Project Morpheus Gets Bigger Screen and Impressive New Specs

At this week’s Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, Sony announced that its PlayStation-powered Project Morpheus VR headset has some new specs. The screen resolution has been improved to 1,920 x RGB x 1,080 and its refresh rate has been doubled to 120Hz. Project Morpheus now features a new 5.7-inch screen with nearly 100-degree field of view, and touts lower latency, at under 18 milliseconds. While no price has been revealed, the company says it plans to launch the device by the first half of next year. Continue reading Project Morpheus Gets Bigger Screen and Impressive New Specs

Apple Preps for its Apple Watch Rollout with High Volume Order

With the release of its new Apple Watch line slated for April, Apple has reportedly ordered five to six million units to meet anticipated first quarter demands. The order accounts for all three models, which includes the Apple Watch, Watch Sport and Watch Edition. According to close sources, Apple’s order primarily consists of the Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch Edition models. It plans to up the production of its Watch Edition in the second quarter to exceed one million units per month.   Continue reading Apple Preps for its Apple Watch Rollout with High Volume Order

DLNA: VidiPath Tech to Enable Subscription TV Across Devices

According to the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA), wireless VidiPath technology will enable the secure delivery of subscription TV to all certified devices in the home. This could lead to eliminating the need to rent multiple set-top boxes. Wi-Fi-based VidiPath provides access to subscription TV across smartphones, tablets, Blu-ray players, game consoles and PCs. The first VidiPath-certified products are slated for availability in the first quarter. Comcast, Cox and Time Warner Cable are among those planning to offer VidiPath STBs. Continue reading DLNA: VidiPath Tech to Enable Subscription TV Across Devices

Visa and MasterCard Unveil Features to Combat Cyberattacks

As concerns continue to rise regarding credit card theft and data breaches, Visa and MasterCard have separately announced new plans to increase the security of their customer data. The world’s two largest payment networks will expand their cybersecurity measures for online transactions through new tokenization and biometrics verification technologies. The announcements coincide with increased efforts by the federal government and numerous industries to combat future cyberattacks. Continue reading Visa and MasterCard Unveil Features to Combat Cyberattacks

HPA Tech Retreat: Cybersecurity in Today’s Media Industry

During an HPA Tech Retreat panel yesterday on “Cyber and Content Security: Time for a Strategy Change,” moderated by NSS Labs Sales Director Kari Grubin, panelists asked the important questions: Who are the perpetrators? How easy is it to gain access? How can we understand the risks to our specific companies? And how can we architect against risks? Grubin was joined by Frank Artes of NSS Labs, Theresa Miller of Lionsgate, Bryan Ellenburg of the CDSA, and Ted Harrington of Independent Security Evaluators. Continue reading HPA Tech Retreat: Cybersecurity in Today’s Media Industry

PFP Cybersecurity Develops Tech to Prevent Zero-Day Hacks

Virginia-based PFP Cybersecurity has developed a technology that may prevent future “zero-day” hacks from happening, such as the ones recently experienced by Sony, Target, JPMorgan Chase and Anthem. The technology reportedly detects hackers within milliseconds of an attack by identifying pattern changes in the power that devices use. PFP is currently testing the technology in South Carolina working together with the Department of Energy’s Savannah River National Laboratory.  Continue reading PFP Cybersecurity Develops Tech to Prevent Zero-Day Hacks

David Cross Partners with BitTorrent for Distribution of “HITS”

Starting this Friday, viewers will be able to name their price to see “HITS,” the latest feature film from actor/director David Cross. Rather than pursue a traditional distribution deal, Cross and his producing team opted to partner with BitTorrent. They felt that the indie film deserved to be showcased differently than a push into select cities with a VOD release to follow. According to Cross, the flexible pay option, which will run for two weeks, is an approach he hopes will help eliminate piracy of the film. Continue reading David Cross Partners with BitTorrent for Distribution of “HITS”

