Jim Silver, editor in chief of timetoplaymag.com, estimates that more than 90 percent of the “so-called app toys that were trotted out last year sold poorly,” reports the Wall Street Journal. But toy companies are still trying to make it work, begging the question: “why have a hybrid, combining some aspect of a tablet with an actual physical toy or game, when a tablet alone will do?” Continue reading Sales of Physical Toys Impacted by Rise of Tablets and Apps

Comcast is acquiring General Electric’s 49 percent stake in NBCUniversal. Teamed with Comcast’s initial 51 percent acquisition two years ago, the new $16.7 billion deal will result in the cable operator’s full ownership of the film and television giant. Comcast is taking a bold gamble, particularly when considering the uncertain direction of the entertainment industry in the midst of digital change and the growing success of services from the likes of Netflix and Amazon. Continue reading Comcast to Buy Rest of NBCUniversal from GE in Early Sale

Charlie Ergen, chairman and co-founder of Dish Network, gave an hour-long keynote interview at this week’s D:Dive Into Media conference in Dana Point, California. While the discussion addressed Ergen’s take on topics such as the future of wireless and the potential of a la carte programming, host Peter Kafka focused on the Dish Network’s Hopper and the controversy surrounding ad-skipping technology. Continue reading Dish Chairman Discusses Hopper, Programming and Wireless

Hulu Plus in Japan plans to premiere an upcoming movie via its streaming site prior to the film’s theatrical release. “Sougen no isu (A Chair on the Plains)” will be available February 19th on Hulu, four days ahead of its launch in theaters. However, the film will only be available on the site during a three-hour window for the first 1,000 viewers. Those not quick enough to access the full-length stream will be able to watch trailers and clips. Continue reading Hulu Plus in Japan to Stream Film Before Theatrical Release

Peter Kafka questioned Yusuf Mehdi, senior vice president of Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Business, to kick off this year’s D:Dive Into Media conference in Dana Point, California. Alongside Mehdi was Nancy Tellem, corporate vice president at Microsoft LA Studios, and both were questioned about the company’s Xbox and how it is transforming from a gaming console into an entertainment hub. Continue reading Microsoft Talks Transition of Xbox into Entertainment Hub

At the D:Dive Into Media conference, Anomaly Productions showcased its interactive storytelling technology. The company published a graphic novel called “Anomaly” last year, both as a hardcover book and a standalone app for iOS, Android, Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook devices. The company also released a companion app for the printed version, that provides readers with extra material. Continue reading Anomaly Showcases Augmented Reality for Graphic Novels

Condition One, the augmented reality app backed by Mark Cuban that lets users view videos from a 180-degree field of vision, just released its version 2.0 and Business Insider is “more impressed than ever.” The company, led by Academy Award nominated storyteller Danfung Dennis, launched an updated version that is “filled with cool new ways to watch video, particularly full high-def videos filmed with GoPro or RED epic cameras,” according to the article. Continue reading Condition One Releases Version 2.0 App for Interactive Video

Tonight’s State of the Union Address will provide citizens with unprecedented access and interactivity. “When the President addresses the nation, the White House will provide something you can’t find anywhere else: an enhanced version of the speech that offers charts, facts and other info as the President speaks,” explains the White House blog. There will also be a wide variety of online streaming options and opportunities for social interaction. Continue reading White House Goes Digital with State of the Union Tonight

HP unveiled its first Chromebook last week, joining Samsung, Acer and Lenovo as companies manufacturing hardware that now supports Google’s Chrome OS. The Pavilion 14 Chromebook is the largest offering to date, with a display that is about 2-inches wider diagonally than any Chromebook currently on the market. It also comes with 100GB of free storage on Google Drive for two years. Continue reading HP Releases $330 Pavilion 14, Largest Chromebook on Market

The Double, a remote-controlled robot stand from Sunnyvale-based Double Robotics, was on display at the recent Macworld show in San Francisco. Available in the spring for $2,000, the device is essentially an iPad stand with two wheels at the bottom that offers users remote visual access and the opportunity to interact with others without being on-site. Continue reading Remote Controlled iPad Stand for Teleconferencing and More

A new free version of Ubuntu is being readied for release as smartphone software from UK-based Canonical. The Linux-based operating system is widely used for laptops, desktops and servers. The company hopes the mobile version will compete with Apple and Google. While the first commercial handsets running the OS won’t appear in stores until the end of the year, an early version of the software will be available in the upcoming weeks. Continue reading Ubuntu: Another Mobile Operating System is Ready to Launch

Ten years from now, how different will the retail experience be? Fast Company takes a look at “the recent history of how we purchase and consume air travel” as a potential model for the future. While customers used to be able to buy all-in-one sort of deals, the airline industry is now “pressured by skyrocketing fuel prices and roiling global competition,” leading to added fees and decreased services. Continue reading Is the Airline Industry a Model for the Future of Retail?

YouTube will be blocked in Egypt for 30 days after hosting an anti-Islam video that caused deadly riots. “Judge Hassouna Tawfiq ordered YouTube blocked for carrying the film, which he described as ‘offensive to Islam and the Prophet (Muhammad).’ He made the ruling in the Egyptian capital where the first protests against the film erupted last September before spreading to more than 20 countries, killing more than 50,” reports The Washington Post. Continue reading YouTube to be Blocked in Egypt for Carrying Anti-Islam Film

Talk of a smartwatch from Apple is heating up as the electronics giant is reportedly experimenting with wristwatch-like devices designed with curved glass, according to people familiar with the efforts. The watch would operate on Apple’s iOS platform and would be based in the company’s understanding of how this type of glass can curve around the human body. Apple declined to comment on such plans. Continue reading Update: More Speculation Emerges About an Apple Smartwatch

BI Intelligence reviewed year-end data to identify anticipated trends in the mobile industry for the upcoming year. Research analyst Alex Cocotas published a slide deck for “The Year Ahead in Mobile,” which notes that more than 2.5 billion people were online by the end of 2012 (about 35 percent of the global population). Mobile currently accounts for 15 percent of worldwide Internet traffic, and is expected to top 25 percent by the end of 2013. Continue reading BI Forecast Predicts Mobile Growth, but Sees Changes Ahead