Apple is refuting a recent report that suggested HomeKit — its home automation software platform — was experiencing problems and could expect delays. This week the company announced that the first HomeKit-enabled devices will ship next month. The company first unveiled HomeKit at last June’s Worldwide Developers Conference. The platform enables Apple devices to control connected appliances in the home, essentially turning iPhones and iPads into a command system for smart thermostats, lights, garage doors, locks, security systems and more. Continue reading Apple Refutes Delays, Says HomeKit Devices Shipping in June

Following last month’s news that Cablevision would become the first pay TV provider to resell Hulu, the streaming service has announced an expanded deal to reach AT&T’s customers on mobile devices and the Web. “Starting later this year, customers will be able to access Hulu shows through an AT&T app on their mobile phones, as well as through an AT&T website for Internet viewing,” explains TechCrunch. “The two are also exploring the possibility of bringing a Hulu app to TVs.” The previous agreement provided Hulu’s free content to AT&T subscribers; the new deal will expand access to Hulu’s premium tier. The mobile app is still in development.

According to people with knowledge of the matter, CE manufacturer Vizio is reportedly in talk with banks regarding an initial public offering, which could take place this year. The company was founded in 2002 and has become known for its affordable televisions. It has also branched out to computers, smartphones and tablets. “Vizio has more than $1 billion in revenue, one of the people said, a threshold that precludes it from filing confidentially under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act,” reports Bloomberg. “The company is also profitable.” Action cam startup GoPro raised $491 million in its IPO last year. Fitbit Inc. filed for an IPO this month.

The Internet Security Task Force (ISTS), a consortium comprised of motion picture companies, is requesting that U.S. Internet service providers abandon the Copyright Alert System (CAS), which ISTS views as “ineffective.” The system forwards up to six warnings to Internet users who are identified as sharing copyrighted material via BitTorrent and other resources, before potentially taking action. ISTS is calling for a new system with stronger measures, possibly modeled after Canada’s Copyright Modernization Act. Continue reading ISTS Calls for New Take on ‘Ineffective’ Copyright Alert System

Disney and Pixar exec John Lasseter, who introduced the first full-length computer animated film 20 years ago this November, remembers the times he was told a computer-generated film would never work. As we approach the 20th anniversary of “Toy Story,” the visionary imagines a time when future artists create feature-length films with an iPhone or GoPro. “People will tell you, ‘That’s not going to work,’ but yeah, that’s going to work,” Lasseter told an audience at AMPAS this week. “But the reason they say that is because it’s not what they are used to.” According to Variety, Lasseter “said that innovators need to read voraciously, be nimble with their technique and ‘be wrong as fast as they can’ — making and remaking stories rapidly to hone their skills and their stories.”

Mandalay Entertainment CEO Peter Guber — who believes virtual reality is “the secret sauce for live entertainment” — is reportedly investing millions of dollars in NextVR. The startup “films and broadcasts live events that, when viewed in VR, allow the user to look in any direction they like while also having a closer vantage point on the action than they might get on TV,” reports Re/code. Guber, who co-owns the Los Angeles Dodgers and Golden State Warriors, thinks “that it’s technologically feasible to let viewers ‘move’ around a stadium or theater to change their view, possibly through voice commands spoken to smartphones strapped to their heads.”

Ubisoft is one of the few major publishers to make an early commitment to virtual reality. The company announced that it is developing a “number of games” for VR platforms to be released during the first half of next year. During a recent earnings call, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot spoke of new possibilities in immersive entertainment, but referenced concern of the downsides of extended playing time with VR tech. “Despite those worries, Ubisoft seems to see potential value in developing for headsets like the Valve-powered HTC Vive (due later this year), the Oculus Rift, and Sony’s Project Morpheus (both due in early 2016),” explains Ars Technica.

