Here’s what’s on my mind.
Coming from a background as an academician, here’s where I provide insight into my career, my passions and my life.Scientists control soft robots with magnetic fields
As slick as soft robots are, they tend to have very simple movements. It'd be a challenge to create a truly complex machine using existing technology. Researchers may have a solution to more sophisticated movement, though. They've invented a techn…
Uber rival Grab makes first major acquisition to build out its payments platform
Grab, Uber’s biggest rival in Southeast Asia, has completed its first major acquisition after it acquired Indonesian startup Kudo to boost its nascent mobile payments platform. Neither part is giving a figure for the size of the deal, which was first rumored in February. Initial reports at the time suggested Grab would pay over $100 million for Kudo, but two sources close to the… Read More
Can Dubai achieve a happiness revolution without addressing its labor issues?
In the novel Desperate in Dubai, Ameera Al Hakawati wrote: “Dubai is… after all, a lonely, transitory place. It’s hard to maintain relationships when people are always coming and going.” Two years ago, during my first time in Dubai, I agreed. After attending a UN conference there, admiring the city’s glittering, intergalactic architecture, visiting the Gold Souk,… Read More
Google tweaks the Pixel C’s interface to match its smartphones
Google will probably put the promising but ultimately ill-fated Pixel C tablet out to pasture before too long — it's been on sale for a year and a half now, after all. But that hasn't stopped the company from giving the device some attention in Andr…
Misen, the Internet-only knife brand, gets to paring
When we last left Misen they were crowdfunding a very nice, very usable chef’s knife. They completed their crowdfunding goal and shipped the knife last year. Now they’re back with a paring knife for $30 and it’s pretty darn good. Given that almost anything – from jeans to sous vide machines – can get the high-tech, Internet-only treatment it’s to be… Read More
Tesla’s SUV demand is catching up to its sedan
You'd think that Tesla would sell far fewer units of its pricier, slightly frumpier-looking Model X SUV than its mainstay Model S sedan, but that's not the case these days. The electric car maker has revealed its production levels for the first quart…
Apple hopes to sell premium TV channels in a bundle
Apple's attempts to offer its own TV service haven't panned out. However, it appears to have a Plan B: offer a bundle that includes just a handful of channels you can already watch on its devices. Recode sources understand that Apple is pitching a…
New Clerky tools help startups hire and raise funds without running into legal problems
Clerky may not be a household name like TurboTax today, but the company’s business formation software has been called a “secret weapon” by startup founders in Silicon Valley for years. Many Y Combinator cofounders use it to get their companies started on paper. And now, Clerky is launching two new tools called Hiring and Fundraising to help startups move beyond… Read More
Apple Could Offer HBO, Showtime, and Starz Channels as ‘Premium TV Bundle’
Apple is considering offering HBO, Showtime, and Starz television channels in a combined “premium TV bundle” to be delivered to viewers via Apple TV and iOS devices, according to a new report on Sunday.
Apple already enables users to buy the named channels individually, but according to a source who spoke to Recode, Apple has approached the three networks about rolling them up into a single paid package similar to how conventional TV operators market their channels.
However, unlike paid TV operators like Charter, which usually require consumers to subscribe to a basic range of TV channels before offering a premium bundle, Apple wants to provide the package as an upfront standalone option for all its consumers.
Apple has yet to nail down a deal with any of the networks, according to industry sources, while representatives from HBO, Stars, and Showtime declined to comment on the report. Apple also didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Apple currently offers HBO for $15 a month, Showtime for $11 a month, and Stars for $9 a month, but Recode had no information on the price of any possible bundle package.
Apple’s attempts to set up a traditional streaming bundle of TV channels have come to nothing in recent years, despite rival companies like Google and Hulu announcing plans of their own.
In 2015, Apple was in talks for a streaming television service that would bundle several popular live channels and on-demand television at a price point of approximately $30 per month, but Apple canned the project after being unable to establish the necessary deals because content providers were reluctant to unbundle their channels.
The company’s assertive negotiation tactics with cable providers have also been blamed, with Apple executives accused of making demands networks aren’t prepared to meet. Content providers meanwhile have been reluctant to agree to Apple’s terms for fear of potentially compromising their traditional revenue streams.
Apart from its TV subscription service ambitions, Apple is said to be building a “significant” business centered around creating original, scripted television shows and possibly even movies, for a possible launch by the end of 2017.
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