Home

DMW Daily

Digital Media Wire's Daily Newsletter
  • May 14, 2008
    • Clear Channel Agrees to $17.9 Billion Buyout: San Antonio, Texas - Radio broadcaster Clear Channel has announced its sale to private equity firms Bain Capital Partners and Thomas H. Lee Partners, for $17.9 billion or $36 per share -- ending litigation between Clear Channel, the private equity firms and a consortium of banks funding the deal.
    • Comcast Acquires Social Network Plaxo for $175 Million: Philadelphia - Comcast, the nation's largest cable TV service and a leading provider of broadband access, has signed a deal to acquire social networking service Plaxo, according to a post on the Plaxo blog.
    • MySpace Wins $234 Million Judgment Against "Spam King": Los Angeles - News Corp.'s MySpace has won a $234 million anti-spam judgment against "Spam King" Sanford Wallace and Walter Rines, who were found guilty after not showing up in court to defend against charges they violated the 2003 Can-Spam Act, the Associated Press reported.
    • ISP Charter to Track Web Surfing for Targeted Ad Sales: Los Angeles - Charter Communications, a provider of cable TV services that also counts 2.7 million high-speed Internet customers, plans to test a targeted advertising system that would track some of its subscribers' Web surfing in order to serve them more tailored ads, according to BroadbandReports.
    • YouTube Lets Advertisers Target "About-to-Go-Viral" Videos: San Bruno, Calif. - Google's YouTube has introduced a new advertising product called "buzz targeting," which allows advertisers to target videos that are expected to "go viral."
    • SK Telecom, Virgin Mobile in Talks Over Helio, Other U.S. Assets: Atlanta - According to published reports on Wednesday, South Korea-based SK Telecom and Virgin Mobile USA are in strategic negotiations regarding Helio, SK's wireless services joint venture with EarthLink, as well as other business assets in the U.S.
    • Korea's LG, Samsung Team on Mobile TV Standard: Seoul, Korea - Korean electronics makers LG and Samsung announced on Wednesday that they have partnered to develop a new mobile TV delivery standard for the North American market, as the standards body for the region prepares to adopt a technology in early 2009.
    • Qtrax Signs Warner/Chappell to Free, Legal File-Sharing Service: San Jose, Calif. - Qtrax, the developer of a free, ad-supported music file-sharing service, has secured a deal with the last of the four major music publishers, Warner/Chappell, to license its repertoire for inclusion on the Qtrax service, Wired.com reports.
    • Accenture to Acquire Video Services Firm Origin Digital: New York - Global management consulting and outsourcing firm Accenture announced on Wednesday that it will acquire Origin Digital, a provider of video capture, transformation and delivery services to content owners.
    • SouthPeak Interactive Goes Public Through Acquisition: Midlothian, Va. - Completing a deal first announced last month, video game publisher SouthPeak Interactive said on Wednesday that it has gone public by acquiring a majority stake in Global Services Partners Acquisition Corp. (GSPAC), a shell company that trades on the OTC Bulletin Board.
    • Analysis: Freesat Proves Popular Online in the UK: The launch of Freesat, the free satellite TV service provided by the BBC and ITV in the UK, proved popular with online consumers during its launch week, blogs Robin Goad of Hitwise UK.
    • Buzz Watch: No News Again?: n/a
    • Starbucks to Test "CODE" Audio Format on Mellencamp Album: Los Angeles - Starbucks will test a new digital audio format, developed by veteran producer T-Bone Burnett and a team of engineers, on a forthcoming John Mellencamp album due for release via the Hear Music imprint, Digital Music News reported.
    • BlackBerry Bold to Support Music Sync with iTunes: Waterloo, Ontario - Research in Motion's new BlackBerry Bold smartphone will feature a new BlackBerry Media Sync application that lets users sync their iTunes digital music libraries on the device.
    • CrushedPlanet.com Relaunches Adult-Oriented VOD Site: Los Angeles - CrushedPlanet.com, a pre-bubble Web video site from the creators of HBO's "Taxicab Confessions" that focused on adult-oriented content, has re-launched as a paid video site with 15 channels, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
    • Social Network imeem Adds Support for Google's OpenSocial: San Francisco - Music-focused social network imeem on Wednesday released support for Google's OpenSocial on the imeem Media Platform, the site's third-party developer platform.
  • May 13, 2008
    • Report: EMI Plans Up to 1,000 Additional Job Cuts: London - U.K.-based major record label EMI, which under new owner, Guy Hands' Terra Firma, has already announced 1,500 to 2,000 layoffs at its recorded music division, now plans to eliminate an additional up to 1,000 positions, bringing the company's total headcount from around 4,500 to 2,000, The Telegraph reported, citing sources.
    • Asian iPhone Partners Named; U.K., U.S. Online Stores Sold Out: Cupertino, Calif. - Apple has signed deals with Singapore's Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel) to launch the iPhone in Singapore, India, Philippines and Australia later this year.
    • NBCU and iTunes Make Nice, in U.K. at Least: London - In a sign that the companies may be resolving their dispute over TV show pricing at Apple's iTunes Store that led NBC to remove its programs late last year, five NBC shows are now available for purchase from the U.K. version of the iTunes Store, Macworld.com reported.
