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Last week, Niantic launched the Apple Watch version of Pokémon Go — its successful augmented reality (AR) mobile game — putting to rest claims that it had canceled the project, according to TechCrunch.

The smartwatch app, available in all markets the mobile apps is, will act as a companion app to the mobile game, giving users the ability to find Pokémon, collect items from different locations, and log time played in the game as a workout. The announcement comes just a week before the end of the 2016 deadline Niantic outlined to customers. 

Launching the game on the Apple Watch could help spur greater usage of the app, which requires users to navigate their cities to find virtual creatures in the game. Users with the Apple Watch app won't have to walk around with their phones, which could help improve the user experience.

At its launch, Pokémon Go rapidly amassed a large volume of users, setting a record for the fastest top-grossing app in the iOS App Store. However, its users dwindled significantly after just one month and have continued to decline since. Niantic has made several efforts to reinvigorate these lapsed users, including releasing themed updates around public holidays, and making it easier to catch different types of Pokémon. 

When they first broke onto the scene, smartwatches were touted as the next generation of devices set to transform consumers’ lives. And brands, service providers, and the healthcare segment were ready to capitalize on their “always on” nature, which promised to provide greater insight into consumer habits. But while the market initially grew rapidly, it has begun to cool off, as consumers become impatient with the technology's lack of distinct capabilities, such as LTE connectivity and device-specific apps.

In the next few years, the smartwatch market will likely see the addition of new functionality and increased capabilities, which will see the device shipments grow at an annualized rate of 18% through 2021 to reach 70 million units.

However, smartwatches are reliant on a number of factors in order to generate any sort of meaningful consumer demand. Until such a time, adoption of smartwatches will likely be sluggish, as consumers wait for vendors to produce products that can run independently from their phones and provide more useful functions.
So what does this mean for the device championed as the replacement for the smartphone? Should vendors manage to implement a lower price point, better functionality, and expanded use cases, there is a vast potential for accelerated global growth. Moreover, because of the low adoption rate thus far, there is still ample opportunity for new entrants to join the market, and capture mind share.

Laurie Beaver, research associate for BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has compiled a detailed report on smartwatches that examines all areas of the smartwatch market, including a five-year forecast, key growth trends, market leaders, consumer demand, and more. It also discusses the need for the inclusion of standalone capabilities in smartwatches, as well as the importance of bringing both better apps to the devices and greater consumer awareness of capabilities. Lastly, it explores the nascent smartwatch app market, including its shortcomings and how it can be improved.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the report:

• Demand for smartwatches has cooled as consumers wait for better functionality. But early demand suggests the market could take off when functionality improves. 
• Apple will continue to drive a large portion of the overall market, however, Android Wear devices will quickly catch up as emerging markets begin to adopt the technology.
• Health and fitness remain a dominant segment of the smartwatch market, providing healthcare workers and hospitals with savings opportunities. As technology and app development advances, the benefits of smartwatches within these segments will become even more robust.
• The future of the smartwatch market remains somewhat unclear, however, there is profound opportunity for businesses and developers to begin exploring the nascent smartwatch market. This will give them a head start against competitors.

In full, the report:

• Forecasts smartwatch shipments through 2021 for both overall device shipments as well as by operating system.
• Provides an overview of the main players in both hardware and software, and how they will size up in the future.
• Demonstrates the effect of Apple’s entrance into the market, and why it's unlikely to dictate future growth.
• Gives insight into what technologies need to be worked on in order to incentivize future growth, the effects they will have on the market, and how they can be used.
• And much more.

Interested in getting the full report? Here are several ways to access it:

1. Subscribe to an All-Access pass to BI Intelligence and gain immediate access to this report and over 100 other expertly researched reports. As an added bonus, you'll also gain access to all future reports and daily newsletters to ensure you stay ahead of the curve and benefit personally and professionally. >>Learn More Now
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The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced its inductees for the class of 2017.

Tupac Shakur has made it onto the official Hall of Fame list, in a move that will signal that hip-hop has been further endorsed by the powers that be in the music industry. The Hall of Fame has previously inducted Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Run-D.M.C., the Beastie Boys, and, in 2016, N.W.A.

Others in the 2017 class include folk icon Joan Baez, the English rock band Electric Light Orchestra, the "Don't Stop Believin'" rock group Journey, and the grunge pioneers Pearl Jam.

Chic has once again been denied a spot in the Hall of Fame. While Chic guitarist Nile Rodgers has been honored with an Award for Musical Excellence (not voted on by the body's members), as Slate points out, the group's longtime absence is a point of contention.

