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C-SPAN's online feed cut to Russian television
Afternoon C-SPAN watchers got an unexpected interjection this afternoon when its feed suddenly cut over to the Russia Today channel for a few minutes. Captured by Deadspin's Timothy Burke, the switch happened while Representative Maxine Waters was addressing the House regarding changes to SEC regulation. Of course, considering current events the threat of hacking has been considered, but in a statement provided to Engadget, C-SPAN isn't going there yet. According to the network, RT is a network it monitors, and as such, it is assuming there was just some routing issue at work. Some routing issue. Update: C-SPAN has issued a second statement, tweeting that its "initial investigation suggests that this was caused by an internal routing error."
C-SPAN will stream convention coverage on Facebook Live
Facebook inadvertently replaced C-SPAN during a Democrat sit-in on gun control, but during the Republican and Democrat national conventions, C-SPAN will stream on Facebook Live. The social network will also feature footage filmed by convention participants, delegates, politicians and the media, according to Politico. "This is the most engaged we've been at the convention and its highly correlated to the fact we have a lot of tools to offer," said Facebook Manager Crystal Patterson.
Democrats use Twitter to amplify House sit-in over gun control
Democrats are currently staging a sit-in at the House of Representatives to demand a vote on gun control legislation, and Republicans aren't happy about it -- they're declaring recesses to shut off cameras (which are controlled by the House) and downplay the protest. The Dems aren't letting that get in the way, though. They've gone into overdrive using Twitter, Periscope and Facebook Live to advertise the sit-in and draw attention to their cause. Even C-SPAN has turned to displaying tweets and live streams in the absence of TV broadcasts from the House floor.
Barely Related: The Interview didn't go well
Happy holidays, everyone! Welcome to Barely Related, a conversational Friday column that presents the non-gaming news stories that we, the Joystiq staff, have been talking about over the past week. And no, we're not stopping our focus on industry and gaming news. Think of this as your casual weekly recap of interesting (and mostly geeky) news, presented just in time to fill your brain with things to discuss at all of those weekend shindigs. Grab a fresh drink, lean back in your armchair, and get ready to talk nerdy with us.
Twitter for Android, iOS expands those Kickstarter tweets, becomes sensitive to our notification needs
That was fast. Just days after Twitter 4.3 had its details prematurely spilled all over the Internet, it's now raring to go for both Android (as version 3.3) and iOS users. Like we'd seen in early release notes, its focus is on expanding tweets to provide a glimpse at content when linking beyond just photos. Along with showing snippets from news outlets such as C-SPAN, Twitter's app now teases content from Etsy, Kickstarter and Vimeo, among others -- just in case you'd like to know whether that upcoming game console is worth funding at a glance. Notifications are getting their own promised boost and can send an alert whenever certain Twitter accounts post any kind of update. The improved search autocomplete shows its face as well, and iOS users get a more advanced layout for tracking hashtags during live events. Users with other smartphone platforms will have to wait for the 4.3 feature set to filter through to their devices, but if you're of an Apple or Google bent, one of Twitter's bigger updates of recent memory is already headed your way.
Massachusetts court opens up to social media and live video, Ice-T expected to cameo
This story ripped from today's headlines: the Quincy District Court, just south of Boston, Massachusetts, will now stream live video online. Dubbed OpenCourt, the experiment will also offer WiFi and encourage liveblogging and social media reporting -- all in an attempt to help the judiciary understand and accommodate new digital reporting tools. Funded with a $250,000 grant from the Knight News Challenge, it proposes a more transparent philosophy for the legal system, which has often banned cameras and restricted access. But the court won't become an open free-for-all. There will be no video for restraining order cases and those involving minors, among others, and judges can disable the video feed at any time. Said executive producer John Davidow,"The idea is to bring the courts and what goes on in the courts closer to the people so they understand how the law and the justice system work in this country." With such high-minded goals, expect viewing that's closer to C-SPAN than Law & Order.
