CNN finally adds live TV streaming access to its Android phone app

While some of us try to avoid mainstream media and the accompanying Things You Should Be Afraid Of Today reporting, sometimes we need a place to go for 24/7 coverage of a disabled cruise ship, and CNN is always there. Now it's there on Android too, after launching live streaming of both CNN and HLN on iOS back in 2011 a new update for its Android phone app has brought the feature (and the classic "This is CNN" greeting by James Earl Jones) to the platform. You'll still need to be a subscriber to a participating cable TV service to actually watch the feed, but getting your dose of Anderson Cooper on the go is as simple as inputting your account details, and then you're set. Feature parity -- who doesn't love it? (Android tablet owners, Windows 8 users, Symbian...)

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Engadget HD Podcast 337 - 02.19.2013

We're getting the band back together. After we welcome Ryan Block and Peter Rojas back to the fold, we dig into all the news that came out of the AllThingsD conference last week. Sony, Dish, Microsoft, Intel and others had plenty to say, but did we believe everything we heard? We're also on the bleeding edge of a new display technology as OLED HDTVs hit the streets, so we'll make our best guess as to whether mainstream pricing is in the near future. Finally, several connected TV platforms have updates, and the battle for content continues to heat up with customers stuck in the middle -- press play to find out all the details.

Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh (@bjdraw), Richard Lawler (@rjcc)

Producer: James Trew (@itstrew)

Hear the podcast

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NTT's Visual SyncAR brings augmented reality to video, spices up the second screen (video)

The second screen has largely asked that you take your eyes away from the action, even if that is to play along in real-time. Visual SyncAR, however, brings that tablet or mobile right back into the thick of things. Developed by Japan's NTT, the platform uses digital watermarksg that presents a timecode to the app running on the second device, allowing it to display content in sync with whatever is on the primary display. In the video after the break you can see the concept being illustrated with playful examples that interact with the program, but more useful applications include the ability for users to pull up subtitles for public information videos, or overlay sign language. Naturally, there's also a massive potential for advertisers, who we're sure would be more than keen to embrace the technology, and ably guide you from their commercial to an online outlet or additional promo material. Especially if they're selling a cure for all that inevitable arm ache...

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We're liveblogging Sony's big PlayStation event tomorrow at 6pm ET!

The day is nearly upon us, folks -- February 20th is looking like the day we'll hear about Sony PlayStation's latest version of Home. Finally! Joking aside, yes, tomorrow evening is very likely when we'll first hear official details on Sony's next PlayStation game console (currently codenamed "Orbis"). Will we see the new version of the DualShock controller? Perhaps the rumored Gaikai game streaming of PlayStation 3 games? Or how about a confirmation of those rumored specs? Only Kaz Hirai knows! (Okay, it's likely that some other folks know as well, but Hirai definitely knows.)

We'll of course be liveblogging the goings on should you wish to play along at home -- you can find that right here. And hey, given that these things happen once per decade or so, you should probably play along.

February 20, 2013 6:00 PM EST

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KDDI Remote TV controls and streams Bluray DVRs, has us packing our bags for Japan

Sure, it's possible to get remote access to home theater devices through raw methods like a Slingbox, but KDDI has a slightly more elegant solution for those living in Japan. Its tiny Remote TV box puts a Blu-ray DVR on the local WiFi network to both schedule recordings while away and stream the video itself. Locals can watch from a Mac, Windows PC or Android device, although they'll be limited to 480p when they're outside of the home. iOS support is coming soon, the carrier says. KDDI ships the device on February 23rd for an estimated ¥19,800 ($213) and is keen to note that it doesn't require a subscription -- it sees Remote TV more as an incentive to splurge on smartphone data, which just might work for commuters wanting to catch up on their shows.

