Netflix and YouTube plan to take on Apple's AirPlay with DIAL

DIAL, an open standard form of wireless playback, is being given a rather large push by both Netflix and YouTube. Their hopes are that using an open standard will allow developers to solve second screen playback issues in a better way than Apple's AirPlay. In other words, it wouldn't be a proprietary solution and would be available to anyone who wants to implement the protocol.

DIAL, which stands for discovery and launch, aims to make second screen sharing more widely available to not only developers but encourages manufacturers to take advantage. The protocol can be used with many Smart TVs, set tops like the Google TV box, Blu Ray players, and more.

Outside of Apple's own proprietary system, most solutions have not been successful. Sony Playstation 3 owners can browse for movies and media via Netflix on their smartphone and then launch it on a second screen via the Playstation 3 but both apps must be open in order for it to work. This is what DIAL aims to improve upon.

With DIAL, the Netflix app on your phone will automatically discover that there is a device with a Netflix app connected to your TV. It will fire up that app, and then the two apps are free to do whatever they want ? which presumably involves some healthy binge-viewing. (For the more technically-minded readers: DIAL is using UPnP multicast for the discovery piece of the puzzle, and a REST-service to launch apps on discovered devices.)

According to GigaOm, many manufacturers including Sony and Samsung are excited about the potential DIAL has and have already started implementing it in some of the devices they're shipping. Actually, many devices such as the Google TV that was released back in 2010, contain limited support for DIAL protocols.

There are also instances where DIAL functionality could potentially trump that of AirPlay -

But there are other areas where DIAL actually goes beyond AirPlay?s capabilities. First, the obvious: AirPlay can?t launch any apps on your Apple TV. DIAL will also be able to detect whether an app is installed, and redirect a user to a smart TV?s app store in case it?s missing. Also cool: DIAL will be able to launch web apps on your TV, if the device supports it, which should add a whole lot of new functionality to connected devices.

Nowadays, most of us own a Smart TV, Blu Ray player, game system, or other set top electronic that has the ability to download apps and connect to the internet. If DIAL hits the mainstream in the way YouTube and Netflix hope it does, it'll be interesting to see how it affect the closed off ecosystem that is AirPlay.

Source: GigaOm

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/DYLIrviGrVU/story01.htm

snl WWE peter frampton smokey robinson smokey robinson Sandy Hook Elementary School Colors Cassadee Pope

Calif. lawmakers split on Mickelson's tax comment

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Republican state lawmakers reacted Tuesday with an "I told you so" after golf champion Phil Mickelson said he might leave California because voters approved higher income taxes on the wealthy.

The four-time major champion said higher state and federal taxes will take 60 percent of his income.

California lawmakers split upon reliably partisan lines in offering reaction, with Republicans saying they expect more high-earners to follow and Democrats saying multimillionaires can afford to pay more.

Voters in November overwhelmingly approved Proposition 30, an initiative championed by Gov. Jerry Brown that boosts taxes on income over $250,000 a year for seven years and raises the statewide sales tax by a quarter cent for four years. Republicans who campaigned against the initiative said it would drive away entrepreneurs and investors.

"You know, it's sad. And I think it'll be the first of many," said Assembly Minority Leader Connie Conway, R-Tulare. "It's one thing to have nice weather and say California's great, but at some point, I think most people don't want to turn over 60 percent of their earned income to taxes."

Mickelson first made a cryptic reference two weeks ago before the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, where he won last year for his 40th career PGA Tour title. He expanded on his comments after his final round Sunday at the Humana Challenge.

"There are going to be some drastic changes for me because I happen to be in that zone that has been targeted both federally and by the state, and it doesn't work for me right now," he said. "So I'm going to have to make some changes."

Assemblywoman Beth Gaines, R-Roseville, said it was what Republicans predicted.

"He's another example of our messed-up tax system, and it's driving successful people out of our state," she said.

California should broaden its tax base instead of turning first to the wealthy, said Sen. Bill Emmerson, R-Redlands, vice chairman of the Senate budget committee.

