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ArchivesWSJ: Microsoft Closing in on America Online Advertising DealAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2005 - 9:10am.
Dulles, Va. - Media giant Time Warner could sign a deal with Microsoft to build an online advertising service by the end of the year, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. The Journal also said that it is increasingly unlikely that the deal would include a stake in America Online, and would probably involve little or no money. The new service would be designed to compete with Google, which is currently the main provider of Internet search services on America Online. AOL would reportedly drop Google in favor of MSN Search, with the two companies creating a service similar to Google's service that connects advertising with search results. The companies are also negotiating to create a team that would jointly sell advertising for both AOL and MSN. Reuters, however, reported that "Google is still very much in the running," and that both Microsoft and Google have submitted proposals to AOL over the past few weeks.
Sharman Networks Shuts Off Kazaa Downloads in AustraliaAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2005 - 9:07am.
Sydney, Australia - Australians are no longer allowed to download the Kazaa file-sharing application from the website of parent company Sharman Networks, the result of the company's efforts to comply with an Australian court order, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. Sharman lost a copyright infringement lawsuit brought in early 2004 by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), and was ordered to install filters to block 3,000 songs in Australia by Dec. 5. Sharman was unable to agree with the recording industry on suitable filtering technology, and instead blocked Australian users from downloading Kazaa. The company told the Herald it was in compliance because it no longer authorizes Australians to infringe copyright. However, Australian users who had already downloaded Kazaa are unaffected by the blockage -- despite a company request for them not to use the software -- as are the majority of Kazaa users, who reside in the U.S. and elsewhere. "Sharman has thumbed its nose at the court," said ARIA CEO Stephen Peach. "They were given a chance to do the right thing and they've ruined it." Sharman says it is working to implement filtering software from Audible Magic while it awaits an appeal of the copyright judgment, to be heard in February. "We are doing everything in our power to comply with the Court's orders," the company said in a statement. "It is clear [ARIA] are only interested in removing a competitor."
Radio Giants Team to Promote New Digital Radio TechnologyAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2005 - 9:05am.
New York - The top U.S. radio companies on Tuesday partnered to help accelerate the rollout of a new digital radio broadcasting format. The HD Digital Radio Alliance, whose members include radio station owners Clear Channel, Infinity, Emmis and Entercom, will jointly market the new technology and collaborate to make digital car radios cheaper for consumers. Developed by Maryland-based iBiquity Digital, HD Radio lets stations transmit a digital signal alongside their traditional analog broadcasts. Peter Ferrara, a former senior vice president at Clear Channel and board member of the National Association of Broadcasters, was named CEO of the HD Digital Radio Alliance. The seven companies plan to spend a combined $200 million in 2006 promoting HD Radio on their own stations, and will jointly coordinate the launch of "HD2" multicast channels, which will enable multiple radio formats to be transmitted simultaneously from a single station. Already, nearly 600 U.S. radio stations are broadcasting an HD Radio signal, but receivers are still costly and have not been widely adopted by consumers.
tags: Radio Giants | Digital Radio Technology |
NBC Universal Offers Primetime, Classic TV Episodes for Sale on iTunesAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2005 - 8:58am.
Burbank, Calif. - NBC Universal announced on Tuesday that it will offer a range of episodes of primetime, cable, late-night and classic TV shows for purchase and download from Apple's iTunes Store. The offering includes current NBC series such as "Law & Order," "The Office" and "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno"; USA's "Monk"; and Sci-Fi Channel's "Battlestar Galactica"; as well as classic series like "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "Dragnet" and "Knight Rider." The videos can be watched on a Mac or PC and also transferred for viewing on a video iPod. Apple said that it has sold more than 3 million videos through iTunes since their debut on Oct. 12, and now offers a total of 16 TV shows at $1.99 per episode. Disney also offers episodes of TV shows such as ABC's "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost," as well as several Disney channel programs through iTunes.
Users Still Awaiting Software Fix for SonyBMG CD Copy-ProtectionAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2005 - 8:56am.