    • Report: imeem Leapfrogs Yahoo to Become Top Music Streamer: Los Angeles - Social music service imeem has surpassed Yahoo to become the top streaming music service, claiming 10.3 million unique visitors in March, Wired.com reported, citing data from analytics firm Compete.
    • Social Gaming Network Raises $15 Million: Palo Alto, Calif. - Social Gaming Network (SGN), a developer of social media games whose titles include "Warbook" on Facebook, announced on Tuesday that it has raised $15 million in its first round of funding, led by Greylock Partners, Founders Fund, Columbia Capital and Novak Biddle Venture Partners.
    • Mobile Marketing Firm Mozes Lands $11.5 Million: Palo Alto, Calif. - Mozes, the provider of an on-demand mobile marketing platform, has raised an $11.5 million second round of financing led by Maveron, PEHub.com reported, citing a regulatory filing.
    • Sprout Raises $5 Million for Web Content Creation Platform: San Francisco - Sprout, the provider of a Web-based platform for the creation of Flash-based widgets, mashups, mini-sites, banners and other forms of distributable Web content, announced on Tuesday that it has closed a $5 million second round of financing, led by Polaris Venture Partners.
    • Life Story Archive Experience Project Gets $3 Million: San Francisco - Experience Project (EP), the developer of a social website that lets users anonymously share the stories of their life experiences, said on Tuesday that it has raised $3 million in its first round of funding, led by the D.E. Shaw Group.
    • Green Technology News Site Greentech Nabs $2.75 Million: Cambridge, Mass. - Greentech Media, an online media company covering green technology news and analysis, announced on Tuesday that it has raised $2.75 million in its second round of venture capital, which was co-led by EGORA Holding and The Massachusetts Green Energy Fund.
    • Analysis: The 3 Philosophies of Word of Mouth Marketing: As WOM emerges as a notable branch of marketing (and by most reports at WOMM-U, it has already done so with nearly a billion dollars expected to be spent on WOM this year alone), people start to take different approaches to defining it within their organization and to their peers, blogs Rohit Bhargava.
    • Nimbuzz Introduces Free Mobile VoIP, IM for Social Networks: London - Nimbuzz on Tuesday introduced its free mobile VoIP and instant messaging service, which enables free calls, instant messaging and group chat on over 500 supported handsets across services including Skype, Yahoo, AIM, Google Talk, MSN and 23 social networks including Facebook and MySpace.
    • Mobile Service Dada Adds DRM-free Sony BMG Tracks: New York - Mobile entertainment publisher Dada Entertainment, a joint venture between Dada USA and major label Sony BMG, on Tuesday announced the addition of DRM-free full-song downloads from Sony BMG artists to its offering.
    • Scarlett Johansson Album Streaming for Free on imeem: San Francisco - Social music service imeem announced on Tuesday that it is now streaming actress and major label artist (Warner/Rhino/Atco) Scarlett Johansson's debut album of Tom Waits covers in its entirety, a week before its official release.
    • RightsFlow Signs Download License Deal with Harry Fox Agency: New York - RightsFLow, a provider of outsourced licensing and royalty services, has announced a mechanical licensing agreement with The Harry Fox Agency for full-length, permanent digital downloads.
    • MeeMix Debuts Personalized Web Music Video Channels: Tel Aviv, Israel - MeeMix, a personalized Web radio service, on Tuesday announced its expansion into personalized music video channels.
    • Greystripe to Offer Free Mobile Games from Sega: San Francisco - Greystripe, a distributor of free, ad-supported mobile games, on Tuesday announced a deal to offer free mobile games from Sega.
  • May 12, 2008
    • Cablevision to Acquire Newsday for $650 Million: Bethpage, N.Y. - Cablevision, a provider of cable TV and broadband services in the New York area, announced on Monday that it will acquire a 97% stake in Newsday Media Group from media company Tribune for $650 million.
    • Report: Facebook Secures $100 Million Loan to Add Servers: Palo Alto, Calif. - Online social network Facebook has secured a new $100 million venture lending deal with TriplePoint Capital, adding to the $360 million it has landed over the past seven months, BusinessWeek reports.
    • XM Satellite Radio Posts Wider First-Quarter Loss: Washington - As it continues to await the approval of the Federal Communications Commission to complete its multi-billion-dollar merger with Sirius, XM Satellite Radio on Monday reported a higher first-quarter loss, despite a healthy gain in subscribers.
    • Report: HBO Shows Coming to iTunes with Flexible Pricing: New York - Apple will soon announce a new deal with Time Warner's HBO that will bring TV episodes to its iTunes Store under a new, separate pricing structure from other partners, Portfolio.com reported, citing HBO employees involved in executing the agreement.
    • Google Previews Friend Connect Social Media Service: San Francisco - Google has launched a preview of its Friend Connect service, which, like the recently announced Facebook Connect and MySpace Data Availability, will enable social media functions to be added to websites without programming knowledge, CNET News.com reported.
