In addition to the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus and next-gen Apple TV set-top box with an emphasis on apps, gaming and shopping, Apple unveiled several compelling new products and updates at its San Francisco event, including a $100 stylus called Apple Pencil, a new iPad Pro with optional keyboard that will likely play to business users, improvements to the Apple Watch (including apps such as Facebook Messenger and AirStrip), and more. For the new iPhones, Apple has notably packed the back-facing iSight cameras with 12 megapixels, a larger sensor designed to reduce image artifacts, and the ability to shoot 4K video. Continue reading Apple Introduces New iPhones, Apple TV, iPad Pro and More

Facebook’s Instagram, which now has 300 million users, is launching self-service ad buying in worldwide markets around the world, starting with more than 30 new countries. Notably, ads will now include video spots up to 30 seconds. Instagram has been slow to sell ads in fear of alienating users. In 2013, it debuted a feature for editing and uploading 15-second videos, a duration that has remained the limit for video ads. “In addition to video ads up to 30 seconds, Instagram also introduced landscape (horizontal) photo and video ads for ‘a more cinematic feel’ and delivery and optimization tools to manage campaigns across Facebook and Instagram,” reports Variety.

Hotel chain Marriott is testing its “VRoom Service” with partner Samsung at the New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square and the London Marriott Hotel Park Lane. The service provides hotel guests with a Samsung Gear VR headset for 24 hours, and three “VR Postcards” commissioned by Marriott. “Those videos, shot in 360-degree 3D, each follow real travelers on a different journeys, taking viewers to Chile’s Andes mountains, an ice-cream shop in Rwanda and Beijing’s bustling streets,” notes Variety. The VR Postcards, created with Framestore’s Virtual Reality Studio, will also “be available via the Samsung Milk VR video service, accessible via the Samsung Gear VR headset developed with Facebook’s Oculus VR division.”

Disney is expanding support for its cloud-based digital movie service on more platforms with the debut of new apps for Amazon Fire tablets, Amazon’s Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, and Microsoft Xbox 360. Apps for Android TV and Roku are expected in a few days. The Disney Movies Anywhere collection currently features more than 450 digital movies from Disney, Marvel and Pixar in addition to Star Wars and short form content. Its new app is now available to Amazon and Microsoft customers, the result of new partnerships between the studio and both companies. Continue reading Disney Movies Anywhere Service Goes Wide on New Platforms

Sources say that Twitter’s Periscope is quietly developing an app for the new Apple TV, which would allow users to watch live Periscope broadcasts on their TVs. Apple is expected to unveil its new set-top box today with an emphasis on casual games and a variety of featured apps from third-party developers, including the Periscope app. “Though we can’t confirm the exact functionality of the app, it’s likely to be focused on watching streams,” suggests TechCrunch. “Periscope made videos viewable on the Web in June without the ability to broadcast, and the Apple TV app could work similarly.”

At the recent IFA trade show in Berlin, LG demonstrated a wallpaper TV, a waved 4K TV and a double-sided OLED TV. The latter was reportedly a big hit with attendees. “The new double-sided TV measures a massive 111 inches although a closer look would reveal that it is actually made of three 65-inch Ultra HD OLED displays,” explains Tech Times. “The display, which is also called Vertically Tiling Display, resembles a room divider that has two folds.” The company also developed a 55-inch version. LG already features OLED technology in many of its curved TVs, its lines of smartwatches and the LG G Flex 2 handset.

NPD Group reports that “connected TV devices” were in 46 million U.S. homes at the end of Q2 2015. That figure represents about half of all U.S. homes with an Internet connection. NPD defines “connected TV device” as one that connects to the Internet and allows the user to access apps (including connected devices such as smart TVs, game consoles, streaming media players and Blu-ray Disc players). According to NPD executive director John Buffone, the 4 million year-over-year jump is attributable to increased sales of smart TVs and a surge of streaming services. Continue reading Half of U.S. Homes with Internet Have Connected TV Devices

