“The Angry Birds Movie,” adapted from the popular mobile game, earned an estimated $39 million in North America during its opening weekend, taking the top spot at the box office. Rovio Entertainment, the company behind the game, self-financed the $73 million film, while Sony Pictures Entertainment handled distribution and marketing. “Rather than go the traditional route and license its characters to a studio to develop,” reports The Wall Street Journal, “Rovio backed the movie in an attempt to turn a game played on small screens into a full-fledged Hollywood franchise.” Other top earners included “Captain America: Civil War” (which became this year’s first film to earn $1 billion worldwide), “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising” and “The Nice Guys.” Continue reading Rovio’s ‘Angry Birds’ Tops the Box Office in Opening Weekend

Netflix has launched a new website that provides its customers with a simple way to test their Internet download speed. Fast.com is designed to help users identify what may be affecting their streaming video quality. “The goal with the site is to help you figure out who’s to blame when you have a problem with your Netflix connection,” suggests TechCrunch. “It might not be Netflix’s fault, but rather your ISP slowing things down.” The no-frills site does not offer the connection details available through related services, but it is quick and easy to use, presumably for subscribers who do not need full metrics, but would contact their ISP with any problems. Continue reading Netflix Subscribers Can Measure Internet Speed via Fast.com

Later this year, IMAX is planning to launch new virtual reality experiences in malls and multiplexes, “using its connections with movie theaters and Hollywood talent along with new partnerships in the tech community to build the new business,” according to The Wall Street Journal. Yesterday, IMAX and Google announced they would develop a camera to capture 360-degree content for VR headsets. Additionally, IMAX has partnered with Starbreeze for the location-based VR initiative, with plans to “use Starbreeze’s VR headsets and initially, games, though it hopes to encourage filmmakers to use the camera it is making with Google to create entertainment content as well.” Continue reading IMAX Plans Location-Based VR Initiative, 360-Degree Camera

Samsung is in early discussions with media companies to offer an online TV service and has been asking what those companies would charge to include their networks in a bundle of online channels, according to people familiar with the matter. “A service like the one Samsung is exploring could work as an app on Web-connected TV sets and mobile phones — both products made by the electronics giant,” notes Bloomberg. “By selling its own cable-like service, Samsung could help drive more sales of its phones and TVs.” If Samsung moves forward with such a service, it would join similar offerings from companies such as Sony, Dish, Hulu, Amazon and YouTube in what is becoming a crowded market. Continue reading Samsung in Talks with Cable Networks for Internet TV Service

National Cable & Telecommunications Association president Michael Powell opened the INTX 2016 show in Boston by accusing the FCC of a “relentless regulatory assault” on the industry. Powell cited FCC proposals to unlock set-tops and regulate broadband privacy and cable rates. FCC chairman Tom Wheeler dismissed the charges as a mere lobbying tactic, signaling “that he thought cable/broadband operators were in danger of standing in the way of progress in their pushback on proposals like set-top box unlocking and special access reforms and that those who do not want to change, or stand in the way of change, are destined to fail,” reports Broadcasting & Cable. Continue reading FCC Chair: ‘Regulatory Assault’ Comment is a Lobbying Tactic

Spanish-language broadcaster Univision will offer the first season of Netflix original series “Narcos” on its network prior to the second season’s availability for Netflix streaming. Univision’s sister network UniMás will also air Netflix original “Club de Cuervos.” This follows a similar deal in Europe to air Netflix political drama “Marseille” on France’s TF1. According to The Wall Street Journal, “Netflix views the arrangement as a marketing test to see if airing old seasons of its shows on traditional television will help drive people to sign up for the streaming service ahead of the premieres of subsequent seasons.” Continue reading Netflix and Univision Sign Deal to Broadcast ‘Narcos’ on TV

Google plans to release the next version of its Android mobile operating system later this summer. While it has yet to announce an official name for Android N, the company says the new release will include more than 250 new features “such as a split-screen mode for tablets and phones, a smoother graphics-processing engine and the ability to choose the skin color of emojis,” reports The Wall Street Journal. “Other multitasking improvements center around the recent-apps button, including the automatic removal of apps in the queue that you haven’t used in a while, and a ‘clear all’ option to start fresh.” The new version will also offer improved security measures. Continue reading Google Shares Details About its Upcoming Android Software

