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Apple Working With Major Movie Studios To Allow Users To Stream Movies From iCloud

Administrator — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 09:56:22 +0000

yesterday, which stores your photos, apps, contacts, calendars, and more, and wirelessly pushes it to your iOS devices and computers, automatically keeping everything up to date.
With the launch of iCloud, Apple also allows users to redownload music and TV shows to any iOS device just like Apps. However, it is still not possible to redownload movies.
The Los Angles Times reports that this may change in the near future as Apple is currently negotiating with major movie studios that will allow iTunes customers to also stream purchased movies to their devices.
Apple Inc. is negotiating with Hollywood studios for deals that would let people who buy movies from the iTunes Store watch streaming versions of those movies on Apple devices such as iPads or iPhones without manually transferring them, according to people familiar with the matter.
This is not the first time we’ve heard this possibility. Even before the iCloud launch, we had heard that
in Hollywood over letting users store their movies on Apple ‘s servers thereby letting them access the stored content from a plethora of devices including the iPhone and iPad. The idea, it is said, is to make the devices’ hard drive disk space irrelevant by moving all the content the user owns out into the cloud. At that time observers noted that this will help to increase content-purchase among users who may otherwise slow their purchase down for the fear of maxing out their hard drive.
According to the report, Apple is close to finalizing deals with the Hollywood studios.
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Put your iPhone movie-making on wheels with CineSkates

Administrator — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 05:57:18 +0000

I’m a sucker for a good Kickstarter project. I’m also a big fan of anything involving low-budget movie-making. That’s why I’m jazzed about CineSkates, which combines a GorillaPod tripod and three inline skates to create a smooth-rolling camera mount.

Although this soon-to-ship product isn’t expressly designed for the iPhone , it can certainly work with one–so long as you pair it with an iPhone tripod-mount case like the Canopy Kapok.

CineSkates comes with three skates designed to attach to a GorillaPod Focus tripod. You can supply your own, or buy one as part of your Kickstarter pledge. (Inventor Justin Jensen plans to make CineSkates compatible with other tripods down the road.)

I can blather all day about how cool this thing is, but it won’t compare with what you’ll see in the pitch video:

If you’re going to BYO GorillaPod and BallHead X, you can buy into a set of CineSkates for $150. At the $275 pledge level you get everything: CineSkates, GorillaPod Focus, and BallHead X. Once the Kickstarter project ends, retail prices for these will be around $200 and $300, respectively.

That ma… [Read more]

Samsung Cites Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” Movie As Prior Art Argument Against Apple’s Preliminary Injunction Request

Administrator — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 03:42:17 +0000

As you may already know, Apple and Samsung are at each other’s throats lately.
, Samsung countered
, which prompted Apple to amend its complaint against Samsung to include more Samsung models and
.
in the European Union, which was later withdrawn.
now reports that Samsung is using an interesting strategy against Apple ‘s preliminary injunction request.
Ever since Apple started to assert the design of the iPad against other manufacturers, many people have been wondering whether there’s actually prior art for the general design of the iPad in some futuristic devices shown in sci-fi movies and TV series. And indeed, Samsung’s lawyers make this claim now in their defense against Apple ‘s motion for a preliminary injunction.
Samsung is apparently citing Stanley Kubrick’s ’2001: A Space Odyssey’ movie as prior art against iPad design patent.
Attached hereto as Exhibit D is a true and correct copy of a still image taken from Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film “2001: A Space Odyssey.” In a clip from that film lasting about one minute, two astronauts are eating and at the same time using personal tablet computers. The clip can be downloaded online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ8pQVDyaLo. As with the design claimed by the D’889 Patent, the tablet disclosed in the clip has an overall rectangular shape with a dominant display screen, narrow borders, a predominately flat front surface, a flat back surface (which is evident because the tablets are lying flat on the table’s surface), and a thin form factor.
It will be interesting to see if court agrees with Samsung that Stanley Kubrick’s ’2001: A Space Odyssey’ movie as prior art against iPad design patent to avoid the preliminary injunction baring sale of its products.
What do you think? Please share your views in the comments below.

Apple Sending Out Free iTunes Movie Rental Codes

Administrator — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 11:35:02 +0000

Folks at 9to5Mac are reporting that Apple is sending out emails to customers offering free iTunes movie rentals.
It looks like the free codes are being sent to iTunes users, which can be used to rent one of the 8,500 available movies.
Apple today started sending out free iTunes movie rental codes to many iTunes users. This seems to be random and we have no idea why they’re doing this. Maybe to promote the rental service? People aren’t renting enough movies? The free movie rental promotion lets you rent one of the 8,500 compatible movies and you have 30 days to start watching and 24 hours to finish.
It is not clear why Apple is sending out the free codes and based on what criteria but we’re not complaining.
Let us know if you have received a free iTunes movie rental code from Apple .

Netflix Considering A Movie Streaming iPhone App; Are You Interested?

