Drones on parade, and a few fun facts about 4K
I took a brief tour of the National Association of Broadcasters convention show floor today. Here’s what I saw and learned. Read more »
Sony brings Xperia ZL smartphone to US but it’s costly at $719
Sony’s attempt at a smartphone success in the U.S. looks good on paper: The Xperia ZL has top-notch hardware. But without a carrier partner, can consumers be convinced to pay full price? Read more »
J. K. Rowling’s Pottermore to launch on PlayStation Home
photo: Pottermore trailer
J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter fan site Pottermore is launching on Sony’s PlayStation Home. Pottermore CEO Charlie Redmayne said the partnership provides the “most immersive experience possible within that space.” Read more at paidContent »
Sony ends 20p price promotion in its UK Reader Store
Sony is ending a price promotion that it had been running in its U.K. store since last July. The promotion sold select ebooks for just 20 pence, and Amazon matched the discounts on Kindle books in the U.K. Read more at paidContent »
Sony announces PlayStation 4, touts speed and social but media vision unclear
Gaming consoles are still big business, especially when you consider that they also double as cord-cutting devices. But Sony’s Playstation 4 announcement was short on details and just plain long on everything else. Read more »
Sony Entertainment CEO: DVRs and Netflix have made TV better
The rise of long-form TV dramas is often attributed to networks like HBO and Showtime, but Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton believes it’s a direct result of Netflix and digital video recorders. Read more »
Podcast Q&A: BB 10 data plans? Ink in Surface RT? Console gaming v. phones?
It’s another edition of our call-in podcast where we take your questions and provide answers. This week: Windows RT inking, useful Android freeware, BlackBerry 10 data plans and more. Read more »
You’ll never guess who was the big smartphone winner last quarter
IDC reported its smartphone sales data for the final quarter of 2012 and if I gave you three guesses as to who increased sales the most from the year ago quarter, you still might not guess right. Read more »
Sony outs 10-inch Xperia Tablet Z: full HD and thinner than iPad
Sony decided it will focus only on high-end smartphones going forward and it may be doing the same in tablets if the new Xperia Tablet Z is any indication. Read more »
Jury says Apple’s iPhone infringes patents from Nokia and Sony
In a surprise ruling, a Delaware jury has found that Apple’s iPhone infringed on three patents issued in the early 2000′s. The verdict is the latest incident of a global patent battle that appears to have gotten out of hand. Read more »
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OTT technologies and strategies for broadcasters
TV broadcasters and programmers must embrace a new set of video-delivery techniques to reach consumers today. Online delivery to so many types of consumer devices means that video programmers must produce multiple internet-streaming formats that use different types of security and different ways of inserting ads. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
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What the shift to the cloud means for the future EPG
The purpose of the on-screen guide has shifted. By connecting the guide to content-recommendation engines and advertising platforms, service providers and connected-TV device manufacturers are using the EPG as an access point for understanding consumers and reaching out to them to own the living room. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
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Connected consumer third-quarter 2012
The third quarter saw many parts of the traditional media business in flux. Other developments included the rollout of new device-based content ecosystems, red flags and red ink for traditional consumer electronics makers, and a resurgence of consumer purchases of movies. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Android this week: Galaxy Note 2 here; smarter phones; Sony games launch
My Samsung Galaxy Note 2 arrived and so did an update that adds the ability to run two apps on the screen at the same time. Atooma, a free beta app, is making all of my Androids smarter and Sony launched PlayStation Mobile this week. Read more »
Game on: Sony opens PlayStation Mobile store for Android
Sony is taking games beyond its own hardware with the Sony PlayStation Mobile platform. The game store opens today for Sony and Sony Xperia Android phones and tablets, with three HTC models to have access soon. Purchased games also run on Sony’s PS Vita. Read more »
Google Books, movies and Nexus 7 tablet head to Japan
Google added new Japanese reading features to its ebooks app yesterday and is now selling the Nexus 7, ebooks and movies through the Google Play store in Japan. Kobo expanded to Japan in July, and Kindle is expected to launch there in October. Read more at paidContent »
Sony not ceding mobile to casual games
At GigaOM’s Mobilize conference in San Francisco on Thursday, Jack Buser, Sony’s senior director of PlayStation digital platforms, talked about why Sony developed the PlayStation Mobile platform for PlayStation games that can, for the first time, be played on devices not made by the Japanese company. Read more »
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Mobile 2012 and beyond
Whether it’s the iPhone 5, the importance of LTE, or BYOD trends disrupting the enterprise, there are always technologies, trends, and companies changing the way we define mobile. Here are some noteworthy segments to watch in the coming months, from location-based shopping to apps to wireless networks. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Ebook price drops begin — and Apple is discounting, too
photo: Shutterstock / Thomas Bethge
Just a few days after the approval of the DOJ’s ebook settlement, HarperCollins has entered into new contracts with ebook retailers, and they’re already discounting its titles. What kinds of deals will you get? Read more at paidContent »
States reach $69 million ebook pricing settlement with publishers
Ebook buyers in 54 states and territories are set to receive $69 million in a settlement between the states and HarperCollins, Hachette and Simon & Schuster. Those who bought agency-priced ebooks between April 2010 and May 2012 are eligible for payment if the settlement goes through. Read more at paidContent »
Guten Tag: Google TV is launching in Germany next month
