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Google’s Motion Stills app turns Live Photos into stable GIFs and movies w/ cinematic backgrounds

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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…


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Play Store highlights best apps and entertainment in end of the year lists

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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.


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YouTube reportedly looking to license TV shows & movies to take on Netflix and Hulu

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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.


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$100 Google Play gift card for under $80 shipped (20% off)

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From 9to5Toys.com
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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.

It ships free and can be redeemed on the web or Android devices. Full details/instructions can be found below. Head over to 9to5Toys for all of the best Black Friday deals the entire weekend-long.

Includes:

One (1) $100 Google Play gift card

To redeem on the web:

  1. Go to play.google.com/redeem.
  2. Scratch label off of card & enter code.
  3. Start shopping – your gift card value will be added to your Google Play balance.

To redeem on an Android phone/tablet:

  1. Launch the Google Play Store app on your Android phone or tablet.
  2. Select Redeem.
  3. Scratch label off of card & enter code.
  4. 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’s PlayStation Vue Internet TV service is coming to Google Chromecast

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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.


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Latest Google Play Movies & TV app update makes binge watching shows even easier

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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 sends out press invitations for a movie-related event on October 1

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…
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Google Opinion Rewards question suggests the future launch of a “Google monthly movie pass”

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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.


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Google Play’s Cyber Week sale is loaded with cheap movies, games, music and more

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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.


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MPAA institutes new “zero tolerance” policy towards wearables in movie theaters

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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.


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Google announces that you can now pre-order movies on Google Play

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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!


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DVDs gathering dust on your shelves? Now it’s easy to watch them on your Android device

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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 VideoLAN announced 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.

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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.

Movie piracy fears lead UK cinemas to ban Google Glass in auditoriums

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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” …


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Google Play Movies arrive in 21 new countries

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[tweet https://twitter.com/GooglePlay/status/479994540091531264/]

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.

  1. Albania
  2. Argentina
  3. Armenia
  4. Azerbaijan
  5. Belarus
  6. Croatia
  7. Czech Republic
  8. Estonia
  9. Greece
  10. Kazakhstan
  11. Kyrgyzstan
  12. Lao People’s Democratic Republic
  13. Latvia
  14. Lithuania
  15. Moldova
  16. Poland
  17. Slovakia
  18. Tajikistan
  19. Thailand
  20. Turkmenistan
  21. Uzbekistan

 

Google Play Movies & TV now available for Chrome OS, allowing offline playback of Play Store content

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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.

You can grab the app for free on the Google Chrome web app store. The full description is below.


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Google rolling out info cards to Google Play Movies in all countries

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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

Watch The Hobbit, now with info cards, on Google Play: http://goo.gl/CzXAKh

Google Play Movies is currently in 69 countries total, but Google didn’t say how long it would take to complete the roll out.

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Rdio, Crackle, & Vudu add Chromecast support for music, movie, and TV show streaming

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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.
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Google celebrates 2nd anniversary of Play Store with discounts on apps, music, and more

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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.

The promotion isn’t yet running in the United States, but should be available soon.


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Google Play app arrives on iOS to stream movies and shows over WiFi

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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.


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Google adds an additional 13 markets for Google Play Movies

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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.


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Google Now for Android updated with new cards, improved traffic, and more

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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.


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Google Glass XE8 update adds new voice commands, Google Now cards, improved video player & much more

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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:
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