Posts Categorized: Cool Products

Everything You Need to Know About Disney+

We’ve got great news for Disney fans, or just for all the movie-lovers out there…

All your favorite Disney movies can now be found in a brand new home, Disney+ (pronounced “Disney Plus”). It’s time to say a brief “goodbye” to old classics like “The Lion King”, and new crowd pleasers like “Coco”, who’ll be leaving the other popular streaming sites to live in one handy place… Disney+. Now you can enjoy a full roster of all your favorite high-quality family favorites from the convenience of one central location.

This brand-spanking-new streaming service has just debuted this week, launching officially in the US, Canada and the Netherlands on November 12th. (If you are in Australia or New Zealand, stay tuned for November 19th, as it’s set to release there on that date…)

And while this highly anticipated streaming service has been long-awaited, it definitely holds its fair share of mystery. Luckily, we are here to help you get the latest on your favorite family-friendly movies and shows, so you can browse and capture till your heart’s content

The Fundamentals

Disney+ is a subscription streaming service, so it’s a paid service, but at $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) it’s priced competitively with the services you are already subscribing to. The caveat is that it is primed to be the exclusive source to find all of the titles that are proprietary, so you won’t be able to get them on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video anymore. To see them, you’ll need to get a subscription to Disney+. 

However, just like all of the streaming services you know and love, Disney+ will be available to watch online, on RokuTV or streaming devices, or AppleTV and more.

What’s On?

Disney+ will act and function a lot like your favorite streaming services, but it will exclusively feature content from Disney and its partners. Expect to see titles from: 

  • Pixar 
  • Marvel Studio 
  • Star Wars & Lucasfilm 
  • Twentieth Century Fox 
  • National Geographic 
  • The Simpsons
  • and more… 

Maybe one of the coolest features is that besides getting your favorite family-friendly titles, Disney+ will also begin production on original movies and series. The latest offerings? A live-action remake of “Lady and the Tramp” and a Star Wars live-action drama series: “The Mandalorian”. The two brand new features will headline the new Disney+ lineup.


Capture “Lady & the Tramp” with Replay Video Capture!

Capture “The Mandalorian” with Replay Video Capture!

Are you ready for your streaming to get a little bit more magical? Cue up Replay Video Capture, or check out how to do it if you don’t know already, and get ready to watch your all your Disney favorites!

What is Roku? Our Favorite Streaming Device

By now, most of us are familiar with the incredible options these days for streaming movies and series online. 

When viewers are looking for great family viewing, or a favorite series, or even fascinating documentaries to watch or even record, we’ve gotten used to turning to streaming giants like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video.

It’s nice to think that  we can find and discover new favorites to watch anytime we get online, and that the options are endless. With that in mind, it might be helpful to know that there is a new contender that’s making its way on the scene, and it is expanding those options even more. Enter: Roku.

What is Roku?

Roku is a set-top box streaming device that allows you to watch your favorite content online, whether it’s free (think YouTube), or from a paid subscription service like Hulu or Netflix or HBO. It plugs right into your TV, so if you have an HDMI input, you are ready to set up Roku and let it get to work for you. 

Roku is also a really  great option for people looking to cut ties with their cable company. It’s not a subscription service, but a device that ends up paying for itself as you watch more and more content online from your favorite services. It even has offerings that are free, in case you aren’t signed up for any subscriptions yet. 

Do You Need Internet for Roku to Work?

Roku is a handy little device that allows you to access basically any movie or series that you can find worldwide, and even some of the more difficult to find channels. That being said though, you’ll need a Wifi connection or high-speed internet to get Roku to work for you. 

A huge plus? It gives you the option to stream directly from your computer, phone or USB to watch your own saved content on your big screen. Through its proprietary channel “Plex”, Roku gives you the option to open and watch videos saved on your hard drive, which can ultimately save you the need to rely only on your old school media players or extra devices. It’s sort of an all-in-one package, and that makes it awesome. It offers a number of models, so you are sure to find one that fits your lifestyle best. 

Is There Anything Roku Can’t Do?

It’s not foolproof. Even with the rise in Roku’s popularity in recent months, it still is working daily to improve its functionality to make itself an indispensable part of your cord cutting toolkit. While it offers a lot of benefits and options, there still remains the reality that it isn’t ready to do it all, yet

As an example, because it’s not a subscription service, for each TV in your home, you will still need to purchase a separate Roku device. Also, even while it maintains an excellent catalog of channels and apps, you still won’t really be able to record certain titles, making it impractical if you are used to watching and saving your favorite content online.

Thankfully, it’s easy to take a great thing, and make it even better.

