MobiTV reportedly has plans to power a service in 2014 that will introduce a new HDMI streaming stick or lightweight set-top box for playing Internet content on a TV set. While the company is not revealing who is behind the prospective service, it is likely that a broadband or wireless provider would use MobiTV to turn an OTT video service into something consumers can easily enjoy in their living rooms. This would be a bold move for MobiTV, which is not a traditional service provider. Continue reading MobiTV Aims to Power Over-The-Top Video Service Next Year

Motorola Mobility has announced that animation veteran Glen Keane will work on the third installment of Motorola’s “Spotlight Stories” series, which features short, interactive projects designed specifically for smartphones. The longtime Disney animator’s credits include “Aladdin,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Pocahontas,” “Tarzan” and the Oscar-winning short “Paperman,” among others. The Motorola projects are being made available via the built-in Spotlight app on Moto X phones. Continue reading Motorola Plans Interactive Short Film with Disney Animator

Silicon Valley startup Meta is aiming to take on Google Glass with its augmented reality computing platform. The company has developed a wearable computing device in the form of aviator shades that it claims offers 15 times the screen area of Glass. Founder Meron Gribetz envisions Meta as the first pair of smart glasses that sport a more fashionable look with greater computing capabilities. Meta Pro, the first consumer set of specs, is due for shipment in June. Continue reading Meta to Ship Full-Fledged Augmented Reality Aviator Shades

Although eBay is commonly known as an online auction house, CEO John Donahoe has made strides in moving beyond this perception by expanding eBay’s marketplace to include fixed prices with reliable and returnable goods. In the last five years, eBay has made 34 acquisitions which will help provide retail partners with creating interactive storefronts in real locations, help with the back end of websites, monitor inventory in real time, and streamline the electronic payment process.  Continue reading EBay’s Strategy to Revolutionize Shopping and Beat Amazon

Facebook is positioned to become the number-two seller of digital ads in the U.S. and worldwide for the first time. Mobile growth has been the primary contributing factor to the social network’s rise in position — which had previously been fourth place. Now, Facebook is between Google, at number one, and Microsoft, at number three. Mobile advertising was just three percent of global digital ad revenue in 2010 and has shot up to 22 percent since. Continue reading Facebook to Become the Second Largest Seller of Mobile Ads

Snapchat rolled out a significant update to its iOS and Android apps on Friday that offers support for new services such as swipeable photo filters. The update supports “smart filters” that can overlay information on pictures including the current time, temperature (using data supplied by the Weather Channel), and how fast a user is moving. Additionally, a new Replay option enables users to view one of their incoming messages one more time. Continue reading Snapchat Unveils App Updates with Filters and Replay Option

Through their San Jose-based startup InVisioneer, TiVo co-founders Michael Ramsay and Jim Barton are reportedly getting ready to release a new TV companion device called QPlay, designed to blend video discovery and curation with smart TV functionality. According to a recent FCC filing, QPlay connects to TVs through HDMI and, similar to Chromecast, relies on an iPad for Wi-Fi set-up and device interaction, rather than a remote control. Continue reading TiVo Co-Founders Plan Launch of QPlay TV Streaming Device

One criticism of Roku’s popular line of streaming media devices has been a lack of support for YouTube, now one of the most essential sources of video and music on the Internet. YouTube announced this week that Roku 3 users will finally have access to YouTube content on their TVs. Users can also pair their mobile devices to YouTube on the Roku with the “Send to TV” feature, which lets you send videos by simply connecting a tablet or smartphone to the same Wi-Fi as your Roku player. Continue reading YouTube Available for Roku 3, Additional Model Support Soon

Google has released a Glass software update that includes some substantial new features. Update XE12 provides users with the ability to snap a photo with a discreet wink, adds a lock screen function for improved security, offers options for uploading Glass-shot videos directly to YouTube, and intros Hangouts integration for messaging and chatting with friends. Additionally, the Google Play Music app is available and the long-awaited MyGlass app for iOS is being rolled out. Continue reading Google Glass Software Update Delivers Compelling Features

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

Charles and Kai Huang, co-founders of RedOctane (“Guitar Hero”), have teamed with Coleman Fung, founder of OpenLink, to form interactive fitness startup Blue Goji. The company recently launched Goji Play, a $99 set of exercise equipment-friendly game controllers with velcro straps, that encourages users to play games while working out on a treadmill, elliptical machine or stationary bike. An activity tracker measures how quickly you’re moving, and powers game characters. Continue reading Goji Play Transforms Fitness Equipment into a Game Machine

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

Wearable technology and personal data — rapidly moving beyond early-adopter status to play an increasingly important role in the marketplace — is a major trend we’ll be examining at CES. The skyrocketing popularity of wearables is no surprise; at last year’s show, Digital Health and Fitness emerged as the second most-talked about topic behind only Ultra HDTV. ABI Research predicts 169.5 million wearable health and fitness devices will be on the market by 2017. Continue reading CES 2014: Wearable Devices and Technologies Gain Prominence

Twitter is testing a new timeline for its mobile app based on location, called “Nearby,” which shows users recent tweets that originated in the user’s vicinity. The Nearby feature has occasionally appeared on the smartphones of users who allow the service to use their location (users can also opt out of location sharing). Twitter has yet to comment on the feature, which some suggest could be attractive to advertisers, but says it experiments regularly to provide a better user experience. Continue reading Twitter Runs Location Sharing Experiment with Nearby Feature

Warner Bros. launched Warner Archive Instant in April, offering rare and hard-to-find movies and TV shows online. The $9.99 per month service streams content from Warner Bros., MGM, RKO, Allied Artists and others. Last week, the studio announced a new iPad app for the service. Many of the titles are available for streaming to HDTVs in 1080p via an iPad or Roku player. The entire Warner Archive Instant collection is also now available with closed captioning. Continue reading Warner Archive Instant Adds iPad App and Closed Captioning