Audible Magic is adding its automated content recognition (ACR) technology to a live identification and synchronization service for television.
The company claims the new service will use the patented digital-fingerprint ACR technology “to identify TV content even if it is live, never-before-seen, reality-based material.”
“For content owners, broadcasters, programmers, and other application providers, this service also offers several significant new opportunities,” suggests the press release. “With it, for example, they can now add content-aware intelligence to smart, connected device applications on televisions, mobile devices, and set-top boxes. In addition, they can use the intelligence they acquire to create and support new forms of social engagement, advertising recognition and response, and audience measurement.”
Details about the service will be released during demonstrations at the CES Eureka Park Tech Zone in the Bellini Ballroom of the Venetian Hotel.
Google plans to challenge Flipboard with its free news reader, available for tablets and phones from the Android Market or iTunes App Store.
Formerly codenamed Propeller, the newly named Currents app provides a “more magazine like reading experience,” with, of course, Google+ integration.
“The free app offers you a swipeable, graphics-heavy way to read material from partners like AllThingsD, PBS, Huffington Post and Fast Company, as well as public Google+ feeds and RSS,” reports Engadget. “You can even import your Google Reader subscriptions — and it all gets cached for offline viewing.”
Google Currents is only available in the U.S. at this time.
Amidst customer complaints and bad reviews, Amazon plans to unveil an over-the-air-update to the Kindle Fire and is also expected to produce an improved version of the device.
Some of the complaints include: no external volume control; the off switch is easily unintentionally hit; Web pages load slowly; there is no privacy for multiple users; and the touchscreen delays and can be difficult to operate for users “whose fingers are not as slender as toothpicks” one critic warns.
Some Fire consumers who bought the product based on faith in the company have expressed disappointment in reviews. Also, some unhappy customers recommend just spending the extra money on an iPad.
Amazon considers the Kindle crucial to its success as a virtual store and it is already at risk with current pricing that can lose as much as $20 on each $79 Fire. Although the negative feedback might spell doom for some companies, Forbes warns “it would be foolish to underestimate Amazon.”
If the company can make a well-liked, reliable product, Amazon’s low prices will ensure a decent market share. However, the company is hoping for a device that is more than an e-book reader, and an updated version may be needed to achieve this. One analyst noted there is nothing to do with the tablet “unless you’re planning on putting books, a lot of books, on it.”
One thing Amazon got right with the Fire: “Shopping on Amazon is a breeze,” reports The New York Times.
Rich Greenfield, a media analyst at BTIG, makes predictions about “virtual” cable companies that he expects to become available online by next year.
These companies will differ from VOD services like Netflix or Hulu in that consumers will subscribe to “real” TV delivered over the Web in real time.
The contracts will not be a la carte and the virtual cable companies will probably have razor-thin profit margins — after paying higher-than-market rates for big TV channels/programmers.
Although networks might shy away from virtual cable companies so as to not threaten their current deals with existing cable companies, the virtual programming may be beneficial to providers like Time Warner Cable, which will continue to offer broadband, where the profit margin is larger.
Greenfield expects companies that aren’t yet involved in the video business to be the first viral cable providers as they look for another platform to expand their business. Companies such as Amazon, Google or Verizon might also be among the first to sign on.
Faced with little interest from potential buyers, Hewlett-Packard is making its mobile operating system, webOS, available for free, allowing individuals and companies to make improvements (with certain guidelines).
When HP purchased webOS with Palm Inc. in July last year for $1.2 billion, it was “a highly regarded technology, but one that had failed to gain much traction with consumers,” according to The Wall Street Journal.
HP plans to continue enhancements to webOS and keep the 600 or so employees involved with the system. CEO Meg Whitman said HP may build devices with webOS in the future, but not in the next year.
The mobile operating system is “a fabulous technology that we don’t want to have go away,” explained Whitman in an interview, further noting that the decision to go open source is “a great answer.”
Google just hit the 10 billion mark for Android app downloads and is seeing one billion downloads per month.
