hbo go

ESPN, HBO come to Apple TV

Apple TV is getting live sports and "Game of Thrones" beamed straight to its box, as Apple announces Time Warner's HBO Go and Disney's WatchESPN apps are now available.

But confounding would-be cord cutters, most of the content appears limited to people who already subscribe to a pay-TV provider. It was a sticking point Apple had reportedly fought against.

Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of software and services, predicted in a statement that HBO GO and WatchESPN still will be "huge hits on Apple TV," given the two apps are some of … Read more

The 404 1,274: Where Microsoft makes the same mistakes (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Amazon's Kindle Worlds will pay writers to write fan fiction.

- Hire your favorite musician to write you a song .

- And now a reading from the worst fan fiction I've ever read.

- Follow Russ Frushtick on Twitter.… Read more

Google smartwatch in the works?

Now Google is making a smartwatch.

You didn't think Google was going to sit the smartwatch party out, did you? Since the Pebble watch made a splash at CES, we've gotten word that both Apple and Samsung are busy working on wearable tech that will talk to our mobile phones. It should come as no surprise then to find out that Google is now exploring the market with a watch based off its Android operating system. There's no date on when to expect these watches, but for now you can read reviews of ones that have already … Read more

HBO eyes new partnership with providers on streaming service

HBO could be considering a new way to get its streaming service, HBO Go, to customers.

Speaking to Reuters in an interview published yesterday, HBO Chief Executive Richard Plepler said that his company is mulling the possibility of offering HBO Go to cable provider customers who don't pay for TV service. Customers who don't pay for television service could pay an extra $10 or $15 per month for access to HBO's programming through HBO Go, broadening the streaming service's scope.

HBO's paid cable network has nearly 30 million subscribers. However, the company's streaming offering … Read more

The half-cut cord: What's bugging me about cable

I cut the cord years ago. My wife sat across from me on the sofa and finally convinced me that paying well over $100 a month for the privilege of a bunch of random cable channels wasn't worth it. We could save money, learn to live lower to the ground, read more, and watch TV shows and movies on demand. Netflix, Hulu Plus, and iTunes. I agreed. With apprehension.

It worked. We relaxed, we used an over-the-air antenna, we caught our TV shows on broadcast networks and just sat through commercials. I even borrowed an old DTV Pal DVR … Read more

HBO Go subscribers can stream over AirPlay

HBO will now allow HBO Go subscribers to stream programing from their Apple mobile devices to their TVs over AirPlay.

Eric Kessler, HBO's chief operating officer, announced the news at an All Things D conference today, saying that HBO is adding the feature as part of an update to its iOS app today, according to All Things D.

AirPlay is a wireless technology that lets users stream content from one Apple device to another.

Kessler also said that the company plans to get HBO programming on Apple TV eventually. It's already available on other devices, including the Xbox … Read more

New PlayStation may debut this month

Friday's CNET Update deciphers the shapes:

Stories from today's tech news roundup:

- Sony expected to unveil a new PlayStation this month -- before E3

- Verizon has new prepaid plans for 3G smartphones

- Nokia is researching a new material called graphene

- HBO Go may be coming to Apple TV

- Amazon beefs up its Prime Instant Video streaming with Downton Abby and is also creating original kids shows

- Netflix premiered the series, "House of Cards," and all 13 episodes are available now

- CNET's Download team highlights free alternatives to the new Office 2013 and Office 365 … Read more

Apple, HBO reportedly in talks to bring HBO Go to Apple TV

Apple and HBO are in talks to bring HBO's on-demand programming to Apple's set-top streaming box, a new report says.

Citing anonymous sources, Bloomberg says the two companies are still working out a deal with hopes of adding it to Apple's streaming lineup by the middle of this year.

Apple declined to comment on the report, calling it rumor and speculation.

"We've said we would like HBO GO accessible on all preferred platforms so we are always having discussions with a variety of companies," an HBO spokesperson told CNET.

Apple's set-top box currently … Read more

How Netflix, HBO, ESPN punish international travelers

I am writing this post sitting in New Delhi, India, as I wind up a trip that included several social-media talks to mark the centennial of Columbia Journalism School.

Thanks to apps like Apple's FaceTime and the free texting-and-calling service Viber, I was able to connect in better ways with my wife and kids than on any international trip I've ever been on.

But I also was deeply disappointed by one aspect of technology on this trip. And it was the fact that some services that I use regularly in the U.S. don't work overseas.

Here'… Read more

New TV Guide app tries to bridge gap between TV and streaming

Finding streaming TV shows or movies is a mess. No service or app has a complete collection, and getting what you want often feels like rummaging at the Internet's garage sale.

Some services have risen up to try to help; the Xbox 360 offers excellent Bing-based search of Xbox media apps, while Fanhattan does the same on iOS, although you have to enter the app to begin searching.

Fanhattan lacks one important feature, though: a listing of shows on actual, live TV.

Bridging the cord-cutting and cable/antenna TV landscape is TV Guide, which tries to implement streaming-media hooks into its existing tradition TV listings service.… Read more