Smithsonian Networks announced that it plans to introduce an OTT video subscription service, called Smithsonian Earth, that will offer original nature and wildlife programming. The $3.99 per month, standalone service will initially be made available on Apple TV and Roku players (including 4K content via the Roku 4 streaming player). According to Multichannel News, Smithsonian plans to roll out new documentaries and short series each week. The network explains that one percent of subscription sales will be donated to the Smithsonian Institution’s various research and conservation initiatives.

Adele’s long-awaited new album “25,” her first in nearly five years, is scheduled for release today, but will not be made available via top streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music. Less than one day before the album’s launch, major music services were reportedly informed that the singer’s new songs would not be made available for streaming. With the music industry in flux, especially in regards to distribution platforms, most artists need to accept the royalty payments and terms of service related to streaming offerings. However, top acts such as Adele, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift may have the power to set their own terms. Continue reading Adele’s New Album to Launch Today, But Not for Streaming

In its efforts to bypass U.S. surveillance, China is said to be developing its own secure smartphones. “The effort involves both state-owned companies and some of the country’s savvier technology firms and marks the latest step in Beijing’s quest to build a homegrown tech industry that cuts out U.S. suppliers,” reports The Wall Street Journal. Since American companies have so far dominated in operating systems and processors, there has been little China could do in this space. However, rather than rely on iOS and Android handsets, Chinese companies such as ZTE and Alibaba are among those developing their own operating systems.

Hispanic media powerhouse Univision Communications has launched Univision Now, a $5.99-per-month Internet video service that features live broadcasts of the Univision and UniMás networks for Spanish-speaking viewers. The SVOD service features DVR-style replays of its live programming for up to three days after broadcast, in addition to on-demand access to primetime shows up to seven days after airing. Univision Now — offering the networks’ full slate of news, sports, telenovelas and award shows — is available via the Internet and iOS and Android apps. Continue reading Univision Launches Subscription Video with Live Broadcasts

NBCUniversal Digital Enterprises will roll out a free month-long trial of its streaming comedy channel Seeso next month. The online-only, ad-free beta will feature original series, movies and stand-up comedy, notes Variety. “It’s like the soft-opening of a restaurant,” said Evan Shapiro, executive vice president of NBCUniversal Digital Enterprises. “Everything is free, while you try out Seeso, sample our great classic comedy and get a taste of our exclusive original series. We think our stuff can help you laugh better, and we want you to Seeso for yourself.” The full version of Seeso is slated to launch in January.

Google released a stripped-down version of Google+ this week, suggesting the company may be scaling back on its social networking efforts. Launched in 2011 as a new competitor to Facebook, Google+ also served as a central hub for a number of Google products, and over time failed to gain the traction Google was seeking. According to The Wall Street Journal, the new Google+ focuses on connections via common interests rather than people, with two primary features: “Collections, which let users follow streams of content on topics like surfing or niche types of photography, and Communities, which let groups of people with the same interests join up and discuss topics like ‘Game of Thrones’ or painting.”

Researchers at Northwestern University’s McCormick School of Engineering have developed a new system called Wi-FM that uses FM radio signals so that wireless networks can essentially share rather than compete, in order to reduce the interference inherent with networks in neighboring areas. “This means that your connection speed may not suffer when your neighbor is watching Netflix, and vice versa,” explains Digital Trends. “The team’s field tests of prototype Wi-FM systems boosted connection speeds across all participating networks up to 50 percent, with an average boost of 35 percent better signal strength.”

Facebook has become a surprise ally in Google’s efforts to keep its search engine relevant in today’s mobile world. The social giant now allows Google to index its mobile app, which “means that results from Google searches on smartphones will display some content from Facebook’s app, including public profile information,” according to The Wall Street Journal. However, Google will not be able to index content shared via logged-in and private sessions. “Facebook’s cooperation is a sign that Google is making inroads in confronting a big challenge – searching inside apps,” notes WSJ. “Google’s search engine is dominant on the Web, but its computers can’t automatically ‘crawl’ and categorize the information inside apps.”

