entertainment

35 'entertainment' stories December 2011 - May 2013

Netflix iOS app updated with auto-play episodes for TV shows, movie recommendations & an enhanced second screen experience

Jordan Kahn May 9 2013 - 8:50 am PT

Update: Netflix clarified in a post on its blog that the new auto-play features have rolled out only for the iPad app.

Netflix has updated its iOS app today with new features that brings movie recommendations and a new auto-play feature for TV shows, among other improvements, to iPhone and iPad.

Version 4.1 of the Netflix app now includes and auto-play feature for TV shows that will automatically start the next episode of a season after the last episode ends, a feature that Netflix has included in its apps on other devices. Another new feature displays movie suggestions with three of the best recommendations based on your viewing habits directly after watching a movie.

Netflix also said it added enhanced second screen options in the app:

What’s New in Version 4.1

The new Netflix app makes it even easier to enjoy more movies and TV shows. Enjoy binge watching your favorite TV shows and get the best movie recommendations with this new update.

• Added post-play feature where, when one episode of a TV show ends, the Netflix app automatically cues and then starts the next episode
• In post-play for movies, the three best movie recommendations are displayed at the end of the movie currently being watched
• Added enhanced second screen options

Songza for iOS updated with shake-to-play, improved HQ Audio and playback, more

Zac Hall May 2 2013 - 6:30 am PT

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Popular music streaming service Songza for iOS updated to version 3.0 today featuring significant performance improvements and a few new features.

Users can now shake their device while on Songza’s concierge page, which allows you to make a playlist based on your activities like studying or working out. Pretty cool.

What’s New in Version 3.0

Welcome to Songza 3.0, reimagined to help make the things you do every day better!

– Doing something special? From the Concierge screen on iPhone or iPod Touch, shake your device and tell Songza exactly what you’re up to; Songza will then find the right music to make it better. For example, you could enter ‘Entertaining’ and Songza will find you music to soundtrack the perfect party.

– Enjoying your favorite artists is now better than ever. When you search for an artist, you’ll see every expert-curated playlist on Songza that features them. Any playlist you choose will begin with a song by that artist.

– Get faster performance and less buffering, even when you have so-so internet connection. We’ve also fixed the most common crashes and bugs.

– When you’re in a rush, a long press on any Concierge situation (e.g. Driving) immediately starts playing the playlist Songza thinks you’ll love most at that moment. Starting your Songza playlist can now be as fast as turning on your car radio.

– Songza’s HQ Audio feature, powered by Audyssey, significantly improves your headphone sound quality without increasing your data plan usage. With Songza 3.0’s improved HQ Audio, 200 headphone models are now available and it’s now easier to select your headphones whenever you add a new pair.

– A new full-screen Concierge experience takes advantage of the iPhone 5 screen and removes visual clutter, while a simplified navigation focuses on the most powerful and user-friendly additional features.

– To make music discovery easier, in-app tips on iPhone or iPod Touch help you move from playlists you’re getting tired of to new playlists that will make you feel fresh all over again.

– We’ve made navigation simpler by removing unnecessary things and unburying cool features like browsing playlists by mood, genre, decade or activity.

Songza 3 is available for free in the App Store.

Review: Infuse by FireCore is a versatile way to watch videos on your iOS device

Michael Steeber Apr 30 2013 - 10:00 am PT

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As more and more consumers switch to using iOS devices to enjoy media, the need is becoming apparent for a more full featured and well-rounded video player. While Apple’s Videos app provides basic and simple functionality for viewing movies, when it comes to storing, organizing, and viewing your entire library of videos and movies, Apple’s stock app falls flat.

FireCore, the group behind the popular aTV Flash software for jailbroken Apple TVs have released a new app called Infuse, which promises to fix all of that, offering you a versatile way to view and organize videos in a variety of different formats. Let’s check out how it worked.

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Amazon reportedly plans to get into the set-top-box game this fall

Mark Gurman Apr 24 2013 - 9:37 am PT

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Following in the footsteps of Apple and Google attempts at the set-top-box market, Amazon is planning to release a set-top-box, according to Bloomberg.

They say the box will plug into TVs and give users access to Amazon’s expanding video offerings. Those include its a la carte Video on Demand store, which features newer films and TV shows, and its Instant Video service, which is free for subscribers to the Amazon Prime two-day shipping package. The Amazon set-top box will compete with similar products like the Roku, Apple TV and the Boxee Cloud DVR, along with more versatile devices like the Playstation 3 and the Xbox. An Amazon spokesperson declined to comment.

The device is reportedly being developed in Amazon’s Cupertino based labs and could launch this fall. The project is reportedly being spearheaded by a former Apple and Cisco employee:

The project is being run by Malachy Moynihan, a former vice president of emerging video products at Cisco (CSCO) who worked on the networking company’s various consumer video initiatives. Moynihan also spent nine years at Apple (AAPL) during the 1980s and 1990s.

Perhaps this future product is the reason that Apple and Amazon have no deal for Amazon content streaming on the Apple TV.

