comcast

Regulators approve Comcast-NBC Universal deal

The Federal Communications Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice today approved a deal to create a joint venture between cable giant Comcast and NBC Universal.

In a 4-1 vote, the FCC determined that the deal is in the nation's public interest. The Justice Department also issued a statement that it has approved the union, which will be the first time a cable company has merged with a major TV network. The new joint venture, which will be majority-owned by Comcast, will become a media powerhouse joining the nation's largest cable operator with one of the leading … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1388: Everybody hates Netflix (podcast)

Our hilarious Internet video of the day is also a disturbingly meta metaphor for what's got to be happening if the FCC would just roll over and approve a Comcast-NBCU merger 4-1, like they did today: walking headlong into the fountain. Hello, content balkanization! What could possibly go wrong? Also in the news, Steve Jobs on medical leave again, get your info off Facebook, for god's sakes, and why everybody hates Netflix. --Molly

Subscribe:  iTunes (MP3) |  iTunes (320x180) |  iTunes (640x360) |  RSS (MP3) |  RSS (320x180) |  RSS (640x360)… Read more

Reports: Comcast-NBCU deal near approval

The deal giving Comcast a controlling stake in NBC Universal could finally be approved by the FCC, followed by the U.S. Department of Justice, as early as this week, according to reports.

According to reports in The Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and Hollywood news site The Wrap citing anonymous sources, the Federal Communications Commission and the Justice Department will finally pave the way for the Comcast-NBC Universal deal to close by the end of the month.

The $37 billion merger between the companies has been a long time coming. The deal, which was first announced in 2009, … Read more

CES: Samsung Smart TV to get live, on-demand programming

Following up on a host of smartphone, tablet, and TV announcements yesterday, Samsung said in a keynote at the Consumer Electronics Show today it is revitalizing the TV by adding live and on-demand content to its Smart TV and turning mobile phones and tablets into remote controls and guides.

People are looking for bigger and smarter devices, according to Boo-Keun Yoon, president of Samsung's Visual Display Business.

"That's why TV will once again become the dominant and central piece of technology" in people's lives, he said. "I am confident that Samsung's Smart TV will become the leader" in content.

In this new "Smart TV era" people will be able to search for any kind of Web content, as well as broadcast TV and movies, from any Samsung device connected to the cloud and view it on a high-definition or even 3D screen, he said.

He brought several content partners on stage whose companies are helping to make that vision reality, including Glenn Britt, chairman and chief executive of Time Warner Cable, who announced that a "live subscription TV feature" is coming this year.

"We're radically changing how consumers interact with their televisions," said Brian Roberts, chairman and chief executive of Comcast.

The announcements were:… Read more

The 404 733: Where we do it without glasses (podcast)

It's the first official day of CES 2011 and we're joined by our buddy Clayton Morris of Fox and Friends who takes a moment out of his busy day to show us a couple cool gadgets he saw today. We always enjoy a game of show and tell, and Clayton doesn't disappoint with the Steadicam Smoothee, a handheld steadicam that you can use with an Apple iPhone, a Motorola DROID, or a Flip Mino video camera.

Next up in the rundown is a show favorite that seems to be making ripples throughout CES- it's the official Angry Birds board game by Mattel!

If you're a non-gamer like myself, Angry Birds is the insanely popular virtual game currently available for digital download on mobile devices like the iPhone and Android phones, but the creators, Rovio Mobile, and Mattel have just announced a physical board game version here at CES 2011.

The analog game plays just like the virtual phenomenon: set up the obstacle course according to the card you choose, place a a bird in the catapult, and take aim at the familiar green pigs trying to steal your precious eggs. As Natali says, the game is rated for ages five and up since it contains small pieces that could be harmful if swallowed, so take caution if you have children or child-like gamers in your life. Angry Birds the board game will be available for purchase in May for $14.95.

And speaking of games, Jeff was treated to a preview of the Nintendo 3DS handheld gaming console today, and it sounds like the little guy will definitely live up to the hype. The 3D effects pop the moment you pick it up, and Jeff's demo of the game "Pilotwings" effectively showed off the 3D slider that lets you adjust the degree of 3D intensity. Alternatively, you can also turn off the effect altogether if you have children under 6 that Nintendo advises should not use the device.

While Jeff and Wilson are giddy about gaming, I find myself shifting focus to other that appeal to my own lifestyle. Enter the Campbell Soup wireless cooking cup. It's being shown off at the Wireless Power Consortium and it stands to change the way we think about cooking soup.

All jokes aside, the technology behind the idea is pretty sweet- the soup container uses eCoupled wireless charging technology to heat up the soup from inside the package according to one of three power settings: low, medium, or high. We're not sure how this will ultimately aide in the heating of foods that aren't pre-cooked, but any device that saves me from washing a pot is a showstopper in my book.

There's plenty more news from CES 2011 to talk about today including the Blackberry Playbook, the Star Wars Blu-Ray set, Android 3.0 Honeycomb, Microsoft Kinect news, OnLive built into Vizio television sets and more, so thanks for listening and catch us again tomorrow LIVE from the showroom floor!

Episode 733 Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

CES: Samsung TVs demo Time Warner, Comcast apps for box-free cable

Cable card has long promised, and largely failed to deliver, cable TV programming without the need for a cable box. Now, judging from a demo we saw at the Samsung booth, cable TV providers are willing to work directly with TV makers to deliver content box-free.

The demo consisted of each providers' dedicated apps in the Samsung App menus. Selecting an app brought up a standard program guide grid (pictured), offering the full selection of each provider's lineup. Selecting a show from the grid caused it to begin playing live on the TV, just like you'd expect from … Read more

Comcast to stream live TV to iPad, Android tablets

Comcast will allow for in-home streaming of its live and On Demand content to the iPad and Android tablets later this year, the company announced today.

So far, details on the streaming option are slim. Comcast only revealed that users "will be able to watch live news, TV shows, and movies in their homes whenever they want." The company didn't say how it will stream content to those devices nor if it will charge an additional fee for the service. It plans to unveil a few more details at the Citigroup Investor Conference later today.

In addition … Read more

Big media fails to turn ISPs into copyright cops

Last month marked the second anniversary since the Recording Industry Association of America, the trade group representing the four largest music labels, stopped filing copyright lawsuits against people suspected of illegal file sharing.

At the time, the RIAA said it would seek help in copyright enforcement efforts from Internet service providers, the Web's gatekeepers, which are uniquely positioned to act as copyright cops. Under a proposed RIAA plan, ISPs would first issue warning letters and gradually increase pressure on customers who illegally shared songs, and even suspend or permanently terminate service for repeat offenders. RIAA execs said then that … Read more

FCC gets closer to approving Comcast-NBC deal

The Federal Communications Commission is a step closer to approving the $37 billion joint venture between Comcast and General Electric's NBC Universal.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski gave his blessing today to the new joint venture, which was announced a year ago. He circulated an order among the four other FCC commissioners stating that he believes the venture, which will be controlled by cable giant Comcast, will be in the public interest, paving the way for the full FCC to approve the marriage between the two companies.

That full FCC approval isn't expected until January. The deal must also … Read more