The Hollywood Post Alliance has announced the final schedule for the 2015 HPA Tech Retreat, February 9-13 in Indian Wells, California. The Tech Retreat is a gathering where engineering, tech and strategic business leaders join top creative talent to explore and debate the most compelling topics facing the media and entertainment industry today. This year’s event will feature more than 45 sessions, 75 breakfast roundtables, 100 speakers and 30 new product demos. Pre-conference registration closes Monday, February 2. Continue reading 2015 HPA Tech Retreat Unveils Expanded Session Schedule

During Katy Perry’s halftime performance at this weekend’s Super Bowl, Delivery Agent’s ShopTV platform will enable viewers to purchase special merchandise via connected devices. Products (including a limited-edition Perry item) can be ordered through connected Samsung and LG TVs, shop-enabled tweets from brand partners, and mobile devices with the Shazam content-recognition app. Merchandise will also be available during and after the Super Bowl via the ShopTV app on Roku devices.

Continue reading Super Bowl Halftime Show Will Be Shoppable for the First Time

According to recent figures released by Strategy Analytics, 2014 marked significant milestones for the mobile industry. Global annual shipments reached 1.28 billion devices from OEMs to retailers and carriers for sale, and Android-based smartphones captured 81 percent of the worldwide market, accounting for more than one billion handsets. Android has become the first platform to surpass the one billion mark for shipments. Apple captured 15 percent of the market last year, shipping 193 million units. Continue reading Android Dominated in Global Smartphone Shipments Last Year

Google announced yesterday that it plans to deliver its Fiber Internet service with speeds of one gigabit per second (100 times faster than average U.S. broadband) to many of the neighborhoods in 18 cities of metro areas including Atlanta, Georgia; Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina; and Nashville, Tennessee. As with its initial three areas, the company will offer its one gigabit Internet service for $70 per month, while an Internet and TV package will cost $120-$130, depending on the location. Continue reading Google Continues Expansion of Ultrafast Fiber Internet Service

Mobile messaging service Snapchat unveiled Snapchat Discover yesterday, a new portal feature that includes articles, music and other media content from 11 new partners such as CNN, Comedy Central, Cosmopolitan, ESPN, National Geographic, Vice and Warner Music. Full-screen video ads from leading brands will run with the content; a portion of the ad revenue will be shared with publishers. In contrast to the user-shared media currently prevalent on Facebook and Twitter, Snapchat will reportedly maintain tighter control over its content. Continue reading Snapchat Discover Aims to Become Internet Portal for Mobile

Apple’s quarterly profit jumped 38 percent to a record high, thanks in large part to demand for its bigger-screen iPhones. Apple recorded net income of $18 billion for the quarter ending December 27, an increase of nearly $5 billion over the same period the previous year, while earnings per share rose 48 percent. The company launched its iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in September and sold 74.5 million units during the quarter, earning back market share it had slowly been losing to Samsung over three years. Continue reading Apple Sells Nearly 75 Million iPhones, Posts Record Quarter

YouTube announced it is now defaulting to HTML5 rather than Adobe Flash. A change that has been in development since 2010, the popular video site now uses its HTML5 player by default in the following browsers: Apple’s Safari 8, Google Chrome, Microsoft IE11, and beta versions of Mozilla’s Firefox. The company points to adaptive bitrate (ABR) streaming, the VP9 codec, encrypted media extensions, Web real-time communication (WebRTC), and fullscreen APIs as five key technologies that made the change possible. Continue reading YouTube Stops Using Adobe Flash by Default, Opts for HTML5

In a first time move for a U.S. cable operator, Cablevision announced it would launch a Wi-Fi-only mobile phone service dubbed Freewheel next month. For $9.95 per month, Freewheel will offer unlimited data, talk and text to Cablevision broadband Internet subscribers (the company also plans to offer a $29.95 service for non-customers). Meanwhile, Google is expected to launch its own wireless service this year through deals with Sprint and T-Mobile. Both services are expected to put pressure on the wireless industry, already at war over prices.  Continue reading Cablevision and Google to Challenge Wireless Business Model

Research firm Gartner recently made a number of interesting forecasts related to the Internet of Things, notably that there will be 4.9 billion connected devices in use this year, up 30 percent from 2014. We should expect 25 billion connected things by 2020. The research firm also anticipates that by 2020, connected kitchen appliances will contribute at least 15 percent savings in the food and beverage industry. And Gartner says there will be 250 million connected vehicles with automated driving capabilities within the next five years. Continue reading Gartner Predicts About 25 Billion Connected Devices by 2020

NBCUniversal plans to offer a free digital video stream beginning at noon on February 1 and running into the evening that will include the Super Bowl, pre-game coverage, the halftime show, and an episode of “The Blacklist.” NBC’s “Super Stream Sunday” will be available for desktop PCs and tablets via NBC Sports Live Extra and the Sports Live Extra app. (The NFL gave exclusive rights to live-stream on smartphones to Verizon Wireless.) Additionally, viewers will be able to enjoy the free NBC stream without having to provide their pay TV subscription info. Continue reading NBC to Offer Free Live Stream for Super Bowl Sunday Fans

Thinfilm — a Norwegian tech firm with 90+ employees that also does business as Thin Film Electronics USA — has a deal with Xerox to produce electronic chips that print their features atop thin surfaces. Thinfilm could manufacture up to a billion “printed electronics” chips per year for memory, processors, and sensors designed for connected devices and objects as part of the Internet of Things. The company envisions significant cost savings and increased efficiency in teaming “smart labels” with connectivity tech such as NFC and the Internet-connected cloud. Continue reading Thinfilm and Xerox Pursue Printed Electronics for IoT Chips

Walmart has begun selling its own HDMI streaming media stick — the Vudu Spark — for $24.95 at Walmart.com and select Walmart stores. The Wi-Fi device features a dedicated remote, is powered via USB, and supports 7.1 surround sound and video up to 1080p. It looks like the Spark is largely a single-purpose stick, loaded only with the Vudu app (Walmart’s streaming video service), but the stick is priced $10 less than Google’s Chromecast and currently includes $25 in Vudu credits over five months for customers who activate it. Continue reading Walmart Launches its New Vudu Spark Streaming Media Stick

Streaming video platform Vimeo announced during the Sundance Film Festival yesterday that it has launched a new publisher network for content creators to reach their audiences directly. The Vimeo On Demand Publisher Network will provide partners with the ability to rent or sell premium, ad-free content from the Vimeo library via a transactional video player. While Vimeo already allows publishers to embed content on other sites, partners can now sell videos directly on their sites within articles or from VOD storefronts. Continue reading Vimeo Announces Launch of its New VOD Publisher Network

During a press event yesterday, Microsoft made a series of announcements regarding new features for its coming Windows 10 operating system including improvements to built-in apps for Windows Phone that involve mail, messaging, photos, maps and more. According to the company, Windows 10 also intends to enhance and integrate Xbox, PC and mobile gaming. Additionally, Microsoft introduced its HoloLens headset that will allow users to interact with holographic images for playing video games and building 3D models. Continue reading Microsoft Unveils Windows 10 OS Features and New Headset

Subscription-based, video sharing website Vessel launched yesterday in beta. Developed by former Hulu CEO Jason Kilar, Vessel aims to change the business of online video by offering a $2.99-per-month service that features exclusive early access to professional Web video. Additionally, Vessel will offer creators (such as online personality Connor Franta or fashion video blogger Ingrid Nilsen) 70 percent of ad revenue and 60 percent of subscription revenue. By comparison, YouTube generally offers 55 percent of ad revenue. Continue reading Vessel: Former Hulu CEO Launches New Video Sharing Site