Mar 21
YouTube announced that it has racked up 1 billion unique monthly users. About as many people use YouTube (which is owned by Google) as they do Facebook. That’s huge.
Mar 20
Remember the marketing campaign called the “Windows Phone Challenge” (also known as “Smoked by Windows Phone”) that put Windows Phone devices up against other smartphones in a series of challenges that ultimately gave Windows Phone the advantage? Yeah, Microsoft is bringing it all back with some new television ads that will air this month during NCAA March Madness.
The first ad to make an appearance in the rebooted marketing campaign puts the Nokia Lumia 920 head-to-head with Samsung’s Galaxy S III in a photo-taking challenge in low-light conditions. The 30-second advertisement demonstrates the remarkable low-light capabilities of the Lumia 920′s PureView camera, while the Galaxy S III’s photo appears really dark.
Of course, it’s not really a fair fight to begin with. The Galaxy S III is almost a year old, while Nokia’s Lumia 920 just came out a few months ago. Of course, we’re not doubting the 920′s amazing photo-taking abilities (take a look at our full review), but how about Microsoft waits until next month when the GALAXY S 4 comes out for a true fair fight?
At the end of the advertisement, you see the Galaxy S III owner trade in the Android phone for the Lumia 920. Obviously, the commercial targets Samsung’s last-generation flagship directly, and suggests that the device takes “bad smartphone photos.” Of course, we’ll leave that judgement up to you, but we’d be more interested to see a Lumia 920 vs. GALAXY S 4 challenge more than anything.
Microsoft bringing back Windows Phone Challenge with new TV ads is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Mar 20
Toshiba announced today its 2013 lineup of home theater and entertainment products, including new televisions, Blu-ray players, and a new service called Cloud TV. The lineup is headlined by the company’s new 9-series Ultra HD televisions and a new service called Cloud TV, which offers on-demand content like Netflix, Vimeo, and YouTube.
Toshiba says that the new line of products features a “new design identity,” which includes rounded corners, brushed metal, gloss finishes, and a minimalist aesthetic that makes the new products simple and easy to use. Toshiba says that the new design for its 2013 products will go right along with any modern and contemporary look in a home.
The new 9-series Ultra HD range comes in flavors of 84-inch, 65-inch, and 58-inch screen sizes. Also in the new lineup are 4-series, 6-series, and 7-series lines of new televisions. The 4- and 6-series are the companies new entry models for 2013, which are basic smart TV models that come in either 32-inch or 50-inch screen sizes.
The 7-series is a new line of 3D-enabled smart TVs that come in 40-inch, 50-inch, and 58-inch flavors. As for the new Cloud TV platform, there’s not a lot of information about it at this point, but it’ll essentially be a service that includes a handful of apps, as well as the ability to share content between multiple devices in the home.
Toshiba also announced three new Blu-ray players, all of which look more or less the same design-wise, but are slightly different from one another. They feature built-in WiFi, 3D playback support, smart TV functionality, including access to YouTube, Netflix, etc., and the design of the new players compliments the new range of televisions nicely as well. No details on pricing or availability, but we should be seeing these new products on the market very soon.
Toshiba announces 2013 range of new home theater products is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Mar 19
Because watching television is a notoriously harrowing and grueling process, Hulu Plus just underwent a major redesign for Apple TV, making it easier to navigate and shaving off precious seconds that could otherwise be spent with the TV people, you’re real friends. More »
Mar 19
ABC, or the channel with Dancing with the Stars and Shark Tank as most people know it as these days, is reportedly working on a mobile application that would deliver a live stream of its TV programming. If it turns out to be true and ABC does deliver an application that would live stream its TV programming, it would be the first US broadcaster to do so, making it automatically cooler than FOX, NBC and CBS.
The live-streaming application would allow its users to watch ABC anywhere they go as long as they have an Internet connection, which already makes it a better deal than the apps produced by cable TV companies as they only allow you to watch live-streaming broadcasts while connected to your home wireless network. ABC’s live-streaming app would only be available to subscribers, which means those of you who watch the channel over-the-air will be out of luck. (more…)
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: New Apple TV to come next year?, Sony NEX-7n’s Rumored April Announced Postponed,
Mar 19
Ratings don’t matter anymore. Nielsen ratings, anyway. That’s the thrust of a Wired feature today, and while we may have known that implicitly for some time now, the takeaway is that network execs and advertisers—the people who underwrite TV shows—are wising up to the importance of engagement over eyeballs. More »
Mar 18
There are a lot of weird ways to cook eggs. There are also a lot of normal ways to cook eggs that people try to avoid for some reason. If you like surreal, somewhat phallic egg cooking techniques, though, you need a Rollie. More »
Mar 18
Simon Cowell, renown for his position as a talent judge for several popular TV series like The X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent, and American Idol, will be launching his next competition online. The competition won’t just be limited to the vocally talented, like American Idol or The X Factor. It’s extended to anyone who has a talent that they’re willing to display on YouTube.
The competition is set to launch this Wednesday, March 20th. There will be a finalist announced at the end of every two weeks, meaning there will be 26 lucky winners who will have the chance to win “great prizes”. The competition is called “The You Generation”, and it is looking to discover stars whose talents are hidden behind the endless amounts of videos that show up on YouTube each day.
The judges will be the executives from Simon Cowell’s music publishing/television production house, Syco. Alongside these executives, there will be a series of featured guests (most like celebrities who pop in each week). At the launch of the competition this week, the U.K. boy band, One Direction, will be making a guest appearance live from the back stage of their tour. Their appearance will most likely to draw in viewers (the teenage girls demographic), and encourage competitors.
Alongside the launch of Cowell’s new competition program, YouTube will be launching a series of other new series. Ricky Gervais will be launching a series of “brand new personalities, sketches and comedy creations” through his YouTube Channel. Reddit has started a new series called “Explain Like I’m Five” which breaks down complicated topics into an explanation that is understandable by even (and literally) five year olds. These are important steps that YouTube is taking in order to make itself a viable alternative to regular television.
[via YouTube]
Simon Cowell to launch next competition on YouTube is written by Brian Sin & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Mar 18
Twitter Founder Jack Dorsey’s 60 Minutes Interview in Exactly 140 Characters
Posted in: Today's Chili
Last night’s 60 Minutes featured Twitter founder Jack Dorsey timidly answering questions about his company Square, not having an office or desk, and tweeting. Riveting stuff. More »
Mar 18
The monthly subscription TV bill is a painful reminder that you don’t watch most of the billed channels you receive. You’re not alone — cable and satellite companies are also tired of paying for worthless channels, and they’re doing something …
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