| Apple explores scripted TV and movies, Amazon builds out its TV business and Google primes the pump for future immersive content. All that and more in The Daily Crunch for January 12, 2017. And sign me up for any startup that wants to make air travel faster. 1. Apple could create the next Westworld Apple is apparently getting in on the game of making serious content – not weird featurettes designed to promote Apple Music, like Carpool Karaoke, but actual meaty content like Game of Thrones and Westworld. This could be great, provided it actually takes the time and makes the investment to make it happen. It could also help Apple TV regain some excitement. There's a lot of risk involved in bringing great original content to air, however, so even if this goes forward, there's no guarantee it'll turn out well. 
2. Amazon's new Anime channel could presage its move to be a true TV power Amazon's now making its own channels tailored to specific genres, and that should have traditional TV providers very worried. An a la carte VOD TV offering from Amazon could do very well, even if TV providers are starting to wise up to the streaming revolution. 3. Google's Toontastic gives kids 3D storytelling powers Want to get a new generation of kids ready to create 3D content down the road? Google probably does, as do other platform operators exploring VR and AR. Google launched an update to acquisition Launchpad Toy's Toontastic app for iOS that now incorporates 3D storytelling with simplified animation and voiceover. We'll have amazing 3D narrative content to enjoy in mixed reality 20 years down the road. 4. Opera's Neon is a novel take on the boring old web browser Web browsers seem like fairly all-trod territory, but Opera's new Neon browser for Windows and Mac does things differently trying out a bunch of unique concepts in a veritable web tech playground. If you need to shake up your internet interaction paradigms, take this for a run – but don't expect it to be an everyday workhorse. 5. HTC's new smartphone might be its last HTC has a new smartphone, with an onboard AI assistant, and a weird small screen at the top. This isn't going to work, HTC, sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Hopefully this means the company hangs up the cell phone game and focuses on the long-term value in the VR market, like it should. 6. Xiaomi isn't saying anything about annual sales figures anymore Welp, Xiaomi's transformation from world-breaker to ok gadget company is nearly complete: The Chinese smartphone and accessory maker says it won't be sharing its 2016 sales numbers, and admitted it grew "too fast" and emphasized those metrics too much early on. If you can't talk the talk... just focus on building things? 7. This startup is showing off its new supersonic passenger jet It's just a test jet for now, but it looks awesome. The official vehicle was unveiled today, and the goal is to run tests beginning at the end of this year. The dream of the Concorde lives on. | 
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