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AT&T gives travelers 1GB of not-quite-free WiFi in the UK through The Cloud
Getting data is still a pain while abroad: it usually involves either popping a local SIM into an unlocked device or simply paying through the nose for roaming rates. AT&T wants to meet visitors to the UK halfway through a new WiFi deal with BSkyB's The Cloud. The pact offers AT&T subscribers 1GB of free WiFi access per month at The Cloud's hotspots in the UK, as long as they're using the American carrier's WiFi International app. The catch? As with AT&T's normal approach, travelers need to have an international data plan already in place -- which means The Cloud is more a way to raise the limit than a true replacement for a roaming bundle. Nonetheless, anyone who just needs that much more data for an Instagram shot of the London Eye can get their fill through the source links.
Livescribe renames Sky smartpen after losing trademark dispute with BSkyB
Livescribe v BSkyB was one of the stranger trademark battles we've seen recently, because the two companies operate in such different spheres -- one makes smartpens, the other runs TV and internet services. Nevertheless, the English High Court has now ruled in favor of BSkyB, forcing Livescribe to recall all stock bearing the offending three-letter word and to re-baptize its "Sky wifi smartpen" simply as the "wifi smartpen". Suddenly, the packaging left over from our review of the device just feels so naughty.
Livescribe stops selling Sky smartpen in UK after being sued by BSkyB
Well, this isn't great. No sooner did we review the Livescribe Sky WiFi smartpen and then it suddenly ceases to exist -- at least in the British Isles. Livescribe has withdrawn the product from its UK store following an allegation that it is "infringing the trademark rights of British Sky Broadcasting." Other retailers have briskly followed suit, not least because they too have been threatened with legal action. It seems the risk of someone shopping for a premium TV service and then accidentally buying a cloud-connected note-taking device were just too great for the broadcaster to bear.
Queen's Christmas Message to reportedly air in 3D, project the royal presence further (update: not entirely first)
Loyal subjects of the United Kingdom who also embrace the cutting edge of TV may get an extra treat this year. Queen Elizabeth II has reportedly recorded her annual Christmas Message in 3D, supposedly becoming the first member of the British Royal Family to embrace the video format after Prince William turned it down for his wedding. We'll naturally need 3D glasses to catch all the nuances if it happens, although the extra dimension wouldn't be exclusive to the producers at BSkyB who captured it: both the BBC and ITV should supposedly have access as well. While donning funny-looking eyewear for a speech isn't usually our first choice for entertainment, we'll make an exception for Her Majesty if Buckingham Palace confirms the 3D broadcast. Besides, it may be the perfect test of a new 3D TV waiting under the tree. Update: Thanks to reader Steve, we now know that claims of this being the Queen's first sojourn into 3D weren't right. While it would certainly be the first Christmas Message in 3D, we've learned that a CBC TV crew only just got to shoot in 3D earlier this year. Technically, the very first 3D footage of Queen Elizabeth II was recorded on her coronation in 1953, but it wasn't discovered and processed until just recently.
Football fans score additional content in Sky Sports for iPad update
The app devs over at Sky Sports are having a busy year, and after improving their iPad offering for the F1 season, they're back with a "second screen" update for football (soccer) fans. Just in time for the start of the UK Premier League season, the new Football Match Centre adds a content bar alongside your chosen stream showing team and player info, in-depth stats of the match in progress and a hand-picked Twitter feed for related musings. You might think the devs deserve a break, but sadly there's no time -- next on the agenda is a similar update for the Champions League tournament, then they're bringing the second screen to golf fans before the Ryder Cup starts next month.
