Fox Sports and NBC come out against Verizon’s custom TV plans
Not long after ESPN voiced its objection to Verizon’s customizable FiOS TV packages, Fox Sports and NBC are following suit. Earlier today, both networks revealed they are also not on board with Verizon’s new TV plans, which let customers pick channels based on their viewing preferences, citing a violation of contract agreements by the New York-based service provider. In a statement to Bloomberg Business, Fox Sports stated, “We reject Verizon’s view that it can pursue the new packaging scheme it announced yet still comply with our agreements,” while NBC claims that the Custom TV package does not meet the current programming terms between the two companies.
For its part, Verizon said during a conference call that it’s recently announced TV plans aren’t violating any content deals with the networks. At this rate, however, it won’t be long before other broadcasters join ESPN, Fox Sports and NBC in being opposed to Verizon’s à-la-carte-like offering. So take a guess: Who’s next?
[Image credit: Associated Press]
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Source: Bloomberg Business
WSJ: Google will roll out its wireless service starting tomorrow
The Wall Street Journal has just reported that Google plans to launch its very own phone service starting tomorrow. The plan was first announced over a month ago at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, but the WSJ has since unearthed more details about it. The service will initially only be available on Nexus 6 handsets and will piggyback on Sprint and T-Mobile networks — it’ll switch between the two depending on which has the strongest signal. Most intriguing, however, is the revelation that the wireless service will let customers pay only for the data they consume per month. What’s more, it’ll also let you route calls and data through WiFi, which could reduce bills even further. There’s not much else we know about Google’s first stab at running its own phone service, but if its goal is to shake up the wireless industry, it looks like it certainly will.
Filed under: Google
Source: Wall Street Journal
Aereo to pay broadcasters $950,000 for copyright claims
As if the situation couldn’t get worse for Aereo, the defunct TV streaming service is now set to make a payment to the broadcasters responsible for its downfall. And, all things considered, it’s getting off quite easy. According to Bloomberg Business, Aereo has agreed to pay CBS and other television networks $950,000 to resolve copyright claims, although the damages are said to total over $99 million. Simply put, Aereo’s only expected to compensate for a little less than a penny on the dollar, a deal that was agreed upon by all parties involved.
“In the absence of settlement, there is a likelihood of expensive, protracted litigation that will likely consume the debtor’s limited remaining funds,” Aereo said in a federal bankruptcy court filing. A judge is expected to approve the settlement next month, on May 7th — which will add yet another nail in Aereo’s coffin.
[Image credit: Getty Images]
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, Software, HD
Source: Bloomberg
Vine makes it easier to share videos everywhere at once
So you’ve discovered a catch Vine video that you know your friends will instantly appreciate, but they’re scattered across multiple social networks. Will you have to sit there diligently tapping the share button over and over again to make sure everyone sees it? Not after today. Vine has updated its iOS app (Android is coming soon) with a revamped sharing feature that posts those six-second clips on multiple services in one shot. All you have to do to spread the word is mark the social networks you want to include (such as Tumblr, a new addition) and hit the share button. There’s still no Instagram option, to no one’s surprise, but this could otherwise save you a lot of effort.
https://vine.co/v/ea5Pgalr6bv/embed/postcard
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile
Vine makes it easier to share videos everywhere at once
So you’ve discovered a catch Vine video that you know your friends will instantly appreciate, but they’re scattered across multiple social networks. Will you have to sit there diligently tapping the share button over and over again to make sure everyone sees it? Not after today. Vine has updated its iOS app (Android is coming soon) with a revamped sharing feature that posts those six-second clips on multiple services in one shot. All you have to do to spread the word is mark the social networks you want to include (such as Tumblr, a new addition) and hit the share button. There’s still no Instagram option, to no one’s surprise, but this could otherwise save you a lot of effort.
https://vine.co/v/ea5Pgalr6bv/embed/postcard
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile
Apple Watch Sport’s Ion-X Glass Display Cover Subjected to Scratch Test in New Video
Earlier this month, a video surfaced showing the incredible scratch resistance of the sapphire crystal display cover used in the stainless steel and Edition Apple Watches, and now another video claims to show the scratch resistance of the Ion-X glass display cover used in the Apple Watch Sport.
The video, from Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy, uses Ion-X glass covers sourced from Sonny Dickson, who has acquired parts from various pre-release devices in the past. The glass covers in the video are said to be the same Ion-X covers used in the Apple Watch Sport.
Hilsenteger subjects the Ion-X glass to a key, a knife, steel wool, and several different sandpapers to try to damage it (skip to 2:30 to get to the scratch testing portion of the video).
While a key, a knife, and steel wool don’t do any damage to the glass, Hilsenteger is able to scratch the glass quite significantly with sandpaper, suggesting that while it will stand up to day to day wear and tear, it’s still possible to scratch the Ion-X glass under extreme conditions.
