Techmeme: NBCUniversal planning online comedy subscription service, expected later this year for $2.50-$3.50/month (Natalie Jarvey/Hollywood Reporter)

Open Links In New Tab

Mobile Archives Advertise Site News Contact Editors

March 4, 2015, 12:20 AM

Top News

JP Mangalindan / Mashable:

Uber acquires mapping startup deCarta — Uber, the popular ride-sharing startup, is acquiring the mapping and search startup deCarta for an unspecified amount, Mashable has learned. — The deal, which closes later this week, is for DeCarta's technology and talent.

More: Associated Press, CNET, Engadget, Wall Street Journal, PC World, Gigaom, SiliconBeat, SiliconANGLE, VentureBeat, The Verge, Business Insider Australia, SlashGear, Hypebeast, Tech2 and The Next Web. Tweets: @mprioleau. Thanks:@jpmanga

Sean Purcell / Gmail Blog:

Google's updated Contacts blends in contacts' Google+ profile info, simplifies pruning duplicates, shows prior emails and meetings — The new Google Contacts: Bringing everyone together — From email to Hangouts to a good ol' fashioned phone call, you've got a lot of options to get in touch with someone.

More: The Next Web, Android Authority, Gizmodo, Engadget, Google Operating System, Tech Times, The Verge, iDownloadBlog.com, Gigaom, WebProNews, Lifehacker, TechCrunch, AndroidHeadlines.com, Mashable, 9to5Google, PhoneDog.com, SlashGear, CNET, Droid Life and Android and Me

Tweets: @calbucci and @stshank

Ben Gilbert / Engadget:

Nvidia announces Shield, a $200 Android TV set-top box and game console with support for 4K video, available in May — Shield: NVIDIA's $200 gaming-focused Android TV set-top box — Another year, another new Shield device from NVIDIA. What's Shield? It's the hardware line from NVIDIA …

More: Gizmodo, The Verge, VentureBeat, Gizmodo, BetaNews, Ars Technica, Gigaom, Re/code, 9to5Google, VentureBeat, TechCrunch, VG247, SlashGear, PC Perspective, SlashGear, CNET and TechSpot

Tweets: @sdw, @harrymccracken, @chillmage and @harrymccracken

Ross Miller / The Verge:

Nvidia announces Grid, a 1080p game-streaming service that launches in May

More: SlashGear

Craig Timberg / Washington Post:

Researchers discover “FREAK” flaw in Google and Apple devices that cripples HTTPS protection and enables man-in-the-middle attacks — “FREAK” flaw undermines security for Apple and Google users, researchers discover — Technology companies are scrambling to fix a major security flaw …

Jim Finkle / Reuters:

Apple to release fix for “FREAK” flaw next week; Google providing patch to partners but rollout timeframe unknown — Apple plans fix next week for newly uncovered Freak security bug — An Apple Inc (AAPL.O) spokesman said on Tuesday that the company plans to release a fix next week …

More: SecurityWeek and Cult of Mac

Mike Isaac / New York Times:

Nextdoor raises $110M, at a valuation of $1.1B; begins planning how to extract data to monetize with recommendations, on-demand services — Nextdoor Social Network Digs Really Deep Into Neighborhoods — Internet companies have been trying desperately for years to court people like Isaac Gonzales to use their services.

More: Business Insider and VentureBeat. Tweets: @jeffjohnroberts, @triketora and @rsarver

Wes Fenlon / PC Gamer:

Valve announces $50 Steam Link streaming box and SteamVR for November release — Ahead of its SteamVR demos at GDC 2015 this week, Valve just announced a slew of new Steam-related goodies, including Source 2 and a new product called Steam Link. — According to a press release, “Steam Machines …

More: TechCrunch and Engadget. Tweets: @elahti

Philip Kollar / Polygon:

Valve announces Source 2 engine, free for developers

More: UnrealEngine

Jason Schreier / Kotaku:

Valve's Steam Machines Will Officially Launch In November

More: Steam Database, PC World, Ars Technica, Polygon and VG247

Mark Gurman / 9to5Mac:

Apple Watch's retail sales pitch uses a soft-sell that focuses on bands, three key features including health and fitness, and upgrading iPhone — Apple Watch's retail sales pitch revealed: 3 key features, switch to iPhone, focus on bands — With next week's Apple Watch event fast approaching …

More: AppleInsider, iMore, WatchAware, AppleTell, iDownloadBlog.com, iPhone in Canada Blog, Redmond Pie, Wearable Tech Insider, MacDailyNews and iLounge. Thanks:@apollozac

Rich Brome / Phone Scoop:

YotaPhone 2 featuring a rear-facing e-ink display to make its US debut this spring via Indiegogo — YotaPhone 2 Launching in U.S. via Indiegogo — YotaPhone plans to launch its unique dual-screen YotaPhone 2 in the U.S. this spring via crowd-funding site Indiegogo, according to spokesperson Matthew Kelly.

