Tribeca Shortlist now streams movies on Android devices
Last year, Tribeca Shortlist arrived on the video-streaming scene touting quality over quantity. At launch, the service was only available for iPad and the web, but it has since expanded to iPhone, Roku, Fire TV and, most recently, Apple TV. Now, Tribeca Shortlist is announcing support for Android devices, giving Google’s mobile users access to over 150 movies on demand. In addition to that content, you can also watch exclusive interviews with actors, directors and other members of the film industry.
Naturally, you’ll have to pay $5 per month if you’re interested. That said, Tribeca Shortlist is trying to tempt people by offering a free Chromecast to those who sign up for six months ($30). Can you handle another streaming service, though?
Google bakes Cast capabilities into its Fiber boxes
If you’re a Google Fiber subscriber, you no longer need to use a Chromecast to stream content from your mobile device to your tv. Google announced today that it has integrated Cast technology (what makes your Chromecast work) directly into their Fiber set-top boxes. It cuts out the Chromecast middle man, is what I’m saying. You can just chuck that dongle since it’s now superfluous. The casting process is exactly the same, it just runs straight through the set-top box now.
Source: Google Fiber Blog
Google Home reportedly has Chromecast roots
Google Home promises a minor revolution as far as around-the-home voice assistants go, but its hardware roots may be more than a little familiar. The Information’s source understands that Home ultimately boils down to a Chromecast with a microphone, a speaker and a nice case — it reportedly has the same processor and WiFi chipset. The simple Linux-based operating system is also supposed to be similar (minus the voice command part, of course), although the same insider claims that a future Home might run on Android.
We’ve asked Google if it can confirm the report. However, using the Chromecast as a starting point makes sense. Google Assistant’s voice processing happens primarily in the cloud, so Home doesn’t need much in the way of local computing power — just enough to play music and listen for commands. It’s also reasonable to presume that Google wants to keep costs down, and using low-cost innards is bound to help on that front.
Source: The Information
Rumors are flying about new Xbox consoles and streaming devices
E3 kicks off on June 12th and Microsoft will be there in full-force, showing off the latest and greatest Xbox games and hardware. The company hasn’t yet revealed what it’ll announce at the big show, but The Verge and Kotaku claim Xbox is working on two new devices — however, that’s where the reports’ similarities stop.
The Verge says Xbox will reveal two streaming devices at E3, one that behaves like Chromecast and one that’s closer to a streaming microconsole. The second device would supposedly be able to access universal apps and games from the Windows Store, and stream games from the main Xbox One console to any TV in a house, The Verge says. Part of the focus here would be on TV, allowing users to access Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and other streaming services. This report stems mainly from Petri executive editor Brad Sams, who correctly predicted the Elite controller’s existence at E3 last year.
Kotaku claims that Microsoft is set to unveil two new Xbox consoles. One is a cheaper and smaller Xbox with a 2TB hard drive that should launch later in 2016. The site says Xbox will reveal this model at E3. The second console, which may not make an appearance at E3, is codenamed Scorpio and is due to hit shelves in 2017. It apparently sports a more powerful GPU and it will support the Oculus Rift VR headset. That wouldn’t be shocking, considering the Oculus already comes packaged with the Xbox One controller and the companies already enjoy a symbiotic relationship.
The new consoles are part of a larger initiative known as “Project Helix” that’s designed to converge Xbox and Windows, Kotaku says.
Regarding these reports, an Xbox spokesperson tells Engadget, “We do not comment on rumors or speculation.” We’ve reached out to Oculus for clarification on the reported 2017 console.
Lots of creative chatter today. Excited to share our gaming story at E3 on June 13th https://t.co/QjGUkH1Ofx….
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) May 25, 2016
Overall, the details of these reports differ but their hearts are the same: Xbox is on a path to merge its PC and console gaming brands. The streaming devices would tap into Windows 10 and universal Windows apps, while the rumored consoles aim to make PC-to-console gaming more accessible. Xbox hasn’t been shy about this strategy, either. Xbox boss Phil Spencer said in March that he wants Xbox to operate more like PC gaming, where libraries follow players even when they get new hardware.
