Discovery

 

Virtual Reality Needs to Be Social to Succeed (Backchannel)

If 2016 was the year VR arrived, 2017 is the year developers will start thinking seriously about making VR social. VR is all about immersion — that sense that you’re actual... More

Apple, Spotify Face Upstart Rival in Streaming Music: China’s Tencent (WSJ)

Chinese internet giant Tencent Holdings Ltd. is expanding its music and live-streaming business in Asia, taking on industry giants Apple Inc. and Spotify AB. The Shenzhen-based com... More

Snapchat Plays Hard to Get With Celebrities and Influencers (New York Times)

Instead of giving celebrities special treatment, Snapchat limits their perks and treats them like typical users. Instead of courting influencers, who are regular people with large ... More

Live TV Streaming Providers Tap Into Viewer’s Tastes (Reuters)

Hulu, Dish Network Corp's Sling and other streaming services battling for customers who are ditching cable are working to make new live TV services more personalized for each user,... More

The Secret to Facebook’s Live-Streaming Success (Forbes)

Facebook Live allows users to “go live” whenever they want, easily and conveniently. They don’t need anyone’s permission, nor do they need special equipment to start broad... More

Google Confirms Testing Movie, TV Show Ratings with Like, Dislike Buttons (Search Engine Land)

Google has confirmed that they are currently experimenting with a method of allowing their searchers to rate movies or TV shows directly in the search results interface. When a mov... More

Netflix Launches Video Previews for TV Screens so You Can Watch Snippets Before Clicking (VentureBeat)

Netflix is introducing a new interface for its TV app today, ushering in video previews that display a specially created snippet of the program or movie to watch before you commit.... More

Amazon Moves to Cut Checkout Line, Promoting a Grab-and-Go Experience (New York Times)

There is almost no aspect of retail that Amazon has not upended with online shopping. Now, the company is trying to computerize the experience of buying sandwiches and soda from th... More

Sports Aren’t ‘DVR-Proof’ – Survey (MCN)

The vast majority of pay TV subs with DVRs – about 84.3% -- use them to record sports, a clear indication that live sports are not “DVR-proof,” a new survey from Thuuz Sports... More

How the Music World Flocked to Instagram in 2016 (Fast Company)

Many social media networks have tried and failed to become the go-to platform for musicians to engage with their fans. Remember Twitter #Music or Facebook Mentions? Are any musicia... More

Network DVR: The Better Alternative to Cord Cutting and OTT (Evolution Digital Blog)

Network DVR (nDVR) is the latest evolution in recording TV shows for time-shifted viewing. Recordable VHS tapes and VCRs gave way to stand alone DVRs, such as TiVo, as well as set-... More

While We Weren’t Looking, Snapchat Revolutionized Social Networks (New York Times)

Snap, which is based far outside the Silicon Valley bubble, in the Venice neighborhood of Los Angeles, is pushing radically new ideas about how humans should interact with computer... More

GoPro to Shutter Entertainment Division (Forbes)

GoPro is doubling down on its promise to return to profitability and said on Wednesday that it would cut 15% of its workforce as part of a broad restructuring. The wearable cameram... More

Starz Adds Music, Courtesy of Spotify, to its Video App (Recode)

A new integration live in Starz’ mobile app today gives users the ability to listen to soundtracks and related playlists powered by Spotify without leaving the app. Spotify subsc... More

Vevo Begins Its Long-Brewing Transformation, Releases ‘Ones to Watch’ 2017 (Billboard)

The release of Vevo's "Ones to Watch" picks for 2017 is the latest mile marker passed on the road towards a fundamental shift in strategy from the major-label owned (and partnered)... More

You.i TV Named to Deloitte’s 2016 Technology Fast 500 (MESA)

You.i TV has cracked the upper echelons of both the Deloitte Technology Fast500™ NA and the Deloitte Canada’s Technology Fast50™ in recognition of the company’s rapid growt... More

Instagram Adds Live Video Broadcasts (THR)

Instagram is jumping on the live video trend. The Facebook-owned photo and video sharing app announced Monday morning that users will soon be able to share live videos from within ... More

Social Media’s Globe-Shaking Power (NY Times)

As the technology industry came to grips in the last week with the reality of a presidential election that did not go its way, many in Silicon Valley landed on the idea that widesp... More

Hulu Acquires Video Genome Project to Enhance Recommendations for Live TV, VOD (Variety)

Hulu has acquired the assets of the Video Genome Project, billed as one of the biggest databases of video content on the market, which Hulu will use to deliver personalized recomme... More

14% of Americans over 13 follow eSports – Nielsen (GamesIndustry)

Nielsen's latest eSports survey reveals that 14 percent of Americans over the age of 13 are fans of professional gaming. The data reveals that eSports fans are 77 percent male, and... More

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