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Facebook wants more 'high quality' videos it can slap ads on
Now that Facebook has video ads, how is it going to make sure you hang around to watch more of them? According to a report on The Information, the social network is in talks with publishers like Vice, The Onion and Vox Media to make short-term videos it can host. The point to doing that instead of just letting them operate independently, is apparently to push them all as part of a service called "Anthology" for advertisers. That way it can charge advertisers higher prices with "TV-type scale" promised at millions of views. Whether or not that it takes off, this, along with rumors Facebook wants publishers posting content directly to its site suggests its vision of the future involves keeping users tied to Facebook.com -- at least until they leave VR space. [Image credit: Jeff Chiu/Associated Press]
Apple schedules March 9th event ahead of Watch launch
You know the drill. Apple issues an invite for an event, and tech media channels go wild with speculation. Except that we know the event in question this time, scheduled for March 9, is almost certainly about the Apple Watch. How? Well, we already know it's slated for an April release, so there's that. Oh and a not-so-subtle "spring forward" message the invite contains. Apple losing its cryptic touch? Maybe, but it's not unknown for Cook and crew to throw in a few surprises (but please, no more musical "surprises"). Engadget will of course be there to find out, with a liveblog so you can follow along too. Just don't forget to change your (non Apple) watch an hour, or you'll miss the whole darn thing.
B&O wants you to touch wood to control your music at home
Knocking on wood is said to bring you luck. Those of a less fortunate disposition will be interested to know about Bang & Olufsen's new wireless home music system then. It's called "Moment" and features (among other things) a wooden touch-sensitive interface. It could be the luckiest HiFi you'll ever own. The curious device comes in two parts: the dock/base station, and a wireless controller. It's the latter that gets the wood treatment. As you can probably already tell, the Moment is typical Bang & Olufsen, in that it's not typical at all.
Sling TV to stream ESPN, TBS, other networks on Xbox One
Dish Network has announced that the Xbox One will be the first console to receive its new Sling TV media service. Revealed yesterday at the Consumer Electronics Show, Sling TV offers viewers access to live streams of popular networks including ESPN, Cartoon Network, the Disney Channel, HGTV and the Food Network, among others. It does require a $20 per month subscription fee, but that's a far less expensive option than signing up for a cable subscription package for those who don't care about the all those other channels and just want to watch Sportscenter or whatever delightful cooking program Alton Brown is hosting this season. Notably absent from the Xbox Wire announcement is any word on when Sling TV - which is currently in closed beta testing on PC - will reach the Xbox One. Instead, we are told it will arrive in "the coming weeks." [Image: Microsoft/Dish Network]
Samsung's Milk media apps migrate to smart TVs and the web
Samsung spent a good chunk of 2014 launching and nurturing its (very oddly named) Milk music and video streaming services. At the time, we asked the obvious question: Do we really need more of these things? Like, honestly? The Korean tech titan never fully proved its case, but that hasn't stopped it from pushing Milk further and further out there. Now Samsung's bringing those services where they've never gone before -- specifically, televisions and the web.
Showtime Anytime app now available on Xbox consoles
The latest addition to Microsoft's burgeoning lineup of console media options is a Showtime app that offers both live and on-demand access to the network's programming. Those with valid subscriptions to Showtime can download the app at no charge and use it to stream unlimited hours of select, archived Showtime programming including recent hit series like Homeland and Dexter. If you find too much choice in media options paralyzing, you can instead watch either the West Coast or East Coast live feeds of Showtime through the app. Helpfully, for those who enjoy lengthy TV marathons, the Showtime Anytime app allows users to start a show on one device, pause it, then resume watching on another device (such as a smartphone or tablet) using the same app. If you don't have a Showtime subscription, but are an Xbox Live user, you will be able to download the Showtime Anytime app at no cost, but its content will be limited. Select previews of programs will be available, but no substantial programming. [Image: Showtime]
Hey, NPR: Stop trivializing eSports scholarships
On Monday, NPR's All Things Considered host Robert Siegel talked to New Tech City podcast host Manoush Zomorodi about Robert Morris University's new athletic scholarship program, the first of its kind in the United States – scholarships for League of Legends players. The hosts rattled off the stats: $500,000 for 30 scholarships, similar to some football scholarships the school offers. Zomorodi noted that 32 million people watched the final League of Legends championship game this year, more than watched the last game of the NBA finals. After talking to Robert Morris University's Associate Athletic Director Kurt Melcher, this happened: ZOMORODI: And from what I saw, Robert, it really was just like the football team or the track team - a tight-knit group. SIEGEL: (Laughter) So what's it like to be a collegiate e-athlete? Laughter. That's pulled directly from NPR's transcript of the broadcast, and you can listen to it here (this conversation at 3:08). During the final minutes of Siegel and Zomorodi's talk, there were titters and chuckles at factual information about the League of Legends scholarship. This bothered me.
