November 1, 2013
Google releases 1st phone powered by ‘Kit Kat’By Michael Liedtke, Technology Writer
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google is selling a new Android smartphone that it hopes will become more like a clairvoyant friend than a piece of hardware.
The Nexus 5 phone unveiled Thursday is the first device to run on Kit Kat, the latest version of Google’s Android operating system.
As with previous Nexus phones, the latest will be sold only at full retail price, without subsidies that come with two-year contract agreements. It goes on sale Thursday in Google’s online Play store starting at $349, undercutting many rival phones at contract-free prices. The phone will work on most U.S. wireless networks, but not Verizon’s. A Nexus 5 model also is available for European markets.
The Nexus 5 and Kit Kat software underscore Google’s ambition to ingrain its search engine and virtual assistant, Google Now, even deeper into people’s lives. In the process, Google Inc. hopes to gather more insights that will enable it to sell more advertising, which generates most of its revenue.
It’ll be easier for Google to learn about a person’s habits and needs so it can display helpful information, such as an online post from a favorite blog or a suggestion to use Fandango’s movie-ticketing service when standing in a long line at a movie theater.
When visiting a tourist attraction such as Yellowstone National Park, Google Now might automatically show information about geysers from the Web.
“We want to get to the point where you glance at your phone and it always delights you with what you need,” said Sundar Pichai, a Google executive who oversees Android.
The new phone’s $349 price threatens to lure more cost-conscious consumers away from Apple Inc.’s iPhone, which retails for $649 for the 5S and $549 for the 5C when sold without a traditional two-year service agreement.
In an unusual twist for a software upgrade, Google built Kit Kat so it would work on cheaper smartphones equipped with less computing memory than top-of-the-line devices.
The move reflects the Mountain View, Calif., company’s desire to broaden use of the most recent version of Android. More than 1 billion Android devices have been activated, but a significant number are still using a 3-year-old flavor known as Gingerbread. That version remains popular because it works on those cheaper phones.
The mishmash of Android systems has made it tougher on app developers, who haven’t been able to fully embrace the new features in previous upgrades without risking older phones not being to run their software. By contrast, Apple makes its iOS upgrades free all at once to several recent models. With Kit Kat, Google has a chance to bring older and cheaper phones up to date.
Google plans to make Kit Kat available for other devices within the next few weeks, but it will be up to individual manufacturers and their wireless carrier partners to decide if and when they will make the update available.
With the release of Kit Kat, Google also has improved its voice recognition technology so it can engage in more meaningful dialogue with users.
Kit Kat also showcases a new feature in Google’s search technology to fuse results from the Web and applications installed on a phone. For instance, a request for a certain restaurant will show information drawn both from the Web and the app for the reservation service OpenTable Inc. Initially, only OpenTable and nine other mobile app makers have enabled this, but more are coming. This feature will also show up on other devices, including the iPhone, but for now it works best on the Nexus 5.
The new phone features a screen that measures nearly 5 inches diagonally — about an inch longer than the iPhone — and weighs about 4.6 ounces. That’s about the same as the cheaper iPhone 5C, but more than the iPhone 5S’s 4 ounces.
The Nexus 5 also includes a feature, called the “dialer,” that will display phone numbers pulled directly from the Web instead of just a person’s contact list.
Smartwatches abound. But who really wants one?By Anick Jesdanun, Technology Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Computerized wristwatches that display message alerts and weather updates are abound this holiday season: Consumer electronics companies are trying to persuade you to add these smartwatches to your shopping lists.
Samsung and Sony have devices out, and Qualcomm has one coming before the holidays. Apple is believed to be making one, and a new report says Google is developing one, too.
Why the big push for smartwatches? It’s not coming from consumers, says Jonathan Gaw, a research manager at IDC. Rather, it’s a product in search of a market — and an expensive one at that.
“We’ve had smartwatches for a while, and while the capabilities and technology have gotten better, this is still not something that people are clamoring for,” Gaw says. “The idea that it would ramp up for the holidays was always kind of a stretch.”
That hasn’t stopped gadget makers from trying. Companies are under pressure to create a new source of buzz now that consumers are no longer wowed by the latest smartphones and tablet computers. Many people already have those devices, and the new ones out this year are evolutionary rather than revolutionary.
Gaw says many gadget makers see an opportunity to jump in with a smartwatch, before a behemoth like Apple is able get its rumored iWatch ready.
Last month, Samsung Electronics Co. started selling the $300 Galaxy Gear in the U.S. It works with selected Samsung smartphones to display email and text alerts. There’s a camera on the strap for low-resolution photos and a speakerphone on the watch to make calls while leaving your phone in the pocket. You can install apps for additional functionality, such as tracking fitness activities and playing games, though there are only a handful of apps available for now.
