The Isis consortium has announced that its mobile-payment service using smartphones with NFC chips will launch Monday in Salt Lake City and Austin, Texas. The test launch was originally scheduled for the summer.
The consortium includes wireless carriers AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless. Isis confirmed via an email statement that 20 Isis-ready phones would be available by the end of 2012 to use the network.
T-Mobile USA Mobile Commerce is offering the Isis Mobile Wallet application through the Google Play online store. AT&T will provide five phones: the Samsung Galaxy S III, HTC One X, Samsung Exhilarate, LG Espace and Samsung Rugby Pro. The other carriers have yet to announce specific models.
“Isis previously confirmed a number of retailers, gas stations and transit providers that will be equipped to handle the NFC payments,” reports Computerworld. “The NFC phones also contain special security, known as a ‘secure element’ inside, which protects a customer’s credit card information.”
“There has been a debate between banks and other parties to mobile commerce as to whether the secure element should remain in the phone — either on a SIM card or embedded in the phone’s core — or be should located in the cloud,” notes the article.
While broadcasters continue to challenge the legality of Aereo, the TV-over-Internet service is expanding its availability.
“Aereo is still limited to residents of New York City, but it’s now available on additional devices including Windows computers and on a wider selection of Web browsers including Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer,” reports USA Today. “Before, access was restricted to selected Apple devices such as the iPhone and the iPad, as well as the Roku streaming set-top box.”
The company is expected to launch in additional markets in a few more months and may be available on Android devices by the end of this year.
“Aereo lets customers capture over-the-air broadcasts from 29 local channels for viewing on devices, with subscriptions starting at $8 a month,” explains the article. “Aereo has created a dime-sized TV antenna and crams hundreds and perhaps thousands of them into dishwasher-size boxes located at the company’s offices in Brooklyn. A customer who watches or records a show is temporarily assigned an antenna, which picks up the show and streams it over the Internet.”
Networks including Fox, ABC, CBS and NBC filed a copyright infringement lawsuit claiming Aereo illegally copies and retransmits their content, but Aereo believes that assigning individual antennas to customers makes it legal.
A federal judge denied broadcasters a preliminary injunction to stop Aereo in July. However, the case is still pending.
Approximately 20 percent of televisions shipped in North America are Internet-connected TVs, a penetration rate significantly lagging behind Asia and Europe, according to NPD DisplaySearch.
While Smart TV shipments are actually up 15 percent worldwide this year, adoption in North America has been slower.
“North American households consume the highest levels of Internet video, averaging over 30GB per household every month (according to Cisco), yet they don’t seem attracted to connected TVs,” explains NPD’s Paul Gray. “We find that North America leads by far in paid on-demand services, which tend to be tied to set-top boxes.”
“Smart TV shipments are tightly linked to content consumption habits,” reports Home Media Magazine. “For consumers in China, there is plenty of free content on the Internet and few structured services. This favors TVs with built-in browsers. Furthermore, Chinese consumers consider a TV to be a prestigious purchase and are prepared to invest more in them.”
“Terrestrial broadcasters’ repurposed content aggregators are beginning to dominate in Western Europe,” notes the article. “These broadcasters have no interest in hardware, so connected TVs are flourishing with open standards such as HbbTV rapidly gaining acceptance and evolving with new features.”
An estimated 43 million open Internet access smart TVs are expected to ship in 2012, a number predicted to grow to 95 million in 2016.
According to new Nielsen data, more than 75 percent of U.S. homes now have HDTVs, marking a 14 percent increase over 2011. Additionally, 40 percent of homes have more than one HD set.
There are 115 million U.S. homes with televisions. However, the data also shows that a surprising amount of viewing is not HD quality.
Despite 61 percent of primetime viewing experienced on an HD set in May, only 25 percent of cable primetime and 29 percent of English-language broadcast primetime occurred in “true HD” — when an HD set is connected to an HD signal and HD channels are being viewed.
