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Starbucks expands Uber Eats deliveries across the US
Starbucks is relentless in its mission to make it as easy as possible for you to get its coffee. It's long let you order your drinks for pick up through its app and now, depending on where you live, you'll be able to have a cup of joe dropped at your doorstep because the coffee giant is offering deliveries in more US cities through Uber Eats.
Walmart reportedly ditches planned streaming service to focus on Vudu
Walmart has abandoned its plans to launch a new streaming video service, according to a report from CNBC. Instead of throwing resources behind a new product, the company will instead focus its attention on expanding its existing video platform Vudu. In response to the report, Walmart told Variety that Vudu is its focus but "to say that we aren't thinking about different ideas often would be false."
Audi adds Q7 SUV to its Silvercar on-demand rental service
Audi is hoping to attract families and groups of travelers to its Silvercar service, through which you can reserve and unlock cars with your phone, by adding its Q7 to the fleet. You can now reserve the SUV in Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, Phoenix and Salt Lake City for rentals starting February 15th. Audi says it will make the Q7 available at its other Silvercar locations from June.
iHeartRadio now offers an on-demand family plan for $15 per month
Last year, iHeartRadio rolled out its on-demand streaming plan to everyone, and now it's adding a family tier. With the All Access Family Plan, six family members can get their own on-demand profiles and have access to personalized playlists, unlimited skips on customized stations, live radio, podcasts, offline listening, custom playlists and, of course, on-demand listening.
UK video streaming subscribers topple pay-TV for the first time
Popular online streaming services like Amazon Prime and Netflix are for the first time outshining traditional pay-TV in Britain.
Univision plans Netflix-style streaming service
Univision's streaming ambitions are growing beyond live video. The Hispanic-American broadcaster has unveiled an on-demand service that gives you access to both its own shows as well as partners like the BBC and Viacom. Full access to live and on-demand content will cost you $8 per month, but current pay TV customers can spring for the on-demand portion for a $3 monthly fee.
Netflix’s real advantage is that it’s a tech company first
Netflix hasn't been coy about its plans to take over Hollywood. The company has already said it could spend up to $8 billion on content this year alone. But, for all the awards House of Cards and Icarus rack up, one of the reasons Netflix has tasted success so rapidly is its streaming technology. That's an area it has been perfecting in-house since 2010, when it became more than a simple mail-order DVD rental shop.
Netflix isn't chasing the competition into sports or live TV
Fresh off of its Oscars win for Icarus, a documentary about Russia's doping epidemic in sports, Netflix held a press event at its Hollywood headquarters. There, inside a 280,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art studio that it just opened last year, CEO Reed Hastings talked about the state of Netflix and the industry as a whole. The setting seemed fitting, considering the company is planning an $8 billion investment in original content for 2018 alone. That programming strategy is what makes Hastings confident that Netflix's future is bright, especially as it faces increased competition from the likes of Amazon, Hulu and, soon, Disney. The latter of which is also a partner, since it owns all of the Marvel franchises that Netflix has built a mini-verse around.
Shift makes buying a car as easy as ordering a pizza
Buying a car is a pain. Especially if you're looking to save some cash by purchasing something used. You end up scouring tons of random Craigslist listings and dreading the moment a used car dealer sits you down with the hyper-aggressive loan officer. Fortunately, there's a new way to buy a vehicle that doesn't even involve you leaving the house.
Ford's on-demand van service is running again in San Francisco
The Ford-owned on-demand commuter van company, Chariot, paused its service in San Francisco last week to fix compliance issues with the California Highway Patrol. The CHP had found that some Chariot drivers did not have required Class B licenses. The company confirmed via email that "effective Monday afternoon, service will be back on and running as regularly scheduled."
Sky thinks you need to record six shows at once
Before the internet and the rise of streaming, families across the nation would sit down at regular times each week to get their fill of television. It still happens now, but on-demand services have changed the way each family member views their favourite TV shows. Sky knew this, so it designed its next-generation set-top box -- the Sky Q -- to not only handle linear programming, but also deliver it at a time when it suits you. In fact, it stuffed the box with a staggering 12 tuners that at launch delivered live TV, picture-in-picture and streaming, as well as allowing you to record up to five shows at while while watching a sixth. It's an impressive selection, but it obviously wasn't enough.
