Google’s latest photography app — following behind others such as Google Photos and Snapseed — stabilizes iOS Live Photos and turns them into shareable GIFs and short movie clips. The app can create still images by freezing the background of a Live Photo and makes short videos that feature sweeping cinematic pans. The free Motion Stills app comes to us from Google Research and is only available on iOS…
In past years, Google just highlighted the best apps in their end of the year list. But to demonstrate the content store’s shift into more than just apps, other forms of entertainment like music and movies are getting their own section in the Play Store’s Best of 2015 this year.
According to a report out of The Wall Street Journal, YouTube is looking to gain streaming rights to TV shows and movies in an effort to compete more directly with services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Video. YouTube executives have reportedly been meeting with Hollywood studios over recent months to discuss licensing content.
As expected from its leaked Black Friday ad, Sam’s Club is now offering a $100 Google Play gift card for $79.64 shipped. That’s more than 20% off your next Google Play purchases on games, apps, movies, TV shows and more.While we do see iTunes gift cards go on sale quite often, these Google Play vouchers are much harder to come by. They can be amazing gifts for Android users and anyone who’s locked into Google’s video services.
Start shopping – your gift card value will be added to your Google Play balance.
To redeem on an Android phone/tablet:
Launch the Google Play Store app on your Android phone or tablet.
Select Redeem.
Scratch label off of card & enter code.
Start shopping – your gift card value will be added to your Google Play balance.
Specifications
Terms and Conditions
Use of card subject to additional terms and privacy policy: play.google.com/about/card-terms.html. Valid only for users 13+ years of age and resident of U.S. Redemption requires Google Wallet account and internet access. Limits may apply to redemption and use. No fees or expiration dates applicable to this card. Card may be used for purchases of eligible items on Google Play only. Any refunded amount will be credited back to your Google Play balance for future use under same terms. Card is not redeemable for cash or other cards; not reloadable or refundable; cannot be combined with other non-Google Play balances in your Google Wallet account, resold, exchanged or transferred for value (except as required by law). Once card is purchased, risk of loss and title for card passes to purchaser. Google Payment Corp. and its affiliates disclaim all express or implied warranties as to the Google Play card and Google Play.
Sony announced today that it’s PlayStation Vue Internet TV service will soon be expanding to support Google’s Chromecast HDMI streaming hardware for the first time. The news comes as Amazon’s Fire TV and Fire TV Stick streaming devices become the first devices beyond PlayStation consoles to support Vue. While Amazon’s hardware is getting support today, Chromecast support will follow as it’s coming soon.
Google today has updated its Play Movies & TV app to version 3.9 with a couple of new features and bug fixes. The standout new feature of the app with this update is a new feature called binge watch. Binge watch is a capability that will automatically plays the next episode in the season of a show a user is watching.
Once the credits of the show start to play at the end, a small thumbnail will appear in the lower right corer of the display with the number and title of the next episode, as well as a timer. Once the timer hits zero, the next episode will automatically begin to play. Users can also tap on the thumbnail to immediately jump to the next episode, or swipe right to stop autoplay (via Android Police).
Next up, the update improves the process of setting up a Roku device through the app. Users can now setup a Roke through a new “Connect a device” option in the Settings menu. Google also notes that the update adds support for Android 6.0 Marshmallow and includes a variety of bug fixes and under-the-hood improvements.
Android Marshmallow support
Bug fixes and stability improvements
Easier setup for Roku devices
Binge watch for TV episodes
The latest version of the Play Movies & TV app is available now on the Play Store.
LG has sent out press invitations this morning for an event hosted in New York City, and it looks like there’s going to be a movie-related announcement of some kind. Besides the LG-made Nexus device that’s set to be announced by Google on September 29th, an LG “V” handset with an auxiliary ticker display has also been making rounds in the rumor mill lately. Neither one of these things are obviously movie-related, though… Expand Expanding Close
Google’s Opinion Rewards surveys are home to a variety of different types of questions, but Google+ user Hugo Seijas today received a question that was a bit puzzling. The question reads, “Do you have a Google monthly movie pass?,” even though Google offers no such thing as a monthly movie pass.
Google today has unveiled a newly designed search page for move-related queries in Chrome for Android and the official Google Search app. The update presents the results in a fashion similar to what you see when you search for content in the Play Store.
Whether you’re trying to recover from some type of Thanksgiving food coma or you need a steady stream of entertainment to keep you sane while camping out in front of your favorite department store for Black Friday deals — don’t worry, Google has the medicine. The search giant is currently advertising a group of Cyber Week deals for movies, games, music and more. Some of these deals are already live and ready to be consumed and we’d like to take a minute to point out a few standout promotions.
