Pranksters can hijack your Chromecast to show whatever they want
It’s easy for someone in your home to interrupt your Chromecast stream and play something of their own, but you can always retake control… right? Well, don’t count on it. Analyst Dan Petro has built the Rickmote Controller, a proof-of-concept device that hijacks Google’s media stick to play everyone’s favorite Rick Astley video (and theoretically, any media) on loop. The Raspberry Pi-based box simply floods the Chromecast with WiFi disconnection requests, kicking the adapter into its setup mode; after that, it’s easy for the Rickmote to make its own connection and deliver non-stop ’80s pop.
You might not see a fix for this behavior any time soon. Part of the Chromecast’s appeal is its easy configuration, and altering the disconnection response might create more headaches than it solves. As it stands, you won’t have much reason to worry. Even if pranksters build gadgets like the Rickmote, they’d still have to get within range of your Chromecast’s WiFi at the same time that you’re using it — if someone tries to rickroll you through your TV, you’ll probably catch them in the act.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD, Google
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Bishop Fox
How to watch football (soccer) now that the World Cup is over
Many are referring to the 2014 World Cup as the best of the modern era — think: since Korea/Japan in 2002. Was it due to the fact it set an incredible amount of viewing records? Or, perhaps, it has to do with how much social networks made the entire experience that much more enjoyable. After all, who could forget all the great memes and Tumblr accounts? The level of play wasn’t bad either, with this year’s tournament leaving behind formidable memories of great individual (Guillermo Ochoa against Brazil, Tim Howard against Belgium) and team (Germany’s 7-1 thrashing of Brazil) performances. There’s a reason why the sport is nicknamed “The World’s Beautiful Game.” Thankfully, football doesn’t stop here. While we wait for the next World Cup, which Russia will host in 2018, here’s how you, the new (or old) fan, can keep up with some of the professional leagues from across the globe.
It’s worth nothing that most 2014-2015 seasons in Europe are set to begin next month, while others like Mexico’s Liga MX will kick off later this week. Major League Soccer, meanwhile, is already midway through its season — the US league was about the only one still active during the World Cup. In general, most league matches take place over the weekend, although some do happen during the work/school week, especially once the Champions League and Europa League start.
Do keep in mind this is for people who want to watch here in the States, live or on-demand, as broadcasting rights do vary by country. Furthermore, if the cable/satellite providers or networks we mention carry any of these leagues, be sure to use one of their TV-everywhere offerings, such as the WatchESPN or Univision Deportes apps, this way you can enjoy games across different devices.
So, without further ado.
Liga BBVA, Spain
Network: (English) beIN Sports, (Spanish) beIN Sports en Español.
Available on most TV service providers; offers apps on the web, iOS and Android.
Premier League, United Kingdom
Network: (English) NBC, NBC Sports; (Spanish) Telemundo, Mun2.
These channels are also carried by most TV service carriers. On mobile and the web, there’s NBC Sports Live Extra. Similarly, Telemundo has an app for iOS and Android, which you can use to watch some games while on the go.
Bundesliga, Germany
Network: (English and Spanish) GolTV.
This one is far from perfect. Comcast, the largest cable provider in the US, dropped the channel not long ago, so that’s already a huge chunk of people left out. That said, GolTV is still available on Time Warner Cable and DirecTV, but maybe not for long — the latter currently downgraded the channel to SD-only. To make matters worse, GolTV doesn’t have any apps. Which is to say, keeping up with Bayern Munich, home to more than half of world champion Germany’s starting players, may be a little tough.
The good news is Fox recently acquired the Bundesliga rights, starting with the 2015-2016 season.
Ligue 1, France
Network: (English) beIN Sports, (Spanish) beIN Sports en Español.
Same broadcasting deal as Spain’s La Liga.
Here, however, you’ll find different talent, including star players like Zlatan Ibrahimović and World Cup sensation James Rodríguez. (FYI: His first name is pronounced “hahm-ez.”)
Serie A, Italy
Network: (English) beIN Sports, (Spanish) beIN Sports en Español.
Similar to France’s Ligue 1 and Spain’s La Liga, Italy’s Serie A belongs to beIN Sports Stateside. It is one of the world’s best leagues, featuring teams like A.C. Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus. Most importantly, Andrea Pirlo, the man you see above, plays his trade there — and you should try to watch him in action any chance you get.
Liga MX, Mexico
South of the border, the federation in charge operates slightly differently than the rest of the pack. As such, finding Liga MX matches to watch will be a rather easy task.
