Disneyland and DCA in 360 with the Samsung Gear 360 Camera

Every since Samsung announced their venture into the world of Virtual Reality (VR), I was excited to see what products they were going to offer. I got the Samsung S7edge that came with the VR Headset. I loved the content that was available but was floored when Samsung announced the Gear 360 Camera! I took the Gear 360 Camera to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure on December 23rd and 24th to field test it.

The camera is easy to use and to pair with my phone and got a lot of looks from people walking around me, But let's get to the content that I shot! Below you will find two examples from Disneyland and two examples from Disney California Adventure! Use your mouse on the photo to move around and see what we captured!



This first 360 photo is the main entrance into the park. The famous Floral Mickey Mouse greets you to Disneyland. As Walt said that Mickey was a personification of him (Walt voiced Mickey in the early days) that the Floral Mickey is a personal greet by Walt himself to his park.



The next image is of the one of the most photographed locations on earth, Sleeping Beauty Castle! The castle was kept small because European castles were meant to be large and imposing, Walt didn't want that for his castle. I find that Disneyland's castle is the most charming castle of all.



Next, we move across the esplanade into Disney California Adventure and into the popular Cars Land, based off the hit Pixar film Cars! We are standing in the heart of Cars Land, right below the only light signal in the area. This land feels as if the animated film was actually shot on location here.



Lastly, we have one of my favorite locations in Disney California Adventure. This is the bridge next to Grizzly River Run that takes you past Frog Jump Falls. Take a look around the area and you feel as if you are somewhere in the high Sierras.

I hope you enjoyed this field test of the Samsung Gear 360 Camera and the 360 photos that we took. If you have any suggestions of other areas of the parks that you would like to see please let me know in the comments below! Next up will be some short video testing in the parks in the coming weeks!

Sasaki Time Tech: Samsung Gear VR Unboxing!

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Tech Review: Amazon Fire TV by Staff Writer Kevin Wolfe

I have been a member of Amazon Prime for a few years now, but it has only been a little over a year now that I have been able to really take advantage of the video streaming library that is offered as part of the subscription. I have to admit that, while somewhat extensive, the total selection of movies and television shows that Amazon offers, of which a smaller chunk are offered for free through Prime, pales in comparison to Netflix, while the price for a yearly subscription is about the same. However, I consider the ability to get free two-day shipping on just about anything I order, any time I want, without a minimum purchase, as well as the newly offered ad-free music streaming library, to at least somewhat make up for any shortcoming. Enough of that though.

Earlier this year, Amazon introduced fireTV, a small, simple, media receiver that allows the user to stream anything from the Amazon video library, in high definition when available. It also provides access to your music library, watchlist and library of purchased video content, as well as photos stored on your Amazon Cloud Drive. In addition, the device has the ability to load select apps and games. Many of the apps allow access to additional music and video streaming (e.g. Netflix, YouTube, Pandora), as well as productivity, health, and information. Some games though, require the use of a separate game controller, sold separately.

Provided you have a high definition enabled TV, setup is a breeze, especially if you are already a member of Amazon Prime. The packaging includes just three items: the receiver, AC adapter, and fireTV remote with batteries. All you need is an HDMI cable to connect the unit to your TV. You then have the option of connecting to the internet via Wi-Fi or, if necessary, Ethernet cable. I was easily able to find my Wi-Fi network and get connected. I was also happily surprised to find that, as a Prime Member, my Amazon account was already pre-loaded on the device. As with its console counterparts, the user interface of fireTV is quite self-intuitive and easy to navigate, allowing you to effortlessly browse top selections from various genres for both TV and movies. However, this simplicity and user-friendly display comes again at the small cost of only seeing a fraction of available titles displayed without using the search tool. Thanks to a recent update, Prime users will find an additional category that allows them to browse only titles that are included with their membership, including those recently added and Prime exclusives. Also included with the update, parents have the option to utilize “FreeTime,” which allows them to control not only how much time kids have to watch, but also what they are watching (For those without kids, this option can be hidden from the main menu via settings).

There are many things I especially like about using fireTV as well as a couple ideas I have for improvement. One of the things I enjoy most about fireTV apart from other mediums is the ability to instantly access the Amazon service without having to navigate through several menus or point a browser. Second, a feature which currently makes Fire TV unique from other streaming consoles is the ability to do a voice search for any type of media offered through the device. It seems to work very well at recognizing any search term I give it, with little error. One thing that I would like to see in an update though is the ability to limit searches to Prime titles as well as access to Prime Music, a new feature of the Prime service. Another great feature, which appears to currently be unique to access via internet browsers, would be the ability to see expiration alerts for Prime titles in my watchlist. That being said, while it is not perfect, fireTV is poised to be a power player against other streaming modules, such as Roku and AppleTV. It is small, easy to use, and quickly becoming quite versatile. What I think would help it most though is that Amazon continue to greatly expand its video streaming library, especially with respect to titles offered to Prime subscribers.  

The Walt Disney Studios announces Disney Movies Anywhere

WATCH DISNEY, PIXAR, AND MARVEL MOVIES 
WITH DISNEY MOVIES ANYWHERE

New Digital Movie Service And App for iPhone, iPad And iPod touch Debuts With iTunes

Free Digital Copy of Disney•Pixar’s “The Incredibles” Available For A Limited Time Through Disney Movies Anywhere 

BURBANK, Calif. – February 25, 2014 – The Walt Disney Studios today unveiled its exclusive cloud-based digital movie service, Disney Movies Anywhere. This all-new app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch and Web experience enables consumers to discover, purchase, manage, and watch movies from Disney, Pixar, and Marvel at home and on the go. iTunes is the premier digital movie provider for Disney Movies Anywhere.

