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Opera for Android gives you an option to quickly turn off ad blocking
Ad blocking on mobile web browsers is relatively commonplace, but it's also annoying when you want to turn it off to support a favorite site (or, let's be honest, to get past a "turn off your ad blocker" warning). Opera thinks it can win you over by making that process as easy as possible. It's releasing Opera 50 for Android with an ad blocker you can toggle on a per-site basis. You just have to flick a slider on or off -- you don't have to think about a whitelist or turning off ad blocking entirely.
Chrome 70 brings picture-in-picture mode to desktop
Get ready for productivity to plummet around your office. Chrome 70, the latest version of Google's browser, enables a picture-in-picture feature that will let you keep videos in a floating window that will follow you around -- though it will require developers to support it.
YouTube picture-in-picture is coming to all Android users
YouTube TV introduced a picture-in-picture mode for Android 8.0 Oreo users back in November, which extended to its streaming Red (now Premium and Music) services. The feature works as expected, minimizing videos to a corner to let you keep watching while browsing around other apps. But now it seems the feature is rolling out to non-paying YouTube users, too, as some report seeing the option appear without notice -- though it's restricted to the US for now.
Hulu brings picture-in-picture to its live TV service on the web
Last month, Hulu added a few new features to the web version of its Live TV service that improved browsing and made the user interface easier to navigate. Today Hulu adds to those improvements by bringing some of the more useful features available on its mobile and TV apps to the web version.
YouTube TV now has a picture-in-picture mode on Android phones
If you're going to watch YouTube TV on your phone, there will probably be a point when you'll want to do something else. But how will you keep watching? If you have Android Oreo, it's now relatively easy. An update is rolling out that adds picture-in-picture support on Oreo devices. All you have to do is tap the home button and your show will float on top of whatever app you're running. You can turn it off if you'd rather not have a broadcast grab your attention.
Amazon's new Fire TV supports picture-in-picture and recording
Amazon is mainly selling the new Fire TV's hardware-dependent features, such as 4K HDR video and Dolby Atmos sound, but there are some key software improvements, too. The online shopping giant has revealed that the device's Fire OS 6 underpinnings run on Android Nougat, enabling app features specific to Google's not-quite-latest platform. You can play picture-in-picture video within apps, so you don't have to disrupt your show while you check settings. There's a framework for time-shifting to pause and rewind live video. And apps can record content, including scheduling that can grab content automatically. This doesn't mean that you'll be ripping video from your favorite streaming service, but it does make it relatively easy for Fire TV apps to include DVR-like functions or capture epic game sessions. Just don't expect these features to reach your older hardware.
Google Maps Q&A feature taps into local expertise
While it's still just a beta release, the latest version of Google Maps (9.59.0, available as an APK installation) has some new features worth looking at. Key among those is a "questions & answers" section that lets you pose a query about a restaurant or attraction like the Eiffel Tower. In response, you can "get advice from the owner & broader community," according to Google, including from Local Guides or other experts.
Android O teases big changes to save your battery
Google I/O is only a few months away -- but just like last year, we won't have to wait until then to get our first taste of what's coming to Android. Today, Google is releasing a developer preview of Android O, just over one year after first dropping details on Android 7.0 Nougat. Just like last year, the company is highlighting a handful of major features and letting developers know how they can try it out. But as is often the case with preview releases, Android O is not ready for regular users and not for the faint of heart.
Dear Veronica: Social media petiquette
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-78409{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-78409, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-78409{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-78409").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Your pets do amazing and noteworthy things everyday, right? (Right). So it makes sense that we want them to have their own presence on social media, so everyone knows what a good dog they really are. But how much is too much? Robert Heron also joins us once more to talk about the latest picture-in-picture technology. It's come a long way! Now, you'll never have to decide between watching Call of Duty replays vs. Game of Thrones! We do, however, need to talk about how much violence you're consuming. It's not good for your brain (probably, I'm not a brain doctor). Follow @Bodegathedog on Twitter and @DailyBodega on Instagram!
What picture-in-picture on the new Apple TV would look like
A subscription TV service isn't the only add-on we could envision for the new Apple TV. Developer Steven Troughton-Smith -- who gave us a peek at iPad split-screen multitasking well before Apple started offering it -- whipped up an app for the device with picture-in-picture support that looks right at home on tvOS. Support for the feature isn't built into the box yet, but we can't imagine official support for this will be too many software revisions away. Older smart TV platforms like Google TV and Yahoo Widgets! handled some form of multitasking, and if the future of TV is apps like Apple says, they'll need to figure this out along the way.
Amazon Video gets a bunch of new features on iOS
Amazon has released a ton of new features for its Video app. The update includes 3D touch support, Next Up (which is basically auto-play), picture-in-picture and X-Ray, which offers a wealth of IMDB information and trivia at the touch of a button. Even though some of these features are iPad exclusive (like picture-in-picture) they can help Amazon stand up against competition like Netflix when content alone won't carry the day. The 3D touch option is only available on Apple's latest smartphone offerings, the 6s and 6s Plus, and lets you access a number of features faster, but offers nothing in the way of exclusive functionality. Also, the app has been customized for the iPad Pro, meaning Amazon-exclusive content is bigger and better than it's ever been before. What more could you ask for?[Image credit: AOL]
BBC iPlayer offers picture-in-picture TV viewing on your iPad
Split-screen multitasking on the iPad is one of the standout additions in iOS 9, but not everyone has an iPad Air 2 (or soon, iPad Pro) to take advantage of it. Instead, the feature that most iPad users are likely to benefit from is picture-in-picture -- the ability to slide a video into the corner while you do something else on your tablet. BBC iPlayer is one of the first apps to adopt the new functionality, meaning you can watch Bake Off while reading some recipes, or keep BBC News in the background while you scan the headlines in Flipboard. The feature works on the iPad mini 2 and 3, iPad Air and Air 2, and the upcoming iPad Pro -- just press the home button during video playback to activate it.