“We can effectively feel a little more like what we see on PC, where I can still go back and run my old Doom and Quake games that I ran so many years ago and still see the best new 4K games come out — and my whole library is always with me,” Spencer said.
Plus, Spencer wants to see more console iterations, more often. Instead of nearly a decade between console generations, he’s looking at the two-year timeline of smartphones for inspiration.
“You look at improvements in graphics capability, you look at improvements in display, you look at things like 4K and HDR, and these other technologies that have come along, and for the most part consoles sit outside of that [upgrade cycle],” Spencer said.
E3 runs through the week of June 12th and Engadget will be on the ground, delivering the latest news and interviews from Xbox, Sony, EA, Ubisoft, Bethesda, Nintendo and other companies. Stay tuned.
Source: Kotaku, The Verge
Google Cast and Android TV are coming to even more screens
During today’s I/O keynote Google just barely squeezed in some notes about Android TV. On stage, while the Cast feature/ecosystem took a starring a role in the new Home device while also expanding from Vizio’s TVs to work on screens from Magnavox, Philips, Polaroid, Toshiba, Westinghouse “and more.” Picture-in-picture, new APIs for recording live TV and support for 4K / HDR video will all be a part of the Android N upgrade on Android TV, although there’s no mention yet of a new Nexus Player with support for things like Ultra HD, or USB 3.0 hookups for external storage.
There is a new Android TV box on the way from Xiaomi, which announced it will start selling the 4K and HDR-capable Mi Box in the US and other global markets “soon,” (pricing is TBA) joining Sony and Sharp. Over in Europe, Beko, Grundig and Vestel will also begin offering the platform. Google has been making big promises about its plans for TV for several years now, and growing the hardware support is the first step towards making any of that happen.
Developing…
For all the latest news and updates from Google I/O 2016, follow along here.
Source: Android Blog
How to stream Super Bowl 50 from your phone, tablet, or media player
The biggest day in U.S. professional sports is finally upon us. All eyes, domestic and international, will be focused on Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara as the National Football League presents Super Bowl 50 between the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos. This year it’s CBS’ turn to show the game, and the network is seeking to win itself the title of having the most-watched television broadcast in history. Around 168 million people watched the game on NBC last year and CBS would love to beat that by exceeding 170 million viewers. It’s entirely possible that Super Bowl 50 breaks the record because of its storylines. Peyton Manning could cement his place as an all-time great by winning and ride out into the sunset while Cam Newton would silence the haters. The real surge in viewers, however, will come during halftime. Coldplay will be joined by Beyoncé and Bruno Mars (and perhaps others) for a lively halftime show to commemorate the Super Bowl’s place in entertainment.
Now I’m sure you already have plans for the game and intend to watch it with friends on a massive television, but streaming is becoming a huge part of the Super Bowl as well. So I’m going to tell you what you’ll need to do to stream Super Bowl 50 on any device.
Last year’s game was streamed by an average of 800,000 people per minute on NBC Sports Live Extra on desktops and tablets. The streaming quality was good and didn’t struggle to hang in for a big wave of viewers, presumably because NBC Sports Live Extra is used for a portfolio that includes Sunday Night Football and the Olympics. CBS doesn’t have quite the same experience; however, I’m willing to bet CBS President & CEO Les Moonves and CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus bolstered infrastructure to welcome anyone who wants to stream Super Bowl 50. It’s ‘go big or go home’ for CBS.
For anyone wanting to stream the game on a device that isn’t a smartphone, CBS will be streaming Super Bowl 50 through the CBS Sports website and apps. This means you can stream the game completely free on computers, Android and iOS tablets, Android TV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, and Xbox One. CBS won’t be asking for television provider credentials.
But potentially preventing you from watching the Panthers and Broncos go at it in California is Verizon. The carrier has a deal with the NFL to stream all games exclusively to Verizon customers using the NFL Mobile app. While Go90 will also be streaming Super Bowl 50, users of that, too, will need to be Verizon customers.