Google takes another step into your living room with its Nexus Player (hands-on)
Google's wanted a piece of your living room for ages, and now -- after two attempts that never really went anywhere -- the search giant seems poised to get what it wants. Android TV is coming to, well, a TV near you, and we just spent a few brief moments wrapping our heads around Mountain View's vision of television with its new, ASUS-made Nexus Player.
Amazon's Kindle Fire will come with free news from the Washington Post
Jeff Bezos runs Amazon and owns the Washington Post -- is it any surprise that those two entities might start getting a little cozy? According to a new report from BusinessWeek, the a group of folks at the Post are working on a sort of curated Washington Post app that'll be preloaded on the forthcoming Kindle Fire HD tablet. The kicker? It's expected to be totally free to those Fire owners, and the app will eventually roll out to other Kindles, as well as iPads and Android tablets... though owners of the latter will have to shell out a subscription fee. This isn't the first time that we've seen Kindles and traditional reporting collide -- let's not forget that Amazon once made a ginormous version of the Kindle meant in part to make newspapers more palatable on an e-ink screen -- but it's a big, smart step for a media company that has its metaphorical eyes set on a national audience.
Comedy Central app now available on Xbox One
The latest addition to the Xbox One's suite of entertainment options is the official Comedy Central app, a program that allows Xbox Live members to watch a number of the network's recent and classic shows. New episodes of modern Comedy Central series, such as The Daily Show, Key & Peele and @midnight, will appear on the app "the day after they air." Older seasons of long-running shows like South Park will also be available on the app, though it's currently unclear just how far back the app's television archives will reach. Alongside these newer programs, the app will also include select classic series, including all three seasons of the brilliant, hilarious Chappelle's Show. No Xbox Live Gold subscription is required to use the Comedy Central app and it is available as a free download from the Xbox Live Marketplace, but as Xbox Wire points out, the app's offerings will be limited for anyone who lacks a valid cable television subscription. [Image: Microsoft]
Plex is getting more expensive -- unless you sign up right now
Already a subscriber to media outfit Plex's services? Good news: when the company raises its prices at the end of the month, you won't be affected. For everyone who signs up for the firm's Plex Pass subscription come September 29th, however, the price of poker goes up. Monthly fees will raise from $4 to $5 and annual renewals will jump from $30 to $40. Hard to complain too much with those. The biggest change comes to lifetime memberships, as the associated fee is doubling. So, should you want to get in on unlimited access to the Pass for the rest of your life and only pay $75 for the privilege (instead of $150), you have less than a week to do so. The increase, Plex says, is in part due to new features and premium content that it's going to unveil in the coming months -- designing an entirely new app doesn't come cheap.
Chromecast finally plays nice with Disney videos, Twitch streams
Heads up, Chromecast owners - your $35 media-flinging dongle just got a new infusion of oomph. Google announced on its official Chrome blog earlier today that users can now stream content from a slew of Disney apps (think WATCH Disney, WATCH Disney Junior and WATCH Disney XD for the young'uns) as well as iHeartRadio and Twitch (which just might be a little salt in the wound since Google couldn't quite make the deal work). You may rejoice if you're the type to binge on cheesy, over-the-top, emotionally charged television too since DramaFever's app have been given the same treatment -- now you've got another way to plow through your backlog of Coffee Prince episodes on a bigger screen. Can you think of a better way to spend a lazy weekend? We sure can't.
Netflix officially says 'enchanté' to France
Netflix's next big push into Europe isn't exactly secret, but its plans are finally starting to bear fruit. As announced in a not-so-subtle tweet earlier tonight, the streaming media service has finally launched in France, and it's expected to go live in five other countries later this week, too. The kicker? France hasn't exactly been thrilled with the idea of an American media company swooping in and romancing its customers with the lure of Orange Is The New Black or (the seriously excellent) Bojack Horseman. Competitors like CanalPlay, a video-on-demand service run by Canal+, have been busy fleshing out their catalogs and snapping up rights to shows like House of Cards while Numericable just gave its customers free access to hundreds of shows to boot. Still others are a little miffed that Netflix isn't technically subject to a rule that would mandate that the service offer a full 40 percent of the media Netflix provides be French in origin. Naturally Netflix knows it can't win over French hearts and minds by flouting rules, so it's busy prepping content (like the dramatic Marseille) to help get the ball rolling.
