFi or some off-camera magic to actually pull anything up. Hard to get 3G in Los Angeles, especially when your phone is missing its SIM card. At any rate, the spot in full is embedded just past the break, and just between us, we get the feeling this is just the first of many more to come. [Thanks, Michael] %Gallery-102348%
HTC Desire review
Following the Legend, HTC continues its Android 2.1 lineup with the Desire -- a gorgeous cousin of the renowned Nexus One. We can trace our drool all the way back to the Desire's leak in December, but there have been some changes since then that made it slightly less desirable -- DivX support and 720p video capture never made it to the final build, but it's not like the company laid down any official promise on them, right? Anyhow, there's still plenty to be loved here, namely the speedy 1GHz Snapdragon, the large AMOLED screen, and HTC's latest revision of Sense UI that we've already seen on the Legend. Now, there are probably two questions floating in the minds of our readers: is the Desire worth the extra moola over the Legend? And is it any better than the Nexus One? Let's all find out together. Update: commenter NigelL pointed out that HTC will push out DivX support in a future update. Thanks!%Gallery-89291%
HTC Bravo spotted again, looking as real as ever
Now that we're being blessed with our second in-the-wild shot of the alleged HTC Bravo, we're just going to go ahead and call it: this Nexus One-alike is almost certainly real. Of course, there are a couple key differences against its Google-sponsored cousin -- first you've got the optical pad (or so it seems) in place of a trackball, and perhaps more importantly, Sense makes its Android 2.1 debut. Apart from a quickly-retracted remark from 3 Sweden that we'd see this in March, we don't really have any intel on when (or where) this'll drop, but hey, it's looking pretty production-ready to us. [Thanks, Carl]
HTC Bravo gettin' overexposed in the wild?
As breathtakingly bad as the picture is, what we're looking at here could very well be the first shot of HTC's upcoming Bravo in the wild -- the industrial design lines up nicely with what we've seen in the company's leaked roadmap, anyway, and that funky little optical pad in the center perfectly matches the component that you can clearly see on the Legend render. It's said to be "near identical" to the Nexus One -- which makes sense considering that we thought the Nexus One was the Bravo for a while -- so the big draws here would have to be the removal of the trackball (we're not complaining) and the Sense UI covering up Android 2.1's default look. If 3 Sweden knew what it was talking about, this thing could be on shelves this quarter... so watch your back, MOTOROI.
3 Sweden says it's getting HTC Bravo in March
If you were hoping for a little more Sense with your Nexus One, you might want to keep your sights set on the late part of the first quarter or the early part of the second. That leaked roadmap from a while back had the so-called Bravo pegged for April, a phone that would ultimately form the basis of the Nexus One -- at least in hardware specification -- but 3 Sweden's official Facebook page made mention this week of a March launch. The combination of Snapdragon, a 3.7-inch AMOLED display, a 5 megapixel camera, and a full Android 2.1-based implementation of HTC's Sense UI is a juicy thought indeed, and we can't imagine that such a beast would only launch on 3. Since T-Mobile USA's taking a pass on offering the Nexus One in stores, perhaps this is the version they've been waiting for? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
