Mar 20
The Verge is reporting that Amazon is in talks with record labels to create a new subscription music service. More »
Mar 13
A Minecraft world really comes alive with internet-based multiplayer, but the requirement for a dedicated host creates its fair share of problems for both casual gamers and parents worried about where their kids will play. Mojang is currently testing a subscription service, Minecraft Realms, that could put at least some minds at ease. Along with providing a consistent world, it will give the host strict control over who gets in; long-term plans should also include profiles with trustworthy mods already installed. The developer hopes to launch betas for both desktops and mobile devices around May, with rates between $10 to $15 per month to keep a world going, but only the owner would shoulder the full costs. We imagine that there will be at least a few takers, both among families and those who want to safeguard their elaborate masterworks.
Filed under: Gaming, Internet, Software
Via: The Verge
Source: GamesIndustry International
Mar 07
Marvel Unlimited for iOS appears, brings comics subscriptions to iPhones and iPads for $60 a year
Posted in: Today's Chili 
Fans who follow the goings on in the Marvel universe just got a better way to do so… assuming they own an iOS device. With the debut of the Marvel Unlimited app, iPhone and iPad owners can now access Marvel’s full 13,000 issue back catalog for a mere $60 per annum, or $10 a month. Subscribers can also keep up to six titles directly on their device for offline reading. This isn’t the first time the publisher has courted digital denizens, as Marvel’s subscription-based comics service has long been available on the web and it’s been making digital copies of titles available for years. However, this is the first native app for iOS granting offline access to Marvel’s full collection, and that, friends, is a reason to celebrate.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Mobile
Via: Apple Insider
Source: iTunes App Store
Mar 06
Microsoft exec teases that Office 365 will get new apps, rapid-fire updates
Posted in: Today's Chili 
Microsoft would really, really like us to drop our stand-alone copies of Office in favor of Office 365 subscriptions. Really. Division president Kurt DelBene prefers to lure us in with the carrot rather than the stick, however, and just hinted at the company’s TechForum that there will likely be a “rapid cadence” of upgrades to keep productivity fans happy. There’s even the prospect of new apps coming out for subscribers. While that’s tempting, DelBene also wants to allay fears that we’ll be dragged kicking and screaming into the company’s recurring revenue model. Microsoft will keep making a buy-once-use-forever edition of Office “as long as that demand exists,” the exec says. He hasn’t elaborated on where that threshold rests, but it’s safe to presume that we’ll be voting with our wallets for a good while.
Filed under: Internet, Software, Microsoft
Source: The Verge
Mar 06
Next Issue Media reaches Windows 8, puts subscriptions on your Surface (video)
Posted in: Today's Chili 
Next Issue Media’s unlimited magazine subscriptions have had a solid footing on Android tablets and iPads, but Windows tablet owners have faced the prospect of subscribing to one magazine at a time — the horror. They can rest a little easier knowing that Next Issue’s reader app is now available for Windows 8 in the US. The software makes the expected leap to the modern Windows UI, and goes the extra mile to use native tricks such as the optimized multitasking view and pinning favorite magazines to the Start screen. Readers will still need to pay a monthly rate of either $10 (for slower publications) or $15 (including weekly titles) to get full access; when the app itself is free to try for a month, though, it won’t hurt to give Next Issue a spin on that Surface Pro.
Filed under: Tablets
Via: PaidContent
Source: Next Issue Media
Mar 01
Hulu part-owners Disney, News Corp. reportedly discuss buying each other out
Posted in: Today's Chili 
The new owner of Hulu could turn out to be… one of the existing owners. After an aborted sale attempt in 2011, new rumors suggest current part owners Disney and News Corp are talking over the possibility of one buying the other’s stake out. The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg both tag people with knowledge of the situation as their sources, indicating a disagreement over the video streaming website’s business model — it announced $695 million in revenue last year — as a reason for the talks.
Reportedly News Corp. prefers a subscription based model, while Disney sees an advertising-focused approach as best. Both of them own about a third of the site, while Comcast / NBC Universal owns most of the remaining third but can’t vote, and according to the rumors would remain as a minority investor if a buyout took place. Also playing into this is CEO Jason Kilar’s announcement he will leave the company by the end of Q1, so hopefully any decision on its future are made by the time a new leader is in place.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Source: Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal
Feb 11
Some big news for lovers of indie music with commitment issues. eMusic’s CEO Adam Klein announced this morning that his service will be dumping its subscription requirement, letting customers download music from the site without being forced to buy into a monthly fee. The new model, which puts the site in line with most of its musical competition, kicks off today. There’s a press release detailing the move after the break, if you’re into executive quotes.
Filed under: Internet, Software
Source: eMusic
Feb 05
For film buffs who prefer the really big-screen experience, MoviePass seems a no brainer — pay around $30 per month and watch as many movies at the cinema as you want. Now Android users can get the same MoviePass app as their iOS-toting counterparts on Google Play, albeit with the same kickers: its still in beta and is invitation only. There are other constraints too, for now: you’ll need a GPS-equipped smartphone, access is limited to one movie a day, the price goes up from $30 depending on your market and you’ll have to pay with the included MoviePass card — among others. Still, on top of access the app also lets you find showtimes, chart your movie-going, manage rewards, share socially and “even reserve a copy of the film and soundtrack you just saw,” according to the outfit. Anything that encourages us to get out of the house occasionally has to be a good thing, considering all the tech keeping us there.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, HD
Via: Android Police
Source: Google Play
Jan 11
Sometimes minor-sounding events presage bigger things to come (and sometimes not), so Cupertino’s recent addition of a new subscription service app to Apple TV in Germany, Watchever, made our ears perk up. The service — which is still rolling out in the country and may not work on all devices, according to its Facebook page — offers Netflix-like streaming of movies and TV shows in dubbed German or original formats for €9 ($12) per month. More significantly, it marks one of the first times Apple TV has added programming specific to a single region on its streaming service, perhaps marking a new trend we could see elsewhere, too. Apple currently has paid subscription apps like NBA, MLB and WSJ from which it gets a nice cut, so a regional expansion would make financial sense — particularly in countries that don’t know a pop fly from a pop tune.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Apple
Via: TNW
Source: Watchever (Facebook), (Twitter)
Jan 07
As if there were any shortage of on-demand options, AT&T’s giving U-verse TV subscribers more choice by offering multi-platform access to its growing catalog of films for a small monthly fee. The add-on service, dubbed Screen Pack, will allow users to instantly watch any of the 1,500 currently available titles from their home TV set, tablet or smartphone (via the U-verse app) or on Uverse.com for $5 per month. And for those who aren’t quite sold on the idea of tacking additional charges onto their bill, AT&T’s arranged for a free preview window that’ll run until this coming Sunday the 13th. So, if you’re a U-verse TV sub that needs your entertainment to follow you pretty much everywhere, you now have yet another solid option. Official PR after the break.
Continue reading AT&T Screen Pack gives U-verse TV subs on-demand access to 1,500 films
Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Tablets, Internet, HD, AT&T
Source: AT&T U-verse TV
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