Speaking at ETC’s Media Management in the Cloud conference at NAB, Lincoln Wallen, CTO of DreamWorks Animation, described how “Cloud 2.0” gives digital graphics and animation artists extraordinary new creative freedom and power. Wallen described how this vision has already been realized in DreamWorks’ CGI movie development using in-house animation software Apollo (publicly unveiled in May 2014). The Cloud 2.0 wave Wallen champions focuses on using the cloud as an agile supercomputing resource with on-demand “Compute as a Service” scalability. Continue reading DreamWorks CTO: “Cloud 2.0” Will Transform, Empower Artists

Jaunt VR is launching its Jaunt Studios division to create live-action virtual reality experiences. The new studio, to be located on the west side of Los Angeles, will hire a team of directors, artists, and staff in the next few months to work with Jaunt VR’s engineering team, which plans to remain in Palo Alto. “Jaunt Studios will be led by Cliff Plumer, former CEO of Digital Domain and chief technology officer of Lucasfilm,” according to Variety, noting that Plumer has been involved with VR since before the first Oculus Rift dev kit. “He has since helped introduce VR tech to Hollywood and got involved with live-action VR production,” explains the article.

Facebook has introduced a video calling feature to its Messenger app for mobile users connected via Wi-Fi or LTE. The free calling feature is activated by a tap of the camera icon in the chat interface. It is expected to bring new competition to services such as Facetime, WeChat and Skype. The feature — initially rolling out in North America and Europe — is another move by Facebook to expand its offerings. “Just last month, the company introduced a feature that lets Messenger users to send money to each other. A few days later, it opened up Messenger to outside developers, and now users can download dozens of apps to send funny GIFs, personalized emoji and other enhanced messages,” reports The New York Times.

ESPN filed a lawsuit Monday in New York Supreme Court against Verizon, claiming that Verizon’s new FiOS TV packages — which allow subscribers to purchase a basic set of channels starting at $55 per month, and add tiers of genre-based channels — are in breach of contract regarding ESPN distribution. While Verizon introduced the new packages to attract consumers looking for more flexibility, the company has met resistance from major players such as 21st Century Fox and NBCUniversal regarding current programming agreements. Continue reading ESPN is First to File Suit Against Verizon Over FiOS Bundles

Texas-based startup MergeVR plans to launch a $129 virtual reality headset this fall that is compatible with Android and iOS devices. While Oculus VR and Samsung have partnered on the mobile Gear VR headset, it is limited to Samsung phones and no launch date for a consumer version has been announced. MergeVR CEO Franklin Lyons explains that his company’s headset works with a range of modern smartphones. “We also are the first in the industry to have a wireless motion controller built to work with mobile VR apps,” he says. Continue reading MergeVR to Ship VR Headset and Controller by Holiday Season

Sony is launching a new line of 4K UHD TVs powered by the Android TV operating system. Sony previously featured Google TV software in some of its sets, but made the change to simplify the user experience (and to add built-in Google Chromecast and more than 300 streaming apps). “The new 75-inch, 65-inch and 55-inch Android TVs (priced at $4,999, $3,499 and $2,199) will be shown first at Video & Audio Center’s store in Santa Monica and will go on sale Tuesday at the L.A. area retailers’ three stores,” notes USA Today. “Nationwide availability begins the following week.”

Since Google announced pulling the plug on Google Glass and its Explorer program, the company has suggested that a new version would be developed under the guidance of Tony Fadell, head of its Nest connected home division. Details have been scarce, but Massimo Vian, CEO of Italian eyewear maker Luxottica (Oakley, Ray-Ban), said on Friday that his company was working on a new version to be released soon. “Glass chief Ivy Ross in January said the updated gadget will be cheaper and have longer battery life, improved sound quality and a better display,” reports The Wall Street Journal.

The NeuroGaming 2015 Conference and Expo is scheduled for May 6-7 in San Francisco, with the ESCoNS Pre-Conference Summit slated for May 5. VRLA members can receive a $100 discount by entering the discount code: VRLA. The email invitation reads: “Come play with over 40 experiential technologies in the expo ranging from Neurogames to VR to Neuroware to AR to gesture control for entertainment, health, wellness, performance and education. Hear from nearly 70 executives, investors and game designers sharing their insights into this new market.”

Comcast issued a statement this morning that the proposed merger with Time Warner Cable has officially been terminated. “Today, we move on,” noted Comcast Chairman and CEO Brian Roberts. “Of course, we would have liked to bring our great products to new cities, but we structured this deal so that if the government didn’t agree, we could walk away.” Reports had circulated in recent days that a merger of the country’s two largest cable operators was ending as Comcast faced intense regulatory scrutiny regarding the $45.2 billion acquisition. Continue reading Comcast Confirms That It Has Dropped $45 Billion Bid for TWC

Journalist Adrian Pennington forwarded us news that NHK is expected to be at Wimbledon in June for behind closed doors testing of 8K Super Hi-Vision. The tests will be conducted with IMG and the All England Lawn Tennis Club. Wimbledon host broadcaster BBC worked previously with NHK on Super Hi-Vision, including transmissions to Washington and Japan during the London 2012 Summer Olympics. “8K broadcasting is on the verge of becoming a reality, and it will undoubtedly become the mainstream past 2020,” predicts Hitachi COO Sean Moran. Continue reading NHK Plans to Perform 8K Super Hi-Vision Tests at Wimbledon

Deluxe and Technicolor have joined forces on Deluxe Technicolor Digital Cinema, a Burbank-based joint venture that will provide digital cinema mastering, distribution and management services. “It will combine elements of the two companies’ technologies, personnel and work processes with the intent of providing service on a global scale,” reports Variety. “This transformational partnership will be optimally positioned to offer our companies’ existing and future customers industry-leading digital cinema services with greater efficiencies,” said David Kassler, CEO of Deluxe Entertainment Services.

WhatsApp, the Facebook-owned instant messaging app, recently introduced voice-calling for Android users. Next, iOS users will also be able to call anyone using WhatsApp for free, thanks to an update that hit the iTunes Store earlier this week. Updating the app is the first step, as access to the feature will roll out over the next few weeks. “The other big update is that WhatsApp now plays nicely with iOS 8’s new sharing system, which means you can share photos, videos, links, or other bits of info using the share button in other apps,” notes The Verge.

AT&T U-verse and Disney announced earlier this week the launch of a new subscription VOD service based on the Disney Story Central platform, which enables kids and parents to read along with narrated Disney books. According to Multichannel News: “The new $8 SVOD service brings the read-along platform to TV screens for the first time, the companies said. New titles will be added every few months.” AT&T U-verse subscribers also have access to live and on-demand programming from Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD.

The Interactive Advertising Bureau recently found that one-third of Americans now own connected TV sets, while one-third of those consumers stream video to their TVs daily. According to new survey findings from consulting firm Deloitte, video streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon have now surpassed live programming as the viewing method of choice for many consumers. The survey determined that 56 percent stream movies and 53 percent stream TV shows, while 45 percent still prefer watching live broadcasts. Continue reading Study Indicates Streaming Video is More Popular Than Live TV

Facebook revealed yesterday that while revenue and profit growth slowed for the company during Q1, nearly 75 percent of visitors accessed the social platform from mobile devices and two-thirds of its users now visit daily. Facebook claims that 1.44 billion people access its site or apps at least once a month. According to eMarketer, the company is second only to Google in terms of global digital advertising revenue. Facebook is pushing ads to its photo-sharing service Instagram and building new tools for ad targeting. Continue reading Facebook Shifts to Mobile, Pursues Global Digital Ad Market