More: The Verge, BGR, Pocketnow, SlashGear, TechnoBuffalo, Gizmodo, Phandroid, Android Authority, Ink, Bits, & Pixels, Gigaom, Ubergizmo and Liliputing

Kyle Orland / Ars Technica:

Sony's new Project Morpheus prototype has 1920 x 1080 OLED display and 120Hz refresh rate, will launch first half of 2016 — Sony: PS4 gets VR with Project Morpheus in early 2016 — First major console VR headset set for release in early 2016. — SAN FRANCISCO—At a Game Developers …

Mike Murphy / Quartz:

Pebble Time is now the most-funded project in Kickstarter history with over $15M in pre-orders from 60K backers — The new Pebble smartwatch is now the most-funded project in Kickstarter history — In one week, Pebble's new Time smartwatch has become the most “funded” project in Kickstarter history …

More: USA Today, Entrepreneur, NBC News, Entrepreneur, SitePoint, Connectedly, TechnoBuffalo, TechCrunch and Android and Me

Darrell Etherington / TechCrunch:

Pebble reveals Pebble Time Steel for $250 on Kickstarter along with a “Smartstraps” system that's open to hardware developers

Julia Love / Mercury News:

Apple to make many security guards full-time employees — CUPERTINO — Amid debate about Silicon Valley's sweeping use of contract workers, Apple will dramatically expand its in-house security team, giving the officers the same benefits as other employees. — After a yearlong review …

More: MacRumors, Wall Street Journal, 9to5Mac, TechCrunch, Re/code, iDownloadBlog.com, AppleInsider and Cult of Mac. Thanks:@byjulialove

Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch:

Apple beat Samsung for Q4 2014 global smartphone sales, first time since 2011; Samsung led sales for 2014 as a whole — Led By iPhone 6, Apple Passed Samsung In Q4 Smartphone Sales, 1.9B Mobiles Sold Overall In 2014 — If 2014 goes down as the year when smartphone sales globally passed the 1 billion mark …

More: Reuters, AppleInsider, CNET, Business Standard, Electronista, GeekWire, BGR, Benzinga, TheStreet.com, MacRumors, Fortune and Tech Times. Thanks:@_trendspotter

Jon Russell / TechCrunch:

Tor Users Must Now Provide A Phone Number To Open A New Twitter Account — Twitter last week announced plans to begin tracking troublesome users via their mobile phone number. Along those lines, it has begun forcing users of anonymous web browser Tor to provide a number in order to open a new account.

More: SlashGear, Tech Times and Neowin

Tweets: @xor and @anonyops

Natalie Jarvey / Hollywood Reporter:

NBCUniversal planning online comedy subscription service, expected later this year for $2.50-$3.50/month — NBCUniversal Planning Online Comedy Subscription Service — NBCUniversal is planning to launch a subscription video service focused on comedy later this year, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

More: Wall Street Journal, USA Today, bizjournals, Digital Trends, The Verge, Variety, Broadcasting & Cable, Deadline, Engadget and Mashable. See also Mediagazer

Ryan Lawler / TechCrunch:

Luxe Confirms $20M In New Funding, As It Hires A Business Chief And Expands To New Markets — Last week we reported that on-demand valet startup Luxe had raised $20 million in Series A funding from Venrock Partners and Redpoint Ventures to expand its service into new markets.

More: Luxe Valet, BetaBoston, GeekWire, Gigaom and VentureBeat

T.C. Sottek / The Verge:

Netflix strikes deal with Australia's iiNet ISP for exemption from data caps, conflicting with the company's stance on net neutrality — Is Netflix's commitment to net neutrality a lie? — Netflix announced yesterday that it would be coming to Australia and New Zealand on March 24th …

More: Gigaom, iiNet, PandoDaily and DSLreports

Tweets: @sorendayton, @mcuban, @dangillmor and @chillmage

Sponsor Posts

Subquadratic:

Subquadratic: the LLM built for 12M-token reasoning — SubQ can reason across entire codebases and document sets in one pass with no RAG workarounds. Read how SubQ 1.1 Small holds near-perfect retrieval out to 12M tokens.

Cape:

Most carriers track everything. Cape doesn't. — Unlimited talk, text & data, 24-hr metadata deletion, network ID rotation, SIM-attack defense, and more. Switch today and get 29% off for life.

Zoho:

Do you need a Zoho Partner? Here's why working with one can benefit you. — Zoho offers over 60 applications, each one built for a unique use case. From sales and marketing to finance, HR, and customer support …

IDrive:

Protecting your Cloud Applications Data — Backing up Office 365, Google Workspace, Dropbox & Salesforce data is critical to preventing data loss or corruption, complying with laws and avoiding critical downtime in case of a disaster.

Sponsor Techmeme

Featured Podcasts

The Talk Show With John Gruber:

'What's in Louie's Wallet', With Louie Mantia

The director's commentary track for Daring Fireball. Long digressions on Apple, technology, design, movies, and more.

Subscribe to The Talk Show With John Gruber.

Big Technology Podcast:

Leopold Blows Up, OpenAI Drastically Cuts Prices, Microsoft's Best Day

The Big Technology Podcast takes you behind the scenes in the tech world featuring interviews with plugged-in insiders and outside agitators.

Subscribe to Big Technology Podcast.

Hard Fork:

Open Model Wars + Claire Stapleton's Dishy Google Memoir + Substack's Slop Fight

The future is already here. Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the latest in the rapidly changing world of tech.

Subscribe to Hard Fork.

Great Chat:

Tech's short-term era

A podcast mostly about tech. Brought to you weekly by Angela Du, Sally Shin, Mac Bohannon, Helen Min, and Ashley Mayer.

Subscribe to Great Chat.

Access:

Meet the most AI-pilled CEO on Earth

A show about the tech industry's inside conversation, hosted by tech reporter Alex Heath and founder whisperer Ellis Hamburger.

Subscribe to Access.

Tools and Weapons with Brad Smith:

Connecting the Unconnected: Doreen Bogdan-Martin

Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith speaks with leaders in government, business, and culture to explore the most critical challenges at the intersection of technology and society.

Subscribe to Tools and Weapons with Brad Smith.

Add your podcast here

About This Page

This is a Techmeme archive page. It shows how the site appeared at 12:20 AM ET, March 4, 2015.

The most current version of the site as always is available at our home page. To view an earlier snapshot click here and then modify the date indicated.