Smartphonesand tabletshave forever customizable interfaces,but sadlywe’re customarily strandedatthe forgivenessof remote controlsthathaveno recognitionof contextwhenwe watch TV.It lookslike Dishis perplexingto shiftthat—the associationhasjust non-stop upthe APIsforits Hopper commercial-skipping DVR heightto“select” mobile app developers. Essentially,this equates tothatsome third-party app devswillbeableto built controlsforthe Hopperrightintotheir apps, something Dishis anticipatingwillmakethe rapidly-proliferating“second screen” app citation some-more utilitarianforits customers. Imagineyou’rean MLB junky, flipping in between opposite gamesand gripping upwith stats regulatingthe central MLB app—that routinecouldget the lot simplerifyouwereableto carry outyour TV but even carryingto leavethe app,tosay zeroof carryingto collect uptheold remote.

Dish’s initial partneris Thuuz Sports,an appfor Androidand iOS;it alerts usersto sporting eventstheymight wishto balanceinto regulatingsome real-time analyticsand“social monitoring.”Withthenew Hopper integration, userswillbeableto burstrighttothe games Thuuz alerts usersto,andtheycanalso jot down liveor destiny eventswith the singular tap.It’snot utterlythe context-aware, helpful,and utterly integrated remote knowledgethatwe’reall seekingfor,butit’s the stepinthat direction.While Dish isn’t utterly opening upits APIs— intensity developerswillbe vetted formedontheir capabilityto keep patron interpretation private,amongother considerations—we’re anticipatingthatthe third-party app villagecanstartmaking some-more utilitarian second-screen apps prior to long.We’realso anticipatingthat some-more wire companiesand set-top box makers follow Dish’s lead.