The Rakuten-owned, web-based Wuaki.tv video service announced today it's officially ready for prime time in the United Kingdom. Following what the company's calling a successful beta launch earlier this year, which helped it lure in "tens of thousands" of new subscribers, Wuaki.tv appears ready to go head-to-head with streaming services like Lovefilm, Netflix and, thanks to its flexible pricing scheme, iTunes. Moreover, Wuaki.tv points out that being available in Spain, and now the UK, only marks the beginning of its plans for The Old Continent, where it is aiming to be "fully launched in main European countries by 2015."
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet
Source: Wuaki.tv
When Rakuten launched the beta for its Wuaki.tv any-way-you-want-it video service in the UK, it left out the mobile apps that many crave. The company is rectifying that mistake today by officially bringing its Android and iOS clients to the country. There are few surprises for those who've used the apps in Spain, although the necessary Android update brings an option to rate shows. There's also more platform support on the way -- Wuaki.tv says that Brits will get access through game consoles and smart TVs later in the summer. As long as you're content with watching videos over WiFi, you can grab both apps through the source links.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Tablets, Internet, HD
Source: Google Play, App Store
Okay, we're pronouncing it "ooh-acki", because that sounds slightly more classy than "wacky", but you can call this new Rakuten-owned streaming service whatever you like. You can also choose how to pay for it, because the pricing system gives you the option of a monthly subscription for access to a "regularly-refreshed line-up" of movies and TV shows, or a per-item charge to rent or buy the latest Hollywood releases -- or you can pay both types of fee if you want it all. Having already attracted 600,000 subscribers in Spain (hence the idioma in the image above), Wuaki.tv is offering a decent introductory discount to give itself a kickstart in the UK: be among the first 75,000 to sign up during the beta phase (and do so before mid-September) and you'll get a half-price monthly fee of £2.99 for as long as you stay with the no-contract service. The downside to joining early is that, for the time being, you can only stream to a Mac or PC. Support for mobile devices, smart TVs and consoles is due to be added over the coming months, at which point the decision to sign up quickly (via the Source link below) might start to prove its worth.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Source: Wuaki.tv
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Looks like Kobo's leveraging some of that Rakuten-infused love. The e-reader maker announced today that it'll be bringing its new pair of devoted readers to Japan over the next couple of months, courtesy of its parent company. The e-literati in that country can pre-order the new Kobo Glo now for ¥7,980 ($100) through Rakuten for a projected ship date of November 15th. The 5-inch Kobo Mini, meanwhile, is due to arrive in December for ¥6,980 ($87) -- the same price as the recently discounted Kobo Touch.
Continue reading Kobo's Glo and Mini readers on their way to Japan as the Touch gets a discount
Kobo's Glo and Mini readers on their way to Japan as the Touch gets a discount originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Nov 2012 01:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Canadian-born, Japanese-owned e-reader maker Kobo announced its intentions to acquire digital publishing company Aquafadas today, an agreement that'll bring rich content like magazines, academic texts, comics and children's books, amongst others, to Kobo users. The deal also builds out Kobo's self-publishing offering, bringing more tools to the table, along with additional languages like German, French, Italian, Portuguese and Dutch. Kobo's also taking the opportunity to announce exapanded offerings in New Zealand, thanks to partnerships with Booksellers NZ and The Paper Plus Group. Back in September, the company announced a trio of new devices set for release this month and next in the States.
Filed under: Tablets
Kobo to buy Aquafadas, get magazines, academic texts, comics and children's books in the process originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Oct 2012 10:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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