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Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014

'Transformers' director walks off stage at CES

LAS VEGAS (AP) --

"Transformers" director Michael Bay says he's embarrassed that he walked off the stage during a presentation of Samsung's new curved ultra-high-definition television.

Video of the cringe-worthy incident at the International CES gadget show in Las Vegas circulated on social media sites late Monday and early Tuesday. In a statement posted online and confirmed by Bay's production company, Bay says: "I guess live shows aren't my thing."

The video shows Bay start to speak, then stop when the presenter speaks. Bay resumes speaking, then stops again, saying the teleprompter isn't working correctly.

Bay and the presenter then attempt to talk off-the-cuff about the 105-inch TV, but the flustered director apologizes and abruptly leaves the stage.

Bay directed the first three "Transformers" movies, with "Transformers 4" due in theaters in June 2014.

Monday, Jan. 6, 2014

Sony launches SmartBand with life-logging app

LAS VEGAS (AP) --

Sony is delving further into the wearable computing market with SmartBand, a waterproof wristband that tracks everything from daily physical activities and nightly sleep patterns to how much you've socialized with friends.

The sensor-packed band has no display and interacts wirelessly with an Android smartphone or tablet through an app called Lifelog. It keeps a daily record of activities and recommends actions for the future.

SmartBand also informs its wearer of incoming calls and messages by vibrating. Users listening to music can use it to play, pause or skip tracks.

The band's core is removable and can be worn in various ways other than with the wristband.

Sony announced SmartBand on Monday and said it would be available this spring, but didn't give pricing. Sony's SmartWatch retails for upward of $70.

Monday, Jan. 6, 2014

Microsoft says it sold 3M Xbox Ones in 2013

NEW YORK (AP) --

Microsoft says it has sold more than 3 million units of the Xbox One, the video game console it launched on Nov. 22, 2013.

That means Microsoft Corp. sold 1 million of the consoles between Dec. 11 and the end of the year. Sony has not disclosed year-end figures for its gaming console, the PlayStation 4, though it may this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The figures are for sales to customers in 13 countries.

Microsoft says demand for the Xbox One has been strong since its launch, selling out in many stores throughout the holidays.

Monday, Jan. 6, 2014

New Dish Hopper set-up can record 8 shows at once

Dish president and CEO Joe Clayton talks to the media during the Dish news conference at the 2014 International Consumer Electronics Show Monday, Jan. 6, 2014, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

By Ryan Nakashima, Business Writer

LAS VEGAS (AP) --

Dish Network Corp. has unveiled a new digital recorder system that can record eight TV shows at once and can be controlled by voice.

In a stunt worthy of the annual gadget show, International CES, Dish executive Vivek Khemka also showed off how its Hopper digital video recorder can be set to record shows using Google's high-tech eyewear, Google Glass.

The eight-show system involves Dish's Hopper DVR and a new Super Joey add-on box for separate rooms. The catch is that four of those shows have to be from the broadcast networks ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox.

Dish also unveiled partnerships with LG Corp. and Sony Corp. so that Hopper users can watch recorded shows in a second room without needing a Joey. Instead, the system uses an app on a smart TV or PlayStation game console.

The announcements Monday at the International CES gadget show come a year after Dish's Hopper with Sling was picked by More

Monday, Jan. 6, 2014

Sundance festival cuts the wait for theatergoers

PARK CITY, Utah (AP) --

Waiting for hours in the cold will no longer be necessary to grab a last-minute ticket at the Sundance Film Festival at Park City.

Organizers have created an electronic wait list to resolve the inconvenience.

It allows festivalgoers to check on ticket availability "from the comfort of your home or wherever you are," David Sabour, Sundance's manager of ticketing systems, told the Deseret News of Salt Lake City (http://bit.ly/1dheLSw). "This is just one of the ways we're looking to improve the guest experience at the festival."

For years, people hoping to squeeze into a theater had to arrive two hours early to grab a number and return again to wait for a chance for a seat.

All that will be a thing of the past when the Sundance Festival opens Jan. 16 for a 10-day run.

Festivalgoers can get on the electronic wait list by opening an account at More

Monday, Jan. 6, 2014

Roku TV will stream video without set-top box

This image provided by Roku Inc., shows a screen frame grab of Roku's service. Internet streaming platform company Roku Inc. is launching a line of TVs that plays back video from services like Netflix without requiring an extra set-top box. (AP Photo/Roku Inc.)

By Ryan Nakashima, Business Writer

LAS VEGAS (AP) --

Roku Inc. is launching a line of TVs that play video from services like Netflix without requiring a set-top box. While similar to smart TVs on the market already, the company's Internet streaming platform offers some 1,200 apps and more comprehensive niche content choices.

The Saratoga, Calif.-based streaming set-top box pioneer is partnering with two of the biggest Chinese TV makers in the world, TCL Corp. and Hisense International Co. Ltd. on six models. It plans to showcase them on the sidelines of the annual International CES gadget show in Las Vegas, starting Monday.

The Roku TV will also provide users a way to access feeds from regular live TV providers and to connect to other devices such as Blu-ray disc players.

Roku launched its first streaming video player in May 2008, when the box only played content from Netflix. Since then, the company has sold nearly 8 million units and claims More

Monday, Jan. 6, 2014

SNL adds black woman to cast

By David Bauder, Television Writer

NEW YORK --

NBC's comic institution "Saturday Night Live," criticized recently for a lack of diversity, said on Monday that it was adding a black woman to its repertory cast when new episodes start again later this month.

Sasheer Zamata, who graduated from the University of Virginia in 2008 and has worked with the New York Upright Citizens Brigade comedy troupe, will join for the Jan. 18 episode, for which Drake is the host and the musical guest. Zamata, 27, is from Indianapolis.

The 137 regular cast members who have been part of "Saturday Night Live" since its 1975 debut have been mostly white and have included only four black women. The most recent was biracial Maya Rudolph, who left in 2007. Black men, including Eddie Murphy, Tracy Morgan and Chris Rock, have played more prominent roles.

The lack of a black woman among the 16 regular or featured players became an issue this season when the two black More

Monday, Jan. 6, 2014

Nyong'o, Seydoux, up for rising star film award

Lupita Nyong'o arrives at the Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala at the Palm Springs Convention Center on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2014. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

LONDON (AP) --

Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong'o and "Blue is the Warmest Color" actress Lea Seydoux are among nominees for the British film academy's Rising Star award.

Nyong'o made an acclaimed feature film debut in slavery epic "12 Years a Slave," while Seydoux plays half of a young French lesbian couple in the Cannes festival prize-winner.

Other finalists announced Monday include American actor Dane DeHaan, who plays a troubled poetic muse in Beat Generation saga "Kill Your Darlings."

Two British actors round out the list — George MacKay, who stars in Proclaimers musical "Sunshine on Leith," and Will Poulter of comedy "We're the Millers."

The winner will be decided by public vote and announced during the British Academy Film Awards — Britain's equivalent to the Oscars — on Feb. 16.