CBS will be carrying Super Bowl 50 on February 7 at 6:30PM ET, but the pregame show hosted by the network’s NFL Today crew starts at 2:00PM ET. James Brown will lead discussion and analysis between Bill Cowher, Tony Gonzalez, Bart Scott, Boomer Esiason, and many other guests before Jim Nantz and Phil Simms take over to call the NFL’s season-ending championship game.
Via: CBS Sports
Click here to view the embedded video.
Come comment on this article: How to stream Super Bowl 50 from your phone, tablet, or media player
Buy a Chromecast and get $10 in free Google Play Store credit
As if the low price of Chromecast devices wasn’t enough to get you to purchase one, Google is now holding a deal that just might push you over the fence.
The deal is pretty simple, just buy a Chromecast or Chromecast Audio and Google will hand over $10 in Google Play Store credit. This effectively brings the price down to $25, an offer not many of us can say no to.
For those of you who may be out of the loop on this one, Chromecast is a WiFi-connected dongle that plugs into any TV via HDMI. Users can then use their phones to stream content wirelessly.
The Chromecast Audio works in a similar fashion, but as the name entails, it’s focused on sound. This dongle connects to any speaker via a 3.5 mm headset jack and connects to your WiFi network. One can then easily stream songs, podcast or any audio to this device and control it from a phone.
Also read:
Ready to get playing? You can read the full terms and conditions here. The general rules are that you have to be from the USA, be 13 years or older, have internet access and own a Google Payments account. This offer expires on February 24th and the credit must be redeemed by May 31st, so plan accordingly.
Who is signing up?!
[Deal] Google to give out $10 Play Store credit to Chromecast and Chromecast Audio buyers
Google announced yet another Valentine’s Day promotion today, revealing that consumers will get a $10 Play Store credit with the purchase of either a Chromecast or Chromecast Audio.
The search giant began offering a handful of special Valentine’s Day deals on the Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X, and Huawei Watch just last week.
According to Google, the deal starts day and will last through February 24. Unfortunately, this specific promotion only applies to buyers in the US and Canada.
Both the Chromecast and Chromecast Audio are neat gadgets. The updated Chromecast model saw some major improvements from when Google originally introduced the device, The Chromecast Audio, on the other hand, is a fairly new gadget from Google that’s actually really neat and is starting to show its place.
Do you plan on picking up a Chromecast or Chromecast Audio for a loved on this Valentine’s Day? Sound off in the comments!
source: Google (Twitter)
Come comment on this article: [Deal] Google to give out $10 Play Store credit to Chromecast and Chromecast Audio buyers
Grab a $10 Google Play Store coupon with any purchase of a Chromecast
The Google Chromecast and Chromecast Audio are a pretty sweet deal for the amount of device you get for your buck, but that deal just got better with any new purchase receiving a $10 Play Store voucher.
You can use the voucher to buy Apps, Games, or Movies for purchases made between February 3, 2016 and February 24, 2016.
You can use the Chromecast to connect to your TV using HDMI and cast video content from various supported apps on your Android device. Chromecast Audio is a similar concept, but specialises in streaming audio content to your connected speakers.
Presumably the promotion is only available to Chromecast units sold directly from the Google Play Store, so be sure to hit up the link below to grab yours.
The post Grab a $10 Google Play Store coupon with any purchase of a Chromecast appeared first on AndroidGuys.
The Android Apple Music App: Good looking, but like the iPhone lacks features and value (App Review)
Apple is notorious for locking down its software and ecosystem by keeping things all to themselves. Apple doesn’t readily share its software and for the most part and has only released three apps into the Google Play Store, one of which is a very poorly two star rated Move to iOS app. A change occurred last year when Apple decided to release its music app, in beta form, to Android users where it offered a free 90-day subscription.
Naturally being a huge fan of music, and intrigued by Apple joining Android, I decided to give the Apple Music app a try. And for the last month I’ve realized the app is representative of what an iPhone is – good looking, over-priced, and definitely lacking in features.
Description
Apple Music was released to the Google Play Store in November of 2015. Apple has decided to call it a beta release, seemingly as an excuse to make up for its shortcomings on Android devices. At $9.99 Apple Music is identically priced to Google Play Music, but offers a smaller library at 30 million songs to Google’s 35 million.
