Twin Peaks (2017): The return, how, when, and where to watch it

If you’re a fan of Twin Peaks, you be frothing with excitement that the series has returned after a 26-year absence from our TV screens.

The first episode has aired in the US and UK as part of a simulcast between Sky and Showtime. If you missed it though, there are still plenty of opportunities.

Here is our round-up of the return of Twin Peaks, including when and where you can see the new series in both the UK and US.

What is Twin Peaks?

The original Twin Peaks was a TV drama created by Mark Frost and cult film director David Lynch. It premiered in 1990 on ABC in the US (BBC Two in the UK) and aired until 1991. There were two series originally, which are available in Blu-ray and DVD collections. You can also watch it on-demand on certain services, including Sky in the UK, with both series available in HD as part of Sky Box Sets.

A prequel movie, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, was also released in cinemas in 1992.

The main plot follows a seemingly straight-forward murder investigation in the American town of Twin Peaks, headed by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan). However, the killing of homecoming queen Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) turns out to be anything but.

The show was known for its creepy tone, campy characters, off beat humour, surrealism, melodrama and supernatural elements, all of which are also trademark characteristics of Lynch and his work.

It was announced in 2015 that the show would return for a new limited series.

Dear Twitter Friends, the rumors are not what they seem ….. It is !!!Happening again. #TwinPeaks returns on @SHO_Network

— David Lynch (@DAVID_LYNCH) May 16, 2015

David Lynch is directing all the episodes of the new series, which is being shown on Showtime in the States and Sky Atlantic in the UK.

It was originally slated to premiere in 2016, to coincide with the show’s 25th anniversary, but was delayed to 2017. Better late than never.

Many original cast members, including MacLachlan as FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper, appear in the revival.

When will Twin Peaks (2017) return?

Showtime started broadcasting the new series at 9pm ET on Sunday 21 May, with a two-hour premiere. Sky simulcasted the opening on Sky Atlantic at 2am Monday 22 May in the UK. You can still catch it though, as it is to repeat the episode at 9pm on Tuesday 23 May.

Following the premiere, Showtime Anytime and On Demand subscribers now have access to episodes three and four. They will also air on Showtime on 28 May at 9pm and Sky soon after, each week.

How many episodes are in the series?

There are 18 episodes in total. After episodes three and four air on 28 May, single episodes will air in the subsequent weeks.

‘Angry Birds’ will celebrate its 10th anniversary with another movie

How will you celebrate the 10th anniversary of one of Finland’s biggest exports? No, I’m not talking about electrical machinery or oil — I mean Angry Birds. Well, Columbia Pictures and Sony are doing so with a sequel to the furious fowl’s silver screen debut, aptly titled The Angry Birds Movie 2. A Rovio blog post details that the film will be released September 20th, 2019 and that Thurop Van Orman and John Rice will serve as director and co-director, respectively. Maybe the production team can come up with a better title in two years’ time.

While those names might not be familiar, what they’ve worked on prior should be. Orman has a credit on Adventure Time and Rice has storyboarding for and animation on Rick and Morty and The Simpsons on his resume. Voice actors haven’t been confirmed, but it’s a pretty good bet that the original cast (Peter Dinklage, Maya Rudolph and Jason Sudekis, among others) will return for some family-friendly porcine genocide.

Why is this getting a sequel? Well, when the budget for the first was $73 million and it raked in $349,779,543 according to Box Office Mojo, a second installment was all but guaranteed — kind of like the inexplicable Now You See Me trilogy.

Source: Rovio

Ask Alexa to play your favorite shows on a Dish Hopper DVR

If you’re a Dish subscriber, it just got ridiculously easy to control your TV. The satellite provider has introduced an Alexa skill that lets control any Hopper DVR or Wally using an Amazon Echo. You can ask the set-top box to tune into a specific channel, search for shows (including on Netflix) or directly control playback without touching a thing — you just need your voice. You can’t record shows, alas, but this could be worthwhile if you want to change channels from the kitchen.

The Amazon tie-ins aren’t done, either. Amazon’s Fire TV devices now have a Dish Anywhere app that lets you watch your subscription in any living room. You’ll need a Hopper connected to a Sling Adapter for the full mix of live, recorded and on-demand TV, but this could come in handy if you’re visiting a friend and want to watch a channel they don’t get. These are the only TV media players to support Dish Anywhere, we’d add — there are hints of broader support in the pipeline (they’re the “first” to get the app), but you’ll have to spring for Fire TV if watching on your phone or tablet just won’t cut it.

Via: The Verge

Source: Dish (1), (2)

New in our buyer’s guide: The Galaxy S8 and Gear VR controller

Last month we updated our buyer’s guide with a bunch of stuff and whaddya know: six days later we published our glowing review of both the Galaxy S8 and S8+. With scores of 91 and 92, respectively, both deserved a spot on our shortlist. And those aren’t even the only Samsung products being inducted into our guide today: The Gear VR controller was also a no-brainer. Rounding out the list, we’ve added BlueAnt’s Pump Zone wireless exercise headphones — we’ve been testing them and feel they’re worth their (sharply reduced) asking price. Find all that and more in our buyer’s guide, and stay tuned for more additions next month.

