Filed under: Feature, WIRELESS | Tags: Amtrak, BoltBus, Boston, Boston Massachusetts, Business, DC2NY, Megabus, New York, United States, Washington DC
GOT WI-FI?: YOUR BUS DOES PART 2
Photo Credit: Esta
Guest Writer: Martha Rivera
The I-95 corridor between NY, DC and Boston is one of the most heavily traveled in the country. As someone who travels between New York and Washington DC several times a year, I’ve gone by plane, train, automobile; you name it. Most commuters know that the best way to travel between these cities is Amtrak. You get a guaranteed departure and arrival time, convenient station locations, plush seating, power outlets, a snack bar on the train, and cocktails. But, my techie friends, the $125 one-way price tag is pretty steep and furthermore the train can’t offer you the one thing you can’t live with out: Wi-Fi.
There is, however, a mode of transportation that can: the coach bus. You probably associate taking a bus with ghetto stations, the Chinatown bus, cramped seats, sketchy people, and overcrowding. Well, times have really changed. In the past year, a slew of bus lines have come onto the scene that not only offer Wi-Fi but quality and comfort too.
Bolt Bus
Owned by the Greyhound Corporation, a Greyhound bus it isn’t. The orange exterior alone screams funky times on wheels. Plus, outlets for your computer, ample leg room, nice lighting, a fair share of eye candy and witty bus drivers make this bus more like Greyhound’s way cooler cousin.
Destinations: Boston, DC, NYC, & Philly
Price: Fares technically start at a $1 and increase as the bus fills up. But unless you book your bus months in advance, plan to spend $24 each way.
Wi-Fi Speed: The Wi-Fi wasn’t fast enough to stream video smoothly or to effectively log on to my company’s online server, but I did get my full share of web surfing. Plus, the added benefit of outlets. Now you don’t need to worry about conserving your battery life, especially if the bus is stuck in traffic.
Survey says:
The Bolt Bus is definitely giving Amtrak a run for its money. If there are no travel set-backs, paying $24 to ride a comfortable leather seat while playing on my laptop beats paying $125 to be able to drink wine freely. Plus, hello, it’s called a flask. Click here to book.
DC2NY
If the Bolt Bus is your cool cousin, the DC2NY is your refined aunt. The quality of the bus is slightly more upscale than the Bolt Bus. You’re provided with complimentary bottled water, seats which conform to your body, flat screen TV’s, and a vote on what movie everyone wants to watch and whether you want a rest stop or not. Now that’s what I call quality.
Desinations: NYC & DC
Price: $28 one way/$50 RT
Wi-Fi Speed: The password protection seemed a little odd unless they really are convinced that someone will tailgate the entire way down with a computer in hand to steal some connection. But apart from that, I had an uninterrupted connection the entire ride down. Not fast enough for uninterrupted streaming video, but fast enough to get the surfing job done.
Survey says:
The DC2NY is a well run bus line. The customer is the number one priority and their needs are always taken into consideration. The drivers were also very courteous and friendly. Its only flaw is no power outlets. Click here to book.
MegaBus
UK-based double-decker Megabus burst onto the New York bus scene last March. This double decker bus promised convenient online booking, guaranteed seating, luggage storage, and Wi-Fi.
Destinations: Baltimore, Boston, DC, NYC, Philly, & upstate New York
Price: Fares start at a $1 and increase until it’s full. Price caps out at $21 one way
Wi-Fi Speed: There was no Wi-Fi! Or at least, that was the case on the bus I took. When I asked the driver about it, he looked at me like he’d never heard of this thing called the interweb. That being said, there are ‘reports’ that they do have it. Whatever…
Survey says:
I thought taking a double decker bus meant I could live out my anglophile fantasies. Instead, I felt claustrophobic, the seats were cramped, there was no overhead luggage storage, no heat, and more importantly NO WI-FI. Oh, and the exterior is tacky. Who is that chubby Pillsbury Doughboy look alike on the back end of the bus? Veto. If you’re still down, click here.
