Hasta La Gadget!

Faced with an influx of living-room livestreamers and the risqué content that follows, Twitch has begun a crackdown on PlayStation 4 streams. The company has taken to its Twitter account to remind users that broadcasting via the console’s Playroom feature, which uses Sony’s PlayStation Eye camera to stream to Twitch and uStream, must have a gaming focus or risk having their account suspended. Most users, including the husband and wife team behind The Spartan Show, have kept within Twitch’s terms of service, but others have decided the console provides the perfect platform to broadcast sexual content and host non-gaming shows. While Sony already offers the broadcasting service, Xbox One owners will have to wait until “early 2014” to stream their games — either way, Twitch will have quite the job on its hands as gamers test the limits of their new all-seeing consoles.

Filed under: Gaming, HD, Sony

Comments

Via: Polygon

Source: Kotaku

Many of us only wish we could upgrade our less-than-smart TVs. Carnivore at DroidBuild, however, has taken matters into his own hands — he recently finished installing a Raspberry Pi-based media center into his own 40-inch Hisense screen. The hack replaces the TV’s built-in speaker with a Raspbmc system that has a 3D-printed faceplate for Ethernet and USB ports, an infrared adapter and external speaker output. While the modification is risky (and certainly voids the warranty), it’s much more elegant than hanging the Raspberry Pi off the back of the set. Check Carnivore’s photo guide at the source link if you’d like to know how he achieved the feat.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

Comments

Via: Adafruit, Hack A Day

Source: DroidBuild

Dish’s Hopper software team is clearly busy; just two months after it brought home-automation support to its DVR, it’s rolling out another update that offers considerably more control. The new “Denver” firmware enables promised HDMI-CEC support, letting the Hopper send and receive commands from compatible HDMI gear. It can automatically switch TV inputs when powered on, for example. Other upgrades introduce universal search, a help app and a shelf-like layout for On Demand videos. As part of the revamp, Dish is also improving its Explorer iPad app; Apple tablet owners can both control every TV on the Hopper platform and find recommended shows. Neither “Denver” nor the Explorer update will necessarily get anyone switching TV providers, but it should make the viewing experience that much sweeter for loyal customers.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Tablets, HD

Comments

Source: Dish, App Store

Members of the PC gaming elite and console players with add-on hardware have been live streaming their gaming exploits for years, but a new generation of consoles means everyone’s 15 minutes of fame one step closer. While many gamers are unpacking new Xbox Ones tonight, one couple has used a PS4, Sony’s Playroom demo, the PS4 Eye camera add-on and Twitch to broadcast a studio-style show. Regis Michael Strahan and Kelly they’re not (for better or worse), but the show is a hit for now, with Sony exec Adam Boyes joining as a call-in guest after its link was RT’d by the official @PlayStation account. You can check out the live stream of The Spartan Show embedded after the break and marvel at how a single game console and the desire to share a DualShock 4 mod has lead to over 1,000 viewers (and growing). We’ll see if the teased PS3 raffle comes to fruition, but ambitious gamers may want to polish their studio patter and set building skills before taking on Kimmel, Letterman, Leno and the rest.

Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Sony

Comments

Via: NeoGAF, Wario64 (Twitter)

Source: The Spartan Show (Twitch)

Kim Dotcom built his reputation on free services — much to the chagrin of some people — and he’s revisiting that turf with his upcoming music offering, Baboom. As he explains in an interview with Wired UK, the service will be an “iTunes-Spotify hybrid” that both sells music and offers it for free through ad deals. However, its approach to ad-supported tunes is bound to raise eyebrows — users will install a browser plugin that replaces web ads with those from Baboom, paying surfers with cash that they can spend on songs. Typical users could earn 10 free albums a year through their browsing habits, Dotcom claims. The tech luminary will demonstrate the concept by soft-launching Baboom with his own music in January, following up with full service a few months later. The business model is intriguing, although it may face stiff resistance; we can’t imagine that rival advertisers and website owners will enjoy losing revenue.

[Image credit: Thierry Ehrmann, Flickr]

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD

Comments

Via: MusicWeek

Source: Wired UK