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BBC Two HD replaces BBC HD channel on March 26th

The BBC has decided it can do without an HD channel just to showcase its gorgeous nature documentaries. As such, it's turning BBC HD into a high-definition simulcast of BBC Two, starting March 26th. As it's already been doing that job for a while now, it's hardly surprising -- but does make us wonder where HD shows from BBC Three and Four will be housed in the future. The corporation did tell us that it's evaluating adding more HD channels, but we don't imagine that'll be happening in the near future. BBC Two HD will remain on the same channel as BBC HD, Sky: 169, Virgin: 187, Freesat: 109, Freeview: 102 -- so you don't need to rescan your box to keep watching Eggheads.

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FIFA gives referees 'final word' on goalline technology, defeats point of goalline technology

FIFA's frosty relationship with the future might just be thawing, after Soccer's governing body announced that it will use goal-line technology. After a successful trial at last year's Club World Cup, the organization will use electronic refereeing at the 2013 Confederations Cup and 2014 World Cup. That said, the body is still insisting that human officials will have the final say -- despite evidence to suggest that's not a very good idea.

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After its run on the internet and then cable TV, Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome is coming to Blu-ray, along with the second season of Game of Thrones and Monsters Inc. Sports fans have NASCAR racing to (try to) replace football, while movie buffs can keep an eye out for the Academy Awards on Sunday. Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames.

Top Gun 3D
After a short run in theaters, Top Gun 3D is coming home on Blu-ray. We've had the chance to watch it already and came away with (mostly) good things to say about the conversion. The 3D conversion is well done and particularly in the action scenes, as one watches F-14s zooming through the air it enhanced the feeling of speed and depth. Now, it's not all good news as we did notice a slightly different color tint on the 3D version, not necessarily bad, but different. Overall we liked it, so if you're looking for another 3D viewing option and are a fan of the original, it's worthwhile, but probably not required viewing. If you're not a 3D fan, this probably won't change your opinion.
($19.96 on Amazon)

Daytona 500
NASCAR is back and in full effect. If you like to see cars turning left then this is the series for you, and in a fresh twist, Danica Patrick will debut as the first female polesitter in race history. This race will also see the new Gen6 cars that are designed to not only be safer and faster, but also more closely resemble production automobiles. Whether you're watching the race end to end
(February 24th, Fox, 12PM)

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LG Display invests $655 million to expand OLED HDTV mass production next year

Sure, LG's current 55-inch OLED HDTV is pretty pricey with a US MSRP of $12K, but that may start to change next year when panel supplier LG Display kicks its new 8G production line into full gear. LG Electronics holds a 38 percent stake in the company and although it supplies screens to many others as well, the next generation of 55EM9700s will likely be a large segment of the displays produced. Although LCD manufacturers ramped up 8G facilities capable of producing six 55-inch displays from one piece of glass in the late 2000s, oversupply caused prices to drop and manufacturing to slow down, including at LG Display.

Now, new display technology is ramping up investment again, which will see this new line installed at its P9 plant in Paju, South Korea at a cost of 706 billion won ($655 million). Based on LG's WRGB OLED evaporation process, it should be capable of working with as many as 26,000 input sheets per month once it's up to full speed in the first half of 2014. Chief competitor Samsung showed off "production" OLED HDTVs last year and plenty of demo units at CES with a mid-year release planned, we'll see if it manages to keep up before / if the tech goes mainstream.

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Halo creators unveil 'Destiny,' an MMOlike firstpersonshooter for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3

When Halo creator Bungie managed to steal away from Microsoft back in 2007, Master Chief's forefathers were afforded a few years to go dark and head down on a brand new gaming universe. Today, Bungie and its new benefactor, Activision, revealed that new franchise as "Destiny," an online-required persistent world first-person shooter. Even though the game's not due out this year, Bungie says it's headed to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, with no mention of next-gen.