“The Nielsen study was based on usage of 17 networks — five English-language broadcast networks and 12 ad supported cable networks — in May 2012,” reports Broadcasting & Cable. “As expected, sports and entertainment genres are more likely to be viewed in HD than news and kids programming,”
“Some analysts believe consumers are still confused about HDTV — that just buying an HDTV set means getting HDTV-quality programming,” notes MediaPost in a related report.
Newsweek editor-in-chief Tina Brown has announced that the 80-year-old publication will abandon its print magazine at the end of December. Starting next year it will be offered exclusively online and as a mobile app.
“Founded in 1933, Newsweek’s ‘turn of the page,’ as Brown calls it, comes just two years after its merger with Web-only outlet The Daily Beast,” reports Digital Trends. The December 31 issue will be the magazine’s final physical edition in the U.S.
“The publication will be renamed Newsweek Global, with a single edition created for the world market,” explains the post. “Like The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, the majority of Newsweek Global’s content will only be available with a paid subscription, though select content will still be accessible for free on The Daily Beast.”
Newsweek has reportedly been losing $40 million a year. The digital transition is expected to include staff reductions and streamlining of business operations.
“Currently, 39 percent of Americans say they get their news from an online source, according to a Pew Research Center study released last month. In our judgment, we have reached a tipping point at which we can most efficiently and effectively reach our readers in all-digital format,” notes Brown. “This was not the case just two years ago. It will increasingly be the case in the years ahead.”
“This decision is not about the quality of the brand or the journalism — that is as powerful as ever,” contends Brown. “It is about the challenging economics of print publishing and distribution.”
Boxee has announced its second Boxee TV, a smaller and more traditionally-shaped set-top box that offers unlimited cloud DVR storage for broadcast TV shows and the ability to view recordings across multiple devices.
In addition to the $14.99/month DVR service, the new $99 box offers standard online video services such as Netflix and Vudu.
A simple rectangular design will replace the angular cube of the original $199 Boxee Box, suggesting the company is targeting mainstream consumers with convenience and lower price point.
“Instead of worrying about DVR space, you can record entire TV series and have them accessible at the touch of a button,” notes VentureBeat. “Boxee will be buying up huge swaths of Amazon S3 storage to store the recorded video data, which will retain the same HD resolution and 5.1 surround sound audio from its broadcast.”
“Having a DVR that stores recordings in the cloud feels similar to the move from film to digital cameras,” explained Boxee CEO Avner Ronen in an interview.
“Film cameras limited the number of photos you could capture, which made you think twice before taking a photo,” he said. “It’s the same with existing DVRs. The limited space and knowing that stuff will get deleted impacts your decisions about what to record in the first place.”
Boxee TV will be available next month. The DVR service will launch in the top eight TV markets, including New York and Los Angeles — with plans to expand next year.
Best Buy reportedly plans to release its own Android-powered tablet called the Insignia Flex next month, priced from $239 to $259.
“The Insignia Flex is intended to go toe-to-toe with Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD tablet, Google’s Nexus 7, and a slew of other Android tablets from Google and Samsung,” reports Reuters. “A smaller and less expensive version of Apple’s popular iPad tablet is expected to be unveiled next week.”
Best Buy’s in-house brand Insignia recently shared some info on the tablet via its Facebook page. The brand has been used in the past to offer less expensive options for HDTVs and Blu-ray players.
“The Insignia Flex is based on Google Inc’s Android software, which also powers Samsung’s tablets, and features a dual-core 1GHz processor, 9.7-inch screen and 10-hour battery life,” notes the article. “It will also feature a camera for video conferencing and weigh in at about 1.45 pounds.”
According to a source close to the matter, the Insignia Flex will go on sale on November 11 exclusively through Best Buy.
Smartphone owners used apps to watch an average of 6.9 minutes of video content each day on their phones in August, according to NPD DisplaySearch.
The figure represents an 86 percent jump from the previous year, but still trails other activities such as gaming and social networking.
“We expect usage to increase in step with 4G networks and devices, better form factors (larger screens), and more compelling apps,” NPD’s Linda Barrabee wrote in a blog post.
