video

Google has reached a licensing agreement with MPEG LA over patents that cover video compression, clearing the way for wider adoption of the Web giant's VP8 video codec and its streaming-video platform WebM.

The deal grants Google the right to sublicense the VP8 as well as the techniques in the forthcoming VP9 codec, which is already under development. MPEG LA also agreed to abandon its efforts to form a VP8 patent pool, which would have allowed it to cross-license its video patents.

Financial terms of the arrangement were not revealed.

"This is a significant milestone in Google's … Read more

Have you ever wanted to watch the latest movie trailers and music videos or stream shows in the background while you work? Now you can with a little homegrown program called VideoGhost from Greedy Glutton Software.

How does it work? VideoGhost can be installed on your computer or run as a standalone product. After launching, you will see that it is a third-party browser with a controllable opacity setting and options to stay fixed on your desktop. The process is relatively simple with these hot keys:

Nintendo's Wii U could benefit from a price reduction, a Ubisoft executive director says.

Speaking to Edge-Online in an interview published yesterday, Alain Corre said that his company "always" likes to see a hardware company cut the price of a console.

"We always want the hardware to be at a low price because we want as many fans as possible to afford to buy our games, so that's for sure," he said in response to a question asking if he'd like to see Nintendo cut the price of its console. Corre is Ubisoft'… Read more

Good luck trying to move into the new SimCity.

Ever since the city management game launched on Tuesday, countless gamers have found themselves battling error messages and random disconnections that prevent them from experiencing what SimCity was supposed to deliver in the first place -- fun. In response, publisher Electronic Arts says it's working around the clock to try to fix the problems and add more servers so people can play without worry.

SimCity Senior Producer Kip Katsarelis issued the following statement to frustrated builders last night, hoping to soothe their nerves:… Read more

The most popular mobile-gaming franchise in the world is now a bit easier for you to get your hands on.

Customers who head over to the App Store today will find that the iPhone and iPad versions of Angry Birds are available for free. Previously, the iPhone version was on sale for 99 cents. Angry Birds HD for the iPad was available for $2.99. Rovio previously offered free versions of the titles, but those were limited to only a few levels. Those now appear to be gone from the App Store.

Angry Birds was the game that kicked off … Read more

The Nook is stocking up on video.

Barnes & Noble subsidiary Nook Media this morning announced new content licensing partnerships with Hollywood studios and content providers including Lionsgate, MGM, Paramount Pictures, Relativity Media, National Geographic, Little Pim, and Film Buff.

The partnerships will provide Nook users with the choice of "thousands" of additional movies and TV shows including "The Hunger Games," the Twilight movies, "Skyfall," "Rocky," "Mad Men," and "Amazing Planet," the company said.

With the news, Nook Media is playing up the high-resolution screens of its 7-inch … Read more

Perhaps Kobe Bryant's teammates feel the same way.

They stand back and watch their supreme leader perform as no other man can. Or no other man thinks he can.

In this case, on one team is North Korea's "Supreme Leader" Kim Jong-un, partnered by his new bosom chum, Dennis Rodman.

On the other team are two Americans -- one of whom, curiously, isn't an American.

The genesis of this sparkling video game is the recent visit of Rodman, the former Chicago Bull great and "Celebrity Apprentice" not-so-great to North Korea. … Read more

Telly, the popular video-sharing platform that was once known as Twitvid, has today released a major update to its iOS app. Jumping to version 2.0, Telly for iOS now makes it significantly easier to watch content, share with friends, and even add a bit of polish to videos before sharing.

Now, when you're ready to share, you can do so with selected individuals or private groups. This makes it easy for recipients to reply with either text or their own videos, from right within the Telly app.

Also new is a nifty landscape mode that the company is … Read more

The need for a secret video recorder may be fairly limited, but it is still an interesting concept. Generally, if a user is recording video with their mobile device there are visual or audio indicators of it. Secret Video Recorder shuts all these indicators off and makes the video record completely in the background. There is no shutter sound, no viewfinder, no flash, and no LED indicator. The user is also able to utilize the device as if nothing were different. They are able to make calls, send a text, or even watch a video.

The incredibly simple installation allows … Read more