Comcast finally allows HBO, ESPN streaming via PlayStation 4
For those who maintain a cable subscription, one of the (many) annoying aspects is that sometimes channels have streaming apps you can’t use, despite being a paying customer. Over the years, Comcast has decided that it’s not going to allow customers to use whatever channel’s app on one platform or another, but now the PlayStation 4 is off of that list. According to a tweet, owners with Comcast subscriptions can finally log in and use the WatchESPN and HBO Go apps on their game console.
Good news: Xfinity TV customers can now log-in and access HBO Go and WatchESPN on PS4.
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) December 6, 2016
As usual, there’s no explanation as to why it took so long (HBO Go launched on the PS4 in May 2015, WatchESPN just arrived in September). Even Roku scored Comcast support for HBO streaming back in 2014. Now, Comcast is one of the notable holdouts from the Apple TV single sign-on scheme. Whatever the reason, it’s resolved in this case, so it’s time to catch up on that Westworld finale.
Source: PlayStation (Twitter)
Fitbit buys Pebble’s smarts, but not its products
The rumors were true: Fitbit is buying Pebble. Well, its talent and intellectual property, at least. The wearable maker confirmed today that it has acquired “specific assets” of Pebble, including key staff members and its software and firmware developments. Once a shining example of how crowdfunding can help smaller companies share their technology with the world, Pebble will cease the manufacturing, promotion and selling of all its devices and shut down.
Fitbit says the acquisition will enable it to bring new products to market quicker and improve those it already sells. With Pebble’s help, it also intends to develop customized products and third-party apps for corporate customers and researchers. Bloomberg reported yesterday that up to 40 percent of Pebble employees will be given the opportunity to work with Fitbit.
In a blog post, Pebble thanked its community for helping the company ship over two million Pebble wearables and detailed what customers can expect now that it is shutting down. As it stands, existing Pebble device owners will see no immediate changes, as Fitbit will “maintain services,” but the company says functionality could be impacted in the future.
The Pebble Time 2, Pebble Core, and Pebble Time Round Kickstarter Editions won’t go into final production and all backers who haven’t already received their device will be refunded. There could be a wait, though, as Pebble said it will remunerate pledges by March 2017.
It’s a sad end for Pebble, which had managed to carve out a small niche in the wearable market with its e-paper smartwatches but struggled to innovate as bigger players like Apple, Samsung and, of course, Fitbit launched similar products. The startup found it hard to find cash, cutting a quarter of its workforce in March, even though it had previously set records on Kickstarter.
“Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to each and every Pebbler for making awesome happen with us over the years,” says Pebble founder Eric Migicovsky. “Our community is vibrant. Our community is passionate. You are what made Pebble special and worth fighting for, every second of every day. We will always remember the love you showed Pebble, through thick and thin.”
Source: Pebble, Fitbit
Smart cycling glasses show data without blocking your view
You can already buy smart glasses for cycling, but they tend to have one big catch: the heads-up display partly obscures your view. That’s annoying at best, and risky at worst. Everysight thinks it can do better. It’s close to finishing development of Raptor, a set of augmented reality glasses that projects data on a transparent display on the lens. You’ll get navigation, speed, heart rate and other vital info without losing valuable visual real estate. They’ll even record your ride in HD (with sound), so you can review your performance after the fact.
You have a few choices for control, too, including buttons on the handlebars, a touchpad on the glasses themselves or voice commands. You’ll need to pair with a companion app on your phone, but that also lets you share data with other fitness apps.
A full-fledged public launch is still some distance away (Everysight hasn’t provided specifics). However, the company is taking sign-ups for a Test Pilot Program. If you ride at least 12 times a month and use fitness tech like bike computers or heart rate monitors, you might get a chance to try an early pair of Raptors. You have until December 23rd to apply, but there will be an expanded program in 2017 if you don’t make the initial cut.
