Filed under: MISC
Check out Steve Job’s keynote address from this week’s WWDC in San Francisco (6/11 - 6/15). I must tell you, Steve Jobs knows how to put on one hell of a presentation. We could all afford to take a few notes on his presentation skills.
Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE
BROADCAST/CABLE
NBC Universal says it expects a new online video venture it is building with News Corp. to launch in September. The two companies announced the project in March. The yet-to-be-named Web video site aims to compete with Google’s YouTube and other online video outlets. (http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN1449335520070614 6/14)
Viacom’s Nickelodeon has signed a deal with Sony Music Label Group and Sony BMG Commercial Music Group to jointly develop, finance and produce TV and music projects. The partnership runs the gamut from TV series and movies on Nickelodeon to record releases, and it could include apparel and electronics at some point during the four-year deal. (Forbes/Associated Press 6/14)
Despite creating some of the hit shows that helped make cable part of viewers’ daily diet, Sony Pitcures Television wasn’t able to capitalize on the advertising revenues that some of its rivals were able to rake in. Sony, determined not to let history repeat itself on the Internet, is launching its own broadband channel called the Minisode Network, which will be on MySpace and feature shows from Sony’s library that are sponsored by national advertisers. (The Wall Street Journal 6/15)
Comcast entered the wonderful world of Second Life with “Comcast Island,” a virtual theme park with attractions designed to highlight the speed of its cable modem product. Users can take their avatars on a race track, a jet ski or a jet pack course. The Comcastic Island Entertainment Center will feature concert performances from virtual and real-world artists. (http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6452267.html 6/14)
Comcast will pass the cost of deploying set-top boxes with CableCards to both new and existing customers. Comcast will deploy CableCard-based set-top boxes in order to meet the FCC’s July 1 integration ban. According to NCTA, the CableCard set-top boxes could result in additional monthly lease charges of $2 to $3. (Multichannel News 6/14)
Clearwire, DirecTV and Echostar have announced an agreement that will add to each company’s bundle of services. Clearwire will be able to offer the video services of either DirecTV or EchoStar to its customers, while the two satellite providers can provide Clearwire’s Internet and phone services in a bundle to their subscribers. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer 6/14, The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires 6/14, The Seattle Times 6/15)
Filed under: ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
CNN is bringing the political process to the YouTube generation. The network began soliciting video questions on the video sharing site, a selection of which will be put to the candidates by Anderson Cooper during live debates to be telecast on CNN July 23 (for Democrats) and September 17 (for Republicans). In addition to the live telecasts, the debates will appear on CNN’s multiple platforms, including CNN.com, CNN International, CNN en Espanol, CNN Radio and CNN Airport Network. The questions will be selected by CNN’s editorial staff rather than YouTube’s users, so the candidates won’t know what’s coming beforehand. In the meantime, CNN has tried to jazz up its online election headquarters to appeal to a younger demo. (The Hollywood Reporter 6/15)
Modeling agency Ford Models Inc. is using MySpace to recruit new talent for its annual “Ford Models Supermodel of the World” competition. A profile page will solicit videos and photos as well as feature editorials and blogs from professional Ford models, artists, photographers and agents. The profile and competition launch in July.
Last Year’s Winner
MySpace has become a target for phishing, according to a recent analysis by Google’s “Anti-Phishing Team. Phishing, a web 2.0 word for acquiring sensitive information fraudulently online, is traditionally done to acquire financial details such as credit card account numbers or bank account info. Phishers are apparently preying on MySpace members to spread bulletin board spam attached to advertising revenue. Ninety-five percent of all new phishing traffic measured since mid-March targeted MySpace, according to the Google security blog posting.
Based on the MTV series “My Super Sweet 16,” the new Web site at MySuperSweet16.com aims to serve as an online community for girls planning their seminal event. It is the fourth “stand-along” Web site that MTV has launched as a vertical extension of the network’s on-air programming. (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3ic5575a8c4f61aadd0041c8945b9a599a 6/15)
ESPN.com announced content and cross-promotional deals with three college websites: University of Florida’s GatorCountry.com, University of Oklahoma’s OUInsider.com and USC’s WeAreSC.com. The sites will incorporate ESPN.com’s player ratings and other analysis, and premium subscribers will gain free access to ESPN.com’s ESPN Insider service. In exchange, the schools will syndicate content and video on ESPN.com.
Sundancechannel.com premieres Isabella Rossellini’s Oh La La Shot today, the final chapter of the 10-part The Art of Seduction Series. The short film, shot on the streets of Paris, will be available on mobile via Helio in July and will also air on Sundance Channel this fall.
Music social network Bebo hired digital fingerprinting specialist Audible Magic to help identify and remove unauthorized copyrighted content from the site as it gears up to integrate with iTunes. Bebo is determined to create a hub for artists to promote and sell their music without the concern of lost revenue due to piracy. Audible Magic is also working with MySpace, Grouper, Break.com and others.
Michael Eisner-backed video sharing site Veoh Networks raised an additional $26 million in its third round of financing. The company has raised more venture capital (around $40 million) than any other online video sharing site yet including YouTube, according to private equity forum PEHub.
Second Life added voice options to its beta user grid, meaning it is getting closer to adding full-fledged voice functionality to its virtual world. Users will be able to chat, make one-on-one calls and choose game options via microphone.
Unilever launched a new animated web series to promote its I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! and Wish-Bone spray brands. Viewers are left with a cliffhanger at the end of each webisode and asked to vote on its outcome for a chance to win gift cards and a shopping spree. The five-episode series will be promoted on Bravo, VH1 and E! as well as on celebrity gossip blogs such as PerezHilton and PopSugar.
Series Title: Sprays in the City - Sound like another popular TV series to you?
I like the fact that advertisers are trying to build their own online content but they must realize that it’s not simply about getting anything out there; the content must be quality content to begin with. This little animated series gets the thumbs down from me.
Google site users accounted for 16.7% of all video streaming initiated in March, according to comScore’s latest Video Metrix ratings, with YouTube making up the lions share with 53.5 million unique users initiating 1.1 billion streams. Yahoo! sites were second with 6.2% of the traffic, followed by Fox Interactive Media (6%), Viacom Digital (3.7%) and Time Warner Network (3.2%). And video streaming isn’t just for kids anymore. Five out of every seven U.S. Internet users (71.4 percent) streamed video online in March, according to comScore.
A congressional proposal that would let bloggers protect confidential sources in some cases raises “national security” concerns, says Justice Department official Rachel Brand. The definition of journalist is “so broad” that it includes “anyone who wants to post something to the Web.” (http://news.com.com/Bush+administration+attacks+shield+for+bloggers/2100-1028_3-6191053.html 6/14)
Filed under: WIRELESS
WIRELESS
Sony Ericsson has released four new cell phones, including two additions to the company’s Walkman line of mobile devices. The W960 Walkman and W910 Walkman slider will join the Z320 and K850 camera phones. (The Washington Post/Reuters 6/15)
Filed under: GAMING
GAMING
Sony’s Chairman and CEO, Sir Howard Stringer, has acknowledged that his company is looking into a possible PS3 price cut before Christmas in order to compete with Nintendo’s cheaper Wii console. Stringer said that Christmas would also bring some breakout games for PS3 and that developers were still learning how to take advantage of the system’s full processing power. Some analysts expect Sony to drop the price of their $600 PS3 by $100 by the end of the year, if not sooner. (GameDaily BIZ 6/14)
