Virtual reality began to dominate headlines last year at CES, and that drumbeat will only grow louder this year. Falling at the beginning of the proclaimed release window for two of the flag bearers of the VR renaissance, Oculus and Sony, and accompanied by a bumper crop of hardware and software suppliers, VR is ready to emerge from the shadows of the early adopters and meet the general consumer. We expect to see innovative products in January from companies such as Google, GoPro, HTC, NextVR, Sixense, Yezz and others. Beyond gaming and 360-degree video, we’ll be watching for new approaches to live streaming sports and music events. Continue reading CES 2016: Virtual Reality Headgear, Platforms, Ecosystems

The increasing interest in virtual reality and rise of the app stores are expected to help make gaming a hot topic at January’s CES. Coming off its crowd-pleasing debut at the show last year, and with its consumer launch only months away, expect Oculus to monopolize the floor. And with it comes an array of manufacturers hoping to add a new dimension to the immersive gameplay experience with new peripherals. Meanwhile, the widespread adoption of game systems as entertainment hubs has created a new pipeline for indie developers to reach consumers. And let’s not forget the rise of eSports. Turner Broadcasting certainly hasn’t, and will be bringing its largest-ever showcase to prove it. Continue reading CES 2016: VR, Game Platforms, eSports Coming to Las Vegas

The Internet of Things will grow larger once again at CES 2016 with both incremental and innovative advances in objects, systems and simplicity, but for the entertainment industry the past year should also serve as a cautionary tale. Smart home sensors that track and analyze movements to enable new levels of seamless interaction will impact both the home and the world at large. Security will likely become an increasing concern as the infrastructure is created to effectively connect devices and systems. Continue reading CES: Emerging Opportunities and Equally Growing Risk of IoT

Yahoo has abandoned its plans to sell its $31 billion stake in Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba, reportedly due to tax concerns. Instead, Yahoo’s board of directors has decided to sell off other company assets. According to the press release: “In the reverse spin off, Yahoo’s assets and liabilities other than the Alibaba stake would be transferred to a newly formed company, the stock of which would be distributed pro rata to Yahoo shareholders resulting in two separate publicly-traded companies.” The company notes the deal could take up to a year or more. Re/code suggests that “Yahoo’s plan to spin off Yahoo will also be a plan to sell off Yahoo.” Continue reading Yahoo Announces it No Longer Plans Spin Off of Alibaba Stake

In addition to its 2.2 million square feet of exhibit space and product showcases, CES offers nearly 300 conference sessions covering the gamut of consumer technology. Its 36 different conference tracks explore industry sectors from Automotive to Wireless. These conference sessions leverage the presence of more than 48,000 senior-level executives and government officials, many of whom participate on panels or present as subject matter experts. ETC will cover the most relevant sessions from Las Vegas, January 5-9. Continue reading CES: Conference Tracks Explore Breadth, Depth of Innovation

Research firm IDC is forecasting that this year will mark the first period that the rate of global smartphone expansion will drop to single digits, with growth slowing significantly in the Asia Pacific region, Latin America and Western Europe. Growth has stagnated in China, the world’s largest market. The report “predicts total smartphone shipments in 2015 will amount to a 9.8 percent increase compared to last year, or 1.43 billion units,” explains Wired. “IDC expects that Windows Phones and other phones running on operating systems other than Android or iOS will ship in significantly less quantities in the future.” This may be good news for Apple, which is leading the market with new financing and trade-in options. Continue reading IDC Report Indicates Worldwide Smartphone Growth is Slowing

The new Google Cardboard Camera app now enables Android phone users to record virtual reality photos for viewing in Google Cardboard. This is similar to a panoramic smartphone image, but the user makes a full 360-degree rotation. A sound snippet is recorded at the same time. “The result is pretty striking: a three-dimensional panorama where near things look near, far things look far, and you can look in front of you, to your sides, or crane your neck all the way behind you to see the entire captured scene,” notes the Wired review. “Unlike VR video, the elements in the picture aren’t moving; it’s a stillframe moment in time, enhanced by the natural sounds of the scene.”

