Movies

Steve Jobs biographer: Apple’s supposed Beats buy about video, not headphones and music

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 16, 2016

By now, everyone has already chimed in with their two cents on what Apple's rumored Beats buy might mean for Apple's reputation in music - even our own Cody Lee has summarized the more popular theories floating around out there.

It's commonly accepted that Beats Electronic, LCC. co-founders Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine will be taking on senior roles at Apple after Beats buyout, with their grand introductions as Apple executives apparently set to take place at WWDC.

Bloomberg thinks Apple will keep Beats as a separate brand and improve its headphones design and another source speculated that the deal could lead to high-resolution music on iTunes.

But according to Steve Jobs's biographer Walter Isaacson, none of this is true as the deal is actually about video, not about headphones or streaming music...

‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’ coming to iOS this summer

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

DeNA and Hasbro announced the official tie-in game for the upcoming Transformers sequel this morning. It’s called ‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’ and it will be arriving on iOS, Android and Windows Phone platforms this summer.

The game will be a 3D combat runner, where the players' mission is to take down new enemies featured in the movie as they run, dash and change forms through fast-paced missions. Keep reading for more details and hi-res screenshots...

Netflix confirms US price increase by $1 to $8.99

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 19, 2019

Last month, Netflix announced plans to raise prices for new subscribers later this quarter. The video streaming giant has officially detailed the price hike, going into effect today.

In the United States, new Netflix customers will be paying a dollar more, raising the subscription fee from $7.99 to $8.99 per month. Similar price hikes will be put in effect in Netflix's key markets in Europe. Existing customers will be exempt from paying extra for 24 months.

Read on for the full details...

Warner Bros releases Godzilla: Strike Zone for iOS

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

Warner Bros has unleashed its Godzilla movie tie-in unto the App Store. Titled Godzilla: Strike Zone, this iOS game invites you to join a squadron of military heroes who must face the mighty Godzilla, a kaiju-class monster that has become something of an international pop culture icon starring in nearly three dozen feature films.

The game implements a few memorable scenes from the upcoming movie that premiers in theaters on May 16, like a high-altitude sky jump where you air-drop into a devastated San Francisco.

The iPhone and iPad title is available free of charge in the App Store, no in-app purchases required whatsoever...

Apple expands iTunes in the Cloud support in Germany to movies and TV shows

Cody Lee ∙ May 1, 2014

Good news for iOS users in Germany today, as Apple has expanded iTunes in the Cloud in the country. The cloud-based sync-and-storage service now supports the streaming of movies and television shows.

What this means is that German users will now be able to access previously-purchased movie and television content on any Apple device, including the Apple TV, by accessing the 'Purchased' tab in iTunes...

Hulu to launch redesigned iPhone app with free mobile viewing this summer

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 27, 2017

It's easy to forget about Hulu amid the heated battle between Amazon and Netflix for the digital distribution of premium entertainment and original content.

As you know, for quite some time this service has been offering on-demand streaming video of TV shows and Hollywood movies, free of charge with some ads. However, on desktops only.

This is about to change as Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins announced at a press event in New York this morning that beginning this summer non-subscribers will be able to stream ad-supported content on mobile devices, marking a major shift in strategy for this over-the-top video service.

They'll also issue a redesigned iPhone app around the same time this summer...

The Beverly Hills Cop trilogy is on sale on iTunes for only $9.99

Sébastien Page ∙ April 28, 2014

There are two kinds of people in this world: people who love the Beverly Hills Cop, and those who've never seen it. Whether you're the former or the latter, this is your opportunity to own the complete trilogy for only $9.99.

Admittedly, the first one is actually the best of the series, but at this price, it doesn't even make sense to just get it separately as it is more expensive than the whole trilogy bundle.

You can download the Beverly Hills Cop trilogy on iTunes for $9.99 here.

IMDb app gains US showtimes, Amazon Prime availability info and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 23, 2014

Hot on the heels of announcing a landmark online-only streaming deal with HBO for old TV shows, Amazon has updated its nicely done IMDb iOS app with several notable enhancements, including U.S. showtimes, media links to its Instant Video streaming service, new page design on the iPhone, bug fixes and more.

The update is now live in the App Store. The app was refreshed with iOS 7 friendly styling last December.

Amazon should be credited for adding new features to the IMDb app on a more or less regular basis. This just exemplifies how the online retailer is able to leverage various services and apps to lure customers into its vast entertainment empire...

Cable-cutters, rejoice: HBO shows arriving to Fire TV and Amazon Prime on May 21

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

No one can touch Amazon when it comes to the breadth and size of its content library and today's announcement just reinforces the notion. The online retail giant has cut a landmark and unheard-of deal with Home Box Office Inc. (HBO), an American premium cable and satellite television network that in my opinion has the best original TV shows anywhere.

Under the terms of the exclusive multi-year agreement, both Amazon Prime members and owners of the recently introduced $99 Fire TV set-top box will soon be able to stream HBO's old shows three years after they've aired and at no additional charge. Catch 22: HBO is reserving new shows for existing subscribers and you'll need to subscribe to Amazon's $99 per year Prime Instant Video service.

Still, this is huge. Firstly, you won't need an HBO cable TV subscription at all to stream the shows. And secondly, online-only subscriptions to HBO were previously non-existent. Now, Apple TV owners are able to access HBO content via the HBO GO app on their Home screen, but this requires a subscription with a cable or satellite provider and therefore doesn't appeal to cable-cutters...

Aaron Sorkin talks Jobs movie at Tribeca Film Festival

Cody Lee ∙ April 22, 2014

Aaron Sorkin took a moment yesterday to speak about his upcoming Steve Jobs movie. The Academy Award-winning screenwriter was answering questions at New York City's School of Visual Arts for the Tribeca Film Festival last night when the subject of the Sony-backed Jobs film came up.

Sorkin of course avoided talking about the drama that surfaced yesterday surrounding the picture's director and cast, but he did offer up a few details about his script. Some of it we've heard before—such as his goal to do something other than a 'Jobs biography'—but there were a few new tidbits...

Sony said to be considering Danny Boyle to direct Jobs biopic, Leonardo DiCaprio could star

Jake Smith ∙ April 21, 2014

Sony Pictures is eyeing Danny Boyle as the new director of its Steve Jobs biopic titled "Jobs", after David Fincher decided not to step in the role, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Boyle nor Sony have officially confirmed the news, and the publication reports the deal is not yet done and that both parties are still in talks. Boyle is known for his work in the Slumdog Millionaire and 28 Days Later, among other films.

Furthermore, there's word Boyle has approached Leonardo DiCaprio, of The Great Gatsby and The Wolf of Wall Street fame, to star in the film as Jobs. Let's just hope he doesn't drop as many "F Bombs" as he did in The Wolf of Wall Street...

Fandango app updated with new design, new rating system and more

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 9, 2018

Whether you use it or not, the Fandango Movies app for iOS is a fairly big deal. Not only does it offer up movie info and trailers, but it also facilitates theater ticket purchases. In fact, you can start the process with Siri, as Fandango is deeply integrated into the assistant.

Anyway, the app got a major makeover this morning, with the release of Fandango 6.0. You'll notice the visual changes right away—particularly in movie pages, theater lists—as well as the all-new ratings system, spotlight carousel, and a number of other enhancements...