Cutting out carriers is tough, even for Apple
Apple has made it plenty clear it would like to control everything about your experience using the iPhone.But does that include somehow excluding the carrier from the process? GigaOm reported today Apple has been working with Gemalto to create a special SIM card that would allow iPhone buyers in Europe to get their phone from an Apple Store or online and then activate them via the App Store. The report says that this is Apple's attempt at "cutting out the carriers." The SIM card, of course, is a central part of any GSM phone. It holds not only your phone number but also your identity as a subscriber. When you make a call, your SIM card identifies you as a subscriber to the carrier.Even if GigaOm's sources are right--and we haven't confirmed that--it would be impossible for Apple to completely cut wireless carriers out of the equation of using a cell phone short of Steve Jobs opting to build out its own wireless network. And that's highly unlikely.The big question here is whether the carriers would get on board with Gemalto's concept. To activate a phone, Gemalto would need to remotely access the carrier's network and activation software. Currently carriers have such relationships with third-party retailers like Radio Shack, so the concept isn't improbable.On the other hand, if the carriers don't go along with it and Gemalto is somehow able to do it anyway, then that would be a big deal. Also, if Gemalto could make a single SIM transferable between carriers, we'd also be impressed. Currently, if you switch an unlocked phone from T-Mobile to AT&T, AT&T can't take your T-Mobile SIM and just overwrite it with new information.So, yes, the prospect of a Gemalto-made SIM card certainly is interesting, but we don't see it as doing "an end-run" aroundthe carriers. And we don't agree in the least with the notion that such a move would be "carrier-crippling." Here's why:GigaOm makes the case that the new SIM would enable Apple to sell the iPhone without carrier involvement. We'll concede that, but it's not a new concept. Currently, you can buy and activate an iPhone in the Apple store without ever setting foot in an AT&T location. Google tried this same tack, admittedly unsuccessfully, with the Nexus One. Sure, the Gemalto SIM would separate the carrier from the activation process even further, but you're still doing business with the carrier at the end of the day. You're still paying a carrier for the wireless service, you're still depending on the carrier to get service, and, for most people we guess, you're still signing a contract. In other words, you're not cutting out the carrier at all.Carrier choice would be a nice thing, particularly in this AT&T-dominated market, but that wouldn't come as the result of a new kind of SIM card either. In many other countries, multiple carriers offer the iPhone in the same markets. And when consumers visit an Apple store on those places, they can activate the phone as they wish. So no, we don't see why that's significant either.So how about the unlocked iPhone angle? Again, that would be interesting but not game changing. Though we don't have such freedom in the United States, unlocked iPhones are quite common abroad. Our friends in Canada, for example, have enjoyed them since last summer, and U.K. customers can buy them as well. Yes, they can pick carriers at will, but even unlocked iPhone users have to sign on with a carrier if they want to make a call. And on the service side, though the new SIM would regulate the carrier to the role of a "dumb pipe," that's not a novel concept either. Remember that AT&T already plays that role for Apple in the United States. Its only role is to provide you with a network. What's more, AT&T doesn't cram the iPhone with AT&T-branded applications as it does on other handsets. Apple was given free rein with the iPhone from the start.So we don't see how the Gemalto SIM would really make the iPhone purchasing process that different. If customers were able to activate their handsets through a downloaded iTunes app--as the GigaOm report predicts--that would be pretty convenient, but the carrier still will have its hands in your pocket.
