The White House announced that it has hired Google exec Megan Smith to become the next U.S. Chief Technology Officer and Assistant to the President. Smith replaces Todd Park, who is moving to Silicon Valley in a new position as recruiter of tech talent for the federal government. The White House also announced that Alexander Macgillivray, former counsel for Twitter and Google, will serve as a deputy CTO with a focus on Internet and intellectual property policies and the intersection of big data and privacy. Continue reading President Obama Names Two Googlers to Fill Key Tech Posts

Instead of tracking consumers’ personal data without their consent, a few companies are beginning to experiement with a new model of paying people directly for permission to track activity on their social media accounts and their credit cards. Datacoup, for example, pays consumers $8 a month for access to their personal data. For $100 a month, participants in ZQ Intelligence’s program agree to be tracked on their devices and answer questions about their consumer behavior. Continue reading Startups Are Paying Consumers for Permission to Track Data

The 4DX theater at L.A. Live experienced high ticket sales this summer. Viewers came to check out the first theater of its kind in the U.S., which provides audiences with the opportunity to experience rumbling and jerking seats, and spray, smoke and other effects that are synchronized with the on-screen action. Despite a weak summer box office across the country, the 4DK theater was filled to capacity on weekends and had an unusually high occupancy rate for weekdays, with higher ticket prices generating impressive revenues. Continue reading New Entertainment Experience: Viewers Flock to 4DX Theaters

Netflix’s new privacy feature will now allow users to select which shows they want to share with Facebook friends. In the past, people who decided to link their Netflix and Facebook accounts shared their viewed titles to all of their Facebook friends. Now, each user can recommend a TV show or movie to just one or more friends. With this update, Netflix users now have the ability to be more selective about which programs they recommend to others, and which programs they hide. Continue reading Netflix Users Control What Shows They Share with Privacy Tool

Following an investigation by the Federal Communications Commission regarding the use of customer information for marketing campaigns, Verizon has agreed to pay a settlement to the federal government. The FCC investigated allegations that Verizon used personal information without notifying customers or obtaining their consent. To end the investigation, Verizon will pay $7.4 million to the U.S. Treasury and notify its customers of their opt-out rights on every bill for the next three years. Continue reading Verizon Settlement is Largest in FCC History Involving Privacy

Apple and Google are competing for younger programmers to write the next wave of mobile code. In 2012, Apple lowered the minimum age of attendance at its developer conference from 18 to 13. The company supplies scholarships for those that cannot pay the $1,600 fee for registration. Meanwhile, Google holds a youth section at its developer conference for those between 11 and 15 years old. Tech companies are searching for software prodigies that will develop the next big apps for smartphones and tablets. Continue reading Mobile Apps: Apple and Google Seeking Software Prodigies

Foreign film fans may have a new reason to get excited. Israeli startup VideoDubber is introducing a new technology that could address complaints of subtitles in media content. The company claims that its TruDub technology can automatically dub films, TV shows and video into more than 30 languages including Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, and four dialects of English. The service uses synthetic voices that it says sound natural since they are based on professional voice talent. Continue reading VideoDubber Automatically Dubs Video into 30+ Languages

Mental Floss — a quirky magazine focusing on knowledge and trivia — has become an unlikely online video success story by deploying author and YouTube star John Green. Before writing “The Fault in Our Stars” and other acclaimed novels, the author worked for the magazine. A year ago, Green started “The List Show,” a weekly YouTube post for Mental Floss. His short segments reach millennials, boosting views to 81 million since February 2013, easily beating most magazine video competition. Continue reading John Green Helps Mental Floss Succeed with Magazine Videos

Harvard University researchers have programmed a robot swarm of more than 1,000 bots that can self-assemble into two-dimensional shapes. The “Kilobots” are roughly the size of a penny, and cost $14 in parts. It takes only a few minutes to put a Kilobot together. In order to program them at the same time, the roboticists use an infrared light from an overhead controller, which gives instructions. Infrared signals also help the robots communicate with each other to create formations. Continue reading Harvard University Researchers Create Biggest Kilobot Swarm

Yesterday we reported that Netflix is expanding into six European markets this month, the company has greenlit its first original series to be produced in France, and CEO Reed Hastings suggested they would produce something in Germany in the future. Netflix is in the news again after it signed a deal with Warner Bros. Worldwide Television Distribution for “Gotham,” the upcoming series from Fox. The agreement could mark the first SVOD deal for a broadcast series made prior to its premiere. Continue reading Netflix Acquires Rights to Upcoming “Gotham” in SVOD First

Samsung announced that it is partnering with Amazon to offer Ultra HD content. Samsung plans to offer Amazon’s UHD on-demand service in October, in addition to expanding its pre-existing Netflix UHD service in Europe. Samsung, in collaboration with 20th Century Fox and Paramount, converted 40 movies to UHD over the summer to increase the content collection. It should be in the interest of manufacturers to expand 4K offerings in order to spark consumer interest in the new TV sets. Continue reading Ultra HD: Samsung to Offer 4K Amazon and Netflix Streaming

YouTube’s growth shows no signs of slowing, particularly for the top YouTubers and the multichannel networks (MCNs). Each month, the top video sharing platform attracts more than 1 billion viewers watching 6 billion hours of video. Other media companies are now trying to get a piece of YouTube’s audience and its projected $3.4 billion net global advertising revenue. DreamWorks Animation, Disney, Warner Bros., and others are making deals worth millions with MCNs. Continue reading Major Media Companies Look to Leverage YouTube Success

Nintendo has announced the New Nintendo 3DS, with upgrades including better graphics and faster Internet speeds. The new device, which will make its debut October 11 in Japan, features a second analog joystick, two added shoulder buttons, more battery life and Micro SD card support. Everything about the design, particularly the addition of buttons, signals a shift in Nintendo’s focus to hardcore gamers. The New Nintendo 3DS will come in two models priced at about $160 to $180. Continue reading Nintendo Upgrades New 3DS for Hardcore Game Experiences

Over 70 million people watch e-sports over the Internet or on TV worldwide, estimates SuperData Research. ESL, Major League Gaming and other independent game leagues put on dozens of competitions per year. Game tournaments now sell out arenas in the same way that professional sports do, and top players receive incomes in the millions. Professional gamers are now granted visas, just as professional athletes are. And the success of the gaming industry is attracting advertisers worldwide. Continue reading Growing Success of E-Sports Draws Attention of Advertisers

Netflix is making content announcements and pledges ahead of its push into mainland Europe this month. The service has greenlit “Marseille,” its first original series based and produced in France, which the company expects will become one of its biggest new markets. The series is scheduled to begin shooting early in 2015 and will debut on Netflix later in the year. In addition, CEO Reed Hastings told German news magazine Der Spiegel that Netflix would “certainly” produce something in Germany in the future. Continue reading Netflix Expands to European Markets, Promises New Content