Sony Corp.’s SmartWatch 2 is cheaper, at $200. Unlike the Gear, it works with a variety of Android phones, not just Sony’s. But it doesn’t let you make phone calls directly through the wristwatch. You can answer calls using the watch, but you need a Bluetooth wireless headset linked to the phone if you don’t want to hold it to your ear.
Qualcomm Inc., meanwhile, plans to start selling Toq before the holidays. It, too, will work with several Android devices.
Another smartwatch getting attention is the Pebble, which comes from a startup that raised more than $10 million through the fundraising site Kickstarter. It notifies you of incoming calls, texts and emails.
Apple isn’t likely to release its iWatch before next year, given that no mention was made of it at the company’s product showcase last week.
As for Google, The Wall Street Journal cited unnamed people familiar with the matter on Tuesday in reporting that the Internet search company is in late-stage development on a smartwatch which could be ready for mass production within months.
Samsung and Sony executives say they’ve designed their watches to give people ready access to information they would normally check on their phones, reducing the need to constantly pull out the phones.
Only Qualcomm seems to be acknowledging that there’s no real consumer demand for smartwatches yet. The company says it’s trying to showcase what’s possible, so other manufacturers will take the concept and build better products — using Qualcomm’s display technology and other components.
In a September briefing with The Associated Press, Samsung executives said the company has a history of taking risks. Samsung notes that people were skeptical about its Note phones with big screens, too, but now several other manufacturers are making Android phones with bigger screens.
Mystery barges on 2 coasts set tech world abuzzPORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Three mysterious structures that appeared on the water in California and Maine have the tech world abuzz.
Each of the boxy structures sits atop a barge and looks like a four-story building made up of metal boxes. Little is known about them, but they appear to have been registered by someone familiar with geek speak — and with a sense of humor.
The structures are registered with a Delaware corporation as BAL0001, BAL0010, BAL0011 and BAL0100. In binary code used in computing, the numbers spell out “one,” ”two,” ”three” and “four.” Currently, Nos. 1 and 2 are on the water in San Francisco and No. 3 is in Portland Harbor.
Online speculation has focused on Google Inc., which has a patent for a floating data center that uses ocean water for cooling. Neither Google nor the company outfitting the vessel shed any light on the matter Tuesday.
Sharon Gaudin, a writer for Computerworld, told the Portland Press Herald that the way the vessels were named suggested a technology origin or use.
“That’s a little telling,” she said.
Also, the Delaware company to which they’re registered is called Buy and Large, a likely joking reference to “Buy N Large,” the fictional mega-corporation in the 2008 film “WALL-E.”
While the floating structures may one day have a high-tech purpose, their construction appears to be fairly low tech. They consist of shipping containers welded together and placed atop barges.
Imax teams with China’s TCL to sell home theaters
By Kelvin Chan, Business Writer
HONG KONG (AP) — Imax is partnering with Chinese TV maker TCL to design and manufacture a high-end home theater system aimed at China’s growing ranks of affluent movie fans.
The companies said Tuesday the joint venture is expected to launch the new system in China and other unnamed markets starting in 2015.
The home theatres will feature “Imax-enhanced” films delivered straight to homes through a secure system.
Financial terms and the “premium” system’s selling price were not disclosed, though Imax said it would cost less than the company’s existing Private Theatre system, which retails for $2 million.
Imax Corp. and TCL Multimedia Technology Holdings Ltd. have an equal share in the venture. TCL, based in Shenzhen, China, is one of the world’s biggest television makers.
“As content viewing in the home is constantly improving, we wanted to stake out an entirely new position in the premium home theatre market,” TCL’s chairman Li Dongsheng said in a statement.
The deal is the latest move by the Canadian maker of big-screen technology to tap rapid growth in China, which is both the world’s No. 2 economy and movie market. In July, Imax teamed up with local partner Wanda Group to open 120 giant-screen cinemas in China.
The deal comes as Hollywood studios saddled with stagnating domestic box office receipts turn their attention to China, where revenues grew 36 percent to $2.7 billion in 2012.
While international studios are keen to get their films shown in China, the government tightly controls distribution. Only 34 foreign movies are allowed to be shown every year in cinemas nationwide, with at least 14 in 3-D or Imax format. There are no limits, however, on what can be watched at home.
Grass Valley set for NATEXPO ahead of Winter Games in RussiaHILLSBORO, Ore.–In preparation for the 2014 Winter Games being held in Sochi, Russia from February 7-23, Grass Valley will be exhibiting at the NATEXPO 2013 convention at the Crocus Expo in Moscow from November 19-21. Visitors to the Grass Valley booth А 50 Hall 8 will get first hand demonstrations of a range of live production solutions that will support the 2014 Winter Games, including HD cameras, switchers, and software.
