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AT&T is bringing internet-style targeted advertising to TV
by03.03.2016
Targeted ads are coming to your TV by of AT&T. The telco is partnering with video advertising company Videology to sell ads based specifically on what the two think you're looking for, according to The Wall Street Journal. The tech is based on, among other things, the channels you watch and demographic info.
AT&T expands its fiber internet service to 38 new cities
by12.07.2015AT&T's mission to blanket most of the US with gigabit internet is moving at full speed. Today, the network revealed that its GigaPower fiber service is coming to 38 more cities, adding to the 18 metro areas it's already available in. The newly announced places include Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Detroit, Cleveland and Memphis, along with 29 others. In a blog post, AT&T said that it's not done either, noting that it plans to bring GigaPower to over 14 million locations, both residential and commercial.
iHeartRadio brings its streaming app to U-Verse TV
by07.08.2015Even though AT&T's busy trying to merge with DirecTV, the company is still focused on improving its current home entertainment product, U-Verse. Starting today, customers who are subscribed to a television package can access iHeartRadio, the popular radio-streaming service. Once you tune in to the new channel (532 or 1532), you'll be able to listen to thousands of stations based on genre, keyword or location. There are also ways to save your favorite content and get personalized recommendations -- the more you listen, the more the app knows what you like. iHeartRadio says it's the first live-streaming radio application available to U-Verse TV subscribers, which also highlights AT&T's ongoing efforts to make the platform better for people.
U-Verse app gets more live TV channels, launches on Amazon devices
by08.21.2014AT&T is making U-Verse more appealing with each passing day. After the carrier revealed it would beat Google to the punch on bringing gigabit internet to Silicon Valley, now U-Verse is getting a great deal of fresh content and making its way to additional mobile devices. Aside from launching on Amazon's Kindle Fire HD and Fire HDX, as well as the Fire phone, the U-Verse app today also welcomed over 50 new channels to its catalog of live TV streaming channels. This includes Cartoon Network, CNN, EPIX, ESPN, GolTV, HBO, HGTV, TBS, TNT and Travel Channel, plus many others -- most of which you can watch even if you're away from your home network. All in all, definitely a boost for U-Verse subscribers, and if you aren't, it's at least good to know that U-Verse looks to be a solid choice, especially now that DirecTV is joining AT&T's ranks.
AT&T's gigabit internet beats Google Fiber to Silicon Valley
by08.20.2014Well, this has to be awkward: the first company to bring gigabit internet to Silicon Valley isn't Google, it's AT&T. The telco's ultra-high speed U-verse service will land in Cupertino in a few months, meaning that Apple employees (or any other subscribers in the area) will be able to test AT&T's claim that you can download 25 songs in a single second sometime soon. AT&T's senior VP of U-verse Eric Boyer tells Bloomberg that bringing Gigapower to the city is a "no brainer" considering how intrinsic bandwidth is to the area. For its part, Google has plans to expand Fiber's rollout into nearby San Jose, but when that'll happen is anyone's guess -- maybe this could, ahem, speed that along. [Image credit: Associated Press]
AT&T Q1 2013 earnings: $3.7 billion income on revenue of $31.4 billion
by04.23.2013AT&T just posted its earnings for the first quarter of 2013, and the market couldn't help but ding the company, which is now trading down in after hours markets. The business as a whole posted a net income of $3.7 billion, which is slightly up from $3.6 billion one year ago. Meanwhile, company revenues took a slight hit, which sit at $31.4 billion -- down 1.4 percent from the previous year. In terms of the company's wireless business, though, there's plenty of reason for optimism. The company was able to snag an additional 296,000 postpaid subscribers and put a solid 1.2 million people on smartphone plans during the quarter. For those keeping track, smartphone sales now account for 88 percent of AT&T's postpaid handsets. Unsurprisingly, the company is making more money than ever off of its data plans, which account for $5.1 billion of the company's business. As for the wireless segment as a whole, income is up 21 percent and AT&T is pulling in revenues of $16.6 billion with a 28 percent profit margin. Encouraging signs were also revealed for U-verse, as the company's broadband service netted an additional 731,000 internet subscribers and 232,000 television subscribers during the quarter -- its best performance in two years -- for a grand total of 8.7 million subscribers. Naturally, one segment of Ma Bell's business isn't looking too hot, and that's the traditional wireline business, as revenues have fallen 10 percent from the previous year. Given the size of this segment, and the weakening demand for the service, it's easy to understand why investors might be slightly uneasy, even in light of all the encouraging news.