Roku to begin Netflix update, add music channels
Roku to begin Netflix update, add music channels
Recently, Roku released a preview video of an upgrade to its Netflix channel that added a more robust interface, more instant queue options, and--in a first for embedded Netflix players--the capability to search the library directly from your TV screen. According to the company, it will begin releasing the upgrade to Roku Player boxes over the course of the seven days, starting Friday, May 27.I received the upgrade early, and was able to give it a quick hands-on test. InterfaceRoku's current Netflix interface is something of a yawner. It is serviceable, but it does little more than provide you with access to your instant queue, which you needed to previously setup in a browser. Its new interface is livelier and the animations while navigating are smooth. Each title you highlight gets a pop-up summary with movie information such as star rating, MPAA rating, runtime, release year, and synopsis.SearchThis is Roku's biggest addition: You now can search Netflix's database of titles from the box and add any titles to your instant queue--or just play them instantly. It's looks basically identical to what you find on the other Roku channels, such as Amazon Video on Demand, and It has an onscreen keyboard that you manipulate with the remote.You can only search titles, not actors or directors, but it works well. We appreciate that we no longer need to keep the laptop or iPad nearby at all times. However, it would be nice if one of the Roku iPhone remote apps available on the iTunes App Store would enable a keyboard function, so you could use the iPhone as a keyboard rather than using the Roku's remote's d-pad to type on the onscreen keyboard.Additional instant viewing optionsIn addition to your instant queue and search, when you can now scroll down the onscreen interface, you will now find a wider variety of instant viewing options available.Most of the options are genre based--comedy, action/adventure, drama, sci-fi, fantasy, indie, romance, thrillers, TV, children and family, horror, documentary, and foreign--but there are also new arrivals sections for TV and movies, plus lists targeted by your recent viewing habits (for me, they were: critically acclaimed violent crime movies, suspenseful revenge movies, gritty movies, visually striking movies). Overall, it's a solid upgrade for Netflix viewers, and--for the moment--Roku's new integrated search function puts its Netflix channel above that of its counterparts on game consoles and Blu-ray players.In a separate update, the company is also adding two more audio channels in the next few days, according to Roku. Radiotime is a sort of virtual radio service that provides easy streaming access to your local over-the-air radio stations--it's a mainstay on such audio streamers as the Logitech Squeezebox series. Roku will also add a Radio Paradise channel that, according to the company, is "a commercial free, non-computer generated radio station that mixes modern and classic rock, world music, electronic, classical and jazz."
Recently, Roku released a preview video of an upgrade to its Netflix channel that added a more robust interface, more instant queue options, and--in a first for embedded Netflix players--the capability to search the library directly from your TV screen. According to the company, it will begin releasing the upgrade to Roku Player boxes over the course of the seven days, starting Friday, May 27.I received the upgrade early, and was able to give it a quick hands-on test. InterfaceRoku's current Netflix interface is something of a yawner. It is serviceable, but it does little more than provide you with access to your instant queue, which you needed to previously setup in a browser. Its new interface is livelier and the animations while navigating are smooth. Each title you highlight gets a pop-up summary with movie information such as star rating, MPAA rating, runtime, release year, and synopsis.SearchThis is Roku's biggest addition: You now can search Netflix's database of titles from the box and add any titles to your instant queue--or just play them instantly. It's looks basically identical to what you find on the other Roku channels, such as Amazon Video on Demand, and It has an onscreen keyboard that you manipulate with the remote.You can only search titles, not actors or directors, but it works well. We appreciate that we no longer need to keep the laptop or iPad nearby at all times. However, it would be nice if one of the Roku iPhone remote apps available on the iTunes App Store would enable a keyboard function, so you could use the iPhone as a keyboard rather than using the Roku's remote's d-pad to type on the onscreen keyboard.Additional instant viewing optionsIn addition to your instant queue and search, when you can now scroll down the onscreen interface, you will now find a wider variety of instant viewing options available.Most of the options are genre based--comedy, action/adventure, drama, sci-fi, fantasy, indie, romance, thrillers, TV, children and family, horror, documentary, and foreign--but there are also new arrivals sections for TV and movies, plus lists targeted by your recent viewing habits (for me, they were: critically acclaimed violent crime movies, suspenseful revenge movies, gritty movies, visually striking movies). Overall, it's a solid upgrade for Netflix viewers, and--for the moment--Roku's new integrated search function puts its Netflix channel above that of its counterparts on game consoles and Blu-ray players.In a separate update, the company is also adding two more audio channels in the next few days, according to Roku. Radiotime is a sort of virtual radio service that provides easy streaming access to your local over-the-air radio stations--it's a mainstay on such audio streamers as the Logitech Squeezebox series. Roku will also add a Radio Paradise channel that, according to the company, is "a commercial free, non-computer generated radio station that mixes modern and classic rock, world music, electronic, classical and jazz."
