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Programming is FUNdamental: A closer look at Code.org's star-studded computer science campaign
"All these people who've made it big have their own variation of the same story, where they felt lucky to be exposed to computer programming at the right age, and it bloomed into something that changed their life," explains the organization's co-founder, Ali Partovi, seated in the conference room of one of the many successful startups he's helped along the way. The Iranian-born serial entrepreneur has played a role in an impressive list of companies, including the likes of Indiegogo, Zappos and Dropbox. Along with his twin brother, Hadi, he also co-founded music-sharing service iLike. Unlike past offerings from the brothers, Code.org is a decidedly non-commercial entity, one aimed at making computer science and programming every bit as essential to early education as science or math. For the moment, the organization is assessing just how to go about changing the world. The site currently offers a number of resources for bootstrappers looking to get started in the world of coding. There are simple modules from Scratch, Codecademy, Khan Academy and others, which can help users tap into the buzz of coding their first rectangle, along with links to apps and online tutorials. The organization is also working to build a comprehensive database of schools offering computer science courses and soliciting coders interested in teaching.
Google's Dart SDK and Editor arrive as beta with focus on performance
Dart isn't conquering the world wide web just yet, but that doesn't mean Google is giving up on its darling programming language. The internet giant has just released the first beta of the SDK and Editor, and the update's focus is obvious: speed. The analysis engine, which is responsible for altering you to errors in your code, has been revamped and is now 20 percent faster, according to Google. There are a whole bunch of new features designed to simplify development too, such as the ability to import or rename libraries. And the Editor's autocomplete engine is now "camelcase aware," meaning when you type "iE" the editor tracks down "isEmpty." Dart code compiled to JavaScript now results in significantly smaller file sizes and Dart VM performance has supposedly been boosted by between 33 and 40 percent. Oh, and there's much, much more... this is just the SparkNotes, folks. For the full change log hit up the source.
The Xbox One and live TV -- here's what to expect
What's in a name? A whole lot, if you're asking yours truly. "All Your Entertainment. Input One." Such intriguing statements were declared in a document that leaked from Redmond last summer. The slogan "All in one, input one" was on the Microsoft banners decorating the LA Convention Center for E3 this year. But this probably left many wondering: what is "input one," exactly? It didn't go unnoticed by those who follow the TV industry. Input one is commonly used in the biz to refer to the TV input most Americans use to access the majority of their content. This is the input that's displayed when the TV is turned on, and it's the input that most connect their set-top box from their cable or satellite provider to. Naturally, it's a highly coveted position in the content industry and one that is well fortified by the incumbents. Microsoft has had its sights on input one for a long time, and this particular go-round isn't all that unfamiliar. The Xbox One intends to share input one in what I'd call a man-in-the-middle attack. How well it works won't be revealed until later this year, but clicking through will reveal how I think it'll play out, why this attempt is a direct result of industry constraints and finally, how it matches up with the competition.
Next3D's plan to bring recorded video to the Oculus Rift
The dream of wearing a lightweight headset, like the Oculus Rift, in order to simulate physical presence isn't limited to the imaginary worlds of video games. One man's vision is that of immersive TV shows, movies and live sports. In fact, David Cole, co-founder of Next3D and an industry veteran who helps content creators and providers produce and deliver 3D, has been using his Rift dev kit to bring TV and film to life since the kits started shipping in March. The company is combining its video processing and compression technology with its experience in content production and stereoscopic delivery to offer what it's called Full-Court. Next3D hopes to leverage its existing relationships with creators and providers to assist them in jumping into the world of live-action VR content. This includes both pre-recorded and live broadcasts. We wanted to see this firsthand, so we jumped at the opportunity to witness the creation of content and experience the results. This trial run of Next3D's stereoscopic, 180-degree field-of-view camera rig, and the post-processing to adapt it to VR, was part of the production of the paranormal investigation show, Anomaly, at Castle Warden in St. Augustine, Fla. Being nearby, we braved the perils of the haunted surroundings to tell you about what we hope is only the beginning of virtual reality content.
App Camp for Girls would introduce girls to coding
The App Camp for Girls is a recently unveiled Indiegogo project that's designed to provide support for young girls interested in putting together iPhone and mobile apps. The camp itself is planned for a run in Portland later this year, and will allow girls to go through all of the steps of putting an app together, including brainstorming ideas, building out storyboards and putting the app together in Xcode, and then even pitching their finals apps to a panel of investors. The project is seeking about US$50,000, which isn't cheap, but will provide for all of the hardware, software and (wo)manpower needed to keep the App Camp rolling. TUAW's very own Kelly Guimont is serving as a volunteer organizer on the project, and we're proud, as a site, to serve as a media sponsor. Despite all of the improvements made over the last few years, there is still a major gender imbalance when it comes to app and game development. Projects like this can help young women and girls realize that they can enjoy building apps and code skills, too, and in the end, that will mean more and better options for all of us who enjoy using great software. If you're interested in helping the cause, please do head over to Indiegogo and support the App Camp for Girls.