AT&T lost $3.9 billion in Q4 2012, earned $7.3 billion profit for the year
by01.24.2013American telecommunications giant AT&T announced its Q4 2012 financial results this afternoon, which reflect $3.9 billion in losses for Ma Bell's final fiscal quarter of last year. However, the company's also posting "record smartphone sales" of 10.2 million last quarter -- "the most by any US carrier," it claims. As it's Q4, the results for the full year are also in; AT&T revealed $7.3 billion in net income across the entirety of 2012. That's what we'd call a marked change from last year's losses. In terms of phones, AT&T activated 8.6 million new iPhone customers (16 percent of which were totally new to the company), up 1 million over 2011's Q4 and nearly double that of Q3 2012. No specific number is given on Android sign-ups, but AT&T's calling it the "best-ever sales quarter for Android smartphones" -- when those 8.6 million iPhones are subtracted from the overall Q4 2012 sales of phones (10 million), it's not looking so good for non-Apple built devices. On the U-verse front, the latest lifetime subscriber numbers reflect 8 million TV and high-speed internet users, with 192K joining in Q4 2012. Operating revenues just barely exceeded those of 2011, reaching $127.4 billion, offset by $114.4 billion in expenses (down $3 billion over 2011). Customer numbers also grew in 2012, by a healthy 1.086 million people, the vast majority of which are contract customers (approximately 70 percent). Needless to say, things seem to have gone pretty okay for AT&T in 2012, despite a rocky final quarter. Not too bad for the least loved mobile carrier in the US. Update: This post originally reflected $3.9 billion in profit for Q4 2012, when it should've reflected losses. Please excuse our error!
Disney and AT&T's U-verse renew vows, expand the relationship and bring back ESPN 3D
by01.15.2013Disney and AT&T today announced a multi-year extension to their already existing relationship, which brings approximately 70 channels to AT&T's U-verse cable network. The new "long-term distribution agreement" also adds a handful of new content, including the return of ESPN 3D and a new ABC/Univision collaborative channel aimed at English-dominant and bilingual Hispanics. That adds to the already robust lineup, which features biggies like ESPN and ABC. It's unclear what money exchanged hands in the deal or how long it'll last -- no specifics are given for either -- but it's safe to say your Disney-owned channels are secure for now, U-verse users.
AT&T Screen Pack gives U-verse TV subs on-demand access to 1,500 films
by01.07.2013As if there were any shortage of on-demand options, AT&T's giving U-verse TV subscribers more choice by offering multi-platform access to its growing catalog of films for a small monthly fee. The add-on service, dubbed Screen Pack, will allow users to instantly watch any of the 1,500 currently available titles from their home TV set, tablet or smartphone (via the U-verse app) or on Uverse.com for $5 per month. And for those who aren't quite sold on the idea of tacking additional charges onto their bill, AT&T's arranged for a free preview window that'll run until this coming Sunday the 13th. So, if you're a U-verse TV sub that needs your entertainment to follow you pretty much everywhere, you now have yet another solid option. Official PR after the break.
AT&T outs U-verse Easy Remote app for iOS, uses voice and gestures to take control
by09.26.2012Not that much time has passed since AT&T announced it was bringing Zuckerberg's social network right to your U-verse-equipped TV, and now those with an iOS device are in for yet another treat. The Rethink Possible company just outed its new Easy Remote application for Apple's mobile operating system, with the main feature being a Watson-powered one that lets U-verse users control their system via voice -- you know, things like picking a show to watch or even flipping through channels. That's not it, however, the app also brings other tidbits such as one-touch access to closed captioning and gesture-based commands. Unfortunately, AT&T's Easy Remote app is only available for iOS at the moment, though we can't imagine it'll be too long before the carrier launches one for folks on a different ecosystem. Either way, you can get a quick glimpse of the application right after the break, where a pretty edifying video awaits.