The 404 903- Where the good Lord continues to bless the Internet (podcast)
The 404 903: Where the good Lord continues to bless the Internet (podcast)
In serious tech news, Google is putting more companies out of business with its new Flight Search service that went live yesterday. The tracker takes advantage of Google's other Web products, integrating with Google Calendar, Maps, and Mail to show you special deals and notify you about upcoming flights.In a related story, Virgin America just partnered with Lufthansa Systems' new BoardConnect platform to roll out the next evolution of its Red in-flight entertainment. Air travel is getting even swankier thanks to Virgin America, and next year all of their planes (Virgin calls them Nerdbirds) will have HD television monitors on every seat back and faster Wi-Fi for connected devices.Finally, we'll take you on the hunt for the rarest video game ever created: the gold Nintendo World Championships cartridge awarded to the winners of Nintendo Power Magazine's 1990 competition. Of the original 26, only 13 units have been found, and they're valued at around $20,000 by video game collectors. I think it's safe to assume that the other 13 games were sacrificed to the trash gods by the players' mothers.We want to hear about the valuable junk from your childhood that your parents have carelessly thrown away. Give us a call at 1-866-404-CNET (2638) and tell us about it!The 404 Digest for Episode 903DragCloseThis content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.Google flight-search service takes off.Virgin America debuts Nerdbird airplane for 2012.The quest for the golden Nintendo game.Your daily 404 bathroom break: Chinese shoe trick.Episode 903PodcastYour browser does not support the audio element. Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video  Follow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuWilson TangAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff BakalarWilson Tang
In serious tech news, Google is putting more companies out of business with its new Flight Search service that went live yesterday. The tracker takes advantage of Google's other Web products, integrating with Google Calendar, Maps, and Mail to show you special deals and notify you about upcoming flights.In a related story, Virgin America just partnered with Lufthansa Systems' new BoardConnect platform to roll out the next evolution of its Red in-flight entertainment. Air travel is getting even swankier thanks to Virgin America, and next year all of their planes (Virgin calls them Nerdbirds) will have HD television monitors on every seat back and faster Wi-Fi for connected devices.Finally, we'll take you on the hunt for the rarest video game ever created: the gold Nintendo World Championships cartridge awarded to the winners of Nintendo Power Magazine's 1990 competition. Of the original 26, only 13 units have been found, and they're valued at around $20,000 by video game collectors. I think it's safe to assume that the other 13 games were sacrificed to the trash gods by the players' mothers.We want to hear about the valuable junk from your childhood that your parents have carelessly thrown away. Give us a call at 1-866-404-CNET (2638) and tell us about it!The 404 Digest for Episode 903DragCloseThis content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.Google flight-search service takes off.Virgin America debuts Nerdbird airplane for 2012.The quest for the golden Nintendo game.Your daily 404 bathroom break: Chinese shoe trick.Episode 903PodcastYour browser does not support the audio element. Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video  Follow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuWilson TangAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff BakalarWilson Tang
Plantronics Voyager Pro HD
Plantronics Voyager Pro HD
SAN DIEGO--Plantronics has just announced its latest flagship headset, the Plantronics Voyager Pro HD. It's essentially a more consumer-friendly version of its Voyager Pro UC product, which is currently for sale in certain business channels.Like the Pro UC, the Voyager Pro HD has a Smart Sensor technology that knows to automatically transfer calls to your headset once you place it on your ear. Other features also include A2DP audio streaming, noise cancellation, wind noise reduction, and more. The HD in the name points to improved high-definition audio for both streaming music and phone calls.The Voyager Pro HD does otherwise look very similar to the other Voyager Pro headsets. It has that iconic bulky design that we actually think helps improve comfort and stability. However, it does have a couple of additional features compared with previous headsets.Plantronics, for example, has made it compatible with its own InstantMeeting application that connects you to conference calls from your iPhone, BlackBerry, or Android. The app automatically scans your calendar and dials the conference number complete with passcode so you don't have to. You can even let your conference participants know that you're running a little late. The InstantMeeting app is $4.99 in the iTunes App Store, Android App Market, and BlackBerry App World. As part of a promotion, it is free for a limited time--until October 14, 2011. Another feature is compatibility with Plantronics Vocalyst service, which lets you send and listen to e-mail or text messages, send status updates to various social networks, check the weather, and more. It's a subscription -based service, but it's free for the first year. You can read our review of the Vocalyst service in our review of the Plantronics Savor M1100.The Plantronics Voyager Pro HD is available for $99 starting today.
