CBS is home to many shows in which some unsuspecting individual with a special gift helps law enforcement agencies solve crimes once a week. And if you happen to be a fan of these shows, but don’t like watching them over broadcast or using the CBS site, there’s good news: they’ll stream on Hulu Plus next year. More »
The merger of China’s video giants Youku and Tudou this August must have struck a nerve over at Baidu: the search engine just bought out equity firm Providence’s controlling stake in iQiyi, an already large video service built solely around streaming professional movies and TV shows. Should the deal wrap up as planned in the fall, Baidu plans to keep its new partner as a separate badge but weave its content throughout mobile sites and search results. The company is unsurprisingly taking a Google-like strategy to make sure it isn’t left on the sidelines as searchers go elsewhere for video. Pragmatism aside, its deal could represent more for China as a whole — when hundreds of millions of people are exposed to commercially-oriented video as a matter of course, it could tip the balance in a way that we didn’t see with YouTube rentals.
Filed under: Internet
Baidu buys control of streaming video portal iQiyi, raises stakes in China’s media wars originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 04 Nov 2012 01:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Google had already yanked the “In Stock” status from its Nexus Q as we awaited a re-envisioning of its purpose, but today’s Nexus launch is making it ever clearer that we may never hear from the bizarre orb again. Launched in July with an almost unbelievably small set of features, it took but a few weeks for Google to postpone the proper launch while sending free units to those who pre-ordered. Now, its placement on the Nexus landing page has been removed entirely, with the Nexus 4, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 roaming the page alone. The Q’s placement in the Play Store remains, but an ominous “This device is not for sale at this time” message accompanies it. Google had not returned a request for comment at the time of this article’s publication, but we’ll update should we hear back.
Update: Google returned a comment, but it’s certainly not much to go on: “We don’t have anything to share at this time.”
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Google
Google removes Nexus Q from landing page, further distances itself from a curious launch originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Oct 2012 17:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Make no mistake — landing a deal for streaming with Warner Music Group is no easy chore. Search for ‘Red Hot Chili Peppers’ on programs like MOG, and you’ll probably be sorely disappointed in what results are returned. Tucked within Google’s Nexus blowout this morning was this nugget: the search giant has finally nailed down a deal with Warner, who will be “adding its full music catalog with new songs coming each day.” In other words, this completes the puzzle necessary for Google to confess that it’s “working with all of the major record labels globally,” with this particular deal paving the way for acts like Green Day, Madonna, Neil Young and RHCP to appear soon in the Play Store. Specifics on which artists are coming when remain elusive, but feel free to refresh like mad if you’re so inclined.
Filed under: Cellphones, Google
Google officially lands deal with Warner Music Group originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Oct 2012 16:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Microsoft has just outed Data Sense, a new app for Windows Phone 8 that helps ensure you don’t burn through your data plan. On top of tracking your usage app-by-app, it compresses every single web page you browse to keep data consumed to a minimum, and also sniffs out WiFi hotspots when they become available. The app features a Live Tile to give an ongoing saga of the megabytes you’ve consumed and will warn you near a preset limit. Redmond claims the hotspot sniffing and compression will let you consume 45 percent less data “when compared to the competition” — likely a reference to iOS and Android, which already have a similar feature. Data Sense will arrive first on Verizon this fall, but there’s no word yet on when other carriers will have it. To check the PR, go past the fold.
For more, check out our Windows Phone 8 event liveblog!
Continue reading Microsoft unveils Data Sense for Windows Phone 8, to debut on Verizon devices
Microsoft unveils Data Sense for Windows Phone 8, to debut on Verizon devices originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Oct 2012 13:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Roku Search is a new one-stop tool that helps you find the content you want to watch across the many streaming services available on the set-top box. This new centralized search is an obvious addition that makes Roku more useful. Bravo. More »
We’ve seen web portals that let you search for TV and movies on the internet across different services, but a new update for Roku is bringing that capability directly to its set-top boxes. Whether you’re searching by movie, TV show, actor or director it will sniff out related content across some of the higher profile services it offers, including Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu Plus, Crackle, Vudu and HBO Go. The new Roku Search function is front and center (once your second gen HD or higher player has been updated to the latest version) and in our tests worked quickly, pulling up content wherever it was available and mentioning if it was available in HD. The only downside is navigating the onscreen keyboard via remote, although you can always sub in your mobile device thanks to those recently upgraded remote apps for iOS and Android. All in all Roku says it can reach its tendrils across around 130,000 titles and almost 100,000 actors and directors. Check after the break for a couple of screenshots and a quick demo video, hit the official blog for more info or force an update on your hockey puck to check it out yourself.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Roku update adds cross-provider search over Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, HBO, Vudu and Crackle originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Oct 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Shopping for a new home AV setup with DLNA support? You’ve got twice as many options as you might have had just a few years ago. The Digital Living Network Alliance says that it has certified over 500 AV systems, handily doubling the number of devices it has certified since 2010. The organization issued a press release lambasting the dark ages of pre-DLNA AV setups and the “bulky tapes, memory cards, discs and CDs” that media lovers once had to contend with. “Consumers are demanding more from their digital content and looking for ways to access media from multiple devices on their home network,” explains DLNA chairman and president Nidhish Parikh. “Certified AV systems are able to communicate with other consumer electronics… …effectively expanding the boundaries of the digital home through easy interoperability.” More connected devices for folks outside of the Apple ecosystem? Sounds good to us — even if most devices pack in compatibility for both.
Continue reading DLNA doubles its certification of audio-video hardware in two years
Filed under: Home Entertainment
DLNA doubles its certification of audio-video hardware in two years originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Oct 2012 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Rumors of a music streaming service from Apple have been circulating since the dawn of the iPod age. Bloomberg is reporting that an internet radio platform from Cupertino is nearing reality, as talks between Apple and the major music labels have “intensified.” The negotiations center around how to share revenues from an ad-supported service that, according to reports, would pose more of a threat to sites like Pandora than it would Spotify. In fact, after Bloomberg reported that the new Apple service could launch during the first quarter of 2013, Pandora stocks plummeted over 17 percent and trading of the company was briefly halted. According to sources Cook and co. are seeking much more flexibility than its potential competitors enjoy and earlier access to new releases. The shift towards ad revenue and a new platform for helping listeners discover music is considered by most involved to be an essential evolution of the iTunes ecosystem as sales of digital downloads have slowed. For more, hit up the source links.
Apple nearing deal with labels for internet radio service, says Bloomberg originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Oct 2012 16:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Thanks to a rapid pace of one country per day Netflix has made light work of its Nordic roll out. The internet movie service is launching its final Scandinavian flag today in Finland after starting Monday in Sweden, then notching Denmark and Norway (pictured above) in between. As with the others there’s extensive device and app support from the start, and although the content selection may vary Netflix is the exclusive streaming home of Iron Sky, for all your Nazis-on-the-moon viewing needs. Not enough? Hey, there’s always HBO Nordic, and you don’t even need cable or satellite to get it.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Netflix Watch Instantly is live in Finland, completes Nordic sweep with Norway, Denmark and Sweden originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Oct 2012 10:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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