Entertainment

Spotify Gets Pink Floyd to Break Down Wall
June 18, 2013

Honoring a previous agreement, legendary British rock group Pink Floyd has given the green light to music streaming outfit Spotify to host the band's catalog. Pink Floyd announced earlier this month that it would resist releasing its music on Spotify until the 1975 classic "Wish You Were Here" hit 1 million streams. Well, the song hit 1 million, and Pink Floyd's tunes are now unlocked.

Netflix, DreamWorks Team in Huge Original Content Deal
June 17, 2013

Video streaming service Netflix on Monday announced a new, multiyear partnership with DreamWorks Animation whereby it will bring many of the studio's beloved characters to the TV market via a branded collection of shows. Marking the largest deal for original first-run content in Netflix's history, the partnership will include more than 300 hours of new programming.

Crowdsourcing Entertainment Marketing via Social Media
June 17, 2013

Movie studios and TV networks increasingly are turning to social media for help with generating buzz about their upcoming releases and programming. Communities are building around favorite movie franchises and TV shows. Have movie and show producers really been listening -- and if they have, has anything changed because of what they've heard? Yes -- and maybe.

It Was a Mad, Mad Gaming World at This Year's E3
June 15, 2013

Another Electronic Entertainment Expo video game show has come to a close, and more than ever, the battle lines were drawn as Microsoft and Sony both unveiled new systems. Sony may have gotten the upper hand by announcing that its PlayStation 4 will be $100 cheaper than the Xbox One and free of restrictions on the buying and selling of used games, but a lot can happen in the next few months.

Ouya, ESA Scrap Leaves Both Bruised
June 14, 2013

Indie startup Ouya had a showdown with ESA at E3 this week, momentarily overshadowing the rivalry between Microsoft and Sony. The brouhaha actually involved real police and took place on the streets of Los Angeles. It seems Ouya opted to introduce its open source gaming console not on the floor of the trade show, but in a parking lot across the street.

Time Warner May Erect a Walled Content Garden
June 13, 2013

Time Warner Cable appears to have come up with a strategy to help stem the flow of cord-cutters: offering incentives to content providers to withhold certain properties from online entertainment platforms. Limited distribution is clearly an entrenched practice in the entertainment industry, but it seems TWC is trying to keep some content off the Internet permanently.

Pandora Fights Fees with Terrestrial Acquisition
June 13, 2013

In an effort to manage acquisition fees, Pandora Radio has acquired a terrestrial radio station based in Rapid City, S.D. The move enables Pandora to be subject to licensing fees and royalties for broadcast radio stations rather than streaming stations. Internet radio services such as Pandora, Spotify, Rhapsody and Last.fm have struggled for years to balance acquisition costs with revenues.

X2 Marks the Spot for Comcast's Cloud TV Initiative
June 13, 2013

Comcast's new set-top box software opens a window into how cable TV companies hope to retain customers tempted to move their eyeballs to online-only alternatives. Comcast X2 blends cable offerings like on-demand movies, program guides and digital video recording with online-only content and social media. It's an example of where the cable industry is going with its services.

Nintendo Pushes Games at E3 in Bid to Revive Wii U
June 11, 2013

Nintendo took a low-key stance at E3 this year, opting for a more intimate presentation than the competition. Still struggling with less-than-expected demand for the Wii U system it launched last fall, Nintendo stressed that this year would be about the games. To encourage fans to reconnect with the Wii U, Nintendo called in some help from its core brands.

Sony PS4 Undercuts Xbox One on Price, Fully Supports Used Games
June 11, 2013

Sony took its best shot at stealing Microsoft's thunder on Monday evening at E3 by announcing that its upcoming PlayStation 4 will arrive this holiday season for $399. That's $100 less than the price Microsoft announced earlier in the day for its competing Xbox One, and the reaction was meet by thunderous applause that shook the Los Angeles Sports Arena.

Microsoft Targets Hard-Core Gamers with 13 New Xbox One Titles
June 10, 2013

Against the backdrop of the Electronic Entertainment Expo video game conference and show in Los Angeles this week, Microsoft unveiled 13 new games for its upcoming Xbox One video game console. "It was a lot to process," said video game industry consultant N'Gai Croal of the company's nearly 90-minute presentation. "It is still early, but this looks like a strong line-up."

Apple Adds Sony to iRadio Playlist
June 07, 2013

Sony Music has jumped on board Apple's forthcoming streaming music service, according to reports on Friday, meaning that Apple has now secured support for its anticipated offering from each of the big three music labels. Warner Bros. and Universal reportedly reached agreements with Apple earlier in the week. An announcement is expected at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference next week.

Bose Gets Tiny and Tinier With Earbuds and Mini-Speaker
June 06, 2013

The world can be a very loud place, and New York City's Grand Central Terminal served as a perfect backdrop for Bose to demonstrate how it can address and even combat that noise. In the famous station's Vanderbilt Hall, the company this week introduced two new audio products, including its first in-ear noise-canceling headphones and a Bluetooth speaker that fits in the palm of the hand.

When Apple Whispers to Devs, Consumers Read Lips
June 06, 2013

When Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference kicks off next week in San Francisco, it won't just be application developers watching. While the company speaks to business partners and professionals who use core Apple tools every day, the rest of the Apple enthusiast world will be paying close attention. What will Apple reveal? A new iWatch? The next iPhone? No and no.

It's Game On for Wikipad
June 05, 2013

After considerable delay and a significant redesign, Wikipad announced that it will release its gaming tablet on June 11 at a price of $249. A global launch is planned for this summer. Featuring a capacitive, multitouch 7-inch screen, the new tablet runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and slips into a cradle that adds digital and analog controls to make the Wikipad 7 a full-fledged game device.

Can Zynga's Pink Slips Save the Farm?
June 05, 2013

Zynga said this week that it is slashing 18 percent of its workforce in an effort to better allocate costs across the company as it attempts to develop more gaming hits across multiple digital platforms. It will eliminate about 520 positions by August. Cutting Zynga's "brothers and sisters" was necessary, said CEO Mark Pincus, but not something the company ever expected to face.

Hulu Might Be Up for Grabs
June 03, 2013

DirecTV and two other unidentified bidders reportedly are offering upwards of $1 billion to buy Hulu. DirecTV could be planning to add Hulu's digital offerings to its TV packages. Hulu offers both free and paid content, with about 4 million subscribers to its premium Hulu Plus service. Together, ads and fees generate revenue of about $700 million per year.

How to Get Music Onto Your Smartphone
May 31, 2013

One of the advantages of carrying a smartphone is that it's an all-arounder, and one of its killer features is that it can function as a personal media player. It's functionality that an iPod or MP3 player would have provided a few years ago -- and Sony Walkman before that. The principal difference between a smartphone and a classic MP3 player is that the smartphone now includes connectivity.

Amazon Customers Supply Prime Directive for Exclusive Programming
May 30, 2013

The vote is in, and Amazon has ordered five original television series, including two live-action comedies and three children's shows. While Amazon Prime subscribers have been able to stream movies and TVs from other content providers, they will now be able to view Amazon's own programming. The five new programs include Alpha House, a political comedy starring TV veteran John Goodman.

Fanhattan Aims to Make TV Easy Again
May 30, 2013

Fanhattan unveiled its new Fan TV set-top system at D11 on Thursday. It aims to streamline the television and digital entertainment experience by integrating several media platforms into a single streaming box. Fan TV is designed to solve three big consumer complaints about the state of TV: hardware clutter; lack of a unified program guide; and complicated remote controls.