Disney

Disney to honor Steve Jobs with prestigious ‘Legends’ award

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Disney announced its 2013 Disney Legends Award honorees today. The awards will be presented next month at Disney's D23 expo, a 3-day event held for fans, giving them a rare opportunity to be a part of the always touching and memorable presentation.

The Legends award is the media conglomerate's highest and most coveted honor, and is reserved for extraordinary visionaries and artists behind the "Disney magic." This year's honorees include the likes of Dick Clark, John Goodman, and yes, Steve Jobs...

Disney’s The Lone Ranger movie tie-in lets you play as Texas Ranger in the Wild West

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 3, 2013

You, too, can become a legend of justice in Disney's new role-playing game inspired by its new The Lone Ranger feature movie starring Johnny Depp which hits the theatres today. As the title implies, The Lone Ranger puts you in the shoes of a Texas Ranger in the Wild West.

You'll be riding horses, protecting the citizens of Colby, bringing infamous outlaws to justice, facing-off the baddies in showdowns and more.

Graphics certainly look the part and Disney is billing the game as a 3D role-playing adventure so there's more to it than meets the eye. Your trailer and further details are right after the break...

Disney’s Watch ABC live streaming app launches

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 14, 2013

After major networks such as Time Warner and CBS (and even Blockbuster) in recent weeks enabled live streaming in their respective iOS apps, Disney-owned television network ABC has followed suit. I recently called the development a potentially disruptive move on Disney's part and Cody likened it yesterday to a mini-revolution of sorts. Call it what you will, but it's here. Disney basically took its existing ABC Player iOS software and re-branded it under the more suggestive Watch ABC moniker.

The big news is a new Live button that gives you access to ABC's live television programming in select local markets. You can also stream full episodes of the previously aired shows. Not that live TV functionality requires a subscription with an eligible TV provider. Unfortunately, the Watch ABC app doesn’t have DVR functionality. Additional tidbits right below...

Mittens by Disney pounces onto iPhone and iPad [review]

Jim Gresham ∙ Updated February 18, 2018

Disney made quite the name for themselves in the iOS app world with hit titles like Where's My Water?, Where's My Perry?, and more recently Monsters, Inc. Run. Christian previously mentioned Disney's new physics puzzler Mittens would be a good one to keep your eye on. After spending a bit of my weekend with my new favorite feline friend, alley cat Mittens, I am happy to report that Disney has done it again.

The physics based puzzler is everything I have come to expect from my preferred iOS games. I'm not one to sit on the couch and plow through games on my iPad mini, but I do really like the pick up and play nature of this particular genre. It seems Disney may be perfecting this style game as it continues to develop quick, fun, and pleasing games anyone can immediately play with a small learning curve...

Potentially disruptive live-streaming app from ABC in the works

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 19, 2013

After CBS last week unveiled its free iOS app that gives you access to the network’s popular shows 24 hours or more after they air, we learn now that ABC is working on its own app for tablets and smartphones, one potentially making ABC the first of the American broadcasters to provide a live Internet stream of national and local programming, potentially very disruptive given the incumbent's existing business models. Of course, you won't get to stream premium ABC programming free of charge as a paid cable or satellite subscription will be required to use the app.

Nevertheless, the ability to watch such ABC shows as 'Good Morning America' and 'Nashville' on your iPhone or iPad as they broadcast could finally blur the artificial line between mobile devices and the traditional venues through which content providers distribute their linear programming...

Temple Run: Oz slides its way into App Store ahead of Friday’s flick release

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxUY3ucvwcQ

Imangi Studios, the brains behind the popular endless-runner game Temple Run, is no stranger to movie tie-ins. Just last June, they released Temple Run: Brave which uses content from Disney's Pixar animated feature film, 'Brave'. A much-improved sequel to Temple Run hit the App Store in January 2013, quickly becoming the fastest downloaded mobile game in history.

Today Imangi's second Hollywood tie-in is available for download as a universal build for iPhones and iPads. As the name suggests, Temple Run: Oz ties nicely with 'Oz the Great and Powerful', an upcoming fantasy adventure film directed by Sam Raimi and due to hit theaters this coming Friday, March 8...

Disney brings augmented reality to toys via iDevices

Ed Sutherland ∙ January 8, 2013

It's a familiar story. You buy your children the hottest toy, which soon loses its magic and ends up in a pile of the other overly-priced and unused items. Disney is hoping its found the solution via your iPhone or iPad camera, an iOS app and augmented reality. The goal: extending the life of toys - especially those with the Disney logo.

Instead of just playing with a Disney piano or a licensed Little Mermaid doll, children can point the camera of their Apple or Android device at a specially-designed toy and watch as cartoon characters interact with the item. The media firm's DreamPlay technology was unveiled Tuesday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas...

Disney CEO buys $1M of Apple stock, a vote of confidence amid insane sell-off

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Disney CEO and Apple board member Bob Iger earlier this week purchased $1 million worth of shares of the iPhone maker, just one week after exercising an option on a million shares for $17.9 million. The move is seen as an attempt by the Disney executive to show confidence during a period of sell-offs one analyst described as "insane".

Iger joined Apple's board of directors a year ago and is credited with healing wounds between the two companies when his predecessor Michael Eisner led the studio. The executive purchased $1 million worth of Apple stock at the time, then worth near $375 per share. Under Iger, Disney has been a loyal supporter of Apple, permitting movies on iTunes during a time when other Hollywood content owners avoided Steve Jobs...

Where’s My Water merchandise arriving

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 21, 2012

Not to be outdone by Angry Birds maker Rovio, Disney today announced a new merchandise line for its iPhone puzzler dubbed Where's My Water.

The charming little alligator who lives in the sewers under the city is Disney’s first original character for mobile and can now be bought as a plush toy.

Disney also promised a number of other items, including consumer electronics accessories, apparel and accessories...

Disney CEO: my job is to build more “brand deposits” than “brand withdrawals”

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 18, 2016

Disney CEO Bob Iger, who got named to Apple's board last year, shares some interesting tidbits with Fortune concerning life at Disney and his management style.

He apparently runs the Mickey Mouse house a lot like late Apple CEO Steve Jobs had used to lead the consumer electronics powerhouse he co-founded.

Iger also let us in on how he'd persuaded Disney's board of directors to greenlight a risky acquisition of Jobs-owned animation studio Pixar, even though the board was unsure whether Pixar was for sale at the time...

Rumor: Walt Disney World testing iPads with RFID-based Fast Pass ticket system

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated July 11, 2017

Walt Disney World, the world's most-visited entertainment resort located in Orlando, Florida, is allegedly testing iPads with a custom-designed, RFID-enabled ticket system.

The two work together to let guests schedule their visiting times from the comfort of their couch, well in advance of the actual visit.

Upon arrival, guests simply wand their RFID band by a sensor to interact with a nearby iPad-toting employee. The iPad itself is not used to scan the cards, as many sites incorrectly reported. If all goes well, a custom app will be likely born out of this test project...

Disney Appmates Combine Toys with iPads

Oliver Haslam ∙ September 27, 2011

It's sometimes easy to forget that the iPad can be so much more than a fancy way to browse websites, answer emails, and make video calls – not that all those things aren't super cool. Disney is one company that is thinking outside the box, every bit of business gobbledegook that you can think of.

Disney's latest line of toys, which go by the love-it-or-hate-it name of Appmates, take the magic of the Cars 2 universe and brings it to the iPad. Games have been on the iPad since day one, but what they haven't had until now is little toys that interact with them...