Play-i building educational, programmable robots for kids
We've seen software and even TV shows that teach younger kids about technology, but we haven't really seen ready-made educational robots for that age group -- and no, AIBO and Furby don't count. Play-i, a new startup involving former Apple and Google employees, thinks it's time that the younger set receives some truly helpful mechanical companions. The company tells AllThingsD that it's developing robots that 5 to 8 year olds can program through mobile devices, teaching them about code in a more tangible way than a device screen would allow. While details of the robots are scarce, the team is shooting for sub-$100 prices that parents could afford: these bots may not be limited to classrooms. We'll hopefully discover more when Play-i starts a crowdfunding campaign in the summer, although it will still be a long while before we're picking up Junior's First Automaton. [Image credit: Alonso Inostrosa Psijas, Flickr]
Netflix updates Player on PS3 with faster scanning and streamlined audio management
Look, we're well aware that you're already fantasizing about the PlayStation 4, but how do you think that makes your existing PS3 feel? (Hint: Not awesome.) For those still focused on remaining in the here and now, Netflix has issued an update for its PS3 Player that "is more consistent with the Netflix player on the web as well as [its] mobile and tablet applications." The key feature in this update is the ability to easily manage your audio and subtitle selections; before, you had to hop out of whatever you were watching in order to tweak those elements, but now you can make said changes while the content is still on screen. There have also been improvements made in the "trickplay" mode mode when scanning forward or reverse in play mode -- essentially, these images now load a lot faster, which ought to keep your blood pressure at a safe level. The update is out now for PS3 users, and should be hitting select Smart TVs and Blu-ray Disc players soon.
TWC TV app bringing remote viewing to Android devices on May 14th
Just weeks after TWC TV was overhauled for iOS products, the carrier has announced that a "serious" update will hit the Android version of TWC TV as soon as next Tuesday. The refresh will add access to over 4,000 On Demand shows and movies, as well as live TV streaming and On Demand support for older Android devices still stuck on v2.2+. Moreover, some of that content will also be available while you're away from home, "mirroring the experience" already available for iOS products. Moral of the story? Keep an eye on the Play Store as May 14th rolls around.
iPad apps for young coders
Teaching your children to code should be high on the priority list for parents. To make this task easier, there are a growing number of tools that use visual elements to teach basic programming concepts to kids. AllThingsD recently reviewed two of these apps for the iPad, Kodable from SurfScore and Hopscotch. Kodable is more a game than a programming tool and is designed for the preschool set. Children must guide their characters through a maze by dropping commands to tell the character which way to move. This lively game teaches children about common programming concepts like commands, if-then conditional statements and loops. Hopscotch is an iPad app to teach children Hopscotch programming. Hopscotch is inspired by MIT's Scratch programming language and uses the same block-based coding interface. Children start off with a blank slate and add blocks of code to objects on the stage. These pre-written scripts allow your children to move, rotate and scale objects. They also can be used to draw a line behind the object as it moves along the screen. Children can set variables like line color and width. As a mom who uses Scratch with her children, I can say with certainty that apps like this are a good starting point to introduce kids to programming. They teach children how to think like a programmer, which makes it easier when they graduate onto more complex, object-oriented languages like Python.
Fox threatens to become a pay-TV channel if courts greenlight Aereo, probably doesn't mean it
Quick: what's the difference between a broadcast TV network (Fox, CBS, ABC and NBC) and a cable channel (TBS, TNT, ESPN, etc.)? Oh, only millions and millions of viewers. Nevertheless, Fox's COO Chase Carey is perturbed enough by the mere thought of Aereo getting its way, that he's already claiming that the network will go dark in favor of becoming a cable channel -- if and when OTA network streaming over the internet is completely legalized, that is. Causticism aside, Carey's remarks are certainly indicative of how the networks feel about the potential disruption of their revenue stream, and moreover, showcases just how far we are from living in a world that isn't dominated by the same old processes when it comes to entertainment. Carey stated: "We need to be able to be fairly compensated for our content. This is not an ideal path we look to pursue, but we can't sit idly by and let an entity steal our signal. We will move to a subscription model if that's our only recourse." Is it possible that Fox would suddenly vanish from over-the-air antennas everywhere, screwing up countless programming agreements with a near-endless amount of partners? Sure... but it's also possible that the ninth circle of Hades will be converted into an NHL arena. We're calling your bluff, Carey. Update: According to the New York Times, Univision chairman Haim Saban joined the saber rattling, stating that his network is ready to consider all options, including converting to pay-tv.
