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'The Interview' internet release comes to YouTube, Google Play and Xbox
Sure, Sony may be defying hackers' threats by letting independent theaters screen The Interview, but you might not live close enough to watch the flick. What if you want to see it online? You might get that chance. Sources for both CNN and Recode claim that Google has "tentatively agreed" to distribute the movie online in rental form, both through Play Movies and YouTube; Sony would also stream the movie through its own website. There's a possibility that the Google deal will fall apart (this happened with iTunes, apparently), since distributors are reportedly worried that they'll face retaliatory hacks. If an agreement comes together, though, it would represent an important milestone -- it's not often that you see a major studio movie launch both online and in theaters at the same time. We've reached out to Google for details, and we'll let you know if there's anything official. Update: Yep, it's happening. Sony will make the comedy available through a special page, Google Play, YouTube and Xbox Video starting today at 1PM Eastern. It'll cost $6 to rent, or $15 to own. A PlayStation Network release date, meanwhile, is coming "shortly." We're also gathering tweets from early reactions to the movie right here. Update 2: And now The Interview has its first international premiere, as Google Canada just announced the movie is available on its outlets there too.
Sony's new plan means fewer TVs and smartphones, more PlayStations
Sony may know how to build great gadgets, but convincing people to part with money in exchange for them has turned out to be nearly impossible. In the outfit's most recent financial results, its faltering mobile division was single-handedly responsible for wiping out the blockbuster profits earned by the PlayStation 4. At a recent investor conference, however, executive Hiroki Totoki told the audience that the company has a new three-year plan designed to staunch these losses. In fact, the plan can be summed up pretty simply as "make a lot fewer TVs and smartphones."
Dabbling in the future of payment: A week of Apple Pay and Google Wallet
On Monday last week, Apple finally launched Apple Pay, the company's mobile-payment system that only works with the iPhone 6, 6 Plus and the latest iPads. (Though you can't use iPads for in-store payments.) Even though mobile payments have been around for several years now, Apple Pay is seen by many as a key step toward making paying-by-phone more mainstream due to all the increased attention. Seeing that I have an iPhone 6, I decided to use Apple Pay every day this past week to pay for everything from my groceries to a hot dog at AT&T Park during the World Series. Just to see how they would compare, I also tried using Google Wallet installed on a Samsung Galaxy S5 and a regular ol' credit card in the same locations. The verdict? Well, the future of mobile payments is looking brighter than ever, but that doesn't mean I'm getting rid of my wallet. Let me tell you why.
Twitter trades passwords for phone numbers with Digits
At its mobile developer conference in San Francisco, Twitter just announced Digits, a brand-new way to log in to apps with just your phone number. Instead of going through the tedious process of signing up with an email and password or using one of many different social logins, all you need is to enter in your number. When you do, you'll get a confirmation code via SMS. Enter that in as well, and away you go; no need to remember passwords or go through CAPTCHAs. Digits is not based on Twitter at all; it's actually an entirely new product that developers can incorporate into their apps, be they Twitter-related or not. It's a key part of Fabric, Twitter's new mobile development kit that it's rolling out today. Digits is available for iOS, Android and the web, and it's available in 216 countries in 28 languages right now. Aside from Digits, Fabric includes several other tools that Twitter hopes developers will incorporate into their existing apps, such as Crashlytics, the crash-reporting tool that the company bought last year, and MoPub, its advertising platform. There's also something called TwitterKit, which finally brings system-level Twitter sign-on to Android, a service that's been on iOS for a while now. This means that you only need to sign on to Twitter once on an Android phone, and you'll be able to easily access all apps that require a Twitter login. Especially of note is that developers can now not only embed tweets in their apps, but also add the ability to compose and post tweets inside of them without having to launch the dedicated Twitter app.
Here's what to expect from Apple's October 16 event
Now that the dust from the launch of Apple's new iPhones has started to settle, it's time to wade into the fray one more time. It's been just about a year since the folks from Cupertino trotted out the iPad Air, and now it's going to show off its next-generation model -- along with a handful of other updated goodies -- at a big media event at its corporate headquarters on October 16. Before we descend into the depths of Apple's auditorium and liveblog our fingers off, though, let's just take a moment to suss out what Tim Cook and pals have in store for us.
Apple's (probably not broken this time) new iOS 8 update is ready
It's take two for Apple's first update to iOS 8. After the company released a version yesterday that cut off cellular connections and TouchID for the iPhone 6 family, there's a new one available now. According to an Apple spokesperson, less than 40,000 device were affected by yesterday's glitch -- a large number, but maybe not that big when sales of the new devices are already at 10 million and climbing. Version 8.0.2 also carries the fixes we were expecting yesterday which should get HealthKit apps going and fix some third-party keyboard issues, among other tweaks. We understand if you're not in a hurry to try this one out, but the update is available via iTunes or the software update option on your Apple device. If you're bravely rushing once more unto the breach, please let us know how it goes in the comments. Photos by Will Lipman.
