Apple’s iTunes may have ushered in a digital revolution to the music industry, making music more affordable and—in tandem with the iPod and other MP3 players—more of a feature in people’s day-to-day lives, but according to Pete Townshend, iTunes is a “digital vampire” that’s bleeding musicians by taking a commission for each download …
Home Entertainment
Zediva Shuts Down After Settling Lawsuit with MPAA
The dream of an admittedly-overly-complicated way of ignoring existing copyright law in order to stream movies online is, it seems, over with the news that the lawsuit between the Motion Picture Association of America and website Zediva.com has been resolved, with Zediva agreeing to pay $1.8 million and permanently stop streaming video …
Disney-ABC Expands Streaming Deals with Amazon, Netflix
Now you’ll never have to miss an episode of Grey’s Anatomy, wherever you are and whatever device you’re using, as Disney and ABC not only extended their existing deal with Netflix, but also expanded their agreement with Amazon, meaning that Kindle Fire users have even more shows to stream on their new devices.
The expansion of the …
YouTube Confirms New Professionally-Created Channels
After much speculation, YouTube finally announced today that it will be adding new channels from professional content creators in an attempt to “bring an even broader range of entertainment” to the site that will offer “more reasons to keep coming back again and again.”
The announcement was made via the official YouTube blog, where
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Why Isn’t Coldplay’s New Album on Spotify?
Spotify users who are also fans of Coldplay may have found themselves wondering something over the last few days, and it’s not “Why does Chris Martin always sound so sad and tired?” Instead, they’re probably asking themselves when “Mylo Xyloto,” the Coldplay album released earlier this week is going to show up on the streaming music …
Google TV May Soon Be Able to Sidestep Blocked Content
Google has finally brought apps to Google TV, along with a revamped interface that makes it easier to search for shows and movies. YouTube playback has been updated as well, with HD videos being played by default and automatic playlist creation based on the types of videos you’re watching.
Perhaps the biggest news here is the …
The Future of Television: Kinect vs. Siri?
An Apple TV set seems more likely than ever now that the late Steve Jobs is on record talking about it. And although details are non-existent, the inclusion of Siri would be a no-brainer if this mythical Apple television came into being.
The New York Times‘ Nick Bilton suggests that Siri, the virtual assistant in Apple’s iPhone 4S, …
AT&T U-verse Customers Get Wireless Cable Box Option
No cable outlet, no problem. On Monday, AT&T will release the U-verse Wireless Receiver for $50 plus a $7 per month rental fee. What can you do with this magic box? I’ll tell you in the next paragraph. This is just a little written-word foreplay to get you ready for the actual news.
In a room with a phone jack and a power …
How the Long-Rumored Apple Television Set Might Work
Whispers of an Apple-branded television set have been popping up since the beginning of human history (yes, that long), with even the late Steve Jobs tipping his hand to his biographer, Walter Isaacson, informing him that he’d “finally cracked” the secret to an Apple television set:
“I’d like to create an integrated television set
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Financial Analysts Declare Netflix ‘Broken’ and Suffering ‘Nuclear Winter’
How bad is Netflix’s news that it lost 800,000 subscribers yesterday? Bad enough for financial analysts to start describing the company as going through a “nuclear winter” and “broken,” advising their clients to dump the stock and move on.
Netflix stock fell almost 28% yesterday in reaction to its earnings announcement, leading …
Netflix Was Right, and We’re Being Fickle
No doubt many see this Netflix debacle, in which the company admits it just lost 800,000 subscribers in its fiscal third quarter, as vindication. They balked when the company hiked its price a few bucks a month, and they absolutely howled when Netflix tried to separate DVD rentals and online streaming into two discrete services. The …
Online Campaign Aims to Stop Congress from Jailing Justin Bieber
An anti-piracy bill currently in Congress could, if passed, put Justin Bieber in jail for five years, according to a new online campaign against the bill. Clearly, this campaign has not considered that the idea may cause all manner of conflict for those who are pro-electronic freedom but anti-Bieber.
The bill, S.978, is one that …