Amazon has introduced a new ad platform for mobile app developers, as part of the company’s effort to take on Google and Facebook in the rapidly growing smartphone advertising market. “The service lets developers promote their apps on Android smartphones and tablets as well as Amazon tablets, paying Amazon each time a user clicks an advertisement displayed through the system,” notes Bloomberg. “Campaigns start at $100.” According to eMarketer, Amazon currently has less than a 1 percent share of the $28.7 billion U.S. mobile ad market, while Google dominates at 35 percent and Facebook maintains 17 percent.

The annual International CES tradeshow broke attendance records in January with an official total of 176,676 attendees. “Other records broken this year, according to the CEA, were more than 3,600 exhibitors, more than 2.23 million net square feet of exhibit space and 6,952 media and analyst attendees,” reports CNET. According to the Computer Electronics Association, which runs CES, next year’s event (January 6-9, 2016) will be capped at 176,000 registrants. This marks the first time CEA has introduced a registration cap for the show. CEA will also establish stricter registration procedures to manage attendance and help ensure a “quality experience.”

Verizon Communications announced that it plans to acquire AOL for $4.4 billion as part of its larger initiative to develop mobile video and advertising opportunities. As part of the deal, Verizon will pick up assets such as Adap.tv, Convertro, The Huffington Post, Moviefone, and TechCrunch, among others. According to AOL, the combination of networks will match the scale of Facebook and Google. Following the merger, expected to close this summer, AOL CEO Tim Armstrong will continue running the company and help build the growing content business. Continue reading Verizon to Acquire AOL in Push for Mobile Video and Ad Tech

DVR maker TiVo has confirmed that it is developing a legal version of the failed Aereo service, which combined cloud DVR tech with a system of antennas for capturing over-the-air TV and distributing the content online to subscribers via smartphones, tablets, connected TVs and Web browsers. Aereo filed for bankruptcy after the Supreme Court ruled it had violated copyright law, and then TiVo purchased Aereo’s trademarks and customer lists for about $1 million. The company has scheduled a July event in San Jose to discuss the new product. Continue reading TiVo is Working on Legal Version of Aereo Distribution Model

According to The Hollywood Reporter, “The Blu-ray Disc Association has completed an Ultra HD Blu-ray technical specification that will lead to the release of players and discs that support the new format. Manufacturers will be able to license Ultra HD Blu-ray beginning in July and, presumably, consumer products will begin to roll out later in the year.” The new format supports 4K resolution, high dynamic range, high frame rates and object-based immersive sound, explains THR. BDA notes that a “digital bridge” feature will enable content to be played “across the range of in-home and mobile devices.”

Samsung has unveiled its Artik initiative as part of its push to advance the Internet of Things by connecting devices including drones, fitness trackers, home appliances, light bulbs, security cameras and smartwatches. Artik “centers on tiny circuit boards that come packed with new processors, communication chips, sensors and other components,” reports The Wall Street Journal. “Samsung is also offering software and related services to help configure new devices and connect them to the Internet.” Last year, the company purchased startup SmartThings, which has become part of its strategy to develop a neutral platform for IoT.

As Meerkat and Periscope battle for the lead in live broadcasting via smartphones, Periscope is rolling out a version 10.4 update to make it easier for users to sign up. No longer requiring a Twitter account, users can now use the streaming app by simply entering a phone number. However, Periscope still recommends that Twitter users sign up for the app through its microblogging service since it is easier to identify other interesting users to follow. The update also makes it easier to reply to comments during a broadcast. Continue reading Periscope Update Allows Users to Sign Up with Phone Number

The Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao championship bout on May 2nd drew more pay-per-view purchases than any other boxing match in history. According to The New York Times, “An estimated 4.4 million viewers paid a record price of $89.95 to $99.95 to watch the fight, generating more than $400 million in domestic revenue, Showtime, HBO and the fighters’ promoters said. The pace of purchases was so great on fight night that the bout was delayed by about a half-hour to process the flurry of late orders. The total nearly doubled the previous record for boxing pay-per-view buys: 2.48 million, for the Mayweather-Oscar De La Hoya bout in 2007.”