Listen up, people: watching TV in bed instead of communicating with your spouse is about to get a whole, whole lot better. Over the next few weeks we’ll be adding Viacom programming to the app lineup, including favorites like Comedy Central, MTV, VH1 and more.

We are happy to have resolved outstanding issues with Viacom, and we’re excited that the addition of Viacom’s channels will provide a richer, more satisfying TWC TV experience.

This official joint statement sums it up:

Viacom and Time Warner Cable have agreed to resolve their pending litigations. All of Viacom’s programming will now be available to Time Warner Cable subscribers for in-home viewing via internet protocol-enabled devices such as iPads and Time Warner Cable will continue to carry Viacom’s Country Music Television (CMT) programming. In reaching the settlement agreement, Time Warner Cable and Viacom were also able to resolve other unrelated business matters to their mutual satisfaction. Neither side is conceding its original legal position or will have further comment.

Begun in 2010 to fuel debate and find solutions to issues that digital technologies are facing and will face in the future, the Research Program awards $20,000 stipends twice yearly to scholars who conduct extensive studies and write papers in a variety of topic areas. The final reports are available free at the Research Program’s website.

Normally we release reports from the Research Program without a lot of fanfare, holding small but lively forums to discuss the new work. But this time around, we joined with the National Urban League (NUL) to mount an event at National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA) headquarters to release the report, Connecting the Dots: Linking Broadband Adopting to Job Creation and Job Competiveness, which was written by scholars from NUL’s Policy Institute: Madura Wijewardena, Chanelle Hardy, and Valerie Wilson.

In an environment where jobs and the unemployment rate are a high priority, the paper’s emphasis on job creation attracted more than 100 policymakers, government officials and members of the media. Another attraction was the chance to hear high-profile speakers. We were particularly pleased that each of the Commissioners from Federal Communications Commission (FCC) attended and spoke, including FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski. Other major speakers included NCTA chief Michael Powell, himself a former FCC Chairman, and Marc H. Morial, NUL’s President & CEO.

Press coverage was abundant. On hand were writers from Bloomberg, Politico, The Hill, National Journal, Multichannel News and Communications Daily, among others. C-SPAN II covered the proceedings live, the first time it’s done so from NCTA headquarters. Also covering the event for television was Leslie Mayes, a producer filing reports for NY1, YNN, News 14 Carolina and the other TWC local news networks.

But one event, despite being large and successful, does not a great week make. Just after the event ended, the Research Program was back at it, announcing stipends for two more papers, one studying localism in the media and one studying cybersecurity. In addition, two forthcoming reports will continue the NULPI paper’s focus on broadband adoption. The first will examine policies and approaches to improving access to broadband for individuals with disabilities, the other will delve into the role of broadband access in workforce decisions, such as looking for a job, working multiple jobs or working from home. We hope these reports will prove useful going forward in designing new adoption programs and strategies. As always, if you have questions about the Time Warner Cable Research Program on Digital Communications, please visit our website or contact us.

If you’re a sports fan in Southern California, you’re in luck: we’re going to be launching two new sports networks in the SoCal area on October 1, 2012. From our press release:

Beginning with the 2012-13 NBA season, the networks’ exclusive game coverage will include full seasons of Lakers, Galaxy and Sparks games, as well as CIF high school regular season and playoff contests. This is the first time in history that all locally televised Lakers games will be available on one network. Beyond live game coverage, Time Warner Cable Sports is creating a daily programming schedule to give local sports fans comprehensive in-depth coverage, fresh opinions and behind-the-scenes insight into their favorite local teams and personalities.

…

Recognizing the importance of Hispanic consumers in Southern California, Time Warner Cable Sports is launching Time Warner Cable Deportes, the nation’s first Spanish-language regional sports network. Time Warner Cable Deportes will broadcast all local Lakers and Galaxy games entirely in Spanish – also a first. To bring this unique and customized experience to its audience, Time Warner Cable Deportes will feature separate production teams, Spanish-speaking talent and a distinct graphics package. Additionally, Time Warner Cable Deportes has built a dedicated team that will oversee the production of original programming including daily local sports news, a daily soccer news show and coverage of other sports including boxing and lucha libre.

Southern California sports fans will see a talented mix of familiar and new on-air game and news personalities, including Lakers broadcasters Stu Lantz and Bill Macdonald on Time Warner Cable SportsNet and Adrian Garcia Marquez and Francisco Pinto on Time Warner Cable Deportes. Also joining the networks are two noted and highly experienced sports journalists. Studio host Andy Adler, formerly of KNBC and WNYW, will anchor nightly studio programming from the networks’ new state-of-the-art technical facility and Heidi Watney, former reporter for the Boston Red Sox and NESN, will report on and interview teams, athletes and fans while on-the-scene.

Both networks will stream to mobile devices and personal computers, as well as appearing on the cable lineup.