Professor Harald Haas introduced his Li-Fi system (using an LED lightbulb to power wireless Internet) during a 2011 TED Talk in Scotland. Professor Haas now has a working prototype of the technology that “relies on solar energy to power Internet connections so that an LED light source paired with a solar panel becomes a fully functional transmitter and receiver system for high speed, secure data transfer,” explains Digital Trends. Rather than utilizing cables or radio waves, “Li-Fi uses the nearly undetectable flicker of an LED light to transmit data.” The team envisions practical applications for solar homes, consumer electronics, and Internet of Things devices.

Amazon has quietly been developing Amazon Prime Music, which now offers more than one million songs to subscribers of its $99-per-year Prime membership program. While that is only a fraction of the tracks offered by services such as Spotify and Apple Music, and the service does not feature current hits from many of today’s top acts, “the company has begun to establish itself by focusing on what may be a vast part of the audience for streaming music: casual listeners and families,” notes The New York Times. “This part of the market, analysts say, may not mind the absence of a few current hits, especially considering that they can also receive the shipping discounts and streaming video offerings.”

Amazon debuted its restaurant delivery service through the Prime Now app in Seattle this September, added support for Portland last month, and has now made it available in Los Angeles. Amazon plans to eventually offer restaurant delivery everywhere Prime Now is available. “Prime Now, which offers free, two-hour delivery in major metros, as well as 1-hour delivery for $7.99, is live today in a number of cities across the U.S.,” reports TechCrunch. The service is ultimately about generating more Amazon Prime memberships. “The $99 per year program offers free, two-day shipping on more than 20 million items, and now makes more than a million of those items available for free, same-day delivery” in major U.S. cities.

Pandora has largely been focused on Internet radio since its inception, but has also been increasingly competing with on-demand music services such as Spotify and Apple Music. The company announced yesterday that it plans to spend $75 million for the assets of struggling online service Rdio, which is filing for bankruptcy. The move could help Pandora significantly expand the way it delivers music. While the company presently touts 78 million customers, most of them listen for free, and the current Pandora model involves a feed of songs based on a user’s tastes, but with limited control. Rdio’s tech could offer Pandora users more control over their selections. Continue reading Pandora Media to Acquire Rdio Assets Following Bankruptcy

Shopify — known for helping small businesses create e-commerce websites — has launched a new mobile app called Sello that joins a crowded field of peer-to-peer commerce efforts. Sello resembles Instagram and provides easy-to-use functionality for individuals and small businesses to sell products online. It is free to list items, but the Sello app collects a 3 percent fee for each transaction. Sellers simply post a product photo and description, list payment and shipping options, and specify a choice of social platforms, such as Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter. Continue reading Shopify’s New Mobile App is Like Instagram for Classified Ads

Fashion watchmaker Fossil will acquire Misfit, maker of activity-tracking wearable devices, for $260 million. The move is part of a larger Fossil initiative as it makes a push into the smartwatch arena. “Misfit makes a variety of wearable devices, such as fitness and sleep-tracking wristlets and a clip-on smart button that tracks activities,” reports Bloomberg. “Fossil singled out Misfit’s battery-life tech as a particularly appealing component.” Fossil, which makes watches for designer labels such as Kate Spade, Michael Kors and Tory Burch, reportedly plans to use Misfit’s tech across 16 of its brands and expand its connected device offerings.

Comcast and Time Warner are the latest major media players to invest in the emerging virtual reality space, as the companies recently joined a $30.5 million funding round for NextVR, a startup that specializes in broadcasting live events in VR. “Last month, NextVR offered virtual-reality broadcasts of a Democratic presidential debate and the National Basketball Association’s season-opening game,” reports The Wall Street Journal. VR “has become a popular bet for traditional media companies seeking to hold and expand their audiences as viewers cut pay-TV subscriptions in favor of content delivered via the Internet.” Jaunt and AltspaceVR are among other VR startups that have received funding from media companies.