television

The 404 960: Where we tweet from our seats (podcast)

Leaked from 404 Podcast 960:

Facebook exploit exposes Mark Zuckerberg's private photos. Theaters set aside tweet seats for Twitter users. Finally: an app that can detect Photoshopping. Rumor: Apple to release 32-55 inch TVs next year.… Read more

Apple TV to come in 3 sizes, top out at 55 inches, report says

The rumor mill is heating up around Apple's television plans, and now a report claims to have information on the device's screen sizes.

Citing anonymous sources in Japan at a "major" company working on the set's production, Australian technology site Smarthouse reported Sunday that Apple television buyers will be able to choose from three screen sizes, ranging from 32 inches to 55 inches. In addition, the sources say that the television will ship with the same Apple A6 processor expected to come in the iPad 3.

On the software side, Smarthouse's sources say that … Read more

Fanhattan adds popular new services

TV and movie fans: one of the best streaming media and entertainment discovery apps for iOS just got better with three new content providers.

Fanhattan for iOS (download for iPhone or iPad) already let you discover and watch TV and movies on your iOS device from many popular services including Netflix, Hulu Plus, iTunes, Vudu, and ABC. Starting today, Fanhattan has added a wealth of new content from PBS, Crackle, and Lifetime.

The Fanhattan App offers a great layout for entertainment discovery. To get started, you choose between TV or Movies on the home screen. From there, Fanhattan offers several ways to dig in to your favorite shows, letting you swipe to browse related content like reviews from Metacritic, trailers, actor and crew bios, and much more.… Read more

Apple TV sets will be mighty pricey, analyst says

Rumors have been swirling that Apple is thinking about launching a television next year, and Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster claims to have some insight into what the iPhone maker has planned.

Speaking yesterday at Business Insider's Ignition: Future of Media conference, Munster said, according to the blog, that Apple thinks customers want an all-in-one television that isn't tied down to external boxes.

But in order to deliver that, Munster says, Apple will charge a steep premium for its television. According to Business Insider, Munster said that if a given television costs $800, Apple's alternative will set … Read more

Verizon Fios TV app bringing 26 channels to Xbox 360

Verizon's live-television offering for Xbox Live is coming next month, the company announced today.

Starting in December, Xbox Live Gold members will be able to download a Verizon Fios TV application to their Xbox 360 gaming consoles. Upon doing so, and as long as they're both Verizon TV and Internet subscribers, they'll be able to watch live programming on 26 channels through Verizon's service. Verizon didn't say which channels will be offered, but it did acknowledge that the selection will depend "on the customer's TV package."

Microsoft announced a wide-ranging television agreement last month … Read more

How 3D TV is going to change the look of 2D shows

SAN FRANCISCO--Despite the relative dearth of 3D television programming, sales of 3D TVs are on the rise. But for those who make that programming, the biggest challenge of all may be simultaneously producing 2D versions of the same shows.

On a recent Tuesday, I had the chance to visit the Treasure Island set of "I (Almost) Got Away with It," an Investigation Discovery (ID) channel program about fugitives' near escapes from the law that's made by Indigo Films.

Although most people who watch the show do so in normal 2D, Indigo has recently been shooting a 3D … Read more

Biscotti TV Phone: Google video chat goes big screen

Your television's job description is about to get bigger. The Biscotti TV Phone is a gadget that turns the focal point of your living room into a home videoconferencing solution.

Biscotti is a small device that hooks up to your TV through HDMI. It includes a remote control to add to your remote control pile.

A 5-megapixel camera and speaker capture your image and voice, so you'll want to think twice before plunking down in front of the television wearing a velour track suit and curlers.… Read more

Netflix for Android tablets gets refresh; iPad version coming soon

Netflix has updated its tablet application, but so far, it's only available to Android device owners.

The update delivers a new interface that Netflix says should help users more easily discover the content they want to watch. The application's layout includes clips of programs or movies users recently watched, which can be tapped to start playback. In addition, listings of top picks and content from the Instant Queue are visible under those videos.

Thanks to the new layout, the refreshed Netflix app now displays "twice as many movies and TV shows as before," the company's … Read more

Sony working on a 'different kind of TV set'

Apple isn't the only company thinking seriously about reinventing the television, Sony CEO Howard Stringer has revealed.

According to the Sony chief executive, who spoke yesterday with The Wall Street Journal, his company has a "tremendous amount of research and development going into a different kind of TV set." Stringer declined to provide details on what his company's television might offer.

For Stringer and Sony, the stakes are high in the television business. Over the last several quarters, his company's television operation has continued to drag down earnings, due to Sony losing money on every … Read more