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- Bolt Bus Is Cool But WiFi Is Slow [Bolt Bus] (consumerist.com)
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Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE
Contrary to what was previously reported, Super Bowl XLIII on NBC is now the most-watched Super Bowl in history after further ratings results were revealed yesterday by Nielsen. The game between the winning Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals averaged 98.7 million viewers topping last year’s Super Bowl on FOX at 97.5 million. Sunday’s game is the second most-watched telecast in history based on average viewers following the series finale of M*A*S*H with 106 million viewers. Super Bowl XLIII is also the most-viewed Super Bowl telecast ever with 151.6 million total viewers tuning in to some or part of the game (at least six minutes). (Cynopsis 2/4)
Time Warner is reporting a massive $16 billion loss in the fourth quarter after writing down the value of the assets held by the company’s cable operations, AOL and Time Inc. The dismal results add fuel to Wall Street’s concerns that no relief is in sight for media companies in 2009. (Iwantmedia 2/4, http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/time-warner-reports-16-billion/story.aspx?guid=%7B38AD3248-273B-4EFB-8FFF-DA5F6EA2A451%7D 2/4)
The Screen Actors Guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers postponed scheduled contract negotiations after SAG President Alan Rosenberg notified members late Monday that he intends to file a lawsuit to reinstate Doug Allen as the union’s chief negotiator. Superior Court Judge James Chalfant rejected Rosenberg’s initial attempt to sue the guild on Tuesday morning on technical grounds, according to The Wrap, ordering him to refile the complaint on Thursday. (Cynopsis 2/4)
The CW switched around its midseason schedule moving 90210 to 9p on Tuesdays starting March 3 with repeat episodes through March 24. Eight new original episodes of 90210 will air from March 31 until the season finale on May 19. The network announced the second season premiere of Reaper is now scheduled for March 3 at 8p. All 13 original episodes of Reaper will air continuously each week until its season finale on May 26. The season finale of Privileged is slated for February 24 at 9p and a new cycle of America‘s Next Top Model will still debut on February 25 at 8p. (Cynopsis 2/4)
Starz opens its new 30m ensemble comedy Party Down on March 20 at 1030p. The 10-episode original series from Rob Thomas (Veronica Mars) follows a team of catering employees at a different event each week as they individually try to catch their “big break”. Also on March 20, a new season of original comedy series Head Case opens with 10 episodes prior to Party Down at 10p. (Cynopsis 2/4)
Sportscaster Bob Costas is departing HBO to join the new MLB Network as a host for original programs, including the new show MLB Network Studio 42 With Bob Costas airing on Thursdays, and as a play-by-play announcer for an unspecified number of the network’s 26 regular season games. Costas will still be associated with NBC Sports yet he signed a cable-exclusive multi-year agreement with MLB Network. Terms of the deal were not available. (Cynopsis 2/4)
E! introduces a new 30m reality series Kendra (wt) about the youngest cast member of Girls Next Door series, Kendra Wilkinson. During eight episodes, viewers will follow Kendra as she embarks on a new life post-Playboy Mansion, learning how to live on her own and planning her wedding to Eagles wide receive Hank Baskett. (Cynopsis 2/4)
The Federal Trade Commission has signed off on Lions Gate Entertainment’s $255 million acquisition of the TV Guide Network and TV Guide from Macrovision. The FTC cleared the deal, announced in January, on antitrust grounds. Reuters (2/3)
Media bigwigs speaking at Crain’s Future of New York City conference say they weren’t prepared for dealing with a recession and the transition to the Internet simultaneously. It’s “almost a double whammy,” admits NBC Universal chief Jeff Zucker. “Nobody expected” this. (Iwantmedia 2/4, http://www.crainsnewyork.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090203/FREE/902039964 2/3)
Disney is reporting sharply lower-than-expected quarterly profit, as the global downturn impacts advertising and other areas. CEO Bob Iger says he sees “secular changes” in consumer behavior that could have long-term impact on broadcast television and DVD sales. (Iwantmedia 2/4, http://www.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUSTRE5126M020090204 2/4)
(Below) Weigh in on this one. Do you think this is over-the-top blatant advertising or an effective blurring of the line between content and advertising? I would go with the latter on this one. Pepsuber worked for me. I guess the result lies in the details and creative deployment of the advertiser’s message in a way that isn’t a compromise of the sketch.
