Disney has partnered with Kano, a company that makes coding kits for kids, on a new Star Wars motion sensor kit.
The Bluetooth-enabled motion sensor includes a circular case, printed circuit board with nine LEDs, and two tops that contain Rebel Alliance and Galactic Empire iconography. Once assembled, it can be used to control lightsabers, Porgs and other Star Wars paraphernalia in a companion app that’s compatible with Windows 10 PCs, Macs, iPads and Amazon Fire HD 10 tablets.
Andrew Orr and Charlotte Henry join host Kelly Guimont to talk about Bob Iger’s board departure, and the iPhone 11 chip Apple didn’t discuss.
Charlotte Henry and Andrew Orr join host Kelly Guimont to talk about Disney’s new streaming bundle and “adding” a touchscreen to a MacBook.
Disney confirmed plans for a $12.99 bundle for its three streaming services, putting more price pressure on Apple and other streaming rivals.
Disney+ won’t launch until November 12, but it’s already putting strategic pressure on Apple TV+. Apple has found itself in a bind.
Disney and Comcast made a deal in which the former immediately assumes full control of Hulu. Within five years Comcast will sell its stake.
Netflix released its quarterly letter to shareholders saying that it’s excited to have competitors like Apple and Disney.
The Verge writes:
[It’s a] move that will now give Disney (which already had gained a controlling interest in Hulu through its Fox purchase) even more control going forward….
Disney gaining even more control over Hulu could also mean a radical shift in what Hulu even is.
Now, Disney owns 66 percent of Hulu. The remaining stakeholder is Comcast which, as a result, now owns 33 percent. Comcast owns NBCUniversal, and it might only be a matter of time before Comcast pulls its Hulu content back to its own streaming service. Soon, it appears, each and every studio will have its very own exclusive subscription service.
Today Bryan Chaffin, Charlotte Henry AND Dave Hamilton join host Kelly Guimont to discuss Disney+ and how it compares to other services.
Media Play News writes:
Disney’s pending subscription streaming video service is projected to generate wide consumer appeal – if it is priced right, according to new data from The Diffusion Group.
When asked about the likelihood they would sign up for “a Netflix-like service” that included movies from Disney, National Geographic, Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm (Star Wars); Disney TV shows for children; and original content, 43% of survey respondents said they were likely to sign up, while 27% very likely to subscribe.
Can Apple equal that?
Disney announced on Twitter that people can get a free audiobook of Winnie the Pooh. It consists of four stories your kids will love.
The confirmation of the heavily anticipated Netflix challenger came from the firm’s Chairman and CEO Bob Iger during an earnings call on Thursday.
It’s the 90th anniversary of Mickey Mouse, so Apple and Disney teamed up for a limited edition version of the Beats Solo 3 Wireless headphones showing off the iconic mouse. The headphones include a gray felt case with Beats and Mickey emblems, a special 90th anniversary Mickey pin, a decal, and of course Mickey is printed on the headphones, too. You can pick up the 90th anniversary Mickey Mouse Beats headphones for US$329.95.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars was an amazing series and showed just how great Star Wars story telling is done. There was still more to tell, so Disney announced at San Diego Comic Con that it’s coming back with 12 more episodes to truly wrap up the series. Dave Filoni is in charge of the new episodes, which is excellent because he’s the man behind it and Star Wars: Rebels. He’s also the guy—quite frankly—who should’ve been put in charge of the rest of the Star Wars franchise. It’s a safe bet these new episodes will be just as awesome as the original five seasons. Unfortunately, they’ll be available only on Disney’s own streaming service, so that’s another subscription you’ll have to get. Still, considering how great The Clone Wars was, it’ll be awesome to finally get a true wrap up for the series.
Comcast just backed out of trying to buy 21st Century Fox, leaving Disney and its US$70 billion bid as the last man standing.
The U.S. Department of Justice approved more media consolidation on Wednesday, as it signed off on Disney acquiring most of Fox Entertainment.
Eddy Cue said, “I’ve been working at Apple coming up on 30 years. I hope to spend at least another 20 years there, so I’m not going to answer any questions about future products.”
Bryan Chaffin and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to talk about the possibility of an iPhone Apple Pencil, plus they look at Disney’s new Movies Anywhere service.
The service acts as a central clearing house allowing users to buy (or who bought in the past) a movie from one retailer to watch it on any of the other participating platforms.
No surprise here: Disney is pulling the Marvel and Star Wars movies from Netflix when it launches its own streaming service in 2019.
The grand prize for the sweepstakes are tickets to attend the premiere of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” in Los Angeles this December, as well as a private tour of Lucasfilm in San Francisco.
Disney said it’s pulling its huge portfolio from Netflix in 2019, and Bryan and Jeff are concerned that the silofication of more and more content will be bad for consumers. They also chat about Fitbit’s plans for a smartwatch…ah, we’re just kidding. LOL Fitbit. Oh, and it turns out it’s pretty easy to fool a self-driving car.
Mrs. Powell Jobs already had an indirect connection to the magazine, which was founded by Ralph Waldo Emerson, the namesake for her main philanthropy vehicle, The Emerson Collective.
No longer just the firm that makes the best looking hardware, Apple is competing with the world’s media giants.
