Australian streaming service Stan, a joint venture between Fairfax and Nine Entertainment, has announced that its native Apple TV app is now available for users. While Stan has already been compliant with Apple TV’s Airplay, the new app means Stan subscribers will be able to access the video-on-demand content without the need for an additional …
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Verizon to buy AOL in $4.4B bet on mobile, video
Tim Armstrong will continue to lead AOL after it’s absorbed by Verizon. Getty Images With advertisers’ dollars in mind, Verizon Communications plans to swallow up AOL and its digital content. Verizon announced Tuesday that it has signed a deal to acquire AOL for $50 per share, for a total value of $4.4 billion. A powerhouse during the dot-com boom more …
Read More »Former Vevo, Sony top execs join music
Vadio helps streaming music companies also play video. Vadio Vevo’s former CEO Rio Caraeff is striking up a similar tune, joining former Sony executive Yair Landau at Vadio, a startup that helps add video to music-streaming services. Vadio also announced Tuesday it raised $7.5 million in funding. The news comes as music-streaming services with free, ad-supported options are grappling to …
Read More »How AOL could help Verizon change its business
Wireless and broadband may be Verizon’s bread and butter, but the company’s future relies on finding new ways to make money from its network. Verizon says its “principal interest” in AOL was the “ad tech platform that Tim Armstrong and his team have done a really terrific job building.” Francois G. Durand,/Getty Images And that’s where the $4.4 billion acquisition …
Read More »Apple bullish on Apple Pay in China amid talks with Alibaba
Apple is eager to introduce Apple Pay to China. James Martin/CNET Apple is chatting with Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba Group and Chinese banks about adopting Apple Pay in the country. Apple’s CEO Tim Cook acknowledged the talks in an interview with China’s official Xinhua news agency, Reuters reported on Tuesday. Cook didn’t reveal any details about the conversations thus far …
Read More »How to keep your unlimited Verizon data plan
Sarah Jacobsson Purewal/CNET Last year, I picked up a new iPhone 6 for my main Verizon line while keeping my grandfathered unlimited data plan with mobile hotspot access. I’m not too proud to admit that was a major coup on my part. Like most carriers, Verizon is now doing all it can to switch longtime customers to more lucrative tiered …
Read More »Read the New York Times for free on your iPhone
Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET See if this sounds familiar: You like the New York Times, you’d love to read the New York Times on the go, but you just couldn’t justify a $7.99/month subscription fee for NYT Now, the company’s mobile app. That was the deal when the app debuted last year, and no doubt the venerated paper was hoping …
Read More »Netflix reveals best Aussie ISPs for its streaming video service
Image by Claire Reilly/CNET Australia and New Zealand have now been added to Netflix’s ISP Speed Index as part of the streaming service’s April update. The regularly updated Index ranks ISPs by “prime time Netflix performance” — essentially how well Netflix runs on the service during peak streaming periods. In Australia, TPG has been ranked No. 1, closely followed by …
Read More »How to protect your Facebook profile picture
Sarah Jacobsson Purewal/CNET No matter how securely you’ve locked down your Facebook account, you can’t make your profile pic and cover photo private. Whatever Facebook’s reasons for the policy — maybe it’s just so you could verify an acquaintance’s identity before adding them as a friend — it’s long been a part of the social network. But as a privacy …
Read More »Canon upgrades its 50mm f1.8 prime with STM technology and more
Canon On the heels of the availability of its latest consumer models, the T6i (750D) and T6s (760D) , Canon introduces a new lens to its small family of STM lenses. Sporting significant upgrades over its older EF 50mm f1.8 II — this year is its 25th anniversary! — the EF 50mm f1.8 STM still comes in at the same …
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