Roku picks up financing from BSkyB, News Corp and more, keeps eye on the premium streaming crown
The little media streamer company that could, Roku, has gained some powerful friends in its latest round of financing, with $45 million in funds coming from the likes of BSkyB, News Corp and another partner who would prefer to remain nameless at this time, as well as previous investors Menlo Ventures and Globespan Capital Partners. While we leave you to ponder which company might be that unidentified source, Roku is simply continuing on, earmarking the money for use in building brand awareness, expanding internationally and much, much more. Also, that MHL-connected Roku Streaming Stick introduced at CES? It hasn't gone away and is still on track for launch later this year, with an eye towards providing a "Roku Inside" bundled experience for otherwise dumb flat-panel HDTVs. Roku's alignment with BSkyB (which reported a $10m stake in its earnings this morning, as well as the option to distribute its own branded Roku hardware) makes sense after the pay-TV giant launched Now TV recently with the hockey puck as one of its supported platforms, while CEO Anthony Wood tells us the fruitful partnership with News Corp had its root in the Fox News, Wall Street Journal Live and X-Factor channels it launched last year. Wood cites plans to make Roku "the TV distribution platform of the future", and this fifth round of financing -- larger than all previous rounds combined -- may help push it in this direction, check out a few more details in the press release after the break.
Sky Go for Android adds support for Ice Cream Sandwich, Samsung's Galaxy S III, Nexus and Note
When v2.0 of the Sky Go for Android app arrived earlier this month it promised another update would follow soon with support for Android 4.0 and more phones, and now it has arrived. We're not seeing it in Google Play yet, but the press release (included after the break) indicates the app is ready to run on the Galaxy S III, Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy Note from Samsung, and is also finally Ice Cream Sandwich compatible on those devices and the HTC Sensation / Sensation XE. That brings the total supported device count for the video on-demand player to a round 11, which is less than the "all" we're looking for but still more than the zero supported prior to February.
Now TV launches in the UK, brings pay-as-you-go streaming to Mac, PC and Android
Sky is going online and ditching the contracts... sort of. The UK TV provider is launching a new service called Now TV that will take on more established properties like Lovefilm and Netflix. The streaming video service will initially be available on OS X, Windows and Android with iOS to follow shortly. By the end of the year it will also be available on Xbox, PS3, Roku and Youview. Initially Sky Movies will form the backbone of the service, with titles costing anywhere from £0.99 to £3.49 for playback, or you can purchase unlimited monthly access for £15. Eventually Now TV will expand to include Sky Sports, Sky 1 and plenty of other BSkyB owned properties. For more, check out the PR after the break.
Sky Sports iPad app, Sky Go for iOS and Android refreshed with more content and features
BSkyB has been busy pushing updates to several of its apps, starting with the Sky Go player. On both iOS and Android, the big new addition is access to Anytime+ video on demand from the Movies and Entertainment category, covering Sky1, Sky Living, Sky Atlantic and Sky Arts 1. On Android, v2.0 of Sky Go brings the ability to manage ones account directly via the app, move the app to the SD card and other bug fixes. What it does not do, yet, is expand the (short) list of compatible devices, although the listing promises Ice Cream Sandwich support later this month. Meanwhile, the Sky Sports app for iPad has a new update too, adding a guide, split screen view for F1 races and the ability to remotely set recordings and reminders from the tablet. All the updates are available at their respective app stores, the links can be found below. Update (7/5): Sky has pushed out a press release for the Android update, and other than confirming the ICS compatibility update by the end of July, it also mentions support for more devices. The only two mentioned specifically are the Samsung Galaxy Note and Galaxy Nexus, you can see the release for yourself after the break.
Sky considering launching Sky Sports 3D, one channel too small for three dimensions
Sky is reportedly considering splitting its stereoscopic programming into separate Sports and Entertainment channels as its content stable swells. Speaking to Pocket-lint, movie bosses Simon Rexworthy and Ian Lewis confirmed that they don't have enough time in the schedules unless sporting coverage is hived off to a distinct "Sky Sports 3D". After the split, Sky 3D would only broadcast films, factual and TV content, with the caveat that they're prioritizing quality over quantity. Lewis mentioning that one recently-released flick has been blacklisted from the service after making the testers sick, although he neglected to mention its title.
Sky dubs upcoming internet TV service 'Now TV', chases those currently without pay-TV
After recently announcing plans to launch a new over-the-top internet based TV service in the UK Sky CEO Jeremy Darroch has revealed its name, Now TV, and what it will bring to customers. Speaking at the Media Guardian Changing Media Summit in London, Darroch indicated Now TV would operate as its own brand, targeting the 13 million UK homes that don't pay for TV from any provider. It will start offering instant access to movies this summer followed by sports and other entertainment soon after, with access by monthly subscription or PPV across a variety of devices. It will be different from the existing Sky TV service, and all of its online tie-ins like Sky Go by focusing on flexibility and "spontaneous access" Constantly complaining about a lack of access to programming like, say, Game of Thrones without a traditional pay-TV package? It sounds like this should be right up your alley, so while details like exact pricing are still TBA, feel free to hit the source links below for all of the info currently available including a transcript of his speech, or head to the Now TV website directly to sign up for updates.
