After going through Palm and HP, webOS is now apparently being purchased by LG. The apparent plan is that webOS won’t appear on LG smartphones, but rather it will be used on LG Smart TVs. That’s the current plan, but LG isn’t ruling out the possibility that webOS could be adapted for their smartphones and tablets, too. That won’t be for a while though, as “we’ll apply this to the TV only” for the short term, said LG CTO Dr. Skott Ahn.

This also isn’t to say that LG is purchasing the entirety of webOS from Palm. It is acquiring the websites, documentation, source code and team for the client side, but it’s simply licensing other aspects like the webOS patents, apps catalog, updating system and several cloud-related components.

What’s interesting is that Dr. Ahn also mentioned that Android could be used “together” with webOS in some capacity, though he says the “cards” UI of webOS may provide a better user experience overall. Could this mean that the next skinned version of Android coming out of LG will utilize the webOS-inspired card system? And how will this be applied to the smart TV? I guess we’ll just have to wait and find out.

[Source]

The post WebOS to Live Again with LG and Smart TVs appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Not so long ago rumours that YouTube was planning to launch paid subscription channels were batted around the the web. According to new code found by Android Police in the newly updated YouTube app, those rumours are tru.

The code below shows us the subscription confirmation message users will get once they sign up or unsubscribe to these channels.

< string name=”paid_channel_subscribe_message”>You can only subscribe to this paid channel on your computer.< /string>
< string name=”paid_channel_unsubscribe_message”>You can only unsubscribe from this paid channel on your computer.< /string>

We don’t know when YouTube Pay-To-View will go live, but reports suggest low monthly payments from just $1 rising to $5 a month. What do you think, would you pay a monthly premium for special YouTube content?

[ Source ]

The post YouTube App Code backs-up Pay-To-View rumours appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Redbox, the movie rental kiosk company has been planning a partnership with Verizon to attempt to break into the video streaming market for some time, but it looks like it is all coming together now.  Associated Press reported Redbox Instant by Verizon is set to be launched late December as invite-only for the time being.

I’m sure what you are all asking is what is going to set this apart from what Netflix is already doing?  That is not for sure at this point. To start with, let me tell you the meat and potatoes of what we do know.  For $8/month you will get unlimited streaming and 4 nights of DVD rentals.  For $9 you get 4 nights of Blu-Ray rentals.  Webpage AllthingsD stated that Redbox would also have an unlimited, no disk, streaming for $6/month, 2 bucks cheaper than Netflix and Hulu Plus.

All this sounds good, however the downside to the Redbox streaming is that at time of launch they won’t offer any TV shows, which is a big piece of Netflix business and the majority of Hulu’s.  The Chief Executive of the project, Shawn Strickland told the AP the service is “targeted squarely at movie lovers.”  While they will have a more mainstream catalog than their competitors, is this going to be enough to take their slice of the pie?

Redbox’s official press release shows plans starting at $8 level with 4 night DVD rental, so it is unsure if the streaming only option will even be available.  This release also advises some streaming options of apps for iOS and Androids, LG and Samsung’s smart TVs and Blu-Ray players, as well as Google TVs, with more stream options available as things develop.

At this time there is no set date for the service to be switched from invite to main stream release.

Do you think their blockbuster movies and possible lower price will be enough to make customers defect from their current subscription service?  What streaming service do you currently use and would you make the switch?

[ source ]

The post Redbox to Launch Streaming Service appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Youtube announced today improvements to its service in the form of a layout change and improved guide feature.

The new Guide feature allows access across all devices with the youtube app including iOS, Android phones or Google TVs.  Google describes the new guide as follows:

“Just subscribe to your favorite channels and the Guide lets you know when there are new videos waiting for you to enjoy, suggests the latest and greatest channels you might like, and shows you what your friends are sharing across the web. You’ll also find the Guide and your subscriptions on apps across hundreds of millions of devices including Android, iPhone, Playstation 3, Google TV and more.”

The layout also got a new sleeker and simpler facelift.

“In this new layout, you’ll find the most crucial elements are front and center when you watch a video: the video is right at the top of the page and the subscribe button, social actions and video information are all combined directly below the player. Playlists are now available to the right of the video so you can browse through while you watch.”

Seems like just when you start to get used to something, it gets a total overhaul.  What are your thoughts on the update?

[ source ]

The post Youtube Gets Facelift and Improved Guide Feature appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

If you’re in the UK and are looking for an all-in-one freeview experience for your Android, FilmOnX provides all the popular channels straight to your device with no sign-up fees and no other equipment. There are premium options to unlock more channels, but the bulk of the TV features are offered for free.

Layout and Functionality

It’s really not hard to navigate through FilmOnX; you’ll get an interactive list of scrollable channels on the left, and a viewable stream of the selected channel taking two thirds of the screen on the right.

If you tap the viewing screen, touch controls will pop up in charge of switching to full screen, or pausing the streaming content, and turning the volume up and down. The full screen mode gives you a larger viewing space by removing the clutter on the left, which will take you into a widescreen view.

The screen plays decent video and audio quality, and the only aspects that make it inferior to watching from a regular television is the small screen and FilmOn’s logo which has been watermarked onto the screen in the top right corner.

The volume control isn’t exactly necessary along with the physical controls on your device, but it does give you a little bit more precision over the volume playing from the app itself. The pause function allows you to stop the current program playing, but when played again, it will catch up with live TV instead of playing from where it was paused from, making the control a useless gimmick.

It’s also very easy to navigate through channels and they have been separated off into different categories to help viewing ability. Although you cannot quick jump to different categories, they have been clearly marked and are easy to define.