AT&T U-Verse iPad app adds more streaming video, more sports
by07.09.2012AT&T has updated its U-Verse cable content app for iOS with more content than ever, allowing access to various video content, information like sports scores, and even the ability to share viewing habits over Twitter and Facebook to its users. In addition to all of that new material, the iPhone and iPod touch versions of the app will now work like digital remote controls (though the iPad version already had this functionality), allowing you to control your TV and box right through your iOS device. It sounds great, obviously, for anyone currently using the U-Verse app. The free update is available for download right now. One other funny note: The screenshots above are straight from the official App Store page for AT&T's official app. Of course the app in the shots is connected to WiFi as well (and you'll have to be connected to your local WiFi network to use the digital remote features), but anyone else think it's amusing that AT&T's own iPhone screenshots don't show full bars on the connection?
AT&T stops offering Xbox 360 U-verse bundle until it can deliver an updated version
by05.14.2012In a relatively strange fashion, AT&T's quietly pulled the plug on its U-verse kit for the Xbox 360 -- at least for the time being. According to a note on its own site, the company's taking some time to focus on "improving and enhancing" its U-verse bundle. This is probably a reference to the updated app (that would also require XBL Gold) AT&T promised for the new dashboard with Kinect support and a new UI, but has yet to deliver. As Multichannel points out, earlier last week Netflix had filed a complaint with the FCC, claiming that AT&T's U-verse on Xbox violated network neutrality regulations -- though, it's unclear whether this had anything to do with the outfit's decision to suspend the service. AT&T has said the set-top kit won't "be available until the new enhancements and functionality are added," so we'd recommend not holding your breath for too long.
AT&T reports Q1 earnings: $31.8 billion in revenue, 5.5 million smartphones sold
by04.24.2012Sure, there was no new iPhone to boost its smartphone sales this quarter, but the carrier still managed to push 5.5 million of the devices out the door, while activating 4.3 million Apple-branded handsets. The company beat analyst predictions by raking in $31.8 billion in revenue and pocketing $3.6 billion of that as income, up from $3.4 billion over the same time period last year. Things are looking good for the company as both U-Verse and its wireless business grew revenues dramatically -- by 38.2 percent and 19.9 percent, respectively. Growth on the cellular side is in large part thanks to the 726,000 net subscriber adds. Of particular interest is the growth in so-called "branded-computing" subscriptions, which includes tethering plans and tablets. There, AT&T has seen a growth of 70 percent over last year, reaching 5.8 million customers (including 460,000 added last quarter). For more financial fun check out the PR after the break.
AT&T, DirecTV sign deal extension, guarantee bundle services through 2015
by11.04.2011AT&T renewed its corporate vows with DirecTV yesterday, signing a three-year contract extension to bring its suite of co-branded satellite TV, broadband and voice services through March 2015. The bundle will be offered across the 22 states where AT&T currently offers residential broadband and voice services -- and, according to a company spokeswoman, where the carrier's U-verse video service is not yet available. Speaking to Broadcasting & Cable, the rep went on to say that the renewed deal shouldn't be interpreted as an indicator of how rapidly the U-verse rollout is progressing, and that its service may eventually be offered alongside DirecTV's operations -- which, as we found out this week, aren't doing too bad at all. More details can be gleaned from the PR, after the break.
AT&T U-verse set-tops go wireless, free you to herniate yourself moving your HDTV around
by10.25.2011Chances are, you put your TV in the most convenient spot based on where the requisite cables are feeding into your abode. And putting a set in a new room usually means someone is breaking out a drill. Well, starting October 31st, AT&T U-verse customers will no longer be constrained by wires! (Besides HDMI and power cords, that is.) The company's new wireless receiver pairs with your AT&T-issued residential gateway and pulls in broadcasts over WiFi. What the provider claims is the first consumer wireless receiver of its type should simplify installation and free customers from the worry of running coax around their homes. You could even drag your big screen out to the patio and try to enjoy the "big game" under the glare of the sun. Just don't make lugging your 42-incher around a habit -- hernias aren't covered by the warranty. The receivers will be available to order on Monday for a one-time fee of $49 and a $7-a-month rental fee there after. Check out the (bizarre) demo video and PR after the break.