Sky Go finally available on a few Android devices, brings some new channels
It's taken about eight months, but Sky Go is finally available on select Android handsets (HTC Desire, HTC Desire S, HTC Desire HD, HTC Incredible, HTC Sensation, Samsung Galaxy S, Samsung Galaxy S II) after launching on iOS last year. Beyond the limited hardware support, there's a few other caveats to be aware of -- the app is only supported on Android 2.2 and 2.3, so when Ice Cream Sandwich hits some of those phones soon, users will be forced to choose between upgrading or keeping Sky Go working. Another drawback is that due to DRM, the app is blocked from working on rooted devices. Once users have jumped through those hoops though, there will also be even more content available for viewing on all platforms including Sky Atlantic, Sky 1, Sky Living and Sky Arts 1, before F1 coverage launches in March. Speaking of F1 -- Sky also announced its new channel will bring 5.1 surround sound to UK and Ireland broadcasts for the first time this season.
Nintendo opens 5,000 free WiFi hotspots across the pond, connects your 3DS to The Cloud
Still fuming over that 3DS price drop despite the Big N's conciliatory make-goods? If you happen to be a resident gamer in the UK, tack some 5,000 free WiFi hotspots onto the company's apology. According to a report from International Business Times, the service, backed by BSkyB-controlled The Cloud, goes live today, bringing users access to all the console's usual online features and should come in handy when in-game DLC becomes available later this year. No doubt the move from Nintendo's British outfit is intended to add a little purchase incentive to the DS' underwhelming successor, as well as boosting the gaming giant's own declining earnings. No matter, with twenty free games and gratis WiFi -- it's looking good to be an early adopter.
Microsoft-led consortium to trial super WiFi network across the pond
British mobile bandwidth hogs won't have to curb their data enthusiasm anytime soon if a scheduled 'super WiFi' trial minds it manners. Led by Microsoft and backed by the UK's biggest TV providers, this roided-up wireless network surfs along the spare 150MHz spectrum that terrestrial television avoids. Christened the 'white spaces,' networks abroad (and in the US) maintain these unused frequencies to prevent signal interference, but with MS' Dan Reed calling spectrum "...a finite natural resource," operators don't have much else to mine. Set for testing in Cambridge -- chosen for its dense cluster of buildings old and new -- this repurposed TV signal walks through walls its weaker mobile brethren smack into (at up to 16Mbps, no less!). With a similar British Telecom rollout already underway in Scotland, we'd say the tech has an imminent Anglo-future -- pity the US can't seem to unravel the red tape fast enough for a homegrown build-out. [Image credit via ZDNet UK]
Sky Go consolidates live TV streaming on UK PCs and iOS devices next month
Over in the UK, Sky TV is streamlining its efforts to serve up TV channels away from the TV by launching the new Sky Go service July 6th. It combines and replaces the existing online Sky Player and Sky Mobile TV services into one offering that's free for subscribers, and in August will open up to those who don't have Sky TV service for between £15-£40 per month. The new package also means changes for Sky Player on the Xbox 360 (which has its own changes in store) and Fetch TV, which will now just be "Sky" and will no longer count as one of the two allowed Sky Go device activations. Check the link below for the full list of channels which includes all the Sky Sports feeds, MTV, Disney and even ESPN without requiring the WatchESPN app we have in the US. There are a few drawbacks however, as it drops support for Windows Media Center and so far only iOS devices (running version 4.0 or higher - no first gen iPod Touches allowed) are on the approved list, but the official FAQ mentions an Android version on the way this year.
