Augmented reality takes pop-up books to the next level (interview)
Augmented reality, combining real world views and digital information, is not particularly new, but it is still considered in its infancy. The technology has been used in a variety of ways, from GPS systems to fitness apps, though entertainment seems to be the most popular.
GamesBeat had a chance to sit down with Scott Jochim, president of Digital Tech Frontier and Popar Toys, to discuss his company’s line of augmented reality children’s books, which are … Continue Reading
Fox News has a new digital look for 2012 (exclusive)
With the new year come new resolutions, and Fox News has one of its own: It’s adopting a new digital strategy that takes the mobile world into special account.
“The starting point for all [these changes] is there are more devices, more connectivity,” Fox New and Business’ vice president of digital, Jeff Misenti, told VentureBeat.
Fox is introducing a slew of new ways for its audience to interact with news anchors, articles, video content, live … Continue Reading
Digital entertainment is changing the living room for good (infographic)
There was a time when little Bobby would get up to turn the television to one of the three available channels when the family got bored. If you missed the Ed Sullivan show that night, too bad, go play chess.
Nowadays, people miss shows on purpose so they can watch them on their time, on the device of their choice. There’s none of this gather the family around the tube for a little late night … Continue Reading
Comcast & Disney reach content deal for “TV Everywhere”
Today was a big day for media companies.
Disney and major cable provider Comcast teamed up on what it calls an “unprecedented distribution deal”, bringing more content to Comcast’s digital media strategy.
The deal, gives Comcast Xfinity an edge in the digital media space with its iPad app and online offerings. The companies will further work together for 10 more years, giving Comcast access to 70 different Disney television channels, owned properties, local broadcast stations, … Continue Reading
Kiip announces Swarm to stage mobile game contests with big rewards
Kiip, which offers real world prizes for rewards in mobile games, is launching a new feature called Swarm for its brand advertisers. In a partnership with Disney, the first Swarm is a contest-like feature that allows Kiip to offer some very big rewards in “flash tournaments.”
Kiip offers rewards at the moment when you achieve something in a mobile game, such as getting past a level or a boss. With Swarms, it will be able … Continue Reading
Move over Farmville, Gardens of Time is Facebook’s most popular game
To the dismay of bosses and spouses everywhere, Facebook, by way of third-party social games, offered social networkers a daily distraction they could not go without in 2011. But no game commanded more attention or unrequited love than Disney Playdom’s Gardens of Time.
The hidden object game beat out Electronic Arts’ The Sims Social and Zynga’s Cityville for the title of the most popular game of 2011, Facebook revealed Wednesday.
In Gardens of Time, players … Continue Reading
YouTube rolls out the first of its Disney movie archive to renters
As promised, YouTube is rolling out content from Disney and is starting with movie rentals through the website today, according to a company blog post.
Children are becoming increasingly interested in playing, imagining and being entertained by the internet over traditional forms of family play. According to a survey performed by Nielsen, 44 percent of kids aged 6-12 want an iPad for Christmas, closely followed by an iPod touch. Where families once gathered around the … Continue Reading
Disney poaches OnLive exec to head social games
Disney has hired away OnLive executive John Spinale to be the new head of the Disney Interactive Media Group’s social games business.
Spinale will run the social game business, which includes Disney’s Playdom division, and report to John Pleasants, co-president of Disney’s game division. Spinale will be based in Disney’s Palo Alto, Calif. office.
Spinale will assume strategic and day-to-day management responsibilities at Playdom that were previously handled by Pleasants, who was chief executive of … Continue Reading
Apple picks Arthur Levinson as Chairman, Disney’s Iger joins board
Apple has named Arthur D. Levinson to the position of non-executive Chairman of the Board, filling former CEO Steve Jobs’ long time role.
When Jobs stepped down as CEO because he was too sick to continue working, he retained his title of chairman. But since he passed away in early October, that spot has been vacant. Levinson (pictured left) makes sense as a replacement because he has been a long-time member of Apple’s board and … Continue Reading
Review: Kinect Disneyland Adventures is the most unique and most disappointing Kinect game yet
For the better part of five years, I worked as Disney cast member. I spent day after day learning the biggest secrets of a company that protects fiercely and, as a result, I lost what Disney and its fan know as “the magic.” The extraordinary became mundane, and in a weird way, I began to step away. Who knew it would take a virtual trip back to reignite my love?
