Filed under: WIRELESS
Video search startup EveryZing
just landed its biggest fish yet: NBC Universal. Boston-based EveryZing signed a master service agreement with NBC to provide video search and search-optimization technologies across all of its online properties, which include NBC.com, iVillage, CNBC.com, and the websites for Bravo, Sci-Fi, and Telemundo. (The deal does not cover Hulu, which is a joint venture between NBC and Fox). (http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/05/11/nbc-invests-in-video-search-startup-everyzing-and-signs-up-as-its-biggest-customer/ 5/11)
Almost immediately following Twitter coming back from a planned downtime this afternoon, co-founder and current Chairman Jack Dorsey![clip_image001[1]](http://dailymarauder.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/clip_image0011.gif?w=1&h=1 "clip_image001[1]"){kind=small}
sent out a tweet![clip_image001[2]](http://dailymarauder.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/clip_image0012.gif?w=1&h=1 "clip_image001[2]"){kind=small}
letting his followers know that he was, “Getting ready to embark on something new and entirely different. Excited!” Dorsey is getting ready to launch his next startup, he’s confirmed to us. As the guy who actually invented Twitter, this is notable. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/05/08/nuts-twitter-inventor-about-to-launch-his-next-project-code-named-squirrel/ 5/8)
In an age when anyone with a video-capable cell phone can have their own TV channel on the Web, it is still the celebrities and rock stars who are getting all the views (just as on Twitter they get the most followers). Kyte![clip_image001[3]](http://dailymarauder.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/clip_image0013.gif?w=1&h=1 "clip_image001[3]"){kind=small}
CEO Daniel Graf knows this fact all too well. Of the 215,000 video channels on Kyte, nearly all are created by consumers, but only about 1,000 account for more than 90 percent of the mobile videos streamed via the service. And those 1,000 channels are invariably the work of professionals or the cell-phone videos of famous people such as musicians Lady Gaga (iTunes link![clip_image001[4]](http://dailymarauder.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/clip_image0014.gif?w=1&h=1 "clip_image001[4]"){kind=small}
) and Soulja Boy (iTunes link) (http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/05/11/kyte-streams-50-million-videos-a-month-rolls-out-iphone-apps-for-mtv-nba-and-others/ 5/11)
The CDC’s report on wireless substitution![clip_image001[5]](http://dailymarauder.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/clip_image0015.gif?w=1&h=1 "clip_image001[5]"){kind=small}
– aka canceling your land line for a cellphone – is out and we discover that one in five U.S. households have cut the cable, an increase of 2.7 percent over six months ago. Another tidbit: one in every seven American homes (14.5%) took all their calls on cellphones despite having a landline. (http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2009/05/11/center-for-disease-control-releases-report-on-wireless-families-one-in-five-fams-are-cellphone-only/ 5/11)
Filed under: GAMING
Activision Blizzard reported revenue of $981 million in the first three months of the year along with a tidy profit of $189 million, compared with $43 million in the year-earlier period. The company got strong performances from new versions of popular titles such as "Guitar Hero" and "Call of Duty," and Chief Executive Officer Bobby Kotick declared that video games are "in the best position of any industry that’s in media or leisure." The Wall Street Journal (5/8)
Nintendo said that this fall it will release in Japan updates of industry classics Pokemon Gold and Pokemon Silver so that they can be played by a new generation of gamers … on their DS consoles. The new versions will be dubbed "Pokemon Heart Gold" and "Soul Silver" and could, according to this report, come to North American shores in 2010. GameDaily BIZ (5/8)
Filed under: TECHNOLOGY
The dismal economy in the first three months of the year did not slow shipment of liquid-crystal display flat-panel TV sets, according to iSuppli, which said shipments were up 10.5% during the period, to 6.3 million units. The recession did, however, help value-conscious Vizio rise above the rest and take the No. 1 position among LCD makers. TWICE (5/8) , InformationWeek (5/8) , Digital Trends (5/8)
Technicians are working on a smaller version of the HDMI connector that, according to this article, could be included in updates to the 19-pin port this fall or sooner. The mini HDMI, which could be used in portable electronics devices, measures 0.25 inches wide by 0.1 inches tall as opposed to the traditional version, which is 0.55 inches by 0.16 inches. Electronista (5/8)
To give its new netbooks a huge marketing push and plenty of display space, Verizon Wireless will pull the four-month-old "Hub" Internet home phone from its stores, although the carrier will continue to market the device online, according to sources familiar with the matter. At a $200 price tag, Verizon Wireless will subsidize the netbooks if customers sign up for a data contract starting at $35 a month. The New York Times/GigaOm (5/11) , The Wall Street Journal (5/8)
Filed under: MISC
Blockbuster, the movie-rental company that was once the only game in town, now finds itself scurrying for market share against a number of competitors on a variety of fronts, including online and in vending machines, according to this report. The once-dominant player in the video space reports its quarterly earnings on Thursday. The Wall Street Journal (5/11)
The new "Star Trek" film, from Viacom’s Paramount Pictures, opened with $72.5 million in ticket sales, the best debut in the 11-movie franchise. The debut may pave the way for still more "Star Trek" films. The media giant is likely to reap additional revenue from spin-off consumer products. (Iwantmedia 5/11, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aNsNjedi7cp4 5/10)
Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE
Versus on May 4 attracted nearly 1.21 million viewers to its telecast of the National Hockey League playoff matchup between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals, according to Nielsen Media Research. It was the most-watched second-round NHL playoff game since May 15, 2002, when ESPN presented a second-rounder featuring the San Jose Sharks and the Colorado Avalanche. Multichannel News (5/7)
NBA-playoff-infused TNT won its first weekly prime-time ratings title of the year, according to Nielsen data. For the week ended May 3, TNT averaged 3.45 million total viewers, 1.9 million viewers in the 18-to-49 demographic, 1.82 million adults 25 to 54 and 967,000 viewers 18 to 34. Mediaweek (5/7)
The worldwide hit video game "Guitar Hero" could become a reality television show and a real-life concert tour. "Hero" is from Activision Blizzard, a leading video game publisher that is looking to turn some of its games, including "World of Warcraft," into TV and film properties. (Iwantmedia 5/8, http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i5b8b0ca04d790c48fd25fc9ed554ea58 5/8)
Not sure how this work exactly but could be really fun if done right.