Administrator — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:56:43 +0000

“Imagine that Netflix offers its subscribers the ability to instantly watch movies & TV episodes on their iPhone . The selection availability to instantly watch includes some new releases, lots of classics and TV episodes. There are no advertisements or trailers, and movies start in as little as 30 seconds. You can fast-forward, rewind, and pause or watch again. The movies & TV episodes you instantly watch are included in your Netflix membership for no additional fee.
Whenever you want to instantly watch content on your iPhone , your iPhone must be connected to a Wi-Fi network (such as one you might have at home or at work, or in public places like coffee shops, book stores, hotels, airports, etc.)
If this functionality were available, how likely would you or someone in your household be to instantly watch movies & TV episodes on your iPhone via a Wi-Fi network?”
. In his interview back in September of last year, Hastings had said:
“it’s something that’s likely to come over time. But nothing in the short term. (With) movie watching, we are not focused on mobile yet, but (instead) on the TV, on Blu-ray and on the video game consoles. We will get to mobile eventually, including the iPhone .”
. While Apple 's tablet brings a lot of promise for a movie streaming service like Netflix, we are still skeptical about Netflix's iPhone app making it through the app approval process considering the potential threat that the app holds to sale on iTunes.
Do you want Netflix to release their movie streaming iPhone app? Do you think Apple will approve it?

Leonard Maltin Movie Guide packs 24,000 films in your iPhone

Administrator — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 17:14:45 +0000

Scan the bookshelves of any serious movie buff and you’re almost certain to find a worn, dog-eared copy of “Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide.”

Of course, just as encyclopedias work far better as interactive, online guides like Wikipedia, so do reference tomes like this benefit from the digital treatment.

Enter Leonard Maltin Movie Guide for iPhone ($4.99), which not only reproduces the full text of the print version, but also delivers some interactive “plot twists.”

In addition to 24,000-plus capsule reviews, the guide provides a couple dozen of Maltin’s latest reviews (full length), dynamic searching by title, actor, or director, and, best of all, Netflix integration: With a single tap you can add any movie to your rental and/or Watch Now queue.

(A forthcoming update will add iTunes integration so you can rent/purchases movies from there–assuming they’re available, of course.)

Each movie listing includes the director’s name and a complete cast list, and you can tap any name to pull up a filmography for that person. That’s the kind of hyperlinky goodness that makes the iPhone version of this guide so vastly superior to its print counterpart.

You can also share guide listings via e-mail, again with just a single tap. Great stuff.

I have only one complaint with Movie Guide: speed. Searches run very slowly, and not because of Internet issues–the database resides on the iPhone , not online. In my informal tests, movie-title searches took 12-15 seconds on average.

Developer MobileAge says performance would be better on an iPhone 3GS (I have a 3G). Even so, Movie Guide needs a speed boost. If not for that small wrinkle, I’d call it a must-have app for film buffs.

Indie Movie Releases Via iPhone App – Is This The Future?

Administrator — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 21:20:37 +0000

So here is how this will work. The movie was released last week through Babelgum, the popular streaming media
. iPhone and
users shall be able to view the movie in a series of seven parts streamed via Babelgum for free. However, the users may not be able to download the movie. The movie has also been released on the DVD and those willing to own a copy of the movie shall be able to purchase the DVD from the movie's website for $24.95 which contains 21 scenes not available on the original.
Sally Potter says this innovative marketing strategy is to primarily fight digital piracy. Also,
is an ideal fit for the mobile audience since the movie wears a minimalist look with no special effects and where the story is told through a series of close-up interviews with fourteen people who witnessed an event at a New York Fashion Show.
The innovative distribution strategy has won the movie a lot of good PR. But can the mobile medium serve as an ideal distribution platform for future releases? According to Jim Shomos, an Australian producer who has earlier released mobile video series, the mobile platform can be a very good fit to reach out to the target group of less than 35 years.
Considering that movie popularities grow primarily through word-of-mouth, this strategy of offering the original movie for free via the iPhone helps in increasing the viral effect. Also considering the fact that iPhone users form a significant portion of the influential crowd, a positive response from this audience can go a long way in determining the financial success of the movie.
to watch the movie and please share your experience in the comments.

The iPhone app that tells you when to pee during a movie

Administrator — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 19:07:10 +0000

This is one of life’s fundamental dilemmas.

You had a couple of beers over dinner. Now you’re at the movies, and suddenly you need to go to the restroom.

But you want to know whether the monster with the green eyes, yellow lips, and voice like Charlton Heston will, indeed, eat the heroine before her beau is released by extra-terrestrial terrorists.

Thanks to RunPee.com, your problems are now behind you.

RunPee is dedicated to analyzing movies and working out the precise minute for you to annoy the other 12 people in your row, scuttle off to the restroom, release your lager, and return without missing any significant part of the plot.

You have two minutes before someone dies.

(Credit: CC Bobbymond/Flickr)

You will be relieved to hear that RunPee is now available as an iPhone app, so that you can quietly and surreptitiously be at one with your bladder.

For example, should you be watching “Bruno,” the app suggests that the best time to go pee in this rather short movie is 48 minutes in, “just after Baby OJ is taken from Bruno.”

However, this app is so useful that it even tells you how long you have before the next interesting moment spurs your excitement. In the Bruno example you have precisely 4 minutes.

Should you be watching “Angels and Demons,” RunPee tells you to run to the loo at 1 hour and 10 minutes, because “you won’t be missing a thing.” Which, for some, might describe the whole movie.

RunPee claims it is already very popular in China, where it gets more visits than the next 10 countries combined.

It is not for me to speculate about the condition of the Chinese bladder. But it is clear that in a world of so many iPhone apps of questionable use, RunPee surely defines indispensibility.

Originally posted at Technically Incorrect