Monday, April 13, 2015

Recommended Reading: The internet can't handle streaming big TV events

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/04/11/recommended-reading-4-11-15/

Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read.

Wisconsin v Duke

The Internet's Clearly Not Ready to Stream Big TV Events
by Brian Barrett
Wired

Last weekend's NCAA Final Four provided some of the most-watched college basketball matchups in years -- unless, of course, your Sling TV stream didn't work. The newfangled internet TV service buckled under the weight of a wave of new subscribers looking to opt in for the big games. It was just the latest in a line of live-event-related issues web streamers encountered, and it shows that maybe major television events aren't ready to be viewed on the web. So, Sunday's Game of Thrones premiere should be... interesting.

There's a Massive, Illicit Bust of Edward Snowden Stuck to a War Monument in Brooklyn
Bucky Turco, Animal New York

... or at least there was before it was taken down. It was replaced by a hologram after that, as artists wanted to pay tribute to the NSA whistleblower by installing the statue before dawn Monday morning.

The Inside Story of the Civil War for the Soul of NBC News
Bryan Burrough, Vanity Fair

It turns out Brian Williams' recent admission is only the latest in a string of incidents for NBC News since Comcast took over in 2011. This piece from Vanity Fair chronicles those events.

Life After Prey 2: How Human Head Recovered from Cancellation
James Batchelor, Develop

Prey 2 would've been the biggest release for Human Head Studios, but Bethesda pulled the plug on the project before it was finished, putting an end to years of work.

Want to See Domestic Spying's Future? Follow the Drug War
Andy Greenberg, Wired

If you think the National Security Agency's surveillance tactics are something, the DEA was spying first. Its phone-collection program started years prior, inspiring the NSA's data-gathering we've heard so much about.

[Photo credit: Andy Lyons/Getty Images]

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