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Commercial Break comes to Android, now monitors simultaneous live events
Judging from the reader comments when we initially reported on Commercial Break's beta launch, a lot of people wanted to see an Android version and more functionality for sports. Well, the devs appear to be listening. With the app's new "Live Events" feature, you can follow multiple upcoming live broadcasts (ballgames or otherwise) and get push notifications before they start and when they return from an ad-break. The app is now available at Google Play, and both it and the iOS version support a majority of (not blacked-out) nationally televised pro and college football games, as well as the upcoming MLB playoffs. Could the app use any more improvements? Speak up and speak often -- it won't be in vain.
Commercial Break: an app that tells you exactly when the ads are over
When we're raiding the fridge during a Vikings game, what'd be nice is a push notification just before Adrian Peterson runs into the end zone. Seeing as that's probably not feasible given current tech, we'll settle for an iOS app that alerts us when a timeout or commercial is over. Commercial Break was designed to do just that: you tell it what channel you're watching and it uses DSP and some algorithms to analyze audio and video cues, delivering a push notification to your mobile device once what you were watching comes back. As of right now, it's in public beta with 10 compatible channels in New York City: ABC, CBS, CNN, ESPN, ESPN2, FOX, NBC, TNT, TBS and USA. Outside of the Big Apple, CNN, ESPN and ESPN2 are compatible nationwide, with a few of these channels also available to others along the East Coast. The developers said that once the test run is over, they plan to expand to other markets and port the app to Android. We just wish it worked with AMC too -- missing any of Heisenberg's return because of a fried chicken craving would be tragic.
