Daily Marauder

DROP IT LIKE ITS NOT HOT: NOKIA N810

Introducing the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet. . .featuring a photo backstage at this year’s Grammys.

Surf the internet, check your e-mail, watch videos, listen to music, find your way to the next “it” restaurant with a GPS-enabled map, this little gadget does pretty much everything.

The problem? It does pretty much everything. Yes, yes, the iPhone was chastised after launch as a device that similarly does it all. Remember this Conan O’Brien sketch?

Here’s the difference. The iPhone is easy to use. This device? Not so much. Just to make sure I hadn’t turned technology incapable, I reached out to my friend and media executive, Rishi Malhotra, VP of HBO on Demand and Advance Platform Marketing.

Malhotra’s observations:

Where is the power button?

The power button is the smallest button on the entire device. “I shouldn’t have to work to turn the thing on. The power button should find me,” he commented.

2 Device World

Like it or not, most of us still have to carry two devices around throughout the day. Apple, the sooner you can upgrade the iPhone as enterprise solution, the better. The N810 is one large and in charge device clocking 5 x 2.83 x 0.55 inches and weighing just under 8 ounces. “You can’t carry two devices if this is one of them without getting your pants re-tailored,” Malhotra quipped.

Who do you WORK for?

Apologies for the Austin Powers reference, I use any opportunity. The N810 sports a full keyboard for the business user but a desk stand for the more leisurely user. Begs the question, who is this device targeted to?

Overview

In essence, more does not equal better. The iPhone is #2 in the smartphone market primarily due to its usability. More features mean nothing if the user either doesn’t know they exist or doesn’t know how to use them.

Final Word

Thumbs Down from me and it looks like Rishi feels the same.

Price

At $439, this bad boy aint cheap.

BROADCAST/CABLE

“Top Chef” still has the recipe for success. Kicking off a new season this past Wednesday, the Bravo series averaged 2.26 million total viewers, 1.48 million 18- to 49-year-olds and 540,000 page views at BravoTV.com. (Mediaweek 3/13)

HBO again led all rivals in this year’s Sports Emmy nominations. The pay-cable channel received 31 nods — including five for its canceled “Inside the NFL” and five for “Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel” — and ESPN finished second with 27. (The Hollywood Reporter 3/14)

ABC ordered a pilot from Rob Thomas for Cupid, a revamped version of his short-lived 1998 ABC comedy series of the same name about a man who thinks he’s been sent by Zeus to unite 100 romantically-challenged couples. The project is from ABC Studios and Sony Pictures TV. This is the second project picked up this week for Rob Thomas, the other being the new Beverly Hills, 90210 for The CW.

ABC ordered a pilot from Rob Thomas for Cupid, a revamped version of his short-lived 1998 ABC comedy series of the same name about a man who thinks he’s been sent by Zeus to unite 100 romantically-challenged couples. The project is from ABC Studios and Sony Pictures TV. This is the second project picked up this week for Rob Thomas, the other being the new Beverly Hills, 90210 for The CW.

Paris Hilton returns to reality TV as MTV ordered a 10-episode series for fourth quarter called Paris Hilton’s My New BFF (wt). In the series, Paris will search for a new best friend among twenty wannabes who will live together in a house to compete for her attention with the winner getting the chance to go to parties and business functions with her. Produced by independent production company Ish Entertainment, the series will be paired with an online voting site ParisBFF.com which launched this week. Production is set to start in Los Angeles this spring.

The CW handed an eight-episode order to 13, a nonscripted horror-themed series from Sam Raimi and Jay Bienstock, who will both executive produce along with Robert Tapert, Raimi’s Ghost House Productions partner, says Variety. Casting is currently happening to find the show’s thirteen contestants.

NBC is reportedly looking at a pilot project starring Christian Slater in what would be his first television series, reports THR.  From Universal Media Studios and writer/producer Jason Smilovic, the story revolves a perfectly normal, middle class husband and father, who realizes he is also an international spy.

Mergers and acquisitions in the media and entertainment field will be steady despite the recent credit crunch, predict several industry experts. The rationale: Media giants have become more active in pursuing digital companies as they embrace the digital future. (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3ida1d365b6d3f5717f6795450ff7a4ddc  3/14)

 
(Below) HURRAH to Verizon!

Verizon intends to work with peer-to-peer file sharers by helping those who share files legally to do it at greater speeds — company researchers say working with this group can increase download speed 60%, on average. “This test signifies a turning point in the history of peer-to-peer technology and ISPs,” said Robert Levitan, chief executive officer of file-sharing company Pando Networks. “It will definitely show ISPs that the problem is not peer-to-peer technology, the problem is how you deploy it. It is possible to deploy P2P to their advantage.” (cellular-news (U.K.)/Associated Press 3/14)

Comcast CEO Brian Roberts is seen as “guy shy” following the failed bid to acquire Disney four years ago. But media analyst Richard Greenfield argues that Comcast is in “strategic limbo” and that Roberts should be moving more forcefully into programming and the Web. (http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_12/b4076048797854.htm 3/13)

The U.S. Government Accountability Office is issuing a 53-page report saying the Federal Communications Commission doesn’t properly collect and analyze data, making it impossible to analyze the effectiveness of its enforcement. But the FCC claims the report is based on inaccuracies. (http://www.informationweek.com/management/showArticle.jhtml;?articleID=206903626 3/14)

ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA

Google CEO Eric Schmidt says that a merged Microsoft-Yahoo could essentially “break the Internet and diminish choice.” Also: “I’m not aware of a proposal for us to buy the New York Times, but I’d never rule anything out. The more strategic answer is that we’d be picking winners.” (http://www.portfolio.com/executives/features/2008/03/14/Google-CEO-Eric-Schmidt-Interview  3/14)

One of the BEST visuals I have ever seen on the inner workings of what happens when you type in a search term in that beloved Google text box.  WELL DONE Portfolio.