Source: Everysight
‘Skyrim’ and ‘Fallout’ immortalized as virtual pinball machines
Xbox One and PC owners can now get their hands on Bethesda’s all-new Skyrim, Fallout and Doom… themed pinball machines. Available today as DLC for the free game Pinball FX 2, Microsoft gamers can trial these new tables for a limited time at no extra cost. If, however, you find yourself wanting to return to Bethesda’s machines, the pack of three will set you back $11 (£8).
While we’re not usually ones to get excited about digital pinball, the level of detail in these lovingly crafted machines really is something else. Featuring fully rendered models of fire-breathing dragons, vault-dwellers unleashing VAT-powered shots and even Skyrim’s lock-picking mini-game, these detail-packed pinball machines are bursting with game references.
Given the recent release of Dishonored 2, the franchise’s omission seems like a bit of an odd decision. Still, with the Prey reboot only a few months away (and these tables costing nothing to try) this is a cheap way to satisfy that Bethesda itch.
Source: Xbox
‘iPhone 7s’ and ‘iPhone 7s Plus’ Said to Come in All-New Red Color, Lack New Design and Wireless Charging
Apple will release updated versions of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus next year, aptly called the “iPhone 7s” and “iPhone 7s Plus,” according to Japanese blog Mac Otakara.
The report claims the smartphones will retain the same aluminum design as the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, with only internal changes, including the addition of a faster A11 chip.
The report added it is highly probable the iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus will come in an all-new red color alongside current Black, Jet Black, Gold, Rose Gold, and Silver options.
Multiple rumors suggest Apple plans to release three new iPhone models next year, including updated 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models with traditional LCD displays and a larger premium model with an OLED display and glass casing, but reports have been conflicting about which features will be included on each model.
If this report is accurate, it could signify Apple’s plans to release a completely overhauled glass-backed iPhone with a curved, bezel-free OLED display and wireless charging at the high end of its 2017 smartphone lineup, while making only incremental upgrades to its traditional 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhones with LCD displays.
An earlier report from Japanese website Nikkei Asian Review said Apple plans to release three glass-backed iPhones next year, while it was said the 4.7-inch iPhone would get wireless charging, so there remains a lack of consensus among rumors—perhaps unsurprising given new iPhones are likely over nine months away.
Mac Otakara was first to report about Apple’s plans to remove the headphone jack and add a new Jet Black color for the iPhone 7 lineup, but its track record is not perfect. Its rumor from November about Apple adding a “Jet White” color for iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus has also yet to materialize.
Related Roundup: iPhone 8 (2017)
Tags: wireless charging, macotakara.jp
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Phil Schiller Says November 2016 Had the ‘Highest Monthly Sales Ever in App Store History’
Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller today tweeted out that November 2016 had “the highest monthly sales ever in App Store history.” Schiller didn’t offer any specific numbers in regards to the company’s record-breaking month.
Earlier in January, Apple announced that customers spent $1.1 billion on apps and in-app purchases in just two weeks over the holiday season.
November 2016 was a record breaker for the #AppStore – the highest monthly sales ever in App Store history!
— Philip Schiller (@pschiller) December 7, 2016
The news comes after Apple updated its various storefronts, including the App Store, iBooks Store, and iTunes Store, with all of the company’s Best of 2016 lists. Apple also gave out designated App of the Year and Game of the Year rewards for the iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch, and Mac. Some of the more notable apps mentioned were Prisma, Clash Royale, Life is Strange, and MySwimPro.
Tag: App Store
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Why is Johnson & Johnson getting into startups?
Everyone knows Johnson & Johnson, the conglomerate behind Band-Aid, Tylenol and Johnson’s Baby Shampoo. By comparison, very few folks outside the tech industry will have heard of Hax, a Shenzen-based startup incubator. Now, however, the pair are hooking up to find, develop and invest in startups that want to develop a consumer healthcare device. If you’re dreaming up a gadget that’ll help keep babies safe, ease period pain or seal wounds faster, then applications are due before the end of the year.
The program is broken down into a variety of segments that match Johnson & Johnson’s actual consumer healthcare business. Startups are encouraged to join a track if they’re working on a skincare, baby care, wound care, oral care or feminine care product. Winners will be offered space at Hax’s Shenzen HQ and support with prototyping, sourcing, supply chain, marketing, PR and everything in between.