"It's not just the 'big rich.' It is those who are aspiring. It is the two-person working families that are making over $250,000," said Sen. Jim Nielsen, R-Gerber, who previously was Republicans' lead budget negotiator in the Assembly.

Mickelson's comment recalls the ongoing spat between the French government and actor Gerard Depardieu, who has acquired a Russian passport and said he would move to Belgium to avoid a proposed 75 percent tax on the wealthy.

But Sen. Mark Leno, chairman of the Senate budget committee, said California's tax environment is nothing like that proposed in France. Leno, D-San Francisco, said he has never seen tax flight so significant that it should make a financial difference or influence public policy.

Democrats said there is no evidence in the U.S. or California of mass departures in the wake of higher taxes on the wealthy. State Assemblyman Roger Dickinson, D-Sacramento, called Mickelson "the exception rather than the rule."

"Most of the people who do well love to be in California, and there's no evidence from past occasions when tax rates were higher on the wealthy that it led to any kind of exodus of those who were wealthy or higher-income earners, so I don't expect that to be the case this time, either," Dickinson said.

A study last summer by two Stanford researchers found no net effect in migration out of or into California by the rich after voters in 2004 passed Proposition 63, a 1 percent income tax hike on millionaires to pay for mental health programs. The study's authors said "the highest-income Californians were less likely to leave the state after the millionaire tax was passed."

Brown's press secretary, Gil Duran, said voters agreed to raise taxes to protect education from further budget cuts.

"We have to look beyond our personal interests to where we are going as a society," he said.

A majority of PGA Tour players live in Florida and others in Texas, two states that have no state income tax.

Tiger Woods grew up in Southern California and played two years at Stanford. He was a California kid when he won an unprecedented three straight U.S. Amateur titles, but when he made his professional debut in Milwaukee a week later, he was listed as being from Orlando, Fla.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/calif-lawmakers-split-mickelsons-tax-144047056.html

game change own stacy francis tournament brackets 2012 ncaa basketball tournament walt what time is it

Sotology ? Auto Insurance and You

Every year, more drivers hit our roads and freeways. As this number goes up, the possibility of accidents also goes up. Car insurance can make the difference between a small setback and a large trial. But why do you need insurance and just how much should you purchase? Your insurance may be able to pay for car crash expenses ranging from car repairs to legal fees. By not owning insurance, you risk having to pay the total cost of the harm or injury you cause others or of repairing or replacing your car if it is damaged or stolen. Liability: This type of insurance will pay for the damage that you are responsible for. These damages might include personal injury, and property damage. It can also cover your legal fees if you are sued. Recommended, more comprehensive levels of insurance can be purchased that cover more events than the stripped-down, state-mandated varieties. Personal Injury Protection: This is mandated in some states and is optional in others. Sometimes referred to as no-fault coverage, this pays the medical treatment for you or your passengers regardless of who was at fault. This insurance may also pay for lost earnings, service replacement and funeral expenses. The minimum amount of this insurance is usually set by the state. Medical Payments: This coverage is available in non-no-fault states; it will pay despite who carries responsibility for a collision. It pays for all insured person?s reasonable and necessary medical or funeral expenses resulting from a crash. Collision: Damages resulting from a car accident will be covered under this type of insurance. Comprehensive: Protect your car from all non-collision damages when you buy this type of insurance. This can include protection from robbery, vandalism, and weather damage. Uninsured Motorist: Many drivers are breaking the law by driving a car without owning the proper amount of car insurance. This insurance will protect you if you are in an accident with one of these drivers. Under-Insured Motorist: Similar to uninsured motorist protection, this type of insurance covers you from people driving without sufficient insurance protection. Other types of car insurance, like emergency road service, are also available. Auto insurance Oakland

Source: http://www.sotology.com/auto-insurance-and-you/

turbotax the bourne legacy roland martin suspended lake vostok montgomery county public schools the river dr dog

Fox orders comedy from Seth MacFarlane, pilots from Justin Halpern & others

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Fox has placed a six-episode order for a comedy from "Ted" team Seth MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild, and given a pilot order to a project from "S#*! My Dad Says" co-creator Justin Halpern and three other comedy projects, the network said Tuesday.

