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ArchivesApple Debuts iTunes Movie Downloads, New iPods and NFL DealAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 12, 2006 - 6:54pm.
San Francisco - Apple Computer on Tuesday announced the long-anticipated launch of feature-length movie downloads from its iTunes Store. An initial offering of 75 films from studios owned by Disney, where Apple CEO Steve Jobs sits on the board of directors, will be sold for $12.99 if pre-ordered or purchased during their first week of availability, while library titles will cost $9.99. Deals with other studios have not yet been reached, due to ongoing negotiations on pricing, copy protection measures and other issues, sources at several Hollywood studios told the Associated Press. Apple also introduced several new iPod models on Tuesday. They included a new iPod video (80GB, $349; 30GB, $249) with a brighter screen that can also for the first time play video games; a thinner iPod nano with an aluminum body available in five colors (8GB, $249; 4GB, $199; 2GB, $149); and a new aluminum-bodied iPod Shuffle that is half the size of the original model (1GB, $79). Finally, Apple announced a deal with the NFL to offer video downloads of game highlights on iTunes the day after they are played. The highlight videos will sell for $1.99 each, or in a "Follow Your Team" season pass for $24.99. Also offered will be NFL Network's "NFL GameDay," available for $1.99 per show or $19.99 for a full season.
eDonkey File-Sharing Service to Shut Down, Pay Labels $30 MillionAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 12, 2006 - 6:51pm.
Los Angeles - MetaMachine, operator of the eDonkey peer-to-peer file-sharing service, has agreed to pay $30 million to avoid copyright infringement litigation from the major record labels, the Associated Press reported. New York-based MetaMachine also agreed to immediately cease distribution of its eDonkey, eDonkey 2000, Overnet and other file-sharing applications, as well as take steps to prevent current eDonkey users from trading files with one another. Since the 2005 landmark Supreme Court decision that found providers of file-sharing software liable for copyright infringement committed by users, the recording industry has threatened litigation against the remaining popular free file-sharing networks. To date, BearShare, i2Hub, WinMX and Grokster have reached settlements with the record labels and shut down their peer-to-peer services. Holdouts include Soulseek and LimeWire, which was served a copyright infringement lawsuit by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) last month.
Apple to Debut $299 Mac-to-TV Streaming Device in Early 2007Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 12, 2006 - 6:50pm.
San Francisco - At the end of a presentation that introduced iTunes movie downloads and a number of new iPod models, Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs announced on Tuesday that the company plans to debut a device early next year that will stream video and music from a Macintosh computer or the Internet to a television. Codenamed "iTV," the $299 device will be about the size of a paperback novel and will figure as Apple's first entry into consumers' living rooms.
RealNetworks Acquires Korean Mobile Firm WiderThan for $350 MillionAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 12, 2006 - 6:49pm.
Seattle - RealNetworks, a provider of media delivery technologies, announced on Tuesday that it has acquired South Korea-based WiderThen, a publisher of mobile entertainment like ringtones and full-track song downloads, for $350 million. WiderThan provides mobile entertainment services to over 50 wireless carriers in more than 25 countries. Its products include ringback tones and mobile music-on-demand services, which have been launched by Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile USA. WiderThan reported revenue of $61.9 million for the first half of 2006, a 39% increase over the same period a year ago. "WiderThan is a world leader in mobile music services," said RealNetworks chairman and Rob Glaser. "We believe the combination of RealNetworks and WiderThan will greatly enhance our digital entertainment products and services and accelerate our reach around the world."
TiVo Debuts $799, 250GB Series3 HD Digital Video RecorderAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 12, 2006 - 6:47pm.
Alviso, Calif. - TiVo on Tuesday introduced the TiVo Series3 HD, a $799 digital video recorder with a 250GB hard drive that allows users to record up to 32 hours of HD programming, or 300 hours of standard definition shows. The set-top can record two different HD shows at the same time, while a third pre-recorded program is being viewed. Later this year, the device will support TiVoCast, a service that lets users access content directly through a broadband connection. The TiVo Series3 is also the first THX-certified digital video recorder. TiVo said it will ship the Series3 HD digital video recorder to retailers in mid-September.
News Corp. Pays $188 Million for Control of Mobile Firm JambaAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 12, 2006 - 6:46pm.
Los Angeles - Media conglomerate News Corporation announced on Tuesday that it will pay $188 million for a controlling interest in VeriSign's mobile entertainment unit, Jamba, and combine it with Fox Mobile Entertainment. Lucy Hood, formerly president of Fox Mobile Entertainment, will become CEO of the joint venture, which will retain its Jamster brand in the U.S. and the Jamba brand worldwide. Founded in 2000, Jamba delivers mobile entertainment content including ringtones, music and video. The company will now power the MySpace Mobile store, and also distribute a mobile content subscription package for Fox's "The Simpsons," called the "Yellow Plan." "This is an important step in News Corp.'s strategy of becoming the world's leading digital media company," said News Corp. president and COO Peter Chernin. "We're the most powerful media company on the web with Fox Interactive Media, our aggressive digital content deals have given consumers access to News Corp. programming on every conceivable platform."