Apple plans to live stream its upcoming September 9 media event
Apple this afternoon announced that it will be live streaming its upcoming media event scheduled to take place next Tuesday at 10 AM Pacific Time. The page includes a running countdown timer along with the following teaser: "Live video from our special event will be right here. And so will a whole lot more." As opposed to most other Apple events, next week's event is slated to take place at the Flint Center for the Performing Arts in Cupertino. Notably, the Flint Center is where Steve Jobs unveiled the original Mac and also where the original Bondi Blue iMac was introduced. You can catch all of Apple's exciting product announcements live at http://www.apple.com/live
Citizen journalism game will show how your photos change the story
As the Ferguson protests made exceedingly clear, citizen journalism is both a blessing and a curse; while it can expose police brutality and censorship, it's also prone to misinformation. But how do you illustrate the complexity of the subject for the general public? If you're developer Nicky Case, who has a history of tackling difficult subjects, you build a game around it. His as yet unnamed title will have your character trying to gain Twitter followers (that is, score points) by taking photos at controversial events like protests. The trick will be to accurately capture what's happening without polarizing any group more than necessary. You may want to photograph police corruption, but the cops could block you from certain areas if you antagonize them too quickly; at the same time, you don't want to take extreme shots that turn peaceful protests into riots.
Control Hulu on consoles from the comfort of your mobile device
Because remote controls are so 2008, those who own an iOS or Android mobile device, along with a PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, will now be able to control Hulu Plus on their console of choice directly from the service's mobile app. [Image: Hulu Plus]
Upload gameplay to YouTube on Xbox One tomorrow, 360 gets GoPro app
Microsoft is updating the YouTube app on Xbox One to allow players to upload gameplay clips directly to the video platform starting tomorrow. The app will integrate with the Game DVR and Upload services already present on the console; players will just need to enter the system's settings, select "Share game clips" and then "Share on social network" to access the YouTube upload option. Additionally, the updated app will allow users to view YouTube videos in snap mode, add them to Pins, add channels to OneGuide and earn media achievements on Xbox One. Microsoft also announced the GoPro app for Xbox 360, which allows users to "stream and curate" videos created using the brand of high-definition personal cameras. GoPro app users will also be able to purchase cameras within the app through Microsoft's online store. The app will require an Xbox Live Gold subscription. The Xbox One's trek into the livestreaming and video sharing realm was marked by the addition of Twitch broadcasting in March, which saw 108,000 broadcasters in the first week. While having the ability to upload content to YouTube directly will be ideal for many users, one hopes that the history of gameplay videos being flagged by the platform's Content ID Match system doesn't prove to be an issue. [Image: Microsoft]
Xbox One update tests comprehensive Smartglass media control
Over the course of the next month, Microsoft plans to roll out a series of updates focused on the Xbox One's media playback functionality. Most notably, select Xbox One users will get the chance to test a new suite of Smartglass controls. Later this week, the first wave of updates will arrive and bring with it universal media playback on Microsoft devices. Now, users will be able to view Xbox media content on any Microsoft device, whether it be an Xbox One, Xbox 360, Windows 8 PC , Windows Phone or even online at Xbox Video. Alongside this, Microsoft will update the Xbox One Smartglass companion application to feature easier navigation options, mobile Xbox Live alerts and Snap functionality. In an effort to "explore some new ideas," Microsoft will also be debuting new Smartglass media controls. Explicit details are currently unavailable, but these new controls should allow users to control a TV, Xbox One, and set-top DVR directly from a tablet or smartphone. Unlike the rest of the aforementioned media playback update, this Smartglass addition will initially be rolled out to a small group of testers, then released to the general population once Microsoft has fixed any kinks. [Image: Microsoft]
State-sponsored hackers are attacking news outlets on a massive scale
It's not hard to spot instances of state-sponsored hacking against dissidents and terrorism suspects, but it now appears that these attacks frequently target the press -- and more often than you see in the news. Google security engineers report that 21 of the top 25 media outlets worldwide have faced some kind of government-backed hacking attempt, with many of them flying under the radar. In Vietnam, for instance, attackers have tried to discourage coverage of human rights issues by tricking journalists into compromising their PCs. Google argues that awareness is the solution. The more press organizations recognize the online threat, the better they can lock things down and make sure their stories get heard. [Image credit: European Union 2012 - European Parliament, Flickr]
Xbox One Media Remote emerges from cushions, coming early March
The Xbox One Media Remote has been officially revealed by Microsoft's Major Nelson. The Media Remote will launch in early March for $24.99. The small remote looks just like the one leaked on a recent Amazon Canada listing, and all of its buttons glow in the dark, a true bonus for those that don't care for lamps. It includes dedicated back and OneGuide buttons, and also controls TV and receiver power and volume via the Kinect. [Image: Microsoft]
