Tag Archives: Jacob Kastrenakes

Apple still doesn’t have a streaming deal with the top TV network

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photo: The Verge

Apple is still struggling to make deals with TV networks for their content. It’s not clear which, if any, Apple already has on board, but CBS CEO Les Moonves has made it clear that his network — the US’s most watched — isn’t there yet. “Apple is having conversations with everybody about doing their own streaming services,” Moonves told Bloomberg today. “We’ve had those conversations, as have the other networks. Do I think something will happen? Probably, but I don’t know when.” – Jacob Kastrenakes, The Verge

Verizon is gathering exclusive series for its mobile streaming service

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photo: Verizon, The Verge

DanceOn, a dance video production company co-founded by Madonna, said yesterday that it would produce over 80 hours of shows, including a reality series, for Go90; Endemol beyond USA also said yesterday that it would launch three series on Go90, two of which would come from YouTube stars, Cassey Ho and Sonya Esman. Finally, production company New Form Digital said today that it would create six comedies and dramas for Verizon’s network. […] Verizon also has more traditional content creators on board, having made deals with DreamWorks, AMC, and Fox, as well as with ESPN, CBS Sports, and the NFL for sports content — though, presumably, they won’t be providing exclusive video. – Jacob Kastrenakes, The Verge

Streaming radio app TuneIn adds MLB broadcasts and commercial-free music

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photo: The Verge

The streaming radio app TuneIn is continuing to move beyond traditional radio. It’s adding a paid offering today that’ll give listeners access to over 40,000 audiobooks, 600 commercial-free music stations, and most notably live sports broadcasts from Major League Baseball, with the ability to listen to all home and away MLB feeds. […] TuneIn’s Premium package will go for $7.99 per month and is launching today in the US, UK, and Canada, with a global rollout planned over the next few months. – Jacob Kastrenakes, The Verge

Comcast now lets any of its customers stream live video to friends’ TVs

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photo: The Verge

Xfinity Share initially launched back in May, but at the time it was only available to people paying for a Triple Play package. Now anyone who subscribes to a Comcast service will be able to use the app. Unfortunately, the app’s key feature — streaming to others’ TVs — is limited by the fact that it only works on TVs that are connected to one of Comcast’s X1 DVRs, so most people won’t be able to receive a broadcast that way. The app can also be used to stream video from one phone to another; although, at that point, you’re basically just video chatting[.] – Jacob Kastrenakes, The Verge

YouTube videos will no longer get stuck at 301+ views

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photo: The Verge

YouTube videos’ view counter famously gets stuck at “301+” views, but that beautifully ambiguous state is going away forever. YouTube announced this morning that it’s doing away with 301+ and will start to keep video views more up to date. It’s long frozen the counter after 301 so that it can take some time to filter out any fake views from robots, but doing so has meant keeping the counter really imprecise while thousands of legitimate views come in. – Jacob Kastrenakes, The Verge

AT&T wants your smartphone to get FM radio

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photo: The Verge

The general thinking is that FM radios have been turned off to encourage data usage, which carriers can make money off of. So why the change? It’s possible that AT&T is getting a cut of ads or music sales from NextRadio, an FM radio app that it seems to be supporting. NextRadio worked with Sprint to get it to support FM activations back in 2013, so this isn’t unprecedented; radio activation is also something that NPR and the National Association of Broadcasters have been pushing for. Regardless of why AT&T is now starting to push for FM radio, it’s good news for smartphone owners. FM radio is free and doesn’t require an internet connection. It’s also a news source — and it could be a critical one during an emergency. – Jacob Kastrenakes, The Verge

Grooveshark has been cloned and its music is back online

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Grooveshark has come back online — but not officially. A clone of Grooveshark is now being hosted at Grooveshark.io (the original site was a .com), allowing visitors to keep streaming, downloading, and searching for music files, including the many, many copyrighted files that got the original site in trouble. – Jacob Kastrenakes, The Verge

Netflix orders sketch comedy series from Bob Odenkirk and David Cross

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Netflix has grabbed a new comedy series from two big names: Bob Odenkirk and David Cross, the duo behind the classic HBO sketch series Mr. Show. They’re beginning production on a Netflix series, titled With Bob and David, that’ll include four half-hour episodes and an hourlong making-of special. […] Netflix also ordered today a supernatural drama called Montauk. It’ll take place in the ’80s and involve a boy’s disappearance and secret government experiments — the actual story is being kept pretty vague for now. Eight hourlong episodes are expected to premiere next year. – Jacob Kastrenakes, The Verge

These are the FCC’s full rules for protecting net neutrality

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The FCC has released the full text of its new Open Internet order — the set of rules that are meant to protect net neutrality. Though the rules passed last month, the full text of the order hasn’t been available until now. […] The order focuses on three specific rules for internet service: no blocking, no throttling, and no paid prioritization. “A person engaged in the provision of broadband internet access service, insofar as such person is so engaged, shall not impair or degrade lawful internet traffic on the basis of internet content, application, or service, or use of a non-harmful device, subject to reasonable network management,” – Jacob Kastrenakes, The Verge
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