The online requirement extends to both single-player and multiplayer campaigns -- your character's achievements remain persistent, and your avatar will seamlessly populate friends' games (rather than futzing with menus and the like), allowing for on-the-fly pairings. Bungie's shying away from outright referring to Destiny as an MMO, a la World of Warcraft. "[The] amount of players you see is design controlled. It's not about stuffing as many people in there as possible," Bungie COO Pete Parsons told our sister site, Joystiq. Of course, with next-gen sounding online connectivity, Bungie's silence on next-gen consoles is little more than a temporary vow -- Destiny seems a lock for (at very least) Sony and Microsoft's next consoles, if not also the PC (Wii U's looking unlikely).

Hard details on Destiny are a bit scarce at the moment -- when it launches, if it's part of a series, how exactly the game will work -- but we've dropped concept art below and a debut video just beyond the break. The video goes into a bit more detail on the universe, and briefly touches on the smartphone tie-in that Destiny will have (think Halo Waypoint), but for a more exhaustive approach to Destiny's debut, Joystiq's got you covered.

Update: In Activision's official PR, Destiny is listed as heading to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and, "other future console platforms."

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We're just a few days away from Sony's February 20th "see the future of" PlayStation event where we expect to see the next edition of its home console, and the rumor mill is buzzing. The latest one tonight comes from the Wall Street Journal, with a report that connects Sony's $380 million purchase of cloud gaming service Gaikai last year with a method to provide backwards compatibility on the PlayStation 4. The WSJ reports Sony has been "investing heavily" in preparing Gaikai for an influx of PS4-equipped gamers, while also developing better cameras for its Move and the DualShock+touchpad controllers we've seen recently.

What's not revealed, however, is any potential pricing plan, or whether cloud games will work using existing cloud saves. While buying fully digital copies of games we already own is less than appealing, if Sony can implement something like the abandoned UMD-to-PSP Go "good will" plan, then there may be benefits for all. In the last gen Sony used hardware, then software and then nothing at all for backwards compatible gaming, while Microsoft went all software -- we'll see how it balances out this time around.

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Vizio CoStar update brings Google TV's voice search and YouTube pairing

Vizio's Co-Star hub is still one of the cheapest points of entry into the Google TV world, so it's comforting to see the set-top box getting an update -- albeit somewhat behind Google's own pace. The previously promised release mostly focuses on giving it the third-generation Google TV interface, including the mini-guide, YouTube pairing and (through a future Android app update) voice-guided search. Viewers on the prowl for more content get a few additional perks through new apps for M-Go and Vudu video streaming, as well as a truly native Amazon Instant Video app. Should Vizio's tiny media center inhabit your living room, you can expect the upgrade to arrive over the air within the next few weeks.

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Criterion cancels your weekend plans, makes its Hulu collection available for free

Followers of the Criterion Collection on Twitter or Facebook have no doubt already dove in, but those that haven't yet heard may want to direct their attention to the Hulu page featured at the source link. There you'll find hundreds of Criterion titles ready for streaming, all of which have been made available for free this weekend (for those that have access to Hulu, that is). It doesn't include all of the films Criterion has released on DVD and Blu-ray, but it's an impressive selection, including many well-known classics and more obscure gems alike; there's even some that Criterion hasn't yet released on physical media.

If you're looking for some science fiction to get started (this is Engadget, after all), we'd recommend an art house sci-fi double feature of Andrei Tarkovsky's Solaris and Rainer Werner Fassbinder's World on a Wire -- or Chris Marker's La Jetée, the inspiration for Terry Gilliam's 12 Monkeys, if you'd prefer something a bit shorter.

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Angry Birds Trilogy flutters to Wii  Wii U in celebration of one million sold

The Angry Birds and the pigs they hate so are already quite popular on mobile devices, but it turns out that the collected escapades for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Nintendo 3DS in Angry Birds Trilogy also did quite well, pushing past one million units since September 2012. Its console success is apparently enough for its Finnish progenitor, Rovio, to release the game for both Nintendo's original Wii and the more recent Wii U at some point in 2013. The trilogy collects the first Angry Birds game with Seasons and Rio for "700+ levels." It stands to reason that the Wii U version will take advantage of the system's tablet-esque GamePad, but we'll have to wait on Rovio for more info as the year goes on.

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