Hax has previous when it comes to turning weird and wacky ideas into products that people may actually want to buy. For instance, it’s the accelerator behind the Electroloom t-shirt maker, Bartesian cocktail robot and Prynt iPhone case printer. It’s also done plenty of work with health tech startups, including the Darma smart cushion, Focus headset and the Melon EEG headband.
It’s not the first time we’ve seen this happen; in November, chemicals giant Reckitt Benckiser teamed up with Indiegogo to the same end. On the surface, it looks like marketing fluff: A big company teaming up with startups to find the next big thing. But these companies spend billions on R&D, so it’s unlikely that they’d need some kid, fresh out of high school, would they? According to Johnson & Johnson’s financials, all of that research cash is coming to nought, and it’s hurting its bottom line.
Johnson & Johnson’s over the counter business, which covers baby shampoo, toothpaste, skin creams et cetera, is losing sales. In fact, most of its divisions have been reporting negative growth since late 2014, and there’s plenty of doom and gloom. The obvious reason for this is because most of the good ideas have already been used up, and you can’t improve Tylenol much beyond how it is right now. Not to mention, of course, that it’s hard to justify spending dollars on a box of Band-Aids when you can grab an off-brand version for cents.
“Do you like spending $20 a month on brand-name razors? – 19 of those go to Roger Federer”
– – Michael Dubin, Dollar Shave Club pitch video.
Then there’s the fact that modern-day talents are less inclined to go work for a big company than before. When the creator of the Big Mac, Michael Delligatti, died, his obituaries noted that McDonalds never compensated him for his blockbuster idea. Throw in the cult of the entrepreneur and the easy access to cash via investors and crowdfunding and it’s easy to see why folks go it alone rather than toiling away without credit in Johnson & Johnson’s basement. The rewards are potentially much greater if you do it all yourself.
For all of Johnson & Johnson’s research and development cash, it’s clearly coming up empty for reasons to justify buying its products. So, instead, it’s hoping that someone else has an idea that it’s not yet thought of. Maybe, in the future, these firms will stop trying to develop their own products and just buy up whatever’s looking to be the next hot new thing.
Source: Hax
Sony has sold 50 million PlayStation 4s
After surpassing 40 million sales back in May, Sony has now sold 50 million PlayStation 4s. That figure includes PS4, PS4 Pro and the new slim version of the console, and represents sales to customers, rather than shipments to stores.
The 50 million milestone took just over three years for Sony to reach. For comparison, the PlayStation 3 was on sale for four and a half years before Sony had shipped the same number.
Software sales have also been fairly strong. Sony says that, as of December 4th, it’s sold 369.6 million games across retail and digital downloads. That means that roughly seven games have been purchased for every one console.
As Sony’s announcement gives only a grouped figure for console sales, it’s impossible to know exactly how many of the 10 million PS4s sold since May were the “Pro” edition. Similarly, there have been absolutely no firm figures for PlayStation VR sales. The headset came out back in October, and at the time SCEE president Jim Ryan said launch sales were expected to be “many hundreds of thousands.” Analytics firm SuperData projects that total sales of the headset in 2016 will be less than 750,000.
Microsoft stopped reporting figures some time ago. The launch of the smaller Xbox One S has revitalized sales somewhat, with the Xbox One outselling Sony’s console for several months in a row this year. Third-party estimates suggest that Microsoft has sold between 25-30 million Xbox Ones, giving Sony close to a two-to-one sales lead.
An app update turns this smart pen into a 3D scanner
A smartpen that could already digitally measure pretty much anything will soon also be able to scan objects in 3D. Developed by Instrumments, a company made up of former Misfit creators, the impressive 01 pen will be getting a new app, adding the 3D functionality next Spring. This Pro App will enable users to roll the 01 pen over 3D objects, capturing contours and wirelessly logging and sharing the 3D data.
