The magic word this week has been “Fiber” and was brought to us by Google and AT&T. Earlier in the week, Techcrunch (by way of Bernstein Research) published a report which estimated the cost to Google, for rolling out fiber internet/TV services in Kansas CIty. So what was the big number?
I’m not a huge fan of Apple’s celebrity siri ads but the two newest commercials featuring the ever cheery John Malkovich are more tolerable than the previous ads. Move over Samuel L Jackson and Zooey Deschanel!
Samsung unveiled its next-gen galaxy III smartphone and alone with the phones updated screen and hardware, Sammy is also releasing one of the creepiest TV spots around – “Made For Humans.”
When Jimmy talks to the UNC audience about student loans, he decides a slow jam with President Obama and The Roots is appropriate…
Source: ImgClean
Ok, take this with a grain of salt but Analyst Peter Misek with Jefferies said that “specialty components” have begun to ship to OEM’s for Apple’s long rumored Television. This would put it in line for production sometime in June and a Fall 2012 release – right in line for the winter holidays. While there is no hard evidence…or any evidence what-so-ever but if Apple was to release the rumored TV set this fall, people will absolutely be killing each other for one. Still a waiting game….
Source: AppleInsider - Image Source: FlatScreenUniverse
As we all know by now, Apple held an iPad event yesterday in San Francisco and while I believe Tim Cook was heavily channeling Steve Jobs (he did an amazing job) he did brush over the new Apple TV. Yea, we all know: “It’s just a hobby” but last quarter, Apple sold 1.4 million units. This hobby is quickly evolving into a money maker and a trojan horse for the rest of the industry (will evolve into the future iTV). Regardless, let’s look at the specs:
Externally, the 2nd and 3rd generation Apple TVs are essentially the same but on the inside of Apple updated hobby, you’ll find a single core A5 processor. Apple isn’t letting us in on what kind of GPU is in the custom A5 but it’s powerful enough to handle 1080p video. As Apple moves its itunes content over to 1080p, it has also upgraded all of its devices, so that they can capture/stream/play full HD content. In addition, Netflix movies and TV shows will now stream in 1080p on the new Apple TV. For $99, the new Apple TV is a hell of a deal.
Want more info on current and past generations of Apple TVs – Here you go.
OS X Mountain Lion adds AirPlay support. Similar to the iPhone 4S and iPad 2, Macs can now wirelessly mirror the display to an Apple TV. This video demos the feature from a MacBook Pro via WiFi.
Source: IGM
Amazon has announced that they have completed a deal with Viacom for their catalog of shows – including MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, TV Land, Spike, VH1, BET, CMT and Logo. The total number of shows added to Amazon prime is around 15,000+, so is there any doubt that Amazon is going directly after Netflix.
Rumors are heating up again concerning Apple’s possible move into the TV market, specifically concerning an Apple iTV product. Two articles, one describing a Best Buy survey about possible pricing of the mythical TV set and a separate article by a Jefferies & Co. analyst’s speculation that the iTV will be Apple’s next major hardware play.
Best Buy Survey: The questionnaire entitled: “Be one of the first to get the all new 42″ Apple HDTV at Best Buy for $1499. Apple finally reinvents what a TV can do:” Whether this is some kind of inside knowledge of a future device or not, the survey goes on to detail some interesting specs/details about the “unicorn” TV set:
Analyst Speculation: A Jefferies & Co. analyst is “speculating” (as they always do) that Apple’s iTV set will be Cupertino’s next big hardware play. While there is absolutely no sourced information, analyst Peter Misek recommends buying Apple stock (shocker) because:
…User-generated video from customers who use iPads and iPhones as recorders may also play a role, giving Apple “the ability to leverage content into a YouTube-like model,”….
Apple biggest problem with introducing an iTV device will be content. Licensing content from Hollywood, Major Networks and private content creators like HBO/Starz/etc will be extremely costly – not to mention the anger they will face from distribution companies like Comcast and Dish Networks, which will leverage their power against Apple. That said, Apple might have something up their sleeves, as they do have exclusive content on iTunes, which is On Demand – Maybe Steve Jobs did “Crack it!”
