time warner cable

Apple TV nears Time Warner Cable deal, Bloomberg says

Apple and Time Warner Cable are nearing a deal that would bring new channels to the computer maker's set-top box, Apple TV, for subscribers of the cable television service, Bloomberg reported Tuesday citing people with knowledge of the talks.

A deal would bring the set-top box a significant influx of channels, and its first flood of live ones.

Apple has been expanding its offerings on the device, which connects Web videos and other media to the traditional television but lacks the the broad array of channels that its chief competitor Roku offers.

Earlier this year, Apple TV got its … Read more

Could Google be next with a game console?

CNET Update hearts it:

In this episode of Update:

- Preorder a GamePop by Sunday to get it for free, or else get the GamePop Mini free with a subscription.

- Prepare for a Nexus Q comeback if Google relaunches it as an Android-gaming console.

- Leave your evening plans in the hands of Max, the new Netflix suggestion feature.

- Catch a glimpse of Android 4.3 leaked screenshots.

- Ditch the extra cable box this summer with Time Warner Cable's live TV app on Xbox.

- Bid farewell to the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, which isn't getting an upgrade … Read more

Time Warner Cable to bring 300 channels to Xbox 360

Time Warner Cable and Microsoft have inked a deal to bring scads of TV channels to the Xbox 360.

Later this summer, Time Warner Cable will launch its TV application on Xbox Live, bringing up to 300 live TV channels to the Xbox 360. The service will be available only to those who are current Time Warner Cable customers and who subscribe to Xbox Live Gold.

According to Microsoft, Time Warner Cable's channel offerings will include AMC, Bravo, Comedy Central, and CNN. The app will also work with voice controls through the company's Kinect sensor.

Microsoft has been … Read more

Pay TV goading media companies to withhold on Web?

To discourage media companies from proliferating Web-based entertainment, pay-TV operators such as Time Warner Cable are using tactics like offering higher payments or threatening to drop programming, according to a report by Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources.

Such goading is meant to keep programming out of the hands of digital entertainment services that companies like Intel and Apple are pursuing.

As cable companies negotiate distribution agreements with content providers, a chief interest is keeping as much hold on exclusive content as they can. That gatekeeper status has long been a cable company strategy to keep customers and fend off digital competition. … Read more

Hulu buyout heats up with four reported bidders

Companies looking to get a piece of the Hulu pie had until this week to put in their first round of bids for the video streaming service. And, it appears that four companies have gone in for a slice.

Former News Corp president Peter Chernin, private equity fund Guggenheim Digital Media (which is headed the former interim Yahoo CEO by Ross Levinsohn), satellite operator DirecTV, and cable operator Time Warner Cable have all put in bids, according to Reuters.

Hulu has supposedly been looking for a buyer over the past couple of years, and recently several companies have allegedly expressed … Read more

Customers not as happy with iPhone as they were last year

More customers are satisfied with Apple's phones than any other handsets, but they're not as happy as they were last year, a new report said.

According to an American Customer Satisfaction Index report issued today, Apple received a score of 81 (on a scale of 100) in terms of customer satisfaction. But the company dropped 2 percent from its 2012 position, and the iPhone lags the customer satisfaction rating of 86 for Apple's desktop, laptop, and tablet business.

At the same time, satisfaction with Motorola phones jumped 5 percent from 2012 to 77, and Nokia grew 1 … Read more

Time Warner Cable promises major upgrade to Android app

Android users who employ the TWC TV application will soon have far more functionality available to them.

Time Warner Cable announced on Tuesday that the upgrade to its Android application will deliver access to more than 4,000 On Demand TV shows and movies. The app will also allow for out-of-home access to some On Demand programming and live TV viewing over a Wi-Fi connection. Time Warner Cable says mobile users will have access to over 1,100 On Demand shows and movies and live television from "a dozen or so" news, sports, and entertainment channels.

Time Warner … Read more

Google Fiber prompts Time Warner to offer free Austin Wi-Fi

Though Time Warner Cable's free Wi-Fi hot spots are nothing new, there is something perhaps more than coincidental about the timing of their launch in Austin, Texas.

Did someone say Google Fiber?

Well, actually, Time Warner itself did. In its announcement Thursday that it's bringing free Wi-Fi hot spots to its Austin customers, the company said it was Google launching its superfast Internet and TV service in the Texas capital that gave Time Warner momentum.

"We've been rolling out our free Wi-Fi network across our footprint for some time now, as part of our larger strategy … Read more

Roku 3 streaming box rocks new features

CNET Update is cuckoo for Roku:

The Roku 3 continues prove its the king of the streaming machines. The latest version replaces the XS model with a faster processor and a new remote that includes headphones, so users can listen to shows in private without bothering others in the room. It also has a new interface that makes it easier to scroll through channels. Current Roku owners will also see the new menu in April.

The Roku goes beyond simply streaming videos on demand -- it also can tune into live TV channels with a new app for Time Warner … Read more

The strange resurrection of Net neutrality

WASHINGTON, D.C.--At this week's State of the Net conference, an annual event of the bipartisan Congressional Internet Caucus, members of Congress, staffers, and technology policy junkies gathered once again to explore the government's Internet-related priorities for the new year.

A few themes emerged, including possible legislation over cybersecurity, a rewrite of the 1996 Communications Act, reforming federal electronic-surveillance laws, and the continuing threat of both national governments and the United Nations trying to wrest control of Internet governance from engineering-driven groups.

The general consensus, however, was that for at least the next several months, the fiscal … Read more