When the sapphire display cover of the more expensive watches is subjected to sandpaper, as in the video we saw earlier this month, it does not scratch due to the sapphire’s greater hardness. Sapphire’s scratch resistance is why it’s used by many high-end watch manufacturers to protect watch faces as it’s second only to diamond when it comes to scratch resistance.
Sapphire display covers are only offered in the higher-end Apple Watch and Apple Watch Edition models, presumably due to the high price of sapphire. The Apple Watch Sport, Apple’s most affordable watch, has a lower price tag in part because it uses less expensive materials — Ion-X glass instead of sapphire crystal and aluminum instead of stainless steel or gold.
The Apple Watch sport is priced more affordably than the other available Apple Watches, starting at a price of $349 compared to the $549 entry-level stainless steel watch and the $10,000 entry-level Edition watch.
Google will now prioritize mobile-friendly websites in mobile search results
Starting today, Google will begin to boost the ranking of mobile-friendly websites on mobile search results. Effective immediately in all languages globally, this change is to help promote mobile-friendliness throughout the web and to make it easier for users to view websites that are well-suited for smaller displays. The update only affects search rankings on mobile devices, not on computers. It’s also page-specific, so the entire website doesn’t need to be mobile-friendly to rank highly on the search result.
Google explains:
While the mobile-friendly change is important, we still use a variety of signals to rank search results. The intent of the search query is still a very strong signal — so even if a page with high quality content is not mobile-friendly, it could still rank high if it has great content for the query.
Google has also created a tool that will check to see if your website is mobile-friendly or not. Google says if your site isn’t mobile friendly, you might see a significant decrease in mobile traffic from Google Search. If you have a website of your own, there’s certainly a lot of info to digest, here. For more information, check out the source link below, then head to this handy FAQ page to get all of your questions answered.
Build your own Xperia: How would you improve the Sony Xperia Z4?
Earlier this week, Sony quietly took the veil off of the Sony Xperia Z4, showcasing a device that essentially was nothing more than a Z3 with slightly upgraded internals. The new handset has been meet with some pretty stong opinions, with our own team expresing at least some degree of disappointment, even if the Z4 might make sense for the Japanese market. Since then, there have been reports that the Xperia Z4 as wis exclusively for the Japanese market and that the company’s next global flagship may significantly differ in design (and perhaps even specs).
Regardless of what Sony may have in store, as it sits, the Sony Xperia Z4 isn’t much of an upgrade. With this in mind, we ask our readers: how would you improve the Sony Xperia Z4? Let’s say you had been put in charge of designing the Sony Xperia Z4, what specs would you have focused on, what special features?
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So now that you have your display size, let’s choose the resolution. Some say that 1080p is the ideal resolution choose as it’s not too heavy on the battery, and arguably QHD really doesn’t add any detectable difference.. at least not considering the hit to the battery that the phone takes as a result.
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Onto the processing package:
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Alright, so you have the basics. What about some of the special features several other OEMs are currently using — include them or no?
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While HTC and Sony produced flagships that were highly reminiscent of their predecessors, Samsung received quite a bit of positive attention for switching things up with the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. Would you follow Samsung’s lead and bring a dramatic new look, or keep things status quo?
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Camera time.
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Onto the battery:
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Last but not least, let’s talk software:
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Obviously there are more features and elements that go into the design of a phone. With that in mind, we welcome you to detail your opinion in the comments about the Z4, Sony’s current mobile direction, and hw you’d change things up. Any options or features we should have mentioned in the poll but didn’t? Let us know about those too.
Facebook tweaks its News Feed to show you more from your friends
If you’re like me, your News Feed on Facebook is filled with just as much content from brands as it is updates about your classmate’s vacation. Based on feedback, the folks in Menlo Park are changing the way it handles updates from your pals. Posts made directly by your friends will now display closer to the top of the News Feed — things like status updates, pictures, videos and more. Thankfully, you’ll also see less of the notifications about a friend liking or commenting on another post, too. Facebook is relaxing the rule that prevented you from seeing multiple items in a row from the same person as well, so if you’re after more from people and not companies, you should start seeing an increase in those posts soon. The social network announced an effort to cut down on the number of hoaxes in your feed earlier a couple months ago, so the next round of tweaks can’t be far off.
Filed under: Internet, Software, Facebook
Source: Facebook
Tesla will reveal a battery for your home at its April event
You don’t have to wonder any longer as to what Tesla will unveil at its April 30th event — the company just spoiled things in advance. In an email to investors, the company states that its shindig will reveal both a previously-teased battery for your home and a “very large,” utility-oriented battery. Details aren’t forthcoming (those are for the big show!), but there’s a good chance that the hardware will build on the concepts behind existing home batteries, which are often used to store excess solar power and provide backups during outages. The real questions are whether or not Tesla can improve on personal powerplants like it did electric cars, and how much you’ll pay versus the competition. You’ll likely get the answers to both riddles in just over a week.
Filed under: Household
Via: John Paczkowski (Twitter)
Source: Bloomberg
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