An NBC “Saturday Night Live” bit with a comical over-the-top promotion for Pepsi aired the next evening as a commercial during the network’s Super Bowl broadcast. The sketch actually was a paid commercial by Pepsi, made in collaboration with producer Lorne Michaels’“SNL.” (Iwantmedia 2/4, http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090203/ap_en_tv/fbn_super_bowl_snl_ad 2/2)
CBS gave a nod to a political drama titled House Rules from ABC Studios and executive producer Mark Gordon (Grey’s Anatomy). The drama is about freshmen congressmen and women as they enter Washington life. CBS also gave a cast-contingent pilot order to The Fish Tank, a 30m comedy about a teenager who is home alone without his parents five days a week. CBS additionally ordered a drama pilot called A Marriage from thirtysomething creators Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick, per THR. (Cynopsis 2/4)
Cox Communications and Fox Cable Networks have entered into a multiyear, multimarket distribution deal involving Fuel TV as well as the high-definition versions of FX and Speed. The deal brings Fuel TV carriage to a total of 26 million homes. Multichannel News (2/3)
Time Warner Cable plans to lay off 1,250 people in the face of slowing growth at the second largest U.S. cable operator. The New York-based company is reporting a net loss of $8.16 billion in the fourth quarter. Time Warner expects to save $90 million a year from the job cuts. (Iwantmedia 2/4, http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090204/ap_on_bi_ge/time_warner_cable_layoffs 2/4)
The fledgling Fox Business Network is entering a deal with satellite provider Dish Network to carry the cable channel, extending its total distribution to almost 50 million U.S. households. Also, Fox News Channel is renewing its distribution agreement with Dish. (Iwantmedia 2/4, http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/fox-business-reaches-deal-dish/story.aspx?guid=%7B02AD36A7%2D4DD7%2D481E%2D9B4D%2D3DFF93BB816E%7D 2/3)
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Filed under: ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA | Tags: AOL, Christian Bale, Facebook, Google, Google News, Myspace, Time Warner, YouTube
ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
Google is said to be exercising a right to force Time Warner to buy back the search giant’s stake in AOL or take the Internet unit public. Google invested $1 billion in AOL in 2005; the stake’s value is now believed to be worth about $250 million. Time Warner says it is “evaluating its options.” (Iwantmedia 2/4, http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2009/02/02/daily61.html 2/4)
President Obama may face friction from the leading U.S. cable providers on his plan to wire rural areas for high-speed Internet access. Cable giants are seen as unlikely to participate unless lawmakers provide more money for installation of costly broadband lines. (Iwantmedia 2/4, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aElDFE0IfbEc 2/3)
An audio recording of “Batman” actor Christian Bale losing his temper while working on a movie set hit the Internet this week. The tirade soon became the basis for more than one music remix on YouTube. In less than 24 hours, one remix received more than 110,000 hits. (Iwantmedia 2/4, http://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2009/02/03/Bale_tirade_becomes_YouTube_sensation/UPI-90221233694011 2/3)
It’s audio only but I think this picture provides a good visual.
MySpace is in the spotlight today because it revealed that 90,000 registered sex offenders have been kicked off its site in the past two years. But where did all of those sex offenders go? Some evidence suggests that a portion of them are now on Facebook. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/02/03/thousands-of-myspace-sex-offender-refugees-found-on-facebook 2/3)
Strangely, I don’t think I would befriend any of these guys even if I didn’t know they were sex offenders.
Google is starting a service enabling Web-site owners to integrate news headlines from the Google News aggregator into any Web page. The service could help newspapers “reach new audiences.” Participants can control the types of stories in their chosen news feed. (http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/02/add-google-news-to-your-website.html 2/3)
Social media app creator RockYou, creator of Facebook hits like SuperWall, added a new IAB standards-compliant video ad format to its widget ad network to enable advertisers deliver video ads across its vast network of social network users. RockYou, which serves more than 130 million users worldwide across Facebook, MySpace and other social networks, will focus on creating customizable integrated ad programs that combine video with other targeted applications. (Cynopsis 2/4)
IAC/Interactive Group eked out a profit during Q4 but missed revenue projections due to the horrible decline in display advertising diminishing cost-per-click rates across many of its sites. For the full year, IAC reported a loss of $156.2 million compared with a loss of $144.1 million in 2007. The company’s revenue climbed 8%, totaling $1.45 billion in 2008. (Cynopsis 2/4)