The Perfect Match-up

When you pair up Roku with Replay Media Catcher, you have a great option to watch and record virtually any content online; perfect if you are looking for a first step in freedom from your service provider. Roku gives you nearly endless options to find your favorites online, and Replay Media Catcher makes it possible to stream them and save them. Even if you are still happily connected with your cable company and just want more options, this power duo acts as the perfect team player to make your viewing options even greater.

Get Replay Media Catcher

Ready to take it to the next level? Check out Roku, and get Replay Media Catcher and get ready to tap into a whole new world of streaming options. Happy hunting. 

Going Viral? Get The Easiest Tool for Splitting & Editing Media Files

Everyone loves viral content. 

From vines (may they rest in peace), to video compilations to supercuts, there are so many hilarious, incredible, and at times downright insane videos floating around online.

Some videos are so well-edited, that it’s sometimes possible to forget that great content creators can be just like anyone else, albeit with better equipment. The good news? You really don’t have to leave great video editing to influencers and pros. With the right tools, just about anyone can get set up to create great content — whether it’s meant to be shared online to go viral, or even if it’s just a personal piece that gets shared between friends.

Luckily, we’ve got you covered there. 

With Replay Media Splitter, you’ve got the easiest tool at your fingertips for splitting and editing any media file you’ve got. And we really mean any media file. Replay Media Splitter effortlessly joins and splits any video or audio file, from the most popular formats available, so you can create your media and watch it on any supported player. 

Maybe the coolest part is that the software allows you to be ultra-precise, so you can put your unique stamp on your content every single time.

A few easy tips to get you started?

1. Plan Your Content

Are you creating branded content? A gaming supercut? Maybe you want to send your friends a compilation of your favorite outtakes as an inside joke… Whatever it is, make sure you have a clear idea in mind so that you can tell a clean, concise story.

2. Capture Your Media

If it’s media that you need, there are so many ways to capture it. Find your favorite clips and save them, and then get ready to put them all together.

3. Put it Together

Timing is important here! Once you’ve loaded your clips into Replay Media Splitter, you can easily and precisely trim and edit how you’d like your clips to flow together. And trimming and matching audio? No sweat. Editing music and audio is so simple with Replay Media Splitter, you can match up audio with your video clips at just the right moment to create an awesome original video.

4. Upload & Share

Once you’ve got your media file prepared, it’s time to share — or keep for your very own! Your file should be ready to be played on any player, or shared to any platform… even to your own channel!

Check out our handy how-to video to get started…

Ready to go viral? Creating your own content really has never been easier. You come up with the content, and let Replay Media Splitter take care of the rest. 

Get Replay Media Splitter


Our New Favorite Photo Editing Software: InPixio Photo Clip 7.0

Not everyone is a professional designer or photography expert, but with expert-level tools, anyone can produce amazing photos to enjoy. Whether you’ve recently gone on an amazing vacation, visited friends and family, or went on a good long hike, chances are you’ve got a camera roll full of future awesome photos that are in need of some sprucing up.

InPixio Photo Clip 7.0 is a powerful photo editing tool built with simplicity in mind. With a full roster of features that help to edit, enhance and assemble photographs, we’re loving all the benefits it has to offer:

  • Produce professional quality photos
  • Easily change the focus and size of images
  • Quickly fix over or under-saturation of colors
  • Enhance and improve any photo, and remove errors
  • Put together photo montages and add creative effects
  • Share with friends and family on social media

For just a few extra bucks, you can also upgrade to the Pro version of the software that boasts some incredible textures, formats, frames, filters and other cool effects to make your photo project pop; a great deal for unlimited editing access.

Ready to get started? Click below for the most comprehensive, easy-to-use photo editing software out there!

 

Get InPixio & Start Editing!

From Our Desk to Yours: How We Like to Get It Done

Organization tips and more for working remotely.

As a company with multiple products, and leadership located all across the US, we’re committed to being a business that is not only in touch with our customers but with each other. As they say, teamwork makes the dream work, right?

A successful software company doesn’t always need to operate out of an office, and for us to have the talent that makes Applian what it is today, we can’t possibly have everyone in the same place at the same time every day. That being said, there are some tricks we’ve learned to make sure that our team stays productive, no matter where they have a desk.

Email. Email. Email.

Obviously, this is the main form of communication in any office — remote or cubicle — everyone needs an effective email client. Aside from that, we also have developed some tricks to get the most out of constructing and composing our inbox.

  • Voice recognition is great for any (ahem) “slow-typers” or for those moments when you, say, slip off your bike and break a wrist? Yeah, ouch. We like Windows 7 Voice Recognition software on PC.
  • Don’t underestimate bolding, bullet-ing, and highlighting. When you are dealing with a large quantity of email every day, it is important to compose email structure with intention. If you can’t make it short, then space it all out. And don’t be afraid to highlight call-to-action for those who need to know the important stuff. Email-skimming is real, people.