Scripps Networks Interactive has partnered with TV Everywhere platform provider Anvato to offer viewers new live streams of the Cooking Channel, DIY Network, Food Network, HGTV and Travel Channel online and via mobile devices. In addition to streaming Scripps programming, Anvato is powering dynamic ad insertion (DAI) on network websites and the Android and iOS apps for Food Network, HGTV and Travel Channel. According to Matt Smith, chief evangelist at Anvato, DAI is becoming more popular as producers look to monetize their digital services. Continue reading TV Everywhere: Scripps Offers Live Streams of Cable Channels

When Apple unveils its next generation Apple TV product this Wednesday at its scheduled event in San Francisco, insiders say videogames will be one of the key selling points. The move marks a departure for Apple TV, which has thus far been marketed as a device for streaming video and music content. The device will reportedly feature the components necessary for generating interest from casual gamers, including more power and a faster processor for improved graphics, a motion-sensitive remote that could also serve as a game controller and an app store for downloading games. Continue reading New Apple TV Could Compete with Traditional Game Consoles

Amazon announced that it has agreed to purchase Elemental Technologies in an all-cash deal valued at about $500 million, marking Amazon’s biggest deal since last year’s $1 billion acquisition of videogame streaming site Twitch. Elemental helps media companies encode and transcode video content for viewing on the Web and via mobile devices. Amazon plans to add Elemental to its Amazon Web Services cloud computing division, one of the company’s faster-growing units. Amazon reportedly beat out both Ericsson AB and Cisco Systems to acquire Elemental. Continue reading Amazon Plans to Acquire Portland-Based Video Formatting Firm

Chip giant Intel recently threw its hat into the quantum computer ring when it announced plans to invest $50 million in Netherlands-based QuTech, an institute launched in 2013 by Delft University of Technology and the Dutch Organization for Applied Research. The investment is part of a planned 10-year collaboration with QuTech. Researchers from leading tech companies such as Google, IBM and Microsoft have been looking to apply quantum physics to computing for a long time. Continue reading Intel Makes a Major Investment in Quantum Computer Research

BlackBerry announced that it plans to acquire Good Technology for $425 million. “Good was an early competitor to BlackBerry in the market for software used by corporations and governments to manage and increase security on employee smartphones,” according to The New York Times. “John S. Chen, BlackBerry’s chief executive, has made dominating that business a key component of rebuilding the company.” While some analysts see potential problems in the costs of merging the two companies’ software, others note that “Good’s technology would allow BlackBerry to improve how its software works with Android phones and Apple iPhones.”

At its I/O conference in May, Google announced that Android Pay would be included in Android Marshmallow when it launched. As the company readies new Nexus devices and its new mobile operating system, Android Pay should be just around the corner (according to a leaked Verizon memo, the mobile payments system will roll out September 16). “The most recent Google Wallet upgrade shows an advert for the new payments app, and there’s now a FAQ online as well that explains the differences between the two,” reports Digital Trends. “The next version of Google Wallet will let you send and receive money on any platform, whereas Android Pay is a mobile payments system tied to Android itself.”

The Wall Street Journal reports that Google is in talks with the Chinese government and handset manufacturers about rolling out a new app store in China, possibly by the end of this year. Google has reportedly been working for more than a year on developing a version of the Play app store that offers Chinese government-approved apps and services. “Google abruptly ceased most operations in mainland China in 2010 following cyberattacks against Gmail users and disagreements with the government over censorship of search results,” notes WSJ. “Since then, China has become the world’s largest smartphone market, and Google rival Apple Inc. is a leading player there.”

Oculus VR has scheduled its second annual Connect event for September 23-25 in Hollywood. The conference will include keynotes from CEO Brendan Iribe, chief scientist Michael Abrash and CTO John Carmack. The company plans to highlight new content and make a number of announcements. “While Oculus has already pledged an early 2016 release window for its keystone hardware product, the Oculus Rift, the company may offer a more specific date at the Connect event,” notes CNET. “But two recent tweets from Carmack have intimated the possibility of updates to the Gear VR hardware, the Oculus-compatible accessories that convert some Samsung phones into virtual-reality goggles.”