In that sense, Kinect Disneyland … Continue Reading
Mindbloom’s new app is healthy living through mobile notifications
Mindbloom launched its Bloom iPhone application today to help us remember the important parts of life in the midst of all these check-in, food finding, and picture taking apps.
Having a healthy mind, body and soul is not a new desire for humans. While we have a green initiative to keep our planet healthy, so too have we taken our green initiative personally. A particular wave has hit the United States with our Yoga and … Continue Reading
YouTube and Disney reach $15M deal to bring original content to the web
Disney and YouTube have reached an agreement to produce new Disney-branded content for the web, according to a New York Times report.
The deal, which includes a combine investment of $10 to $15 million, will have Disney produce original content and make it available exclusively on Disney’s website and though a new YouTube channel. Disney is planning to run user-generated materials on the channel on a regular basis, according to the report.
It’s an excellent … Continue Reading
Disney’s Robert Iger to leave CEO role in 2015
Disney chief executive Robert Iger announced today he will be stepping down from his position in 2015.
The Wall Street Journal reports he will become Disney’s executive chairman in March 2012, when current chairman John Pepper retires. Iger will hold this position until he retires in 2016.
“I want to thank [Pepper] for his many contributions, and his support of our people and our strategy including two of the company’s most significant acquisitions in recent … Continue Reading
Disney launches Appmates mobile app toys for the iPad (video)
Disney is throwing the combined firepower of its Cars entertainment brand, its retail toy business, and its mobile app capability into a new line of Appmates mobile application toys being announced today.
The entertainment giant will sell Appmates toys based on Cars 2 movie characters, and those toys can be used to control a virtual racing world on an Apple iPad. It is one more example of a gaming app that is a hybrid of … Continue Reading
Retail video game sales plunge 23 percent in August
The summer has been something of a nightmare for the sales of video games in U.S. retail stores. In August, the trend continued as overall retail game sales fell 23 percent from a year ago, according to market researcher NPD Group.
That comes after a 26 percent drop in July and a 10 percent drop in June, NPD reported.
While it may seem like the game industry is in a funk, these sales numbers reflect … Continue Reading
Netflix will lose Starz’ incredible trove of streaming content in early 2012
Premium cable channel Starz on Thursday surprisingly announced that it has ended negotiations with Netflix to renew its licensing agreements, meaning Netfix users will lose a ton of great streaming movie and TV choices in early 2012.
Starz’ decision to walk away shows just how fragile the relationship is between old and new media providers. Starz now sees Netflix as a threat to its business because consumers can opt for an $8-a-month unlimited streaming plan … Continue Reading
SEOmoz is looking for $25M second round (updated)
UPDATED: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that SEOmoz had secured a second round of funding. We regret the error.
Search engine optimization software company SEOmoz is close to raising a $25 million second round of funding, sources tell VentureBeat.
But according to chief executive Rand Fishkin, the company did not actually raise the round of funding. Instead, the company is looking for a round that size, but has not yet found the … Continue Reading
Venture capitalist Tim Chang describes the white-hot landscape of game investments
The emerging landscape of games is attracting a lot of money, thanks in part to excitement about Zynga’s upcoming initial public offering and some recent acquisitions such as Electronic Arts’ $750 million purchase of PopCap Games. Tim Chang, a partner at Norwest Venture Partners, has kept his finger on the pulse of the game market for years and spoke about the opportunities in games at the recent Casual Connect game conference in Seattle.
Chang has … Continue Reading
Total Immersion’s augmented reality makes loyal fans out of tweens
This article is part of a series of posts where we write about DEMO alumni and news of their progress. Total Immersion launched at DEMO in 2004 and returned to launch a separate product in 2007. Check out their 2007 video here and more at DEMO.
Crowdsourcing has taken a turn for the tweens with MyFlipbook, a Facebook application from augmented reality company Total Immersion. The app was launched this week by Hollywood Records in … Continue Reading
Hulu’s owners are gutting the service: More commercials and longer delays ahead
New details have emerged concerning the future of video streaming service Hulu. The company recently finalized deals to continue streaming content from its media partners/owners, reports All Things Digital.
The good news is that Hulu’s owners — which include Disney, News Corp. and Comcast — don’t want to take their exclusive television content with them if the video streaming service is acquired. The bad news is that the new content agreements for ABC, Fox and … Continue Reading
