Hulu is reportedly in talks with pay TV providers including AT&T, Comcast, Cox, Time Warner Cable and Verizon regarding potential partnerships. Among the ideas being discussed is for pay TV operators to sell Hulu Plus as part of their television bundles, said people familiar with the situation. In addition, Hulu hopes that consumers would have access to the service via cable set-top boxes, providing Hulu Plus subscribers with the option to watch full current seasons of broadcast TV shows. Continue reading Hulu Discusses Bundling Possibilities with Pay TV Providers

Los Angeles is poised to unleash an ambitious city-led broadband project with plans to deliver fiber to all of its businesses and 3.5 million residents. The new fiber network, expected to cost $3 billion to $5 billion, would offer free Internet access of 2Mbps to 5Mbps, likely subsidized by advertising. Paid tiers would offer access up to a gigabit, and the network would power Wi-Fi hotspots in public areas. Phone service and television is not a requirement for bidders, but package offerings would not be a surprise. Continue reading LA Plans Fiber Network to Deliver Free Broadband and Wi-Fi

Google’s Android-powered Nexus 5 is now available with many of the features that were leaked prior to its release. The new smartphone includes an upgraded 4.95-inch 1080p display, Corning Gorilla Glass 3, 2.3Ghz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, and 2GB of RAM. It shows off the latest Android 4.4 technology, also known as KitKat, and it can be purchased on the Google Play Store today in 16GB ($349) or 32GB ($399) models. Continue reading Google Nexus 5 Smartphone Now Available for Android Fans

Intel has invested heavily in its plan to stream television over the Internet, but securing access to channels has been a challenge. The company is reportedly now in advanced negotiations to sell all or part of its yet-to-be-launched venture to Verizon, according to a person familiar with the talks. Intel was originally hoping to launch its service by year’s end. Tech companies including Sony and Google have plans to launch similar services, but have encountered some of the same challenges as Intel. Continue reading Intel in Talks to Hand Over its Internet TV Project to Verizon

Tom Wheeler, a former cable and wireless phone lobbyist, was unanimously confirmed as the new chairman of the FCC late yesterday. Senate aide Mike O’Rielly was also confirmed for the vacant Republican seat on the commission. The confirmations came after Senator Ted Cruz released his hold on Wheeler’s confirmation vote. Wheeler will succeed fellow Democrat Mignon Clyburn, who has been serving as acting chair since earlier this year when Julius Genachowski stepped down. Continue reading Senate Confirms Lobbyist Tom Wheeler as New FCC Chairman

BBC Global News announced a partnership with Twitter in which original video reports will be embedded in Twitter streams through the social media platform’s Amplify program. These videos, called BBCTrending, are being hosted by Anne-Marie Tomchak and will provide viewers with the news and memes circulating on social media, following a brief preview from a sponsor. “#BBCTrending” will be distributed to @BBCWorld’s 4.8 million Twitter followers. Continue reading BBC News Partners with Twitter for In-Tweet Video Reports

Netflix is in talks with several pay TV providers, including Comcast and Suddenlink Communications, to offer its online video service as an app on pay TV set-top boxes, according to those familiar with the talks. Netflix and cable operators are competitors, but both may be open to the possible benefits in combining their services. However, some cable operators have concerns regarding Netflix technology on their network and where that may lead.

Continue reading Netflix in Talks with Cable Companies to Combine Services

Verizon is planning to roll out a public beta of its Verizon Cloud “Infrastructure as a Service” platform and cloud-based object storage in the fourth quarter of this year. Verizon Cloud, which includes two primary components — Verizon Cloud Compute (the IaaS platform) and Verizon Cloud Storage (an object-based service) — will target enterprises, mid-size companies and development shops. The launch will initially involve a few hundred new users per month. Continue reading Verizon to Launch Public Beta of Cloud Platform This Year

Google previously announced that Austin, Texas would join the Kansas City area in receiving its ultra-fast Google Fiber service. Now, AT&T says it will also offer gigabit fiber Internet in Austin, beginning in December. The company’s AT&T U-verse with GigaPower will initially provide 300 Mbps speeds, with an upgrade to a full 1 gigabit connection next year. In related news, Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo aims to offer 5G wireless by 2020 with “1000 times the capacity and 100 times the speed as the current network.” Continue reading AT&T to Take On Google with Super-Speed Internet in Texas

Verizon recently released a study that found that NSA surveillance concerns have not decreased the adoption of public cloud services by large corporations. Companies have been increasing their amount of data stored in the cloud. Public clouds remain attractive as they allow companies to decrease or increase the scale of resources, and to share the cost of ownership among users. But some big companies are looking to vendors outside the U.S. to avoid the NSA. Continue reading Verizon: Big Corporations Still Moving to the Public Cloud

Intel executives have spoken with Amazon and Samsung in search of a strategic partner willing to back its Web-based pay TV service that it hopes to launch by the end of 2013. If Intel cannot find a backer to help fund and distribute the service, it is possible that the plan will be dissolved. Earlier in the year, Intel executive Erik Huggers disclosed that the company plans to sell an OTT pay service that includes a wide array of broadcast and cable TV networks. Continue reading Intel Looking for Backers to Help Keep Pay TV Service Alive

The National Football League and Twitter are partnering to deliver football highlights and related content through the social media service. Content will include in-game highlights from the NFL Network on Thursdays and clips from games after they’ve aired on CBS and Fox. The NFL will offer news, analysis and fantasy football advice. The move is part of Twitter’s Amplify program that allows TV content owners to integrate programming in Twitter feeds. The revenue from embedded ads will be shared by the companies. Continue reading Social TV: NFL Highlights Coming to a Twitter Feed Near You

Pay TV operators such as Comcast and Verizon FiOS are expanding their on-demand TV services. This is in response to Netflix, through which many users “binge” on a full season of programming in one viewing. Cable operators and media content companies differ on where they should distribute their on-demand content and are cautiously moving forward. A concern for many is the pricing structure if cable companies offer expanded on-demand services. Continue reading Cable Operators Expand On-Demand to Compete With Netflix

With fall TV premieres just around the corner, networks including ABC, NBC and Fox are offering pilots and new content through outlets such as Hulu, iTunes, Amazon and cable and satellite provided VOD, often prior to the scheduled television broadcasts. Hulu, for example, is already offering episodes of “The Mindy Project,” “Ironside,” “The Goldbergs,” “Trophy Wife” and “Welcome to the Family.” Some shows will also be available on network websites and those of affiliated stations. Continue reading Broadcasters Turn to Additional Screens to Launch New Shows

At a planned event tomorrow from its Cupertino, California headquarters, Apple is expected to announce two new iPhone models — one with a faster processor and another to be offered at a lower cost. As Apple’s profit growth has been impacted by a saturated handset market in the U.S. and parts of Europe, a lower-cost smartphone could allow the company to expand into other markets such as China and India, which would also mean new potential customers for iTunes movies, TV and music. Continue reading Apple Plans to Unveil Two New iPhones, Could Help Hollywood