Flixster is now on the Xbox 360, UltraViolet library in-hand

Warner Bros.-owned social networking slash film service Flixster is now available on the Xbox 360, bringing with it the Rotten Tomatoes rating aggregation service and UltraViolet cloud integration. As Xbox 360 apps tend to be, Flixster costs nothing and only functions if you've got an Xbox Live account. Beyond simple controller or media remote input, Flixster's Xbox 360 app employs Kinect for gesture and voice-based navigation. Special for this platform is the ability to play back those UltraViolet-linked video files in HD; it's the first Flixster app to do so, although Vudu had that capability already.

With today's app addition, the grand total of video service apps on the Xbox 360 is hovering just around a hojillion. Seriously, there are kind of a lot of different options, and we're hoping Microsoft's got a more cohesive strategy for the next version of the Xbox gaming console. The most recent rumors involve an HDMI-in port, allowing cable boxes to integrate with the console -- codenamed "Durango" and / or "Kryptos" -- but there's no mention of a NintendoTVii-esque service to tie disparate video services under a single software umbrella. The 360's Bing functionality aimed to solve that issue, but sadly never lived up to our expectations.

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FLIXSTER LAUNCHES ON XBOX 360 GIVING MILLIONS OF XBOX OWNERS ACCESS TO ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR ENTERTAINMENT DESTINATIONS
THOUSANDS OF MOVIE TITLES AND QUICK ACCESS TO CONSUMERS' ULTRAVIOLET COLLECTIONS NOW AVAILABLE AT THE TOUCH OF A BUTTON
ROTTEN TOMATOES™ SCORES, REVIEWS AND MOVIE TRAILERS ALSO AVAILABLE

SAN FRANCISCO, April 16, 2013 - Flixster, one of the most popular online destinations for discovering and accessing entertainment today announced a new, free application has launched on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment service from Microsoft. Available now for Xbox LIVE TM subscribers in the U.S., Flixster will give movie fans the ability to access the latest information about movies from the most trusted review aggregating site - Rotten Tomatoes™. In addition, Flixster lets consumers buy and rent thousands of movie titles and access their UltraViolet(TM) movie collections directly through their Xbox.
Already one of the most popular apps on mobile platforms with millions of downloads to date; the launch of Flixster on Xbox will provide movie lovers easy access to purchase thousands of movies with UltraViolet. Used by more than 12 million consumers and growing, UltraViolet gives consumers the freedom to access their digital movie collections from virtually anywhere and easily watch them via application such as Flixster across devices that include Xbox 360, iPhones, iPads, Android devices, and PCs and Macs.
"The mission of UltraViolet is to allow consumers to enjoy their content on any device and platform they desire," said Joe Greenstein, Co-Founder and President of Flixster. "Launching Flixster on Xbox is an exciting step forward for us as it's one of the most popular platforms for consumers to enjoy entertainment in their living room."
Xbox 360 users can now download the Flixster application for free* from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace and quickly:
Buy or rent standard and high definition movies
Browse current movie listings in theatres
Watch high quality movie trailers
Look up movie details, including film posters and synopses and Rotten Tomato scores
Access "My Movies" (UltraViolet Playback) to easily sort and watch movies from a family's UltraViolet movie collection
· Browse new and upcoming DVD releases

· Experience cinematic 5.1 surround sound with Dolby® Digital Plus ™, the audio standard for online and connected entertainment

· Navigate the app using voice and gesture controls with Kinect® for Xbox 360*

About Flixster
Founded in 2006 and based in San Francisco, Flixster, Inc. operates one of the world's most popular movie communities, used by more than 25 million people every month. The company was the first to launch applications that allow consumers to access UltraViolet, an industry standard that gives greater flexibility with how and where consumers watch the movies and TV shows they purchase. Flixster services include destination websites at Flixster.com and RottenTomatoes.com, as well as leading apps on Xbox 360, Facebook, Windows 8, iPhone, BlackBerry and Android–powered devices.
*Xbox LIVE Gold subscription and/or additional subscriptions/fees may be required and sold separately. Kinect functionality available with select Xbox LIVE content and varies by feature and country. For additional details and availability, see http://www.xbox.com/live

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By: Unknown On 11:10 AM

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First message sent from space to be preserved by Library of Congress (video)

The 2012 National Recording Registry With a Twist

Van Cliburn, Pink Floyd, Simon & Garfunkel Recordings Marked for Preservation

From the cultural significance of Chubby Checker's song-and-dance phenomenon and the historic moment of Van Cliburn's triumphant Cold War performance in Moscow to the artistry of Cuban bassist Israel "Cachao" Lopez's all-star jam sessions, the 2012 inductees to the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress reflect the diversity and creativity of the American experience. The Librarian of Congress, James H. Billington, today announced the selection of 25 sound recordings to the registry, marked for preservation because of their cultural, artistic and historic importance to the nation's aural legacy.

"Congress created the National Recording Registry to celebrate the richness and variety of our audio heritage and to underscore our responsibility for long-term preservation, to assure that legacy can be appreciated and studied for generations," said Billington. "Our challenge, however, continues to be finding collaborative and innovative ways to protect and make available this unmatched legacy to the public."

Under the terms of the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, the Librarian, with advice from the Library's National Recording Preservation Board (NRPB), is tasked with annually selecting 25 recordings that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and are at least 10 years old. The selections for the 2012 registry bring the total number of recordings to 375.

