Archives

EU: Microsoft Must Comply Immediately or Face New Fines

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 27, 2005 - 7:00am.
Brussels -- The EU warned Microsoft on Wednesday that the software giant could face additional fines unless it complied immediately with an order to stop abusing its dominant position in Europe. Earlier this week, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer met with EU competition commissioner Neelie Kroes to discuss a number of outstanding differences over the Commission's recent ruling against the company. No progress, however, was made during the meeting, according to EU spokesman Jonathan Todd. "All I can say for the moment (is that) we are still not satisfied," he said. "Over a year has elapsed and, as of today, we are not in a position to say that we are satisfied that Microsoft has complied fully." In a landmark ruling last March, the Commission ruled that Microsoft had abused the dominance of its Windows operating system to lock out competitors and ordered the company to share server protocols with competitors. The EU could now fine Microsoft as much as 5% of its daily global turnover for each day it fails to apply a decision favorable to the Commission.
tags: Law | Microsoft | EU | Comply | New Fines |

Infinity Broadcasting Launches Podcasting Radio Station in San Francisco

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 27, 2005 - 6:58am.
New York -- Infinity Broadcasting, a unit of Viacom that operates 183 U.S. radio stations, on Wednesday announced plans to launch the first-ever podcasting radio station, offering listeners MP3 downloads of shows alongside its AM signal. The podcast function will allow listeners to have their favorite programs automatically downloaded to their iPods or other MP3 players. All content featured on KYOURADIO will be created exclusively by its listeners, and will be available both in San Francisco on 1550 KYCY-AM, and at KYOURadio.com. Programming will be evaluated according to listener interests and feedback on a daily basis. "There is a profound shift underway in the way we use technology that allows everyone to have a voice," said Infinity chairman and CEO Joel Hollander. "KYOURADIO harnesses that power by serving our listeners with content developed by them for them and offering a platform to share it with the rest of the world."
tags: Launches | San Francisco | Infinity Broadcasting | Podcasting Radio Station |

XM Satellite Radio Doubles Revenue, Cuts Net Loss

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 27, 2005 - 6:56am.
Washington -- With subscribers continuing to sign up at a rapid pace, XM Satellite Radio, the D.C.-based provider of nationwide satellite radio services, said on Wednesday that its revenue more than doubled and its net loss shrunk during the most recent quarter. The company's stock was up nearly 2% on Wednesday. Crediting the addition of more than 541,000 net subscribers, the company said that its revenue was $103 million, up from $43 million a year ago. Its net loss subsequently dwindled from $170.1 million to $119.9 million. XM ended the quarter with 3.77 million subscribers, and said it remains on track to reach 5.5 million by year's end.
tags: XM Satellite Radio | Doubles Revenue | Cuts Net Loss |

French Court Strikes Blow Against DVD Copy-Protection

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 27, 2005 - 6:53am.
Paris -- In an unprecedented ruling against copy-protection technologies, the Paris Court of Appeals ordered local DVD vendors to remove copies of David Lynch's "Mulholland Drive" from store shelves this week. The suit, filed by consumer advocacy group UFC-Que Choisir, concerns a French consumer who was unable to transfer the movie onto a video cassette for personal use (he wanted to show the film at his mother's house). The court ruled that copy prevention software on the DVD had violated the consumer's privacy rights. Pundits say the ruling, which sets a new precedent in the EU, could be a major setback for the DVD industry. "This ruling means that 80 percent of DVDs now on the French market are equipped with illegal mechanisms," said Julien Dourgnon, a spokesman for UFC-Que Choisir.
tags: Law | French Court | Strikes | DVD Copy-Protection |

Time Warner's TBS to Launch Broadband Games On Demand Service

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 27, 2005 - 6:51am.
Atlanta -- Time Warner's Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) announced on Wednesday plans to launch a broadband video games-on-demand service. When it launches in the fall, GameTap will offer 300 of a total of 1,000 PC games TBS licensed from 17 publishers, in addition to original programming that may be viewed on a PC. Subscribers must first download the GameTap client software, and will then receive unlimited access to the service's slate of PC games. "Turner's lifeblood is creating branded networks and we are excited about the opportunity to create an immersive environment for games following our success with other branded environments like CNN, TCM and Cartoon Network," said Andrew T. Heller, president of domestic distribution for TBS. "With GameTap, we are bringing to games what we brought to cable television: compelling, branded environments where beloved properties live on."
tags: Launch | Time Warner | TBS | Broadband Games | On Demand |

Nokia Introduces 4GB Mobile Music Phone

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 27, 2005 - 6:49am.
Amsterdam -- Cell phone maker Nokia on Wednesday introduced the Nokia N91, billed as a mobile music phone with a 4GB hard drive with room for up to 3,000 songs. The phone will allow for easy transfer of songs from a PC via a USB 2.0 port, or purchased and downloaded through a carrier's mobile music store. It will also allow for playlist sharing via Bluetooth. Nokia said the N91 will ship worldwide by the end of 2005.
tags: Nokia | 4GB Mobile Music Phone |

Mobile Entertainment Firm Airmedia Gets Investment from Sierra Ventures

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 27, 2005 - 6:43am.
San Francisco -- Airmedia, a developer and publisher of mobile entertainment applications, announced on Wednesday that it has raised an undisclosed amount in a new financing round from Sierra Ventures.
tags: Investment | Mobile Entertainment | Airmedia | Sierra Ventures |

Contextual Ad Technology Developer WhenU.Com Raises $20 Million

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 27, 2005 - 6:40am.
New York -- WhenU.com, a provider of online contextual ad serving technology, announced that it has raised $20 million in its first round of venture capital financing, led by ABS Capital Partners. New York-based WhenU.com's software is often bundled with other programs, like the Kazaa file-sharing application. The software monitors which websites each user visits and what keywords are entered into search engines, and then targets ads to the user based on behavior. WhenU.com maintains its software does not constitute "spyware," because it is downloaded with consent and does not report data back to advertisers.
tags: VC | WhenU.com | Contextual Ad Technology Developer |

IGA Forms Global Media Group for In-Game Ad Networks

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 27, 2005 - 6:37am.
London -- IGA Worldwide, a provider of in-game advertising services, announced that it has created a global media group that will focus on the planning, serving and tracking of targeted ads within PC and console video games. The company also announced that it has acquired U.K.-based game advertising firm Hive Partners, which will form part of the media group that will also include IGA Partners North America, IGA Partners Europe and IGA Technologies. The game advertising group will have offices in New York, London and Berlin, with plans to expand to Paris, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Benelux in coming months. IGA's launch of a global media group for in-game ads follows the recent launch of in-game ad networks by IGN Entertainment and Massive Inc.
tags: IGA | Global Media Group | In-Game Ad Networks |

Survey: Preference for Online News Growing at Expense of TV, Papers

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 27, 2005 - 6:33am.
New York -- The number of online adults who prefer the Internet as their main source of news has grown over 35% in the last four years, at the expense of television and newspapers, according to a new report from JupiterResearch. Currently, over 26% of online adults prefer the Internet for national and international news, compared with 19% in 2001, JupiterResearch said. "In the face of relatively flat usage, this increasing preference for the Internet is intriguing," said David Card, the vice president and senior analyst for JupiterResearch. "While traditional media companies like The New York Times and CNN are doing very well online, our analysis shows that brands like AOL and Yahoo are increasingly important for online audiences," Card said. JupiterResearch's analysis is based on surveys of over 10,750 online adults over the course of four years.
tags: Survey | Papers | Online News | Expense of TV |