Filmmaker and inventor Douglas Trumbull likes to make films that are an immersive experience, and hopes to use larger, brighter screens as well as 3D and high frame rates to improve the cinematic experience.
“Most people rightly think movies are a storytelling medium, but for me it is an experience-creating medium,” he said during a SMPTE keynote this week in Hollywood. “I’m very passionate about the idea of creating movies that are powerfully immersive.”
“Trumbull — who developed the Showscan system that incorporated 65mm film at 60 frames per second — admitted to ‘tremendous disappointment’ when years ago his large format system didn’t get off the ground,” writes Carolyn Giardina for The Hollywood Reporter.
However, he argues that the current troubled state of the film industry calls for innovation. “For movies to survive as a business, we have to make it better. It is just not good enough when the multiplex is [also available in one’s] pocket,” he said.
“You can’t globally apply one frame rate to all movies,” Trumbull added, emphasizing the need for the right tool for each project. “24 frames per second looks great for dramatic performances. [Higher frame rates might be applied] to giant screens, hyper-reality, [viewer] participation in the movie.”
“Trumbull is aiming to provide an aesthetic choice by developing a system that effectively allows filmmakers to embed high frame rates such as 48 or 60 fps into a standard 24 fps movie,” writes Giardina. “He refers to this system as Showscan Digital.”
He is currently in the process of planning a movie to be shot at 120 fps using virtual sets.
TheHuffington Post receives up to 25,000 reader comments per hour, and has handled a total of 70 million comments already this year. Justin Isaf, director of community for the news and opinion site, says that although the comments are great in number, they actually are insightful and typically part of conversations.
Isaf says 70 percent of the comments on Huffington Post are replies to other posts, so even when an article reaches 100,000 comments, people are still having smaller conversations within the giant scope of comments.
Isaf acknowledges that the largest problem with managing huge numbers of comments is that as conversations grow larger, the probability that someone begins to post inappropriate content increases.
The other challenge, he says, is helping people navigate so many comments and be able to find the conversation they are most interested in.
Huffington Post hopes to solve the first problem through “pre-moderation” to prevent people from posting negative comments. To solve the second problem, Isaf says the site helps readers with a “fan” network where individuals can see what their friends are posting and find their conversations. Then, by finding their friends and engaging in their conversations, people will find new friends, and the commenter network grows.
To manage the sheer scale of comments Huffington Post receives each day, the site employs 30 full time moderators who work in six hour shifts to sift through hundreds of comments per hour.
The moderators are assisted by an artificial intelligence program called Julia, which knows multiple languages and can learn over time.
More than 250,000 customers have pre-ordered Nintendo’s Wii U at GameStop, and have shown preference for the more expensive Wii U Deluxe set, reports Polygon. The Wii U Deluxe set sells for $349.99 and the regular version retails for $299.99.
While Nintendo president Satoru Iwata is excited about the high pre-sale numbers, he cautions that Nintendo will lose money on the sale of Wii U hardware. The company hopes to profit from the sale of software.
“In addition to the yen’s continuous appreciation, the Wii U hardware will have a negative impact on Nintendo’s profits early after the launch because rather than determining a price based on its manufacturing cost, we selected one that consumers would consider to be reasonable,” explains Iwata.
“In this first half of the term before the launch of the Wii U, we were not able to make a profit on software for the system we we had to book a loss on the hardware, which is currently in production and will be sold below cost price.”
Customer demand for Wii U has outpaced production efforts. “As production only started this summer, it has now become more likely that it is our production capacity, rather than consumer demand, that will place limits on our Wii U prospects for this calendar year,” says Iwata.
“But we will make every effort to supply as many units as possible, and we will strive to continue to ship Wii U hardware without any interruptions in each regions even after its launch.”
Sony has continually discouraged the use of custom firmware on its PlayStation 3, but the company could have a harder time enforcing its proprietary system after hackers published a critical cryptographic key.
“The so-called LV0 key, released by a crew calling itself ‘The Three Musketeers,’ grants access to one of the most sensitive parts of the PS3,” Ars Technica writes.
“Its availability should make it easier for hackers and modders to work around restrictions Sony places on the console. The key can be used to decrypt future security updates Sony issues for the console and to incorporate those changes into custom firmware packages not authorized by the Japanese company.”
The hackers had supposedly cracked the key a while back, but only recently published it because they feared another hacker group was using their work to build and sell its own firmware.
“It remains unclear just how damaging the key’s release will be to Sony’s attempts to stop the running of pirated games and other types of unauthorized software on the PS3,” explains Ars Technica.
