After the the $99 Android-powered TV game console Ouya attracted more than 63,000 Kickstarter backers last year, many independent game developers are creating games for the device, including mobile developers who want to make the jump to televisions. The system will ship to initial backers on March 28, ahead of the public launch in June, and many developers are preparing to see their games on TVs for the first time. Continue reading New Ouya Game Console Attracts Independent Developers

Google is getting closer to becoming a jack-of-all-trades as the company takes on another role: car-shopping service. With its new approach (being tested in Northern California), search pages related to vehicles will include a Google link that offers details on local car dealerships by vehicle I.D. and sticker prices. However, by current law, Google is not allowed to make any profit on the car dealership transactions. Continue reading Google Quietly Tests Car-Shopping Service in California

Apple CEO Tim Cook met with Beats Electronics CEO Jimmy Iovine during a recent visit to Los Angeles, according to three people familiar with the matter. The execs met to discuss the business model and rollout plans of Beats’ Project Daisy, a subscription music service announced in January with little detail. The sources suggest Apple may be interested in a potential partnership. Continue reading Will Apple Team with Beats for Streaming Music Service?

The global market for mobile apps continues to grow, but raises business challenges for those creating new apps. Developers targeting China, the world’s largest smartphone market, face a complex and oft-times confusing process. These app makers are forced to navigate through dozens of app stores with looser rules than in the U.S., fending off cloned apps and steering around regulations and local competition. Continue reading Mobile App Market Grows in China, but Harder to Penetrate

A Chinese government research institute has accused Google of using its Android mobile OS dominance to discriminate against local companies. The report suggests that China is too reliant on the platform and Google has delayed sharing code in recent versions of Android. This serves as a reminder of the ongoing tensions between China and Google, after the tech giant said it would not comply with Chinese Internet restrictions three years ago. Continue reading Commercial Discrimination: China Critical of Android OS

On Tuesday, we reported that News Corp. has plans to launch FOX Sports 1, a new national cable sports network, in the U.S. by August. ETCentric has since learned that FOX Sports Media Group also has plans to launch FOX Sports GO, a mobile app for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. The “TV Everywhere” service, similar to WatchESPN, will also offer programming on the Web. Continue reading FOX Sports GO: New App to Launch with All-Sports Network

Based on numbers from mobile ad network Jumptap, which covers 134 million mobile users in the U.S. and 206 million mobile users worldwide, tablets accounted for 18 percent of all traffic on its network — compared to 78 percent for smartphones and 4 percent for feature phones. With the data from Jumptap’s most recent monthly report and its latest projections, tablets are set to continue this upward trend at a rapid pace. Continue reading Consumers Increasingly Turn to Tablets for Mobile Content

YouTube is reportedly planning to launch a subscription streaming music service later this year, that could take on existing services such as Spotify and Pandora. The company is expected to offer a subscription plan that will likely overlap with new features coming to its Android music platform, Google Play. With the subscription, users will have access to new features, including ad-free music streaming. Continue reading YouTube May Launch Subscription Streaming Music Service

Google has begun testing its own e-commerce site called “Google Shopping Express,” with same-day delivery from stores like Target, Walgreens and Walmart. The site is expected to offer a $64 annual deal, compared to competitor Amazon Prime’s $79 service. Google’s Tom Fallows, an e-commerce product manager, is reportedly running the project, and the company is currently working with personal delivery and online services. Continue reading Will Google Shopping Express Compete with Amazon Prime?

Apple kicked off the mobile apps craze five years ago and the industry continues to gain momentum. App stores run by Apple and Google offer more than 700,000 apps each. Because of the growing range of choices, it is estimated that consumers spend an average of two hours per day with their apps. And they’re spending money on them, too. However, this may only be the beginning. Continue reading App Industry Continues to Boom, Five Years After it Began

Google’s Roppongi Hills studio in Tokyo, Japan is making efforts to increase the amount of original international content on YouTube. The site is currently recruiting talent in order to launch international based channels. YouTube said that it has also created deals with other media companies in Asia and India, and has even agreed to host a channel in China with “state-owned” CNTV. Continue reading YouTube Makes Push to Launch More International Content

Slowly but surely Facebook is developing and understanding its own strengths regarding its ability to compete within the online advertising world. And the social networking giant is actively looking for ways to gain more ground on the online ad powerhouse that Google has become. But the problem remains, how does Facebook prove its value to online advertisers? Continue reading Facebook Bolsters Ad Efforts, Looks to Compete with Google

New trends in the tech gadget space are returning to a consumer more engaged with his or her surroundings. Whereas smartphones and computers require that people’s attention go toward a screen, pulling attention away from the real world, new innovations may lead to the consumer becoming once again more engaged with the physical world. Many of these new ideas involve wearable devices. Continue reading Wearable Tech Gadgets Put Users Back in the Physical World

In an assessment that might surprise some, Bloomberg writes that the still-in-development Apple wristwatch-style device may prove to be more profitable than the company’s rumored television set. The global watch industry is expected to generate more than $60 billion in sales this year. While that’s smaller than the revenue generated in the TV industry, gross margins on watches are about 60 percent, according to analysis. Continue reading Apple Wristwatch Device Could Be More Profitable Than TV

Representatives Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon) and Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) want to put an end to America’s patent troll problem with the newly introduced SHIELD Act, which aims to define patent trolls and distinguish them from honest patent holders. In an effort to discourage those who do nothing more than file patent lawsuits, the bill would create a “loser pays” system for specific types of patent litigants. Continue reading SHIELD Act: Legislation Hopes to Discourage Patent Trolls