The update will come as a welcome relief for 3D artists, as it looks to make the long and painful process of modeling 3D objects significantly easier.
Alongside this new technology, the company has announced a variation on its 01 pen scanner, the 01Go. $50 cheaper than the 01, the 01Go works in the same way but does away with the pen functionality, making it a noticeably smaller and more portable scanner. Releasing on March 1st 2017, the 01Go is normally priced at $99, but is now available on their Indiegogo for $79 for a limited time.
The 01 launched in November for $149, thanks to Instrumments’ successful Indiegogo campaign, and is shipping now to early backers. While you can just purchase the 01 and 01Go from Instrumments website, backing the device on Indiegogo is the better option, granting you five-year free access to the Pro app. The Lite app will be available to everyone for free starting December 10 on both the Google Play store and the App Store. If you make the plunge, however, you can expect to part with extra cash for accessories like sleeves, ink, lead refills, and batteries, which are also available from Instrumments website.
Source: InstruMMents
Nicki Minaj’s new game could make you a rap star
It’s hard to believe anyone that’s not a Kardashian, a Jenner or a Ramsay can successfully make a game about their careers, but Nicki Minaj’s new app actually sounds like fun. Collaborating with Glu Mobile, which also made the Kim Kardashian, Kylie and Kendall Jenner and Gordon Ramsay games, Minaj made The Empire, a game which focuses on rap music, and actually lets players create their own songs. In addition, you can record your own voice (rapping your own words) into the app, and Minaj herself (or her minions, anyway) will select the best few to showcase on her social media accounts. The Empire is now available on iOS and Android, and from my few days playing a beta preview, it seems like more than just another celebrity game.
Unlike other celebrity apps, such as the Kylie and Kendall Jenner game, that simply let you style your own character and interact with the predetermined storyline, The Empire also offers you an outlet for creativity. You get to create your own rap lyrics and record yourself singing your words over what Glu says are “studio-quality custom beats.”
Those who aren’t as confident or eloquent can choose, like I did, to use a template and fill out some keywords, Mad Libs style. The app offers some word options to fill in the blanks with, but you can also enter your own. I wouldn’t call the songs created with this method inspired, but at least they sort of rhyme. And they can turn out pretty wacky, which adds to the fun of the game. You can choose to go straight to rap mode to avoid the hassle of going through the game’s plot, or stick around for the drama in Story Mode.
The story part of the The Empire largely follows the style of others in the category: you’re a nobody, who, by some miraculous stroke of luck, befriends the titular celebrity. She takes you under her wing, helping you record your first single and giving you tips on how to promote it. The goal is to earn song sales and grow your number of fans. All the while, the game tries to inculcate values; in the Jenner game, it was the importance of friendship, while in The Empire, it’s the power of believing in yourself.
The game’s graphics have a very distinctive style that’s fiercely reminiscent of street art. Characters are boldly colored and wear hip, urban outfits, which is appropos for the Queens, New York neighborhood you start out in. As a New Yorker, I found that setting one of the most endearing things about Minaj’s game, compared to the LA backdrop of the Kylie and Kendall app. That’s obviously a matter of preference, though.
The thing I enjoyed the most during my time with The Empire is its soundtrack. I normally disable background music in my games, but because this app pipes in Minaj’s own tunes, such as Starships or Pound the Alarm, leaving the sound on was surprisingly enjoyable. Of course, that’s mostly because I already like Minaj’s music, but players of this game are likely going to be her fans anyway. The app also offers chatrooms for you to meet other Minaj fans in, who could eventually develop into an audience for the songs you create.
Whether anyone will actually become a breakout rap star because of Nicki Minaj: The Empire is not yet clear, but if Minaj keeps to her promise of showcasing the best rapper of the app each month, she may really find some talent among her fans. That potential exposure is solid motivation for aspiring rappers to start sharing their works in the app (although ownership of your tracks isn’t quite clear); it’s like American Idol on a smaller but easier-to-access stage. And if the thrill of potential stardom isn’t fun enough for you, then perhaps the sly anaconda jokes will have to do.
AIVAnet 