SAN DIEGO--Plantronics has just announced its latest flagship headset, the Plantronics Voyager Pro HD. It's essentially a more consumer-friendly version of its Voyager Pro UC product, which is currently for sale in certain business channels.Like the Pro UC, the Voyager Pro HD has a Smart Sensor technology that knows to automatically transfer calls to your headset once you place it on your ear. Other features also include A2DP audio streaming, noise cancellation, wind noise reduction, and more. The HD in the name points to improved high-definition audio for both streaming music and phone calls.The Voyager Pro HD does otherwise look very similar to the other Voyager Pro headsets. It has that iconic bulky design that we actually think helps improve comfort and stability. However, it does have a couple of additional features compared with previous headsets.Plantronics, for example, has made it compatible with its own InstantMeeting application that connects you to conference calls from your iPhone, BlackBerry, or Android. The app automatically scans your calendar and dials the conference number complete with passcode so you don't have to. You can even let your conference participants know that you're running a little late. The InstantMeeting app is $4.99 in the iTunes App Store, Android App Market, and BlackBerry App World. As part of a promotion, it is free for a limited time--until October 14, 2011. Another feature is compatibility with Plantronics Vocalyst service, which lets you send and listen to e-mail or text messages, send status updates to various social networks, check the weather, and more. It's a subscription -based service, but it's free for the first year. You can read our review of the Vocalyst service in our review of the Plantronics Savor M1100.The Plantronics Voyager Pro HD is available for $99 starting today.
Original Apple 1 a steal at $127,000
Original Apple 1 a steal at $127,000
Another original Apple 1 computer is up for sale, and this time it's expected to fetch no more than $127,000, a steal compared with the last unit sold.Christie's is putting the rare computer -- each model was designed and hand-built by Steve Wozniak with input from the late Steve Jobs-- on sale in October, the auction house announced today.The Apple co-founders produced about 200 of these units and fewer than 50 still exist, according to Christie's. Originally sold for $666.66 from July 1976 to October 1977, the computer that started it all is now selling for tens of thousands of dollars.This particular unit, serial number 22, comes from the home of Joe Copson, a former Apple employee, and Christie's expects to sell the model for between $79,000 to $127,000. In 2010, Another Apple 1 model, offered without a casing but with the original box, instruction manuals, and a signed letter from Jobs, sold for $210,700 at auction. Wozniak attended the auction and threw in an autographed letter with the sale.None of these figures can touch the sale of a working Apple 1 motherboard -- of which, Sotheby's says, six are thought to exist. The item was sold earlier this year for a staggering $374,500 after being listed with an estimated sale price of between $120,000 and $180,000.
Another original Apple 1 computer is up for sale, and this time it's expected to fetch no more than $127,000, a steal compared with the last unit sold.Christie's is putting the rare computer -- each model was designed and hand-built by Steve Wozniak with input from the late Steve Jobs-- on sale in October, the auction house announced today.The Apple co-founders produced about 200 of these units and fewer than 50 still exist, according to Christie's. Originally sold for $666.66 from July 1976 to October 1977, the computer that started it all is now selling for tens of thousands of dollars.This particular unit, serial number 22, comes from the home of Joe Copson, a former Apple employee, and Christie's expects to sell the model for between $79,000 to $127,000. In 2010, Another Apple 1 model, offered without a casing but with the original box, instruction manuals, and a signed letter from Jobs, sold for $210,700 at auction. Wozniak attended the auction and threw in an autographed letter with the sale.None of these figures can touch the sale of a working Apple 1 motherboard -- of which, Sotheby's says, six are thought to exist. The item was sold earlier this year for a staggering $374,500 after being listed with an estimated sale price of between $120,000 and $180,000.
