[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fZBqV_yMq4]
Spotify is announcing some big updates to its music streaming service today that brings a number of new features alongside more content in the form of video clips, audio shows, and podcasts.
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It looks like Comedy Central’s Stephen Colbert has a friend or two at Apple. The Colbert Report host and comedian pulled out his iPhone 5s on air last night to check the status of his iPhone 6 delivery only to realize he had an iPhone 6 Plus in his pocket.
Like Conan’s iPhone skit, Colbert couldn’t avoid poking fun at Apple’s rather unpopular U2 album promotion that warranted its own removal tool (available here) named after the free record.
And like a lot of us today, Colbert threw the iPhone 5s out of sight after picking up the larger display iPhone 6. The scene goes on to laugh about a new app called Checky that tells you how many times you check your phone each day. The app is real, it’s free, and it’s probably going to skyrocket this weekend as the new iPhones hit the stores.
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Rather than having a dozen, show-specific iOS apps to follow your favorite Comedy Central shows, the network has finally bundled the content into a single app featuring full episodes (listen up, cable cutters) for free. Much like Hulu and on-demand services through cable providers, the Comedy Central app will feature the latest episode of several shows from the network the day after it airs… no cable subscription required, no joke.
The list of free shows includes The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, South Park, @midnight, and original digital shorts. For cable subscribers, there’s even more content available including full seasons of new shows like Tosh.0 and archived seasons of shows like Chappelle’s Show and RENO 911.
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Yahoo Screen, the iOS app the company launched back in September as a TV remote-like experience for browsing content from Yahoo, gets updated today to version 1.0.2. With the update, users can now AirPlay content from the app to an Apple TV and receive push notifications for live content like “breaking news and concerts.”
The updated app also brings the usual bug fixes and performance enhancements.
Yahoo Screen is available on the App Store for free on iPhone and iPad and includes Yahoo content from Comedy Central, MLB, UFC, The Onion, Martha Stewart, and more.
* Now with AirPlay support! Send a video to your TV while still browsing others in the app.
* Push notifications for live and featured videos, such as breaking news and concerts.
* Bug fixes and performance improvements
Yahoo today announced the release of a new app called ‘Yahoo! Screen’ for iOS devices that it created to a be a TV-like remote control or channel guide experience for content from Yahoo!. The app, which is available starting today for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, will allow users to browse trending content, search for shows, and even switch between channels like a traditional TV experience by swiping up and down. Users will also be able to switch between episodes for the show they are currently viewing by swiping right and left.
As for content, Yahoo! has made new deals with Viacom that will bring new content from Comedy Central and elsewhere:
To get you going, we’re proud to announce a brand new deal with Viacom to bring you clips from some of Comedy Central’s best shows, including The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report. Together with the exclusive digital clip archive of Saturday Night Live, Yahoo Screen now offers you access to some of the most storied franchises in comedy history, on any device. In addition, the Fall 2013 Comedy Lineup is now live. Whether you want to get lost in the best clips of Saturday Night Live or get hooked on new shows featuring stars like Jack Black in Ghost Ghirls, John Stamos in Losing It With John Stamos, you’ll have over 1,000 hours of comedy to watch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VLIf0m5CNXQ
You can’t help but laugh at Stewart’s ribbing of the senators’ questioning, but it is pretty clear Apple is pushing for simplicity and is only jumping through the loopholes because they are there. Tim Cook appears very genuine in his hopes for a more simple, fair tax code.
In other news, Apple is doubling its lobbying spending.
The company spent about $2 million on lobbying last year, up from $180,000 in 1999, records show. This year it is on pace to nearly double last year’s figure.
Apple’s lobbying expenditures still pale in comparison with those of Microsoft Corp., which spent $8.1 million in 2012, and Google, which spent $16.5 million, records show.
Daily Show Flash code below for when the YouTube video gets taken down. Via Fortune
T-Mobile has offered its TV service through an Android app since 2010, but today the carrier has finally released an iPhone version of the app that offers subscription based packages of popular TV shows, sports, and Live or On Demand programming (via TmoNews).
T-Mobile is currently offering 30 days free access to a number of networks including FOX news and Associated Press, Saturday Morning TV, Campus Insiders & ACC Digital Network, but $12.99 a month will get you access to the following:
• Live and On Demand sports from ESPN Mobile TV, NBC Sports, and CBS Sports.
• Kids programming including the Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, Discovery and Animal Planet.
• Streaming news from ABC News Now, Bloomberg, FOX News and FOX Business.
• On Demand Primetime and Reality shows from ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC and more.
• Includes programming from ABC Family, MTV, Spike TV, Comedy Central, E! and VH1.
T-Mobile is also offering additional discounts on the packages when purchasing 90 or 180 day subscriptions and you’ll be able to subscribe to additional premium packs of content ranging from $5.99 to $7.99 per month that include: Crackle Movies, E!, TLC, The Style Network, Lifetime, PBS Kids, Nick JR, Discovery for Families, and more:
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