The Morning After: Wednesday, September 27th 2017
Amazon’s Echo Show loses its access to YouTube
In an unexpected turn, Amazon’s Echo Show has suddenly lost its ability to stream videos from YouTube. The Verge points out the ability disappeared this afternoon, quoting Amazon and Google blaming each other for the issue. While YouTube claims that the Echo Show feature “violates our terms of service, creating a broken user experience,” Amazon says “there is no technical reason for that decision.”
Inside the NBA’s big eSports push
The NBA 2K League (no longer eLeague) is taking shape rather quickly, and its managing director Brendan Donohue revealed some launch details to Edgar Alvarez. Right now, the league is scheduled to start gamer tryouts early next year, ahead of its inaugural draft in mid-March. In the first season, 17 NBA teams will back virtual squads, and according to Donohue “four or five” others have reached out about joining in season two.
Apple TV briefly returned to Amazon after a two-year exile
No wait, it’s gone again. According to rumors, expect it to return once more after Amazon announces its video service for the TV box.
The Ataribox will cost under $300 and ship next spring
We heard you like tiny retro consoles.
AMC will install room-scale VR in some of its theaters by 2019
The theater chain is investing $10 million in Dreamscape Immersive, a startup that builds VR multiplexes capable of hosting up to six people at once. Also, it’s backing “up to six” of its installations, whether they’re at AMC cinemas or standalone locations in the US and UK. Other investors include Hollywood heavy hitters like Steven Spielberg, and plans point to content that “complements” rather than replaces movies.
You can get a refund on Oculus Rift and Gear VR games and apps
The likes of Apple, Steam and Google Play offer refunds for accidental, untouched purchases, and now virtual reality company Oculus has made it clear that you can get a refund for an app or game purchased digitally for the Rift or Gear VR.
Oculus adheres to the same timeline as Steam does, offering a full refund through Oculus “for any reason” if you request it within 14 days of purchase and haven’t played more than two hours.
Apple, Alphabet and Fitbit test FDA fast track for health apps
The US Food and Drug Administration has named several companies involved in a recently-instituted “pre-certification” program that determines whether or not they meet baseline quality standards for health software. Apple, Fitbit, Samsung and Alphabet’s Verily are among the firms that will help the FDA set the benchmarks and decide just how much information companies need to send if they’ve been pre-cleared.
The FDA will elaborate further as the pilot goes forward, including a workshop slated for January 2018. If pre-certification happens, it could lead to a faster turnaround for health apps and features in the US.
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