"I'm happy but perplexed," Rodgers told Rolling Stone of the honor. "I feel like somebody put me in the lifeboat and told my family they can't get in."

Here's the full list of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2017 inductees:

Performer Category:

• Joan Baez

• Electric Light Orchestra

• Journey

• Pearl Jam

• Tupac Shakur

• Yes

Award for Musical Excellence:

• Nile Rodgers

SEE ALSO: RANKED: The 10 best movies of 2016

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NOW WATCH: Watch the explosive new trailer for the latest 'Planet of the Apes' film

Fox has dropped the first trailer for the "Alien: Covenant" movie, Ridley Scott's latest dive into the legendary sci-fi franchise he began back in 1979 with "Alien."

Set 10 years after the events of 2012's "Prometheus," "Alien: Covenant" is the second entry in a planned prequel "Alien" series and follows a new expedition to a colony planet where, as I'm sure you guessed, a crew member becomes infected by a creature who eventually kills much of the rest of the crew.

In this movie it looks like the heroine will be Katherine Waterston ("Fantastic Beats and Where to Find Them," "Inherent Vice"). She plays scientist Daniels and has the whole Sigourney Weaver vibe going from the original "Alien" films.

Business Insider got to see some footage of the movie at an event 20th Century Fox held before the holidays and (without giving anything away) "Alien" fans will certainly get the gory action they want want from the franchise. You also get a sense of that from the trailer. 

The movie also stars Michael Fassbender — who reprises his role of the android David from "Prometheus" — Billy Crudup, and Danny McBride (yes, the comedian known from "Eastbound & Down," and he elicits chuckles in this film, too).

Watch the first trailer below. "Alien: Covenant" will be in theaters May 2017.

SEE ALSO: The 22 most exciting new shows of 2017 you have to see

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NOW WATCH: Here are the 11 best memes of 2016

Netflix has around 10 original shows that beat the demand for anything put out by Amazon, Hulu, and other digital competitors, according to a new report.

Parrot Analytics, a company that estimates online demand for shows by tracking social chatter, file sharing, and (where available) streaming data, found that Netflix’s "Stranger Things" was by far the hottest digital original in the US in Q3.

The next ten shows also belonged to Netflix: "Orange Is the New Black," "The Get Down," "Narcos," "Marco Polo," "House of Cards," "Fuller House," "BoJack Horseman," "Marvel’s Jessica Jones," "Bloodline," and "Marvel’s Daredevil." Amazon original "The Man in the High Castle" snuck into 12th place, followed by Hulu’s "11.22.63."

Netflix also crushed it in other markets measured by Parrot. So did "Stranger Things," owning the top slot everywhere except for some reason in Russia, where "BoJack" was extremely popular.

Netflix's apparent dominance follows the company’s heavy investment in original content and stated goal of having that content account for 50% of its catalog.

Parrot is one of a few firms trying to gauge digital viewership, which streaming companies tend not to share publicly.

Here are the top 30 digital originals for the US in Q3:

It’s worth noting that syndicated shows are still hotter than digital originals. In Parrot’s November ranking of global demand for all shows, AMC’s "The Walking Dead" took first place, followed by HBO’s "Game of Thrones" and "Westworld." Netflix didn’t appear on the list until 24th place with "Black Mirror."

SEE ALSO: Netflix is getting so smart it's scary

DON'T MISS: America and Britain have pretty different tastes on Netflix

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NOW WATCH: The 7 best holiday movies on Netflix to watch this Christmas

With all the talk this year of the lack of originality in Hollywood, it turns out that sequels and standalone movies within existing franchises fueled the domestic box office to breaking a record it set last year. 

Ticket sales have hit the $11 billion mark for the second consecutive year, according to ComScore (as reported by Variety), and before the year is out the domestic box office total will hit $11.3 million, besting last year's record of $11.1 billion.

Last year it was Universal that carried the heavy load, as blockbusters like "Jurassic World," "Furious 7," and "Minions" made the studio the top earner domestically of 2015. And, of course, Disney's "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" gave the industry a year-end jolt of over $900 million domestically when it opened in mid-December.

In 2016, it was not just the assumed monster hits but overachievers that made for a record-breaking year. 

While "Finding Dory," "Captain America: Civil War," "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," and "Suicide Squad" all performed as expected (despite sour reviews for the two latter titles), "Deadpool" ($363 million in the US) "Zootopia" ($341 million), "The Secret Life of Pets" ($368 million), and "The Jungle Book" ($364 million) all exceeded studio projections that kept the industry on pace when it went through a rocky summer (ticket sales were down 10% from last year).   

