Filed under: Feature | Tags: Arts, Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes, Literature, Poetry, QI, The Huffington Post, Vachel Lindsay
GOT WI-FI?: BUSBOYS AND POETS WASHINGTON DC
The Story
In the 1920’s, renowned African American poet Langston Hughes (above) lived in DC and worked as a busboy in a local hotel. One night, he gave his poems to Nicholas Vachel Lindsay (another poet), who read them and informed the world of his work in the local newspapers the next day. Hence, a star was born and went on to contribute to the Harlem Renaissance.
Food/Beverage Selection
If I was rating this on the 1 – 10 scale, I would give it a 6. Here’s where they could use a bit of help. It seems like this menu was infected by the random stick from pizza to coffee.
Wi-Fi Action
Excellent FREE Wi-Fi. Even better, no annoying password to deal with and comfy couch space (see above).
Final Call
I began my visit with my laptop and a lemonade (see above). At some point, an old college friend met up and I moved on to coffee. Even later, 2 more friends arrived and I had a peanut butter and banana sandwich. If I hadn’t had to leave for the obligatory Sex and the City movie watching, I could have stayed all night. Marauder love on this one. Fast free internet. Good food. Comfy chairs and a cool vibe. What’s not to love?
Location
There is another located in Virginia as well but being that I only have the goods on this one, I’ll stay with what I got.
Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE | Tags: Barack Obama, Barry Diller, Dianne Feinstein, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, Rupert Murdoch, Society and Culture, United States
Jeff Bewkes, Barry Diller, Jerry Yang and other big players in media and technology don’t appear to possess a clear crystal ball on the future of the media world, writes Jon Fine. Rupert Murdoch withdrew his bid for Tribune’s Newsday because, he says, “I got scared.” (Iwantmedia 6/6, http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_24/b4088099687791.htm 6/5)
Diller sees passive story consumption making way for interactivity
Asa Mathat/AllThingsD.com
Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic candidate for president, had a lot to celebrate Tuesday night, and so did CNN. The cable news net outperformed rivals MSNBC and Fox News Channel by averaging 3.52 million total viewers in prime time on the last night of the long primary march. (Mediaweek 6/5)
The country’s growing Hispanic population — and the broader appeal of soccer among all demographic groups — has made the sport a top priority for ESPN, according to this report. And the cable sports net, which holds the rights to the men’s and women’s World Cups through 2014, will demonstrate its interest by covering 31 matches of soccer’s European Championship this year. (The Boston Globe/Associated Press 6/5)
Former child actor Danny Bonaduce, former basketball star Dennis Rodman and former Playboy playmate Nikki Ziering are among the celebs who have signed up to participate in CMT’s upcoming “Hulk Hogan’s Celebrity Championship Wrestling.” The show is currently in production and is expected to debut this fall. (The Hollywood Reporter 6/6)
It appears the final tally in sales will be only a few hundred million short of the $9 billion total from last year, as there were more dollars in play from larger advertisers than originally expected. Earlier this week, it had been predicted the networks would come in -14% in total sales compared to 2007. NBC finished its sales yesterday netting about $1.9 billion and getting a 5%-7% rate increase in CPMs for its 80% of inventory sold. Projected CPM rate increase ranges for the other networks are: +9% to +10% for FOX; +8% to +10% for ABC; +7% to +8% for CBS; and CW +6% to +8%. (Cynopsis 6/6)
Dennis Hopper will star in the original drama series Crash from Starz Entertainment and co-produced by Lionsgate based on the Oscar winning Best Picture. Production has begun in Albuquerque on the 13-episode one-hour series which will premiere in October. (Cynopsis 6/6)
Described as a “passionate TV fan” film actor Samuel L. Jackson made a first-look two-year pact with CBS Paramount Network TV to develop and executive producer projects for television. (Cynopsis 6/6)
CBS Outernet signed a deal with gaming retail chain GameStop to install its in-store digital video ad network to over 4,000 GameStop locations. (Cynopsis 6/6)
John Martin, the chief financial officer for Time Warner, said the media conglomerate would be “extremely price-disciplined and price-sensitive” in its bidding on The Weather Channel. But Martin conceded that the Landmark Communications cable network would be a nice programming companion for its CNN offering. (The Wall Street Journal 6/6)