Online Social Network Facebook to Open Membership to AnyoneAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 12, 2006 - 6:44pm.
Palo Alto, Calif. - Facebook, the second-largest online social network with 9.5 million members, has announced plans to open its network beyond college and high school students to anyone interested in joining. The company launched in 2004 as an exclusive network for college students with .edu e-mail addresses; it has since expanded to allow high school students and employees at some large companies. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told The New York Times that the company needed to expand its membership to account for aging members. "We have two years of alums already, and more than one-third of the people using the site are not in college any more," Zuckerberg told The Times. "If we make it so other young people can use the site, it strengthens the experience for everybody." The relaxing of membership restrictions will allow the company to gain on market leader MySpace, which claims over 100 million members.
eMusic Launches Digital Music Service Across EuropeAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 12, 2006 - 6:33pm.
New York - eMusic, the second most-popular digital music service in the U.S., announced on Tuesday the launch of its service in all 25 European Union member countries. New York-based eMusic offers a catalog of 1.7 million tracks from 8,500 independent labels in the unprotected MP3 format, meaning songs can play on any MP3 player, including Apple's iPod. "The monopoly of iTunes in Europe is over," said eMusic president and CEO David Pakman. "European consumers, fed up with homogeneous music and services focused only on mainstream pop can now discover a wealth of music created to transcend rules, boundaries and commercialism. At eMusic, fans can explore our vast catalogue of groundbreaking independent music which plays on any digital music device." The European eMusic stores will offer three subscription plans: 40 downloads per month for 12.99 euro ($16.48); 65 downloads per month for 16.99 euro ($21.55); or 90 downloads per month for 20.99 euro ($26.62), which breaks down to about 29 cents per song. The company said it will market the service with Classic FM, The Guardian and Stuff magazine in the U.K., and will bundle free downloads with MP3 players sold at High Street retailers.
Report: U.K. Leads Mobile Music Penetration; U.S. Leads in RingtonesAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 12, 2006 - 6:32pm.
Seattle - The U.K. has the largest percentage of consumers who use their mobile phones as a music device, while the U.S. trailed Spain and Germany, according to a report on mobile music in the U.S. and Europe from market research firm M:Metrics. Three percent of U.K. mobile subscribers used their phone as a music player during the month of July, compared with 2.8% in Spain, 1.4% in Germany and 0.7% in the U.S. "A significant barrier to mobile music consumption is the dearth of devices that support the activity," said M:Metrics senior analyst Seamus McAteer. "We are, however, seeing an influx of music-friendly devices on the market, with removable storage and better interfaces for accessing songs, as well as consumer education by the operators, all of which will foster growth in the sector." M:Metrics also calculated ringtone consumption data, which found the U.S. leading with 10.4% of subscribers having purchased a ringtone in July, followed by Spain (8.9%), Germany (6.6%) and the U.K. (5.4%). Spain is leading ringback tone adoption, with 9.7% having paid for one in July, compared with 3.7% of Americans.
AT&T, MobiTV to Launch Live TV Streaming to PCsAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 12, 2006 - 6:29pm.
San Antonio, Texas - AT&T on Tuesday announced plans to launch a service that will deliver 20 live television channels to U.S. users' PCs over a broadband connection. The company partnered with Emeryville, Calif.-based MobiTV -- best known for its technology that delivers live TV and video to mobile phones -- to power the service. AT&T Broadband TV will offer channels including Bloomberg, The Weather Channel, Fox News, Oxygen and Toonworld for $19.99 per month. AT&T, which claims 7.8 million DSL customers, said the service will be available from nearly any broadband connection at home, at work or on the road.
Graphics Chipmaker Nvidia Gets Nasdaq Delisting NoticeAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 12, 2006 - 6:26pm.
Santa Clara, Calif. - Graphics chipmaker Nvidia announced on Tuesday that it has received notice from the Nasdaq that its shares are not in compliance, due to a delayed filing of its quarterly report. The company is currently conducting an internal review of its stock options granting practices dating back to 1999, and has received a request from the SEC for information regarding the practices. The SEC is currently investigating over 80 technology firms' stock options grants, to determine if companies adjusted the date on which grants were issued to increase their values for employees. Santa Clara, Calif.-based Nvidia said its shares will remain listed on the exchange pending a hearing with the Nasdaq.
Vivendi Games Acquires Mobile Game Developer CenterscoreAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 12, 2006 - 6:25pm.
Los Angeles - Vivendi Games announced on Tuesday that it has acquired Centerscore, a developer of mobile games. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 2000, San Mateo, Calif.-based Centerscore's titles include "Surviving High School," "Aquarium Pets," "Alone: The Horror Begins" and several Garfield-branded titles. "The Vivendi Games Mobile division is gaining good traction in the worldwide mobile marketplace," said Cindy Cook, chief strategy and marketing officer for Vivendi Games. "The addition of the Centerscore team is another step in our plan to be among the top mobile publishers in the industry."