The half-hour, multi-camera "Dads," which is written and executive-produced by Sulkin and Wild and executive-produced by MacFarlane, follows two successful guys in their '30s have their lives turned upside down when their nightmare dads unexpectedly move in with them.

20th Century Fox Television is producing "Dads."

Halpern, meanwhile, is teaming with Patrick Schumacker on an untitled pilot based on Halpern's book "I Suck at Girls." Written and executive-produced by Halpern and Schumacker, the half-hour, single-camera comedy is a "story about a boy becoming a man, and a man becoming a father, in a time before coming of age was something you could Google," according to a description of the project, which is being produced by Doozer, in association with Warner Bros. Television. Bill Lawrence ("Scrubs") and Jeff Ingold ("Like Father") are also executive-producing.

"Friends & Family," meanwhile, is based on the BBC hit "Gavin & Stacey," an will explore a scenario where friends and family "are the best support and the worst nightmare when two very different lovers meet and try to make a long distance relationship work." Jane Tranter and Julie Gardner are executive-producing for BBC Worldwide Productions, with James Corden, Ruth Jones and Henry Normal executive-producing for Baby Cow Productions. The half-hour, single-camera project hails from Sony Pictures Television.

Another comedy pilot, "House Rules," will focus on an introverted Wisconsin family living among a community of over-sharers. Justin Hurwitz ("The League") and Andrew Gurland ("The Last Exorcism") are writing and executive-producing the Principato - Young/20th Century Fox Television project, with David Dobkin, Paul Young and Peter Principato also executive-producing.

Finally, "To My Assistant," based on the blog and upcoming book of the same name by Lydia Whitlock, will center on assistants at a big New York law firm band together as a family to help each other cope with the obnoxious overbearing bosses who challenge their sanity on a daily basis. Sherry Bilsing-Graham and Ellen Kreamer are writing and executive-producing the project, which comes from Lin Pictures in association with Warner Bros. Television.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fox-orders-comedy-seth-macfarlane-pilots-justin-halpern-223904969.html

McKayla Maroney gronkowski jeremy renner best buy black friday deals breaking dawn part 2 breaking dawn part 2 Jennifer Lacy

Drowning past regrets in tea and cigarettes, but I can?t seem to recall when you came along (Unqualified Offerings)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/278881224?client_source=feed&format=rss

steve mcnair vice presidential debate Martha Raddatz Chris Lighty JJ Watt jerry sandusky johnny depp

13 Tips to Freshen Your Brand in 2013 | Business 2 Community

New year or not, the time for kicking up your brand?s image a notch or two is always now. If you?re looking to make some changes, here are 13 ways you can freshen up your brand in 2013:

#1 Go Mobile Now

Too many brands are holding out on mobile technologies to ?fully develop? before they jump on board. In the world of marketing and technology, by the time a strategy is ?fully developed? the cutting edge brands have already shifted gears in the next trending direction. Don?t wait around for mobile to be a clear and obvious path. You don?t have to take my word for it; check out my fellow blogger Patrick?s write up on the future of mobile marketing in 2013.

#2 Cut Your Blanket Social Media Presence

Having an account on every social media platform is not a marketing strategy. Chances are, a return on investment is seen in just one or two platforms. Cut wasted time and money in platforms that aren?t working for you, and dive all in on the ones that do work.

#3 Pay Attention to Big Brands

Our team here at Content Equals Money holds a firm belief that content marketing ROI works on a sliding scale. You can do the same thing that the Fortune 500 companies are doing, but on a smaller level. See this idea unpacked (with plenty of stats to back it up) in our Fortune 500 guide.

#4 Make Your Brand Visible

I?m referring to a very literal form of visibility. Pinterest is exploding. So is Instagram. Brands who start sharing visual content will definitely have the upper hand in marketing by the end of this year.

(In case you have reservations about my first ?going mobile? tip, you should know that Pinterest soaked up nearly 721 million minutes of mobile users? time in 2012 (see Pinterest link above).)

