Hasta La Gadget!

It’s no secret that Apple has been talking to content providers in the past, presumably for the mythical Apple Television, but the Wall Street Journal reports that the company is currently in talks with US cable providers to allow consumers to use a set-top-box manufactured by Cupertino. The box will reportedly allow consumers to access live television as well as other content, according to people familiar with the matter.

Instead of licensing content directly, Apple will go through the cable providers, offering a set-top-box that offers a mix of live television and custom apps. According to the report, the box that Apple is planning to build could cost “hundreds of dollars”, not unlike the current devices offered by Motorola, among others. Rather than building an actual television, Apple could slowly but surely makes its way into the industry, building up credibility with partners before moving ahead with its own plans. The Wall Street Journal does note, however, that Apple has built prototype televisions in the past.

According to the WSJ, Apple hasn’t yet reached a deal with any cable operators, as the companies may be reluctant to let Apple participate in the TV game. It’s not the first time Apple has approached content providers with the prospect of some sort of device based around the television. Steve Jobs reportedly approached the CEO of CBS last year about providing content for a new Apple television subscription-based service, an offer that was met with rejection.

Rumors have popped up for years suggesting that Apple is working on a television, but things have been quiet on that front as of late. The last time we heard about the fabled Apple television it was said to resemble a Cinema Display, with voice recognition powered by Siri allowing users to control the TV with only their voice. Sharp is said to be providing IGZO panels for the TV, but if this new report from the Wall Street Journal is to be believed, Apple may be trying a different route instead.

[via The Next Web]

Apple tipped for live TV set-top box is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

All of that squabbling over H.264 may be rendered moot in the near future. The Motion Picture Experts Group (better known as MPEG) has just let us know that it was quietly drafting a new video standard while everyone was on summer vacation last month: H.265, also called High Efficiency Video Coding, promises to squeeze video sizes with double the efficiency of H.264. As you might imagine, this could lead either to a much smaller video footprint for bandwidth-starved mobile users or a hike to image quality with the same size as before. Imagine fast-loading HD streaming on 4G, or cable TV without all the excess compression, and you’ve got the idea. Ericsson Research visual technology lead Per Fröjdh anticipates H.265 coming as soon as 2013, when our smartphones and tablets are most likely to play it first. TV and other areas might have to wait, although Fröjdh is offering a consolation prize — he’s teasing a separate MPEG project that could give us glasses-free, compressed 3D video as a standard by 2014.

Continue reading MPEG drafts twice-as-efficient H.265 video standard, sees use in phones as soon as 2013

Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Software

MPEG drafts twice-as-efficient H.265 video standard, sees use in phones as soon as 2013 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 21:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Olympics are just barely over, and you’re still probably nursing your sport-scorched eyeballs. Give your mind a break after all that TV. But in just four short years, we’ll be at it again. So how will we watch the Olympiad next time? More »

I am a huge fan of The Walking Dead on AMC. I think this is one of the best shows on TV and Universal Studios Hollywood has just announced an epic new Halloween adventure that will kick off in late September. Universal Studios Hollywood has announced the “Terror Tram Invaded by The Walking Dead.” Passengers aboard the tram will get to scoot around the famous Universal Studios back lot as Walkers wander around.

The Terror Tram isn’t the only attraction besieged by Walkers. Universal Studios will also unveil an immersive maze called “The Walking Dead: Dead Inside.” The maze is based on the series and presumably, there will be Walkers rambling about inside a maze as visitor’s attempts to get out. This sounds so much better than a haunted house.

The back lot scene for Terror Tram is a rural setting with a small town that has been devastated by a horrific plane crash. The maze for the Dead Inside attraction are described as movie quality. There are other mazes include “Welcome to Silent Hill” based on the popular video game franchise and a maze by rock star Alice Cooper called “Alice Cooper Goes to Hell 3D.”

The event will also have a maze based on a Latin American legend called “La Llorona: Cazadora de Ninos.” Halloween Horror Nights starts on Friday, September 21 and goes on during select nights through Halloween. If you’re a fan of The Walking Dead, the season premiere is set for Sunday, October 14.

Universal Studios Hollywood Terror Tram gets invaded by The Walking Dead is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

"Wannabe" is a comedy film starring Craig Robert Young, Octavia Spencer,
Matt Dallas, Tate Taylor, Adam Huss, written by Craig Robert Young and
Richard Keith and directed by Richard Keith. It’s being promoted as one
of the only films to be released on Facebook.
However, while that may be true, if one was to research the movie on the Internet, it is evident this flick was first produced back in 2005?