Streaming and Recording

You have the ability to stream either high or low quality, helpful for those with varying web connections. The lowest quality on FilmOnX is pixelated and grainy, whereas the higher quality is of a much greater definition. It’s a shame there isn’t any way to choose anything between high or low quality.

Premium

With FilmOn you can purchase premium packs which include a few different channels. The average price is around £5 a month, but unless there’s something that really catches your eye, it’s not really necessary. There are also streaming packs offering different lengths of recording time, allowing you to record programs to watch at a later date. The premium features do add a few functionalities, but you’re not going to miss out on any casual viewing without paying. It’s also important to note that if you use this app it will count as watching live TV, which means you will need an up-to-date TV license.

Summary

Pros:

• Easy to use interface
• Many freeview channels available
• Up to date TV guides
• No extra costs or equipment needed

Cons:

• Recording features and premium channels cost
• Streaming is usually fine, but does have occasional hiccups
• No ‘Jump to’ categories or favorites section

Download FlimOnX here.

The post Live TV for UK: FilmOnX for Android appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Video can be pretty great, but live video can be even better. You could stream from your cell phone, but the quality isn’t going to be the best. With Live Shell, you can stream directly from your camcorder of choice directly to the web, all without using a PC as an intermediary.

The wireless accessory looks like it can work with a number of different camcorders, getting the video feed through a standard HDMI connection. It takes three AA batteries and connects to the Internet via WiFi or Ethernet, streaming your feed directly to your Ustream channel. The batteries are said to last about three hours of straight shooting.

You can see the Cerevo Live Shell in action through the embedded video above. It’s all in Japanese, but the setup and use seem easy enough to follow. It’s “coming soon” for $299.

The post Live Shell Streams Video Directly From Camera To Ustream appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The outward appearance of the Case-Mate Tank doesn’t look all that special with a thicker rubberized housing, but there’s a special protective and retractable screen cover to keep the display protected. They say that cracked screens make up 67% of damaged iPhones. I’m not sure if I like the aesthetic of the almost corrugated-looking retractable screen cover, but you can’t argue about its added utility.

In addition to its screen-cracking resistance, the Tank also meets or exceeds US DoD standards for sand, dust, shock, drop, wind, rain, and vibration. The textured polycarbonate exterior is said to be 2.5 times more impact resistant than the leading competitor. Bold claims, but the embedded video below helps back those claims. In any case, the Tank is available now for $60.

The post Into The Warzone With Case-Mate Tank Case For iPhone 4/4S appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Tailgating before the big game can be a lot of fun, but you could also be missing out on all the other games that are going on around the league during that time. Yes, everyone could whip out their smartphones and tablets to watch some of the streaming stuff, but wouldn’t it be better to get a true HD satellite signal on a true HDTV from the back of your truck, or RV? Now you can.

Dish Network has unveiled the Tailgater. This is a portable satellite TV system that weighs just ten pounds and can easily fit in the back of nearly any vehicle. From there, you connect the Tailgater to your HD Solo Receiver (it doesn’t work with DVR receivers), which in turn connects to your HDTV. Yes, this means you could be lugging a TV in the back of your truck too, plus a power generator or inverter, but that’s the price you pay for true NFL fandom.

The Tailgater portable HDTV system takes power from the connected receiver box via a coaxial cable and it is able to receive up to 1080i signals, as well as 480i, 480p, and 720p.  The Tailgater is available on its own for $399 or as a combo with the HD Solo receiver for $499 from Dish.

The post Dish Network Tailgater offers portable HD satellite from the back of your truck appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

I see what you did there. Verizon has long had its V CAST service for a variety of multimedia entertainment, but some people have linked V CAST to “feature” phones rather than full-on smartphones. V CAST sounds like something from a few years ago anyway. So Big Red has decided to do a little rebranding by unleashing “Verizon Video” to the Google-fueled masses.

In essence, you are able to watch a bunch of your favorite television shows on your preferred Anroid device, whether that be a smartphone or a tablet. It’s not unlike V CAST Video, except that they’ve upgraded the quality of the video content and expanded the selection. In addition to over 250 full episodes of TV shows, you’ve got local and national news, sports, weather and so on.

The good news is that the Verizon Video Android app is a free download. The bad news, and you knew this was coming, is that the service is not free. You either pay $3 a day or $10 a month to gain access to the video content. This works over your 3G/4G connection and, to make matters worse, the video content you stream does incur data usage that “will be billed according to the customer’s data package.”

The post V CAST Video becomes Verizon Video for Android devices appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Think about where you would normally watch television. This is usually for the living room or the family room, but you might watch TV on your computer monitor or tablet device too. Fitting somewhere between those realms is the new Free-Style AQUOS HDTV from the folks at Sharp.

It sounds a little odd, to be honest, but it might actually be useful if you dont mind being stalked by your television in every conceivable room you could be in. The Free-Style AQUOS LC-20FEI Series is a 20-inch HDTV with an internal battery. What this means is that you can hang it like a picture frame somewhere – like your bedroom – and it’ll keep you entertained with whatever you like to watch. I like how in the video neither of the girls are paying attention to the guy at dinner but instead are watching the TV right next to him.

Tech specs include a 1366×768 resolution, LED backlighting, 400,000:1 contrast, two 2W speakers, WiFi-a/n (with DLNA), wireless digital TV tuner, and USB HDD recording. That last bit is like having a PVR, which is pretty handy when you need to take a bathroom break.

Unfortunately, for being merely a 20-inch TV, the Sharp Free-Style AQUOS is awfully expensive. Sharp must have missed the last couple of years in innovation, did they not hear of the tablet? Look for it this June for 100,000 Yen ($1219 US) if you happen to be out Japan way.

The post Sharp Wi-Fi Portable TV stalks you in every room appeared first on Mobile Magazine.