“[Sony’s] going to have to depend on obfuscation as [its] primary security measure to keep people from decrypting [its] updates,” suggests Nate Lawson, a cryptographer at Root Labs. “It’s a cat-and-mouse game that’s now more closely in the favor of the attackers. But Sony has plenty of things they can still do. It’s just another link in the chain.”
The iPad mini does not have a Retina display and its A5 processor is a generation old, but the convenience of the new device’s size holds promise for increased mobile game play.
“We see a bunch of things that are good for gamers here,” explains Doug Scott, VP of marketing and revenue at DeNA’s Ngmoco game division. “It’s backward compatible with iPad software. And any time that Apple jumps into a market, it legitimizes it and brings a lot of attention to that device type. There will be a rising tide for mini tablets, and that will drive awareness for gamers who might not have considered a tablet.”
“It will use the same graphics and design as the iPad, this makes it easy for small developers have one app launch across many different devices, which give them access to more users without needing to do extra work or market to a different store,” says Rob Carroll, director of publishing at Tapjoy.
“The larger screen size allows for more detailed games over the phone size,” adds Carroll. “Better looking, richer experiences are good for developers, it allows them to create more immersive game experiences. The smaller size should bring in new users that weren’t comfortable with the larger tablet size, expanding the tablet market and giving developers more reach.”
On the other end, Jesse Divnich, VP of insights and analysis at EEDAR, suggests the device may cause fragmentation. “One of the many — and there are many — reasons why developers lead on the iOS devices, is that there is at least a good understanding that 60 percent of actively used iPhone’s are 2 years or newer.”
“My primary issue is that if the tablet market, much like the PC and laptop market, goes down this road of having both low-end to high-end processing power, it will be difficult to determine market sizes, and developers may be forced to program to the lowest common denominator.”
Other game developers suggest it will encourage Android to up its 3D capabilities. One exec says the mini could help double the size of the iPad gaming market in the next year.
According to Chartboost, the iPad currently accounts for 27 percent of iOS traffic, while the iPhone accounts for 56 percent. However, “the average number of daily game play sessions is 10 percent higher for iPad users than iPhone users,” notes the post. Apple’s Game Center currently has 160 million users.
David Pogue of The New York Times suggests “this may be the biggest week in Microsoft’s 37-year history.” Yesterday, the company demonstrated its very first computer — the Surface tablet, the new Windows Phone 8 operating system, and, “believe it or not, two PC operating systems”
“I’m not talking about Windows 8 and Windows RT, which are, in fact, two new and distinct operating systems from Microsoft,” writes Pogue. “I mean the two different worlds within Windows 8 alone, one designed primarily for touch screens, the other for mouse and keyboard.”
“Individually, they are excellent — but you can’t use them individually,” he adds. “Microsoft has combined them into a superimposed, muddled mishmash called Windows 8, which goes on sale Friday at prices ranging from $15 to $40, depending on the offer and version.”
Pogue suggests that these two environments, which he calls “desktop” and “TileWorld,” are confusing, inefficient and redundant paired together.
“Windows 8’s desktop is basically the well-regarded Windows 7 with a few choice enhancements, like faster start-up, a Lock screen that displays a clock and notifications, and more control over multiple-monitor arrangements,” he explains.
“Here, you can run any of the four million traditional Windows apps, which Microsoft calls desktop apps: Photoshop, Quicken, tax software, games,” he notes, adding that users can log into any Windows 8 PC with a Microsoft ID and have all their settings, accounts and information immediately available.
“TileWorld is modeled on Microsoft’s lovely Windows Phone software. It presents a home screen filled with colorful square and rectangular tiles. Each represents an app — and, often, that app’s latest data,” he writes. All the apps must come from the Windows Store. It works well on tablets, poorly on PCs.
“Two worlds means insane, productivity-killing schizophrenia. The Windows 8 learning curve resembles Mount Everest,” according to Pogue.
Microsoft officially unveiled its new Windows 8 operating system and Surface tablet to the public on Thursday.
During the New York City event, the company demonstrated the tile-based touch system on a collection of desktops, laptops and tablets from OEM partners.
“While Microsoft executives highlighted the differences between Windows 8 and Windows RT, a distinction in desperate need of clarification for consumers, the event unveiled no surprises or high-profile app announcements,” reports PCWorld. “‘More to come’ was an oft-repeated phrase.”
Users of Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP can upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $40.
The Surface tablet is available starting at $500 for the 32GB version. It will initially come with Windows RT, a stripped down version of Windows 8 that uses ARM processors and runs apps specifically designed for the new Windows UI. The company says versions of Surface that run on Windows 8 will be available at a later date.
“While much ado was made over how easy it is to navigate apps on Windows 8 machines, either using a touchscreen or trackpad, there were no new app announcements,” notes the post. “The online Windows Store, which is now open, is notably bereft of big-name apps like YouTube and Twitter.”