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Google Fiber TV remote app for iPad released

Zac Hall Apr 23 2013 - 11:31 am PT

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Google launched its Google Fiber TV for iPad app today allowing Google Fiber customers to transform their iPads into QWERTY keyboard, TV guide yielding TV remotes.

For the past month, our Fiber TV customers have been able to control their TVs with any recent Android device. Using the Fiber TV app from the Google Play Store, they can search for programming, browse listings, and select shows or recordings with just the touch or swipe of a finger. Now, iPad users can enjoy this simple, intuitive experience, too.

This should come as great news to tablet owners in Kansas City, Austin, and Provo.

Google Fiber TV for iPad is available for free in the App Store.

(Source: Google)

DirectTV to add voice search, capabilities to its iPhone app later this year (video)

Mark Gurman Apr 23 2013 - 10:14 am PT

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DirectTV has announced that it will be adding voice search and capabilities to its iOS application later this year, and a beta will be available this summer. Like Apple’s Siri application for iOS, the application will understand many different types of commands. For example, you can say “find movies with Tom Cruise” or “what’s playing on HBO?” Solid Signal posted a review for the DirectTV voice app, detailing some of the more advanced voice features.

While you wouldn’t want to use voice control in place of a remote, it’s a nice parlor trick to tune a receiver using your voice. Say “Tune to channel 7” or “tune to ABC” and the receiver will change channels for you. The natural language recognition is quite good, too. Saying “find me some comedies” resulted in over 200 being found.

The site also published a video overview:

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Aereo announces plans to launch in Boston on May 15

Zac Hall Apr 23 2013 - 6:27 am PT

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via aereo.com

Aereo, which streams over-the-air television to Internet-connected devices, announced today that it will launch next in Boston on May 15. The company implements some clever techniques to enable remote television streaming, which has upset the industry and kept the company in and out of court. We’re pleased to see Aereo moving forward.

More Than 4.5 Million Boston-Area Consumers Will Have Access to Aereo’s Groundbreaking Antenna Technology to Watch Live Television Online

Starting May 15, Pre-Registered Consumers Will Begin to Receive Invitations to Join Aereo; General Membership Access Begins on May 30

CEO Chet Kanojia Will Give a ‘Sneak Peak’ Tonight at Boston New Tech Meet Up Hosted at StartUp Lab Allston

Check out the full list of cities where Aereo plans to launch this year.

Netflix is now larger than HBO, now offers $12 family plan

Michael Steeber Apr 22 2013 - 5:23 pm PT

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Netflix, the streaming media company who just announced huge gains in its quarterly numbers, is now larger than HBO, according to Quartz.

After several strong quarters of growth, Netflix now has 29.2 million people in the US subscribed to its $8-a-month streaming plan, which is, for the first time, greater than HBO’s domestic subscription base of 28.7 million.

Quartz notes that Netflix, while not a cable network in the traditional sense, is now viewed more than any traditional U.S. cable market.

From an internet service standpoint, Netflix is also fairing quite impressively, making up 33% of all downstream traffic, which is more than services like YouTube, Amazon Video, and most impressively, iTunes.

As part of the earnings announcement, Netflix also noted that it would begin offering a $12 monthly family plan that would allow 4 simultaneous streams.

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Time Warner Cable announces out-of-home live TV streaming coming to iOS devices tomorrow

Zac Hall Apr 16 2013 - 9:23 am PT

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via digitallanding.com

Time Warner Cable is launching out-of-home video on-demand and live content streaming to its TWC TV app for iPhone and iPad tomorrow.

Live channels will include Aspire, BBC America, beIn, Big Ten Network, FearNet, Fox News Channel, Fox business, GMC, Pac-12 Network and TV Guide Network; while channels like MTV and Comedy Central will offer video on-demand, according to Engadget.

The broadcast company first offered in-home VOD and TV streaming support two years ago, but allowing live content to be viewed remotely is a huge feature for Time Warner Cable customers.

TIME WARNER CABLE TO OFFER LIVE MOBILE CONTENT ON APPLE DEVICES

— Jay Yarow (@jyarow) April 16, 2013

YouTube app for iOS now offers access to Live Streams, TV queuing

Mark Gurman Apr 15 2013 - 11:55 am PT

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Today, Google has updated its YouTube for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch application with a few important new enhancements. Notably, users of the application can now access Live streams directly from within the app.

Additionally, the interface has been updated for quicker access to subscriptions via the My Subscriptions feed. TV queuing, another notable addition, will allow users to create a queue of videos to watch later on their TV.

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Avatar iTunes Extras Special Edition goes on preorder, lets you deconstruct scenes in simultaneous views

9to5 Staff Dec 16 2011 - 4:57 am PT

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Avatar, a 2009 epic sci-fi flick written and directed by James Cameron, has marked a major technological breakthrough and ushered in a new era in digital effects. Although development on the movie began in 1994, when Cameron wrote an 80-page scriptment for the film, the director soon found he would have to wait for the necessary technology to become available if he were to achieve his vision of the film.

Beginning Dec. 20, a special edition of Avatar is landing on Apple’s iTunes Store packing in interesting iTunes Extras unavailable on other platforms. According to the press release, these interactive digital enhancements let fans:

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