Just in time for the weekend and binge watching all of your favorite TV shows and movies, Roku announced on Friday that it has added Google Play Movies & TV to its Channel Store in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland and Canada. The channel is available for current-generation Roku players, while Roku TV support is coming soon. Expand Expanding Close
Google Glass in movie theaters has long been a topic of debate, with a plethora UK cinemas banning the wearable and at least one U.S. chain doing the same. Today, however, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) issued a statement announcing a new “zero tolerance” policy against wearables in the theatre. The statement says that all wearable devices must be powered off prior to the film beginning, no questions asked.
In a post on Google+ this evening, Google has announced that starting today users in the United States can now pre-oder feature films from Google Play. This means that customers can get their copy of movies before they’re released digitally or on DVD to the rest of the United States.
Pre-order movies have arrived on Google Play! Excited about an awesome big-screen blockbuster? Now you can reserve your copy of box-office hits before they’re released digitally or on DVD!
Watching DVDs on an Android device just got easier, thanks to VLC for Android. No ripping, no transcoding, no issues with DRM-protected content – just view ISO images of DVDs directly.
Planet VideoLANannounced that version 0.9.7.1 of VLC for Android now has the same support for viewing DVD ISO images as the desktop version. Because it’s playing the image directly, it should work exactly as it does in a DVD player, including menus, subtitles, multiple audio tracks and bonus material.
Planet VideoLAN also says that the app runs well on low-spec devices, so a bunch of DVDs and a cheap Chinese tablet could be the easiest way to entertain the kids on a car journey. The app is a volunteer-run non-profit project, free to download but with a suggested $5 donation.
The Independent is reporting that UK cinemas are to ban the wearing of Glass in movie auditoriums over fears the device could be used to video films for piracy purposes – the same month Alamo Drafthouse implemented a ban in the U.S.
Phil Clapp, chief executive of the Cinema Exhibitors’ Association, said: “Customers will be requested not to wear these into cinema auditoriums, whether the film is playing or not.”
The Vue cinema chain said it would ask guests to remove the eyewear “as soon as the lights dim” …
Google has opened up access to Google Play content in ton of new countries in recent months, but today we get one of the largest expansions yet with Google Play Movies arriving for 21 new countries. The full list of new countries (below), which includes Greece, Poland, Croatia, and Thailand just to name a few, brings the service’s availability up to a total of 90 countries worldwide (via AndroidPolice).
Google’s full list of supported countries for Google Play Books, Movies, Music, and more is here.
Chrome OS users now have the ability to download and view movies and TV shows from the Google Play Store using the newly-released Play Movies & TV app. The app allows users to manage video libraries without an internet connection, something the operating system has previously been unable to do.
The library can also be synced across multiple desktop and mobile platforms, including Windows PCs, Macs, Android phones, and iOS devies. Chromecast streaming is available to play your downloaded content on an HDTV, and the app has full support for Google’s Info Cards, which display information about the content being played.
Previously only available in the UK and US, Google announced today that it’s rolling out info cards for Google Play Movies in all countries that have access to the service. The feature allows users to view contextual info for the currently playing movie, actors, and related web content on a small pop up (pictured above).
Explore inside the movie with info cards to learn the real scoop about the actors, about other films they’ve starred in and even what song’s playing in the background. Then get right back to enjoying your movie. Now rolling out to all countries where Google Play Movies are available. http://goo.gl/hcs1WK
Adding to the catalog of Chromecast-supported content, Rdio and Crackle are both adding the ability to play more content from your smartphone, tablet, or browser to your TV today.
Crackle has refreshed its Android and iOS apps with support for Chromecast streaming. The Sony-backed content provider serves up a number of movies and TV shows for free including comedian Jerry Seinfield’s “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” original.
Video streaming service Vudu has also added Chromecast support in the latest versions of its Android and iOS apps. The Walmart-owned service includes HD movies and TV shows with no subscription.
Rdio announcement includes support for music streaming from its Rdio app to your TV for Google Chromecast users. That means users can control music from the Android or iOS app as it plays through the TV with the Chrome HDMI streaming stick. Rdio users can also stream to Chromecast-connected TVs with Google’s Chrome web browser. Expand Expanding Close
When Android first hit smartphones, it shipped with the Android Market, a storefront for downloading apps. Two years ago, however, Google decided to replace the Market with the new, revamped Google Play Store. The new store would house all of Google’s offerings, from music and videos to books and Android apps. You can even buy a new phone through the store these days.
