Here’s a wonderfully colorful photo project by photographer Robert Weingarten that shows how psychedelic our world can get. Weingarten took a photo at 6:30 in the morning of the same view of Santa Monica Bay from his home in Malibu for an entire year. Even with all that sameness, each photo captures something completely different than before. More »
TV fans in the UK who are Sky customers get a new TV catch up service this week. Sky has announced that it has added the Channel 4 4oD catch up service to its offerings creating the UK’s most complete catch-up TV service. 4oD is Channel 4′s video-on-demand service and it is available as an upgrade at no cost for some Sky customers.
The no-cost upgrade is available for customers who have a Sky+HD set top box connected to broadband service. While the on demand service will allow users to catch up on episodes of current programs that they missed, it will also offer a wide variety of catalog programs. Older shows available to download from the library using the on demand service include The Inbetweeners, Shameless, Spaced, Father Ted, The IT Crowd, and This is England’88.
Sky says that Channel 4 is also the first terrestrial network to offer its programs on Sky Go. Sky Go is the Internet and mobile TV service offered from Sky. Starting on Monday Sky Go users are able to enjoy Channel 4 and More4 their laptop, smartphone, or tablet. Sky says content from E4 and Film4 will be available in the future.
Content from Channel 4 for Sky customers that subscribe to Sky Go Extra will also be available to download for watching off-line. The ability to download the shows means that users can watch them off-line when no Internet connection is available or on the go without being subject to data charges. Film4 HD will also be coming to the Skyline up in September.
[via Sky]
Sky adds 4oD TV catch up service for UK customers is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Sky’s Movies app may be old hat for iOS users, but the companion experience has only just arrived on Android. By wielding the software, folks can look up what’s airing across the network’s film channels, read up on information about flicks and look up theater listings. Users can also catch streaming movies with the application (if a device is registered with Sky Go, of course), and even remotely set their Sky+ HD box to record. Hit the bordering source link for the the full feature list and download.
Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Tablets, HD
Source: Google Play
You probably think the sky is blue because of the ocean and air and reflections or something like that. But how does it turn red sometimes? Or orange? Or rather, why does the sky have to be any color at all? PBS explains it so you can explain it to your future kid. More »
Sky already supplies fixed phone line and broadband on top of its TV services in the UK, but it’s just announced it’ll be gaining a few more customers. The company has shaken hands with Telefonica UK to purchase the latter’s broadband and phone line business provided by the consumer-facing O2 and BE brands. As you would imagine, big bucks will change hands: Sky plans to fork over £180 million (around $273 million) right off the bat, and will write a cheque for up to a further £20 million (circa $30 million) “dependent upon the successful delivery and completion of the customer migration process by Telefonica UK.” Regulators will need to give the deal the thumbs up before it’s official, but if and when that happens, Sky will become the second biggest ISP in the UK after adding over 500,000 new customers to its books. Should everything progress as planned, the buyout will be completed by the end of April, which gives Rupert Murdoch just enough time to carry out the vault extension he’ll need.
Update: If you’re worried this transaction will impact anything you’re currently signed up to, you can probably rest easy. O2 has tweeted one of our editors to report “there will be no material change to a customer’s broadband service and no fundamental contract change.”
