While users in the US are today getting access to CBS Sports and USA Now on the Apple TV, Canadian users are being greeted today with two new channels from the big Canadian cable companies. Bell’s CraveTV and Rogers’ Shomi, two competitive on-demand TV services akin to Hulu in the US, are now accessible on Apple’s set-top box.
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Apple TV users in Australia are receiving new content today with the launch of Cricket.com.au on the platform. Cricket Australia, the governing body for professional and amateur cricket in Australia, made the announcement today noting that the channel will be free and offer the “latest videos as well as highlights from the archive.”
Cricket Australia on Apple TV will give fans free and immediate access to the latest news and features, extended highlights from every day of international cricket played in Australia this summer, as well as rare footage from the archives that showcase some of Australia’s most famous cricketing clashes… Cricket fans will also enjoy unique feature videos that go behind the scenes of Australian cricket and get closer to current stars and legends, like Shane Warne and Adam Gilchrist. Fans will also find cricket skills tutorials from the likes of George Bailey, Nathan Lyon and Ellyse Perry.
Apple TV users should be able to access the new Cricket Australia channel starting today. The press release says the app is entirely free but doesn’t specify whether or not users might be required at some point to purchase one of the service’s streaming subscriptions that usually cost $5/month or $30/year.
Last summer Apple TV users in the US also received access to cricket content through sports broadcaster Willow TV, the Official Broadcaster of Cricket in the United States and Canada. That channel, however, requires a $15/month subscription for access to most content.
The Weather Channel app for iPhone has been updated with a brand new iOS 7-inspired design and features. The new design gives each bit of information a more prominent location on the screen, though it does so at the expense of an all-in-one overview. Where previously all relevant weather information was contained on the main screen, the updated app places various types of information on separate pages that can be swiped through.
The addition of a new airport mode that provides users with information about weather-related flight delays and cancellations could serve as a useful tool for travelers. A new severe weather mode causes the entire app’s interface to change if severe weather is reported in your area, putting critical information front-and-center. Finally, a social component has been added that allows users to submit weather reports and photos of their own.
You can grab the redesigned Weather Channel app on the iPhone App Store free of charge.
After spending about a month and a half in the beta channel, Chrome is rolling out Google Now notifications to all users. To activate the feature, Google says to sign in with the same Google account used on iOS.
Unlike its developer program and vast ecosystem of apps on iOS and Mac, there’s not much we know about Apple’s strategy for content on the Apple TV. There’s been a lot of talk that a much rumored refreshed Apple TV set top box— or perhaps even the rumored full-fledged TV set— might also come alongside a more open developer platform with app distribution.
For now, however, Apple is slowly and quietly behind closed doors making deals with select content partners that are building apps for the platform. How is Apple working with developers to build and approve these apps? Does it have an Apple TV SDK that could in theory be released to all developers? With Bloomberg TV today becoming the latest app to launch on the platform, we’ve talked with the people that built the app to get some insight into the Apple TV development process.
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Following Apple’s steady release of new content and features for its existing Apple TV platform in recent months, this week it adds yet another as Bloomberg becomes the first channel to live stream business news 24/7 to Apple TV customers. We spoke with Bloomberg’s head of mobile Oke Okaro who told us all about the new Apple TV app.
The majority of the content you’ll find in the new app is the same Bloomberg TV content you’ll find on its website and in its mobile apps but specifically optimized for the larger screen. That includes a live stream of business news, on-demand content with a mix of full TV show episodes and clips, and a special live stream that will appear only for events and breaking news. While there is similar news programming already on the Apple TV through apps like The Wall Street Journal and SkyNews, Bloomberg will be the first to have a 24/7 live stream of business news. That’s compared to the WSJ app which often only live streams content on certain hours throughout the day. It’s also going beyond the other news apps by offering all of its content for free in full-length form in addition to integration with its iOS apps coming in a future update.
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