And a "Star Wars" movie will again be the anchor to the finish line in 2016. "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" has made over $300 million domestically in just two weeks in theaters and is poised to beat out "Finding Dory" ($486 million) for the top domestic grosser before the year is out.

SEE ALSO: The 10 biggest box office bombs of 2016

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NOW WATCH: The 7 best holiday movies on Netflix to watch this Christmas

The power of "Game of Thrones" hasn't waned, for better or worse.

HBO can't be too happy about the news that its hit fantasy series is once again the most downloaded show on BitTorrent, which allows users to share files, according to the site TorrentFreak. It's the fifth year in a row that "Game of Thrones" has landed at the top of the list of illegally downloaded shows.

The pay cable network's new sci-fi offering "Westworld," meanwhile, has not only been a boon in traditional ratings — it's driving quite a lot of piracy, too.

Here are the most torrented TV shows worldwide in 2016 according to TorrentFreak:

SEE ALSO: The 22 most exciting new shows of 2017 you have to see

10. "The Grand Tour"

9. "Suits"

8. "Lucifer"

With an estimated net worth of $710 million, Dr. Dre is one of the wealthiest men in hip-hop. Only Diddy, with an estimated wealth of $735 million, is worth more.

According to Forbes, Dr. Dre earned a whopping $620 million before taxes in 2014, the biggest paycheck of any entertainer in history. 

Apple acquired Beats Music and Beats Electronics, the music company Dre started with Jimmy Iovine in 2008, for $3 billion in May 2014.

Considering it's been over two years since Dr. Dre cashed in on the Beats deal, we thought it'd be fun to take a look at the fabulously wealthy rapper and how he spends his millions. 

SEE ALSO: 17 incredibly useful Google products and services you didn't know existed

Dr. Dre, born Andre Romelle Young, has had a prolific rap career dating back to the 1980s. Through Aftermath, a division of Interscope, he helped launch the careers of both Eminem and 50 Cent.

Source: WSJ

Dre still does some performances from time to time. In 2012, he headlined Coachella with Snoop Dogg.

Dre married attorney Nicole Threatt in 1996. Together they have two young children: a son named Truice and a daughter named Truly.

Forbes named Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as the highest-paid actor in the world with $64.5 million earned in the past year.

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Carrie Fisher, the actress known around the world for playing Princess Leia in the "Star Wars" movies, has died at the age of 60.

Fisher recently suffered a heart attack while on a plane. She later died at a hospital, as People magazine first reported.

Family spokesman Simon Halls released a statement to media on behalf of Fisher's daughter, Billie Lourd.

"It is with a very deep sadness that Billie Lourd confirms that her beloved mother Carrie Fisher passed away at 8:55 this morning," said the statement, which was provided to Business Insider. "She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly. Our entire family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers."

Fisher, who is the daughter of singer Eddie Fisher and actress Debbie Reynolds, was also a screenwriter and author. Her semiautobiographical novel, "Postcards from the Edge," published in 1987, was later adapted by Fisher into a movie of the same title, which was directed by Mike Nichols and released by Columbia Pictures in 1990.

Among her other films were "The Blues Brothers," "When Harry Met Sally," and Woody Allen's "Hannah and Her Sisters." Fisher had been slated to reprise the role of Leia in two coming "Star Wars" movies. While filming has finished for "Episode VIII," it has not started for "Episode IX."

SEE ALSO: Here's everything we know about the next 'Star Wars' movie 'Episode VIII'

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NOW WATCH: Sony and Marvel just dropped the first new 'Spider-Man' trailer and it looks amazing

Warning: Spoilers ahead if you haven't seen "Rogue One."

As "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" continues to dominate the box office, more and more people are getting in on the conversation about one of the movie's characters.

Grand Moff Tarkin, the commander of the Death Star and one of the prominent villains in 1977's "Star Wars: A New Hope," is brought back to the screen in "Rogue One," thanks to advances in motion capture.

The actor who played Tarkin in "A New Hope," Peter Cushing, died in 1994. But the CGI wizards at Industrial Light & Magic created a digital version of the legendary actor so Tarkin could be featured in the movie — and not just in a one-shot cameo, but as a main figure of the Empire brass who are making the Death Star operational.

"If he's not in the movie, we're going to have to explain why he's not in the movie," Kiri Hart, a Lucasfilm story development executive and "Rogue One" coproducer, told The New York Times. "This is kind of his thing."

Lucasfilm cast the English actor Guy Henry to play Tarkin during principal photography of "Rogue One." He wore motion-capture materials on his head so it could be replaced by a computer-generated version of Cushing's head in postproduction.

