Online Entertainment

Europe Whips Up Royalty Regulations
July 12, 2012

Today in international tech news: Europe rewrites laws to ensure royalties on digital music; Amazon contemplates entering the smartphone market; Mark Zuckerberg's college roommate heads to the Olympics; YouTube plans to launch premium channels in France; and ACTA may not be dead after all.

Intel Pumps $4.1B Into Dutch Chip Tool Builder
July 10, 2012

Today in international news: Intel invests billions in a Dutch semiconductor equipment maker; Kickstarter heads to the UK; NBC Universal unveils its Olympic streaming package for subscribers only; and the extradition hearing for Megaupload's Kim Dotcom will have to wait.

Apple Puts iPad Naming Quarrel to Rest for $60M
July 02, 2012

Today in international tech news: Apple ponies up $60 million to end the battle over naming rights for the iPad in mainland China. Also: France contemplates extending its television license fees -- which are like taxes for owning a TV -- to computers, while Sunday's Spain-Italy match sets the record for sports-related tweets.

Google Charges Into the Living Room With New Nexus Q Streamer
June 28, 2012

Google worked toward pulling together its ecosystem Wednesday, announcing an array of new products and services at its I/O Developer Conference. In addition to its widely anticipated Nexus 7 tablet, the company unveiled its Nexus Q media streamer and its Google Cloud Messaging service for Android; made much of its enhancements to Google Play; and launched a demonstration of Google Glass, its smart eyepiece.

Bellowing Ads Have No Place in iTunes
June 28, 2012

As an Apple product-lovin' enthusiast, my default gut reaction is to defend Apple, just like my gut reaction to defend my family and friends. When Apple does something silly, or more likely doesn't do something it ought to do -- or consumers wish it would do -- I tend to think about it from the perspective of Apple's business interests. And I rationalize it.

Giving Movies a New Life in the Cloud
June 26, 2012

With every passing week, reports on box-office receipts come with the same anxiety as industry watchers, film companies, content owners and theater managers assess if the current year will meet or exceed the previous one. Successes like "The Hunger Games" are tempered by disappointments like "John Carter," and embedded within each lackluster debut is the hope of compensatory revenues through later release windows.

Court Cuts Samsung a Slice of Dutch Apple Pie
June 21, 2012

Today in international tech news: In the two companies' latest courtroom spat, Apple has been ordered to pay damages to Samsung for infringing on patents. Also: The Pirate Bay cofounders are seeking a hearing at a human rights court; ESPN ups the ante for Wimbledon coverage; British neo-Nazis tap into YouTube's revenue-sharing program and more.

Sharp Debuts Monolithic Mega TV
June 20, 2012

Sharp introduced its new 90-inch Aquos LED TV on Tuesday -- what it's calling "the largest TV on the planet." At 4-ft. tall and 6-ft., 8-in. wide, it's sure to dominate the room. Content is displayed at 1080p, the highest resolution available. The TV has a suggested retail price of $10,999.99. It's fairly light, considering its size, weighing only 141 pounds without the stand.

Netflix Circles the Wagons Around Its API
June 20, 2012

Netflix has announced changes to its public API that will prevent developers from accessing information about its customers. As of September 15, users' rental history and information about what they viewed will no longer be included in the API, putting that data out of reach for developers creating third-party apps for interacting with the video provider.

DoJ May Put Kibosh on Cable Cos.' Data Caps
June 14, 2012

The Department of Justice reportedly is investigating whether cable companies such as Comcast and Time Warner are violating antitrust rules through practices that limit their broadband customers' access to online video. The Justice Department apparently has questioned these companies, as well as other cable providers and online video sites Netflix and Hulu.

Will Tablets Revolutionize TV?
June 12, 2012

The adoption of tablets has reached critical mass in the U.S., according to comScore. In fact, one in every four smartphone owners also used a tablet during the three-month period ending April 2012. What stands out most about this particular study, though, is the link it makes between TV and online video content and the growth of tablets.

Next-Gen Apple TV Release Faces Tricky Timing
June 07, 2012

We rearranged our family room with our 42-inch HDTV so that the couch is farther away from the screen than before. While the room is far more open and usable now, it's clear to me that my piddling little 42-incher is far too small, never mind the fact that it's only a migraine-inducing eyestrainer of a unit pumping out 720p.

Microsoft's SmartGlass Opens Windows All Over the Living Room
June 05, 2012

Microsoft demoed its new Xbox SmartGlass system at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles on Monday. SmartGlass will connect devices running Windows 8, Windows 8 RT, Windows Phone, iOS, and Android to a user's Xbox 360 console. The Xbox SmartGlass app is available now with select games and Xbox Live content.

Sony Nixes Plan to Scratch Discs for PS4
May 31, 2012

Sony's next-generation gaming console will reportedly arrive next year. Users of the upcoming system will be able to play games by inserting discs, just like they do with the present-day PlayStation 3. However, Sony executives came very close to limiting the console to downloadable games only.

FaceBlech
May 26, 2012

Facebook's big debut on Wall Street turned out to be a milestone the company probably wants to forget as soon as it can, though that won't be possible for a pretty long time. By most accounts, Facebook's IPO was a disaster. Market glitches, bad decisions and allegations of shady dealings marred the social network's first day out

Motorola Dreams Up a Sweeter TV Interface
May 23, 2012

Motorola Mobility this week unveiled its DreamGallery video navigation software for content providers at a cable industry trade show. DreamGallery lets users search hundreds of channels in seconds, bookmark and store their favorite content in one place, and discover new content tailored to their preferences.

Verizon Eggs On Data-Chugging Mobile Video With Viewdini
May 22, 2012

Verizon Wireless on Tuesday introduced Viewdini, a mobile video aggregation portal. It will run on the company's 4G LTE network and let users search and access videos from a variety of content providers. Partners include Comcast Xfinity, Hulu Plus, mSpot and Netflix. Others, including Verizon FiOS, will be added soon. Viewdini is an Android app that can be downloaded for free from the Google Play store.

Broadband Boom: Changing Entertainment, Changing Behaviors
May 18, 2012

In the U.S. market, the percentage of broadband households owning and connecting at least one product besides PCs to the Internet has increased 45 percent between 2010 and 2011. Today, approximately 40 percent of all U.S. broadband households own at least one Internet-connected device, with game consoles accounting for 75 percent of these products.

The BBC's Olympian Streaming Ambitions
May 16, 2012

Today in international tech news: The BBC unveils plans to stream all 2,500 hours of the Summer Olympics. Elsewhere, Apple has reportedly engaged in talks with China Mobile, the world's biggest phone company, about teaming up to offer the iPhone; a criminal gets busted in Columbia for failing to log out of Facebook; and a report suggests most computer users in the world have acquired pirated wares.

Dish Offers New Ad-Vanishing DVR Service
May 11, 2012

Dish Network began offering a new service Thursday that lets users skip all commercials for shows broadcast on major networks when watched the day after the programming first aired. Dubbed "Auto Hop," the feature on Dish Network's digital video recorders allows users to bypass commercials on recorded HD prime-time programs from ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC.