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We all have that one ghost goal that stays buried in our subconscious, be it Frank Lampard in 2011, Luis Garcia in 2005 or, erm, Frank Lampard in 2010. But perhaps such tribulations will end with the news that the Premier League is following in the footsteps of FIFA to institute goal-line technology from the 2013-2014 season. A Prem spokesperson told BBC and Sky News that all 20 clubs have to have the hardware in place for the start of the season. While the governing body hasn't revealed which two providers are bidding for the job, as it's always either GoalRef or Hawkeye, we're likely to see one of them announcing their success at some point during the summer.

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Distro Issue 80 The Mobile Issue takes on unlocking, form factors and the best of MWC 2013

Just as we had all recovered from the January trip to Vegas, it was time to ship a pack of editors to Barcelona for another week-long barrage of gadget news. In a freshly e-printed issue of our slate 'zine, we go hands-on with the best of what Mobile World Congress served up in 2013. To round out this Mobile Issue, Brad Molen decodes the new unlocking policy in the US and Sharif Sakr examines the death of the form factor phone. There's a truckload of other tech-centric goodness to peruse, so grab your copy and get to it.

Distro Issue 80 PDF
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TMN Go launches on iOS and the web, brings HBO Gostyle experience to Canadians

While viewers in the US have had access to HBO Go streaming on a varying number of platforms over the last few years, the licensing situation in Canada has, until now, made it more complicated. That's changing today, since Astral Media is bringing its The Movie Network Go app for iOS and PCs out of beta (an Android version is "in the works and launching shortly") with access to movies from many studios, as well as TV shows from HBO, Cinemax and Showtime. In Canada, Astral airs content licensed from our US premium networks as well as some Canadian productions and airs them on its five multiplex channels, including HBO Canada.

Some providers have already been streaming content online with setups like Rogers On Demand Online and Videotron's Illico, but hopefully this should make the feature more widespread. Currently it's open to customers on Bell Fiber / Satellite TV and Cogeco Cable, with Rogers due "in the coming weeks." Specific features announced include streaming over WiFi or 3G, playback state that syncs across devices, up to three simultaneous streams and five registered devices per account and more. Check out the press release after the break for all the details and a list of some of the available content.

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Telefonica shows off streaming 4K video, won't make it fit your ISDN line

The future of TV is supposed to involve streaming video, and it's also supposed to involve 4K TVs -- but melding the two has been difficult. Telefonica wants to show that the feat is at least possible with mere mortal connections: it's been using Mobile World Congress to show 4K video streaming on a 100Mbps fiber-to-the-home link. As our Spanish teammates can attest, the (admittedly very local) demo works as well as you'd hope, providing all the fine details without buffering or other hiccups. There's no estimated timeframe for a commercial service, but we wouldn't hold out hope of a version that would fit on cable or DSL when there's a raw 40Mbps bitrate.

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Xbox 360 250GB Spring Value bundle now available in the US for $299

Sure, the next wave of gaming consoles may be arriving pretty soon, but while we wait for the PS4 and whatever Microsoft has in store for us, why not have yet another Xbox 360 bundle to choose from, right? Today the Redmond-based company released its Spring Value set, which includes that slim console with 250GB of storage space (as well as the accustomed peripherals, of course), one month gratis of Xbox Live Gold and, perhaps to make it all worthwhile, Darksiders II and Batman: Arkham City -- although the latter of the two will be available via download code rather than as a physical copy. Folks that call the good ol' US of A home can snag the fresh bundle starting today for $299, which is on par with similar bundles that Microsoft's released in the past -- granted it's not as sleek-looking as some of the pricier ones.

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When Kellee Santiago resigned from her previous gig as president of thatgamecompany, she left behind a job running one of the most highly acclaimed indie game studios in the industry. But she left on a high note, having helped craft Journey -- not just one of the best games of 2012, but a high mark on the medium. Her next move is similarly bold, taking the reins of the Android-powered OUYA console's digital content library as "Head of Developer Relations." On Santiago's LinkedIn profile, she describes her new job as, "curator of content for the games section on OUYA" (among other things); a job she's plenty qualified for given her time on the board of the Indie Fund (an angel investment group of successful indie game devs). "This role seems almost like a logical extension of everything I've done up to this point," Santiago told us in an email interview this afternoon. Indeed it does. In her new role at OUYA, Santiago will be "working with many developers globally and in different capacities," she said, as well as managing the digital library that users at home see.

"I'm very passionate about empowering new voices in game development so we can have more variety in game content -- that's what initially led me to co-founding thatgamecompany, and Indie Fund, and working with the Independent Games Summit, and IndieCade," she added. The job of course includes courting devs, even if that means OUYA assists in the funding and publishing of those devs' games. "OUYA is doing both," Santiago told us -- that's no doubt assisted by the $8.5 million OUYA pulled in during its Kickstarter funding campaign.