Opt out of Apple's iAds data collection for iOS 4 devices
Opt out of Apple's iAds data collection for iOS 4 devices
Apple has partnered with several big-name brands to provide content-based, personalized advertising solutions to your iOS-enabled devices. Apple "uses cookies and other technologies in mobile advertising services to control the number of times you see a given ad, deliver ads that relate to your interests, and measure the effectiveness of ad campaigns."While opting out of the iAd data collection program will stop Apple from collecting and analyzing data from your iTunes account habits, Apps that take advantage of the iAd program will continue to show iAds--but they may be less relevant to you. iAd advertisements will still use data from individual Apps to determine which ads are shown, though your personal data will no longer be used.Keep in mind that you will need to have iOS 4 installed to opt out of the iAd data collection and you must opt out from each iOS device you own. Opting out also does not affect other Internet-based advertising that may be incorporated into Apps.To opt out, simply navigate to the following link on your iOS 4 device: https://oo.apple.com/If you receive an error message, "Unsuccessful Opt Out", you may need to wait a few hours and try again.Be sure to check us out on Twitter and the CNET Mac forums.Submit a fix to MacFixIt! Email Us.
Apple has partnered with several big-name brands to provide content-based, personalized advertising solutions to your iOS-enabled devices. Apple "uses cookies and other technologies in mobile advertising services to control the number of times you see a given ad, deliver ads that relate to your interests, and measure the effectiveness of ad campaigns."While opting out of the iAd data collection program will stop Apple from collecting and analyzing data from your iTunes account habits, Apps that take advantage of the iAd program will continue to show iAds--but they may be less relevant to you. iAd advertisements will still use data from individual Apps to determine which ads are shown, though your personal data will no longer be used.Keep in mind that you will need to have iOS 4 installed to opt out of the iAd data collection and you must opt out from each iOS device you own. Opting out also does not affect other Internet-based advertising that may be incorporated into Apps.To opt out, simply navigate to the following link on your iOS 4 device: https://oo.apple.com/If you receive an error message, "Unsuccessful Opt Out", you may need to wait a few hours and try again.Be sure to check us out on Twitter and the CNET Mac forums.Submit a fix to MacFixIt! Email Us.
T-Mobile employee blackout hints at Sept. 20 iPhone launch
T-Mobile employee blackout hints at Sept. 20 iPhone launch
T-Mobile employees are reportedly being kept from logging any vacation time between September 20 through the 22nd, the same weekend Apple's next iPhones are expected to go on sale.That's according to TmoNews, which citing unnamed sources, says it's likely iPhone related. A T-Mobile spokesman declined to comment on the report, calling it rumor and speculation.Employee blackouts can often times be a good indicator of when a major product is expected to launch. That was the case last August, when both Verizon and AT&T slated staff vacation blackoutsbeginning on September 21, which ended up being the same day the iPhone went on sale in nine countries.In T-Mobile's case, the carrier only recently began offering Apple's iPhone to its customers, a move that boosted subscriber growth in the company's second quarter. Apple is widely expected to debut its new phones at an event on September 10, with a release to follow shortly thereafter. The 20th would be the Friday on the week following Apple's rumored event date, and would match up with an earlier reportfrom Japan's Nikkei.According to a report earlier this month by The Wall Street Journal, Apple's manufacturing partner Foxconn has already begun production on two different iPhone models, ramping up devices in time for a launch in early September. For more on what to expect, read CNET's iPhone rumor roundup.