Aereo wins a crucial court battle, opens up partnership talks with ISPs and pay-TV providers
Something tells us the US Court of Appeals for the Second District has no intentions to kid around with its latest decision, despite it coming down on the 1st of April. In what can only be viewed as a monumental victory for Aereo, the aforesaid court has just rejected an appeal from a smattering of TV networks that are hellbent on stopping the web-streaming company from treading on their territory. For those unaware, Aereo allows users to stream OTA television networks over the web, but this here court found that the system did not infringe on the broadcasters' copyrights. Of course, a battle at the Supreme Court level is a practical certainty, so it's definitely not out of the proverbial woods just yet. That said, a separate Wall Street Journal report sheds light on ongoing discussions between the startup and some very established players in the industry -- if you can't beat 'em, join' em... right? As the story goes, AT&T, Dish Network and DirecTV have all spoken with Aereo as the company hopes to expand its footprint beyond New York City and the surrounding areas. On one hand, a mega-corp swallowing Aereo could lead to near-instant demise for its technologies, but given the right owner, it could provide the disruption the pay-TV sector so badly needs.
HBO CEO casually mentions standalone HBO Go option for broadband subscribers, but it's not à la carte
HBO's president and COO Erik Kessler stated just last month that having à la carte access to HBO isn't going to happen in the near future, but it seems that the channel's CEO has been mulling a compromise. According to a new Reuters report, Richard Plepler believes that while HBO "has the right model today," HBO Go -- its standalone app -- "could evolve." In what way, you ask? Presently, HBO Go only shows content to folks who subscribe to the channel via their pay-TV provider, but Plepler seems to think that there's potential to sell monthly access to the app itself so long as buyers are also subscribed to a broadband internet connection. In other words, this wouldn't provide HBO access via one's cable box or DVR, but considering that HBO Go just recently gained AirPlay support, an iPad + Apple TV combo could effectively accomplish the same thing. Well, outside of the whole "live viewing" thing. Still, the concept of paying $10 or $15 per month for HBO Go (alongside broadband) could be quite compelling for up-and-coming cord cutters -- after all, these folks are used to watching shows after they air. Now, here comes the part where you wait for these thoughts to translate into reality. If we had to guess, we'd say that HBO's oh-so-friendly cable partners aren't going to be inclined to let such a solid idea actually happen.
Verizon in talks to charge for TV channels based on real viewing time
Few of us like paying for TV we don't use, and there's been attempts to fix a broken model that makes TV providers pay for channels in blocks, no matter the viewer interest. Verizon's lead programming negotiator, Terry Denson, has told the Wall Street Journal that a more logical usage-based approach may come to FiOS TV. The telecom firm is in talks with mid-size and smaller content companies to pay for channels only based on how long we watch: Verizon would pay whenever a subscriber tunes in for at least five minutes. In theory, it's a win-win strategy that lowers Verizon's overhead (and hopefully ours) while rewarding the more successful smaller channels. Of course, there's no guarantee that a deal will go through -- and while Verizon will ask about a similar model when renewing major contracts, Cablevision's battle shows how much media giants will resist disruption of a steady revenue stream.
CBS brings full episode streaming in HD to iPad, iPhone and iPod touch
Welcome to the 21st century, CBS. Following in the footsteps of NBC, TBS, TNT, ABC and a smattering of others, CBS has launched a new iOS app that enables iPhone, iPod touch and iPad owners to stream full-length, HD-quality episodes of CBS programming right on their mobile device. The app includes offerings from its primetime, daytime and late night schedule, with flagships like NCIS, CSI, How I Met Your Mother and The Late Show with David Letterman being called out in particular. Daytime and late night programming will be available within 24 hours after initial airing, while most primetime programs will be available on the eighth day after broadcast. For those awaiting similar treatment on non-iOS platforms, the company has assured the universe that it'll bring similar functionality to Windows 8 and Android "later this year." The upside here is that there's no mention of cost, which should ease any frustrations of having to wait up to eight days to see something that aired live on the network. Moreover, the new app will integrate the existing CBS Connect App experience by the start of the Fall TV season, bringing a polished second-screen experience to those watching CSI, Criminal Minds, Hawaii Five-O and NCIS: Los Angeles. Now, if only we could convince every other channel to distribute its content over the web without arcane restrictions, we'd be happier than Gallagher at a farmer's market.