VH1 has reupped with the producers of "Tough Love" to develop a second season of the show, which will kick off in the fourth quarter. The reality game show, which helps men and women along the tortuous road of dating, has averaged 1.9 million viewers per episode and a 1.3 rating among viewers 18 to 49 in its first season, which premiered March 15. Variety (5/7)
OWN, Oprah Winfrey’s forthcoming cable network, is going through tough times. OWN president Robin Schwartz has resigned and the launch date has been moved back. And it remains unclear whether "The Oprah Winfrey Show" will move to OWN after its syndication deal expires. (Iwantmedia 5/8, http://www.thewrap.com/article/problems-hit-oprah-winfreys-fledgling-own 5/7)
ABC approved an early series pickup for the comedy Modern Family (previously titled My American Family). ABC gave the 13-episode order for next fall following positive comments from its pilot screenings. (Cynopsis 5/8)
CBS is reporting a Q1 net loss of $55.3 million. Nonetheless, CEO Les Moonves is joining a chorus of rival media execs in predicting easier times ahead. In the earnings statement, Moonves alludes to "early signs of an improving local advertising marketplace." (Iwantmedia 5/8, http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/231736-CBS_Reports_Net_Loss_of_55_3_Million.php 5/7)
Cablevision added 9,400 digital-TV subscribers in the first quarter as well as 244,500 phone customers and 141,700 high-speed Internet users. Revenue climbed 5.3%, to $1.33 billion. Additionally, the company’s Rainbow Media programming arm — which includes AMC, WE tv, IFC and Sundance Channel — increased revenue 10.7%, to $249.3 million. Mediaweek (5/7)
Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei says a purchase of its DirecTV unit by another company is possible after the satellite television operator is spun off. Liberty Media is combining DirecTV with its entertainment unit, then spinning them off as a separate company. (Iwantmedia 5/8, http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20090508/ap_on_hi_te/us_directv_liberty_media 5/8)
Filed under: ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
Apple has plans for kiosks that would enable users to download iTunes content from a local server without access to the Internet. The plans call for the kiosks in locations such as airports and stadiums. Pocket-lint.co.uk (5/7)
Um…why not buy an iPhone and call it a day?
Are you looking for the best beer bars
in the world, good places to make out![clip_image003[1]](http://dailymarauder.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/clip_image00311.gif?w=1&h=1 "clip_image003[1]"){kind=small}
in San Francisco, or where to go on the Big Island![clip_image003[2]](http://dailymarauder.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/clip_image0032.gif?w=1&h=1 "clip_image003[2]"){kind=small}
in Hawaii? A travel recommendation site called nextstop![clip_image003[3]](http://dailymarauder.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/clip_image0033.gif?w=1&h=1 "clip_image003[3]"){kind=small}
mixes social recommendations with search and adds a reputation system and elements of gameplay to come up with a new social online travel guide. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/05/08/ex-googlers-try-to-create-a-better-travel-guide-with-nextstop/ 5/8)
NASA astronaut Mark Polansky![clip_image003[4]](http://dailymarauder.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/clip_image0034.gif?w=1&h=1 "clip_image003[4]"){kind=small}
, who will be commanding the next mission to the International Space Station, has just posted a video to NASA’s official YouTube channel inviting YouTubers and Twitter fans to take part in his next mission, submitting video questions via YouTube and following mission updates over Twitter. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/05/08/tweeting-from-space-nasa-turns-to-twitter-and-youtube-to-reconnect-with-the-public/ 5/8)
Google execs say they are looking at ways to integrate microblogging capabilities, such as those popularized by Twitter, into its own search product. (Iwantmedia 5/8, http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSTRE54700220090508 5/8)
Sanford Bernstein is raising its price target on Google by 30% to $600, saying improving economic conditions will rapidly translate into higher revenue for paid search advertising. Also: Google is running its first-ever television commercial to promote its Chrome Web browser. (Iwantmedia 5/8, http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssSoftware/idUSBNG42796620090508 5/8)
Filed under: GAMING
Microsoft has announced that it will acquire BigPark, a video game startup based in Vancouver, British Columbia, that is staffed by many veterans of game publisher Electronic Arts. BigPark, which was co-founded by Don Mattrick, who also is a top Microsoft executive, is developing a game exclusively for the software giant’s Xbox 360 console. Terms were not disclosed. The Wall Street Journal (5/8) , Reuters (5/7)