However, the store touts big numbers overall. When Apple’s App Store debuted in 2008 it had some 500 apps. Android Market (now Google Play) had about 2,300 apps a few months following its launch the same year. Earlier this week, the Windows Store opened with 7,873 apps available worldwide (88 percent of which are free).
Free for existing users, the new Final Cut Pro X update comes with dual viewers to compare shots, MXF plug-in support, Compound Clip creation for reusing clips and much more.
The software will cost $299.99 for new customers and requires OS X 10.6.8 or later.
New audio tools allow users to edit audio channels directly within the timeline and to combine audio from multiple angles with Multicam Clip.
Users can transfer media from both file-based cameras and files and folders with the new unified import window; the update also includes XML 1.2 featuring metadata import and export.
The “Share” interface now enables users to export their projects to one or more destinations.
“The Final Cut Pro X update also includes RED camera support with native REDCODE Raw editing, as well as optional background transcode to Apple ProRes,” reports Apple Insider.
Additional features: “Option to add chapter markers in the timeline for export to video files, DVD, and Blu-ray disc… Range selection now preserves start and end points in the Event Browser and allows you to create multiple range selections on a single clip… Paste attributes window lets you choose specific effects to copy between clips… Flexible Clip Connections allow you to keep Connected Clips in place when slipping, sliding or moving clips in the Primary Storyline.”
Researchers from MIT, Harvard, Caltech, Technical University of Munich and Portugal’s University of Porto collaborated on a technology that uses algebra to alleviate clogged wireless networks responding to dropped packets of data.
“By providing new ways for mobile devices to solve for missing data,” Technology Review explains, “the technology not only eliminates this wasteful process but also can seamlessly weave data streams from Wi-Fi and LTE — a leap forward from other approaches that toggle back and forth.”
“The technology transforms the way packets of data are sent,” the article continues. “Instead of sending packets, it sends algebraic equations that describe series of packets. So if a packet goes missing, instead of asking the network to resend it, the receiving device can solve for the missing one itself. Since the equations involved are simple and linear, the processing load on a phone, router, or base station is negligible.”
The issue of dropped packets is growing due to wireless interference or congestion. Dropped packets further intensify network traffic, compounding the original problem.
“If the technology works in large-scale deployments as expected, it could help forestall a spectrum crunch,” the article explains. “Cisco Systems says that by 2016, mobile data traffic will grow 18-fold — and Bell Labs goes farther, predicting growth by a factor of 25. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has said the spectrum of available wireless frequencies could run out within a couple of years.”
A new Coke Zero advertisement features people spontaneously being forced into a James Bond-style chase scene through a European train station in what Business Insider calls a “textbook case of how to create a successful viral ad.”
The video advertises both Coke Zero and the new James Bond “Skyfall” film. It begins with customers purchasing a Coke Zero from a vending machine. They are then prompted to run to Platform 6 if they want free tickets to “Skyfall,” but are told they only have 70 seconds.
As the people run, they are impeded by spilled oranges, people carrying a plate glass window, and joggers running down an escalator.
“The spot was created by viral masters Duval Guillaume Modem, best-known for their Belgian TNT effort earlier this year, which featured unsuspecting villagers who find themselves in the middle of gunfights, runaway ambulances, and lingerie-wearing women on motorcycles,” notes Business Insider.
Although relatively inexpensive and increasingly popular, Facebook advertisements are “quite unlikely to play a meaningful role in determining the fate of a political campaign or retailer,” a new report concludes.
After being exposed to political Facebook ads, voters were no more likely to vote for the candidate; while they did recognize the candidate’s name, Facebook users didn’t have any more of a favorable impression of the candidate, according to the study.
Conducted by Donald Green, a Columbia political science professor, and David Brookman, a graduate student at UC Berkeley, the study observed the effects of a week’s worth of Facebook ads for a state legislative candidate. Following the campaign, the researchers surveyed 2,984 district voters and found that many who were exposed to the ads didn’t even remember seeing them.
“Indeed, the results allow us to confidently rule out the proposition that this veritable bombardment of online ads increased the candidate’s name recognition in his district by more than 1.8 percentage points,” the authors state.
But Keegan Goudiss at Revolution Messaging says the study didn’t look at the right online tools. Instead, it should have focused on larger races — congressional or statewide — and Facebook’s “premium” ads.
Brookman rebuts, saying increasing “likes” does not equate to influencing the outcome of elections; he also notes the restrictive auction system the observed candidate had to use to acquire the ad space.
“This still could be the most cost-effective campaign tactic out there. We can’t rule that out,” he says, adding that you do pay for what you get. “There’s a reason TV ads are so expensive.”
