Taylor Alexander, a robotics engineer, has developed a work-in-progress project called Flutter as a Wi-Fi alternative. This “second network” can cover 100 times as great an area, with a range of 3,200 feet, with little power used. The project came about after Alexander attempted to connect sensors to one another during an app redesign on a project and found that Flutter could expand the potential of the Internet of Things, where all devices despite their size are connected to the Internet. Continue reading Wi-Fi Alternative Could Help Build The Internet of Things

CBS and Time Warner Cable ended their contract dispute yesterday, restoring CBS, Showtime and related channels to cable subscribers in the New York, Los Angeles and Dallas markets. For one month, the two sides had been locked into a debate regarding fees related to rights for retransmitting content. Retaining digital rights in order to sell content to online distributors such as Netflix and Amazon was also an issue. CBS and TWC did not release specific information regarding terms of the agreement. Continue reading CBS and Time Warner Cable End Month-Long Contract Dispute

Myspace hopes to reinforce its reputation as an ally for artists through its new program called “Music Video Collaborations With Artists We Like.” The program will allow Myspace to partner with artists and labels to create original content that will be shared on Myspace and YouTube. The first collaboration will be with an independent record label called Federal Prism that was founded by TV on the Radio member and producer Dave Sitek. Continue reading Myspace Launches Partner Program to Produce Music Videos

Google is beginning to restrict developer access to Chromecast and the Android operating system. The company is disabling workarounds of its Chromecast streaming device and other app options on Android. The move may be bad news for developers as certain functions are no longer available, but it may be good news for consumers if the user experience becomes more refined and features less ads on the new Chromecast and maturing Android. Continue reading Google Limits Some Development on Chromecast and Android

Last week, the MPAA rejected findings of a European study that suggests the shutdown of piracy site Megaupload damaged revenues for theatrical films other than blockbusters. Megaupload was shut down by the FBI in January 2012. While researchers at Carnegie Mellon found that the shutdown boosted legitimate digital sales of movies, a new study from Ludwig Maximilians University Munich and Copenhagen Business School argues that anti-piracy measures may have unintended consequences for different kinds of movies. Continue reading Megaupload Shutdown: MPAA Rejects Findings of Piracy Study

As a standalone app for iOS and Android, Peel has been working toward becoming the next-generation TV remote control. The second screen remote control app allows users to discover and access TV shows and movies from their tablets and phones. Due largely to recent partnerships with mobile device manufacturers, Peel has been gaining momentum, growing from 1 million registered users in Q1 of 2012 to nearly 26 million registered users today. Continue reading Tune-In: Peel Wants to Become the World’s Next-Gen TV Remote

Ericsson has published its latest consumer insight summary report, “TV and Media: Identifying the Needs of Tomorrow’s Video Consumers.” The ConsumerLab surveyed more than 17,000 people worldwide and, not surprisingly, learned that an increasing number of viewers are turning to mobile devices for TV and video. The report suggests that service providers have an opportunity to create new aggregate services that will help alleviate the complexity for users that has resulted from abundance of choice. Continue reading New Ericsson Report Examines Consumer Video and TV Habits

I recently spent an hour with Richard Raddon, co-founder of ZEFR (formerly MovieClips), a Venice, California company that is “connecting fans and franchises for the good of all.” MovieClips was co-founded by Raddon and Zach James about three years ago. The company developed proprietary technology that allowed them to identify content on YouTube. When MovieClips became ZEFR, it shifted its focus to help studios, sports, TV and music videos collect and monetize postings on YouTube. Continue reading ZEFR Helps Content Creators Reach Their Hidden Audience

Actor Kevin Spacey’s recent MacTaggart lecture at the Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival is generating a great deal of media buzz while it is busy making the rounds in the tech and TV industries. During his speech, the Academy Award winner discusses how Netflix and other companies are disrupting the traditional network and cable TV models. Spacey suggests that viewers want more control and that adopting a new distribution model could actually help curb piracy. Continue reading Spacey Recommends TV Industry Give Viewers More Control

French video game developer Ubisoft is pushing for a more interactive television experience, one in which viewers have more control over what happens, similar to the control players have with games. As a new generation of game consoles get ready to hit the market, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot hopes to join forces with Hollywood to help make this happen. Game developers say consumers have a growing appetite for new entertainment experiences. Continue reading Ubisoft CEO Envisions New Wave of Interactive Entertainment

A recent study from IPG Media Lab and digital advertiser YuMe indicates that consumers remember ads better after viewing them on tablets as compared to smartphones, PCs or TVs. The study suggests that the improved ad recall is because viewers tend to watch videos on tablets when they’re at home and they do not multitask the way they do when watching TV. In an unrelated poll of ad execs, IAB found that a majority plan to shift their budgets from TV to digital video ads. Continue reading TV Advertising Feels the Heat of Video Ads on Mobile Devices

Twitter may be responsible for increasing viewership of live broadcast events. The company contends that significant Twitter activity drives buzz, which increases viewership. MTV’s recent Video Music Awards drew 10.1 million viewers, while more than 300,000 tweets per minute were recorded during the Miley Cyrus performance alone. While Facebook also generates social chatter about TV broadcasts, it does not always reach people as the show airs. Continue reading Twitter May Be Increasing Viewership for Live TV Broadcasts

Two months after Instagram introduced video to its popular app, the company has acquired video sharing app Luma (formerly Midnox), which provides users with a variety of filters and adjustment controls including brightness, contrast, saturation, exposure and more. Luma also has stabilization technology that could help Instagram with its Cinema stabilization feature. The Luma app is no longer available via iTunes, although the company will offer support through the end of the year. Continue reading Instagram Acquires Video Sharing App and Stabilization Tech

The Airbnb travel accommodations website teamed with ad agency Mullen San Francisco to launch a new experiment in Vine marketing this past week. The “Hollywood & Vines” campaign will result in a short film composed of six-second Vine videos submitted by consumers. Shooting days ran August 22-25, with assigned shots posted hourly. “If your Vine is selected it will be featured on the Sundance Channel and you’ll receive a $100 Airbnb coupon,” explains the campaign’s site. Continue reading Vine Marketing: Airbnb Launches Video Crowdsourcing Campaign

Facebook announced its new shared photo albums feature yesterday that allows as many as 50 “contributors” to upload 200 images each to the same album. That means the shared albums can be as large as 10,000 photos in total. Previously, users were only able to upload photos to albums they had created, while albums were limited to 1,000 images. The new feature may affect photo album apps such as Albumatic and Flock. It is also similar to Google+’s Party Mode, which lets users share photos and videos. Continue reading Facebook Unveils Shared Photo Albums, Ideal for Group Events