“2014 is a hugely important year for broadcasters in Russia, so we are delighted to be exhibiting our latest innovations and technical strategies at this year’s NATEXPO convention,” commented Said Bacho, sr. VP of EMEA, Grass Valley. “As part of our ongoing commitment to the region, we recently announced an important partnership with Russian satellite broadcaster NTV Plus to help them deliver multichannel sports productions for the 2014 Winter Games. We are helping NTV Plus to compete in an extraordinarily competitive market by providing a cost-effective, agile solution that integrates with their existing Grass Valley solutions and can even be reconfigured when the Games conclude.”
Visitors to Grass Valley’s booth will see a range of solutions including: LDX Series—LDX Camera Series; LDX Compact—LDX Compact Camera Series; Kayenne—Video Production Center; GV STRATUS—Nonlinear Media Production Tools; K2 Dyno—Replay System; EDIUS—Multiformat Nonlinear Editing Software; GV Director—Nonlinear Live Production System; GV Edge—Integrated Playout System; CommandCenter—Broadcast System Control; Ignite—Automated Production System; and K2 —Media Servers & Storage.
The annual NATEXPO convention, the largest event of its kind in Russia and CIS countries with upwards of 12,000 attendees, caters to the various markets across broadcast, television, radio, new media, and cinema production. It provides a venue for content producers, equipment manufacturers and technology providers to network and share ideas and industry insight. The convention is supported by the Federal Agency of Press and Mass Communications and the Moscow city government.
Google Plus adds more tools to edit photos, video
By Michael Liedtke, Technology Writer
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google is introducing more tools to automatically edit images posted on its Plus networking service in its latest attempt to lure traffic away from Facebook and other online hangouts.
Most of the 18 new features unveiled Tuesday rely on technology designed to identify the photos and videos that are likely to be the most important to the individual users of Plus. Google Inc. launched the service two years ago as an alternative to Facebook’s pace-setting social network.
Plus has a long way to go to catch up to Facebook. Plus now has 540 million active monthly users, up from 390 million in May. But many of those users may only be watching a YouTube video while logged into Google. Facebook has nearly 1.2 billion active users.
In Google’s attempt to turn Plus into a photo-sharing hub, it added an assortment of automatic ways to manage images on Plus five months ago. The latest features build upon those innovations. Attracting more video to Plus is less important to Google because the Mountain View, Calif., company already owns YouTube, the Internet’s most popular destination for posting clips.
“At Google, we are looking at doing nothing less than revolutionizing the field of photography,” said Vic Gundotra, the company’s senior vice president of social.
Google’s new editing tools can automatically touch up images or perform tricks such as erasing people from photos or creating animated GIFs — stringing together multiple images to make it seem like the subject of a picture is moving.
Another feature will create a short movie set to music when a user selects different videos and pictures to mix together.
Snapseed, a Google-owned mobile application that competes against Facebook Inc.’s Instagram photo app, also is getting a new filter to improve the appearance of landscapes and structures.
Google has been focusing on building better image-management tools because a growing number of people are posting videos and photos online on social networking services.
About 54 percent of Internet users now post their own pictures or video online, according to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center.
Google says about 1.5 billion photos are being shared on Plus each week. Facebook recently said about 350 million pictures are being shared per day, or more than 2.4 billion per week. Millions more are shared on Instagram, which Facebook bought last year.
Snapchat also has become a popular spot for sharing photos, especially among people between 18 and 29 years old, according to Pew’s survey. Unlike Google Plus, Facebook and other services, Snapchat wipes out the pictures once they have been viewed.
Motion Picture Academy’s Tech Council adds 5 members
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.–Wendy Aylsworth, Rob Bredow, Douglas Greenfield, Rob Hummel and Bev Pasterczyk have accepted invitations to join the Science and Technology Council of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, bringing the Council’s 2013-2014 membership roster to 25.
Wendy Aylsworth is senior vice president of technology for Warner Brothers Technical Operations, where she oversees the establishment of new technologies for Warner Bros. production divisions. She formerly was a member of the Walt Disney feature animation department. In October 2012, Aylsworth was elected the first female president of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE). She became an Academy member-at-large in 2012.
Rob Bredow is chief technology officer and visual effects supervisor at Sony Pictures Imageworks, Animation, Colorworks and Post Production. As CTO, Bredow created the studios open source initiative which recently released Open Shading Language, Alembic and others to the open source community. Bredow’s most recent visual effects credits include “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs,” “Surf’s Up,” “The Polar Express,” and many other films dating back to “Independence Day” in 1996. He has been a member of the Visual Effects Branch since 2011.