Source: Engadget Buyer’s Guide

Report: Facebook’s first original shows have been delayed again

Soon, Facebook won’t just be a place where people’s personal videos go viral — it wants to become a destination for original videos, too. The push began in earnest in 2016 and the social giant hired notable names from CollegeHumor and MTV to develop made-for-Facebook shows soon after, but the launch schedule has gone awry. Recode reports that while the first batch of videos was intended to go live as early as this spring, we’re probably not going to see them until at least the middle of the summer.

Recode’s anonymous sources make it sound like the trouble lies in product development rather than video production. It’s not clear, for instance, whether this original programming will get a dedicated hub on Facebook’s front page, or if the actual content creators and publishers will be responsible for hosting them on separate pages. That Facebook is keeping mum about the true cause of these delays is no surprise — here’s hoping they’re being a little more transparent with their video partners.

In the long run, though, this might not be the biggest setback. After all, Netflix and YouTube are already prime destinations for online video and Facebook will need plenty of time and great content to even think about overtaking them. The nature of the original programming Facebook has been chasing — which reportedly includes big-budget prestige series and licensed content as well as more low-cost fare — make it clear that Facebook wants to be taken seriously as a media platform. Needless to say, it’s in for a long fight. Still, the delay most likely means the window for Facebook to generate buzz around these new video properties at the hype-filled Cannes advertising festival in June is closed.

In the meantime, Facebook is still working on different angles in its bid to become a source of indispensable video online. It recently closed a deal with Major League Baseball to live-stream 20 games for free (without blackouts, natch) and a partnership with eSports company ESL will see 5,500 hours of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive go live on Facebook.

Source: Recode

Nike’s latest Apple Watch bands match your VaporMax shoes

You probably haven’t thought about color-coordinating your smartwatch with your running shoes, but Nike is willing to give it a shot. The sportswear brand is launching four Apple Watch bands that are designed to match its upcoming Nike Air VaporMax Flyknit “Day to Night” runners. If you’re determined to look the part while you run (and track) a half-marathon, you don’t have to give up Nike’s sweat-friendly perforated strap.

The bands will be available on Nike’s website on June 1st, when the shoes are available, for the same $49 as you’d pay for one of Nike’s less vibrant bands (we’ve asked about international availability). Apple’s online store will have them sometime shortly afterward for an identical price.

Will there be a flood of people scrambling to snap up both a band and the footwear? Probably not, but this is a rare experiment in designing a smartwatch band that syncs up with other apparel. Even New Balance and other rival brands tend not to think about this kind of coordination. And look at it this way: if you’re just hoping to get a strap that stands out, this is much more accessible than that limited edition NikeLab Apple Watch.

Via: MacRumors

Source: Nike

Apple Music’s new film chronicles Bad Boy’s hip hop legacy

Apple Music’s latest documentary is all about Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Bad Boy Records. From the looks of the trailer below, it will chronicle the label’s ascent and downfall — in many ways, mirroring Combs’s career — and will of course touch on the death of Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace. Last night at the Billboard Music Awards, Diddy debuted the trailer and spoke a bit about Biggie’s legacy. Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: A Bad Boy Story comes from Live Nation Productions, an offshoot of the concert-promoter/ticket-seller/venue-owner amalgam.

It most closely follow’s Apple’s documentary about Cash Money Records in terms of subject matter, but the Cupertino company has been producing music docs at a pretty steady clip. Just this month, we’ve also seen announcements regarding singer Harry Styles’ haircut (seriously) alongside more serious fare like a documentary about music-business legend Clive Davis.

Apple has gone on the record saying that temporarily exclusive albums have been getting pushback from labels and that video was its next avenue for expansion. In late April, Apple Music’s Jimmy Iovine said the service would have 10 different series by year’s end. Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: A Bad Boy Story premieres June 25th.

Source: Billboard, Live Nation (YouTube)

Nike Announces New Apple Watch Bands With Matching Running Shoes

Nike today announced four new Apple Watch bands for Apple Watch Nike+ that will match the Nike Air VaporMax Flyknit “Day to Night” collection of shoes. The company said that the new colors of bands and shoes are “inspired by a shade of the sky, from dawn to dusk,” and mark the first time that Apple Watch owners can directly match their band choice to their Nike sneakers.

Similar to previous Nike+ Apple Watch bands, the new options are made of the same flexible fluoroelastomer material that Apple uses in its own Sport bands, but include a perforated design for ventilation and sweat management. The most recent Nike and Apple partnership was in the cream and black NikeLab band that launched in April, following the first Apple Watch Nike+ device that debuted last September.

