Filed under: WIRELESS | Tags: AdMob, Android, App Store, Apple, iPhone, Palm OS, Smartphone, Windows Mobile
Android is making steady gains in mobile ad market share, accounting for 6 percent of all mobile ad requests measured by AdMob in its latest March metrics
. That puts it neck and neck with the Palm OS, compared to a 5 percent /7 percent share split in favor of Palm just one month before.. Windows Mobile Devices also saw a share decline from 13 percent to 11 percent, while Blackberry’s RIM OS gained a point to 22 percent, and the iPhone stayed the same at 50 percent. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/04/23/android-catches-up-to-palm-in-mobile-ad-market-share-iphone-still-blows-it-away/ 4/23)
Well, it finally happened. Apple just delivered its 1 Billionth application download from the App Store, which currently features over 25,000 apps (35,000 by one estimate) built by thousands of developers. The significance of the milestone (besides just the 1 billion mark) is that it’s taken only nine months from when the App Store launched on iTunes to hit 1 billion paid and unpaid downloads. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/04/23/apples-app-store-1-billion-served 4/23)
Apps on the iPhone are huge. We know that. As if we needed more proof, Apple moved its billionth app earlier this afternoon. But some recent data from Compete suggests that smartphone owners who don’t have an iPhone, apparently don’t love apps. Or at least, don’t download them. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/04/23/zero-remains-a-popular-app-download-number-among-non-iphone-owners/ 4/23)
Cablevision announced the successful launch of a mobile version of Optimum.net, its consumer web portal providing some 2.5 million Optimum Online customers with access to email, traffic, weather, news and TV listings. Optimum has created the site with Usablenet. (Cynopsis 4/23)
T-Mobile USA today joined other wireless carriers that have introduced embedded SIM modules that enable other devices — such as Amazon.com’s Kindle e-reader — to link to operators’ cellular networks. T-Mobile also said that under a deal with Echelon, the carrier would provide embedded SIMs to support the company’s plans to bring smart-grid technology to utilities in North America. The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires (4/23) , Reuters (4/23)
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Filed under: TECHNOLOGY | Tags: Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud, Amazon.com, Digital video recorder, DVD, Fiscal year, Microsoft, Online shopping, TiVo
Microsoft just announced earnings for its third fiscal quarter. Revenues were down 6 percent to $13.65 billion, and net income was down a whopping 32 percent to $2.98 billion or $0.33 EPS. Analysts consensus was closer to $14 billion for revenues and $0.39 for non-GAAP EPS, which Microsoft met thanks to its cost-cutting measures. Still, this counts as a miss for Microsoft. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/04/23/microsoft-reports-a-massive-miss-with-net-earnings-down-32-percent 4/23)
DVR maker TiVo is ramping up its efforts to thwart the very trend that it created: ad-zapping. The company now is offering advertisers ways to keep their ads static while viewers are fast-forwarding through commercial pods or interactive ads that appear in small text boxes when a show is paused. The New York Times (4/22)
Consumer demand for DVDs is forecast to fall further over the next five years as the maturing market transitions to digital distribution. Bankers say these trends could hamper future film financing at the major Hollywood studios. “It’s a different era from four years ago.” (Iwantmedia 4/23, http://www.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUSTRE53L6L920090422 4/22)
Amazon.com’s Kindle 2, an electronic book reader available from the online retailer since late February, retails for almost double what it costs to build the device, according to iSuppli. Its analysis service says the Kindle 2 retails for $359 but only costs $185.49 to build. (Iwantmedia 4/23, http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=11300AFR6KBF&full_skip=1 4/22)
More than 50% of U.S. consumers say they take environmental considerations into account when shopping for an LCD TV, according to survey results from iSuppli, which found that 27.5% called green factors an important influence on their decision and 23.1% said they looked for such features when buying a TV. Dealerscope (4/23) , TWICE (4/22)
Panasonic has announced that some of its current and future HDTVs with the Viera Cast feature also will be compatible with Amazon Video on Demand. Amazon currently offers about 40,000 movies and TV shows through the VOD offering, and about 500 of those titles are in high definition. PCWorld (4/22) , Pocket-lint.co.uk (4/23)
Sony has demonstrated some of the new capabilities of its BD-Live high-definition format. The advances primarily dealt with being more user-friendly, but Sony home-entertainment chief David Bishop apparently still feels the technology has a ways to go. “I like to say we’re just at the ‘Pong’ stage of BD-Live, if you were to compare it to the video game industry,” he said. The Hollywood Reporter (4/22)