Time Warner Cable is being sued by Los Angeles over claims the company improperly raised prices and let cable-television and Internet services decline following its 2006 purchase of two cable providers. Time Warner “must be held accountable,” says city attorney Rocky Delgadillo. (Iwantmedia 6/6, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601204&sid=agfOor9ekrtk 6/5)
Filed under: ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA | Tags: Carl Icahn, Google, Google Analytics, Jerry Yang, Microsoft, Roy Bostock, Yahoo
ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
The letters keep flying back and forth between investor Carl Icahn and Yahoo. On Wednesday, Icahn called for Jerry Yang’s head and characterized its employee retention plan as a “poison pill” intended to kill the Microsoft deal. On Thursday, Yahoo chairman Roy Bostock responded, saying that Icahn was misrepresenting the facts. Icahn, who wants nothing more than to keep this public dialog going, fired back with another letter today, detailing his plan for Yahoo, should his alternative slate of directors take over the board. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/06/06/icahn-sends-yahoo-another-love-letter-yahoo-says-keep-dreaming 6/6)
Google’s experiment with selling and measuring TV ads on the Dish satellite network just got a lot more interesting. A month ago, Google incorporated the ability to buy TV ads into AdWords. Now, it is taking all of that ad impression data and layering it on top of Google Analytics (click on the screen shot above for a larger image). This is very basic and imperfect, but it hints at the future of how advertising will be measured: all in the same place. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/06/06/tv-meet-the-web-google-analytics-starts-measuring-tv-ads 6/6)
Click on the image below to enlarge.
With the P2P iPlayer such a success – more than 75 million shows have been streamed or downloaded since December – the BBC is ready to dive headfirst into digital distribution and begin streaming all of its channels online in the UK by year-end. Brits are worried the move will slow broadband connection speeds and result in higher prices as ISPs are forced to upgrade network capacity. (Cynopsis 6/6)
Mobile users can now search Google Maps for public-transportation information for dozens of cities, including more than 40 in the U.S. Features include a location finder that identifies nearby stops. (Webware 6/5)
Apple, Google and Facebook all want to build the next great platform, writes Josh Quittner. “The winners of the platform wars stand to make billions. The future of the Internet — how we get information, how we communicate with one another and, most important, who controls it — is at stake.” (Iwantmedia 6/6, http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1811814,00.html 6/6)
Emerging music and artist discovery site OurStage helped spawn its first “Artist to Watch” signing: Alternative rock artist Plushgun signed a contract with Tommy Boy Entertainment. OurStage helps promote artists by building fan communities on social networking sites then reaching out to labels to help broker deals. (Cynopsis 6/6)
CBS’Last.fm branched out into concert promotion, launching a series of live concerts with New York promoter The Bowery Presents. The first live gig will feature Lightspeed Champion tomorrow night at the Bowery Ballroom, viewable online at Last.fm/Presents. (Cynopsis 6/6)
Facebook is experimenting with allowing a portion of its users to vote for or against the small “social” ads that appear on the online social network’s sidebar. A spokesperson says: “We are evaluating the response to the tool and considering whether to make it more broadly available.” (Iwantmedia 6/6, http://venturebeat.com/2008/06/05/facebook-lets-you-vote-against-lame-ads 6/5)
ConnectU wants out of its settlement agreement with Facebook after the company turned up new forensic Instant Messaging evidence proving that Mark Zuckerberg stole trade secrets from ConnectU’s founders to build Facebook, reports Bloomberg. (Cynopsis 6/6)
Slide, RockYou and other developers of applications for social-networking sites like Facebook and MySpace are turning to advertising to help monetize their products, reports the WSJ. Success could bring much needed revenue to the platforms. Social-networking sites attracted just $600 million in ad revenue from U.S. marketers last year. (Cynopsis 6/6)
The Federal Communications Commission is postponing its June 12 consideration of a plan to auction a piece of wireless airwaves to buyers willing to provide free broadband Internet service without adult content. The agency wants to look into “concerns” raised by wireless carriers. Iwantmedia 6/6, (http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN0542343120080606 6/6)
The Drudge Report, among the Internet’s most popular news sites, maintains a spare design that seems unconventional by today’s Web 2.0 standards, writes Richard Siklos. Comparing Drudge with the upstart Huffington Post is “off point” because HuffPo is a “news hybrid.” (Iwantmedia 6/6, http://money.cnn.com/2008/06/06/technology/drudge_report.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2008060607 6/6)