During its I/O developer conference this week, Google continues its efforts to blur “the lines between mobile apps and the mobile Web” by unveiling its “ambitious new feature that lets Android apps send users to specific parts of their app from any Web link, even if the user hasn’t downloaded the app” according to Re/code. “Apps, in essence, become just like the Web.” Android Instant Apps is designed to attract new audiences that may not be inclined to download apps, while protecting Google Search from being hurt by the consumer transition to apps. Although this approach is not the same as offering app streaming inside search, it does provide Google with “similar access to previously walled-off data inside apps.” Continue reading Instant Apps for Android Blurs Lines Between Apps and Web

AT&T plans to purchase Quickplay Media from Madison Dearborn Partners. Quickplay specializes in powering over-the-top video and TV Everywhere services. The acquisition will build upon the existing relationship between the two companies and enhance future AT&T video delivery initiatives. Quickplay currently supports AT&T’s U-verse TV Everywhere offering and will support upcoming streaming offers: DirecTV Now, DirecTV Mobile and DirecTV Preview. “Our strategy is to deliver video content however, whenever and wherever,” said John Stankey, CEO, AT&T Entertainment Group. Continue reading AT&T is Acquiring Quickplay Media to Power TV Everywhere

Cable lobbyist Michael Powell criticized the FCC during an INTX 2016 keynote in Boston this week regarding what he described as a “relentless regulatory assault” on the industry, unprovoked by the cable industry, that has led to “thundering, tectonic shifts that have crumbled decades of settled law and policy,” reports Ars Technica. “What has been so distressing is that much of this regulatory ordinance has been launched without provocation,” said Powell, CEO of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association and former FCC chairman. “We increasingly are saddled with heavy rules without any compelling evidence of harm to consumers or competitors.” Continue reading Michael Powell Blasts FCC’s “Relentless Regulatory Assault”

According to IDC, the major tech companies have yet to take over the wearables market as Fitbit held on to first place in Q1 2016, while Xiaomi slid into second place ahead of Apple (however, the Apple Watch has held second for its first three quarters). “Mobile companies shipped a total of 19.7 million wearables worldwide last quarter,” explains VentureBeat. “That figure is up 67.2 percent from the 11.8 million units shipped in Q1 2015.” Ranked behind the top three are Garmin, Samsung and BBK. “The wearables that we see today are several steps ahead of what we saw when this market began, increasingly taking their cues from form, function, and fashion,” said IDC’s Ramon Llamas. Continue reading Wearables See Major Growth in Q1, Fitbit Leads the Charge

For those looking for an affordable VR alternative, RiftCat has been busy developing an app called VRidge that streams virtual reality games from a PC to a smartphone over Wi-Fi. The beta is currently available for Android, but the company is also working on an iOS version. The most recent update added support for SteamVR and Razer’s open source OSVR project. The implications could be significant, especially when considering the cost of investing in a high-end VR headset, such as the $600 Oculus Rift or $800 HTC Vive, both of which still require a powerful PC starting in the $1,500 range. Continue reading VRidge Streams VR from PC to Google Cardboard, Gear VR

Following the shutdown of Aereo, Chet Kanojia is back with a new venture that intends to revolutionize broadband delivery. New York- and Boston-based startup Starry is looking to introduce a test version of its super-fast, wireless Internet service this summer. With its planned July beta release, Starry will join companies such as AT&T, Ericsson, Facebook, Google, Huawei, Qualcomm and Verizon that are working on millimeter wave fixed wireless systems to approach gigabit-per-second service in homes and businesses. Continue reading Starry to Roll Out Fast, Affordable, Wireless Internet Service

Apple has confirmed reports that some of its iTunes users have been experiencing deletions to music tracks in their libraries. While the company says it should have an update with new safeguards available this week, it has not been able to reproduce the problem, so any update does not guarantee a fix. According to 9to5Mac: “There’s a chance that the promised iTunes update of which Apple refers is more than a simple bug fix release — Apple is readying the release of iTunes 12.4 which will include some UI changes to streamline navigation in the app. The most likely situation is that Apple will release an emergency bug-fix update to the existing iTunes 12.3 software, given the timing.” Continue reading Apple Working on iTunes Update to Prevent Song Deletions

Amazon is planning to introduce new lines of private-label brands, including perishable foods, by the end of this month or early June. “The new brands with names like Happy Belly, Wickedly Prime and Mama Bear will include nuts, spices, tea, coffee, baby food and vitamins, as well as household items such as diapers and laundry detergents,” reports The Wall Street Journal. “Amazon is ‘carpet-bombing’ the market with new products,” said Bill Bishop, chief architect of consultancy Brick Meets Click. “Private label allows them to test out new prices and distinctive flavors with less risk.” Continue reading Amazon Plans to Roll Out Expanded Private-Label Offerings