Lincoln 'invents' Uber, but for rich people
If you're the sort of person who's used to driving around in a Lincoln, then a regular Uber probably feels like a step down. That's why the luxury motor company has launched its own twist on the "have other people drive you around" business model. According to Autoblog, Lincoln Chauffeur will let Lincoln owners rent a driver for short periods of time, turning up to your home and then driving you around in your own car. So, you know, it's Dryver.
NHS to use Uber and startup Cera for at-home patient care
Healthcare startup Cera is teaming up with Uber to deliver patient care on the NHS' behalf. The service, launched in November, matches "hundreds" of carers in the UK with the people who need them most. Today, the company is announcing a partnership with the Barts Health NHS Trust -- which runs Mile End Hospital, Newham University Hospital and others -- so that doctors can effectively prescribe the platform and help their patients receive timely care at home. The hope is that such a service will improve patient care while freeing up hospital beds in London.
Walter brings foreign prestige TV dramas to the US
The internet has democratized almost everything to the point where almost anyone can now start their own streaming service. Channel 4, a British public service broadcaster, is joining the fray by launching its own internet TV platform in the US. Walter Presents will launch in March with the stated aim of showcasing the best foreign-language dramas from across the world. Unfortunately, the victim in all of this peak TV madness is your wallet, which will be asked to shell out $6.99 a month for the privilege.
BBC and ITV launch 'BritBox' streaming service in the US
The two major broadcast networks in the UK are jointly launching a streaming service under the name BritBox. The BBC and ITV are backing a Netflix-esque service that'll showcase the best of the two firm's output. Users will be able to watch a wide range of the pair's programming, including premium dramas and sitcoms. In addition, Anglophiles will be able to view some of the country's most popular soap operas, including EastEnders and Emmerdale, a day after they air in the UK.
Vimeo's on-demand TV store is now available in 150 countries
Last month Vimeo, STARZ and Lionsgate Entertainment -- makers of such fine prestige TV as Orange is the New Black and Mad Men -- announced a new partnership to put all that programming online with an on-demand pricing scheme. While many of the shows are already available via iTunes, Amazon or Netflix in the US, Vimeo is making a play for international audiences by offering the service in 150 countries around the world.
Vimeo makes it easy to find purchased videos on your phone
As great as Vimeo's On Demand video service is on platforms like Roku, the mobile experience needed some work. With that in mind, Vimeo has released an updated version of its iOS and Android apps, giving users easy access to videos they've subscribed to, bought or rented. The new "Purchases" library also lets you download content to view offline, for those times when you're not connected to WiFi.
Volkswagen ponders a luxury Uber rival with Porsche cars
Last week, the Volkswagen group dumped $300 million into Gett, a taxi hailing-cum-ride sharing app that's big outside of the US. Now, the company has revealed that it's pondering a rival to Uber Black by offering private drivers access to its higher-end vehicles. Details are scarce since it's a single line reference in a very long press release, but VW says that it's looking at a "special chauffeur service" that features "premium brands, such as Audi and Porsche." What that looks like in reality is anyone's guess, although the idea of getting ferried around in an Audi RS 7 does have some appeal.
Turner Classic and Criterion launching FilmStruck streaming service
Here's something you didn't know you needed in your life: a Netflix, but just for the prestige films of yesteryear. That's the idea behind FilmStruck, a subscription service that's being developed by Turner Classic Movies and the Criterion Collection. According to the New York Times, the offering will house upwards of 1,000 films you can't get elsewhere, including Seven Samuari, Blood Simple and Mad Max. Pricing for the offering has yet to be decided, but the WSJ believes that it'll be under $10 a month. There's a sting in the tail for Hulu users, too, since Warner / Criterion movies that are currently available there are likely to be pulled.
Uber is testing a way to pay drivers instantly
Uber is testing out a way to pay its drivers at the end of every ride, rather than once a week, which will hopefully help them avoid payday lending services charging high fees, the AP reports. Once signed up, drivers' earnings will be sent to an account from the online banking company Gobank. They won't be charged any fees as long as they access the account at least once every six months (though GoBank will charge $8.95 a month if the money sits any longer). The program will first launch in San Francisco and other cities, and it's also a direct response to a similar instant payment offering from Lyft (which requires drivers to deposit at least $50, and charges 50 cents for every transaction).