U-verse TV gets social with help from Miso, TV Foundry, Wayvin and BuddyTV Guide
by10.19.2011The fact is watching TV has always been social, which of course means it was only a matter of time before technology removed the physical proximity requirement from the mix. We've seen said requirement disappear from various content providers and now it's subscribers to AT&T U-verse's turn. The initial slew of options include Miso, TV Foundry, Wayvin and BuddyTV Guide. All four let you share what you're watching while at the same time help you discover new content by being exposed to what your friends are watching. Of course none of them are exactly Facebook and U-verse isn't anywhere near the most popular content provider in the country, but we're glad to see someone pushing hard into social TV that moves beyond just sending status updates via our remote.
AT&T offering credit to Uverse subscribers for Xbox Live Gold
by10.07.2011We already knew that some of the new services coming to Microsoft's Xbox 360 TV service would require an Xbox Live Gold subscription but, according to a Giant Bomb tipster, it looks like some previously Silver services will soon be turning Gold as well. One company apparently making the alchemical leap is AT&T U-verse, which will require Xbox Live Gold starting this November. The company is apparently sending notice of the change to its customers and offering a one-time $60 bill credit in order to soften the blow. In theory, the $60 saved on your AT&T bill can be applied towards an Xbox Live Gold subscription. Of course, if you already have Gold – a likely possibility given the effort required to get U-verse on the ol' Xbox – it sounds like you'll have an extra sixty bucks to play with next month. [Image: Giant Bomb]
AT&T Foundry innovation center opens its doors in Palo Alto to help devs do what they do
by09.15.2011We've heard of keeping up with the Joneses, but this is getting ridiculous. First it was Verizon, then Vodafone, and now Ma Bell -- with an assist from Ericsson -- has built an innovation center in Silicon Valley. This new center completes the triumvirate of AT&T Foundry facilities (the other two are in Texas and Israel), and is a part of the company's strategy to accelerate the process of developing and delivering new products to its customers. Right now, there are over 100 projects in development in Palo Alto, and AT&T is looking to add more. Those who are chosen gain access to AT&T's networks and expertise to ensure that new projects play nice with all of the company's gear, and it's already produced a few things that were on display at the center's grand opening. Want a sneak peek at what's in AT&T's innovation pipeline? Read on past the break to get it. %Gallery-133819%
PSA: AT&T DSL and U-Verse landline internet caps begin tomorrow, if you can see this website
by05.01.2011Tomorrow is May 2nd, 2011, and you know what that means -- tomorrow is the day that AT&T will impose data caps on DSL and U-Verse Internet, and begin tallying up overage fees. At least, that was the plan on March 18th -- when the company formally announced 150GB DSL and 250GB U-Verse caps -- but even if you're a paying customer who chows down several hundred gigabytes in a month, you may not have to worry about paying extra right away. AT&T specified that folks like yourself will have access to an online tool to self-police your usage before the company even begins to calculate the cost of your formerly all-you-can-eat bandwidth buffet, and as you can see in the picture above, the tool isn't quite ready for public consumption across the entire country. Scoot on over to our source link, enter your AT&T ID, and if you see the same, perhaps you won't have to cancel your 700-hour Star Trek marathon quite yet.
Video: watch how you'll watch TV on Xbox 360 U-verse
by10.12.2010AT&T's demonstration video for the Xbox 360 U-Verse service (after the break) gives us a better idea of how the service works -- and what's in the mysterious hardware kit (a remote and some kind of receiver device). The presenter also describes the installation process, wherein the U-verse software is installed on the 360 via a CD, a process described as "super-easy." ProTip, AT&T: don't tell us that the installation we have to pay $55 for is "super-easy." The interface shown in the video looks exactly like the UI for a normal U-verse receiver. The only perceptible difference, of course, is the appearance of Xbox Live notifications. [Thanks, cool8man]