The selections named to the registry feature a diverse array of spoken-word and musical recordings-representing nearly every musical category-spanning the years 1918-1980. Among this year's selections are Simon and Garfunkel's 1966 album, "Sounds of Silence"; "The Dark Side of the Moon" by Pink Floyd, which received the highest number of public nominations among this year's picks; the soundtrack to the popular movie "Saturday Night Fever"; the 1918 trendsetting "After You've Gone" by Marion Harris; "Cheap Thrills," Janis Joplin's second release with Big Brother and the Holding Company; the radio broadcast featuring Will Rogers' 1931 folksy insights in support of Herbert Hoover's unemployment-relief campaign during the Great Depression; and Artie Shaw's breakthrough hit, "Begin the Beguine."

Additions to the registry feature notable performances by Leontyne Price, Ornette Coleman, The Ramones, The Bee Gees, Clarence Ashley, Doc Watson, Philip Glass, Betty Carter, Junior Wells, Jimmie Davis, Frank Yankovic, The Blackwood Brothers and The Neville Brothers.

Nominations were gathered through online submissions from the public and from the NRPB, which comprises leaders in the fields of music, recorded sound and preservation. The Library is currently accepting nominations for the next registry at the NRPB website (www.loc.gov/nrpb/). Several of the selections on the registry were public nominations.

As part of its congressional mandate, the Library is identifying and preserving the best existing versions of each recording on the registry. These recordings will be housed in the Library's Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation in Culpeper, Va., a state-of-the-art facility that was made possible through the generosity of David Woodley Packard and the Packard Humanities Institute, with benefaction from the U.S. Congress. The Packard Campus (www.loc.gov/avconservation/) is home to more than 6 million collection items, including nearly 3.5 million sound recordings.

After 10 years of collaborative effort and the 2010 release of the first-ever-conducted comprehensive study on the state of recorded-sound preservation in the U.S., last month the Library unveiled its plan to save the nation's endangered aural legacy (PDF). This blueprint makes 32 recommendations-long-term and short-term-covering infrastructure, preservation, access, education and policy strategies. Among them are the application of federal copyright law to pre-1972 sound recordings; creation of a national directory of all recorded sound collections and a national discography; and establishment of university-based degree programs in audio archiving and preservation.

Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation's oldest federal cultural institution. The Library seeks to spark imagination and creativity and to further human understanding and wisdom by providing access to knowledge through its magnificent collections, programs and exhibitions. Many of the Library's rich resources can be accessed through its website at www.loc.gov.

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By: Unknown On 7:45 PM

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National Archives donates 1.2 million digital objects to Digital Public Library of America pilot project

The new Digital Public Library of America (or DPLA) will be kicking off its first big pilot project at the Boston Public Library next month, and it's now gotten a big shot in the arm courtesy of the US National Archives. It announced today that it's donating some 1.2 million digital objects to the effort, which range from founding documents to Civil War photos to World War II posters. That initial effort from the DPLA, dubbed the Digital Hubs Pilot Project, aims to stitch together a number of individual digital libraries now spread across the US into one network, and make the items from the National Archives and other institutions freely available to the public. In a statement, US Archivist David S. Ferriero says "the ability to seamlessly search across the collections of major cultural, historical, and research institutions improves democracy through education, and furthers the principles of Open Government." You can find the full announcement, and more on the DPLA at the source link.

Source: DPLA

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By: Unknown On 7:06 PM

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Library of Congress unveils plan to preserve early US sound recordings

Historic audio recordings aren't exactly easy to access and play back since they're often in obscure or aging formats and sit within giant repositories and private collections, but the Library of Congress is gearing up to help change that for researchers and the average joe. The outfit's freshly announced National Recording Preservation Plan is headlined by a recommendation to create a publicly accessible national directory of sound recordings that'll act as an "authoritative discography" with details regarding their production and where copies are housed. You'll still have to take a trip to a library to hear the recordings for the time being, but the Library of Congress is hoping to hammer out licensing agreements that would allow for online streaming. Developing new preservation standards and creating university-based degree programs for audio archiving are also among the 32 short- and long-term recommendations spelled out by the document. Click the second source link to peruse the paper yourself.

[Image credit: Ray Tsang, Flickr]

Via: Huffington Post

Source: Library of Congress, Council on Library and Information Resources

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By: Unknown On 9:48 PM

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Amazon's Kindle daily book deals are a great way to build your library

If you got a Kindle device this year for the holidays, don't forget about the Kindle Store Daily Deals. There are always plenty of books for just $1.99, and they change daily. It's a great way to build your library on the cheap.

You need a Kindle or Kindle Fire to buy them, but once purchased they are in your Amazon account and can be read on any device with a Kindle app. With WhisperSync taking care of your bookmarks, you'll be hard pressed to find a better reading solution anywhere. To find them, just open the Kindle store from your tablet and look for the Daily Deals link on the right. 

You'll always find deals and specials in the music and video store as well, but the Kindle deals are a solid perk for having one of Amazon's tablets. Take advantage of it if you like to read and have a Kindle device. I just picked up William Alexander's "The $64 Tomato" and plan on spending the evening enjoying the warm indoors with it.

"Fascinated by things that go beep."

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By: Dilusha On 9:08 PM

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