Archive - May 27, 2009 | Digital Media Wire

Report: Head of Yahoo's Video Division to Resign

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 27, 2009 - 12:51pm.

Sunnyvale, Calif. - In the wake of major layoffs at Yahoo's (NASD: YHOO) video division, Satish Menon, vice president of the company's consumer platforms group, will soon leave the company, NewTeeVee reported. Menon told NewTeeVee he plans next to "introduce community into online education using online social tools." "Time for a change. I am going to apply everything I have learned last 25 years or so to see if we can reinvent education...especially online education," Menon said.

tags: Video | Moves | Yahoo |

Reports: Apple to Introduce 32GB iPhone

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 27, 2009 - 12:49pm.

San Francisco - A number of leaks appear to indicate that Apple (NASD: AAPL) plans to offer a 32GB iPhone in the near future, doubling the capacity of its current 16GB model, Wired.com reported. Three sources were cited, including a post on the T-Mobile Austria site that featured a placeholder for an "iPhone 32GB."

tags: Mobile | Apple | iPhone |

Google to Make Adding News Feeds to Websites Easier

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 27, 2009 - 12:48pm.

San Francisco - Google (NASD: GOOG) is expected to introduce a new service that will make it easy for bloggers to add feeds of its various services, such as Google News, to their websites. Google Web Elements is being billed as a cut-and-paste feature that will let publishers who might not be savvy enough to use the company's APIs post customized feeds from Google' services.

tags: Blogs | Google | Publishing | Google Web Elements |

Major League Baseball Adds 'Condensed Games' to iPhone App

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 27, 2009 - 12:47pm.

New York - Major League Baseball's MLB.com on Wednesday announced the release of its Condensed Games video recaps service to its At Bat 2009 application for Apple's iPhone. The $9.99 application also offers live audio broadcasts without blackout restrictions and real-time video highlights.

"Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony" Coming in Fall

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 27, 2009 - 12:45pm.

New York - Video game publisher Take-Two Interactive (NASD: TTWO) has announced that one of the next expansion packs for its blockbuster "Grand Theft Auto" franchise will be entitled "Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony." "As Luis Lopez, part-time hoodlum and full-time assistant to legendary nightclub impresario Tony Prince (aka "Gay Tony"), players will struggle with the competing loyalties of family and friends, and with the uncertainty about who is real and who is fake in a world in which everyone has a price."

EU to Sue Sweden Over Lack of Data Retention Law

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 27, 2009 - 11:23am.

Brussels - The European Commission is filing a lawsuit against Sweden for failing to implement data retention policies at ISPs and search engines, as outlined in the 2006 Data Retention Directive, Ars Technica reported.

EU Moves Closer to Pan-European Online Music Licensing

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 27, 2009 - 11:11am.

Brussels - Europe took another step towards a pan-European license for online music stores yesterday, when French royalty collection society SACEM told the European Commision it would drop territorial restrictions that prevent other European collecting societies from selling its artists' repertoire. Currently, a byzantine licensing system prevents digital music retailers like Apple from operating a single European iTunes Store; instead, separate agreements must be obtained from collecting societies in various countries, and customers must use the store in their home countries.

Blockbuster to Test Online Video Game Rental Service

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 27, 2009 - 10:30am.

Dallas - Video rental giant Blockbuster (NYSE: BBI) announced on Wednesday that it will launch a pilot program of its planned online video game rental service on June 30 in the Cleveland, Ohio area, before expanding nationwide before the end of the year.

tags: Games | Movies | Blockbuster |

Microsoft to Release Zune HD Player in the Fall

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 27, 2009 - 10:23am.

Redmond, Wash. - Microsoft (NASD: MSFT) announced on Wednesday that it plans to release a new Zune HD portable media player in the fall, and will extend its Zune video service to the Xbox Live online game service for its Xbox 360 video game console. The Zune HD will feature a built-in HD Radio receiver, support for HD video output, an OLED touch-screen, Wi-Fi and an Internet browser.

Zune logo

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 27, 2009 - 10:22am.

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Report: Time Warner to Decide on AOL's Future on Thursday

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 27, 2009 - 9:50am.

Dulles, Va. - Media giant Time Warner (NYSE: TWX) is expected to make a final decision on the fate of AOL during a board meeting on Thursday, possibly "undoing" the 2001 merger between the two companies, the blog Seeking Alpha reported. Citing unnamed sources, the site reported that AOL's dial-up Internet business, which still has around 6.9 million subscribers (down from a high of 26.7 million), would remain part of the "new" AOL.

tags: AOL | Time Warner |

Former Bebo CEO Resigns as Head of AOL's People Networks

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 27, 2009 - 9:45am.

New York - Joanna Shields has resigned as the president of AOL's (NYSE: TWX) People Networks, company CEO Tim Armstrong revealed in a memo to employees, published by Silicon Alley Insider.

Good Acquires Mobile Social Networking Firm Intercasting

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 27, 2009 - 9:18am.

Redwood City, Calif. - Good Technology, a provider of mobile communications services, said on Wednesday that it has acquired mobile social networking firm Intercasting Corporation for an undisclosed sum.

Interactive TV Firm ActiveVideo to Acquire Avinity Systems

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 27, 2009 - 8:57am.

Los Angeles - In a marriage of interactive TV platform developers, Silicon Valley-based ActiveVideo Networks said on Wednesday that it will acquire Netherlands-based Avinity Systems for an undisclosed sum.

Peer39 Lands $10.5 Million for Semantic Ad Platform

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 27, 2009 - 8:20am.

New York - Peer39, a developer of semantic online advertising technology, has raised $10.5 million in third round funding, TechCrunch reported.

Mobile Marketer Celtra Raises $1.2 Million

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 27, 2009 - 8:04am.

Cambridge, Mass. - Celtra, a provider of mobile marketing services, announced on Wednesday that it has raised $1.2 million in its first round of financing, from RSG Capital.

38 Studios Acquires Big Huge Games

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 27, 2009 - 7:48am.

Maynard, Mass. - 38 Studios, the game studio founded by former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling, announced on Wednesday that it has acquired Maryland-based Big Huge Games.