John Knoll, the chief creative officer of ILM and visual effects supervisor on "Rogue One," told The Times that the process was "a super high-tech and labor-intensive version of doing makeup."

This included paying attention to how Cushing was lit in "A New Hope," since the lighting was different than in "Rogue One." Adjustments had to be made so the CG Tarkin would fit in with the other characters. And the animators at ILM also had to pay attention to small details like how Cushing's lips would move when saying certain words. They would then mimic those movements for the character in "Rogue One."

According to Knoll, if the CG Tarkin didn't work while developing, the backup plan was to make the character a hologram for some scenes or transfer his dialogue to another character.

Though Lucasfilm got the approval of Cushing's estate before creating him in CGI form, critics and "Star Wars" die-hards have flooded the internet questioning the ethics of bringing Cushing back.

Knoll said he was aware of the "slippery slope argument."

"It is extremely labor-intensive and expensive to do. I don't imagine anybody engaging in this kind of thing in a casual manner," he said. "We're not planning on doing this digital re-creation extensively from now on. It just made sense for this particular movie."

SEE ALSO: How this scene-stealing character from "Rogue One" was created

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NOW WATCH: The 7 best holiday movies on Netflix to watch this Christmas

The INSIDER Summary:

• Netflix's show "The OA" has a transgender character named Buck. 
• The creators said it was important to cast a transgender teen actor.
• Casting calls were put out on internet chat rooms and forums to find the perfect actor: Ian Alexander.

"The OA" is Netflix's newest and weirdest (in the best way) sci-fi series. The show follows a woman who calls herself the OA and a ragtag group of five people she recruits to help on a mission. The group consists of four teen boys — Steve, Jesse, Alfonso, and Buck — along with one of their high school teachers named Betty Broderick-Allen (BBA).

Though each of the boys has their own distinct story of struggling with finding a place in a broken world, Buck's story as a transgender teen whose father rejects his identity and needs to resort to illegally purchasing testosterone is heartbreaking in its own way.

Ian Alexander — a transgender teen himself — is the young actor who played Buck. In a recent interview with Vulture's Charles Bramesco, "The OA" co-creator and star Brit Marling (who plays OA herself) spoke about the search to find the perfect Buck and how Ian landed the gig. 

"We'd always written the character as a 14-year-old transgender F-to-M Asian-American, and when we gave our casting director Avy Kaufman that description, she said, 'We might not be able to find this person, so what are you flexible on?'" Marling told Vulture. "We told her we weren't flexible, so she finally took to the internet and posted some casting notices on various trans chat rooms and groups, and audition tapes came flooding in."

This insistence from Marling and her co-creator Zal Batmanglij to have a transgender actor portray a fictional transgender character is an important choice. Movies and television shows too often hire non-LGBTQ actors when these roles (which themselves are rare) come along.

But going the extra distance and using less conventional casting methods paid off. Fans are taking notice of the deliberate inclusion, and Ian himself is brilliant in the show. 

Buck is a nuanced character and vital part of OA's chosen five. When others' faith in OA falters, Buck is the one who quietly defends her. When it comes to Alfonso/French hesitating to stick around and risk his scholarship, Buck tells Steve to stop using the house as a drug den — sacrificing his own supply to testosterone as a result. And when French finds the suspicious books in OA's house, Buck is the only one who decides to keep one (the book about angels) as a token of their time together. He is shy but strong and compassionate and fearless all at once — a personality in direct opposition to the other main boy, Steve. 

"[Ian's] tape was brilliant," Marling told Vulture. "He told us, 'I'm having a really hard time in school, because I wanted to act but it's not like the plays that are done in high school have roles that describe a person like me. You can't imagine what it was like to go online and see a posting for a Netflix show that describes me.' We got really lucky."

Ian shot the audition tape on his phone and sent it off, much to the surprise of his parents.

"[Ian] had shot his with his iPhone in his bathroom and uploaded it all without his parents knowing," Marling said. "Out of nowhere, his parents get a phone call that Netflix wants to cast their son! They're like, 'What?'"

You can read the full interview with Marling on Vulture.

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NOW WATCH: Donald Trump's 'strange' morning habit tells you everything you need to know about him

Actress Carrie Fisher died on Tuesday and left behind an incredible career both in front of and behind the camera.

Best known for playing Princess Leia in the "Star Wars" movies, she also grew up in the business, as she was the daughter of singer Eddie Fisher and actress Debbie Reynolds. 

Fisher died in a hospital after suffering a heart attack on a plane at the age of 60, and leaves behind her mother and daughter, Billie Lourd.