Virtual filing cabinets and whiteboards.

Organizing tasks and records is just as important in a virtual office environment as it is for a physical one. Not only is it helpful to be able to reach back and find past work or finances, but it’s important that everyone else who needs to can. Thank the stars for the cloud!

  • Everyone needs a basic, overall file storing space, and as a company we like the Dropbox experience as it can sync to desktop.
  • Basecamp works great for tracking and squishing bugs, especially so the whole Customer Service Team is on the same page and our Leadership Team can follow along and get super-impressed with their awesomeness.

Talk through it.

We’re huge fans of chatting it up. Whether it’s business-related or not (okay, so usually it is). There’s a ton of tools out there to get your whole team in on the conversation, literally.

  • Skype. Of course. Most of our calls are Video. Mostly so that we can all make fun of whatever might be happening in the background. Typically, we like to record the super-important meetings with our very own Replay Telecorder or Replay Video Capture to get all the good stuff and have it on file if we need to go back to important deliverables.
  • On occasion GoToMeeting is helpful for client or business development calls. It’s just healthy to simply get up and give someone a call on the phone… talking in-person really does get things done faster and will always have a more personal touch.
  • Keep outlets open for old school! We use Onebox for those now-and-then customers who want to call in and leave a message, and (believe it or not) we even get faxes sometimes, so we take advantage of eFax for those rare cases.

Real face time.

One of the most important factors is blocking out time to have work retreats and connect with our team one-on-one. These excursions provide the necessary blend of relaxation and company-bonding to make sure everyone feels a part of Applian as a whole. Being behind a computer screen can make you forget the big picture.

It’s 5 o’clock somewhere.

We try to recognize that everyone has their own schedule. Some of us stay up late and code, others need a more 9 to 5 routine, and sometimes, our meetings might interfere with the whole life-work balance. It’s not too unusual for us to have a long Skype session with people dropping in and out to make an errand, attend an appointment, and (most likely) enjoy a good glass of wine. In fact, the latter tends to help when everything gets stressful and miscommunication is likely. On that note, we recommend Black Box Wines / BevMo as an alternative productivity resource and attitude refinement tool.

Whether you work from home, out of a coffee shop, or have your own corporate environment to adapt to, we know it can get tough to stay connected, productive, and inspired. Hopefully, some of those resources can help.

Have some we should know about it? Let us know in the comments below — we’d love to find out!

The iPhone – Great for Mobile Media Lovers

I’ve always been a gadget hound. So, no surprise that I waited in line all day to be one of the first to grab an iPhone. The Apple iPhone is the ultimate convergence device. Sure, it’s pricey, but I’m loving the fact that I have a phone, iPod , camera and email/internet device that fits nicely in my pocket. Plus, it is without a doubt the most beautiful device I’ve ever owned.

Replay AV, Replay Media Catcher and Replay Converter make great companions for the iPhone. Use Replay AV or Replay Media Catcher to capture online media. Use Replay Converter to convert your audio or video to a format suitable for playing on your iPhone. It’s really easy. Replay AV will even transfer your newly recorded and converted media to iTunes automatically. Next time you sync the iPhone your recordings will be there ready for you to enjoy or show off to others.

Video that can be played in iTunes will sync with the iPhone. Use Replay Converter to convert your home movies to iPod video format and take them with you on your iPhone.

For me, the iPhone was worth the wait. It’s functional and beautiful. This morning I heard that the Apple store I had camped out at still has a few in stock. My first thought was Ugh! You mean I stood in line all those hours for no reason??!! But actually, I’m glad I had the experience. It really was fun and exciting to be 9th in line. I proudly earned my geek badge on iPhone launch day.

More cool stuff – Veoh Player

Today just seems to be the day of neat discoveries. Have a look at the Veoh player – it can download videos from a variety of places, it lets you subscribe to RSS Video feeds, and it even has a “10 foot” TV mode so you can sit back and enjoy your videos. And Replay Converter works with the video downloads. Pretty cool stuff.
Check it out at veoh.com.

Recaptcha.net

This has little to do with the media business, but it’s so cool that it’s worth sharing. Check out http://recaptcha.net.
This service supplies free captchas – those squiggly words supposedly readable only by humans and not computers, used to prevent automated submissions of forms. The captchas are taken from scanning books where the OCR software fails. After enough humans verify a captcha, the word is corrected as a part of the book scan.

This solves two real world problems at once – supplying unique captchas to Web sites, and deciphering unreadable words using human power. Brilliant!

(Read more from the site to see how the software knows that a captcha is correct before it’s actually verified.)