T-Mobile employees are reportedly being kept from logging any vacation time between September 20 through the 22nd, the same weekend Apple's next iPhones are expected to go on sale.That's according to TmoNews, which citing unnamed sources, says it's likely iPhone related. A T-Mobile spokesman declined to comment on the report, calling it rumor and speculation.Employee blackouts can often times be a good indicator of when a major product is expected to launch. That was the case last August, when both Verizon and AT&T slated staff vacation blackoutsbeginning on September 21, which ended up being the same day the iPhone went on sale in nine countries.In T-Mobile's case, the carrier only recently began offering Apple's iPhone to its customers, a move that boosted subscriber growth in the company's second quarter. Apple is widely expected to debut its new phones at an event on September 10, with a release to follow shortly thereafter. The 20th would be the Friday on the week following Apple's rumored event date, and would match up with an earlier reportfrom Japan's Nikkei.According to a report earlier this month by The Wall Street Journal, Apple's manufacturing partner Foxconn has already begun production on two different iPhone models, ramping up devices in time for a launch in early September. For more on what to expect, read CNET's iPhone rumor roundup.
Yowza! Apple sells 9M iPhone 5S, 5C units in first weekend
Yowza! Apple sells 9M iPhone 5S, 5C units in first weekend
Apple's iPhone sales topped 9 million over the weekend in what the company called "our best iPhone launch yet."Over the last three days, Apple sold a combined 9 million iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C units, the company announced Monday. Apple didn't break out specific sales numbers for the high-end 5S versus the colorful 5C, but did say that the combined unit sales set a launch-weekend record. Apple is also sold out of its initial iPhone 5S supply."The demand for the new iPhones has been incredible, and while we've sold out of our initial supply of iPhone 5S, stores continue to receive new iPhone shipments regularly," Apple CEO Tim Cook said Monday in a statement. "We appreciate everyone's patience and are working hard to build enough new iPhones for everyone."In addition to announcing iPhone sales, Apple said Monday that more than 200 million devices are now running iOS 7 -- the company's latest mobile operating system. Apple says that makes iOS 7 the fastest software upgrade in history, confirming a trend spotted last week by advertising and Web analytics firm Chitika.Although Apple wouldn't say Monday how its iPhone sales split between the two new models, others have already chimed in. Earlier in the day, mobile analytics firm Localytics said that its data analysis indicates that iPhone 5S activations were three times greater than those of the iPhone 5C over the weekend. AT&T proved the most popular carrier among U.S.-based consumers, according to the firm.Apple's shares are up 4.4 percent since the company announced the news this morning.This story has been updated throughout the morning.
Apple's iPhone sales topped 9 million over the weekend in what the company called "our best iPhone launch yet."Over the last three days, Apple sold a combined 9 million iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C units, the company announced Monday. Apple didn't break out specific sales numbers for the high-end 5S versus the colorful 5C, but did say that the combined unit sales set a launch-weekend record. Apple is also sold out of its initial iPhone 5S supply."The demand for the new iPhones has been incredible, and while we've sold out of our initial supply of iPhone 5S, stores continue to receive new iPhone shipments regularly," Apple CEO Tim Cook said Monday in a statement. "We appreciate everyone's patience and are working hard to build enough new iPhones for everyone."In addition to announcing iPhone sales, Apple said Monday that more than 200 million devices are now running iOS 7 -- the company's latest mobile operating system. Apple says that makes iOS 7 the fastest software upgrade in history, confirming a trend spotted last week by advertising and Web analytics firm Chitika.Although Apple wouldn't say Monday how its iPhone sales split between the two new models, others have already chimed in. Earlier in the day, mobile analytics firm Localytics said that its data analysis indicates that iPhone 5S activations were three times greater than those of the iPhone 5C over the weekend. AT&T proved the most popular carrier among U.S.-based consumers, according to the firm.Apple's shares are up 4.4 percent since the company announced the news this morning.This story has been updated throughout the morning.