Hulu brings picture-in-picture TV viewing to your iPad
The picture-in-picture video mode in Apple's iOS 9 was practically tailor-made for watching TV while you get things done, and Hulu knows it. The streaming service has updated its iOS app with support for PIP viewing, letting you revisit Seinfeld at the same time as you check Facebook. This probably won't be the only major streaming service to welcome PIP with open arms -- c'mon, Netflix -- but it's definitely one of the most important.
Skype now lets you videocall while doing other things on Android
A call comes in on Skype from that old family friend who's now living in Sweden, but you're in the middle of a pretty amazing game of Threes, or finely honing a very important email that needs to be sent this hour. Take the call? Pretend you're not there? Well, you can now multitask on your Android phone in the latest Skype app update. It adds a picture-in-picture floating window of the incoming video call, which can rest over whatever you're already doing on that device. Just remember to keep those filler noises flowin', even if you're paying no attention.
Twin Video camera has two lenses, two mics, one body
Ion Audio, who seem to enjoy doing unconventional work in the electronic peripherals space, are back with a two-way pocket camcorder that records both sides of a conversation, literally. Strapped with pairs of microphones and cameras, it is capable of doing picture-in-picture or split-screen recording, and can selectively switch between the audio streams depending on which side you want to hear at which time. Just skip along past the break and all will be elucidated -- price is not yet specified, but the Twin Video cam should be arriving at some point in the first half of this year.
Samsung SyncMaster P2770HD has built-in TV tuner, sex appeal
Remember the Samsung P2370HD monitor? Well, this is it at 27 inches. How's that for concision? Oh, you want more -- well, Samsung must've expected you to, because it's also added a TV tuner and a HDMI input to its latest Full HD display, to go along with a 5ms response time and a 50,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. There's also a pair of 3 watt stereo speakers that can simulate 5.1 channel sound -- good for emergencies or if you just can't stand speakers cluttering up your desktop. Filling out the goodie bag are Picture In Picture and Picture By Picture modes, which should make good use of the extra real estate on the screen by combining, for example, your desktop with a TV source. The price is set at 549,000 Won (or about $473) for Korea, though global availability looks imminent so don't rush to import it just yet.
LG W63 enters gaming monitor arena, claims to be the best
You can't exactly accuse LG of lacking audacity -- the company that today unveiled the eccentric Color Pop displays has also updated its consumer monitor line with a gamer-centric Full HD entry that has everything but humility. The 23-inch W63 touts a new Thru Mode, which sacrifices image processing to deliver "zero-delay" visuals, a 1,000:1 (real) contrast ratio, 2ms response time, 300 nits of brightness, two HDMI inputs and picture-in-picture functionality. There's even a Tru Light equalizer-like thingy at the bottom of the screen that pulsates in time with the sound of your glorious battle triumphs and Skype message pings. Only question left is, can anyone actually tell the difference between two milliseconds of delay and none at all? Read - LG press release Read - W63 product page
300: The Complete Experience double dips on Blu-ray July 21
It appears Warner has finally gotten around to this double dip, with the (re)release of 300: The Complete Experience. For fans (who will probably be in stores at launch July 21 picking up Zack Snyder's Watchmen: Director's Cut) there should be plenty to make up for the extras left out last time around. Besides the formerly HD DVD-only blue screen picture-in-picture video track, there's three new Blu-ray exclusive PiP features: Creating a Legend, Bringing the legend to Life and The History Behind the Myth. No word on price, but the three disc set will include a digital copy DVD, BD-Live My Community Screening and My WB Commentary support, all the old extras included with previous releases, a Dolby TrueHD soundtrack and 50 page collectible booklet. That enough to get you to buy again?
Sin City Recut, Extended and Unrated Blu-ray special features previewed
A highly stylized flick like Sin City is sure to look great in high definition, so you're probably already planning to grab when it the Recut, Extended and Unrated version hits Blu-ray this week. For those who can't wait or are on the fence, MovieWeb has this quick snippet (embedded after the break) of Cine-Explore Bonus View special footage from the home version that shows off how the special effects were done while the movie plays on in the background. Other than that, the disc packs a couple commentary tracks, a 5.1 audio track including audience reaction (apparently so you can pretend you're at one of those movie theaters you no longer go to) and an interactive comic book.
Big Buck Bunny Blu-ray disc busts out 3 PiP streams, BD-Live
After giving HD DVD a proper send-off with Terminator 2: Ultimate HD-Edition, the Imagion AG team has thrown itself fully into the b's like Paul Pierce, preparing the Blu-ray release of Big Buck Bunny, another open source creative commons-licensed movie from the creators of Elephants Dream. How do you top being the first to do PiP on Blu-ray? With three separate picture-in-picture tracks give us a look at the original storyboards, 3D renders or the original rough renders from the production team's Blender software. The dynamicHD-live portion should be familiar to fans of the T2 release, using BD-Live access to TuneHD.net for constantly updated news, Big Buck Bunny-related websites and calibration settings. The disc packs in both BBB and Elephants Dream and should be shipping soon.