NPD DisplaySearch also points out that the diagonal size of displays for multiple devices continues to increase, with the exception of mobile PCs. The research firm predicts a 38 percent increase in mobile phone screen size between 2010-2013.
“Average sizes are expected to fall from 13.6-inches to 12.2-inches between 2010 and 2013 in the mobile PC segment, and if Microsoft’s new Windows 8 OS makes the splash in tablets the company seems to be hoping it will with the Surface and third-party offerings, that number could go even lower as 10-inch devices flood the market,” reports TechCrunch.
It looks like the pricing for Microsoft’s upcoming Windows RT Surface tablet will start at $500 — with a TouchCover keyboard case available for an additional $100.
“The pricing and specifications of the new Surface tablets were briefly revealed at Microsoft’s online store today on a page that was quickly pulled,” reported Digital Trends on Tuesday.
“The 32GB version of the ARM-based Surface tablet running Windows RT (a version of Windows 8) will set you back $500,” notes the post. “The 64GB version with the black TouchCover keyboard case will set you back $700.”
The TypeCover keyboard will reportedly be offered for $130, while the $100 TouchCovers will be available in a range of colors. The new tablets are expected to go on sale immediately following the scheduled Windows 8 event on October 25.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Microsoft has ordered 3-5 million Surface tablets for the fourth quarter. “That’s reportedly on a par with the numbers Amazon and Google ordered of the Kindle Fire and Nexus 7 respectively, but way below the 10 million iPad minis that Apple has supposedly ordered,” notes Digital Trends.
Samsung has unveiled its new lineup of Windows 8-powered desktops, laptops and what is being called “Smart PCs” (essentially laptop-tablet hybrids).
The ATIV Smart PCs run from the 500T model ($650 without the detachable keyboard) to the $1,200 Pro 700T. “Samsung did not reveal any tablets running Windows RT, but we expect that might come later this year and cost less than the ATIV Smart PC 500T,” reports VentureBeat.
“The Smart PC is a new category driven by innovation and UI, with Windows 8 as the linchpin,” explains Tim Baxter, head of Samsung America consumer electronics.
“Tablets and smartphones are ushering in a new era of computing mobility,” he told reporters. “New categories will arise as a result of this.”
Samsung’s new $450-$1,400 laptops include the 13- and 15-inch Series 9 Premium Ultrabook, 15-inch Series 7 Notebook, 13.3-inch Series 5 Ultra Touch (with touch screen) and Series 3 Notebook. The Series 5 and Series 7 all-in-ones range from 21.5- to 27-inches.
The post includes a breakdown of all the announced offerings and an accompanying photo gallery.
Samsung has signed a deal with Spotify that will allow direct music streaming from Samsung TVs for consumers with premium subscription memberships.
“The deal will give Samsung a new way to promote its televisions; Spotify, meanwhile, hopes the arrangement offers a new incentive for consumers to pay for its subscription service rather than use its advertising-backed, free-of-charge offering,” reports the Wall Street Journal.
The partnership comes as numerous tech companies are entering the growing music-streaming market.
“Digital-music sales, including both streaming and downloads, are expected to soon overtake sales of physical CDs as the main source of revenue for music labels and publishers,” explains WSJ.
Transitioning customers to pay for the subscription service may become more important to Spotify since its ad sales growth is reportedly slowing.
Samsung E-series sets will include a software application that enables streaming via Spotify. The application will first be available to owners of Samsung TVs in the UK, France, Germany and Scandinavia. The company plans to expand the service to its Blu-ray players and home theater systems by the end of 2012.
“Last year Samsung launched its own music service, called Samsung Music Hub, but analysts say the deal with Spotify may signal that Samsung may now realizes how hard it is to ink music streaming deals with record labels,” notes the article.
Twentieth Century Fox will release the 2004 Will Smith sci-fi film “I, Robot” next week on Blu-ray 3D.
The release will make history as the first title to be remastered in 3D exclusively for the home market. The studio indicates additional library titles will be converted for Blu-ray re-release in 3D.
