It took a long time, but the Apple TV has finally added both HBO Go and WatchESPN apps to the streaming box’s content lineup, closing the gap as they’ve been available on iOS for some time.
HBO Go is an extension of the popular channel’s cable and satellite channel with its slew of shows, movies and specials, while WatchESPN can stream live sporting events or on-demand content.
Being extensions of the existing channels, users can only access the content if they are already subscribing to them on cable or satellite.
On top of the iPhone and iPad, HBO Go had already been available on the Roku and Xbox 360 as well. WatchESPN hasn’t had the same level of adoption on set top boxes, but streaming live sports gives it a distinct advantage over services like Netflix and Hulu, which don’t stream live events.
A knock against the Apple TV has been the lack of depth in content sources, though it has offered MLB, NFL and NHL streaming apps, and HBO Go on an iOS device could be streamed over to an Apple TV using AirPlay. The NFL recently signed an agreement with Verizon to stream games live onto mobile devices.
Left in the shadows of the two popular apps, Apple also added the international Sky News, the anime-focused Crunchyroll and Qello, a concert and music documentary app, to its streaming box.
Instagram is making its way to yet another screen, and this time, Apple TV is getting a taste of the Reels rabbit hole. The company has launched a dedicated Instagram app for Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos, and live shows to the big screen. So, if watching one quick clip on a phone somehow turns into an hour of scrolling, there's now a much larger screen for that.
Instagram brings Reels and more to Apple TV
Audio-Technica, a brand well known for making some of the best studio and professional headphones on the market, has just come out with the ATH-AWX7000, which the company itself claims to be its "finest headphones ever." The new flagship closed-back headphone has debuted at an eye-watering price of $3,799. It combines hand-finished Japanese woodwork with a newly developed 58mm driver.
The earcups are made from Kiso cypress, a prized wood historically used for Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each housing is finished by hand with traditional Echizen lacquer, which brings out the grain and is expected to darken over time. The frame and sliders are finished in a deep navy kachi-iro shade traditionally associated with samurai.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
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