Adventure Time, Clarence, Venture Bros and many more officially headed to Hulu in May

It’s all thanks to Hulu that I’m now the #1 fan of Bob’s Burgers. The video on-demand service is an integral part of my daily watching habits, helping me to discover shows — like the aforementioned Bob’s Burgers — I might have otherwise passed up on regular broadcast television.

If you’re a fan of animation, Hulu just inked a deal with Turner Broadcasting which, aside from bringing TNT and TBS titles to its library, also adds shows from Cartoon Network and Adult Swim. We’re officially freaking out now.

This means shows like Adventure Time, Clarence, Venture Bros., and Robot Chicken can all be streamed exclusively on Hulu, as well as other hit shows like The Last Ship or Murder in the First. Blah, blah… ADVENTURE FREAKIN TIME.

Another cool bit of news is shows from Cartoon Network will be found on the Hulu Kids environment and available to stream ad-free. The shows will officially make their way to Hulu on May 1st. Excited yet?

Hulu (Playboard) | Hulu (Play Store)

[Hulu]

Andy Rubin launches Playground Global, joins up with Redpoint as a venture partner

Google’s Andy Rubin — the Godfather of Android — made headlines nearly 2 years ago when he stepped down as head of Android to build, what else, but actual androids inside Google’s top secret X Labs. It wasn’t until nearly a full year later we learned he was leaving Google altogether, looking to spread his wings and create an “incubator” for hardware-based startups.

Today, The Wall Street Journal is reporting that, after raising million from investors that include Google, Hewlett-Packard Co., and others, Mr. Rubin has officially launched Playground Global LLC. As previously reported, his new company will provide support for tech startups and entrepreneurs, handling the business aspects (distribution, manufacturing, financing, etc.), so inventors can focus on building their new gadgets while Rubin and Playground Global handle the rest. Mr. Rubin describes Playground Global as a “studio,” saying in an interview:

“Our aim is to free the creators to create by bringing these partners to the table we can remove many of the roadblocks of bringing a great idea to market.”

But that’s not all, Rubin is also joining up with investment firm Redpoint, as a venture partner evaluating and backing companies with great ideas. Sounds like he’s got his bases covered. There’s a lengthy press release over on Redpoint’s site for those who are interested. It’s a great read and highlights Rubin’s history and achievements.

 

Google announces Sidewalk Labs, their latest venture to help improve life for city dwellers

When they aren’t focused on bringing internet to the farthest reaches of the globe, or building robots and self-driving cars, Google is thinking of new problems to take on. Their latest venture is a startup called Sidewalk Labs and according to Google, it looks to improve city living by introducing new technologies to improve things like affordable housing, public transportation, pollution — basically anything and everything that irks city dwellers. Here’s a short blurb about Sidewalk Labs taken from their new webpage:

“We’re on the brink of a historic period for cities around the world. By 2050, the population in cities will double, intensifying existing socioeconomic, public health and environmental problems.

At the same time, innovations in technology can be used to design communities that are more efficient, responsive and resilient. Sidewalk Labs aims to foster the development of technology products, platforms and infrastructure that help improve life in cities around the world.”

The company — which Google calls a “modest investment — will be headed by Dan Doctoroff, Deputy Mayor of Economic Development and Rebuilding for the City of New York. Oh, and he just also happens to be the former CEO of Bloomberg. Like Google X and Calico, Google says Sidewalk Labs is another one of the company’s “10X bets.” Google’s Larry Page says he believes there are endless opportunities to improve life in urban environments while using technology to make make cities more “livable, flexible and vibrant.” You can find the full press release here.

[Google+]