However, The Arora Report found that some app developers make 1000 percent or more revenue from Apple than they do with Google.
“It appears that iPhone buyers are more amenable for paying for apps whereas Google buyers typically look for free apps,” explains Forbes. “Capitalism indicates that developers will continue to focus first on Apple and then on Google. It makes sense for the developers to go first where the money is.”
The article suggests Apple buyers prefer top of the line products whereas many Android consumers buy cheaper phones.
To further entice buyers, Google is now offering 10 popular Android apps for $1, with plans to cycle new apps every day.
Amazon has established a $6 million fund called KDP Select aimed at gaining 90-day book exclusives for Kindles from publishers and independent authors.
Digital Trends explains how it works: “$6 million is allocated each year and split into $500,000 per month. That $500,000 is awarded to publishers based entirely on how many purchases that author’s books generated during the month as compared to all books enrolled in the KDP Select exclusivity program. So, according to Amazon, if 100,000 books sell during a month and your book sells 1,500, you will earn $7,500 in additional royalties for the month.”
Authors who opt in will get “special tools” like the ability to offer their book for free, to better market their books on Amazon. Amazon says there will hopefully be more tools to come in the future.
The program may become less appealing as more authors join — especially popular authors — since the fixed $500,000 amount could potentially split more times. “The minute a really popular book joins that plan, all other participating members will see their royalties sliced by huge proportions,” suggests the post.
TechRadar offers its predictions of what to expect at January’s CES.
OLED: new production techniques are making the technology affordable; Samsung and LG will likely show 55-inch prototypes.
The majority of TVs 32-inch and larger will be 3D capable, Smart TV will probably see a boost and 4K panels will provide high resolution sets.
The Nintendo Wii U or an updated prototype will likely make an appearance along with — maybe — the Xbox 720.
Computing will see more from Microsoft on Windows 8 (which will hopefully discuss ARM backwards compatibility); Intel will showcase its die-shrink successor, Ivy Bridge; and ultrabooks will flood the conference.
Tablets may be revealed from Acer and HTC. There may also be multiple phone premieres: Samsung Galaxy S III, LG Optimus U1, HTC Edge and/or Ville, and the Xperia Arc HD from Sony Ericsson.
The article details potential camera reveals from Canon, Nikon and Sony. It also talks about more compact system cameras (CSC) that may be coming out in 2012 following Panasonic, Olympus, Samsung, Sony and Nikon models released this year.
Ross Nanotechnology has developed a new silicon-based spray that may save users buckets in cash by water-proofing electronics.
NeverWet has a very high contact angle, a way of measuring hydrophobicity or water resistance. The product is long-lasting and can also be used as an anti-icing agent or antibacterial shield.
“When water hits a NeverWet-coated product or item, it simply beads and rolls off the surface just like the proverbial duck’s back,” reports Digital Trends. “It’s not just water it repels either, as the silicon-based spray sees everything from oil to ketchup instantly fall away.”
NeverWet was applied to an iPhone that continued to operate successfully, despite being submerged underwater for a half hour.
The post includes two compelling videos showcasing the capabilities of the technology.
Verizon is planning to launch a TV and movie streaming and download service by May 28th, with a beta expected as early as April. The company is rumored to have partnered with RedBox to include physical disc rentals in the service.
The service, called Project Zoetrope internally, will stream in SD or HD to a variety of platforms — iOS, Android, Xbox and others — and video storage will be enabled for mobile devices and tablets.
“RedBox is immediately recognizable and synonymous with simplicity and value,” which will help Verizon with its lack of branding in the movie/TV world, TechCrunch writes. “RedBox, however, has little in the way of TV shows, so Verizon is probably doing much of the heavy lifting on that side, and of course on the delivery infrastructure front.”
“Pricing is expected to be monthly and credit-based, e.g. $5.95 per month for 6 credits, which could be used to rent X movies or Y shows,” adds the post. “There will be several tiers and some will include physical disc rentals, and of course there will be ways to purchase more shows if necessary.”