Networks: (English) ESPN, (Spanish) ESPN Deportes; Univision, Univision Deportes Network and UniMas; Telemundo; Fox Deportes; and Azteca America, all available en Español.
Better yet, the majority of these channels are widely adopted by service providers. Still, things are more complicated here, since each team can play on a different network depending on whether they play at home or away. For example, Club America’s home games will always be on one of Univision’s properties, since it licensed the rights to that particular team.
Regardless, it’s a league you should be keeping an eye on.
Major League Soccer, United States and Canada
Networks: (English) ESPN and NBC Sports; (Spanish) Univision, Univision Deportes Network and UniMas.
Along with those channels, which you should have no trouble finding within your TV package, there’s also MLS Live, which offers access to live (out-of-market) and on-demand matches. Since the season is already well underway, a mere $32 gets you in for the remainder — Major League Soccer says demand for subscriptions has skyrocketed since the World Cup.
If you fell in love with the national team’s performance at the World Cup, then you should definitely be paying attention to MLS. Clint Dempsey, DeAndre Yedlin, Graham Zusi are a few players you can expect to watch as the season progresses. More importantly, supporting Major League Soccer is key for the development and growth of US soccer, and the sport as a whole in this country.
Beyond 2014, MLS will have a larger presence everywhere, thanks to new deals with ESPN, Fox and Univision.
Other Club Competitions
Networks: (English) Fox, Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports Go; (Spanish) Fox Deportes.
Networks: (English) Fox Sports and (Spanish) ESPN Deportes.
[Image credits: Getty, Associated Press]
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD, Mobile
Bittorrent tests the waters with paywall bundles for TV and music
BitTorrent is set to dabble in paywalls by teaming up with an independent producer for a sci-fi series called “Children of the Machine.” Rapid Eye Studios will produce and fund the $1 million pilot, which will revolve around teenagers, global warming and technology gone awry. BitTorrent has worked with TV makers and major studios in the past, but is trying a brand new tact for the show. To fund a full eight-episode run, at least 250,000 users will have to sign up for a “BitTorrent Bundle” for $10 after seeing the pilot. Right now such bundles are free, but it plans to introduce paywall bundles starting in September with music content from a yet-unnamed “major artist.” BitTorrent told the NYT it’s looking for users “willing to reward creativity by paying a fair price” for the new scheme. It admit that it’s a risky experiment, though — users may be too set on a fair price being “free.”
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Via: NYT
Source: BitTorrent
Hulu gets exclusive rights to stream South Park’s full show catalog
If you’re determined to catch up on South Park episodes without downloading them, you’d better get used to Hulu — you’ll be using it a lot. The service has just unveiled a deal that gives it exclusive US rights to stream the series’ complete catalog for the next three years, including new episodes as soon as they’ve finished airing on TV. The official South Park website will still host both 30 older segments as well as new releases, but you won’t be (officially) streaming the classics anywhere else. It’s a definite coup for Hulu, which has frequently had to watch as Amazon and Netflix score big exclusives of their own. It’s not grand news for Americans, though, as you’ll only have one streaming source for the full escapades of Cartman, Kenny, Kyle and Stan.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Via: Hulu (Twitter)
Source: South Park Studios, New York Times, BusinessWire
Yahoo Screen’s Xbox 360 app will bring ‘Community’ back to your TV
Don’t worry, that green hue around Yahoo Screen’s gills isn’t seasickness, Marissa Mayer’s video service is just taking on the color of its newest platform, the Xbox 360. That’s right, as soon as the sixth season of Community debuts (or other original content, whichever comes first), you’ll be able to watch it via Microsoft’s last-gen gaming console. Until that happens, well, there’s always some 38 years of Saturday Night Live clips to peruse — assuming you haven’t burned through them all on your AppleTV or Roku already.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD
Source: Yahoo Screen
Showtime’s Anytime TV service starts streaming on your Xbox 360
If you’re hanging on to an Xbox 360, you now have an easy way to catch up on Nurse Jackie or Penny Dreadful without reaching for the DVR remote. Showtime Anytime has finally reached Microsoft’s previous-generation game console, letting you stream both live and on-demand shows so long as you already get Showtime through a conventional TV provider. It won’t please cord cutters any more than earlier Anytime releases because of that limitation, but it should be handy for a bedroom TV. And don’t fret, Xbox One owners — there’s an app coming for the newer system later this year, so you won’t be Showtime-free for much longer.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Source: Showtime Press Express
Sploosh: Android TV controller render found in Android L preview Directory
Android TV is expected to be Google’s next media sensation after the middling failure that was Google TV. Coupled with Chromecast, the Android TV aims to give you the full living room entertainment experience all from where you are sitting, using your own existing Android devices. From the images we have seen so far of the user interface, […]
Google will have sole control over the interfaces of Android Auto, Wear and TV
You’d better get used to the interfaces you saw for Android Auto, Wear and TV at the Google I/O conference this past week — you’re going to be seeing them a lot. Google tells Ars Technica that it will maintain sole (official) control over the interface for all three new platforms, rather than give that power to manufacturers. While companies will be allowed branding and extra services, they won’t get to modify the core experience. You won’t see a Gear Live sequel with the Gear 2′s front end, for example, or find your way around town with a Honda-exclusive take on Android Auto.
