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Tuesday 14 November 2017 TECHNOLOGY
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Disney hopes for its next blockbuster in newest ‘Star Wars’

By TALI ARBEL The company is also plan-
AP Technology Writer ning a “Star Wars”-themed
NEW YORK (AP) — Disney’s hotel at Walt Disney World
$4 billion deal for Lucasfilm in Florida. Disney touts it
and “Star Wars” just keeps as an “immersive” experi-
getting better for the House ence; guests will be able
of Mouse. to dress up as their favorite
The company is banking characters.
on the latest installments, Disney is making other big
“The Last Jedi” in Decem- investments in its parks,
ber and a Han Solo movie too, as it races to catch
in May, to drive people up with Universal’s enor-
to theaters. But that’s far mously popular Harry Pot-
from the end of money- ter-themed areas. In the
making opportunities from latest quarter, revenue rose
Han Solo, R2-D2, Kylo Ren 6 percent to $4.67 billion,
and Rey. In fact, CEO Bob helped by the international
Iger said Thursday that the parks. In the U.S., Hurricane
company is now planning Irma shut down Walt Disney
a brand-new “Star Wars” This file image provided by Lucasfilm shows a scene from the upcoming “Star Wars: The Last World for two days, hurting
trilogy, which will be the Jedi,” expected in theaters in December. Disney’s $4 billion deal for Lucasfilm and “Star Wars” domestic results.
just keeps getting better for the House of Mouse.
fourth in the franchise. Analysts expect merchan-
Disney has drawn big profits ens,” released in December “Avengers” installment to Revenue dropped 3 per- dise revenues to get a
from the strengths of its TV 2015, pulled in more than bring in $1.3 billion. cent to $12.78 billion. bump in fiscal 2018; Na-
channels — namely ESPN $2 billion in worldwide ticket Big-budget, sequel-gen- DISNEY EMPIRE thanson cites the “Star
— but that growth is chal- sales, trailing only “Avatar” erating movies deliver big Disney is funneling its mov- Wars” and Marvel movies,
lenged as more people and “Titanic” as the best- wins for studios. In fiscal ie hits to other parts of its as well as “Frozen” coming
dump cable subscriptions. selling theatrical release 2016, when Disney released sprawling empire to help it to Broadway, as drivers.
As people turn to online ever (without adjusting for “The Force Awakens,” the make money repeatedly GEARING UP AGAINST NET-
replacements such as Net- inflation). It also bumped studio’s profit was $2.7 bil- from its intellectual prop- FLIX The movies will also
flix, Disney is hoping to lure up home entertainment lion. That’s expected to fall erty. serve as a lure for Disney’s
them with a streaming ser- revenue from DVD sales. this year and jump back For example, “Star Wars”- streaming service, which
vice planned for 2019. “Star “Rogue One,” last year’s up to $2.84 billion in 2018, themed areas at Disney- will contain hundreds of
Wars” movies will be a big installment, made over $1 thanks to “The Last Jedi” land in California and Dis- movies and thousands of
part of that; so will a new billion in global box-office and several Marvel movies. ney’s Hollywood Studios in TV episodes and shorts. Pix-
“Star Wars” series Iger also revenue. In the July-September quar- Florida will open in 2019. ar, “Star Wars” and Marvel
announced Thursday. “The Last Jedi” will con- ter, however, the studio’s “They’re huge and I think films will be included along
Disney also wants to tinue from where “Force” revenue fell 21 percent very exciting in terms of with Disney-brand video.
squeeze cash from “Star left off. Michael Nathanson to $1.43 billion. “Cars 3” how we’re using technol- Disney’s deal with Netflix is
Wars” fans in the forms of of MoffettNathanson has a wasn’t as big a hit as “Find- ogy to create really in- expiring and won’t be re-
toys and, theme park visits “somewhat conservative” ing Dory” in 2016. teresting attractions and newed, making the new
and hotel stays. estimate of $1.9 billion in Overall, The Walt Disney experiences,” Iger said at service the exclusive online
MOVIE MONEY box-office haul for the film. Co.’s net income slipped a September investment home for much of Disney’s
“Star Wars: The Force Awak- He also expects the latest 1 percent to $1.75 billion. conference. prime content.q

Face to Face with Nest’s smartest home security camera

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE iPhone X . That made us want to find
AP Technology Writer The Nest Cam IQ offers a out just how smart — and
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — glimpse at how deeply in- potentially creepy — this
Nest’s new home security telligent computers will be camera really is. As part
camera is supposed to be able to peer into our lives, of the test, a couple of us
so smart that it can iden- especially as more home donned disguises.
tify people it’s been intro- appliances become con- It wasn’t easy to pull the
duced to. nected to the internet. wool over this camera’s
That skill comes from fa- We set a camera in The As- prying eyes. It still recog-
cial-recognition technol- sociated Press’ San Fran- nized me wearing psy-
ogy made by Nest’s sibling cisco bureau and identi- chedelic garb, wolf-like
company, Google. fied everyone who regu- head gear, an Egyptian
The Nest Cam IQ camera is larly works in the office. pharaoh’s headdress and
so slick that it carries a pre- We tested whether the a fake mustache. Under-
mium price — $300 — plus camera would remember standably, the camera
a $10 monthly subscription This July 25, 2017, frame grab from video shows the Nest Cam them and send notifica- couldn’t recognize me un-
to run the facial-recogni- IQ camera. tions when it spotted them. der a Frankenstein mask.
tion program and other Associated Press On the flip side, the cam- For some reason, it was just
features, such as 10-day tion technology also is be- Apple is also embracing era also sends alerts when as baffled when an editor
video storage. ing added to a camera- facial recognition, though it sees someone it doesn’t it usually had no trouble
That compares with Nest’s equipped doorbell from with a different type of recognize, raising the pos- recognizing donned his cy-
$200 standard camera. Nest; a price hasn’t been technology and goal — sibility of an intruder on the cling helmet and sunglass-
Google’s facial-recogni- disclosed yet. to unlock the just-released premises. es in the office.q