Smartphone Content Provider Handango Raises $60 MillionAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 12, 2006 - 6:18pm.
Los Angeles - Handango, a provider of content for smartphones, announced on Tuesday that it has raised over $60 million in a new round of venture capital financing, led Institutional Venture Partners. Other investors included Advanced Technology Ventures, Centerpoint, Neo Carta, Pharos Capital Group and SSM Partners. Hurst, Texas-based Handango provides smartphone content from more than 16,000 content partners to firms including Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, RIM, HP, Verizon, T-Mobile, Microsoft and AOL. The company will use the funds for global expansion, support for new types of content and establishment of new distribution channels. Strategy Analytics projects there will by 350 million smartphone users by 2009, up from 68 million in 2005.
Mobile Firms Waat Media, Charismatix Merge; Raise $12.75 MillionAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 12, 2006 - 6:15pm.
Los Angeles - Mobile adult entertainment distributor Waat Media and mobile game publisher Charismatix announced on Tuesday that they have merged to form Twistbox Entertainment. The new company has raised $12.75 million in new financing, led by Spark Capital. Los Angeles-based Waat Media, which distributes adult mobile content from partners including Penthouse, "Girls Gone Wild" and Vivid Entertainment, will continue to operate as a separate unit within Twistbox, while Charismatix will be rebranded as Twistbox Games. The funds will be used to accelerate the development of the company's general entertainment category, expand distribution in Asia and explore possible acquisition targets.
PC-to-Mobile Streaming Software Firm CMWare Secures FinancingAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 12, 2006 - 6:09pm.
Princeton, N.J. - CMWare, a provider of PC place-shifting software for mobile carriers, announced on Tuesday that it has raised an undisclosed sum in first round financing from Updata Partners. New Jersey-based CMWare's technology for mobile carriers enables customers to stream digital media from their PCs to their mobile devices in any format, including content protected by digital rights management. The company will use the funds to accelerate deployment of its myMobileMedia service.
tags: Deals | Mobile | VC | Video | Tech | Streaming | Tech Deals | Software | Place-Shifting | CMWare |
Proteus Acquired By U.K.-based 2ergo As Part of U.S. ExpansionAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 12, 2006 - 6:07pm.
Washington - 2ergo, a U.K.-based provider of interactive communications services, said that it has acquired Washington-based Proteus, a provider of mobile services to large media companies. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. 2ergo said the acquisition will give it a solid foundation from which to launch its portfolio of services into the U.S. market, as well as instant relationships with Proteus clients such as Disney, Fox and NBC-Universal. Launched in 1996, Proteus delivers mobile interactive services to support TV broadcasting, media events and mobile marketing.
Video Game Industry Launches Voter Registration DriveAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 12, 2006 - 1:35pm.
Washington - The Entertainment Software Association (ESA), a trade group representing video game publishers and developers, announced on Tuesday the launch of its "Play for Real: Gamer Voter Drive," a project of its Video Game Voters Network. The online voter registration tool will "offer the adults who have grown up with our computer and video games a unique way to involve themselves in the political process on all issues, including the ones that matter most to gamers," said ESA president Douglas Lowenstein. The ESA said that tens of thousands of voting-aged games have joined the Video Game Voters grassroots political network, since its creation last March.
Sprint Debuts Free Mobile Sports & Entertainment News ServiceAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 12, 2006 - 1:33pm.
Overland Park, Kan. - Sprint on Tuesday introduced a free sports and entertainment programming service for its mobile subscribers. Sprint Power View will offer periodic daily sports and entertainment news updates, produced by IMG Media and Sprint, from a news desk in New York and 15 mobile camera crews filing stories on-location from across the U.S. Programs will include "NFL Game Center," hosted by broadcaster James Brown, and "U.S. Open Wrapup Report," featuring Jim Courier and Carrie Milbank. The Sprint Power View service is powered by a free Java application supplied by Palo Alto, Calif.-based mSpot.
Nokia to Sell Warner Bros. Content from Stores Embedded on PhonesAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 12, 2006 - 1:32pm.
Los Angeles - Nokia announced on Tuesday that it has partnered with Warner Bros. Digital Distribution to sell its movies and TV shows to consumers through mobile stores embedded in its cell phones. The agreement, which covers select European and Asian countries, includes films such as "Superman Returns," "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," "V for Vendetta," and "Batman Begins," in addition to Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbera and DC Comics content.
tags: Mobile | Video | Tech | TV | Warner Bros. | Nokia | Mobile Commerce | Cellphones | Mobile Video |
Napster Offers Free MP3 Player with 3-Month SubscriptionAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 12, 2006 - 1:31pm.
Los Angeles - Digital music service Napster on Tuesday began offering a free 512MB MP3 player to customers who purchase a three-month subscription to Napster To Go, the company's $14.95 per month service that allows unlimited downloads to portable players. The company added that it will also offer its Napster-branded 1GB MP3 player for $50 with the purchase of a three-month Napster To Go subscription.
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