Smart speaker ownership data from NPR and Edison Research confirms the impact the 2017 holiday season had on smart speaker ownership in the US. Some 7 per cent of Americans report acquiring at least one smart speaker between Black Friday and the end of December 2017. For 4 per cent of Americans, that holiday smart […]
The long drawn out conflict between broadcasters and the Greek state over new broadcasting licences is coming to an end. Six media groups have formally applied for transmission permissions. The problems have come about because of the Greek government’s wish to shake up what local reports describe as a “debt-ridden, unregulated broadcasting sector” with allegations […]
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has revealed it will be testing out virtual reality at some of its shows in 2018. The virtual reality experiences will be ten minutes in length and be available for free to fans on a new WWE channel within the NextVR app after each participating event. Fans will be able to […]
Reuters is reporting that Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, detained since early November by Saudi Arabian authorities engaged in an anti-corruption drive, has made an offer of a “donation” to enable his freedom. The government is reportedly asking for up to $6 billion. However, the unnamed source told Reuters that the offer, made with a condition […]
Satellite operator Eutelsat Communications has released new data about the TV channels it broadcasts from its 7/8° West video neighbourhood. The attraction of the region’s 7/8° West neighbourhood is driven by the growth of HD content now broadcast on 187 channels at this position. One visible shift can be noticed when it comes to FTA […]
Open standard Digital Rights Management (DRM) standard Marlin DRM has unveiled a compliance and robustness (C&R) framework for enhanced content protection (ECP) for ultra-HD content. This solution conforms with requirements set by the content industry. The new C&R rules for ECP define security and content protection requirements for Marlin-based products that distribute UHD and early-release […]
Arianespace has contracted orders for ten of the current Ariane 5-ECA rockets. They will be in use from its French Guiana launch site from 2020 once the existing stock (ordered back in 2013) has been used. This batch of contracts will bridge the gap while the next-generation Ariane 6 rockets start coming on stream during […]
SES has announced that the new SES-15 spacecraft has been operational at the 129 degrees West orbital position since January 1st. As planned, the all-electric satellite took six months to reach its orbital position and to successfully complete its testing. SES-15 carries a hybrid payload, comprising Ku-band wide beams and Ku-band High Throughput Satellite (HTS) […]
We.Stream and Sky Sports have agreed to a pilot rollout of We.Stream’s secure mobile WiFi hotspot. We.Stream comes with embedded Cloud SIM technology, enabling unlimited data in 100+ countries. Ian Brash, Technical Manager at Sky Sports commented: “Through We.Stream, we will have secure, cost effective data access in over 100 countries for the first time. […]
A test satellite for Canadian operator Telesat was successfully orbited on January 12th. The satellite was built by UK-based Surrey Satellite Technology (SSTL). The Low Earth Orbiting LEO-Phase 1 craft is the first component of what will become a constellation of Telesat satellites designed to revolutionise broadband connectivity around the planet. The Telesat LEO Phase […]