O2 plans free and open WiFi network across the UK, Sky picks up The Cloud
Only a handful of Muni-Fi projects ended in anything greater than eternal tears here in the States, but hopefully O2's up for the challenge across the pond. The UK carrier just announced its intentions to "refine the WiFi landscape" in its home nation by launching O2 WiFi, with a raft of "premium hotspots" to be rolled out and managed by key venue owners. As of now, it's hard to pinpoint who exactly will begin hosting O2's routers, but the key part is this: they'll be open for all customers to access for free, no matter which mobile or broadband provider they are with. Making no bones about who it's coming after, the operator has affirmed its intentions to "at least double the number of premium hotspots currently offered by BT Openzone and The Cloud combined by 2013," with the rollout to begin as early as today and continue for as long as it takes. 'Course, doubling up The Cloud may take a little more work given that Sky just picked it up for an undisclosed sum, but hey, we're sure every Briton in existence would just love to see these two duke it out for WiFi supremacy.
LG no longer selling 15,000 3DTVs to Sky TV, Britons breathe a sigh of indifference
Why is this man so down? Is it the crooked hat? Or the long hours spent with the same flat expression on his face? No, the fact of the matter is that Sky's plan to outfit pubs the breadth and width of the island nation with 3D televisions has fallen flat. Yesterday LG announced that the satellite provider had purchased some 15,000 sets with the hope of hooking folks on the technology before launching its in-home service later in the year, but now the company's pulling back, instead saying that deal involves the channel selling pubs 3DTVs through a third party. And we're sure that pub owners are going to jump at the chance to buy expensive new displays and scores of 3D glasses so customers can drop them in pitchers and / or break them while playing darts or whatever goes on over there in the land of Pete Doherty and excessive surveillance. LG's statement is after the break.
Sky TV buys 15,000 3DTVs from LG for live sports broadcasts in public venues
LG is today proudly boasting that it has sealed the biggest sale of 3D television sets so far, thanks to its partnership with UK broadcaster BSkyB. Following a surprisingly successful trial run of broadcasting the Arsenal versus Man United match in 3D this January, Sky clearly sees its future through polarizing glasses and has ordered up the big batch of tubes so that it can provide weekly 3D broadcasts of Premier League games. The plan is for a rapid rollout this spring -- which is right about now -- meaning that your local pub should be getting all glitzed up just in time for the end of season excitement. It remains to be seen whether Brits will swarm to the new tech or lose interest once the novelty wears off, but judging from the size of this investment, it would seem the bigwigs in charge of our entertainment are already convinced that 3D will be a win.
Inaugural Sky 3DTV soccer broadcast received warmly, hooligans opt for Michael Jackson & the Grammys instead
While U.S. audiences suffered through yet another anaglyph 3D broadcast as the Grammys presented Earth Song in traditional red/blue format courtesy of Target-distributed glasses, Sky kicked off its first true 3DTV broadcast across the pond during a Man. U/Arsenal match. Distributed to a few select pubs ahead of a wide rollout due in April, patrons slipped on passive 3D glasses and caught the entire match live from Emirates stadium. Luckily this experiment went over far better than the Dallas Cowboys disaster, though several criticized the need to remain more directly in front of the monitor to see the action and that the effect was less pronounced on long shots. However the new tech excelled the most during close ups and slow motion, as Pocket-Lint quoted viewer Kate Cobley "It's brilliant, the corner and back of the goal views are just amazing. It makes the game so much better. If it's in 3D then I would definitely be more likely to come to the pub to watch sport." We figure the real test will come during the World Cup this summer, if ESPN's 3DTV broadcast can get U.S. audiences tuning into the beautiful game then 3D may actually live up to all the CES hype. Until then check the read and more coverage links for a few more impressions, or the video embedded after the break.
3D TV coming to British pubs this weekend, can expect chilly reception
Imagine, if you will, the quintessential British pub. A pair of elderly chaps sitting in the quiet corner discussing their best Spitfire manoeuvers, the teenage whippersnapper putting on a mature voice and trying to buy alcohol at the bar, and the inevitable legion of sports fans setting up for their weekly life or death football match. Now put 3D glasses on 'em -- doesn't work, does it? Sky TV is hoping its launch of 3D content around UK drinking establishments will be a runaway success, whereas we're just hoping those glasses aren't too hard to clean up after being inevitably discarded with disdain. Nine pubs will be broadcasting the Arsenal versus Manchester United match in 3D this Sunday, with a full rollout in April.
