Hasta La Gadget!

Two acquisitions in as many days? Say it ain’t so! Prior to even unboxing Phonetic Arts, Google has now snapped up Seattle-based Widevine. Truth be told, you’re probably taking advantage of the company’s technology without even being aware of it — it’s used in over 250 million web connected HDTVs and streamers around the globe, and it’s primarily designed to thwart piracy attempts while enabling consumers to enjoy content on a wider array of devices. As these things tend to do, neither outfit is talking prices, but it’s fairly obvious why El Goog would want a firm like this in its portfolio. Moreover, it’s borderline comical that Viacom’s pushing an appeal in order to pit Google as an anti-studio, pro-piracy monster while it’s spending hard-earned cash on a DRM layer. At any rate, Google’s not getting into specific plans just yet, only stating its intentions to maintain Widevine’s agreements, provide support for existing and future clients as well as “building upon [the technology] to enhance both Widevine’s products and its own.”

Google spends a few more million, picks up Widevine DRM software firm originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Dec 2010 13:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hey, Adobe’s finally figured out how to make Flash secure — have Google do it! The guys behind your favorite search engine have updated their latest Dev channel release of Chrome to include a new sandboxing facility for Flash Player content. It’ll serve to limit access to sensitive system resources and make Flash’s operation a generally less threatening proposition than it currently is. This also marks the fulfillment of a longstanding promise from Google to give Flash the same treatment it’s afforded to JavaScript and HTML rendering for a while, and should be welcome news to Windows users eager to minimize “the potential attack surface” of their browser. Sorry, Mac fans, you’re out in the unsecured cold for now. Of course, the Dev channel itself is one step less refined than beta software, so even if you’re on Windows it might be advisable to wait it out a little bit.

Chrome sandboxes Flash Player in latest Dev channel release for Windows originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 05:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony said it was coming, and come it has. Just in time for expatriated Americans basking in the glory of being paid in pounds to enjoy over “Thanksgiving,” Sony has flipped the switch on its Qriocity on-demand movie service. The UK launch marks the European debut of the service (we’re also hearing that it’s like ‘across Europe’), offering “hundreds” of pay-per-view streaming flicks to those with a network-enabled BRAVIA TV, Blu-ray player or Blu-ray home theater system. We’re told that the library consists of material from Fox Home Entertainment, Lionsgate, MGM, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Starz Digital Media, The Walt Disney Company, NBC Universal and Warner Bros., with both new releases and heralded classics up for grabs. Rental prices for SD content start from £2.49 for library content and £3.49 for new releases, while HD content start respectively from £3.49 and £4.49. Not exactly free, but it’s a small price to pay to keep that keister planted on Turkey Day.

Continue reading Sony’s Qriocity video-on-demand services goes live in Europe

Sony’s Qriocity video-on-demand services goes live in Europe originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 11:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hold your horses, Bubsy. While it looked like there were but a few Is to dot and Ts to cross before Comcast’s takeover of NBC Universal was official, folks in high places are now shaking their heads at a recent decision by the carrier. As the story goes, Comcast and NBC Universal are still in talks with the government over the proposed takeover, and it seems that a few wires were crossed in recent days; Comcast decided to announce a new management slate for NBC Universal just a few days ago, despite the fact that the takeover hasn’t actually been green-lit. According to an inside report over at The New York Times, one unnamed official in Washington had this to say: “For a deal this large, and one that hasn’t been approved, Comcast’s behavior is presumptuous and arrogant.” Of course, it’s not like this trigger-pulling in and of itself is reason for the whole deal to collapse, but it certainly won’t make things any easier on either company. So much for taking on those new roles (and accompanying raises) prior to Turkey Day, huh?

Regulators perturbed by Comcast’s executive reshuffling, NBC Universal takeover to blame originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 18:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We don’t usually find our latest tech news in Women’s Wear Daily yet the publication seems to have scooped Rupert Murdoch’s plans for a tablet-only newspaper called The Daily — news now seemingly confirmed by the New York Times. Scheduled for release early next year, The Daily is expected to cost 99 cents per week (about $4.25 per month) for an electronic paper published seven days a week by a 100-member strong newsroom staffed with “twentysomething” talent led by a former managing editor from the New York Post. According to the sources speaking to WWD, It’ll be written with the “sensibilities” of a tabloid and the intelligence of a broadsheet focusing on national news. In other words, it’s said to be like “The New York Post Goes to College.” A beta is expected by Christmas before hitting the iPad “and other tablet devices” sometime in early 2011.

The Daily: Murdoch’s iPad newspaper is like ‘The New York Post Goes to College’ originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 04:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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