Sony is bringing its new Google TV set-top box to Germany, where it could soon compete with the Roku box. The question is: With Netflix and Hulu both absent from the German online video market, which services are Germans going to watch with these devices? Read more »
Sony outs new Reader PRS-T2 with Evernote, Facebook sharing
Sony’s newest e-reader, the Reader PRS-T2, may appeal mainly due to the $129 price tag. But the ability to share passages on Facebook and integration with Evernote make it even better. Evernote is superb for clipping web content for viewing later on nearly any device. Read more »
Smashwords gets more self-published ebooks into libraries
photo: Shutterstock / Gts
Digital self-publishing site Smashwords is making it easier for self-published authors to get their ebooks into libraries. The site is allowing certain libraries to buy Smashwords titles in bulk, and is also adding custom library pricing options for its authors. Read more at paidContent »
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Analyzing the wearable computing market
With the growth of sensors and microelectronics, the potential uses of wearable-computing technologies now reach to health and fitness, gaming, fashion, disabilities and augmented reality. Most importantly, the widespread adoption of wearables will drive the form function and market for mobiles in vital ways. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
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Takeaways from connected consumer’s second quarter
Tablets featured prominently in the connected consumer space, both as a product category and as a component of broader platform strategies by major OS providers Microsoft, Google and Apple. Meanwhile Facebook began laying the groundwork to add payment processing to its platform. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
What Sony’s $380M purchase of Gaikai means for future gaming hardware
Sony Computer Entertainment’s $380 million acquisition of cloud gaming provider Gaikai suggests Sony’s future may not be in any piece of proprietary hardware but in a cloud delivery platform that brings PlayStation games to any connected device. Read more »
Sony launches new Google TV set-top for global market
After disappointing sales of its first-generation Google TV product, Sony will launch an updated version of its Android-based set-top next month. It will also be the first to extend the platform beyond the U.S., with plans to debut it in Europe and Latin America. Read more at paidContent »
Universal Music agrees to pay indie artists Vevo royalties
The world’s biggest music label has always regarded music videos as promotional tools. But now that Vevo, the music video platform Universal co-owns with Sony, is making $150 million a year, the label agrees the indie artists who render these works deserve compensation. Read more at paidContent »
Amazon Publishing makes some e-books available to other retailers
Amazon is selling at least two Amazon Publishing titles in other digital bookstores. Until now, it has sold its e-books exclusively through the Kindle Store. Read more at paidContent »
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Over the top in 2012: trends and technologies to watch
Anecdotal evidence suggests over-the-top video is a booming trend. But it takes technical skill, state-of-the-art broadband connections and the willingness to shell out money for both bandwidth and content subscriptions to fully integrate OTT into a household, much less consider trying to use it to cord cut. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
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Who and what to watch in the new era of the living room
The adoption of tablets, social media and new interfaces and the changing nature of the TV itself mean the digital living room will continue on its path of rapid change, thanks to new ways of creating, viewing, bundling, distributing and selling content. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Plex preinstalled on Sony’s upcoming Google TV devices
The Plex app for Google TV will be preinstalled on Sony’s upcoming Google TV devices, which are expected to hit the shelves in the U.S. and other countries this summer. This is a big deal for Plex, and a nice addition to Google TV. Read more »
Crashing a book on the financial crash: E-book bestsellers breakdown
This weekly feature tells the backstory of how one e-book became a bestseller, and highlights bestselling titles that are selling more copies in digital than in print. This week: Crashing a book about the financial crash. Read more at paidContent »
This book plays itself on TV: E-book bestsellers breakdown
photo: Hyperion
This new weekly feature tells the backstory of how one e-book became a bestseller, and highlights bestselling titles that are selling more copies in digital than in print. This week: A book that plays itself on TV. Read more at paidContent »
E-book bestsellers breakdown: I married a billionaire
This weekly feature tells the backstory of how one e-book became a bestseller, and highlights bestselling titles that are selling better in digital than in print. This week: Marriage to a billionaire. Read more at paidContent »
E-book bestsellers breakdown: Desert island romance
photo: Flickr / redagainPatti
This new weekly feature tells the backstory of how one e-book became a bestseller, and highlights bestselling titles that are selling better in digital than in print. This week: Two castaways find romance on a desert island…and other bestsellers. Read more at paidContent »
The bestsellers breakdown: Titanic takes it
photo: Peabody Essex Museum
Breaking down the e-book bestsellers list: A new weekly feature. Read more at paidContent »
Kindle rivals advance internationally…slowly
photo: Flickr / Staci D. Kramer
E-reading companies timed announcements around the London Book Fair this week. Read more at paidContent »
Video game consoles are growing energy hogs
The amount of energy consumed by video game consoles has increased by almost 50 percent between 2007 and 2010 in the U.S., according to a report out from Carnegie Mellon University. Read more »
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New challenges for the IT organization
Cloud computing, mobile computing and the consumerization of IT combine to create another force that overwhelms IT departments: complexity, including complexity of devices and applications, physical and virtual computing environments, and related challenges for IT staff. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