New York - Nearly three weeks after announcing it would provide software that would uninstall the malicious code it included on millions of copy-protected music CDs, major label SonyBMG has yet to release such software, USA Today reported. The software fix will patch a security risk that could invite viruses onto PCs if users play certain SonyBMG CDs on their computers. The label argued that "security is more important than speed," Thomas Hesse, president of Sony's Global Digital Business division, told USA Today. "I have the best security experts triple-checking it." The company also said on Nov. 14 that it would recall some 5 million of the CDs still on retailers' shelves, but last week attorneys general in New York and Massachusetts criticized the company for not having removed all discs containing the XCP software from stores in their states.
Electronic Arts Opens Game Development Studio in SingaporeAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2005 - 8:54am.
Singapore - Video game publisher Electronic Arts on Tuesday announced plans to open a game development studio in Singapore, which will focus on localizing EA games into five languages for the Asian market, and also develop online games. The company named its vice president of operations for Asia, Irene Chua, to head the new studio. "We are happy that Electronic Arts has chosen Singapore to establish their primary localization studio in Asia," said Teo Ming Kian, chairman of Singapore's Economic Development Board. "It is a significant boost to our efforts in building Singapore into a digital media capital, where Singapore creations can be made for global consumption."
Microsoft May Face Class Action Over Alleged Xbox 360 FlawsAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2005 - 8:52am.
Chicago - Microsoft is facing a potential class action lawsuit over alleged flaws in its Xbox 360 video game console, initially filed by an Illinois man who says his device has a design flaw that makes it overheat and freeze up, Reuters reported. A number of similar complaints were lodged on video game enthusiast websites shortly after the console's release on Nov. 22. Chicago resident Robert Byers says in the suit that the power supply and central processing unit of the Xbox 360 can overheat, affecting sensitive chips located nearby. "We have received a few isolated reports of consoles not working as expected," a Microsoft spokeswoman told Reuters, adding that the calls related to a "very, very small fraction" of the total units sold. The company has also commented to Eurogamer.net that, "because Xbox 360 has three powerful processing cores, customers may notice that it runs a bit warmer than other game consoles, but this heat output is well within the acceptable and safe range."
Gambling Site Empire Online Sues Rival PartyGamingAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2005 - 8:32am.
London - Empire Online, a Cyprus-based online gaming firm, announced that it is seeking "substantial damages" from Gibraltar-based PartyGaming, owner of the largest online poker website in the world. Under a "skin" agreement between the two companies, Empire and PartyGaming's poker systems had once been linked; the latter, however, recently called off the deal, and Empire is now demanding the contract be reinstated. Empire, whose shares have lost more than three-quarters of their value over the last three months, earns the lion's share of its revenue by directing new customers to third-party gambling platforms. A number of news reports on Tuesday said the company was seeking several hundred million dollars in damages.
HBO, Fox, MTV Offer Programs for Vodafone Global Mobile TV ChannelsAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2005 - 8:31am.
London - European wireless network operator Vodafone on Tuesday announced the launch its lineup of global mobile TV channels, which will be available across Vodafone markets this month. The global offering will include full-length episodes of HBO's "Sex and the City," "Six Feet Under" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm"; the first four seasons of Fox's "24"; major live sporting events from Eurosport; UEFA Champions League football clips; Discovery Mobile; two MTV channels; Chilli TV and Fashion TV. Vodafone said the global channels will complement existing domestic mobile TV offerings in Vodafone markets.
Oxford Dictionary Names "Podcast" 2005 Word of the YearAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2005 - 8:29am.
New York - The editors of the New Oxford American Dictionary announced on Tuesday that they have selected "podcast" as the Word of the Year for 2005. Defined as "a digital recording of a radio broadcast or similar program, made available on the Internet for downloading to a personal audio player," the word will be added to the next online update to the dictionary due in early 2006. Runners-up included "bird flu," "IED," "persistent vegetative state," "reggaeton" and "rootkit." "Podcast was considered for inclusion last year, but we found that not enough people were using it, or were even familiar with the concept," said editor in chief Erin McKean. "This year it's a completely different story. The word has finally caught up with the rest of the iPod phenomenon."
Visage Mobile Raises $30 Million in Fourth RoundAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2005 - 8:27am.
San Francisco - Visage Mobile, a developer of a platform that makes it easier for companies to offer their own branded mobile phone services, said on Tuesday that it has raised $30 million in its fourth round of funding, led by Nomura International. The company said that all of its previous investors also participated in the round, which increased its total backing to more than $80 million. San Francisco-based Visage provides technology and services for private branded wireless services, including the virtual mobile network and content service planned by Disney's ESPN.
