Month: May 2016

 TV

Apple TV Gets Syfy, Bravo, E! and adds seven unscripted series

Dan Uff May 26, 2016 2

2015AppleTVHand NBCUniversal is expanding its offerings to the Apple TV. The establishment has added more of its networks such as SyFy Now, Bravo Now, E! Now and also provides exclusive content to each app.

Users have to download the particular app, and then authenticate with their Cable/Satellite TV provider.

Dina Juliano, SVP of Consumer Product Strategy, TV Everywhere, NBCUniversal, said in a statement:

"We are excited to amplify NBCUniversal’s TV Everywhere content offering on the Apple TV with the launch of Bravo Now, E! Now and Syfy Now, continuing our effort to reach new audiences and provide loyal fans the ability to indulge in shows they love, wherever and whenever they want."

Other NBCUniversal networks on the Apple TV include NBC, USA, NBCSN, and CNBC.

Using your Eye as a Camera? Not so far fetched anymore

Dan Uff May 26, 2016 1

EyeAsaCamera Source: CNN/Money:

Instead of using your eye to compose a photo on a camera or smartphone, what if your eye was the camera?

Sony is looking into creating a contact lens that acts as a digital camera, according to a recent patent application filed by the company. The contact lens can capture still images or video using embedded sensors and camera components.

To take a picture, all you have to do is blink. The device would be able to detect the difference between unconscious and conscious blinking, allowing a person to control the device by purposefully opening and shutting their eye.

The unit would be powered by the movement of the eye, and even allow for advanced camera adjustments like aperture and shutter speed. After the images are captured, they can be transferred to an external device like a smartphone.

Eyes have become a hot "next frontier" in technology. The failed Google Glass was just one of many stabs at face-mounted computers. Microsoft (MSFT, Tech30) and other companies are working on augmented reality headsets, which overlay computer imagery onto the real world. Other companies, such as Sony and Facebook's (FB, Tech30) Oculus, are working on completely immersive virtual reality goggles.

The eyeball, it seems, is the next logical step. Samsung has also patented a blink-controlled contact lens that acts as a camera. That lens would act as an augmented reality device, overlaying images directly on the wearer's eye.

In 2014, Google announced it was working on a contact lens that could also measure a person's blood sugar levels. In a different, more recent patent application, Google proposed a minor eye surgery that would implant an electronic lens into a human eye, primarily to correct vision problems.

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Apple Spots an “iPhone” in old painting

Dan Uff May 26, 2016 0

OldPaintingiPhone During a tech conference in Amsterdam, Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed that he is not immune to the odd phenomenon of 'finding' iPhones in places that seem out of time.

After being asked when and where the iconic device was invented, Cook shared the amusing story of being dumbfounded the night before when visiting the city's famed Rijksmuseum.

During his visit, the executive happened to look upon a 1670 painting imaginatively titled "Man Hands a Letter to a Woman in a Hall."

Cook was stunned to notice that the 'letter' appeared eerily similar to an iPhone!

"It's tough to see, but I swear it's there," Cook said to the audience's amusement.

Of course, Cook was joking about the possibility that the smartphone had appeared in the nearly 350-year-old painting, since the device was not invented until 2007.

So folks who were flummoxed by the Mike Tyson time traveler can feel better knowing that even the CEO of Apple apparently sees iPhones were they should not have been.

And while we can't fault Cook for thinking that there's an iPhone in the painting, we do wonder how he even noticed it, since we couldn't get past the creepy child in the doorway holding a fishing rod.

Thanks for the nightmare fuel, Tim Cook.

Source: CNBC

Report: Apple considered Time/Warner buyout in 2015

Dan Uff May 26, 2016 1

TWCLogo Eddy Cue, Apple's head of internet software and services, raised the idea of his company buying Time Warner in talks with the media giant late last year, a report said on Thursday.

The topic came up during a meeting with Olaf Olafsson, Time Warner's head of corporate strategy, three sources told the Financial Times. The meeting happened at Time Warner's Manhattan headquarters, and was nominally focused on potential partnerships, such as Time Warner channels being featured in an Apple streaming video service.

Talks of a buyout didn't go beyond a preliminary level, and in fact didn't reach Apple CEO Tim Cook or Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes, the sources said.

A Time Warner takeover would have given Apple instant access to a wide range of content, since the company owns channels like HBO, TBS, The CW, and Cartoon Network, as well as studios like Warner Bros., Castle Rock, and New Line.

It's not clear why the talks fell through, but sources told the Times that Apple is planning to ramp up spending on original content to "several hundred million dollars a year," and that it still hasn't ruled out buying a media company.

The latter option might be difficult if it doesn't want Time Warner though, since many other media corporations have dual share structures and are controlled by founders and their families. Disney is technically an easier an option in this regard, but likely far too expensive given a $162.52 billion market cap.

Rumors of an Apple video streaming service have all but died, with reports suggesting that content providers have been hesitant to exclude some of their channels from a "skinny" bundle costing less than $30 per month. In January, though, Apple was said to be keeping a close eye on Time Warner going up for sale, possibly with the intent of snatching up individual assets.

Via: AppleInsider.com