LiveCode creators look to go open source with crowdfunding help
UK-based RunRev is working on the next generation of LiveCode, which for the uninitiated is a cross-platform scripting language inspired by Apple's HyperCard and HyperTalk. This new version of LiveCode is intended to be open source and free for schools, in addition to offering a number of improvements including an entirely new visual editor for bringing apps and games to life. In order to make the new LiveCode a reality, RunRev is turning to Kickstarter to crowdfund its development. With just over a week to go in its campaign, the company is less than halfway to its funding goal of £350,000 (US$541,436) so it's not a sure bet that the current plan will work out. Should funding fail, RunRev is hoping to take a more conservative approach to a second campaign, according to company reps posting in Kickstarter comments. We wish RunRev the best of luck; we've been impressed by LiveCode in the past, and what they're looking to do with the next generation definitely looks promising. We'll be keeping an eye on the Kickstarter campaign's progress as the clock ticks down.
Players probe the code of Aliens: Colonial Marines, find some fixes
Maybe when the industry and players panned Aliens: Colonial Marines for being a hot mess, it was only because we all approached it from the wrong angle. Perhaps Colonial Marines' true gameplay value lies in its modding opportunities, specifically those that would fix the game's graphics, lighting, AI, UI and anything else that might need it.Groups of players with programming skills are taking to the Colonial Marines source code, attempting to patch up the game (for PC) on their own. The Steam and Gearbox forums host a number of fix guides, including this step-by-step walkthrough with pre-made files from Steam user adonys.Gearbox forum member kutjong notes an interesting phenomenon within the Colonial Marines code: "It's quite fascinating to study the .ini files. In PecanCompat.ini you can see all the graphics cards that qualify for a certain class. The most modern graphics card in that list is from 2007!" This Gearbox thread in particular hosts some comparison screenshots from before and after players have fiddled with the code, including the enhanced shot above. Game on, coders.
NVIDIA Nsight Tegra 1.1 Visual Studio Edition gives developers a path to Android
One of the biggest roadblocks to Android app development is just coming to grips with the tool set: asking developers weaned on Visual Studio to drop it for the likes of Eclipse is tossing them in the deep end of the pool. NVIDIA is offering a slightly gentler swimming lesson through the launch of Nsight Tegra 1.1 Visual Studio Edition. The kit brings the needed framework for native Android apps into Visual Studio 2010 so that programmers can work with the debugging and other features they've come to know. Although Nsight Tegra isn't the same as building in Google's preferred environment, it's also free for registered Tegra developers -- no doubt in the hopes that there will be more apps built around NVIDIA's chips.
Ted Sarandos, Mitch Hurwitz and Will Arnett wax poetic about creating content for the internet
Look, Will Arnett is hilarious. His gravely tones are also just as romantic in person as they are on television. And he took the stage here at D:Dive Into Media 2013 alongside Mitch Hurwitz (creator of Arrested Development) and Ted Sarandos (Chief Content Officer & VP of Content at Netflix) in order to talk about the changing world of original content production. Outside of making jokes about premiums paid for getting props back in order to create a new generation of Arrested Development (seriously, they sold the Aztec Tomb "immediately," per Arnett), Hurwitz and Arnett both agreed that it's a completely different dynamic in creating television for the internet.
Intel confirms new internet-based television streaming product, 'working with entire industry' to launch this year
Welp, the rumors are true. Erik Huggers, Corporate VP & GM for Intel Media, just sat down here at D:Dive Into Media 2013 in order to confirm that Intel's getting into the set-top / TV provider business, and everything will be delivered to your home using your existing broadband internet connection. Straight from the man's mouth: "We have been working for around a year now to setup Intel Media -- it's a new division that includes a lot of people from outside of the company. We've hired people from Apple, Netflix, Google, BBC, etc. We're aiming to develop an internet television platform. My opinion is that not many of those rivals have cracked it -- have truly delivered. For the first time, we'll deliver a few things to consumers. We'll deliver a new consumer electronics product under a new brand. It's associated with Intel, but you'll have to wait to hear what exactly that is. It'll be an Intel-powered device with beautiful industrial design. Where it really gets interesting is here -- we're working with the entire industry. It's an over-the-top service, delivering network channels, pay-TV channels, catch-up television, on-demand, and a host of applications." He also affirmed that the box (and service) would launch "this year," and while the box won't provide Intel's "entire vision" at launch, a fair amount will be. That should include live television, on-demand, and catch-up. We're guessing it's the app ecosystem that'll take some time to truly develop.
Dish's Charlie Ergen on wireless dreams, ad skipping, à la carte programming and more
Charlie Ergen, chairman and co-founder of Dish Network, was the keynote speaker on the first night of the D:Dive Into Media conference in Dana Point, California., and without question, he's going to be a tough act to follow. The hour-long conversation touched on everything from Ergen's expertise at the blackjack table to his belief that there are just two kinds of people in the world -- "those who get results, and those who make excuses" -- but host Peter Kafka dove right into the major issue at hand: the Hopper. Head on past the break for a rundown of the interview.