Engineering director David Burke says this requirement is meant to provide a “very consistent” experience; you won’t have to grapple with different controls just because you’re watching TV in your bedroom instead of the living room. The shift in policy also lets Google manage the update process, which should be as “automatic and seamless” as the company’s Chrome browser. Theoretically, you won’t see the haphazard upgrade process common to non-Nexus Android devices, where updates sometimes arrive months after their official launches, if they arrive at all.
The move is likely to please fans of Google’s approach to interface design, or those who simply want to try new features as soon as possible. However, it’s a sharp break from Google’s mostly laissez-faire attitude to Android on phones and tablets — car, TV and wearable makers will primarily have to distinguish themselves through hardware if they want to use the bulk of Google’s services. If they insist on their own control layouts, they’ll have to take an Amazon-like approach and build (or find) replacement technology. The strategy likely won’t preclude you from loading custom software after the sale, but the Android you see in stores won’t be quite as diverse as it once was.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Transportation, Wearables, HD, Mobile, Google
Source: Ars Technica
Aereo ‘pauses’ streaming TV service in wake of Supreme Court loss
That didn’t take long. Now that the US Supreme Court has ruled that Aereo’s antenna-to-cloud TV service is violating copyright, the company is telling customers that it will “pause” service as of 11:30AM Eastern; after that, it’s lights-out for both live and recorded streaming. As compensation, Aereo is refunding subscribers’ last paid month of service. The startup is adamant that the shutdown is temporary, and is talking to the lower court that previously ruled in its favor (and which has to deal with Aereo’s case again) about the “next steps.”
We wouldn’t count on Aereo resuming service, at least not with its original business model. The Supreme Court ruled that Aereo is putting on a performance like a cable provider, and that’s at the very heart of broadcasters’ allegations — they believe it’s retransmitting TV without the appropriate permissions and fees. If the company’s offering returns at all, it may carry significantly different pricing or usage rights.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Source: Aereo
Android TV announced by Google
As you no doubt know by now, Google’s developer conference I/O kicked off yesterday with the keynote address. While I was unable to attend the conference in person I did watch the live stream on my computer. And, as many of you understand, one of the numerous announcements that Google made was Android TV – an evolution of the less than popular Google TV. Here is a quick run down of things that you may find important in the next-gen attempt at Google play for TV.
Android TV is in an attempt to unify Smart TVs under one OS and use the same API so that it is easier to get apps onto your TV. Another important point is that there is one SDK to write apps for all Android forms factors. With Android TV, you can search through your TV shows and movies easily using your phone or smart watch. You can also control your TV using a physical controller.
Controlling a smart TV with a smart phone might not be such new news to you; you might be wondering “Is that all they got?” Well no. Google has really worked hard putting together this Android TV experience for you. In addition to standard things that are becoming the standard with smart TVs, Android TV is backed with Google’s own Play Store. With the Play Store, you get the Play Games. In the keynote, they demonstrated how you can also use your Android TV to play games with your friends. They show one guy playing with a controller hooked up to the TV against another guy playing on his tablet.
Another feature of the Android TV is that it comes with Chromecasting built in. This means that you can use your Android TV the same you would use a TV with a Chromecast plugged into it. It also has Screen Mirroring which means that whatever you see on your device screen will display on your TV! You can cast anything and everything with the push of a button.
You can learn more about the Android TV from the keynote video itself here. They start discussion about the Android TV at 1:45:10
The post Android TV announced by Google appeared first on AndroidGuys.
AIVAnet 