While she went on to become a superstar thanks to "Star Wars," she also had memorable performances in other movies like "The Blues Brothers" and "When Harry Met Sally."

And then there was her writing, which led to her publishing best-selling novels and becoming one of Hollywood's go-to "script doctors" in the 1990s and 2000s.

That's not to mention her hilarious quips and fearlessness about tackling life's difficult subjects, including mental illness and addiction. Fisher earned her legendary status.

Here's a look back on the amazing life and career of Carrie Fisher:

SEE ALSO: RANKED: The 10 best movies of 2016

Carrie Fisher was born on October 21, 1956 and was instantly thrust into the Hollywood culture as her parents were singer Eddie Fisher and actress Debbie Reynolds.

Fisher's first taste of acting was at 15 when she played a debutante in the Broadway revival of "Irene" in 1973, which starred her mother.

In 1975 she landed her first movie role in "Shampoo," starring Warren Beatty.

The entertainment industry relies on an "it" factor for the stars who sell its product that is stubbornly hard to quantify. You can have it overnight, and lose it just as easily.

Movie stars' realiability at the box office has faded in recent years, and the traditional label system is no longer the only path to superstardom for a musician.

In Business Insider's second annual list of the most powerful entertainment stars right now, we look at who has best proven their might in the past year. They're not just the highest-earning, but the most visible, the most talked-about, the most respected, the most valued, and the most in-demand at our current moment.

Our No. 1, Beyoncé, proved once again that the old rules don't apply, and she's more than able to keep the masses interested in her every move, whether that's a politically charged "visual album" or the carefully curated way she presents herself online. No celebrity is more in touch with how to engage their audience in 2016. (Though our No. 2 is certainly hustling just as hard.)

Here are the 20 most powerful stars in Hollywood in 2016, ranked:

SEE ALSO: The 10 biggest box-office bombs of 2016

20. Margot Robbie

In 2016 Robbie went from “it” girl to being a bona fide box-office draw in her own right. The main reason is her bringing beloved DC Comics character Harley Quinn to the big screen in “Suicide Squad,” and coming out of it as everyone's favorite. Though the movie split fans, her twisted performance was universally praised — and just about every girl wanted the costume. She’s now prepping for her own Harley Quinn spin-off movie and another feature in which she plays disgraced skater Tonya Harding.

19. Adam Driver

After wowing us last year as the conflicted Kylo Ren in “The Force Awakens,” Driver showed his diversity this year with three very different roles. A scientist looking for answers in “Midnight Special,” a bus driver who loves to write poetry in “Paterson,” and a priest trying to teach Christianity in 1600s Japan. There’s no question Driver is building an impressive filmography and making himelf a household name in the process.

18. Millie Bobby Brown

The 12-year-old went from virtual unknown to one of the most recognized faces in 2016 thanks to her breakout performance as the Eggo-eating Eleven in Netflix’s hit “Stranger Things.” With a sinister look and shaved hair, we couldn’t turn away whenever Brown showed up on the screen. We can’t wait to see where she takes Eleven in season two of the show.

With 2017 right around the corner, it’s time to check out what’s coming to your favorite streaming service.

There’s the thriller “The Girl on the Train” on iTunes, you can watch Carrie Fisher try to destroy John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd in “The Blues Brothers" on HBO Go, or watch all the “Lethal Weapon” movies on Hulu.

Below are all the titles that will be available, and we've gone ahead and highlighted some in bold we think you should definitely check out.

SEE ALSO: Here are the 10 most pirated TV shows in 2016

iTunes

Available January 3

“The Girl on the Train”
“Operation Avalanche” 
“Kevin Hart: What Now?” 
“Max Steel” 
“Bob the Builder: Building Fun at the Zoo”
“Tower”

Available January 6
 
“Arsenal” (same day as theaters) 
“Between Us” (same day as theaters) 

Available January 10

“Christine” 
“Pinocchio” 
“Queen of Katwe” 
“Barney Playground” 
“I’m Not Ashamed” 
“An Act of Love” 
“Ouija: Origin of Evil”

Available January 13
 
“Alone in Berlin” (same day as theaters) 

Available January 17

“Jack Reacher: Never Go Back” 
“Roger Corman's Death Race 2050”

Available January 20
 
“Detour” (same day as theaters) 

Available January 24

“American Pastoral”  
“Loving” 
“Almost Christmas” 
“Desierto”
“The Handmaiden” 
“The Light Between Oceans” 
“Miss Saigon: 25th Anniversary Performance”  
“The Hangman: Shepherds and Butchers”