Via: GigaOM
Geeks who are into fast cars and stereoscopic displays must think that watching F1 races in 3D is the bees-knees. However, FIA, the sport’s governing body, has often been resistant to new technology — only adopting HD a few years ago. That’s why when the FIA asked Sky to produce a test-broadcast of the practice testing laps in the run up to the Barcelona Grand Prix, the British broadcaster jumped at the chance. Naturally, BSkyB wanted to show off its technical marvel, and so invited us to come and see what it was like. Of course, like the good geeks that we are, our attention was focused on keeping Sky’s chief engineer Chris Johns in a corner and needling him with questions. Curious to find out what he said (apart from “please go away,” of course)? After the break is where all the cool kids are at.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
In Sky’s latest bid (after getting Sony and Warner on the hook) to corner premium viewing content in the UK before rivals including Lovefilm and Netflix get traction, it has announced an extension to its 24-year agreement with Disney. Beyond guaranteeing Disney — which means Lucasfilm, of course — Pixar and Marvel flicks will be on Sky (plus Sky Go, and 3D movies on Sky 3D) a year before any other service, it’s also creating a new Sky Movies Disney Channel in its lineup that launches March 28th. In order to reach those not with the typical TV package, the deal also brings Disney’s movies to Sky’s Now TV internet video service for users with a monthly movie pass. We’re sure 24 years ago, such deals didn’t cover so many devices or avenues of access but snagging exclusives to gain a market advantage has stayed exactly the same.
Filed under: HD
Source: Sky
Livescribe v BSkyB was one of the stranger trademark battles we’ve seen recently, because the two companies operate in such different spheres — one makes smartpens, the other runs TV and internet services. Nevertheless, the English High Court has now ruled in favor of BSkyB, forcing Livescribe to recall all stock bearing the offending three-letter word and to re-baptize its “Sky wifi smartpen” simply as the “wifi smartpen”. Suddenly, the packaging left over from our review of the device just feels so naughty.
Filed under: Peripherals, Internet, HD
Livescribe and BSkyB have settled their differences in Europe, after the satellite telecoms company took issue with the name of the Sky WiFi smartpen launched last year. British Sky Broadcasting Group (BSkyB) had filed a trademark complaint about the wirelessly-enabled notetaking system – which we reviewed back in October – forcing Livescribe to pull it from shelves while the two companies argued. Now, the case has been settled, but only with Livescribe agreeing to rebrand the pen itself.
From March 1, 2013, the gadget will be known as the Livescribe WiFi Smartpen, dropping the contentious “Sky” name altogether. The name change will only take effect in the European Union; elsewhere, the smartpen will continue to be branded as “Sky”, such as in the US.
The decision, although a welcome clear-out of the litigation, is likely to have a significant impact on Livescribe’s financial performance with the smartpen. BSkyB has allowed the company to sell off existing stock already in the market in the EU, branded Sky, but the company has also been forced to recall “a quantity of stock” bearing the trademark.
“While Livescribe does not offer any goods or services similar to those of Sky and had no intention of infringing Sky’s rights,” a company spokesperson said in a statement, “Livescribe is pleased to reach a settlement with British Sky Broadcasting.” Back at the launch of the smartpen in the UK last year, Livescribe told SlashGear that they didn’t expect the similarities in branding to cause an issue because the products on offer differed so considerably.
Livescribe and Sky settle trademark spat with rebranded WiFi pen is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
In a move it’s calling a world’s first, Sky Sports has announced that parts of Formula 1’s final preseason tests from Circuit de Catalunya will be broadcast on its 3D network. While F1 has tested the use of 3D before, it’s never been broadcast and chief Bernie Ecclestone — who you’ll remember fiddled for years as F1 stuck with widescreen standard definition video presentations before it made the jump in 2011 — has previously said 3D will never be used. Sky Sports referred to the event as a one-off, while commentator Martin Brundle is quoted in the press release calling it a “special moment for F1 fans…a new immersive experience for viewers.
While Ecclestone may not be willing to push the envelope in broadcast tech, having Sky as a broadcast partner could force the issue as it justifies its exclusive access and dedicated broadcast channel. Last season the network upgraded the audio to Dolby 5.1 and added features like the Race Control view in its iPad app. Sky has previously featured sporting events on its 3D channel like Ryder Cup golf, Premier League and of course the 2012 Olympics. It says F1 will be the 14th sport it’s delivered in 3D, although we’ll have to wait until after this maiden test from February 28th to March 3rd — it will also be available in 2D HD on the regular F1 channel — to see if it becomes a regular fixture. Now, about those HD on-board cameras….
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Source: Sky Sports
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