According to mobile analytics startup Mixpanel, more than 38 percent of iOS mobile devices are now running iOS 8.4, Apple’s latest mobile operating system. That means a growing number of consumers now have access to a free trial of the new Apple Music service, reports VentureBeat. “Dangerous for Spotify,” said Suhail Doshi, Mixpanel’s chief exec. “That’s hundreds of millions of people who can get a free three-month trial with Apple Music.” While Spotify recently expanded to include videos and podcasts for its 75 million users, Apple Music could prove to be a threat to existing music services such as Spotify and Rdio.

For those who may be questioning the growing value of YouTube celebrities, you may be interested to learn that 24-year-old Felix Kjellberg (aka PewDiePie) of Sweden now has 37.7 million subscribers on YouTube, while PewDiePie Productions generated about $7.4 million in revenue last year. According to Engadget, Kjellberg made $4 million the year before by “playing video games, recording his reactions and uploading the resulting videos to YouTube.” Kjellberg has defended himself following social media backlash by noting his many charitable contributions. In addition, he claims his “bro army” (fans) raised more than $1 million for various charities.

Netflix is ready to expand its original content beyond TV series to feature films. First, the service will release Cary Fukunaga’s “Beasts of No Nation” on October 16. The film will debut via Netflix and select U.S. theaters, which will make it eligible for industry awards. On December 11, Netflix will release “The Ridiculous Six,” the first of four Adam Sandler films it plans to distribute. And in Q1 2016, the sequel “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Green Legend” will be released globally on Netflix, theatrically in China and on IMAX. Continue reading Netflix Looking to Build its Brand with Original Feature Films

Showtime’s over-the-top streaming service, which provides on-demand access to the premium cable network’s content and live East and West Coast feeds, is now available to consumers. The service is offered for $10.99 per month for subscriptions on Apple mobile devices including iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, in addition to Apple TV, PlayStation Vue and Roku. Hulu customers can add the new service to their current subscription for $8.99 per month, reports TechCrunch. All are offering a 30-day free trial subscription. The service’s launch is coinciding with the July 12th season debuts of Showtime originals “Ray Donovan” and “Masters of Sex.”

On July 12, GoPro will debut Hero4 Session, its latest action-video camera, priced at $399 and featuring a dramatically different form factor: a 1.5-inch cube that weighs only 2.6 ounces, with one button for on and off. In addition, GoPro founder Nick Woodman has announced the company’s expansion into virtual reality with a 16-camera array for an as-of-yet undisclosed price, to debut in August. Scheduled for next year, GoPro also plans to launch a quadcopter drone with built-in GoPro camera. Continue reading GoPro Unveils Smaller Hero Camera, Plans for VR and Drone

Virtual reality and marketing is a match made in heaven, say many VR experts, but so far very few examples of that pairing have come to pass. OnlyInVR CEO Michael Hodson hopes to change that with videos for the tourism and travel industry. His company’s videos have already been big hits at trade shows, he claims, and he lists STA Travel and the Aspen Chamber of Commerce among his clients. He also shows off VR tours of New York, Las Vegas and Venice, Italy optimized for Samsung’s Gear VR. Continue reading OnlyInVR Sells Immersive Videos to Tourism, Travel Clients

In the wake of the abrupt dismissal of Reddit employee Victoria Taylor, CEO Ellen Pao apologized to the site’s disgruntled users, acknowledging a history that goes back several years of broken promises and poor communication. But apologies by Pao and co-founder/executive chairman Alexis Ohanian haven’t yet mollified users, who are circulating an online petition demanding Pao’s termination. The 10-year old San Francisco-based company has 70 to 80 employees but relies on its power users to govern the site. Continue reading Reddit Chief Promises Better Communication with Community

Facebook-owned photo-sharing service Instagram is quietly rolling out support for 1080×1080 pixel resolution for its images, which up until now had remained at 640×640 resolution. “An Instagram spokesperson tells us that the company started ‘gradually rolling out 1080 across iOS and Android’ last week, meaning that most people should already be seeing the higher-resolution images in the mobile app,” The Verge explains. However, the desktop version of Instagram does not include the upgrade. According to the spokesperson, “right now we are focused on mobile, with no plans to share on Web.”