Two years after it first announced its Prime Air drone project, Amazon has unveiled its latest UAV prototype, with plans to eventually deliver packages to customers in less than 30 minutes. In a video featuring former “Top Gear” host Jeremy Clarkson, a new hybrid design is introduced — a larger vehicle that is essentially part helicopter and part airplane. The drone can still take off and land vertically, but it can also shift to a horizontal flight mode with the capability of flying 55 mph for more than 15 miles. Continue reading Amazon Debuts New Hybrid Prototype for its Prime Air Drones

The HTTP/2 protocol, launched in February with the goal of enhancing speed and efficiency of Web traffic, is getting a major boost with support from content distribution network CloudFlare. The new protocol “will be available by default to all the company’s customers, more than doubling the adoption for the fledgling Web standard,” reports The Verge. “The most noticeable result for users will be faster page speeds. HTTP/2 won’t make pages significantly smaller, but the same data will require fewer round trips to the server, cutting load times by as much as half in some tests.” While browsers such as Chrome, Firefox and Safari already support HTTP/2, the protocol so far accounts for a small percentage of the overall Web.

DirecTV has joined the ranks of those looking to bring more 4K content to consumers. During New York’s TranSPORT conference, DirecTV’s Phil Goswitz confirmed that the company plans to launch a live 4K broadcast service sometime early next year. He said live sports transmissions are currently being tested and DirecTV has the ability to transmit up to 50 new UHD channels. Goswitz explained that DirecTV is “moving into working with partners” for more 4K content. CBS, ESPN and Fox are among the networks that have also been experimenting with live 4K production. Continue reading DirecTV Planning to Debut Live 4K Broadcasting in Early 2016

Oculus’ second Rift development kit (DK2) continues to grow in market value, commanding as much as $1,200 for a new unit on auction sites such as eBay. New and used DK2 units are selling online for hundreds more than the original $350 asking price. “Resale prices for the headset only soared to their current highs since Oculus stopped selling the DK2 hardware on October 26, likely to prepare for the impending launch of the consumer Rift,” explains Ars Technica. “Yet even before the DK2 was discontinued, aftermarket sales were still going for prices well above the ‘retail’ price.” Oculus’ consumer VR hardware is expected to launch early next year.

Apple and Santa Barbara-based Sonos announced earlier this week that Apple Music will finally be available via Sonos’ popular Wi-Fi speakers. According to Forbes, a public beta will launch December 15, and general availability is expected in early 2016. While Sonos already offers other streaming music services through its app, the Apple Music integration will introduce new features including “For You,” “Radio” and “My Music.” Sonos, which launched 13 years ago, has become the biggest brand in connected audio. “This will be Apple’s first integration into third-party hardware for its music streaming service,” notes Forbes.

As part of a software upgrade, Verizon’s FiOS TV service has been introducing DVR Anywhere features in select markets that enable subscribers to view their stored content on more screens. “DVR Anywhere will allow FiOS TV subs to access their recordings on Internet-connected mobile devices,” reports Multichannel News. “Additionally, the software update enables in-home streaming of the full live TV lineup on the FiOS Mobile app.” The updates position Verizon’s service closer to features offered by TiVo and Comcast’s X1 platform. Verizon says the rollout of new features is scheduled for all FiOS TV markets by mid December.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has been working with U.S. banks, energy firms and other private companies to test possible solutions to cyber attacks and learn more about how attackers view external systems and infrastructure. According to Krebs on Security, the efforts “are part of a little-known program at DHS designed to help ‘critical infrastructure’ companies shore up their computer and network defenses against real-world adversaries. And it’s all free of charge.” National Cybersecurity Assessments and Technical Services (NCATS) provides testing through two programs — a “Risk and Vulnerability Assessment” and “Cyber Hygiene” evaluation.

Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan, announced yesterday that they plan to donate 99 percent of their Facebook shares over time to charitable purposes such as “personalized learning, curing disease, connecting people and building strong communities.” The couple’s holdings are presently valued at $45 billion, notes The New York Times. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative will be established to manage the money. News of the charitable plans was unveiled in a letter to the couple’s newborn daughter Max posted on Facebook. Zuckerberg also recently joined the Breakthrough Energy Coalition, a multibillion-dollar clean energy initiative organized by Bill Gates.