Available January 27
 
“I Am Michael” (same day as theaters) 

Available January 31

“Arrival” 
“Bleed for This”
“The Edge of Seventeen”  
“Priceless” 
“Miss Hokusai” 
“Tyler Perry's Boo Madea Halloween” 

Amazon Prime

Available January 1

“Blood Diamond” 
“13 Hours: Secret soldiers of Benghazi”                                                             
“Across the Universe” 
“Happy Feet”  
“Rent”
“Hellboy”
“Radio”
“Stardust 2007”
“American History X”  
“Norm of the North” 
“Are We There Yet” 
“Are We Done Yet” 
“Maid in Manhattan”

Available January 3

“The Girl on the Train”
“She’s All That”

Available January 4

“Bones” (Season 12)

Available January 5

“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Season 12)

Available January 7

“Sleepy Hollow” (Season 4)

Available January 9

“The Infiltrator 2016”
“We’re Going on a Bear Hunt” (Season 1)

Available January 10

“Ouija: Origin of Evil”
“Deepwater Horizon”   
“The Accountant”

Available January 13

“Sneaky Pete” (AMAZON ORIGINAL, Season 1) 
“Just Add Magic” (AMAZON ORIGINAL, Season 2)

Available January 15

“Young Pope” (Season 1 premiere)

Available January 17

“Red Rock” (Season 2)
“The A-Word” (Season 1)

Available January 22

“Where to Invade Next”

Available January 23

“The Choice”

Available January 24

“Inferno”

Available January 26

“America Divided” (Season 1)

Available January 27

“Z: The Beginning of Everything” (AMAZON ORIGINAL, Season 1)
“Dirty Grandpa”

Available January 29

“Mercy Street” (Season 2)
“Black Sails” (Season 4)

Available January 30

“Swiss Army Man”

HBO Go/Now

Available January 1

“Above the Law”
“Baby Mama”
“Beautiful Creatures”
“The Big Lebowski”
“The Blues Brothers”
“Blues Brothers 2000”
“Bringing out the Dead”
“The Cell”
“Cloud Atlas”
“Cold Mountain”
“Dallas Buyers Club”
“Dr. Suess’ Horton Hears a Who!”
“Evil Dead 2”
“Fool’s Gold”
“Forgetting Sarah Marshall”
“Friday”
“The Happening”
“Innerspace”
“Lady in the Water”
“Lost & Found”
“Mad Max: Fury Road”
“My Cousin Vinny”
“Risky Business”
“The Road Warrior”
“The Sixth Sense”
“Steel”
“Unbreakable”
“The Village”

Available January 7

“Demolition”


Available January 8

“Genius”


Available January 13

“The Visit”


Available January 14

“Now You See Me 2”

Available January 15

“The Young Pope” (Series Premiere)


Available January 21

“The Boss” (Extended Cut)
“Real Time with Bill Maher” (2017 premiere)

Available January 23

“Beware the Slenderman”


Available January 28

“The Nice Guys”

Available January 30

“Becoming Warren Buffett”

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An overwhelming 90% of US consumers think watching videos in a 360-degree format makes for an improved viewing experience, according to a survey commissioned by Nikon.

While the survey coincides with Nikon’s launch of its own 360-degree camera, it was conducted by third-party firm Wakefield Research. Most importantly, the survey highlights the types of content US consumers want to watch, and the personal experiences they’d like to record in 360:

• Consumers think sports and travel content would be better in 360. According to the survey, 60% of US consumers think that professional sports and travel content in a 360-degree format would be better than traditional viewing. This is followed by entertainment at 55% and movies at 39%. Meanwhile, consumers are less interested in news and TV shows in 360, both of which came in at around 30%. For content producers, this means that sports and travel content should be favored in 360-degree production strategies, as advertisers will likely spend more on these categories.    
• In terms of consumer-created content, vacations bode well for 360-degree video. Sixty-percent of US consumers indicated they would record 360-degree photos and videos while on vacation and traveling. Family moments and milestone events were the next two popular use cases for personal 360-degree content, with 53% and 45% respectively indicating they’d record those moments.

Although US consumers are becoming more aware and interested in 360-degree content, there are still several hurdles to mainstream adoption of the hardware. Only 25% of consumers have used a 360-degree camera, but 72% are interested in using one, suggesting room for growth in the hardware space. One hurdle is the price tag, as a decent 360-degree camera typically costs over $300, according to various review sites.

With smartphone cameras improving at each device iteration, it may be difficult for consumers to justify paying for and carrying a separate device. 360-degree consumption will precede creation for US consumers, but the travel category seems to be the winner in either case.

