Sony Announces Its Apple TV Killer, PlayStation TV

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/playstation-tv-2014-6

Sony just unveiled its answer to the Apple TV and Amazon Fire.

The company announced it will release the PlayStation TV for $99 in the US and Canada this fall during its E3 conference.

Users will be able to play a variety of PS3, PlayStation One, and PSP classic games through Sony's streaming game service PlayStation Now. PlayStation TV owners will also have access music and video streaming services.

If you have a PlayStation 4, the device will connect with it and allow you to play PS4 games on another TV in your home. 

The console isn't a new concept. It was first released in Japan November 2013 as the PS Vita TV.

Consumers will need a PlayStation DualShock 3 controller to use the device that will not come with $99 standalone PlayStation TV.

A $139 bundle will come with a DualShock 3 controller, an 8GB memory card, an HDMI cable, and a voucher for "The LEGO Movie" video game.

Watch the announcement below:

SEE ALSO: You can buy a white PlayStation 4 this fall

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drag2share: Amazon takes on PayPal with subscription-based payments

source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/09/amazon-subscription-payments/?utm_source=Feed_Classic_Full&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget&?ncid=rss_full

With plenty of third-party sellers populating its online store, Amazon is well accustomed to playing the middleman for processing transactions. Now the e-tailer's taking that middleman role one step further; it will now manage monthly subscription payments for companies such as wireless service provider Ting. It's just the latest move in Amazon's ongoing effort to overtake PayPal.

Amazon users will be able to use their stored credit-card information to make monthly payments at participating sites. For anyone who's used PayPal, the process will be very familiar; you'll see a payment button that will pull in your billing info from Amazon to process a transaction. Beyond Ting, it isn't clear which companies will take advantage of the service, but we'd expect to see digital music services, additional wireless providers and gaming sites.

Naturally, Amazon will get a fee for each transaction. For partners, the benefit comes in the form of Amazon's name, which will theoretically make you feel safer when shopping at little-known web merchants. For many customers, though, privacy concerns remain. VP of seller services Tom Taylor told Reuters that Amazon will only collect the dollar amount of customers' transactions, rather than information about which items were purchased. In any case, it all depends on customer trust - and a long list of partner merchants - for Amazon to make a dent in PayPal's business.

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'Assassin's Creed: Unity' gets redesigned open world, ships October 28th

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/09/assassins-creed-unity/

Earlier today at Microsoft's Xbox One E3 event, we got a glimpse of four-player co-op in Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed: Unity. But the developer's giving the new title a proper unveiling at its own show, with an extended trailer showing in-game footage and a release date: October 28th.

Alex Amancio, Creative Director for the title, said that his team "redesigned the building blocks of Assassin's Creed" for Unity to let players "carve [their] own unique path through the game." Gameplay for Unity focuses on assassin Arno Dorian and looks to feature more of the same stealth and murder mechanic we've seen in previous installments of the franchise. This time, though, all that cloak and dagger carnage takes place during the French Revolution.

Filed under: Gaming, HD

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Bloomberg built a virtual trading terminal using Oculus Rift

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/09/bloomberg-vr-terminal-oculus-rift/

No matter how many screens they add to their setup, traders are limited to a finite amount of display real estate. To solve that problem, Bloomberg LP's turned to the virtual-reality headset Oculus Rift. Don't expect to see a room full of Oculus-equipped traders anytime soon, though; it's just a prototype, albeit one that Bloomberg's showing off at its Next Big Thing Summit this week.

Bloomberg's prototype puts infinite screens before your eyes, allowing you to view as much financial data as you desire. Beyond the obvious benefit of unlimited space, a virtual trading desk would allow for a more mobile workspace (you could take the Oculus home or on the road) and the ability to change screen arrangements based on the time of day. It's unclear whether an Oculus-powered trading desk would cost less than a brick-and-mortar Bloomberg terminal, which costs about $2,000 a month.

Currently, the rig is merely a mockup, with screenshots and videos rather than real-time information. Bloomberg's Nick Peck told Quartz that the proof-of-concept may eventually work with a Leap Motion for gesture control. While the virtual trading terminal is still far from a final product, it's an exciting look at how Oculus Rift -- and virtual reality in general -- could benefit the workplace.

Filed under: Displays

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Source: Quartz

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The Rise In Mobile Video Viewing Will Have A Huge Impact On Digital Video Ad Revenues

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-rise-in-mobile-video-viewing-is-having-a-major-impact-on-online-video-revenues-2014-6

There has been a surge in people watching video on their phones and tablets, and as a result the mobile video ad market is poised for a huge rise. 

Two recent reports from BI Intelligence take a close look at the rise of mobile video viewing and the digital video ad market.

As of September last year, tablets and smartphones accounted for 15% of all online video hours watched, according to Ooyala. And that share will likely grow significantly in the next couple of years, due to the proliferation of mobile apps and sites that specialize in video (Yahoo Screen, Amazon Instant Video, et al.), or are beginning to emphasize it much more (Instagram, Snapchat, and others).

As more people watch video on their phones and tablets, mobile video ad viewing will also rise fast.

• BI Intelligence forecasts that smartphones will account for nearly one-half of all online video ad plays by the end of 2016, up from just 10% in 2013.
• Tablets will grow to account for 20% of video ad views in 2016, more than doubling from 7% in 2013.

The report on mobile video lays out what videos people are watching on their smartphones and tablets, and how content providers like YouTube and Netflix have helped drive this behavior. In the digital video advertising report, we assess where the market is right now for digital video advertising, how fast it will grow, and why mobile will have such a huge impact on its growth. 

The reports are full of charts and data that can be downloaded and put to use. Sign up for BI Intelligence, Business Insider's subscription research service, and get started.

 

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