CBS Interactive and Procter & Gamble’s Head & Shoulders shampoo brand are teaming up to produce an original Web series, “Heckle U,” starring Tom Arnold, debuting on CBS.com and TV.com. CBS sees Web originals as a “win-win for both programmers and marketers.” (http://www.tvweek.com/news/2009/02/cbs_interactive_head_shoulders.php 2/3)
Four Google executives began trial in Milan yesterday facing charges of privacy violation and defamation of character, per the NYTimes. The case involves the posting of a video in 2006 in which 4 kids tease a boy with Downs Syndrome. “To our knowledge, this is the first time an individual has been criminally charged for violation of data protection laws that occurred by the company he or she works for,” Trevor Hughes, executive director of the International Association of Privacy Professionals, is quoted as saying. (Cynopsis 2/4)
HD video portal and content delivery service Vuze, one of the biggest critics of Comcast’s P2P throttling practices chastised by the FCC, is now calling for an examination of Cox Cable’s traffic management practices. In a blog entry Vuze General Counsel Jay Monahan points to Cox’s recently published Congestion Management Policy, noting that users who engage in “low priority” activities including P2P streaming may now see their connection hampered. Vuze utilized P2P architecture to delivery HD video content for its clients. (Cynopsis 2/4)
USANetwork.com reported double and triple-digit increases in key metrics in 2008 including unique visitors and time spent per user, citing internal Omniture numbers. The site’s Character Arcade casual gaming portal racked up 10 million page views per month, on average. Fans spent an average of 142 minutes/month using USA’s Character Rewind full episode and clip video player with Monk and Burn Notice registering as the two most viewed series, respectively. (Cynopsis 2/4)
Seattle-based RealNetworks released some preliminary revenue numbers and impairment charges for Q4, expecting $151-$153 million in revenue but also a write down of $185-$200 million, categorized as “impairment of goodwill and acquired intangible assets.” (Cynopsis 2/4)
User generated content consumption will continue to grow as US internet users plug into the world of blogs, social networking and UGC video, according to eMarketer. Blogs had the highest rate of engagement in 2008, with 54% of the US internet user base consuming this content. Social network users made up 41.2% of the base while user-generated video viewers represented 36% of users. (Cynopsis 2/4)
US User-Generated Content Consumers by Content Type 2008-2013 (% of internet users)
Genre 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
UG video 36.0% 39.8% 42.5% 44.8% 47.2% 49.2%
Social networking 41.2 44.2 46.9 49.1 50.5 51.8
Blogs 54.0 58.0 61.0 64.0 67.0 69.0
Wikis 33.9 36.6 39.0 41.0 42.6 43.9
UGC consumers 60.0 62.0 64.0 66.0 68.0 70.0
Source: eMarketer
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Filed under: WIRELESS | Tags: Computers, Google, Google Latitude, Google Maps, Privacy, Search Engines, Searching, Windows Mobile
Google unleashed Google Latitude software today that allows users of wireless devices to be tracked on a Google map under a location-based system that will operate in 27 countries. The company promises that it built “fine-grained privacy controls” into the system that gives users total control over who gets to see their location — as well as the location where they are tracked. Reuters (2/4)
I love how Google always makes it seem like they were the first to come up with products like this one… It aint a party unless Google’s there.
Yesterday Samsung unveiled the Mobile Applications Marketplace
, a storefront purposed with peddling Samsung-friendly Windows Mobile and S60 applications to consumers while making developers some more cash than they otherwise might. It’s an admirable idea at face value – but is it the beginning of a terrible trend? (http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2009/02/04/not-every-company-needs-an-app-store 2/4)
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Filed under: GAMING | Tags: Amazon, Amazon.com, Casual game, Digital distribution, Games, GAMING, Reflexive Entertainment, Video game
Amazon also launched a casual game store yesterday with the assets from its acquisition of Reflexive Entertainment. The outlet allows you to trial any game before you buy it and offers more than 600 titles priced at $9.99 or less. (Cynopsis 2/4)
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Filed under: TECHNOLOGY | Tags: Amazon Kindle, Amazon.com, Apple, Audio, iPod, iTunes, Microsoft, Zune
Amazon.com says that its Kindle electronic book reader is out of stock, but isn’t revealing how many have been sold. Citi Investment Research analyst Mark Mahaney is estimating that 500,000 Kindles were sold in 2008, based on a regulatory filing from Kindle partner Sprint. (Iwantmedia 2/4, http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20090203/ap_on_hi_te/tec_techbit_amazon_kindle 2/3)
I still say, if Amazon is open to outside devices, Apple needs to swoop in on this one and link the iTunes experience into it as well. Perhaps, when Jobs is back at the healm.