Korean Xbox 360 Release Set for Feb. 24; Levy to Deter Foreign ImportsAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2005 - 8:25am.
Redmond, Wash. - Microsoft has announced that it plans to begin selling its Xbox 360 video game console in Korea on Feb. 24, and in Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan on March 2. The console went on sale in the U.S. on Nov. 22, and will begin selling in Europe and Japan later this week. To deter imports of foreign consoles, Microsoft asked the Korean government to place a hefty tax on imported Xbox 360s. "Once they are detected, the smugglers would have to pay around 200,000 won ($193) per unit to take it into Korea," Microsoft Korea public relations manager Cho Hyuk told The Korea Times. "If someone is still eager to have it and play it even though he has to pay that amount of extra money, then we won't stop him."
Sprint to Offer Free Live Mobile TV Broadcast of Bon Jovi ConcertAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2005 - 8:22am.
Overland Park, Kan. - Wireless network operator Sprint announced on Tuesday that it will offer a live mobile video broadcast of a Bon Jovi concert on Dec. 17 to its subscribers for free. Subscribers with mobile TV-enabled handsets will be able to view the concert in its entirety through Sprint, which is the title sponsor of the band's "Have a Nice Day" U.S. tour.
Cingular Launches 3G Network in 52 U.S. CitiesAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2005 - 8:21am.
Washington - Cingular Wireless on Tuesday announced the launch of its third-generation (3G) wireless network, which now is available in 52 U.S. cities. Cingular said that it will continue to extend its 3G network "rapidly" next year.
Verizon Expands FiOS TV Service Rollout into FloridaAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2005 - 8:18am.
Temple Terrace, Fla. - Verizon on Tuesday launched its FiOS TV Internet TV service in Temple Terrace, Florida, a city of 21,000 northeast of Tampa. The company launched FiOS TV in a limited rollout in Texas in September, and in Virginia in November. Verizon added that it has obtained video franchises from local governments to offer FiOS TV in California, Massachusetts and New York, and hopes to make the service available to a total of 400,000 households by the end of 2006.
SureWest to Offer HDNet on First U.S. High-Definition IPTV ServiceAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2005 - 8:16am.
Roseville, Calif. - Independent telecommunications provider SureWest Communications announced on Tuesday that it has signed an agreement to offer programming from Mark Cuban's HDNet and HDNet Movies channels on its Internet-based HDTV service. Roseville, Calif.-based SureWest plans to launch the first Internet Protocol HDTV service in the nation, and said it is currently finalizing beta testing of the service, which is slated to launch yet this year.
CinemaNow Japan Licenses Warner Bros. Movies for VOD ServiceAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2005 - 8:14am.
Marina del Rey, Calif. - CinemaNow Japan, an Internet video-on-demand joint venture between CinemaNow, Transcosmos and Microsoft, announced on Tuesday that it has licensed films from Warner Bros. for inclusion on the service. The company said the deal makes it the first Japanese online service to offer movies from a major studio via online subscription. Films including "Ocean's Twelve," "Constantine" and "Rebel Without a Cause" will be available for about $2 each, or by subscription for about $12 per month.
Buena Vista Games to Ship 2 Million Copies of "Narnia" TitleAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2005 - 8:11am.
Burbank, Calif. - Disney's Buena Vista Games division announced on Tuesday that it has shipped more than 2 million units of its video game based on the upcoming Disney movie "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" to retailers in North America and Europe. The game is available for PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance and the PC. The movie debuts in theaters on Dec. 9.
2K Sports to Ship "Major League Baseball 2K6" in Spring 2006Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2005 - 8:09am.
New York - 2K Sports, a unit of game publisher Take-Two Interactive, announced on Tuesday that it plans to release its "Major League Baseball 2K6" title in the spring of 2006. The game for Xbox 360, Xbox, PlayStation 2, PSP and GameCube will feature New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter as spokesman and cover athlete.
JiWire to Locate Wi-Fi HotSpots for Nintendo DS UsersAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2005 - 8:07am.
San Francisco - Nintendo has partnered with JiWire to provide technology that will allow Nintendo DS users to find free local Wi-Fi hotspot locations. San Francisco-based JiWire's hotspot finder service will help enable DS owners to connect and play against each other on the free Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service.
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