#5 Sign Up With Google+

I know, I know, you?ve been on the fence about this for months. Companies with a physical address (that should account for most of us here) especially need to get Google+ because it allows you to control of a lot of the information your customers will see when they search for your company: location, hours, reviews, etc.

Plus, with a Google+ account, you can start taking advantage of Google?s rel=author tag. Let our friend Jill Whalen explain why this is critical for SERP rankings and your brand?s overall image.

#6 Start Using Agencies

Because we?re a small business, we know how it is. Few companies have someone who can do graphic design, SEO, content creation, marketing, sales, video, social media, and perform the functions that make your business your business. You?ll save time and money in the long run when you let an agency handle the things you?re not skilled in doing.

#7 Explore Augmented Reality

Inc.com predicts augmented reality will be even bigger in 2013, citing examples of BMW?s online test-drive and Lands? End?s virtual dressing room. This kind of technology, which is dropping in price, is a great business branding technique to help your company stand out.

#8 Keep Telling Stories

Your brand is your story. Whether you choose to work through a blog, video series, monthly webinar, or some other format is totally up to you. Just make sure that you?re letting people know what you?re up to, how things are developing, etc. This does not mean a barrage of Facebook updates. You can tell a surprisingly compelling story with just a weekly photo essay/blog post.

#9 Create eReader Content

The Kindle, iPad, iPad Mini, the Nexus? these things aren?t going away anytime soon. They provide a great opportunity for you to share long-form content that mobile and social platforms simply won?t allow for. Free guides, ?how-to? style mini-books, and other forms of thought leadership are great ways to get started.

#10 Boutique Writing Services Are ?In?

A few weeks ago, the Content Marketing Institute published 100 Social Media and Content Marketing Predictions for 2013.There are lots of interesting predictions in this PDF, but I?d like to highlight an included prediction from our founder, Amie Marse, who predicts more brands will move away from international services (because of Google SEO concerns) and toward boutique writing services for scalability and consistency.

#11 Allow Your Customers To Do the Selling

Okay, not 100% of the selling. But there?s something to this idea. The first prediction of the year from Social Media Examiner is that e-commerce and social media will see a happy marriage in 2013. Cutting edge brands are putting the consumer in the driver?s seat, almost letting the buyer sell to himself by voluntarily consuming your great content.

#12 Jump Into Gamification

2013 will see a big shift toward gamification, from Facebook contests to interactive, customer-rewarding website technologies. Even the Economist agrees. If you haven?t explored this marketing strategy, I would highly recommend giving this Social Media Examiner article a quick read.

#13 Be an Observer ? Not a Follower

Lastly, these are my tips for how your business could be branding itself in 2013. You?re going to see even more ?free advice? from bloggers in 2013. Soak it up, but run with your own instincts above all else. Only you know the risks you can afford to take with your brand?s image. Take some risks, but be smart: it will show in your brand!

Have some branding tips and predictions of your own for 2013? Share them in the comments section below.

Source: http://www.business2community.com/branding/13-tips-to-freshen-your-brand-in-2013-0385675

manny ramirez easter 2012 jeremy lin espn sassafras mardi gras 2012 the secret world of arrietty cee lo

Nexus 7 dock review

The long-overdue Nexus 7 accessory brings contact charging and audio output - if you can find one

After what's felt like an eternity, we finally have our mitts on the official ASUS dock for the Nexus 7 tablet. This would be the dock that finally takes advantage of those four little gold contacts on the side of the tablet , allowing you to charge the device without having to worry about plugs. That's a technology that goes back to the Nexus One days (and you'll recall how that dock took its sweet time to get to us, too), and we're glad to finally have it with Google's premiere 7-inch tablet.

Google's still not selling this dock, though, and availability is spotty with other online retailers. We picked ours up for about $40 before shipping.

This isn't an intricate accessory by any means, but it's very much a welcome one. A few quick thoughts after the break:

read more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/nn5ui-a--qw/story01.htm

touch nitrous oxide rihanna thug life tattoo arizona governor patrick witt leprosy tampa bay buccaneers