Source: AppleInsider – Source: Bloomberg
NetFlix has taken the first steps towards becoming content independent, creating its very own original content, starting with the mob drama Lilyhammer. All eight episodes are now available for streaming on Netflix – so if you’re the type that loves to “marathon” series, now is your chance. Lilyhammer:
Frank Tagliano (Steven Van Zandt), is a former member of the New York mob. After testifying in a trial in the United States, Tagliano is relocated to Lillehammer in Norway through the FBI’s witness protection program. Frank Tagliano was intrigued by Lillehammer when he saw television images of the Winter Olympics in 1994, and therefore chooses to start his new life there. The transition from being a feared and respected gangster in New York, to become an unemployed immigrant in Norway, is not simple. Frank discovers that to get up and in the Norwegian rural society, he must resort to the old, ruthless methods.
According to TheVerge (by way of Netflix), Lilyhammer is watched by 1.2 million viewers/per week – the highest number for any TV series in Norwegian history. Let’s hope this is just the beginning – becoming content independent will allow Netflix to grow and will allow them more freedom from Hollywood’s archaic mindset.
Netflix, Hulu and LOVEFiLM are all ways to enjoy movies and TV shows but now a somewhat beautifully+ludicrous thing has happened. Paramount has decided to start selling their movies direct at www.paramountmovies.com - sounds good right? After all, I’ve always said: “Why would I pay any third party service, when I can get it straight from the source?” So when I heard the news, I got super excited but then I visited Paramount’s website and I started crying…
As Devin Coldewey so eloquently put it over at TechCrunch and the reason for my tears:
As the service is still in its infancy and the selection is fairly limited, this strikes me as more of a testing-the-waters thing, checking the system for leaks and so on. That has to be the case, really, because there’s no marketing behind the effort and the prices aren’t even close to what they should be. Want to buy an HD digital copy of Braveheart? $20, please….
That’s right – $20 for Braveheart direct from Paramount! Let me take a look over at Amazon…… Pricing ranges from $1.15 and go to $18.90 for the BlueRay Version. Shouldn’t buying direct be cheaper? Come on Hollywood and Paramount! This is why video is in the dark ages on the internet - idiotic suits, in tall buildings, making decisions about things they have no idea about. I seriously can not wait until the music and movie industry crumble into ash!
Source: TechCrunch
LoveFilm, you’ve been put on call! Today, Netflix has launched in the UK and Ireland – offering everyone one free month of their services at no cost. If you like what Netflix has to offer and want to stay with their services, it’ll cost you £5.99/€6.99 per additional month – not bad.
Today we’re bringing Netflix to the UK and Ireland. I am Neil Hunt, chief product officer at Netflix. I’m proud to have led the product team that brings Netflix to the country where I grew up, after spending most of my career in California.
In terms of media or catalog of shows/movies – that we’ll have to browse through but I’m sure they’ll have popular American and Uk series, with more to come on the way. Also, you’ll be able to watch Netflix on multiple devices: Computers (mac/pc) – Tablets – Smart TVs – Smartphones - Blue-ray Players and Game Consoles. Enjoy.
Your favorite smartphone touch screens and mine are about to get a lot tougher……gorilla tough. Corning Inc, the makers of Gorilla Glass (found on countless consumer electronics, especially smartphones) is about to release Gorilla Glass 2 at CES 2012 on January 13th. So what can we expect from Corning:
Corning Gorilla Glass 2 enables up to a 20 percent reduction in glass thickness, while maintaining the industry-leading damage resistance, toughness, and scratch resistance customers have come to expect from the world’s most widely deployed cover glass. The thinner Gorilla Glass 2 enables slimmer and sleeker devices, brighter images, and greater touch sensitivity. These benefits can provide electronics manufacturers with superior design flexibility as they address consumer demand for increasingly high-performing, touch-sensitive, and durable mobile devices.