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Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE | Tags: Chicago Tribune, I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, NBC, New York, New York Jets, New York Mets, Rod Blagojevich, Verizon FiOS
Female-focused Lifetime Networks earlier this week announced its 2009-10 programming slate, a robust lineup that includes five new unscripted shows, six dramas and a comedy titled “Drop Dead Diva.” The network also will spotlight divas of another sort: On Aug. 20, Lifetime will premiere “Project Runway,” the runaway hit that has moved from Bravo. Reuters (4/21) , MediaPost Communications (4/21)
TV viewers this summer won’t watch former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich navigating his way through a Costa Rican jungle after all. According to the Chicago Tribune, a US District Court Judge denied Blagojevich’s request to change the travel conditions of his bail to appear as a contestant on NBC’s I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! (Cynopsis 4/22)
Verizon FiOS TV and SNY, the official TV network of the New York Mets, New York Jets and the Big East Conference, made a programming deal allowing New York area viewers to receive VOD sports content. Verizon FiOS subscribers in New York City, Westchester and Rockland counties, Long Island, Buffalo and Northern New Jersey will now have available for free more than 120 New York Mets regular season game telecasts, classic Mets games, Big East programming and more. (Cynopsis 4/22)
Bravo is in development on a new docu-series based on the hip fashion retail boutique Fred Segal Fun based in Santa Monica. The as-yet-untitled project will showcase the fashion forward styles that Fred Segal Fun is known for as well as the competitive sales team and the demanding high-end clientele they serve. (Cynopsis 4/22)
NBC is negotiating to finalize a single-camera untitled comedy headlined by Debra Messing, reports THR. NBC gave the project a script commitment and an episodic guarantee for Messing. 3 Arts and UMS will produce the comedy about a laid-off CEO (Messing) who becomes a full-time wife and mother. (Cynopsis 4/22)
Lions Gate is said to be in talks to sell a minority stake in its TV Guide cable channel. The film studio will choose from among three bidders in “the very near term.” Lions Gate plans to remake the TV Guide channel into an entertainment network similar to Bravo and F/X. (Iwantmedia 4/22, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=apLG0eetE4mo 4/21)
Tweens and teens prefer cable TV programming over broadcast shows by a 77%-23% margin, according to a new study by Pangea Media and Ypulse. The study also found that 65% of respondents would rather watch a TV show live than using a DVR to time-shift (25%) or online (10%). MediaPost Communications (4/21)
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Filed under: ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA | Tags: Chris DeWolfe, Hulu, Jason Kilar, Myspace, Nikki Finke, Public Broadcasting Service, Television, YouTube
ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
Hulu CEO Jason Kilar insists that the video site doesn’t cannibalize cable television. “The reality is actually different.” In fact, pay TV customers are increasing, he says. Also, Hulu has lured 49% more viewers since co-parent NBC began promoting it with commercials. (Iwantmedia 4/22, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aULJwPCFWsgE 4/22)
No more speculation or leaks, it’s official. As Techcrunch wrote yesterday, MySpace cofounder Chris DeWolfe
will shortly be leaving the company. He’ll remain on board as a strategic advisor. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/04/22/confirmed-myspace-ceo-chris-dewolfe-steps-down/ 4/22)
Times are tough in the online advertising space. Yahoo reported a 78% drop in net income, which totaled $118 million for Q1 compared to $537 million a year earlier. Revenue dropped 13% to $1.58 billion, down from $1.8 billion Q1 2008. Double digit declines in display advertising and revenues from affiliated sites didn’t help. Even search revenue on the company’s owned-and-operated sites dropped by 3% year-over-year to $399 million. (Cynopsis 4/22)
Twittering actors and industry bloggers are threatening the role of the once mighty Variety as the premier source for Hollywood news. Nikki Finke’s blog is “the one to beat right now.” Still, actors, directors and producers are bypassing the press — and blogs — via Twitter feeds. (Iwantmedia 4/22, http://www.observer.com/2009/media/get-me-rewrite-once-variety-ruled-holywood-press-twittering-stars-and-cutthroat-blogs-hav 4/21)
The Public Broadcasting Service is launching its own video site, allowing online viewers to stream many of its top shows, including “Masterpiece Theater,” for free. PBS is joining the ranks of Hulu and YouTube — places for consumers who aren’t wedded to watching TV on a TV. (Iwantmedia 4/22, http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-pbs22-2009apr22,0,5015075.story 4/22)