The virtual reality (VR) market has made significant strides throughout 2016.

New VR headsets like the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive debuted amid great consumer anticipation, while VR content launches kept pace, with Batman: Arkham VR and Chair In A Room garnering encouraging download totals.

At the same time, industry groups and conferences brought developers, investors, and content producers together, helping to further ramp up buzz in this nascent space.   

BI Intelligence, Business Insider’s premium research service, forecasts shipments of VR headsets to spike by 1047% year-over-year (YoY) to 8.2 million in 2016. This growth will help propel the virtual reality space to exceed $1 billion in revenue for the first time, according to research by Deloitte. Powering that growth is an estimated 271% increase in investment in AR (augmented reality) and VR companies from 2015, according to estimates from CB Insights.

But while 2016 has indeed been an important year for the VR market, it hasn’t necessarily been a big one — at least not compared to its future growth potential.

VR headset shipments will continue to grow in the years ahead, driven by the introduction of new content that will appeal to a broad swath of users. 

Jessica Smith, research analyst for BI Intelligence, has compiled a detailed report on virtual reality that explores the highly fragmented and volatile VR market that emerged in 2016, lays out the future growth potential in numerous key VR hardware categories as driven by major VR platforms, and examines consumer sentiment and developer excitement for VR, presenting which headset categories and platforms are most poised for success in the near- to mid-term.

Here are some key takeaways from the report:

• This has been an important foundational year for the VR market. New hardware and content have brought more options to market to appeal to a wider set of consumers. 
• But the growth seen this year is merely a foreshadowing of the future. The highly fragmented VR market today will eventually narrow as the market grows and matures.
• After considerable progress in 2016, the VR market is ripe for transformation in 2017. Developers, consumers, investors, and hardware makers have a host of options from which to choose, each with their own strengths and shortcomings.
• The environment is poised for the first killer VR app to hit the market sometime in 2017, which will be a major catalyst for consumer adoption of VR hardware.
• Not all headset categories and platforms will emerge as winners in the near future. More immersive headsets that offer the best VR experiences are too expensive for most consumers. Alternately, affordable headsets that rely on smartphones as processors offer sub-par experiences that can induce sickness.

In full, the report:

• Identifies the major players in today's VR hardware and platform markets.
• Estimates future growth of each of the major VR categories.
• Explores barriers to mass market consumer adoption for each of the VR hardware categories.
• Considers how developer sentiment is driving the growth of various platforms. 
• Assesses how the market will shake out over the next five years in terms of size and the success of various VR hardware categories. 

Interested in getting the full report? Here are two ways to access it:

1. Subscribe to an All-Access pass to BI Intelligence and gain immediate access to this report and over 100 other expertly researched reports. As an added bonus, you'll also gain access to all future reports and daily newsletters to ensure you stay ahead of the curve and benefit personally and professionally. »START A MEMBERSHIP
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It's that time of year — the time to look back and reflect on the roller coaster of 2016. But we're here to peer back into a place known for celebrating the oddities of the internet. We're talking, of course, about Imgur. 

Imgur is self-described as "the internet's super entertaining image sharing community site and app used by 150 million people monthly around the world." We asked Imgur to round up some of the best images and GIFs that made the people think "WTF?!" this year, because who doesn't need a little more weird in their 2016?

Let's dive into the weirdness.

With over 2.5 million views on Imgur, this GIF submitted with the simple title of "seals with guns" speaks for itself.

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This is a WTF album worth scrolling through (if you dare). Deep sea creatures are more horrifying than you'd imagine.

The images are taken from a Russian deep-sea fisherman who has been posting his finds on Twitter.

Okay here's where things get a little more gross. This Imgurian posted photos of medical scans of a woman's body allegedly occupied by hundreds of worms.

A behind-the-scenes look at "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" was released by Lucasfilm earlier this year at the annual "Star Wars Celebration" event. It showed new scenes and the camera work that went in to creating some of the most incredible shots from the upcoming film that hits theaters on December 16.

In the video, actress Felicity Jones who plays Jyn Erso explained what it was like to film, "Your heart's beating and you're actually in this situation [...] You get something very genuine that you couldn't have planned."

The film tells the story of a group of rebels on a mission to steal plans for the Empire's Death Star. Here are some shots from filming without any special effects added in.

Nina Godlewski contributed to an earlier version of this post.

In this shot featuring Scarif Stormtroopers, the blue screen is visible in the background.

The rain blowing off of Jones in this shot is being forced back thanks to a burst of air, not special effects.

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This large structure looks like it could be part of a ship in the new film, suspended near a screen.