“Using the new JVC Kenwood 2D3D workstation — technology that was developed in collaboration with Fox and first previewed in public last winter at the Hollywood Post Alliance Technology Retreat — Fox is in the process of converting a ‘handful’ of additional titles, though the studio declined to name them,” writes Carolyn Giardina for The Hollywood Reporter.
Launching a successful 3D market for the home will require additional content, but the cost of 3D conversion can average $30,000-$100,000 per minute, according to some estimates.
“While Fox isn’t commenting on the cost for using the new JVC technology, Ian Harvey, senior VP, advanced technology at Fox, indicated that it is less than other techniques and services that Fox has explored,” reports Giardina.
However, Harvey is not promoting the conversion technology for new productions. “They should still shoot new films in 3D,” he suggests. “There are still issues on any conversion. It is not like ‘Avatar.’”
Acer has unveiled a portion of its Windows 8 line-up with two all-in-one PCs and a pair of monitors featuring 1080p touchscreen displays.
The company announced its 27-inch 7600U and 23-inch 5600U high-end desktop computers, both with 1080p displays that include a tilt mechanism for reclining at an 80-degree angle.
“They also boost a super-thin design that is no more than 1.4 inches thick,” reports Digital Trends. “A 10-point capacitive touch screen is available on select models.”
The 7600U will include a Core i5-3210M processor, 8GB of RAM, Nvidia GT 640M GPU and Blu-ray drive. The 5600U will have similar offerings, minus the discrete graphics solution and Blu-ray drive. Both include HDMI, USB 3.0, Bluetooth and 802.11 a/b/g/n.
“Pricing for the 5600U starts at $1,149 with a touchscreen or $999 without,” notes the post. “The premium 7600U starts at $1,899 and will only be available with a touchscreen.” The 5600U will be available for the Windows 8 launch, while the 7600U will debut in late November.
For those solely interested in a touchscreen display, Acer will release two displays with 1080p resolution and 10-point capacitive touch panel with IPS technology. Additional features include built-in speakers, USB 3.0 ports, VGA, DVI and HDMI.
“Pricing on the 23-inch T232HL starts at $499 while the 27-inch T272HL starts at $699,” explains the post. “These prices could prove very competitive if image quality is on par with other IPS monitors.”
Sling Media has released two new devices that stream 1080p HD content to TVs, PCs, tablets and smartphones. The new devices are the first from the company in four years.
Both provide HD streaming. The $300 Slingbox 500 features HDMI connections and dual-band Wi-Fi, while the $180 350 model is more compact and has simplified the set-up process.
“The 500 adds a rough first go of a promising new feature called SlingProjector which makes it possible to stream content, such as photos, from your mobile devices or computers back to the TV,” reports CNN.
“The company is also updating the companion software, SlingPlayer, and temporarily dropping its price from $30 to $15 for iOS, Android and Windows Phone apps,” adds the article.
CNN notes one limitation: The TV can only be controlled by one person at a time, “so if you’re trying to stream ‘True Blood’ from a hotel in New York while your husband and kids are watching ‘SpongeBob’ at home in California, their channel will change.”
The social TV market and second screen viewing is poised for double-digit growth in the next five years, suggests a report by research firm MarketsandMarkets.
Social TV is expected to grow from $151.14 billion in 2012 to $256.44 billion by 2017.
“Broadcasters are developing and enriching social TV integration; they are targeting the tune-in customer, engagement and their loyalty to boost the rating and they are also discovering the social TV challenge,” notes the report.
Europe currently leads the charge in social TV revenue. The report calculates $55.48 billion will be taken in this year, growing to $77.74 billion in five years.
Social TV startups are drawing investments from established media and tech companies. Additionally, the market is seeing increased connections between broadcasters and social networks like Facebook and Twitter.
“Social is truly emerging as a coalition of television and social media, wherein newer formats are being developed to enhance viewer engagement and encourage paid transactions,” adds the report. “Many media and tech companies such as Hearst, Time Warner, BSkyB, and Google are backing several social TV startups, with huge investments.”