Last week, the four finalists of our Wouldn’t It Be Cool If… contest convened in St. Louis, MO to participate in a special event held on-site at the FIRST Robotics Championship.  The event was attended by nearly 1,400 people, including FIRST teams, friends, family and media.  Finalists had the chance to present the math and science-powered invention ideas they submitted to our online contest to a panel of esteemed judges: artist will.i.am, FIRST founder Dean Kamen, Mark Payne, Co-Founder, President and Head of Idea Development at Fahrenheit 212; and Jasmin Hume, PhD Candidate in Materials Chemistry at the Polytechnic Institute of NYU.

Click here to view the embedded video.

After hearing each finalist’s presentation, the panel named fifteen-year-old Greyson McCluskey of Indian Trail, North Carolina the Wouldn’t It Be Cool If… grand prize winner.  Greyson won over the judges with his idea for the “Baby Safe Rider,”  an invention that would help prevent infant and toddler deaths in cars due to overheating — or vehicular hyperthermia.

Click here to view the embedded video.

After meeting each of our guest judges and speaking with the press, Greyson snagged his winner’s plaque and gave a round of hugs to everyone in the room:

“I still can’t believe I won.  I truly hope my story and those of the other finalists inspire kids just like us to have the confidence to share their own cool ideas with the world.”

What’s next for young Greyson?  He’ll get the chance to bring his idea to life with Fahrenheit 212, a NYC-based innovation consulting firm that develops world-changing ideas and brings them to market.  Over the next four months, Greyson will visit  Fahrenheit at their NYC offices.  Together, they’ll refine his cool idea, create a business model and strategy, and explore how to bring “Baby Safe Rider” to market. Ultimately, Greyson will have the opportunity to present his idea to prospective investors.  Greyson will be the firm’s youngest client ever.

We’ll be documenting Greyson’s work with Fahrenheit 212 throughout the summer on connectamillionminds.com.  Follow @ConnectMinds on Twitter for reports on Greyson’s adventures in idea development!

Matthew Shimura – StudentCam 2012 Grand Prize Winner [Photo courtesy: Kiman Wong]

The national competition, sponsored by Time Warner Cable and C-SPAN, challenged middle and high school students to bring the U.S. Constitution to life in the form of a video documentary. Students were asked to examine any section of the Preamble, Articles or Amendments of the U.S. Constitution and discuss its relevance in their lives, with the opportunity to win part of more than $50,000 in cash and in-kind prizes. More than 1,203 films were received in this year’s competition from more than 2,000 students from 43 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico.

Of the 148 student finalists from across the United States who won prizes, Matthew Shimura, a ninth grader from Punahou School here in Honolulu, won the grand prize with his documentary video entry titled: “The Constitution and the Camps: Due Process and the Japanese-American Internment.”

The Constitution and the Camps: Due Process and the Japanese-American Internment

Through his remarkable exploration of American policy towards Japanese-Americans during World War II, Shimura took viewers on a journey that presents the history of Japanese internment camps in the United States. He focused on his uncle John, a former prisoner at the infamous Manzanar camp in California, as an example of someone who was able to overcome harsh realities and achieve the American Dream.

Matthew Shimura and family [Photo courtesy: Kiman Wong]

As the grand prize winner, Shimura won a trip to Washington D.C., a $5,000 scholarship award, as well as $1,000 in funding for his school to spend on digital video equipment supplies.

Oceanic Time Warner Cable recently honored Shimura and his family at an awards reception held at Punahou School, his Alma Mater.

Oceanic Time Warner Cable President Bob Barlow presents Matthew Shimura with his $5,000 check [Photo courtesy: Kiman Wong]

In attendance were Matthew and his immediate family members, influential Punahou faculty and staff, key Oceanic Time Warner Cable employees, and Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle.

Matthew with his moms Tony Shimura and Dr. Sharon Webb, Mayor Peter Carlisle, and Punahou School Academy Dean William Ouellette [Photo courtesy: Kiman Wong]

Oceanic sends a big congratulations to Matthew Shimura and a job well done to all students who participated in the 2012 StudentCAM competition!

To view all photos from that day, please visit our Facebook page.

The largest spring cleaning task for TWC is to bury “drop lines” (or “drops”) in the ground.

Drops are cable lines that run from a cable pedestal by the road or backyard into a person’s home. Time Warner Cable runs thousands of drops into current or new customers’ homes during the winter months. In many markets the drops aren’t buried in the ground from mid-to-late November through March because the ground is either frozen or covered in snow.

In Central New York alone 2,700 drops have been buried since January, despite the mild winter they experienced this year. Time Warner Cable generally has all of its customers’ drops buried in the ground by mid-to-late May.

We also have to examine our existing fiber-optic cablelines and replace the damaged ones. You might not believe this, but squirrels do a tremendous amount of damage to our fiber-optic network by chewing through the lines.

When this occurs, the fiber optic cable lines’ protection is compromised and therefore susceptible to rain and other natural elements.

“Squirrel chews” caused us to replace more than 87 miles of cable during 2011 in Western New York alone, costing Time Warner Cable hundreds of thousands of dollars.

You might say that Time Warner Cable is in one way like the U.S. Postal Service, we deliver our state-of-the-art, high-tech products and services, “whether rain, sleet or snow,” and in this case, despite many hungry squirrels.

