Get in the spirit of Halloween as The Enfield Haunting arrives on Hulu

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It's that time of year when the ghosts, witches and various other ghouls and monsters begin prowling our neighborhoods. We pretend to be scared, and some people genuinely are afraid around this time of year, but really it's all in good fun, which makes a good scary movie a must-see.

Hulu has you covered, announcing the availability of the three part The Enfield Haunting series. The show is based on "real" events (just suspend disbelief) that took place in Enfield, located in London, England.

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You don't need to read this review -- buy Chromecast 2015 instead

Chromecast 2015

This is one of the easiest reviews to write—and the shortest, too. If you own an Android or iOS device, buy the new Chromecast. Nothing more needs to be said, but I am obliged because you do want to know why. Right?

Google opened up the streaming stick category with launch of the original Chromecast, in July 2013. Release of its successor, on Sept. 29, 2015, makes an already compelling platform better. I see two benefits that matter: WiFi AC support and the hanging dongle design. Wireless update primps the device for faster routers, like Google's own OnHub. The other is more crucial. Some people needing or wanting to plug into one of a TV's rear HDMI ports may find the original Chromecast won't fit. The new design, puck hanging from HDMI cable, solves that problem.

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Hulu brings James Bond to your TV, adds a second season of Casual

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James Bond is one of the longest running movie series of all time. From Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, Timothy Daulton all the way up to the present with Daniel Craig. The franchise has provided movie-goers with some of the greatest thrills to hit the big screen.

Now 007 is landing on Hulu beginning November 1st. Classics such as Live and Let Die, Goldfinger, Octopussy, A View to a Kill and number of others. The most recent in this release is 1989's A License to Kill.

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There are just 6.5 million paying Apple Music users

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Apple Music has managed to retain just 6.5 million subscribers willing to pay for the service four months after launch. Tim Cook has revealed that there are 15 million users in total at the moment, meaning that 8.5 million are making use of the free trial period.

Apple has previously claimed that it was managing to hang onto 79 percent of free trial users, converting them to paid subscribers, but these latest figures -- direct from Cook -- are at odds with this. But the real question is, how many of these paying subscribers simply forgot to cancel their subscription at the end of the trial period?

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Listening to the NFL on TuneIn Radio

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This past week, streaming service TuneIn Radio announced it had gained rights to NFL games. You can now listen to the broadcast of your favorite team's game. Granted, it's not video, but it's better than nothing and a lot cheaper than NFL Sunday Ticket.

So how does it work? First you need to sign up for a Premium plan, which will run you $7.99 per month, though you'll get a seven day free trial. This requires all the usual things -- username, password and credit card information.

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Sling TV is offering customers free HBO this weekend

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If you've cut the cord on your cable or satellite TV  then you have an increasing list of choices for things you can still watch. One of the newest players is Sling TV, which had a number of channels available right from the start and has since been adding more. In fact the service managed to score HBO right before Game of Thrones began its 2015 season run.

Now, as a reward for customers, this weekend Sling TV will be offering free HBO to everyone. Of course these sorts of offers are also a hope that some people will decide to keep it. In that case, you can expect to add $15 to your monthly bill.

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BBC starts to block VPN users from accessing iPlayer

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Streaming video services are frequently tied to specific countries and steps are taken to prevent people in other parts of the world using them. This is nothing new, and there has been something of an on-going battle between service providers and users who try to find a way around any blocks that may be put in place.

Now the BBC is going to war, and it has VPNs in its sights. VPNs are frequently used by those outside of the UK to view programmes on BBC iPlayer -- but they are also used by security-conscious users. But the BBC is not concerned about the security side of things, just that the tools can be used to bypass geo-restrictions. TorrentFreak reports that UK-based VPN servers are now detected and blocked.

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Yahoo brings Jimmy Kimmel Live concerts to its platform

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Music has always been a part of late night television, regardless if it's the shows own group or a special guest performing live. To catch most of these acts you need to watch live or on demand and obviously need a TV. But now you can catch some of it right on your computer.

Yahoo is announcing the addition of concerts on Jimmy Kimmel Live and it kicks off tonight. If you tune into the site you can watch Duran Duran beginning at 11:35pm CT. The band just released its 14th studio album titled "Paper Gods".

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Missing your favorite football team? Now TuneIn Radio will broadcast the audio

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The National Football League season is in full swing and there have already been some surprises. Teams expected to compete have floundered, while those considered underdogs have managed to thrive. But what if you can't watch your team? Some folks live "out of market" and some have cut the cord. Well, there's radio right? No, not if you aren't in market.

Now TuneIn Radio aims to change that, bringing broadcasts of all 32 teams right online. You can listen to the play-by-play call from home, even if your favorite franchise is a thousand miles away.

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HBO NOW arrives on Roku, catch up on your favorite shows

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For those in the market for a set-top box there are many options, but Roku remains one of the most popular choices. Now, just in time for the impending holiday shopping season, the tiny device becomes a bit more enticing, adding HBO NOW to its app lineup.

HBO NOW is one of two apps the premium network has out there, going along with HBO GO. The difference is that this one is stand-alone -- pay for a subscription and you'll have access to everything the channel has to offer.

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Amazon Fire TV is hot [first-impressions review]

Fire TV

Streaming set-top boxes are no longer about media consumption. The newest entrants—from Amazon, Apple, and Google—fit into a larger lexicon of connected digital lifestyles. Think intelligent television for the information-obsessed and for visual voyeurs demanding the highest-quality video that is commercially available.

On Oct. 1, 2015, I started testing the new Amazon Fire TV, which goes on sale October 5th. I will later review the newer Google Chromecast but unlikely Apple's device (because a review unit isn't available and I wouldn't buy one for personal use). There is nothing radically new about Fire TV. It's more of the same only much better. Key benefit for some: 4K Ultra HD video support. Benefit for all: Enhanced voice-interaction capabilities that include Amazon's Alexa digital assistant. Then there are iterative enhancements that improve overall benefits.

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Roku goes to Mexico, brings streaming players for everyone

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Looking for a set-top box? There's no shortage of choices with Fire TV, Apple and Roku. The latter is probably the most popular solution, though new offerings from competitors aim to change that. But the device has been a bit isolated, not being offered everywhere.

That is slowly changing as Roku is now available to our friends south of the border. Yes, the tiny device is arriving in Mexico now.

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Amazon to cease sale of Apple TV and Chromecast

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As of 29 October, shoppers will no longer be able to buy Apple TV or Chromecast devices from Amazon. Citing compatibility issues with Prime Video, Amazon emailed marketplace sellers to inform them it is not accepting new listings for the two media devices, and any existing listings will be removed at the end of October.

The move indicates not only the importance Amazon places on its streaming Prime Video service, but also that it views Apple and Google as serious rivals. The two companies have yet to respond to the news, but it is unlikely to be well-received.

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Spotify for Chromecast is music to your ears

chromecast

Music streaming services seem to be a dime a dozen these days, with plenty of choices and new ones cropping up all the time. But how do you pipe that sound through your home entertainment system? There are a number of options, but the latest is Spotify for Chromecast.

The streaming service is arriving on Google's tiny HDMI dongle, which was just recently updated. Spotify claims this was highly requested and now users can have it.

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Sling TV is on its way to Chromecast

chromecast

Yesterday was the big Google event and we got to see new Nexus devices and an updated Chromecast. It was enough to satisfy the geek in most of us, but we always want more, so what's next? Well, an improved Chromecast needs better functionality, right?

Sling TV thinks so and it's bringing its service to the tiny Google HDMI dongle. The service claims that Chromecast support is its most requested feature.

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