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Streaming executives believe the future of television closely resembles its past

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An image of old retro televisions outside with different TV monitors

We’re in a transitional moment in the streaming industry – user growth is slowing, and so are the major players they need to consolidatebut the long-promised dream of profitability is finally emerging in range (especially should you are Netflix).

Perfect time for The New York Times, then. interview many of the industry’s big names – including Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, Amazon Prime Video chief Mike Hopkins and IAC president Barry Diller – on what they think will occur next.

There appeared to be broad agreement on most major topics: more promoting, higher prices and fewer big swings in prestige television. All these changes have in common a shift towards profitability relatively than growth in any respect costs. If the initial prices of many streaming services seemed unsustainably low at launch, it seems that was actually the case – prices have continued to rise, and streamers have also introduced cheaper subscription tiers for viewers willing to look at ads.

In fact, some executives told The Times that streamers will proceed to boost prices for ad-free tiers to encourage more customers to join ad-supported subscriptions.

The rise of ad-supported streaming could also impact the type of movies and shows produced, as advertisers generally want to achieve mass audiences – think of the glory days of ad-supported network television, with its countless doctor and cop shows, in comparison with the more ambitious fare of HBO subscription.

This change is already happening in streaming, although executives insist they should not giving up hope of finding the next “Sopranos” or “House of Cards.” Sarandos (which was already there retreating (e.g., from his boast a decade ago that he wanted Netflix “to become HBO before HBO could become us”), he stated that Netflix could “create prestige television at scale,” but added: “We don’t just provide prestige.”

Similarly, Hopkins said that at Prime Video, “procedures and other proven formats are working for us, but we also need big changes that make customers say, ‘Wow, I can’t believe that just happened,’ and make them people will tell their friends.'”

Other not-so-surprising predictions include greater investment in live sports (“the simplest and most interesting thing,” in keeping with Warner Bros. Discovery executive John Malone), more bundling of services, and the closure or merger of some existing services. There was apparently a consensus amongst executives that streamers needed no less than 200 million subscribers to be “big enough to compete,” as former Disney CEO Bob Chapek put it.

Some of these changes can be welcome, but they reinforce the feeling that streaming – no less than in the vision of current executives – won’t be much different from the old cable ecosystem. Some things will probably be higher (on-demand viewing), some things will probably be worse (salaries for writers, actors and other talent), and there could also be different players at the top. But in some ways it is going to feel like the standard TV.

This article was originally published on : techcrunch.com
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US medical device giant Artivion says hackers stole files during a cybersecurity incident

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Artivion, a medical device company that produces implantable tissue for heart and vascular transplants, says its services have been “disrupted” resulting from a cybersecurity incident.

In 8-K filing In an interview with the SEC on Monday, Georgia-based Artivion, formerly CryoLife, said it became aware of a “cybersecurity incident” that involved the “compromise and encryption” of information on November 21. This suggests that the corporate was attacked by ransomware, but Artivion has not yet confirmed the character of the incident and didn’t immediately reply to TechCrunch’s questions. No major ransomware group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

Artivion said it took some systems offline in response to the cyberattack, which the corporate said caused “disruptions to certain ordering and shipping processes.”

Artivion, which reported third-quarter revenue of $95.8 million, said it didn’t expect the incident to have a material impact on the corporate’s funds.

This article was originally published on : techcrunch.com
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It’s a Raspberry Pi 5 in a keyboard and it’s called Raspberry Pi 500

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Manufacturer of single-board computers Raspberry Pi is updating its cute little computer keyboard device with higher specs. Named Raspberry Pi500This successor to the Raspberry Pi 400 is just as powerful as the present Raspberry Pi flagship, the Raspberry Pi 5. It is on the market for purchase now from Raspberry Pi resellers.

The Raspberry Pi 500 is the simplest method to start with the Raspberry Pi because it’s not as intimidating because the Raspberry Pi 5. When you take a look at the Raspberry Pi 500, you do not see any chipsets or PCBs (printed circuit boards). The Raspberry Pi is totally hidden in the familiar housing, the keyboard.

The idea with the Raspberry Pi 500 is you could connect a mouse and a display and you are able to go. If, for instance, you’ve got a relative who uses a very outdated computer with an outdated version of Windows, the Raspberry Pi 500 can easily replace the old PC tower for many computing tasks.

More importantly, this device brings us back to the roots of the Raspberry Pi. Raspberry Pi computers were originally intended for educational applications. Over time, technology enthusiasts and industrial customers began using single-board computers all over the place. (For example, when you’ve ever been to London Heathrow Airport, all of the departures and arrivals boards are there powered by Raspberry Pi.)

Raspberry Pi 500 draws inspiration from the roots of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, a non-profit organization. It’s the right first computer for college. In some ways, it’s a lot better than a Chromebook or iPad because it’s low cost and highly customizable, which inspires creative pondering.

The Raspberry Pi 500 comes with a 32GB SD card that comes pre-installed with Raspberry Pi OS, a Debian-based Linux distribution. It costs $90, which is a slight ($20) price increase over the Raspberry Pi 400.

Only UK and US keyboard variants will probably be available at launch. But versions with French, German, Italian, Japanese, Nordic and Spanish keyboard layouts will probably be available soon. And when you’re in search of a bundle that features all the things you would like, Raspberry Pi also offers a $120 desktop kit that features the Raspberry Pi 500, a mouse, a 27W USB-C power adapter, and a micro-HDMI to HDMI cable.

In other news, Raspberry Pi has announced one other recent thing: the Raspberry Pi monitor. It is a 15.6-inch 1080p monitor that’s priced at $100. Since there are quite a few 1080p portable monitors available on the market, this launch is not as noteworthy because the Pi 500. However, for die-hard Pi fans, there’s now also a Raspberry Pi-branded monitor option available.

Image credits:Raspberry Pi

This article was originally published on : techcrunch.com
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Apple Vision Pro may add support for PlayStation VR controllers

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Vision Pro headset

According to Apple, Apple desires to make its Vision Pro mixed reality device more attractive for gamers and game developers latest report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.

The Vision Pro was presented more as a productivity and media consumption device than a tool geared toward gamers, due partly to its reliance on visual and hand controls moderately than a separate controller.

However, Apple may need gamers if it desires to expand the Vision Pro’s audience, especially since Gurman reports that lower than half one million units have been sold to this point. As such, the corporate has reportedly been in talks with Sony about adding support for PlayStation VR2 handheld controllers, and has also talked to developers about whether they may support the controllers of their games.

Offering more precise control, Apple may also make other forms of software available in Vision Pro, reminiscent of Final Cut Pro or Adobe Photoshop.

This article was originally published on : techcrunch.com
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