Scarlett Johansson has been named the top-grossing actor of 2016, having brought in $1.2 billion in global ticket sales, according to Forbes. And it's the ensemble titles that got her there — namely, "Captain America: Civil War."

Playing the character Black Widow in the latest Avengers movie by Marvel, "Civil War" earned over $1.15 billion at the global box office. She also starred this year in the Coen brothers' latest, "Hail, Caesar!" Though that only took in $63 million worldwide, it was enough to edge her past her two "Civil War" costars, Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr., who both tied for second with $1.15 billion. 

In fact, if Forbes counted animated movies on this list (that's why Dwayne Johnson isn't listed below, as most of his box office coin this year came from Disney's "Moana"), Johansson's 2016 earnings would be substantially larger, as she voiced characters in "The Jungle Book" (which took in over $966 million worldwide) and "Sing" (which has already made over $100 million worldwide in just two weeks in theaters).

But those figures will just be added to Johansson's already huge lead as the highest-grossing actress of all time.

Some of this you have to take with a grain of salt. Johansson was not the top billing on "Civil War," and she's barely in "Hail, Caesar!" But if there's one thing that's certain, she has a knack for choosing money-making projects. 

Here are the top 10 highest-grossing actors of 2016: 

1. Scarlett Johansson ($1.2 billion)
2 (tie). Chris Evans ($1.15 billion)
2 (tie). Robert Downey Jr. ($1.15 billion)
4. Margot Robbie ($1.1 billion)
5. Amy Adams ($1.04 billion)
6. Ben Affleck ($1.02 billion)
7. Henry Cavill ($870 million)
8. Ryan Reynolds ($820 million)
9. Felicity Jones ($805 million)
10. Will Smith ($775 million)

SEE ALSO: THE A-LIST: The 20 most powerful stars in Hollywood right now

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NOW WATCH: Here are the 11 best memes of 2016

Next year is going to be a huge year at the box office for blockbusters. Not only will theaters be flooded with mega franchise sequels, but they will also be home to another big year for superheroes. 

Warner Bros. will kick off and end the year with movies featuring two very different Dark Knights. Marvel will have four movies between studios Disney, Fox, and Sony Pictures. Lionsgate will also try to reboot a blast from the past ahead of the summer movie onslaught.

Keep reading to see all of the heroes coming to theaters this year.

Warner Bros. will kick the year off with the Batman movie we didn't know we'd need: "The LEGO Batman Movie."

The movie's a spinoff of "The LEGO Movie," and will feature the tiny Caped Crusader (Will Arnett) teaming up with Robin (Michael Cera) and Batgirl (Rosario Dawson).

They'll be going up against the Joker (Zach Galifianakis), Harley Quinn, and a ton of other villains from Batman's rogue's gallery.

The INSIDER Summary:

• Reddit user Ihaveanotheridentity held an AMA about what it's like to work at a Disney park.
• He revealed that there are cast member cliques and secret tunnels beneath the parks.
• There are also strict rules of conduct for the people playing your favorite characters.

Reddit user Ihaveanotheridentity warned those who wanted to preserve the Disney magic to avoid his AMA. Having worked at Disney World for over 20 years, he's seen the good, the bad, and the ugly of the happiest place on Earth.

In between sharing heartwarming stories and lamenting how corporate he says Disney has become compared to the good old days, he dropped some pretty fascinating facts about the parks that only someone with insider knowledge could share.

Here are 9 behind-the-scenes secrets straight from the underbelly of the Disney parks.

Disney World is actually the second floor of a massive system of underground tunnels.

"Its full name is the Utilidor," he said. "It's a series of corridors that allow cast members to work behind the scenes and not disrupt the show on-stage. It's actually kind of boring in some places and it's creepy in others. That being said there are some aspects that are unique. The Automatic Vacuum Assisted Collection System is a series of tubes that connect all of the restaurants to the central dump that's behind Splash Mountain. That way the smelly trash can travel secretly below without people seeing it. 7 of the old attractions (like It's a Small World and the Country Bear Jamboree) are still run from the Utilidor. In addition, there are 2 restaurants, a barber shop and offices down there."

There’s a "Disney jail" for disruptive guests.

“It's just a room over the candy shop on main street," Ihaveanotheridentity said. "There's an officer back there that takes people to the local jail on 33rd street in Orlando.”

Characters are cliquey, and there's a hierarchy with "cool" characters at the top.

"Some of the break rooms are like the high school cafeteria where the 'cool' princesses (Elsa and Anna) sit on one side and make eyes at the 'old' characters (Snow and Poppins)," he said. "It's really childish."