Archives

Date

U.S., European Regulators Approve $3.4 Billion Merger of Adobe, Macromedia

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 2, 2005 - 10:37am.
San Francisco - Adobe Systems, a developer of multimedia design software, announced that its proposed $3.4 billion merger with fellow design software maker Macromedia has passed all regulatory hurdles, and will close on Dec. 3. European regulators recently approved the deal; the U.S. Justice Department had already granted its approval, following a request for additional information from the companies. The deal will unite the makers of the widely utilized Photoshop and Illustrator (Adobe), and Flash and DreamWeaver (Macromedia) applications.
tags: Deals | VC | Adobe | Macromedia | U.S | European Regulators |

Japan Scuttles Proposed "iPod Tax"

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 2, 2005 - 10:33am.
Tokyo - A plan proposed by Japan's recording industry that would have added a tax of between 2% and 5% to the cost of portable MP3 players has been rejected by a committee appointed by the government's Agency for Cultural Affairs, The New York Times reported on Friday. Public criticism of the proposal, which the recording industry said was needed to compensate songwriters and copyright holders for digital music piracy losses, led the government to appoint professors and copyright lawyers to the committee; such a committee would usually have been stacked with record industry executives, The Times said. Committee spokesman Hiroyuki Suzuki told The Times the group was unable to reach a consensus, and as a result was forced to reject the proposal. A similar tax on MP3 players has been proposed in the Netherlands, while a Canadian court last year ruled that country's iPod tax to be illegal.
tags: Japan | iPod Tax |

Norway Launches Test of Interactive Mobile TV

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 2, 2005 - 10:31am.
Oslo - The first trial of interactive mobile TV programming was launched this week in Norway, a collaboration between broadcaster NRK and wireless firm LM Ericsson. The six week trial of the IM-TV service will enable viewers of the Norwegian music video show "Svisj" to interact in real time by voting for upcoming videos, and messaging the show's hosts and other viewers while still watching the program. The cost to interact is about half that of standard text messages. "Our solution makes it possible for viewers to interact with a show that they are watching on their mobile device in a whole new way, creating a much richer TV experience with the help of the mobile channel," said Ericsson Mobility World vice president Kurt Sillen.
tags: Mobile TV | Norway | test |

Philips Details Launch Plans for Multi-Sensory amBX Technology

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 2, 2005 - 10:28am.
New York - Dutch electronics firm Philips said on Friday that it has set a May 2006 launch for its "amBX" technology, which creates a "sensory surround experience" for TV and video games with added light, color, sound, heat and air. The technology utilizes LED color-controlled lights, active furniture, fans, heaters, audio and video output devices strategically placed in the living room. Philips said that it is in advanced stages of talks with game developers and peripheral manufacturers, and expects amBX-enabled games and peripherals to begin shipping in the fourth quarter of 2006.
tags: Philips | Multi-Sensory amBX Technology |

Report: One-Fifth of Online Buyers Account for Half of All Purchases

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 2, 2005 - 10:27am.
New York - About one-fifth of the online buying population accounts for nearly half of total online spending, according to a new report from Nielsen/NetRatings. The firm said that the top 18% of online shoppers, based on the amount of their online spending and their frequency of purchases, are responsible for 46% of all Internet purchases. By comparison, those spending the fewest dollars online and making the fewest purchases make up the majority, or 55%, of online buyers. The firm said that the heaviest of the online buyers tend to more often use comparison shopping tools. In addition, they tend to have higher household incomes, are more likely to have a broadband connection and are generally heavier Internet users than the rest of the population.
tags: Reports | Purchases | Online Buyers Account |

Winners Named for 2005 Digital Entertainment & Media Excellence Awards

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 2, 2005 - 10:25am.