Users will be able to purchase the new Nike Apple Watch sport bands for $49.00 each beginning on June 1 on Nike.com and in select Nike stores. The company said that the bands will be available on Apple.com, in Apple retail locations, authorized resellers, and specialty department stores from “early June.” The running shoes will also go on sale on June 1, and will be priced at $190.00.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch Series 2, watchOS 3
Tags: Nike+, Apple Watch Nike+ Edition
Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)
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‘SlingStudio’ Multi-Camera Production System Syncs With iPad for Real-Time Video Editing

Slingbox creators Sling Media today launched an all-new multi-camera production and live video broadcasting system called SlingStudio, which connects to an iPad app to allow users the ability to edit and manage videos on the spot. With the $999 SlingStudio, users can monitor and edit four HD video inputs from up to ten connected cameras and smartphone devices, as well as output live video to Facebook Live and YouTube.

The company said that SlingStudio can simplify every step of shooting video, all the way to post-production, thanks to its design. The ten video sources can include DSLR cameras, video cameras, smartphones, and computers, which connect to SlingStudio via the device’s own private Wi-Fi network. Any wirelessly connected device has to stay within 300 feet of the hub.

Alternatively, users can hardwire some DSLR cameras to SlingStudio using the hub’s HDMI input port, or purchase the $349 CameraLink accessory that plugs into the camera’s HDMI port and wirelessly transmits up to 1080p video to SlingStudio for around two hours of battery life.

During the production of a video, the company’s Console app for iPad [Direct Link] is required, letting directors monitor and create live-to-tape video from up to four input sources at one time. With the app, directors can add in picture-in-picture, edit transitions like dissolves and wipes, mix audio, and throw in text overlays. The company said that all of these additions can be made in real time, both as a video is streaming live and as it’s being recorded to a USB hard drive, SSD, or SD card.

For post-production, creators will be able to move an entire project file to their computer and import it into editing applications like Adobe Premiere Pro and Apple Final Cut Pro. Sling Media listed a detailed description of SlingStudio’s tech specs, as well:

• Portable and compact: 1.43 lbs, (H) 7.87” x 5.59” x (D) 3.54”, tripod mountable.
• Wireless: 5 Ghz 802.11ac, 4×4 MIMO, specially tuned video-grade Hotspot to connect to different video sources; dual-band 2.4 Ghz and 5 Ghz 802.11ac client mode to connect to Internet for live streaming.
• 1080p HD multi-camera recorder: Up to seven simultaneous recordings. Includes four video inputs, live-switched program and quad-view of input, plus a separate audio line-in input recording.
• Multi-camera live monitor and switcher: Monitor up to four video sources and switch between 10 different video sources using the Console app for iPad.
• Professional grade video: High-definition resolutions up to 1080p60 at 30Mbps (using H.264 encoding) with the ability to effortlessly synchronize audio and video.
• Live broadcasting: Simultaneous recording and live broadcasting of program output. Max bit rate for live streaming is 8 Mbps (input source bit rates up to 30 Mbps). Supported platforms currently include Facebook Live and YouTube. Support for other content-sharing websites is coming soon.
• Ports: USB-C, HDMI video input, HDMI video output, audio line-in.
• Storage: Storage via SD or USB-C drives. Optional USB-C Expander available to connect USB 3.0 drives.
• Device compatibility: SlingStudio hub compatible with iOS and Android smartphones via the Capture app, and HDMI-enabled DSLR and video cameras connected to a CameraLink or via the direct HDMI input. An Apple iPad is required to operate the Console app.

Additional accessories include a $149 Battery that adds in portability to SlingStudio with three hours of battery life (otherwise the device requires an AC adapter), and a $49 USB-C Expander that supports wired Gigabit Ethernet connectivity for live broadcasting as well as data storage via compatible hard drives. More information about the device and its accessories can be found on the company’s website, and those interested can purchase SlingStudio today for $999.00.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Buyer’s Guide: 9.7″ iPad Pro (Don’t Buy), 12.9″ iPad Pro (Don’t Buy)
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Supreme Court Ruling Should Spell the End of Apple’s Patent Troll Battles in East Texas

The Supreme Court of the United States today decided that U.S. companies may only face patent infringement lawsuits in the jurisdiction in which they are incorporated, which in Apple’s case would be California.

The decision is significant for Apple, as the iPhone maker faces several patent infringement lawsuits in a single district court in Eastern Texas that is considered friendly to patent holding entities, or so-called “patent trolls.”

That very court in Tyler, Texas has, for example, ordered Apple to pay $532.9 million to patent licensing firm Smartflash LLC in 2015, and $22.1 million to Acacia Research last September for infringing upon patents it acquired from Nokia.

By limiting where patent infringement lawsuits can be filed, the Supreme Court’s decision means that Apple will likely be able to battle patent infringement lawsuits in Northern California, and finally put East Texas behind it.

The Supreme Court’s decision today relates to a Delaware-based lawsuit between Heartland Food Products Group and The Kraft Heinz Company, but it extends to all domestic companies across the United States.

Tags: patent trials, Supreme Court
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