 
When it comes to market share gains in advertising dollars, Google outstripped every other media company in 2007, whether you look at the Web, TV, print, or radio. Earlier this morning, Henry Blodget compared the advertising revenues of 17 major media businesses (including News Corp, Time Warner Cable, Viacom, Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, AOL,, the New York Times, and CBS Radio). (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/03/14/what-media-company-gained-the-most-market-share-in-2007-hint-it-starts-with-a-g  3/14)

 
Senior execs from Microsoft and Yahoo are said to have met Monday to discuss Microsoft’s takeover offer for the Internet company. The meeting, the first since Microsoft made its unsolicited offer Jan. 31, is seen as a breakthrough in communication between the two camps. (http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB120546367915835903.html  3/14)

 
Microsoft hasn’t yet snagged Yahoo, but it plans to acquire another company it hopes will boost its online advertising yields. Rapt, of San Francisco, sells tools for online media companies designed to predict demand for ads and optimize price and placement. (http://www.thestandard.com/news/2008/03/14/microsoft-buy-rapt-ad-management-tools  3/14)

 
Bebo, AOL’s new acquisition, is expected to position the Time Warner Internet unit as a stand-alone media company and could help it overcome Yahoo and Google in social networking. The acquisition “puts us squarely in a leading position in social media,” says AOL chief Randy Falco. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/13/AR2008031303665.html  3/13)

 
MySpace, Facebook, Bebo – Total Unique Visitors (000) Jan. 2008 vs. Jan. 2007
Total World Age 15+, Home and Work Locations
Property                                Jan-2007        Jan-2008       % Change
MySpace.com                          94,769         109,262           15
Facebook.com                         24,840         100,668           305
Bebo.com                                12,741           22,400           76
Total Internet: Total Audience   746,934         824,435          10
Source: comScore World Metrix

MySpace, Facebook, Bebo –  Average Minutes per Visitor January 2008
Total World Age 15+, Home and Work Locations
Property                                 Jan-2008
Bebo.com                                217.0
Facebook.com                          198.6
MySpace.com                           156.3
Total Internet: Total Audience   1,561.8
Source: comScore World Metrix

 
On the heels of AOL’s acquisition of Bebo, the Time Warner Internet unit is said to be considering buying widget-maker KickApps for $90 million. Earlier: “All the money on the Internet” will be in widgets, predicts KickApps chief Eric Alterman. “And traditional media will be a leader.” (http://kara.allthingsd.com/20080314/is-kickapps-next-to-board-aols-gravy-train  3/14,  http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003724645  3/12)

KickApps Most Recent Upgrade in Offering

 
Facebook got a lot of mileage out of widgets; let’s see what MySpace can do. MySpace launched an initial gallery of applications built upon the MySpace Developer Platform about 5 weeks after the site soft launched the OpenSocial-based program. There are game widgets, quizzes, a Twitter sync app, a SlideTV widget and plenty of other goodies being added by the minute.

As of this posting, the Ace Texas Hold ‘Em App is number one on MySpace.

 
Social network hi5 announced it too will launch a developers’ platform based on Google’s OpenSocial standards.

 
Microsoft chief Bill Gates says the coming years will bring rapid changes in media as television increasingly becomes a targeted medium, where viewers can select niche content for news, sports and entertainment. “TV will be based on the Internet; it will be an utterly different thing.” (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080313/ap_on_hi_te/microsoft_gates  3/13)

 
Vote for your favorite goofy videos in the 2007 YouTube Video Awards, broken down into 12 categories: Adorable, Comedy, Commentary, Creative, Eyewitness, Inspirational, Instructional, Politics, Music, Series, Short Film and Sports. Each user can vote once per day from March 13-March 19. Winners will be revealed on YouTube on March 21.

 
Yahoo is readying a new women’s content service called Shine, launching later in March, targeting women from age 25 to 54. Shine is discussing major partnerships with big publishers, including Time Inc. The site, run by former Jane editor Brandon Holley,  will also offer user blogs.

WIRELESS

RIM has announced its first BlackBerry Pearl to support Wi-Fi. The Pearl 8120 is being offered exclusively to AT&T corporate customers. (The Washington Post/PC World 3/14)

 
Viacom’s MTV is using fast-developing Asia to test new media. The company this week is unveiling its first 3G mobile phone play in Cambodia. A partnership in Japan will establish an advertising business model based on free “advergames” that incorporate corporate logos. (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117982394.html?categoryid=19&cs=1  3/13)

 
A team of independent software developers is readying a product that would enable iPhones to run programs from outside Apple’s official distribution channels. The iPhone Dev Team said its software would allow users to install custom files. (The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires 3/13)