Despite her passion for indies, she said there's no "arbitrary restrictions for developing on OUYA," and that her guiding principle is identifying, "developers and content that for whatever reasons wouldn't be able to exist on any other console." In other words, there's no reason one of the biggies -- think EA, Activision, Ubisoft and others -- couldn't get in on the action. Square Enix has already promised a variety of titles, so it seems a given that others will sign on. One developer who's still curiously uncertain about the console, however? Santiago herself. Though she teased on Twitter earlier today that she'll, "still be making stuff, too," and not to worry, she wouldn't offer us any more details about her plans for development on OUYA. Again, it seems a given, but we can't help but want to know more sooner than later.

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YouTube for iOS adds sendtoTV, lets you skip the media hub

Those running the dedicated YouTube app for iOS have had TV streaming for awhile... as long as there was an Apple TV in between. Google's video division is cutting out that middleman with its newly available app update. Similar to what we've seen in the Android software, iOS device owners can at last pair directly with some TVs, the PS3 or Xbox 360 to play and queue videos, even if there's multiple iPads and iPhones jockeying for attention on the same WiFi network. If your set is left out, YouTube still offers reasons to upgrade -- there's a connection to YouTube Capture for recording, and better playback on a pokey WiFi connection. As long as you're at least curious about TV streaming beyond Apple's set-top box, it's arguably worth trying.

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Geeks who are into fast cars and stereoscopic displays must think that watching F1 races in 3D is the bees-knees. However, FIA, the sport's governing body, has often been resistant to new technology -- only adopting HD a few years ago. That's why when the FIA asked Sky to produce a test-broadcast of the practice testing laps in the run up to the Barcelona Grand Prix, the British broadcaster jumped at the chance. Naturally, BSkyB wanted to show off its technical marvel, and so invited us to come and see what it was like. Of course, like the good geeks that we are, our attention was focused on keeping Sky's chief engineer Chris Johns in a corner and needling him with questions. Curious to find out what he said (apart from "please go away," of course)? After the break is where all the cool kids are at.

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OUYA announced this afternoon that its Android-powered game console is shipping to Kickstarter backers starting on March 28th. The company took to its Kickstarter page to announce the news, which says, "Parts are in the factory and assembly lines are buzzing." When the console starts arriving to folks who supported the Kickstarter campaign -- wherein the company raised just over $8.5 million dollars -- there'll be a lengthy list of launch games (around 500 last we heard) and more on the way. Alongside news of the console's launch date for backers comes word that Portal creator Kim Swift is developing a "brand new, exclusive title" for the console, and Papo & Yo dev studio Minority Media is also stepping up with a new game. Both Tripwire Interactive and nWay are also bringing games to the OUYA, with the former working on two games and the latter working on one (action-RPG ChronoBlade).

If that weren't enough, Journey developer Kellee Santiago was announced as the newest high profile OUYA employee, wherein she'll "lead developer relations." Santiago has a short history of high impact in the game industry, having helped create thatgamecompany (developers of Flow, Flower, and Journey) as well as leading an excellent TED Talk. She also appeared in this Engadget Show. Beyond working to entice devs to OUYA, Santiago said on Twitter that she'll still be making games. "I will still be making stuff, too, keepin' it real, don't worry," she wrote.

And that's to say nothing of the console's future; company CEO Julie Uhrman told us at DICE 2013 that the OUYA will see annual hardware refreshes, akin to mobile phones. We've yet to get our hands on the device, but we've heard good things from developers who got their early units back in December. Should you wish to hear even more about the OUYA ahead of its late March launch, Uhrman is joining Engadget on-stage for our first ever Expand event in a few weeks -- snag your tickets right here!

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LG Cinema Beam shortthrow laser projector and 100inch screen released in Korea

One of LG's more surprising product introductions at CES 2013 was its "HECTO" laser projector, which -- when combined with its accompanying 100-inch screen -- is capable of tossing a 1080p image from just 22-inches away. While we'd heard it's coming to the US in March, the projector is out in Korea today branded Cinema Beam TV, available for those ready to drop 9 million won ($8,322) on the package. It has a claimed 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio and can accept video via WiDi or Miracast for wireless streaming from a PC or mobile device, while LG also says its laser light source is eco-friendly thanks to a mercury free design and extra long lifetime. The price tag is said to be around $10K when it ships here, apparently the company feels its unique capabilities make it a perfect fit for commercial installations like sports bars, or just high-end home theater customers that value its small footprint.

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DirecTV trademarks 4K TV channel names, but content is still a pie in the sky

Despite the flood of 4K TVs that are emerging this year, there won't be a lot of content to play on them in the near future short of space galleries and the World Cup. The team at DirecTV can't provide an immediate solution, but it's at least getting ahead of the curve with a spate of new trademarks. The satellite giant now owns trademarks for the terms 4K, 4KN, 4KNET, 4K Network and 4KNetwork, the lot of which would cover broadcasts, streaming and VOD -- all hinting that the company is at least toying with the prospect of a 4K-only channel or service. Don't get your hopes up, however. DirecTV has declined comment, and there's a big difference between securing a trademark and having the resources to do something with it. We'll have to wait for sufficient capacity on TV networks -- and in our wallets -- before 4K TV channels exist as more than names.

