Vimeo is providing filmmakers with movies at the Toronto International Film Festival the opportunity to have their films viewed by larger audiences through online streaming. Vimeo is offering a $10,000 advance to filmmakers who agree to feature their movies exclusively on the site for 30 days. With consumers increasingly turning to their mobile devices for viewing movies, the partnership may prove profitable for emerging filmmakers. Continue reading Vimeo Partners with Toronto Film Festival in Streaming Deal

Acer announced that its Liquid S2 smartphone will offer 4K video recording capability. While offering 4K video recording on a smartphone may currently seem unnecessary, it may become a more widely adopted feature of upcoming handsets. Meanwhile, Acer will also be including a touchscreen option for its low-end E1 laptop. The option of touchscreen for the Acer laptop may help overcome some of the initial confusion faced by Windows 8 users. Continue reading Acer Announces 4K for Phone and Touch for Low-End Laptop

Brooklyn-based VHX is developing a service that enables video makers to sell their videos to consumers. The company launched last year with a video from comedian Aziz Ansari, and since then has picked up 60 videos to sell from a wide variety of people, some famous and some not. While YouTube is a popular platform for uploading videos, VHX hopes to stand out by allowing anyone the opportunity to upload and sell their content. Continue reading VHX Enables Video Makers to Sell Their Videos to Consumers

The Getty Museum announced that its former policy banning access to digital images has been amended. Digital images are now available for free on the Getty website for anyone who is interested. Previously, the Getty granted access to an image for a fee and with special terms and conditions. While the Getty still asks for the reason an individual is requesting an image, the process of obtaining a digital image is now made simple for everyone. Continue reading New Getty Policy Allows Everyone to Access Digital Images

Project Spark enables game fans to create their own games. Gamers can create any type of game world they desire, from rugged mountains to scorching deserts to beautifully lush jungles. They can also design opponents, monsters and other characters to inhabit their world. While this may be similar to a “sim” game, it is essentially the Xbox One features, specifically motion tracking and facial recognition, that truly set Project Spark apart as a creative tool. Continue reading Project Spark Lets Users Build Their Own Games Using Kinect

Book publisher Penguin Random House has announced its media diversification with planned film and television projects, an effort that first began when Random House created a movie unit. The company hopes that this expansion will help generate revenue and promote its authors. The company’s first TV co-production, “Heartland Table,” will debut September 14 on the Food Network and star chef Amy Thielen, whose new book will be released shortly after. Continue reading Publishing Giant Expands into Film and Television Projects

Facebook has partnered with game engine Unity to infiltrate the world of Web and mobile 3D games. The social network is releasing a software development kit with Unity that will allow game makers to incorporate Facebook tie-ins into games. Game developers for Unity will be able to create Facebook hooks for Web, iOS and Android. The ultimate goal is to attract more developers to build a wider array of games for the Facebook platform. Continue reading Facebook Partners with Unity to Attract Core Game Developers

Myspace hopes to reinforce its reputation as an ally for artists through its new program called “Music Video Collaborations With Artists We Like.” The program will allow Myspace to partner with artists and labels to create original content that will be shared on Myspace and YouTube. The first collaboration will be with an independent record label called Federal Prism that was founded by TV on the Radio member and producer Dave Sitek. Continue reading Myspace Launches Partner Program to Produce Music Videos

Facebook announced that it is updating its privacy policy to remind users that their data can be used by advertisers. Facebook has made changes to two legal documents in order to make it clear that users grant Facebook the right to share their name, profile picture and content with advertisers. While Facebook’s policy has never been a secret, Facebook hopes to make their rules more explicit for users who may have been confused. Continue reading Facebook Updates Privacy Policy, Details Use of Personal Data

Social network Foursquare, which allows users to check-in to a variety of locations and share tips with friends, will soon offer suggestions automatically. The company will announce the first public test of its service that will automatically detect where a user is located and make relevant suggestions. The new app will be tested by 2,000 Android users within the next few weeks with plans to become more publicly available later in the year. Continue reading New Automatic Version of Foursquare, No Check-In Required

Premium cable network Showtime has begun syncing interactive elements for its shows directly onto LG’s smart TVs using Web-based technology. This service is unique in that there are no extraneous downloads or devices. Although not all Showtime viewers own the compatible technology for interactive TV, this will likely change in the future as more TV manufacturers adopt the standard HTML5 and JavaScript technologies used by LG’s LivePlus service. Continue reading Showtime Network Syncing Interactive Content on LG Smart TVs

Japanese videogame maker Nintendo will be reducing the price of its most expensive Wii U from $350 to $300 due to market pressure following disappointing sales. Customer preference for the Wii U Deluxe model encouraged the company to reduce the price on that model first. The company also plans to offer new games and expand its lineup of handheld consoles. Nintendo will be releasing the 2DS, which can play mobile titles without a 3D image. Continue reading Nintendo Plans to Reduce Wii U Price and Offer New Handheld

The first commercial installation of a laser movie projector is scheduled for early next year at Seattle Cinerama, a theater owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. The theater will be the first to acquire Christie Digital’s laser projector, as the technology has just been approved by the FDA. While laser projectors are more expensive than current systems, they are expected to improve 3D projection and eliminate the need to replace bulbs and cool projection booths. Continue reading First Commercial Installation of Laser Projector Scheduled

Intel is developing depth sensing 3D cameras and software that are able to detect an individual’s emotional state. While refined motion detection technologies are not entirely new, Intel’s product goes beyond tracking the physical movements of objects to determining what the movement actually means. Intel’s depth sensing technology will first be available in webcams and may eventually become available in laptops, smartphones and tablets. Continue reading Intel Develops Depth Sensing 3D Cameras to Track Emotion

Twitter may be responsible for increasing viewership of live broadcast events. The company contends that significant Twitter activity drives buzz, which increases viewership. MTV’s recent Video Music Awards drew 10.1 million viewers, while more than 300,000 tweets per minute were recorded during the Miley Cyrus performance alone. While Facebook also generates social chatter about TV broadcasts, it does not always reach people as the show airs. Continue reading Twitter May Be Increasing Viewership for Live TV Broadcasts