A new material, molybdenum disulphide or molybdenite, may challenge silicon as the leading chip-making material for the “next generation of smaller, more efficient mobile devices.”
Scientists at the Laboratory of Nanoscale Electronics and Structures developed the chip prototype. “This naturally occurring material can be worked within layers only three atoms thick, meaning it may be used to make chips three times smaller than the current standard,” reports Mobiledia.
“Advances in chip technology are about more than device size, however,” the article notes. “Mobile processors are called upon to do more functions…and the chip technology that drives them must advance as well.”
In this way, molybdenite would allow for high powered processors that take up less space, which would enable mobile processors to tackle larger amounts of data.
“Molybdenite also has mechanical properties that may allow it to be made into flexible sheets of chips, which may be used in mobile devices or computers that roll up, fold or stick to the skin,” indicates the article.
Google may directly challenge Skype with a new feature that enables free voice calls to the U.S. and Canada within Google+ Hangouts.
“To activate the feature, simply start a Hangout, click the Invite button at the top, select ‘Phone,’ and enter a phone number. If the recipient picks up, they’ll be instantly connected,” reports TechCrunch. “The free offer is supposed to last through 2012.”
This allows people who don’t have a Google account or even a computer to join a G+ video chat. It also enables free 1-on-1 calls, much like Skype.
The service has the potential to be used for conference calls, in making group decisions or serve as a a draw simply for casual use.
Google hopes the free calls will attract people to Hangouts, which has been “a bit sparse due to the social network’s low current user count.”
After an Android security researcher discovered that CarrierIQ was capable of collecting personal information from SMS, emails, photos, keystrokes and URLs, the company has been the target of severe criticism.
Now, CarrierIQ faces a class action lawsuit — as do Samsung and HTC — for violating the Federal Wiretap Act.
Plaintiffs are demanding millions of dollars in penalties paid to users with the logging software on their devices.
The company vehemently denies the charges, restating that the software is used solely to help wireless operators provide optimal service by logging information concerning dropped calls and failed messages.
TechCrunch notes that no carriers face charges as of yet, but are likely to in the near future.
In an analysis of Zynga’s pricy IPO, Forbes contributor Peter Cohan advises investors to “avoid this stock.”
“Social media gaming sweat shop Zynga filed to sell 14.3 percent, or 100 million, of its shares, valuing the lot at $7 billion,” he writes. “Should you pay the price to get in on its IPO? No.”
Zynga does have some things working in its favor: 1) It operates in the highly profitable virtual goods market that is expected to more than double by 2014; 2) It has a competitive advantage with the largest player audience on Facebook and 383 percent annual growth rate from 2008 to 2010; and 3) It has the ability to sustain its leadership position. “In October, Zynga announced Project Z that would lessen Zynga’s dependence on Facebook users. If that and its effort to go mobile work, Zynga would be in a stronger long-term position,” suggest the article.
So why not invest? Zynga’s IPO valuation is too high relative to its competitors; its growth is slowing down; and, its net income shrank for the majority of 2011 leaving “razor thin” 3.7 percent net profit margins. “No amount of sweat-shopping will fix Zynga’s slowing growth,” reports Cohan.
Apple, Google, LG, Nintendo, Nokia, Samsung and Facebook are among 28 tech and media companies that are joining forces to “deliver a better Internet for our children,” reports TheNextWeb.
“The group was put together by the European Commission (EC) and the priority actions set out include making it easier to report harmful content, ensuring privacy settings are age-appropriate, and offering wider options for parental control,” according to TNW.
“This new coalition should provide both children and parents with transparent and consistent protection tools to make the most of the online world”, says Neelie Kroes, vice president of the EC. “The founding coalition members are already leaders in children’s safety online. Working together we will be setting the pace for the whole industry and have a great basis for fully empowering children online.”
The coalition has created a statement of purpose covering five key areas: create effective reporting with simple, robust tools; enable age-appropriate privacy settings; develop age-rating through widespread content classification; extend parental control; and effectively remove child abuse material through improved cooperation with law enforcement.