Los Angeles - Winners of the 2005 Digital Entertainment & Media Excellence (DEMX) Awards, an event produced by Billboard parent company VNU and sponsored by Digital Media Wire, were announced last night in Los Angeles. The awards were held in conjunction with DEMXPO, a two-day conference covering issues in digital music, mobile, digital video, gaming and advertising. AOL chairman and CEO Jon Miller was named "Visionary of the Year," while Microsoft was recognized as "Innovator of the Year" for its Xbox Live Arcade. Other winners included Bungie Studios' "Halo 2," for best console game; Jamdat Mobile's "DOOM RPG" (best mobile game); the U.S. Army's "America's Army" (best advergame); GoldPocket Interactive (best television technology); Motorola iRadio (best radio service); and National Geographic's "Inside 9/11" DVD Set (best use of technology for educational programming).
http://www.digitalentertainmentawards.com/finalists2.html
http://www.demxpo.com
tags: Awards | Digital Entertainment | Winners | Media Excellence |

Comcast, Time Warner Cable Plan Cable TV Rate Hikes

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 2, 2005 - 10:22am.
Philadelphia, Pa. - Citing increased costs, Comcast and Time Warner Cable, the nation's two largest cable television companies, plan to raise their rates across the nation next year, the Associated Press reported on Friday. While Comcast will reportedly raises the price of its most popular package by 6%, Time Warner plans to increase its rates 2-3%, depending on the package. The companies combined serve more than 31 million U.S. customers.
tags: Deals | Comcast | Time Warner Cable | Rate Hikes |

TouchTunes Shareholders Approve Reverse Stock Split

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 2, 2005 - 10:20am.
Las Vegas - TouchTunes, a manufacturer of digital music-based jukeboxes found in bars and restaurants, announced on Friday that its shareholders have approved its proposed one-to-2,000 reverse stock split, geared towards its intention to take the company private. TouchTunes shares had been trading on the Nasdaq's OTC Bulletin Board service.
tags: TouchTunes | Shareholders | Reverse Stock Split |

MovieTickets.com Signs Additional Advance Ticket Deals With Exhibitors

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 2, 2005 - 10:19am.
Los Angeles - MovieTickets.com, a provider of advance online movie ticket sales, announced on Friday that it has signed a number of new agreements with U.S. and U.K. movie theater chains, bringing the number of theater chains for which it provides advance tickets to 66. The company said it has more than doubled its theater partners over the past year, and claims more exhibitor deals than any of its competitors.
tags: Deals | MovieTickets.com | Exhibitors | Advance Ticket Deals |

THQ to Ship "Broken Sword: The Angel of Death" in Summer 2006

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 2, 2005 - 10:17am.
Agoura Hills, Calif. - Video game publisher THQ announced on Friday that it plans to ship "Broken Sword: The Angel of Death" for the PC in the summer of 2006. The fourth installment in the Broken Sword franchise was developed at U.K.-based Revolution Software.
tags: THQ | Broken Sword: The Angel of Death |

I-play Releases "Crash Tag Team Racing" Mobile Game

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 2, 2005 - 10:15am.
San Mateo, Calif. - Mobile game publisher I-play and partner Vivendi Universal Games announced on Friday the release of their mobile version of "Crash Tag Team Racing" on U.S. wireless networks. The game is based on a console title in the Crash Bandicoot franchise, developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's Naughty Dog studio.
tags: I-play | Mobile Game | Crash Tag Team Racing |

CNET News.com Reports from DEMXPO Conference in Los Angeles

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 2, 2005 - 10:13am.
Century City, Calif. - CNET News.com this week reported from the Digital Entertainment and Media Expo conference (DEMXPO), a two-day conference that brought together entertainment and technology executives in Los Angeles. The event drew representatives from both major technology firms and the Hollywood movie studios, major record labels and television networks. The veteran entertainment industry firms "are still a big part of the game," Conrad Teran, president of online video distributor iSeeTV, told News.com. "They will never be irrelevant."
tags: Reports | CNET News.com | Los Angeles | DEMXPO Conference |