The debut of Disney Movies Anywhere coincides with the digital release of Disney’s hit film “Frozen” and features Disney’s library of over 400 active digital titles. In addition, for a limited time, Disney Movies Anywhere users who activate and connect their Disney Movies Anywhere account to their iTunes account will receive a free digital copy of Disney•Pixar’s animated classic “The Incredibles.”

“Disney Movies Anywhere offers an exceptional consumer experience built around some of the most beloved and popular entertainment brands in the world,” said Alan Bergman, President, The Walt Disney Studios. “This unique technology underscores Disney’s commitment to meeting our consumers where they are with the content they want, and we’re thrilled to debut with iTunes, the #1 digital media retailer in the world.” 

As a trusted creator of premium entertainment experiences for the whole family, Disney is committed to making it easier than ever for consumers to dive in and grow their digital movie libraries. In a seamless and family-friendly experience, Disney Movies Anywhere unlocks digital content across platforms and devices, enabling access to user-owned Disney digital content and movies in the Disney Movies Anywhere ecosystem and through iTunes.

With an easy-to-use interface, consumers can explore live-action and animated films from Disney, Pixar, and Marvel; watch exclusive content and bonus features; preview upcoming offerings; and more. Users can simply connect their iTunes account to their Disney Movies Anywhere account to begin populating their Disney digital movie locker and watch movies online and on their devices. Featuring simultaneous access on multiple devices, Disney Movies Anywhere enables consumers to stream and download Disney movies on their iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch and Apple TV (through iCloud or using AirPlay). In addition, Disney Movies Anywhere functions as a streaming movie service when users log in to the website on their desktop or laptop computers (Mac or PC).

“Disney Movies Anywhere is an adaptable digital ecosystem designed to help consumers consolidate their Disney movie collections and enjoy them for years to come,” said Jamie Voris, Chief Technology Officer, The Walt Disney Studios. “The beauty of this technology is that it enables us to work with iTunes and future provider partners to ensure movie lovers have streamlined access to all of their favorite Disney titles no matter which device they are on. The intuitive layout of the website and app creates an easy and enjoyable browsing environment for the whole family.”

Since 2008, Disney has included codes in select DVD and Blu-ray products redeemable for digital copies of Disney, Pixar, and Marvel films. Users can now redeemthese codes through Disney Movies Anywhere, and Digital Copy titles previously redeemed in Disney Movie Rewards or via iTunes will automatically be active in both Disney Movies Anywhere and iTunes once a user logs into Disney Movies Anywhere and connects their iTunes account. Additionally, for the first time, consumers can now earn Disney Movie Rewards points for their digital purchases through Disney Movies Anywhere going forward. 

Disney Movies Anywhere’s functionality is built upon Disney’s proprietary digital rights locker, KeyChest.

The Disney Movies Anywhere App is available for free from the App Store on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch or at www.appstore.com/disney. Sign up is also available through the Disney Movies Anywhere website.

About The Walt Disney Studios

For 90 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The WaltDisney Company was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music andstage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature films are released under the following banners: Disney, including Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios; Disneynature; Marvel Studios; Lucasfilm; and Touchstone Pictures, the banner under which live-action films from DreamWorks Studios are distributed. The Disney Music Group encompasses the Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records labels, as well as Disney Music Publishing. The Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Disney on Broadway, Disney On Ice and Disney Live!.

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Thumbs Up Wine Mobile App and Villa Alena Moscato d'Asti Review!

Are you one of those kind of people who stand in front of a large display of wine and wonder what you should you get? You look at all the bottles until you find a bottle and a price point that you like and that is the one you purchase? Well, the new Thumbs Up Wine Finder App is going to change all that! Take a look at the video below for a demo on how the app works!

It's literally that easy to use!

The app is available for both Android and iOS as a free version or a premium $4.99 version! In the free version you can search for wines while in a store or browse when you aren't. When you find a favorite you can save it and have it at your fingertips when you need a wine.

The search allows you to search for a wine by the store you are in, what you want to pair with it, pricepoint, country of origin and more! Once you have discovered a wine you like, you can take a look at it's rating (either two thumbs up or all the way to two thumbs down), tasting notes, suggested food pairings, value and the average retail price. The value is great because it tells you if the wine is worth more or less than it's suggested retail price. You will also find a summary of the wine, a video review for many of the wines, a place for you to rate the wine and an easy way to share the wine you find with friends! You can also see where to buy the wine and also see a great high resolution photo of the bottle to make it easier to find while at the store!

I was also sent a bottle of Villa Alena Moscato d'Asti to try. This wine is listed as two thumbs up on the app! I am a big fan of Moscato and couldn't believe that this wine costs only $7 a bottle or less but the value is listed as a $16 bottle of wine!

It is a delicious sweet wine that tastes like crisp apples with brown sugar. It tasted like Fall! I already saved it to my wine list on the app! Yes, it is that good! I checked and the app tells me that I can find it at Trader Joe's! You better believe that I will be on my way there soon to pick up another bottle or two!

Download the Thumbs Up Wine Finder App
iPhone
Android

 *Disclosure:  I was sent a bottle of wine and a premium download code to purchase the Thumbs Up Wine App. This is my personal opinion of the product.*

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