Amazon's $200 Kindle Voyage is the Rolls-Royce of e-readers
Perhaps Amazon sold a lot of 3G Paperwhites without special offers. Or maybe Kobo's Aura HD has quietly taken the world by storm and Jeff Bezos decided he needed an answer. Whatever the impetus, Amazon has decided there is room in the world for a $199 e-reader. The Kindle Voyage was built for people who "love to read." Clearly the company thinks there is a place out there for a premium e-reader and, while we can't vouch for the vibrancy of the high-end e-reader market, we can confirm that Amazon has put together a stunner of a device. The familiar Kindle software has even picked up some neat new software tricks that the Voyage taught its more budget-minded siblings.
Apple wants to wean you from Android with its new iPhone guide
Apple is clearly hoping that its bigger iPhones will tempt you to switch from Android. It just launched a migration guide that helps move your stuff into the iOS universe, whether it's a contact list, internet account or media collection. Some of the advice is fairly self-evident; email and social networks should come across without a hitch, and you'll usually find App Store equivalents to any given Android program. You may find a few useful pointers, however, such as using iCloud as a go-between for your important documents.
Microsoft is buying 'Minecraft' and its development studio for $2.5 billion
Microsoft confirmed this morning that it's buying massively popular game Minecraft and the studio behind it, Mojang. The purchase amount is $2.5 billion. Don't panic: Microsoft says it "plans to continue to make Minecraft available across all the platforms on which it is available today: PC, iOS, Android, Xbox and PlayStation." Though Microsoft is purchasing the Minecraft intellectual property -- game, licensing, and any other rights involved -- it isn't getting the game's creator, Markus "Notch" Persson. A note from the Mojang team says, "Notch, Carl, and Jakob are leaving. We don't know what they're planning. It won't be Minecraft-related but it will probably be cool" (Carl Manneh is Mojang's CEO and Jakob Porser is a co-founder).
Apple Watch is the wearable Cupertino hopes you've been waiting for
If you're tired of rumors and speculation about Cupertino's so-called iWatch, then good news -- that all ends today. Apple has just confirmed the arrival of its first fully fledged wearable device -- Apple Watch. How much of what we heard in the run up to the event was true? How does it compare to the recent slew of Android smartwatches? In typical Apple fashion, the device has a few surprises. First up some top-level details: Apple Watch has a sapphire display, four sensors on the back, NFC, Apple Pay and a choice of six straps at launch. Of course, they use a proprietary connecting mechanism, which means you can't just run out and buy any old watchband. Apple also claims it's accurate to 50ms and is the "most personal device we've ever created." Probably to the surprise of many, the new watch isn't Swiss-style at all, in fact sharing much of the iPhone's design language -- curved edges and a power button on the side. There's also a hardware dial, just like on a regular watch, that Apple is calling a "Digital Crown," which can be used to navigate menus, zoom into images and more. A big heads-up: You'll need an iPhone 5 or above and $350 if you want one of these when they become available "early next year."
Apple Pay comes to the iPhone for handling mobile purchases, NFC in tow
For years, Apple has resisted including NFC connectivity inside its iPhone handsets... until now. With the arrival of the new iPhones, the folks in Cupertino are finally including the option that will sort mobile payments. What's more, it's doing so with a process it built for use on its handsets: Apple Pay. The new feature is included on both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus and uses NFC, Touch ID and a Secure Element chip to keep that precious info under lock and key. So how does it work? Well, you add a card to your iTunes account, which then adds it to Passport. You can also suspend payments with Find My iPhone if your card gets lost or stolen without the need to make a phone call. In terms of security, Apple doesn't know what you're buying, and cashiers won't even see your name. Instead, a one-time payment number and a dynamic security code complete the transactions.
Apple unveils the 4.7-inch iPhone 6
You were expecting it, and here it is: Apple has unveiled the smaller of its two new super-sized smartphones, the 4.7-inch iPhone 6. As the leaks suggested, it centers around a larger (by 0.7 inch) 1,334 x 750 Retina HD display in a body that is decidedly slimmer and curvier than its already svelte 5s predecessor, at 6.9mm thick. It's not all about looks, though. The new handset is also running a beefier A8 chip that's claimed to be about 25 percent faster than the A7 you saw the last time around, even as it's up to 50 percent more efficient -- Apple estimates up to 14 hours of talk time, 11 hours of video and 10 days of standby.
Meet the iPhone 6 Plus and its 5.5-inch, 1080p Retina HD display
Well folks, the time for wild-eyed rumors and clandestine reports is finally over -- Apple CEO Tim Cook just officially revealed the hefty new iPhone 6 Plus and its 5.5-inch screen in Cupertino alongside a long-rumored (and handier) 4.7-inch model. This thing won't seem all that foreign if you frequent the geekier corners of the web, but it's a sure sign that Apple wants to give all those other pocket-stretching phablets out there a run for their metaphorical money. The company's live press event is still chugging along (with a sketchy stream, no less), but here's what we know so far.
