[Video] Michael Bay succumbs to stage fright at CES
We've all had our moments where we shrink in the spotlight in some capacity. However, when you're an illustrious Hollywood director, you would think the spotlight would be the least of your problems. Unfortunately for Michael Bay, he discovered his stage fright at the worst moment. During Samsung's press conference yesterday as part of this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the Transformers director fumbled with his lines, eventually getting frustrated to the point where he walked off stage awkwardly.
Following the abrupt appearance, Bay turned to his website to address the situation, chalking everything up to a teleprompter error:
Wow! I just embarrassed myself at CES – I was about to speak for Samsung for this awesome Curved 105-inch UHD TV. I rarely lend my name to any products, but this one is just stellar. I got so excited to talk, that I skipped over the Exec VP’s intro line and then the teleprompter got lost. Then the prompter went up and down – then I walked off. I guess live shows aren’t my thing.
But I’m doing a special curved screen experience with Samsung and Transformers 4 footage that will be traveling around the world.
Michael
I bet the huge reveal would have involved the 105" TV turning into the next Decepticon. Thanks for ruining the moment, Michael!
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[via IGN]
Nintendo forced to pay percentage of future 3DS sales to another company
Nintendo fits into weirdly into the video game spectrum. On the one hand, their first-party titles (Zelda, Super Mario Bros., etc.) perform critically well to solid sales; on the other, the dwindling third-party support hasn't helped bring the company's latest console, Wii U, to the forefront of next generation gaming as the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. However, while the Wii U continues to underperform and underwhelm, the company's hardware side has been consistently salvaged thanks to amazing sales of the Nintendo 3DS.
As of October 2013, close to 35 million units have been shipped worldwide with no real signs of slowing down. Unfortunately, a percentage of future 3DS sales will go towards another company thanks to a patent claim. Kotaku states that Tomita's patented camera technology that creates 3D images from the system's cameras. Nintendo will be forced to pay 1.82% of every unit sold to Tomita going forward. It's a small percentage, but considering the current MSRP for the 3DS is at $190 and the growth of future 3DS sales, that price will add up.
[via Kotaku]
Vines now viewable on browsers
With a quick show of hands, how many of you have actively used Instagram on a web browser? Nobody, right? With Vine's popularity growing, it was only a matter of time before they brought their talents to a bigger screen. As of today, your favorite six-second clip platform can now be shared with your friends without a smartphone through Vine's new website platform.
By visiting Vine's new website, you can easily see your Vine timeline, as well as your own personal profile. However, much like Instagram's browser website, you can't upload any content. Aspiring Vine artists can feel comfortable knowing they can easily share their profiles with a dedicated URL instead of linking to videos individually or having to re-upload them to a more convenient video service like YouTube.
In addition, a "TV mode" option is available for users viewing the Vine site to expand the video clips into full-screen mode. Why anybody would want to do this for six second-long clips is beyond me, but whatever floats your boat. If Vine truly wants to take the next step in growing their product, they should introduce playlists allowing viewers to watch multiple clips back to back. Imagine the level of creativity going into expanding upon the six second limit while still adhering to that same timeframe. The possibilities!
[via Vine]
Super Bowl XLVIII will stream for free on Fox Sports Go
With billions of dollars in generated revenue, the Super Bowl is consistently the largest televised event of the year. With the rise of streaming and declining necessity for a large screen TV, the NFL has been exploring streaming options for past Super Bowls to huge success. Not one to skip the bandwagon, Fox Sports will also be offering a streaming option for Super Bowl XLVIII.
Select TV subscribers will be able to stream both the Super Bowl and all NFC playoff games through Fox Sports' own Fox Sports Go for free depending on your cable or satellite provider. However, the options are limited, as only AT&T U-Verse, Midcontinent Connections, Optimum, SuddenLink, WOW!, and Xfinity subscribers are the only ones currently eligible for this offer - sorry DirecTV users.
[via Engadget]
Netflix considering new pricing, streaming plans
Netflix has faced subscribers' shared account shenanigans for a few years now, but hasn't done anything to combat it. In fact, just a few months ago, they introduced multiple profiles under single accounts so that family/household members would have their own dedicated queues, recommendations, etc. Netflix knows that users will share their accounts with others, and rather than setting restrictions to it, let alone dedicating time, money, and energy to fight it, they've embraced it.