Now, to celebrate the two-year anniversary of the launch, Google is giving users discounts and sales on movies, music, apps, and more store-wide. A special page has been setup that will list the various discounts you’ll be able to take advantage of during the sale.
Today, Google has released a new application for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch to allow Google Play users to stream purchased movies and TV shows. You cannot rent or purchase content via this application: you must download it from Google Play on Android or the web and then the purchased titles will be available to stream via this app. The application is only supported in the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom. WiFi is currently required for streaming. The app also allows streaming to the ChromeCast.
Residents of New Zealand, Hong Kong, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago take note as Google Play Movies are now at your disposal. In total, Google added an additional thirteen countries bringing the total available market count to 27. This is the right time for residents of those countries to grab a Chromecast, kick their legs up on the sofa and watch a movie. Unfortunately, TV shows are still only available through the US, UK and Japan with no timetable for additional countries.
Google announced via its Android Google+ page today that the Google Now service has been updated with three new card types: news, website updates, and TV and movie recommendations.
The news topics card shows recent articles from news sites across the web on select topics. The website updates card can monitor your favorite sites and let you know when new content is available on those sites (like a new post on your favorite Google news site). The last of the new cards is the “what to watch” card, which can recommend movies and TV shows you might enjoy.
Google just announced that the XE8 update is rolling out to Google Glass users and with it comes a new controls for video playback, a ton of new voice commands, and several new Google Now cards.
When it comes to voice commands, Google is adding integration with Path and Evernote and says similar integration is coming soon for other third-party apps:
You can now update your Path feed by saying “ok glass, post an update.” Similarly, sending a note to Evernote is as easy as saying “ok glass, take a note.” To see the new voice actions in your voice action menu, you’ll need Path and Evernote Glassware turned on from the MyGlass Android app or website. This is just the beginning. More Glassware will support these and new voice actions over time.
Another new voice related feature is the ability to add a caption to a photo or video by using the “ok glass, add caption” command. Other new voice commands provide hands-free navigation with commands to show route overview, hide route overview, and stop directions, while Google noted the release also includes “more fluid voice commands” in general: Expand Expanding Close
Google is lending three sets of Google Glass to each of five film schools for the fall semester as part of what it calls the Glass Creative Collective.
We’re really interested to find out how Glass will contribute to the craft of storytelling, specifically through film. So, we reached out to various film schools, including The American Film Institute, California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television and University of Southern California. They’ll start exploring how Glass can be used in production, documentary filmmaking, character development and things we haven’t yet considered … Expand Expanding Close
Google’s recently been updating all of its apps with a new slide-out navigation bar, and the latest app to receive the update is Google Play Movies. The app was updated today with a few new features, including a new, redesigned interface with the slide-out navigation bar and a new Watch Now option, which aims to predict what you are going to watch next and give you easy access to those titles.
Full changelog:
New layout and visual design.
Watch Now provides quick access to what you’re likely to watch next.
An updated Google Play with an image-centric design will be rolling out to all Android devices running Froyo (2.2) and up over the next few weeks, the Official Androidblog confirmed. The redesign focuses on connecting ‘similarly themed’ content so apps, songs, and movies of the same genre are grouped rather than scattered everywhere.
Perhaps it’s too soon to state this with any certainty — surely this update has been in the works for some time now — but we may already be seeing the influence of Facebook Home on app design, at least as it pertains to the use of larger imagery and simplified interface. Something to keep an eye on at the very least.
Last spring, as part 2012’s 24 Hour Film Race presented by HTC One, Director Frank Hannah shot a four-minute film with the manufacturer’s popular Android-powered smartphone.
The challenge occurred from May 18 to May 19, where over 750 teams around the world were given the following criteria:
Create an original short films (4 minutes max) in just 24 hours based on a theme (one), action (listening to music), and prop (the number one).
Hannah interpreted and completed the challenge, and then HTC honored his work by recently posting the short film on YouTube (above). A second video even documents the behind-the-scenes footage (below). Check ’em out!
Google gave an update regarding improvements to the Google Play store coming to Android devices and elsewhere yesterday during Day 1 of its Google I/O keynote. However, information on what was in the works for Google TV was notably left out from its presentations (despite two identical Google Glass skydiver demos from yesterday and today). Today, Google made a blog post confirming features that were announced for Android devices yesterday. A new UI, subscription billing, and movie, music and TV shows will also come to the Google Play store on Google TV this summer:
You already have access to a variety of apps on Google Play, and soon you’ll be able to find movies, TV shows, and music from Google Play to stream on Google TV. Google Play works across devices, so you can rent and start watching a movie on your Google TV, keep watching on your tablet on the move, and finish watching on Google TV. The TV & Movies app will also show Google Play content, adding to the more than 100,000 TV episodes and movies available in the app. The full power of Google Play will be available later this summer on all Google TV devices.