Twitter CFO hints at big changes to how your timeline works
Twitter has already started to look more like Facebook, and it might soon start acting more like it too. You see, company CFO Anthony Noto hinted yesterday that the reverse-chronological firehose of tweets that some users hold so dear may give way to a more curated collection of messages cast into the digital ether. To hear him tell it, the Twitter experience as we know it "isn't the most relevant" to the people who actually use the service (a notion that some people would definitely disagree with). That tidbit was lodged inside a broader conversation (which the Wall Street Journal captured) about improving Twitter's search functionality -- Noto pointed out the need for "an algorithm that delivers the depth and breadth of the content we have on a specific topic and then eventually as it relates to people." Those last few words seem crucial -- it sounds like he wants the Twitter experience to become one where content is tailored and presented differently depending on how relevant it is to the user. In the end, it might wind up getting Twitter a bunch of new users (which is exactly what all those antsy shareholders want to see), but would it really be worth alienating the service's hardcore fans?
The Galaxy Note Edge: Samsung's first smartphone with a bent display
It's been over a year and a half since Samsung briefly (and from a distance) showed off the Youm, a prototype of a smartphone with a curved display that wrapped around the right-hand side. While it seemed like a far-off reality at the time, Samsung announced today that the Youm's spiritual successor -- aptly named the Galaxy Note Edge -- would be coming out this fall. Sure, mass-producing a phone with a bent screen is a tremendous display of manufacturing prowess, not to mention something to show off at parties, but is there more to this unique handset than eye candy?
Apple says iCloud wasn't breached in celebrity photo leak
It wasn't long at all after personal and explicit photos of some 100 celebrities started making the rounds when people started attributing the leak to a breach of Apple's iCloud storage system. After a nearly two day long investigation, Apple has released a statement to try and clear things up -- to hear the folks in Cupertino tell it, the incident was a "very targeted attack on user names, passwords and security questions" in which some celebrity accounts were "compromised" and that none of its systems were breached in the process. In other words, we may not be looking at a savvy hack exploiting a Find my iPhone security flaw so much as some very dedicated account brute-forcing and phishing. Of course, that's not to say that the pictures in question (well, the ones that weren't taken with Android devices anyway) didn't come from iCloud, just that hackers apparently didn't directly crack the sanctity of Apple's services. The exact vector of entry remains unknown right now, but AnonIB, one of the 4chan-esque imageboards that appears to be involved in the proliferation of this mess, seems to have no shortage of people who were ready and willing to "rip" iCloud accounts in exchange for the right sort of loot. Of course, one has to wonder about the role semantics plays in all this -- while Apple's systems may not have been technically "breached", they may still have been cajoled into giving up user credentials with tools like the now defunct ibrute. In any case, you can check out the full statement after the jump for yourself.
Apple's next iPhone event confirmed for September 9th
We've been hearing rumblings about an iPhone 6 event next month for some time now, but Apple has made it official: the company's next affair will indeed be held on September 9th. While there aren't the usual clues as to what we can expect -- the invite merely states "Wish we could say more" -- the change in seasons this time of year usually signals the arrival of a new iPhone. And of course, there's been some talk of a wearable, too. As always, you can bet we'll be there to bring all the news as it happens starting at 10AM PT/1PM ET in Cupertino.
Apple's new iPhone might really, seriously have NFC this time (maybe)
Smartphone prognosticators have claimed for years that the next iPhone would have NFC for mobile payments, and for years they've written follow-ups explaining why it never happened. As always, there's plenty of NFC smoke in the air, but is there actually a fire? A new report from Wired's Gadget Lab says yes - according to the usual unnamed sources, Apple's going to show off a shiny new mobile payments platform at its September 9 event (we're still waiting for our invite) and NFC is expected to play a part. Just how big a part remains shrouded in mystery -- after all, Apple SVP Phil Schiller said at an AllThingsD event that NFC wasn't a solution to any current problem consumers faced.
Your social networks discourage you from speaking out on politics
The internet is supposed to be a bastion of self-expression, where you're free to speak your mind knowing that someone, somewhere shares your feelings. However, Pew Research and Rutgers University have published a study showing that many social network users feel compelled to keep their mouths shut on sensitive topics. While the majority of those studied say they'd be willing to discuss a political issue like US government surveillance at dinner or at work, they're very shy about doing the same on Facebook or Twitter. Effectively, the internet is mirroring the real world -- people face a "spiral of silence" where they're afraid to share opinions that differ from those of their friends. That's borne out by additional findings that people suspect they have more disagreements with their online buddies than their personal acquaintances.
Amazon buying Twitch, expanding video empire to live streaming
It's official: after plenty of rumors about both Google and Amazon buying massively popular video streaming service Twitch, Amazon announced it as official this afternoon. Amazon is buying Twitch for $970 million in cash, though it's yet to go through government approval. Amazon head Jeff Bezos is pretty excited about the deal and, apparently, about gaming: "Broadcasting and watching gameplay is a global phenomenon and Twitch has built a platform that brings together tens of millions of people who watch billions of minutes of games each month – from The International, to breaking the world record for Mario, to gaming conferences like E3. And, amazingly, Twitch is only three years old." Update: Twitch is currently streaming a live town hall meeting to discuss the deal, you can watch it here or embedded after the break.