Time Warner’s AOL will provide access of its Platform-A advertising effort to European customers. Difficulty in integrating Platform-A led the ad-revenue growth at AOL to slow to 1% in the first quarter. AOL has said that the success of Platform-A is critical to its future. (Iwantmedia 6/6, http://www.smartmoney.com/breaking-news/ON/index.cfm?story=ON-20080606-000462-0648 6/6)
News Corp. is selling off all its shares of Macrovision Solutions, the Santa Clara, Calif.-based video technology provider. Macrovision’s stock has lost almost 42% of its value since the announcement in December that it would purchase Gemstar-TV Guide for $2.3 billion. (Iwantmedia 6/6, http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2008/06/02/daily70.html 6/2)
Microsoft’s two-year-old online classifieds site, Windows Live Expo, will “discontinue service” in late July, it says. The people behind its launch “would have liked for the thing to overtake Craigslist.” However, Microsoft “deserves credit for letting one of its weakest products go.” (Iwantmedia 6/6, http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2008/06/05/microsofts-live-expo-scheduled-to-be-executed 6/5)
Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE | Tags: Alltel, United States, us, Verizon, Verizon Communications, Verizon Wireless, Vodafone, WIRELESS
Verizon Wireless pulled the trigger on its deal to acquire Alltel in a cash merger valued at $28 billion that will make Verizon the leading carrier in the U.S. with more than 80 million subscribers. The merger should be good news for Alltel customers, giving them access to Verizon’s robust V Cast content and speeding the roll-out of faster wireless broadband services. Regulators are expected to insist that Verizon maintains service in rural Alltel areas as a condition of the merger. (Cynopsis 6/6)
Filed under: GAMING | Tags: Electronic Arts, Financial, Grand Theft Auto IV, GTA IV, Take-Two Interactive, Video game, Video game publisher, XBox
Sales of Grand Theft Auto IV catapulted revenues at game publisher Take-Two Interactive, as the company posted net income of $98.2 million for the quarter after posting a loss of $51.2 million during Q2 2007. Take-Two had sold an astounding 8.5 million copies of the Grand Theft Auto IV as of May 31. (Cynopsis 6/6, http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/business/news/e3iaeef9cc73853f3d03eaa16abc2b75731 6/5)
Future US, special interest publisher of titles including Xbox magazine, is launching a digital program to be distributed on the Playstation Network. The program allows users to download game previews and interviews with developers and view them on a television screen. (Iwantmedia 6/6, http://www.foliomag.com/2008/publisher-distribute-content-playstation 6/5)
Filed under: TECHNOLOGY | Tags: Apple, Global Positioning System, GPS, iPhone, Sony, Video, Wi-Fi, YouTube
Myvu’s personal video system comes in two models, Crystal and Shades, allowing a theaterlike experience from any portable video player. The gadgets provide four to 10 hours of watching, respectively, per battery charge. (ElectronicHouse.com 6/5)
A Japanese robotics company named iXs Research Corp. has developed a new teddy bear robot for your car equipped with a GPS navigation system and sensors that detect movement, touch and even the presence of alcohol. Stop suddenly and the bear warns you to be careful. Have a few drinks and the bear reminds you that you may be impaired. iX hopes to release the first commercial version of the robot next year, planning to offer different characters and sizes. (Cynopsis 6/6)
The plug-and-play accessory lets users create a dedicated Wi-Fi network to broadcast the Vudu movie service throughout the house, including HD content. The Vudu Wireless Kit is available for $79 and requires an existing broadband router. (CED Magazine 6/08)
YouTube and Wired.com are being added to the video providers for a $300 module Sony sells for its LCD flat panel TVs. The Internet Video Link module is a small box that fits into the back of some LCD TVs. Other existing video providers include Sports Illustrated and Style.com. (Iwantmedia 6/6, http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080605/ap_on_hi_te/tec_sony_youtube 6/5)
The company is adding seven LCD models to its Bravia XBR TV line and lowering price points for some of the line’s features such as its Triluminos and Digital Media Extender technologies. The new models will hit stores this fall. (TWICE 6/5, Broadcasting & Cable 6/5)
A report from Coleman Insights has found that 41% of people 15 to 17 turn to MP3 players when they want to listen to music, 27% go to the computer and 22% tune in to FM radio. Nevertheless, 78% between 14 and 17 listened to the radio every day. (Radio Ink 6/5, Radio Online 6/5, RBR.com 6/5)
