DirecTV execs say online video is one of the “growth areas” it will be focusing on in the next few years as it attempts to attract younger potential customers who aren’t paying for cable service. It wants to target niche audiences in particular and is considering offering tailored programming to those viewers. Children and Latinos are the two major audiences the company is eyeing. The satellite TV firm said home security and new advertising products are also on the front burner. Continue reading DirecTV to Pursue New Audiences and Online Video Streaming

Facebook has begun selling video advertisements, which will appear in users’ timelines starting on Thursday. The ads will play automatically in news feeds on both the Web and via smartphones, although Facebook says that will only happen on phones connected to Wi-Fi so as not to eat up users’ data. One of the very first ads is a short teaser for the upcoming film “Divergent,” and Facebook’s hope is that it will beat TV’s reach and YouTube’s targeting. Continue reading Facebook Rolls Out Video Ads to Compete with TV and YouTube

Google is planning to bring Chromecast to international markets and make casting available on multiple devices with thousands of apps. The popular device’s SDK, which is still being finalized, will be opened up to help make apps compatible with the $35 dongle, and Google is partnering with several companies to bring its functionality to a number of other devices. Hundreds of developers have already signed up to add Chromecast capabilities to their apps. Continue reading Google’s Chromecast SDK Headed for International Markets

After a year in beta testing, the augmented-reality game “Ingress” is now available to the public for download on Android mobile devices worldwide. The game, which was created by Google through its Niantic Labs internal incubator, hosted 14 worldwide events over the weekend before launching. More than one million people have downloaded “Ingress,” and its creators are looking to expand with advertising and turning it into a platform anyone can use to build their own game. Continue reading Google Goes Public with “Ingress” Augmented Reality Game

YouTube is expanding its live streaming capabilities to all YouTube channels and now includes the option to launch a Google+ Hangout On Air. The launch began with a test period of a handful of users and YouTube partners, followed by a period including users with a certain number of subscribers. Now users with a verified account in good standing will see this feature available in the next few weeks. Users should also expect to experience a boost to their Google+ pages. Continue reading YouTube Expanding Live Streaming Capabilities to All Users

Facebook-owned Instagram has launched Instagram Direct, a photo messaging tool that allows users to send videos and photos directly to individual friends, as opposed to its standard function of simply broadcasting images to all users’ friends’ feeds. It is similar to Snapchat in that it is a direct messaging function, but unlike Snapchat, the photos do not quickly disappear. Twitter, meanwhile, has also been updated to allow sharing photos in direct messages. Continue reading Instagram and Twitter Enable Direct Messaging with Photos

Similar to how CD sales gave way to download sales, digital downloads are now giving way to on-demand music streaming. But despite their surging popularity, streaming services such as Pandora and Spotify are having a difficult time getting their listeners to pay for subscriptions. The overwhelming majority of subscribers would rather put up with ads for the free version than shell out money for unlimited, uninterrupted music. Continue reading Streaming Music Services Struggle to Recruit Paid Subscribers

In the ongoing battle against broadcasters, Chet Kanojia, head of cloud-based DVR company Aereo said in a statement the company would “not oppose the broadcasters’ petition for certiorari before the United States Supreme Court.” If the Court decides to hear the case in 2014, Aereo could possibly benefit from freed-up resources to expand nationwide. As is, broadcasters’ stand on cloud-based services by Google, Amazon and Apple could threaten those services’ very existence. Continue reading Aereo Not Opposing Broadcasters’ Pursuit of Judicial Review

Wireless telcos Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular have agreed to the FCC’s demands to unlock subscribers’ phones. The Commission’s chairman Tom Wheeler gave the providers the ultimatum to unlock phones or face regulation, and now they — along with CTIA – The Wireless Association — have complied, agreeing to meet requirements within a year. They’re recommending the policies be incorporated in the association’s Consumer Code for Wireless Service. Continue reading Wireless Telcos Adhere to FCC’s Request to Unlock Phones

Part two of “The Hobbit” trilogy, out this week, is back with the much-debated High-Frame-Rate (HFR) 3D format — but with some changes. The 2012 “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” boasted 48 frames per second, but some of the criticism of the format was that the super-HD quality was an eyestrain. The new “The Desolation of Smaug” maintains the HFR; however, director Peter Jackson says he’s toned down the sharpness of the image to make it look more “filmic.” Continue reading Newest Installment of “The Hobbit” Trilogy Improves Upon HFR

Apple’s iBeacon and its Bluetooth Low Energy technology may soon revolutionize the way we interact in the physical world — and it’s already built into most iPhones. The technology is growing as more retail stores install sensors to track shoppers. It is also relatively inexpensive and easy to install. And instead of people having to launch an app or whip out a credit card when they’re out and about, their phones will do it for them — automatically. Continue reading Will iBeacon Revolutionize Interactions in the Physical World?

Facebook is working on ways to give brands and media companies a better look at conversations happening on the social media service about TV, movies and media. Facebook recently launched new APIs allowing certain companies to read what people are saying about them online. The goal, of course, is to allow those companies to better engage with target audiences. But for now, the program is limited just to media brands and content producers. Continue reading Facebook Helps Companies Gauge Social Chatter About Media

The National Security Agency and its UK sister agency GCHQ have been deploying real-life agents into fictional worlds like “World of Warcraft” and “Second Life,” collecting gamers’ chats and even attempting to recruit potential informants, according to documents leaked by Edward Snowden. The agencies claimed that real-life terrorists might be playing and plotting within these games, suggesting that the gamer communities may provide intelligence on terrorist activity. Continue reading NSA and GCHQ Monitor Gaming Activity, Search for Terrorists

Major tech companies have joined together to form the AllSeen Alliance group with the common goal of enabling the Internet of Things (IoT), also known as the Internet of Everything (IoE). Consortium members include Qualcomm, LG Electronics, Cisco, Panasonic, Sharp, Silicon Image, D-Link and Haier. The nonprofit Linux Foundation made the announcement of the group, which plans to use Qualcomm technology to connect appliances and gadgets to the Internet. Continue reading AllSeen Alliance Group Formed to Enable Internet of Things

BBC’s iPlayer streaming service shows that Britain’s TV viewers have different consumption habits than Netflix customers here in the U.S. The iPlayer service, which offers live and on-demand shows for viewing, indicates viewership habits that reflect traditional TV viewing, with varying peak times. The majority of BBC’s viewers still watch traditional television, but the definition of “prime time” changes along with the shift to streaming. Continue reading BBC iPlayer Peak Times Vary Between TV and Mobile Viewers