Ouya Secures $10M Investment from E-Commerce Giant Alibaba

Alibaba has reportedly invested $10 million in Ouya, maker of the miniature game console that raised an impressive $1 million in just over 8 hours after launching on Kickstarter. Despite a successful crowdfunding campaign, Ouya has struggled to gain traction in a gaming market dominated by Microsoft, Sony and others. Alibaba already makes its own set-top box, so it appears that the company’s interest in Ouya is geared towards incorporating the game maker’s software and library of games.  Continue reading Ouya Secures $10M Investment from E-Commerce Giant Alibaba

Sony to Add Spotify Music Service to its PlayStation Network

Sony recently announced that it plans to replace its Music Unlimited service on the PlayStation Network with popular digital music service Spotify. Come March 29, PlayStation users will be able to connect their Spotify accounts, both free and premium, to run through the PlayStation Network and stream music while they play games. The new partnership could generate new subscribers for Spotify and help it take on competitors, since Sony’s PlayStation Network currently has about 64 million active users. Continue reading Sony to Add Spotify Music Service to its PlayStation Network

Microsoft Unveils Windows 10 OS Features and New Headset

During a press event yesterday, Microsoft made a series of announcements regarding new features for its coming Windows 10 operating system including improvements to built-in apps for Windows Phone that involve mail, messaging, photos, maps and more. According to the company, Windows 10 also intends to enhance and integrate Xbox, PC and mobile gaming. Additionally, Microsoft introduced its HoloLens headset that will allow users to interact with holographic images for playing video games and building 3D models. Continue reading Microsoft Unveils Windows 10 OS Features and New Headset

Linux Tapped by Rival Groups for Internet of Things Standards

Two competing coalitions have enlisted the Linux Foundation to help them develop open-source software that will work with each of their proposed technology standards for the Internet of Things. The Open Internet Consortium and The AllSeen Alliance have already started developing their own specifications for how connected home devices will interact with each other. Some reports suggest that the Linux partnership with both coalitions might eventually help merge the competing standards. Continue reading Linux Tapped by Rival Groups for Internet of Things Standards

Dailymotion Games Plans to Compete with YouTube and Twitch

French startup Dailymotion announced this week that it is launching a streaming site for the growing number of fans who enjoy watching video of live gaming, a move that would put the company in competition with Twitch, the leader in this emerging field. The move will also provide Dailymotion with another means of taking on its rival YouTube. Gaming video has grown increasingly popular due to new streaming services, the appeal of live professional gaming events, and the rise of massively multiplayer team-based games. Continue reading Dailymotion Games Plans to Compete with YouTube and Twitch

Discovery Channel Founder to Launch Subscription VOD Service

Following his success at Discovery Channel, founder John Hendricks is ready to move forward with another media venture, only this time one built for online streaming rather than pay TV. Hendricks is scheduled to launch CuriosityStream in March, a nonfiction subscription service that offers nature, history, science and technology content on demand. As with most subscription services, CuriosityStream hopes to tap into the non pay TV market first before pushing to add from pay TV households. Continue reading Discovery Channel Founder to Launch Subscription VOD Service

President Obama Calls for New Improvements to Cybersecurity

President Barack Obama proposed a series of new regulations that intend to help protect the country from cyberattacks. In the wake of a series of significant hacks last year, Obama is asking Congress to increase prosecution and toughen the penalties of people committing cybercrimes. He also wants companies to be able to share their information about hacks. In other news, President Obama wants to increase broadband competition by ending the laws in 19 states that limit municipal broadband. Continue reading President Obama Calls for New Improvements to Cybersecurity

UltraFlix Aims to Become Your Choice for Streaming 4K Content

NanoTech Entertainment is hoping that its 4K movie-streaming service, UltraFlix, will become the Netflix of Ultra HD. However, its immediate obstacle is a lack of 4K content, which is expected to change now that more companies are embracing the format. Consumers who already purchased a 4K smart TV from Hisense, Samsung, Sony or Vizio likely already have the UltraFlix app (next up is LG, Panasonic, Sharp and Toshiba, according to NanoTech). Competing with Netflix and Amazon could prove an additional obstacle. Continue reading UltraFlix Aims to Become Your Choice for Streaming 4K Content