Sony Gobbles Grouper for $65 Million

By Geoff Duncan Published August 23, 2006

You’d think they’d learn, but Big Media has opened its checkbook for a new-fangled Internet whatsit one more time. Sony Pictures Entertainment announced today that it has acquired online video-sharing site Grouper for $65 million. Grouper claims to be the second-largest user-generated video community on the Intenret—number one would be the broadband-busting YouTube—and offers the ability for users to share, edit, and organize video, plus ownload them to portable devices like iPods and PSP handheld deices.

Sony says the Grouper acquisition is a strategic move in line with Sony’s efforts to make Sony entertainment and content accessible to consumers across a wide variety of platforms and channels. Grouper’s management will stay intact at their current Sausalito, California location, and that the company has no immediate plans for changes to the Grouper site. Sony Pictures Entertainment’s chairman and CEO Michael Lynton also noted his studio is always interested in finding new ideas and talent for movies, TV shows, and games: “A site like Grouper allows people to showcase their creativity to a vast audience. It’s like a virtual, global audition, and a great source of entertainment.”

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“When you pair Grouper’s innovative video sharing platform on the web and the desktop with Sony’s connected devices and copyrighted media you create a dynamic and exciting environment for consumers,” said Grouper CEO and co-founder Josh Felser. “We have an opportunity, as part of the Sony family, to bring together user-generated and copyrighted content across platforms and devices for the first time.”

[Answer: One of of the possible synergies between Sony and Grouper. Question: What are Alex Trebecks’ behind-the-scenes-at-Jeopardy cell phone movies?]

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Smart Home

How to reset the Linxura Smart Controller

A person holding the Linxura Smart Controller

The Linxura Smart Controller is a powerful way to control your smart home. Instead of relying on mobile companion apps, you can toggle smart lights, change your thermostat, or open smart blinds at the press of a button. It’s a unique device, but like all electronic gadgets, it’s bound to run into some issues. And if you’re encountering serious ones that can’t be fixed by other troubleshooting methods, it might be time to reset your Linxura Smart Controller. This wipes all your data from the device, giving you a chance to start anew. It’s also a great option if you’re selling the smart controller to another user or giving it away to a family member, ensuring they don’t have access to your data.

Here's a look at how to reset your Linxura Smart Controller, along with other troubleshooting tips to try before opting for a full reset.

Smart Home

I used CamelCamelCamel to check if these are the best deal prices for Black Friday (they are)

CamelCamelCamel in the desert giving you a smug unsatisfied look.

You may or may not know this, but certain online retailers and various small brands will actually increase prices before a huge sale, like early Black Friday sales, actual Black Friday, or even Cyber Monday and Cyber Week. Let's say, for example, they discount the product by $20. Weeks before, they might raise the price by $30 to make the discount look bigger. So, the reality is you're not actually getting a great deal -- they trick you. There is a way to combat this and find the best early Black Friday deals and beyond. There's a tool I use called CamelCamelCamel, which works wonders to help you find the real deals and steals. Well, anyway, I used the tool to find the best deal prices for Black Friday, and the holiday discounts. Let's take a closer look at some of those deals. Spoiler: They're so, so good.

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max -- now $33, was $60 45% off

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These Anona smart home deals have us ready to install some new gear

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I always say one of the best places to start building your smart home is either with the garage -- via a smart garage door opener -- or a smart video doorbell. But another great addition is a smart lock. Why? Well, because it vastly improves the use of your front door and deadbolt. For example, you can issue temporary guest keys or passcodes to let people come and go, and then revoke them when necessary. No more leaving physical keys under a mat or pot. In another scenario, you might grant temporary access to a parcel delivery person so they can put your valuable package inside your home rather than leaving it on your doorstep. Pairing a smart lock with a video doorbell or security camera is even better because then you can see and communicate with who's at your door.

If all of this sounds enticing to you, you'll want to listen up. Smart home purveyor Anona has some excellent deals right now on its Holo WiFi smart lock and Aurora 4K security camera -- the perfect bundle for doing exactly as I've described. The Anona Aurora security cam won the Muse Gold Design award in the security category, meanwhile, the Holo smart lock takes just three minutes to install -- it's super easy. Okay, that sounds great, but what are the deals? Let's get to that, shall we?