Tag Archives: apple

Google Report For ‘Unplugged’ YouTube Service Follows Hulu Splash

YouTube, the video website of Alphabet ( GOOGL )-Google, aims to roll out a new paid subscription service called “Unplugged” that would offer customers a bundle of cable TV channels streamed over the Internet, says a report. The Bloomberg report comes after Hulu on Monday disclosed plans to stream live content from two of its parents, 21 st Century Fox ( FOXA ) and Walt Disney ( DIS ). Comcast ( CMCSA ), the third co-owner of Hulu and owner of NBC Universal, was not included in the initial plans.  CBS ( CBS ) has its own stand-alone Web service to consumers. The Bloomberg “Unplugged” report notes that Google’s YouTube has not secured programming rights for the online video service. Speculation over YouTube “Unplugged” also comes amid a firefight over federal regulators’ proposal to open up the pay TV set-top box market to more competition. Comcast, AT&T ( T ) and others object to the Federal Communications Commission’s set-top box proposal . They’ve charged that it might favor Google. The FCC says that only pay TV subscribers will gain access to programming, and that copyright protections will be preserved. Google, critics say, aims to swap its own advertising for the local ads sold by cable TV companies. Fox, Disney, CBS and Time Warner ( TWX ) have objected to the FCC proposal. According to the Bloomberg “Unplugged” report, YouTube has overhauled its technical architecture for the live product, slated to arrive as soon as 2017. Google last month introduced YouTube Red, which costs $10 monthly. It features movies, original content and other fare. Fox, Comcast-NBCU and CBS agreed to provide YouTube Red with content, while Disney did not. Hulu competes with  Netflix ( NFLX ) and  Amazon.com ( AMZN ) in the subscription video-on-demand sector. Dish Network ( DISH ) offers Sling TV, and has been gaining more content partners, including Fox.

It’s Not Just Apple, Smartphone Market Is Declining Overall

Apple ( AAPL ) shares have tanked since the company late last Tuesday reported its first year-over-year decline in iPhone sales and guided handset sales lower for the current quarter. But it’s not just Apple. The overall smartphone market is in decline as users see little reason to upgrade to new handsets. “The smartphone decline is just beginning and we don’t see any reason that the overall smartphone market will recover going forward,” Rosenblatt Securities analyst Jun Zhang said in a research report Wednesday. “Smartphone demand is becoming a big issue and smartphone features are not boosting demand anymore.” Those were among his key takeaways from Q1 earnings reports released so far by smartphone makers and their component suppliers. He predicts that technology upgrades will slow for smartphones. He does not see virtual reality and augmented reality applications boosting smartphone sales in the near term. And Apple faces downside risk from expectations possibly being too high for the upcoming iPhone 7, Zhang said. “The market might think the worst is over after the June-quarter guidance,” he said. On Tuesday, Apple stock rose 1.6% to 95.18, ending an eight-day losing streak . But shares turned south again on Wednesday and were down more than 1%, near 94, in afternoon trading on the stock market today . Last month, research firms Juniper Research and Strategy Analytics reported that global smartphone shipments fell, for the first time ever, on a year-over-year basis in the first quarter. RELATED: Apple Investors Worry That Glory Days Are Over