Google and Apple both released Family Subscription plans last year, where you can pay just $14.99 for unlimited music streaming and downloading for a household of six. Pathetically, if you do subscribe to Apple Music on Android and want to join as a family, you’ll need to a Mac OS computer or iOS device.
Apple Music description from the Google Play Store
In order to use the Apple Music App, you will need to create an Apple ID just to get started. The app will not let you past the sign in page to access free music without going through the painstaking process of dropping in your credit card information just for a free trial. You will need to give your full address, credit card information and phone number just to be able to listen to music. And you cannot use other payment services like your Google Wallet or Paypal. Just to start using the app is a painful process.
Just like the iOS app, Apple Music for Android is full of musical recommendations, human-curated playlists and radio. You can create your own playlists and access music you’ve purchased through iTunes on the My Music page. You can download songs, playlists and full albums for offline listening when you don’t have a connection. The Connect tab lets you follow your favorite artists and see photos, songs and other updates they share.
Like other music streaming apps, Apple Music does have human-curated playlists and radio stations. And like other subscription based services, you are free to create your own playlists and download music for off-line use.
Usage
I am a subscriber to TIDAL which offers true HiFi audio that streams at much higher bit-rates than anything else available. The main downside to TIDAL is its much smaller library of music.
I’m also a subscriber to Google Play Music which offers a family plan that doesn’t require an iOS device, includes a free subscription to YouTube Red and allows me access to over 35 million songs. Being a subscriber to both of these services gives me a good foundation for what a good music streaming app should be.
When I first installed the Apple Music app on my Android device, I was hoping to get started by just downloading the app. I was annoyed that I had to go through the entire sign-up process – luckily I had an Apple ID from my iPhone days, but I still had to type in all of my information again like my address and credit card information. I didn’t understand why I couldn’t just login with my Apple ID and get going. The sign process is downright cumbersome.
Moving past the sign-up process and getting into the app was a pleasant experience. Apple Music, while being a tad busy looking, is still really good looking. The images it uses are very clear and the layout looks great.
Once I started to use the app I noticed that the app severely lagged at times when trying to load my downloaded playlists. It didn’t do it all of the time, but you can definitely tell Apple Music for Android is still in beta form. I experienced app crashes too – I gave the app a spin on my Nexus 6P, Note5 and LG V10 so there would be no performance issues blamed on hardware. I was also very disappointed to learn that I could not stream music to my Chromecasts I have setup on my TV and home stereo system.
A feature that I am a huge fan of on all mobile devices is the ability to use voice control, especially while driving or when cooking. Voice control is an absolute must have feature. Apple Music for Android is missing any voice control or the ability to even search the library with voice commands. You can’t even use Google’s voice recognition system in the Apple Music app which is mind boggling.
When it came to music, I could select and listen to most songs that I already have on my other subscription services. In that sense, Apple Music performed as described where it at least delivered music to my smartphone.
Other than the superficial aspect of the app, Apple Music failed to win me over in anyway. Instead it just validated what I think of the Apple iPhone – it looks great, does a “good enough” job, lacks features, and is highly over-priced.
What I liked
- The look and layout of the app
What I didn’t like
- Sign up process
- Smaller library than Google Play Music
- No integration to the Chromecast
- Lack of HiFi audio
- Inability to install on Nexus 9
- App slowness and crashes
- Lack of music videos
Summary
Apple Music for Android is a pathetic attempt by Apple for sharing its software with Android. It lacks features, is highly over priced for what you get, and offers no additional features over Google Play Music or Spotify. You don’t even get music videos with a full subscription to Apple Music, which is a feature found on other music streaming services. Apple’s music app is so bad it almost seems like it was intended to be that way as an insult to Android users. I honestly hope Apple sticks to keeping its software to themselves and staying within its own ecosystem if its going to give us inadequate attempts like Apple Music.
For now, I will be cancelling my subscription before Apple charges me $9.99. I do not recommend the Apple Music app.
Google Play Store – LINK
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