Anyone who has ever read a story to a child knows the drill: children want to hear their favorite stories over and over again. That’s the major ingredient in Netflix, Amazon Instant Video and Hulu’s success in courting young audiences (and their parents). On-demand video makes it easy for a child to replay, over and over again, his or her favorite TV episodes or movies. Acutely aware of the phenomenon, these companies are actively working to provide video content for the young set, turning toddlers into life-long viewers. Continue reading Netflix and Amazon Aim to Shape Children’s Viewing Habits

Periscope both was and was not at Wimbledon this year. The tournament’s digital content team used Twitter’s live video broadcasting app to take fans on a Roger Federer-led walking tour of the facility. Federer also anchored Wimbledon’s Periscope feed of the matches at the All England Lawn Tennis Club. But Wimbledon simultaneously banned attendees from using the live-streaming app in the stands. Periscope CEO Kayvon Beykpour wasn’t fazed by the seemingly contradictory move. “Their motivation is preserving the sanctity of play,” he said. Continue reading Periscope Streams Wimbledon But Is Banned at Tournament

Silicon Beach has become home to a number of tech startups, publicly traded companies and business incubators. Recent years have seen a wave of talent, innovation and investors that have fostered compelling new companies and, in some cases, acquisitions by larger Silicon Valley tech leaders. However, a number of startups have opted to stay in Los Angeles, while larger companies such as Google, Microsoft and Yahoo are building a presence. While still early in its development, the LA tech scene now has the core ingredients that helped launch Silicon Valley. Continue reading Silicon Beach Now the Main Tech Hub of Southern California

Italian surveillance firm Hacking Team, a company that provides technology for state intelligence agencies to infiltrate computer networks, was itself hacked in a breach that exposed more than 400 gigabytes of data. “The breached trove includes executive emails, customer invoices and even source code; the company’s Twitter feed was hacked, controlled by the intruders for nearly 12 hours, and used to distribute samples of the company’s hacked files,” explains Wired. “These are the equivalents of the Edward Snowden leaks for the surveillance industry,” said Eric King, deputy director of Privacy International. “There are few countries [Hacking Team] aren’t willing to sell to. There are few lines they aren’t willing to cross.”

Recently, Amazon has been offering discounts on sneakers and video games to its Prime members, prompting some industry watchers to predict an impending price war with discount shopping site Jet.com. Operating in private beta, the members-only Jet offers cheaper prices by lowering order fulfillment and shipping costs. The belief in the possibility of a price war is rooted in recent history: Jet was founded by former Amazon employee Marc Lore, whose previous company Diapers.com was the focus of a heated price war that ended with Amazon’s 2010 acquisition. Continue reading Is a Price War Brewing Between Amazon.com and Jet.com?

Amazon announced that it plans to conduct a special one-day sale for Prime members on July 15. The “Prime Day” sale, commemorating the e-commerce giant’s 20th anniversary, promises “more deals than Black Friday.” Special deals will start to appear at midnight and new offers will be introduced as frequently as every 10 minutes. The event is designed to bring more shoppers to its subscription service. “You can simply sign up for a 30-day free trial and cancel before the end, though of course Amazon is hoping that plenty of those that do join to take advantage of its one-day sale end up staying on and paying the $99-a-year membership fee,” reports Digital Trends.

Japan broadcaster NHK has chosen the Wimbledon tennis tournament in London to test its Super Hi-Vision 8K system. NHK is using Sony’s high-end F65 4K camera for production and upconverting content to 8K through a Sony processor. The production also includes a a FOR-A FT-ONE camera and two Ikegami SHV8000 Super Hi-Vision cameras. “Japan’s government and NHK are leading an effort to bring Super Hi-Vision — which combines 8K with a 22.2 surround sound system and a high frame rate of 60 frames per second — to Japan,” notes The Hollywood Reporter. “Plans are to start some satellite 8K broadcasting, beginning next June with the Rio Olympics.”