YouTube Movies features a wide selection of movies that users can rent for $2.99, but today we have discovered that YouTube Movies now features free movies in its lineup. The free section isn’t just released movies by any means, so don’t expect to get the latest and greatest. The free section does however feature a pretty nice set of older titles, including the popular Step Brothers, Resident Evil, Ghost Busters II, and more. Clicking on the movie page will bring up a description of the movie, a review of the movie from Rotten Tomatoes, and suggested movies. Expand Expanding Close
Starting at £2.49, users have one of two choices for renting movies. Either grab the video app from the Market, or head over to market.android.com/movies to rent and watch films from your PC. Of course, films rented through either method will be available to watch through your phone, PC, or Android tablet during the rental period. As with the service in the US, you’ll have up to thirty days to watch a film after purchasing the rental. However, after the first play it will expire after 48 hours. Expand Expanding Close
A mockup of a seven-inch Amazon tablet running a forked Android version.
As Amazon gears up to debut its long-rumored tablet on Wednesday at a media event in New York (a subtle hint of a media-focused launch), TechCrunchchimes in with a name. The Android-driven device will be apparently marketed under the Kindle Fire moniker in order to distinguish it from Amazon’s highly regarded family of dedicated Kindle e-readers. Manufactured by Foxconn, Apple’s favorite contract manufacturer, the gizmo should boast a seven-inch color touchscreen (not true multi-touch) and won’t have an email client preloaded, but users will be able to download one from its mobile application store or use a built-in browser for web mail, writes author MG Siegler who first saw the device early this month.
Meanwhile, AlllThingsD’s Peter Kafka writes the online retailer is cutting partnerships left and right with Hollywood studios and magazine publishers. Amazon has now added Fox shows to its streaming catalog, Kafka reported today, explaining the deal includes shows Fox no longer airs and old Fox movies such as “Office Space,” “Speed” and “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”. Also, at least three magazine publishers have thrown their weighg behind Amazon’s tablet project: Hearst, Conde Nast and Meredith. Kafka cites industry sources claiming all three publishers “have deals to sell digital versions of their titles on the new device”.
Those titles are allegedly optimized for Amazon’s seven-incher and terms are said to mirror the 70:30 revenue split offered by Apple’s iTunes content store. Even though its success is anything but given, conventional wisdom has it that the Amazon tablet should benefit from Amazon’s many cloud services and long-standing partnerships with content providers. What’s unique about Amazon…
You may have heard about “prior art”. In patent law, prior art is basically all information made available publicly before a date which might be relevant to a patent’s claims of originality. Hence, if any invention can be described in prior art, its patent can be invalidated. Samsung is resorting to some pretty sci-fi (literally!) arguments in its legal spat with the Cupertino gadget maker, having gone as far as citing Stanley Kubrick’s ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ movie as prior art against Apple’s tablet.
The finding, discovered by intellectual property expert Florian Mueller on his blog FOSS Patents, stems from page two of an exhibit Samsung filed with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The document reads:
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.
The prior art claim is in Samsung’s defense against Apple’s motion for a preliminary injunction. The company recently claimed in a Dutch court that Apple doctored Galaxy smartphone images.
Google has announced that a new Android Market is coming to Android phones. Along with an overall redesign, the new Market will be receiving a Book and Movie tab. The updated Market is available for phones running Android 2.2 and up, and will be rolling out in the coming weeks.
Movies will be available in the U.S. for $1.99, where they can be downloaded right on the Android phone. We assume Books will be priced book-to-book, like almost all e-book stores. Movies and Books will be linked to your Google account, so all of your Android devices will be in sync. Check out screenshots after the break.
The new Android Market will be rolling out in the coming weeks to Android 2.2 and higher phones around the world. You don’t need to do anything – the update is automatic on supported phones. If you’re in the U.S., you’ll also be able to download the Videos app, rent movies, and buy books once you receive the new Android Market.
The YouTube team announced via a blog post that American users will be able to rent three thousand movie titles on the popular video sharing site, paying via the Google Checkout billing system. Like on iTunes, some releases will come with additional content such as movie reviews, extras and other goodies. The team also shared a couple of eyebrow-raising stats concerning service metrics.
We’re spending 15 minutes a day watching YouTube clips to the tune of two billion views a day. For comparison, average users spend five hours a day watching the old-school tube, but Google thinks “that’s going to change”. More impressive than this is the fact that YouTube is now available on 350 million devices.
Google today has 