[Image credit: Brian Cantoni, Flickr]

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How Ustream will work on PlayStation 4

"We've partnered with some of the biggest and most influential social networks in the world, including Facebook and Ustream, to bring gamers' friends into games like never before," former Gaikai CEO David Perry told attendees of Sony's PlayStation 4 event last week. It was the only mention Ustream got during the show, despite the video streaming service playing a critical role in Sony's next video game console. In-tandem with the PlayStation 4's new DualShock 4 controller and its "Share" button, users will be able to quickly upload saved gameplay video clips or directly stream their game out to the internet. The console's lead system architect, Mark Cerny, expanded on the importance of the Share button and its implications to the PlayStation 4 during last week's presentation. "Social play is so important to PlayStation 4 that we've added in hardware to support it, in the form of dedicated, always-on video compression and decompression systems," he said.

We saw a bit of the game sharing / streaming interface during Sony's presentation, but were left wondering about specifics: how will discovery work? and what of other, non-gaming Ustream content? Thankfully, Ustream CEO Brad Hunstable was able to offer up most of our answers in a recent interview. "Our goal is to allow discovery in a very clean user experience, both in discovery on the console itself and on various platforms that the content'll be available on (like Ustream, Twitter, and Facebook)," Hunstable said. He wouldn't speak to the specifics of how that discovery will work, nor would he say if you'll be able to sign-in simply using your PlayStation Network ID or if you'll have to sign up for a separate Ustream account, but he stressed that the decisions being made are, "based on what's easiest and best for the gamer." That same rubric is (thankfully) being applied to functionality. "The goal is to make sure it's very easy -- one click of a button, super simple -- and most importantly make sure it looks really, really good. And is viewable wherever people want to watch it from," Hunstable said.

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PlayStation 4 announcement stream drew 8 million viewers, 1 million concurrent peak

Ustream viewers were really engaged by Sony's big PlayStation 4 hullaballoo last week -- around eight million folks tuned in to the live broadcast on Ustream, with a whopping 1 million concurrents at peak viewing. On average, said viewer watched the two hour and five minute press conference for one full hour. To put that in perspective, the average Ustream viewer in general watches a given broadcast for 20 minutes, effectively meaning the average PlayStation 4 event viewer tripled the norm.

Ustream CEO Brad Hunstable told Engadget that the numbers are emblematic of his company's worldwide infrastructure strength, and a good example of why Sony chose Ustream for sharing game footage and streaming on its next console, the PlayStation 4. "Game consoles are global in nature," Hunstable pointed out. "We need to be able to serve both, from broadcasting out of the console and to the viewers, on a global basis. To be able to do that, you need an infrastructure footprint that's on a massive scale. We're the only ones that have that."

The video streaming company boasts offices around the globe -- "two in the US, one in Europe, and two in Asia; 180 employees strong," Hunstable told us -- and it already has partnerships with a variety of media and electronics companies, from Viacom to Panasonic. Despite the PlayStation 4 partnership, Hunstable said Ustream's game console plans extend beyond a single next-gen box. "We're absolutely free to work with all partners. Our vision is to have Usteam be ubiquitous. We wanna power the world's live broadcasting. If that happens to be on a gaming console, which increasingly it is, we wanna have a place there." Of course, we've yet to hear Microsoft' next-gen plans, but it sounds like nothing's off the table for Ustream just yet. "There'll be a lot more coming for certain, not just about this announcement but all of the things that we have in store for gamers around the world," Hunstable teased.

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Amazon corrals exclusive online distribution for FX's 'Justified'

If Amazon's recent foray into British period drama leaves you cold, its Prime Instant Video service now has something grittier on tap: The FX Network's Justified. Thanks to a new deal with Sony Pictures Television, you can download the western-style crime series for no additional cost if you're a subscriber on the $79 yearly service. It was up for grabs at $1.99 a pop on Instant Video before, where Amazon said it was one of its most popular buys, and now Prime subscribers can grab episodes from seasons one through three. Season four will arrive after its current run on FX concludes, though individual episodes of the latter are available on Instant right after they air, if you're willing to pay $1.99. Amazon also added all seven seasons of Sony's The Shield to Prime Instant, so if you're looking to go on a crime spree, check the PR after the break.

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Engadget HD Podcast 338 - 02.26.2013

Now that Sony has revealed the PlayStation 4 exists (but not much else -- yet) how do we feel about the future of the living room? We'll dig into that, plus some some new home theater related news from Samsung at Mobile World Congress, the return of webOS on TVs and FIFA's acceptance of modern technology and much more, so go ahead and press play.

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

Producer: James Trew (@itstrew)

Hear the podcast

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