Greyson M. of Indian Trail, NC

Greyson scored a finalist spot with his idea “Baby Safe Rider,” a solution for preventing infant and toddler deaths due to vehicular hyperthermia — overheating in cars.  This fifteen-year-old has dreams of attending University of North Carolina Charlotte and becoming an architect.  From the looks of his well-crafted invention idea drawing – he’s off to a good start!

Team KWOFF: Hannah Y. and Hon K. of Westlake, OH

Fifteen-year-olds Hannah and Hon entered our Wouldn’t It Be Cool If… contest as a team, submitting the idea “Bone Analyzer Kit.”  The Westlake High School classmates came up with the idea after Hannah – who runs track – hurt her foot while jumping over a hurdle.  This innovation would offer a safer alternative to x-rays as a means to detect broken bones.

Kayla B. of Topeka, KS

Twelve-year-old Kayla – who plays the violin, loves listening to her iPod, and digs the Black Eyed Peas — submitted an invention idea inspired by her passion for music.  Her “i-Stand” is an electronic music stand that loads up sheet music and music apps – like a virtual metronome, tuner, and audio recorder – to make playing and recording practice sessions easier.

Team Bronx Task Force: Emmie L., Jaime B. and Eileen F. of Bronx, NY

These twelve-year-old native New Yorkers, who compete on a FIRST Lego League team of the same name, entered the contest after being recruited by team leader Emmie.  The trio was recognized as a finalist for their idea “A to Zinc Coffee.”  These healthy coffee filters would infuse vitamins and antioxidants into everyday coffee, promoting improved immunity.

What’s next?  On Wednesday April 25th, finalists will participate in a special event hosted by NY1 News’ Technology reporter Adam Balkin at the FIRST Robotics Championship in St. Louis, MO.  Kids will pitch their ideas in-person to a group of esteemed guest judges:  artist will.i.am, inventor Dean Kamen, Fahrenheit 212 President Mark Payne and PhD Student in Materials Chemistry Jasmin Hume.   Judges will determine the grand prize winner.

Who will win the grand prize – a chance to develop their idea with lead innovation firm Fahrenheit 212?  Follow #wouldntitbecoolif on Twitter this Wednesday evening to find out!

Hey there, sports fans – we just launched a bunch of new localized sports channels to the TWC TV™ app for the iPad®, iPhone®, Android™ 4.0 smartphones and tablets, and TWCTV.com, the browser-based portal that can be accessed through PCs and Mac® computers.

The following networks are now available:

New York City (except for Hudson Valley) – ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, TBS, YES, SNY, MSG, MSG+, MLB Network, NBA TV, NHL Network
Dallas – ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, TBS, Fox Sports Southwest, MLB Network, NBA TV, NHL Network
Charlotte – ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, TBS, Fox Sports Carolinas, SportSouth, MLB Network, NBA TV, NHL Network

Go nuts, people, and have a great weekend.

Starting today, Time Warner Cable customers can enjoy movies from the Tribeca Film Festival right in their homes using our On Demand service until the end of the year. This is a really cool use of the technology if you ask me. I live here in New York and I always end up missing the festival through a combination of insomnia and a disinterest in crowds – now me and anyone across our footprint can catch up or check out movies at our own relaxed pace.

To see any of the following movies, just tune to the Movies On Demand channel (which varies by marketplace), click on the By Genre category and select the Tribeca Film option.

I’m listing the available movies after the jump, with trailers where possible. All links go to the movie’s listing on twondemand.com — or you can just go see the Tribeca Film Festival page.

Tribeca Film MOD Category Films

The Giant Mechanical Man (available in HD)

Booker’s Place: A Mississippi Story (available in HD)

Jesus Henry Christ (available in HD)

Sleepless Night (available in HD)

Death of a Superhero (available in HD)

House of Steinbrenner

Sweet news, Android-lovers: our TWC TV for Android release 2.0, featuring live video enhancement for Android 4.x devices, is happening right this minute.

It will take some time for it to propagate across the Google Play servers, but should be available by 3PM EST.

I wrote about this in more detail a week or so ago, and I’d encourage you to read that post again.

Essentially, it boils down to this:

While we now offer live video to users with Ice Cream Sandwich on their Android devices, we have no control over whether or not your particular device has Ice Cream Sandwich yet. Once your device upgrades, you’re off to the races.

Here’s a direct link to TWC TV for Android release 2.0 in Google Play.

If you experience difficulty (meaning the app will not launch following upgrade), you’ll need to uninstall the app and reinstall.

To uninstall, go to: applications / settings / apps / select TWC TV from the list, then tap “uninstall”. Or, simply go the main app page and drag the old version to the trash. After removal, return to Google Play (formerly Android market) and reinstall TWC TV. This will fix the issue.

This won’t work on rooted devices – for the same reason it doesn’t work on jailbroken iOS devices. We promise our programming partners a secure, in-home experience when we offer this free product, and rooted/jailbroken devices subvert the security that we are obliged to offer our partners.