Microsoft said it will begin producing exclusive video content for Zune, its portable media player that is trying to get a toehold in the market controlled by Apple’s iPod device. The first offering will be a comedy called “Cinemash,” which is being developed in collaboration with Mean, an arts and entertainment magazine. Variety (2/3)
Several manufacturers of stripped down Blu-ray disc players are preparing to market their products in the U.S. for about $150, according to a published report. One maker apparently is Lite-On, which makes “white-box” drives. EngadgetHD (2/3)
Canton has introduced three additions to its Reference line of speakers, the Reference 5.2 DC and the Reference 7.2 DC, which are floor-standing units, and the Reference 9.2 DC, which is a monitor speaker. The company said the new models featured aluminum-oxide ceramic dome tweeters for enhanced power handling and distortion levels. ElectronicHouse.com (2/3)
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Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE | Tags: Bethany McLean, Friday Night Lights, Jon Stewart, NBC Universal, Super Bowl, Super Bowl advertising, Television, Television advertisement
Super Bowl commercials cost several million dollars, but Hulu received 60 seconds on NBC for free. When the online video hub launched, it received credits to run ads on the properties of co-parents NBC Universal and News Corp., but had not cashed any in until Sunday night. (Iwantmedia 2/3, http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=99574 2/2)
Super Bowl spot buy: $0. Very nice.
This year’s Academy Awards telecast, to be hosted by actor Hugh Jackman, will “take many risks, some bold.” The 2008 broadcast, hosted by comedian Jon Stewart, hit a record low of 32 million U.S. viewers. Still, the show remains a top-rated program on U.S. television. (Iwantmedia 2/3, http://www.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUSTRE51206G20090203 2/2)
NBC Universal is looking for an outside partner that would allow it to bring its “Lipstick Jungle” series back on the air. One potential partner is Comcast, which unsuccessfully bid on NBC’s “Friday Night Lights” and has said it was interested in participating in similar deals in the future. Broadcasting & Cable (2/2)
I say, let it die. But then again, I would have said that after watching the first episode. It’s no Friday Night Lights…
HBO has secured the TV rights to a book being written about the story behind the 2008 financial crisis. The book, expected in January 2010, is being written by New York Times business writer Joe Nocera and Vanity Fair writer Bethany McLean, the woman who co-authored a book about the Enron scandal that later was turned into an Academy Award-nominated documentary. Variety (2/2)
Ad-supported cable channels are averaging a 35.3 household rating during prime time, more than 10 points higher than broadcast’s 24.4, for the first 18 weeks of the current TV season, according to the Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau. The CAB attributed the disparity in cable’s favor to the fact that original programming has increased 153% since 2002, to 1,837 shows. Mediaweek (2/2)
(Below) I debated with a friend about this one because this struck me as the kind of brand spot that only belongs on the channel. No where in the ad was any reference to the shows being mentioned while the characters were on screen. So, apart from the USA logo at the end, why would someone feel compelled to watch these unnamed shows?
With a single spot that ran right after the Super Bowl on NBC, USA Network promoted seven of its shows, including “Burn Notice” and “In Plain Sight.” “We debated how to do it: Do we promote one show or take a big shot across the bow?” said Chris McCumber, executive vice president of marketing at USA. “We decided to showcase seven shows and 10 characters in a way that was linear and entertaining.” The Hollywood Reporter (2/2)
CBS handed a series order to the producers of Top Chef, Jane Lipsitz and Dan Cutforth of Magical Elves, on a docu-reality series titled Marriage centered on arranged marriages, cites THR. The series follows four single adults age 25-45, all eager to marry, who allow their friends and family to select their marriage partners. The couples marry for real and the series watches their marriages unfold. (Cynopsis 2/3)
Hit with a downgrade to a sell rating by Natixis Bleichroeder, and tarred by worries about consumer spending patterns, shares of Disney fell 3% Monday. U.S. consumer spending fell in December by a full percentage point — a steeper downturn than had been forecast. (Iwantmedia 2/3, http://blogs.barrons.com/stockstowatchtoday/2009/02/02/disney-hit-with-downgrade-consumer-data 2/2)
Comcast, the largest U.S. cable-television provider, says that some Super Bowl viewers in Tucson, Ariz., were inadvertently exposed to adult content during the final minutes of the game. Comcast is investigating to determine how it happened, says a spokeswoman. “We are mortified.” (Iwantmedia 2/3, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aw6hD3abaUHw 2/2)
The House of Representatives on Wednesday is scheduled to vote a second time on whether to delay the transition to all-digital TV signals from Feb. 17 to June 12. On Monday, influential Reps. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Rick Boucher, D-Va., chairman of the House Telecommunications and Internet Subcommittee, threw their support behind a delay. Broadcasting & Cable (2/2)
Top cable providers are poised for strong cash-flow growth, in part, because they will be spending less on deploying new set-top boxes and DVRs, according to industry analyst Craig Moffett. He predicts companies such as Comcast and Time Warner Cable will offer investors 9% to 15% increases in free-cash-flow-yield per share in 2009. Reuters (2/3)
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