A new Xbox update leverages the upcoming Windows 8 operating system to provide a cohesive second screen experience between Microsoft’s popular gaming console and various mobile devices.
With new content partnerships, the addition of an Internet Explorer browser and an app called SmartGlass, Microsoft is looking to provide a more enriched experience with its devices, which could in turn fuel sales.
“It’s a good reason to buy a Windows tablet,” says Yusuf Mehdi, senior VP in charge of marketing and strategy for Xbox’s services. “Conversely, if you have a Windows tablet, it’s why you will want to buy an Xbox.”
While the connectivity is only available within the Windows ecosystem, Microsoft expressed intentions to eventually connect devices that aren’t powered by Microsoft software — something that could give the company an edge over Apple, which only offers AirPlay on its mobile devices.
SmartGlass is a “free app that users can install on devices running Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 software and the new Windows 8 operating system that becomes available Friday. Microsoft says it allows users of such devices to remotely control the Xbox 360, surf to websites, launch videos and other content, and send them to their TVs,” notes the Wall Street Journal.
Microsoft is also working with NBA Game Time, ESPN and UFC to offer supplementary information to mobile devices when watching sports programs.
For those interested in the second screen experience, Microsoft has made it easier to buy an Xbox with the extension of its Xbox subscription program, which lowers upfront costs and will be available at Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Toys R Us and GameStop.
As it gears up to release the new Wii U, Japanese gaming company Nintendo has significantly lowered its annual profit forecast in light of a strong yen and lagging console sales.
Following the Wii’s success of 100 million sales, the successor Wii U will go on sale in the U.S. on November 18. Nintendo expects to sell 5.5 million Wii U devices by March 31.
“The first hardware offering from Nintendo in six years boasts a tablet-like touch screen controller and a social network, and lets users record TV shows through TiVo and other digital recording services,” Reuters explains.
“Yet, growing competition from tablet PCs and smartphones that are increasingly eating into the $78 billion gaming market mean the Japanese company, which began making playing cards more than a century ago, may struggle to repeat the hit it had with the Wii.”
The Wii U’s success will indicate to Nintendo’s competitors — like Microsoft and Sony — whether advanced gaming devices can hold their own against mobile devices.
Nintendo also cut expectations for sales of its 3DS handheld gaming device, after weak demand forced the company to dramatically lower the price tag. Nintendo has, however, held its 2.5 million estimation for DS sales in the next 12 months.
“[The company’s] operating loss for the three months to September 30 edged down to 18.8 billion yen from a loss of 19.6 billion yen a year ago, and compared with an average loss forecast of 16 billion yen from four analysts,” Reuters adds. “Since the start of the business year, Nintendo’s shares have fallen 17 percent, compared with an 11 percent drop in Japan’s benchmark Nikkei average.”
Netflix has lowered its U.S. subscriber forecast for this year by more than a third. The company lowered its April prediction of 7 million new subscribers for 2012 down to 4.73-5.43 million.
The news knocked its share price down 16.3 percent in after-hours trading on Tuesday.
“Netflix has said that incremental domestic streaming subscribers are almost pure profit because its content costs are fixed,” reports the Wall Street Journal.
“But even taking the high end of Netflix’s new subscriber-guidance range, there will now be a shortfall of 1.57 million,” explains the article. “So multiplying that number by the roughly $96 those customers would have paid in a year ($7.99 a month) means gains to operating profit would be shaved by around $150 million.”
Netflix saw some international expansion with nearly two million new subscribers and says it lost fewer DVD customers than it had in the previous quarter. However, any loss in DVD subscribers is a significant problem in the minds of analysts.
“Those subscribers are four times more valuable than streaming subscribers in terms of their contribution to overall profit,” writes WSJ. “Netflix remains a grim picture for investors.”
Digital downloads, subscription streaming and video on demand grew from $1.3 billion in 2007 to $5.5 billion this year.
According to new research from Mintel, these digital formats will grow even faster over the next five years, resulting in a tenfold increase over 2007-2017.
DVDs are still alive in movie rentals. Mintel notes that nearly one-third of online consumers rented discs in the past 30 days.
“We’re not going to see DVDs disappear in the next five years. There will still be people who have DVD players and will still have DVDs within five years,” predicts Mintel analyst Billy Hulkower. “Unless you’re buying a DVD to buy a DVD, you could just buy the digital movie.”
Streaming services including Netflix and Amazon Instant Video are gaining in popularity. Mintel notes that one-quarter of respondents used online streaming over the past 30 days and 22 percent used video on demand.
“Once you start using a digital store for your purchasing, it’s sort of addictive to have that one-click access to content,” Hulkower says. “People are acclimated to immediate access to content. There’s a movie you want to see, you click a button and it’s there.”
