TechCrunch reports: “Popular short-form video app TikTok has been slowly ramping up its advertising strategy this year as it increases its focus on monetization. However, the company still generates a smaller of its revenue from in-app purchases — and that number hit a high of $9 million in May, according to a report from Sensor Tower.”
Variety reports: “Roku users are getting another way to watch live television with the help of their favorite streaming devices: Silicondust, maker of the HDHomerun TV tuners, has released a beta version of its HDHomerun app for Roku TVs and streaming devices.”
VentureBeat reports: “Facebook AI Research is today making available AI Habitat, a simulator that can train AI agents that embody things like a home robot to operate in environments meant to mimic typical real-world settings like an apartment or office.”
The Verge reports: “E3 2019 has come to a close, and it’s been another wild week of gaming news. There were big reveals, flashy press conferences, cool trailers, and even a glimpse of how the future of gaming could change in the years to come. And whether you were out on the show floor or watching from home, there was a ton of news to try to follow. So, in case you got lost along the way, here’s the most important stuff that was announced.”
Deadline reports: “Shares in Sony Corp. on the New York Stock Exchange climbed more than 3% Friday after rallying as much as 4% on Japan’s Nikkei as investors digested the latest proposal by activist investor Daniel Loeb to break up the conglomerate.”
gamesindustry.biz reports: “While much of the industry is chasing the streaming model that has transformed music, TV and film, Nintendo is likely sticking to more traditional means of games distribution.”
VentureBeat reports: “AppOnboard has acquired Buildbox, a platform that enables developers to create mobile games without knowing how to code. In 2018, the Buildbox suite of tools powered more than 45,000 unique games, driving what it claims are 3 billion estimated downloads in the app stores.”
Deadline reports: “Disney stock gained 2% in early trading Thursday, near its all-time high, after a prominent Wall Street media analyst boosted his price target for the company due to increased optimism about the company’s streaming outlook.”
Hollywood Reporter reports: “Several advertising agencies told a California federal court on Wednesday that Facebook has agreed to settlement terms to resolve a putative class action alleging that the social media giant wildly overstated the average time its users spent watching paid advertisements.”
Variety reports: “Pluto TV just swung into a wider orbit: The free, ad-supported linear TV and movie service is now available on Comcast’s Xfinity X1 set-top platform nationwide. The deal with America’s largest cable operator — coming just a few months after Viacom plunked down $340 million for the startup — brings Pluto TV to set-top boxes in about 14 million homes.”