However, Netflix is still a business, and businesses need to make money. To greet the new year, Netflix is testing new pricing and streaming plans for users. The cheapest of the plans is $6.99/month that allows SD streaming on one screen. This is for users who don't care about standard or high-definition video quality and don't share their accounts. The next proposed tier is $7.99/month that allows HD streaming on two screens. $9.99/month would allow HD streaming on three screens, and $11.99/month would offer HD streaming on four screens.
Which option sounds like the best for you?
[via /Film]
Iron Maiden Plan Tour Using BitTorrent
The music industry was turned on it's head near the turn of the century when Napster and peer-to-peer file-sharing essentially ended what had been a gilded era of $20 CDs being sold with two radio hits at a massive record store. That all changed as the P2P network and then the rise of torrents increasing pushed music online and into the digital realm. As bands and artists saw their discographies pilfered by online "pirates," new strategies were put in place, grandmas were arrested and Steve Jobs convinced everyone to start selling their songs for a dollar apiece, the album format be damned.
While that sequence of events has led to exponentially more free music than we've ever enjoyed, it has also meant declining revenue for labels and artists who have had to innovate and experiment with new strategies to keep the game going. One of the more interesting ways I've seen this happen is the way heavy metal group Iron Maiden recently turned the tables on the pirates, by analyzing where their music was downloaded on the popular BitTorrent download client to decide where to route their next tour.
The logic was simple: if they're willing to steal the music, they probably like it a lot. MusicMetric, a UK company that specializes in analytics for the music industry by capturing everything from social media discussion to traffic on the BitTorrent network, crunching the figures to determine an act's popularity in certain locales. "Having an accurate real time snapshot of key data streams is all about helping inform people's decision making. If you know what drives engagement you can maximize the value of your fan base. Artists could say ‘we're getting pirated here, let's do something about it’, or ‘we're popular here, let's play a show’," said Gregory Mead, CEO and co-founder of the London-based firm in a press release.
While it first was reported by Complex and Rolling Stone that Iron Maiden actively used this information to route their latest tour, the band has since denied anything of the sort. While their dates seem to have coincided with MusicMetric data suggesting large fan bases in South and Central America, where they have since played several successful shows, the band is not ready or willing to be the poster child for mining piracy data into usable information.
About a month ago I posted a story about comedian Russel Brand releasing his latest stand up via popular torrent search engine The Pirate Bay, utilizing the site's popularity to push his product for free, which he also interestingly sold as well. The UK seems to have the first fascination in manipulating piracy networks for their own gain, which may be a sign of the digital age ravaging the old guard in a country where 70% of independent record stores have closed. It seems to be getting to the point of adapt or die, who would have thought it'd be Iron Maiden's lead to follow?
Play Your iPhone Games With The Logitech Powershell Controller
Many of us can get lost in our phones with the array of features that are offered these days. Whether you're conducting business and sending emails, checking out your favorite website, sharing what you had for lunch on social networks, or playing games, there is always something to occupy your time. If you're into the latter, Logitech has created a product to help make the gaming experience better with the Logitech Powershell Controller. For about $100, you can transform your iPhone into a game controller equipped with an analog pad, button clusters, and shoulder triggers so you no longer have to poke at your screen. Not only is it a gaming peripheral, it also has a built-in battery that will charge your iPhone while you play. For more information on the Logitech Powershell Controller, head on over to the Logitech website here.
[Via Logitech]
[Video] The Wipebook Could Be The Last Notebook You Ever Buy
The Wipebook could be the last notebook you ever buy, literally. Most of us have used a notebook at least once in our lifetimes, whether for work, school, or personal use in our daily lives. Well, the Wipebook combines the portability of a notebook with the ease of writing and erasing of a whiteboard. There's no more wasting paper with the Wipebook because whatever you've written on a page can simply be erased. The smooth surface helps you write easily and smoothly without getting that ghost effect you usually get with standard whiteboards. Also, it is easy to erase your notes and sketches without having to worry about it smudging when you close it. The Wipebook sounds like an interesting alternative to the standard notebooks that we have become accustomed to over the years. Being that it's reusable, it could very well be the last notebook you ever buy, so head on over to their Kickstarter for more information about the Wipebook.
[Via Wipebook]
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