Box Office Report: 'No Good Deed' Goes Unpunished, Plus 'Guardians' Hits Another Milestone
Here areyour estimated three-day box office returns (new releases bolded): 1. No Good Deed - $24.5 million ($24.5 million total) 2. Dolphin Tale 2 - $16.5 million ($16.5 million total) 3. Guardians of the Galaxy - $8.0 million ($305.9 million total) 4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - $4.8 million ($181.0 million total) 5. Let;s Be Cops - $4.3 million ($72.9 million total) 6. The Drop - $4.2 million ($4.2 million total) 7. If I Stay - $4.0 million ($44.9 million total) 8. The November Man - $2.7 million ($22.4 million total) 9. The Giver - $2.6 million ($41.3 million total) 10. The Hundred-Foot Journey - $2.4 million ($49.4 million total) The Big Stories No good deed goes unpunished. So the saying goes. Perhaps by that logic one could also say no bad deed goes unrewarded. How else to look at this week;s box office winner? Starved for little offerings over the past few weeks, audiences jumped at the chance to take in one of your standard stalking, home-invasion thriller that pits evil man vs. helpless woman. Screen Gems canceled press screenings of No Good Deed this week on the cause of trying to preserve some big twist (since critics apparently always spoil surprises). Maybe, just maybe, the studio didn;t want to appear insensitive to the ongoing case of an NFL player beating his fiancee in an elevator. Idris Elba: The New Psycho-Thriller King? Screen Gems has a pretty thorough history of being the studio of the horror remake (When a Stranger Calls, Prom Night, Carrie, The Stepfather and even Straw Dogs.) Plus it has had successes with The Exorcism of Emily Rose as well as the Resident Evil and Underworld series. One film you may have forgotten about, though, was 2009;s Obsessed. It starred Idris Elba in a Fatal Attraction-like scenario where he and his family were stalked by a crazy white woman (Ali Larter). It opened to $28.6 million and its $68.2 million is the fifth highest domestic grossing film in the Screen Gems library. No Good Deed;s $24 million start puts it in equally impressive ground according to Box Office Mojo;s list of the Thriller - Psycho/Stalker/Blank from Hell category: Obsessed ($28.6 million), No Good Deed ($24.5), Lakeview Terrace ($15.003), The Roommate ($15.002), Domestic Disturbance ($14.03), Enough ($14.00), Sleeping with the Enemy ($13.7), Sliver ($12.1), The Stepfather 2009 ($11.5), Swimfan ($11.3) Seems a few films are missing from that list. Last year;s The Call for example. What other films would you include? Think fast, because over the next few years Screen Gems may be trying to get Idris Elba into every Thriller - Psycho/Stalker/Blank from Hell script out there. With a twist, of course. From Getting a Tail to Getting Some Tail It;s not often we get a family movie out there about dolphin sex, so we should applaud it whenever it arrives. The first Dolphin Tale looked like a minor hit for Warner Bros. back in 2011. Much more in the U.S. than overseas. But with a combined $75 million budget, its $95.4 million worldwide meant theatrical was a bust and home video would have to make up the difference. Now the sequel is here, with a slightly smaller production budget than the first, but it is likely to still be looking to DVD. The $16 million is a slower start than the original;s $19 million and it faces competition in the coming weeks from The Maze Runner and The Boxtrolls. In other words, it is adding up to another theatrical bust for the studio in a string of busts going all the way back to Godzilla. (Though If I Stay is about $20 million away from breaking into the black.) Tales of the Top 10 Guardians of the Galaxy finally did it. The first $300 million grosser of 2014. It unlikely will remain the year;s top grosser with Hunger Games on the horizon, but this is still a massive victory for James Gunn, Marvel and the whole Guardians cast. Paramount is going to do whateverit can to push Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to $200 million (it currently stands at $181) but it will still need at least $40-plus million on top of that to start making a profit. Meanwhile, Fox;s Let;s Be Cops is officially into the black and alongside X-Men: Days of Future Past, The Fault in Our Stars, How to Train Your Dragon 2 and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, the studio had a perfect profitable summer. Something no other studio could say. In other nice news for Fox,its limited 809-screen Searchlight release of The Drop took in $4.2 million, which is the second best start for a film opening on under 1,000 screens after God;s Not Dead. Erik Childress can be seen each Thursday morning on WCIU-TV;sFirst Business breaking down the box office on the Movies & Money segment.
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