So essentially, we’ll be able to get thinner pieces of glass with much stronger breaking points but also have the ability to manipulate (curve) Corning’s Gorilla Glass into new shapes – I hear rumors starting to heat up again about a tear drop shaped iPhone 5. Stay Tuned.
Source: Corning Inc
It’s that time of year again. The holidays are over and it’s 2012, so that can only mean two things: 1)We are getting close to the end of the world – 2) CES 2012 is here again. For those that don’t know about CES, it’s essentially the largest consumer products convention in the world (maybe) and it takes place every year in Las Vegas. This year, the show runs from January 10-13th and all the big players will be there: Microsoft, Samsung, LG, Sony, Intel, Google and on and on.
TechedOn will be bringing you news and new product details as they roll out – but only the god stuff. Keep checking back for goodies…
Source: CES
A very insightful interview on the possible future of Apple and Gruber’s thoughts on the broader tech market. You can also find more of John Gruber on his weekly podcast that is run by 5by5 studios – Check it out.
Source: The Verge
Speaking at LeWeb 2011 in Paris, France – Eric Schmidt dropped somewhat of a bombshell: “By the summer of 2012, the majority of the televisions you see in stores will have Google TV embedded.” Now, no other details where released, so we don’t know if he was speaking about the actual TV set’s UI or if Google TV will be a featured app, as Netflix and Vudu are currently on many smart TVs. Is Google nurturing its mobile ties to the likes of Samsung, Sony and LG, maturing their relationship beyond the mobile space? Samsung, Sony and LG own 46%+ of the global TV market, so Google would have to get them on board along with other vendors like Panasonic. Add that info to deafening rumors about Apple’s own “Smart” TV in 2012, with Siri powering the UI and control. Looks like the TV space is heating up again!
Source: TheVerge
The same day Amazon announced it’s new streaming service for Amazon Prime Members, Netflix counter punches with a 2 year content deal with CBS for shows like Medium, Flashpoint, Frasier, Cheers and StarTrek. While the actual details of the 2 year content deal were not announced, CBS’s back catalog of shows adds to Netflix growing streaming services and hugely overshadows Amazon’s catalog of 5,000 movies/shows.
Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s Chief Content Officer, said in a statement. ”Netflix is now the only online premium subscription service with shows featured on all four broadcast networks and dozens of cable TV’s biggest brands.” Sounds good to us but we would love to see more players in this sector – wink wink Apple and Google. NEXT!!
Source: BGR.com
I really don’t know who to blame here: HP or Palm or Marketing Firms? This is straight out of Palm’s creepy lady ad, which ultimately brought them to their knees. So, either Palm hasn’t learned or Hp has taken a cue from them – not good. Hp, take the keys away from the Palm team when it comes to marketing. Just tell us what you product does better than the competition and stop promising us that the TouchPad will bring world peace! NEXT!!
Source: YouTube.com
Engadget is reporting that a source close to them has mentioned that Amazon is or will be rolling out an unlimited streaming service to its “Prime” subscribers. Those that do not have “Amazon Prime” it’s essentially a $79/Year service that gives all your purchases free shipping, so having unlimited streaming (TV/Movies) is a great addition. In comparison, Netflix streaming yearly fee is $95.88.
This is just the beginning for Netflix and the competition against their services is going to get a lot worse. Netflix, while offering a great service – is doing just that, a service. It’s a 19th century middleman between content creators and consumers – this is a limited time success story. What is preventing content creators like NBC/ABC/Fox or Sony/Warner Brothers from streaming their content directly to consumers from their websites? Nothing but time. NEXT!!
Source: Engadget
I used to watch TV while checking facebook/Twitter/Email and surfing the net but over the last year, I’ve cut down on multitasking while trying to enjoy a good series. A joint Yahoo/Nielsen survey shows that I’m in the minority and that more and more people are multitasking while watching TV. Every wonder why so many new TVs are being billed as “connected TVs” – OEM’s know that people aren’t just watching anymore – they want to be social as well. Personally, I kind of find it annoying to bombard my senses with so much info but maybe I’m just showing my age (30). Want the whole survey – Click Here. What do you do?
Source: Yahoo.com