Douglas Greenfield has been at the forefront of innovations in cinema sound for more than 30 years. During his career at Dolby Laboratories, Greenfield had contributed to many notable engineering projects and is currently senior director of content services. An active Academy member, Greenfield served as a Sound Branch governor for six years, and in 2003, he earned the John A. Bonner Medal of Commendation for outstanding service and dedication in upholding the high standards of the Academy. He is a returning member of the Council, having served previously for nine years beginning in 2003.
Rob Hummel began his career at Technicolor Laboratories and joined Douglas Trumbull’s visual effects company during the making of “Blade Runner” (1982), a Visual Effects Oscar๏ฟฝ nominee. Hummel has served as senior vice president of production technology at Warner Bros., worked in post-production, animation and Imagineering at Walt Disney Studios, headed animation technology at DreamWorks, and helped launch digital cinema units at Technicolor and Sony. Hummel is currently president of the digital media company Group 47, LLC. A returning member of the Council, Hummel previously served for nine years beginning in 2004.
Beverly Pasterczyk began her career with Kodak as a developmental engineer specializing in process technologies. She has held engineering/technical support positions in New York and Los Angeles, and currently is the regional technical director for the Americas region for Kodak’s Entertainment Imaging Division. A SMPTE Fellow, Pasterczyk has been involved in SMPTE over the years as an author, section manager/officer and as a governor representing the Hollywood region. She has served on the Scientific and Technical Academy Awards Committee and became an Academy member-at-large in 2011.
The 2013-2014 Council co-chairs are Academy governor Bill Kroyer (Short Films and Feature Animation Branch) and visual effects pioneer Ray Feeney (Visual Effects Branch).
The Council’s other 18 members are Lisa Zeno Churgin, Elizabeth Cohen, Doug Cooper, Paul Debevec, John Hora, Jim Houston, Randal Kleiser, Josh Pines, Rick Sayre, Milt Shefter, Garrett Smith, Dave Stump, Steve Sullivan, Bill Taylor, Beverly Wood and Academy governors Craig Barron, Richard Edlund and Don Hall.
Established in 2003 by the Academy’s Board of Governors, the Science and Technology Council provides a forum for the exchange of information, promotes cooperation among diverse technological interests within the industry, sponsors publications, fosters educational activities and preserves the history of science and technology of motion pictures.
Avid, NewBlue connect on integrated solutionTEWKSBURY, Mass.–For the first time Avid has bundled NewBlue Titler Pro 1.0 with Media Composer 7. Media Composer 7 was built on an open media platform, allowing Avid to work with developers and continually make enhancements to the nonlinear video editing solution. Now Media Composer 7 with NewBlue Titler Pro provides world-class titles within any creative project and enables users to create 2D and 3D titles quickly.
NewBlue Titler Pro is a fast and professional solution to create advanced text animations with ease, helping users to make feature-rich titles without the complexity of other titling software.
Additionally, NewBlue Titler Pro 2.0 is now available and takes the ground-breaking efficiency of the original Titler Pro and adds stunning visual appeal and sophistication through: 3D custom bevels; multiple light sources; and true motion blur
NewBlue, Inc. is a provider of professional video enhancement tools and technologies that make artistic expression easier, faster and more intuitive. With more than 200 plugins and 1500 presets, NewBlue’s effects work seamlessly with Avid Media Composer 7.
Samsung and NBA form partnershipNEW YORK–Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC (Samsung) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) announced a comprehensive multiyear marketing and technology partnership that will enhance the game and deepen the fan experience.
Samsung is now the official handset, tablet, and television provider of the NBA, Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), and NBA Development League (NBA D-League). Samsung will reach fans of all three leagues through a wide array of assets, including marquee league events, television and digital exposure, and customized content available on Samsung devices. The collaboration represents Samsung’s most extensive partnership with a North American sports league and the NBA’s most extensive partnership with a consumer electronics company.
Samsung’s ecosystem of consumer electronics will be integrated into the league and will provide fans with new ways to experience the game through custom content and services that will be introduced throughout the partnership. For the first time, NBA referees will be provided with Samsung tablets and will use Samsung technology courtside in all NBA arenas to review key plays throughout the season. The NBA will also use Samsung devices during key league events including NBA All-Star, the NBA Playoffs, The Finals, and the NBA Draft presented by State Farm. Samsung and the NBA will also offer a wide range of NBA content including NBA LEAGUE PASS (on an authenticated basis for those already subscribing to the league’s live game product), daily video recaps of games, expert analysis and commentary, NBA TV’s NBA Inside Stuff, and more.