The real-time web is all the rage, with FriendFeed widely deploying live feeds earlier this month and Facebook working hard on bringing real-time streams to its homepage. Now YouTube is looking to get in on the action, and is currently testing a new feature dubbed ‘YouTube RealTime’, which allow users to see which of their friends are currently online, the videos they’re watching, and comments they’ve left. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/04/22/youtube-starts-experimenting-with-real-time-feeds/ 4/22)
Google is introducing Profiles, a service that allows people to create personal profiles that will turn up during Web searches for their name. The service is seen as Google’s attempt to take on Facebook and Twitter. “This improves Google’s relevancy in people search.” (Iwantmedia 4/22, http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2009-04-21-google-profiles-smiths-search_N.htm 4/21)
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer says the software maker isn’t interested in buying Yahoo and will focus on gaining market share in Internet search through innovation. Microsoft, however, is believed to be stepping up talks with Yahoo about a partnership to challenge Google. (Iwantmedia 4/22, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=ap.6RXsXVGmE 4/22)
Global recorded music sales fell by more than 8% in 2008 to $18.42 billion, led by a sharp drop-off in the United States, according to the world music trade body IFPI. The music industry is facing the transition by consumers to cheaper digital song formats and rampant piracy. (Iwantmedia 4/22, http://www.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUSTRE53K5VY20090421 4/21)
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Filed under: WIRELESS | Tags: Amanda Congdon, Bluetooth, HTC Corporation, HTC Touch Pro, iPhone, Rocketboom, Sprint Nextel, Windows Mobile
During its earnings reports today, AT&T posted numbers that easily beat Wall Street’s expectations. Yes, profits were down, but we’re in a down economy, and there’s simply no denying that things would have been much, much worse without the iPhone. (http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/04/22/proof-that-att-needs-to-extend-that-iphone-deal/ 4/22)
In its latest hardware upgrade, U.S. Cellular will market the Windows Mobile-based HTC Touch Pro smartphone for $250 under a two-year contract. The handset includes a 3.2-megapixel camera, slide-out QWERTY keyboard, Bluetooth 2.0, Wi-Fi and EV-DO Rev. A technology. CNET/PhoneScoop (4/21) , MobileBurn (4/21)
HTC Touch Pro for U.S. Cellular(Credit: HTC)
Amanda Congdon, who emerged as the face of indie Internet darling Rocketboom before going on to digital initiatives at ABC and HBO, is resurfacing at Flo TV, the live mobile TV service from Qualcomm. Her series, “Sometimes Daily,” serves up quirky commentaries. (Iwantmedia 4/22, http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3icbbfbd34476c8990e504d0475d03c894 4/21)
As a mobile-DTV group makes progress toward approving a final standard and broadcasters launch free-to-air mobile programming, wireless providers said they hoped to turn the threat into an opportunity by forming partnerships for a premium-content platform. MobiTV, Sprint Nextel, Sinclair Broadcast Group and PBS demonstrated such a service this week, dubbed MixTV, that would add on-demand video subscriptions to the free broadcast content. Telephony Online (4/21) , TVNewsday (4/21)
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Filed under: TECHNOLOGY | Tags: Apple, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, HP Pavilion, Laptop, Market share, Personal computer, Wall Street Journal
Apple has just released its second quarter financial results, and surprise, surprise: they’re very good. The company had revenues for the quarter of $8.16 billion and net profit of $1.21 billion — both easily beat Wall Street expectations. Both also beat the numbers the company posted a year ago, and actually represent the company’s best March quarter (which is Apple’s second quarter) results ever. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/04/22/economy-be-damned-apple-posts-its-best-second-quarter-earnings-ever/ 4/22)
Looking to gain market share in a tough economy, top-tier PC makers such as Dell and Hewlett-Packard increasingly are bringing out low-cost, no-frills models that are long on cost savings but, in some cases, short on features. The industry trend isn’t likely to stop anytime soon either, according to NPD analyst Stephen Baker, who said PC prices could drop another 10% by the end of the year. The Wall Street Journal (4/22)
The HP Pavilion dv2 (top) and the Dell Inspiron Mini 12 represent new lines of laptops aimed at frugal consumers. The models blur the lines between relatively cheap netbooks and traditional notebooks in terms of pricing, size and computing power.
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Filed under: MISC | Tags: Company, New York, New York Times Company, Newspaper, Revenue, Society and Culture, United States, us
Shares of New York Times Co. fell the most in almost 22 years in U.S. trading after reporting a $74.5 million net loss in first-quarter revenue. CEO Janet Robinson says the company is considering new methods for building revenue online, including charging for some content. (Iwantmedia 4/22, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a8GecHdugVcM 4/21)
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