Archive - Dec 6, 2006 | Digital Media Wire

Airborne Signs Mobile Entertainment Deal with Marc Ecko

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2006 - 3:45pm.

Montreal - Mobile entertainment publisher Airborne Entertainment said on Wednesday that it has signed an agreement with fashion designer Marc Ecko, to develop a suite of ringtones, ringback tones, wallpapers and other products featuring brands like ecko unltd., Zoo York, Avirex and Cut & Sew. The parties plan to expand the offering next year to include video, games and other mobile content.

NovaLogic to Donate Portion of "Delta Force" Game Sales

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2006 - 3:42pm.

Los Angeles - Game publisher NovaLogic on Wednesday said it will provide a portion of the sales of its "Delta Force Black Hawk Down: Team Sabre" title for PlayStation 2 to The Special Operations Warrior Foundation. The nonprofit provides scholarship grants and educational counseling to the children of Special Operations personnel who were killed in an operational mission or training accident.

Electronic Arts to Publish "SSX Blur" for Wii in March

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2006 - 3:36pm.

Redwood City, Calif. - Electronic Arts said on Wednesday that its EA Montreal studio is currently at work on "SSX Blur," the latest installment in the snowboarding game franchise. The title for Nintendo Wii is slated for release in North America and Europe in March 2007.

BigBand Networks Nominated for Two Technical Emmys

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2006 - 3:27pm.

Redwood City, Calif.- BigBand Networks announced on Wednesday that it has received two Emmy nominations for its switched broadcast and network-based time-shifting technologies from the National Television Academy's Technology and Engineering Awards. Winners of the 2006 awards will be announced at the opening night of the Consumer Electronics Show next month in Las Vegas.

MediaReady Introduces $899 Digital Home Media Center

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2006 - 3:23pm.

Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. - MediaReady on Wednesday introduced its MediaReady MC digital home media center, which combines digital video recording, an electronic program guide, Internet browsing, e-mail, CD and DVD playback, and access to digital pictures and music. The $899 base model features a 200GB hard drive, and will ship to retailers in the first quarter of 2007.

tags: Video | Tech | TV | CE | Movies | DVD | CD | Digital Home | MediaREADY |

Interactive Television Networks Adds MLB Content

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2006 - 3:22pm.

Irvine, Calif. - Interactive Television Networks (ITVN), a provider of IPTV services, announced on Wednesday a distribution agreement with Major League Baseball Advanced Media. Under the deal, ITVN's MLB.com programming will add next-day condensed games, daily highlights, and a selection of full-length classic games, beginning later this month.

ViewNow to Offer Disney's "Pirates" for 72-Hour VOD Rental

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2006 - 3:13pm.

Encino, Calif. - ViewNow, an aggregator of content for IPTV and video-on-demand services, announced on Wednesday that it will offer Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" on video-on-demand on Jan. 4. The debut comes 30 days after the film's DVD release; typically the window is 45 days. ViewNow said it will also offer a 72-hour viewing period for the film, instead of the typical 24-hour window.

Sima Debuts $99 USB-Sharing Accessory for iPods, Other Devices

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2006 - 3:12pm.

Pittsburgh, Penn. - Sima Products on Wednesday introduced the Hitch, a $99 USB sharing accessory that lets users share content directly between iPods, digital cameras, USB flash drives and other devices without the need of a PC. The company said the device is compliant with all digital rights management copy-protection, and can be used to transfer music, video, photos, documents and other digital media.

Oz Communications Introduces Mobile Social Networking Service

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2006 - 3:11pm.

Montreal - Oz Communications on Wednesday introduced its mobile social networking product, which allows users to access social network sites like MySpace from their mobile phones. Set to launch in the first half of 2007, Oz will let users browse social networks, post comments, upload photos and videos, and be alerted when friends update their profiles or blogs. Montreal-based Oz already powers mobile versions of instant messaging services like MSN, AIM and Yahoo Messenger for carriers including Cingular and Sprint. The company closed a $34 million round of financing last month.

tags: Launches | Mobile | Social Networking | Oz Communications |

Analysis: The Market is Telling Yahoo to Stop Making Excuses and Act

Authored by Jay Baage on December 6, 2006 - 3:09pm.

Tuesday night Yahoo kicked out both Chief Operating Officer Dan Rosensweig and media group head Lloyd Braun in an attempt to reorganize management for the next era of the Internet and focus the company on catching up with Google. But after missing opportunites in social networking media and video, the market does not have much confidence in CEO Terry Semel’s ability to lead Yahoo in the Web 2.0 era. So what needs to be done to turn Yahoo around?

Toshiba Debuts 100GB, 1.8-inch Microdrive

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2006 - 3:09pm.

Tokyo - Japanese electronics firm Toshiba has introduced a new 1.8-inch, 100GB miniature hard drive for use in consumer electronics devices, which it says is the largest capacity yet achieved in this class of hard drives. Toshiba plans to begin mass production of the hard drives next month. The company is a major supplier of such miniature hard drives for Apple's iPod players, prompting speculation that a 100GB-capacity iPod is on the horizon.

tags: Tech | Hardware | Toshiba | Storage |

Terry Semel - Yahoo

Authored by Robert Spears on December 6, 2006 - 3:07pm.

Add new comment

Swedish Mobile Games Firm Gamefederation Acquires Daydream

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2006 - 3:00pm.

Stockholm, Sweden - Gamefederation, a Sweden-based developer of connected wireless entertainment technologies, announced on Wednesday that it has acquired Daydream, a Swedish mobile service provider.

Yahoo vs. Google Since Google's IPO to Dec. 2006

Authored by Robert Spears on December 6, 2006 - 2:57pm.

Add new comment

Common Sense Media Lands $4.25 Million Funding Commitment

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2006 - 2:57pm.

San Francisco - Common Sense Media, a San Francisco-based organization focused on improving the impact of the media on kids and families, said on Wednesday that Omidyar Network has committed to investing $4.25 million in the organization over the next three years.

NAVTEQ to Acquire DC-Based Map Network for $37.5 Million

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2006 - 2:54pm.

Washington - NAVTEQ, a Chicago-based producer of digital maps for vehicle navigation and location-based devices, said on Wednesday that it will pay $37.5 million in cash to acquire The Map Network, a DC-based producer of maps for travel destinations, special events and major hotels.

Wikia Lands Investment from Amazon.com

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2006 - 2:51pm.

San Mateo, Calif. - Wikia, a site that allows users to share information, news, stories, media and opinions that fall outside the scope of an encyclopedia, said on Wednesday that it has received a new investment from Amazon.com.

Report: Internet Movie Downloads, Rentals to Hit 60 Million by 2010

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2006 - 2:35pm.

Dublin, Ireland - The market for movies distributed over the Internet via on-demand rentals and download-to-own services is projected to grow from an estimated 9.5 million this year to nearly 60 million by 2010, according to a report from Research and Markets.

DirecTV to Offer Multi-Camera Feeds for Top NASCAR Drivers

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2006 - 2:33pm.

El Segundo, Calif. - Satellite TV provider DirecTV announced on Wednesday that it has signed a three-year deal with NASCAR to offer its subscribers five unique channels with multiple camera feeds that will follow different top NASCAR drivers during each race.