    • Zune MP3 Player Market Share Up to 4%; Creative Drops to 2%: Los Angeles - Microsoft's Zune digital media player gained a bit of the MP3 player market share in NPD Group's latest rankings, now accounting for 4% of the total market, up from 3% in the first quarter of 2007, Wired.com reported.
    • Report: Electronic Arts to Buy Shawn Fanning's Rupture for $30M: Los Angeles - Electronic Arts will acquire Rupture, a games-focused social network launched by Napster founder Shawn Fanning, for $30 million, according to a report from TechCrunch, which cited sources with knowledge of the deal.
    • Nintendo Debuts WiiWare Downloadable Game Service: Redmond, Wash. - Nintendo of America on Monday debuted its WiiWare service, which allows owners of its Wii game console to download new games over an Internet connection from a range of large and independent publishers.
    • Yahoo, Politico to Host First Online Interview with President: Washington - Yahoo and political news site Politico announced that on Tuesday they will offer the first online video interview with President George W. Bush from the White House.
    • Clear Channel May Offer Pandora Personalized Web Radio: Denver - Radio broadcaster Clear Channel has signed a deal to offer the Pandora personalized Web radio service on all of its station websites, Billboard reported.
    • Multiplayer Gaming Card Firm Bigfoot Networks Gets $8.75M: Austin, Texas - Bigfoot Networks, a provider of technology that decreases lag time for networked online gaming, has raised an $8.75 million second round of funding, led by North Bridge Venture Partners and Palomar Ventures, Austin Business Journal reported.
    • Veodia Lands $8.3 Million for Web Video Broadcasting Services: San Mateo, Calif. - Veodia, a provider of high-quality streaming video delivery services for businesses, announced on Monday that it has raised $8.3 million in its first round of venture capital financing, from Clearstone Venture Partners, the D.E. Shaw Group, and a group of angel investors led by Steven Berger.
    • Digital Picture Frame Content Firm Frame Media Raises $3M: Boston - Frame Media, a service that delivers personalized content to wireless digital picture frames, announced that it has raised an additional $3 million in venture capital, in a deal that was co-led by Longworth Venture Partners and CommonAngels.
    • Analysis: Is Blinkx the Next Acquisition Target?: Speculation is rising around a potential acquisition of Blinkx, a video search engine by either Google or News Corp (and possibly Yahoo!).
    • ESPN Buys Cable TV, Digital Rights to US Open Tennis: Los Angeles - The United States Tennis Association (USTA) announced on Monday a new deal with ESPN for the cable TV broadcast and digital rights to the US Open grand slam tennis tournament, ending its 25-year deal with USA Network.
    • Microsoft Adds Video Feature to Messenger Service: London - Microsoft has launched Messenger TV, a new video feature for its instant messenger application currently available in 20 European countries.
    • "Passing Strange" First iTunes Exclusive Broadway Cast Album: Los Angeles - Ghostlight Records will be the first to offer an original cast recording from a Broadway show exclusively on iTunes when it adds the "Passing Strange" album to the store on May 27, Variety reports.
    • Emmis Pacts with Apple for iTunes-Enabled Radio Station Stores: Chicago - Emmis Interactive, the online unit of the radio broadcaster, on Monday announced a licensing agreement with Apple to market its custom Storefront technology to other radio stations.
    • Radio One Inks Interactive Ad Deal with AllHipHop.com: New York - Radio station owner Radio One's Interactive One unit on Monday announced a multi-year online advertising deal with urban site AllHipHop.com, creating an online ad network focused on African-Americans that will count combined traffic of more than 4 million monthly unique visitors and over 500 million page views.
    • Last.fm to Power Lollapalooza Web Radio Station: New York - CBS's Last.fm social music discovery service announced on Monday an official media partnership with the Lollapalooza music festival, and will power Lolla Radio, the festival's official Web radio service that lets users listen to songs from artists performing at the festival.
    • Aniboom to Develop Series Based on I-play Casual Games: San Francisco - Independent animation network Aniboom said on Monday that it has partnered with casual games publisher I-play to develop animated serial content for mobile, online and television based on I-play's most popular games.
  • May 9, 2008
    • Circuit City: Icahn Could Acquire Company if Blockbuster Can't: Richmond, Va. - One month after revealing an unsolicited $1 billion takeover bid from Blockbuster, consumer electronics retailer Circuit City Stores said on Friday that it will open its books to the video rental giant in preparation for a potential acquisition.
    • MySpace Lets Users Share Profile Data on Yahoo, Twitter, eBay: Los Angeles - News Corp.'s MySpace has announced the launch of a new "Data Availability" initiative, which will allow users to share their public profile data on third-party websites of their choosing, including Yahoo, eBay, Photobucket and Twitter.
    • TorrentSpy Bankrupt, Won't Pay $111M in Damages to MPAA: Los Angeles - TorrentSpy, the BitTorrent tracker that was ordered by a federal judge this week to pay the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) $111 million in copyright infringement damages, has filed for bankruptcy protection in England and will not pay up, the company's attorney, Ira Rothken, told Wired.com.
    • Take-Two Sells "BioShock" Movie Rights to Universal Pictures: New York - Take Two Interactive's 2K Games label announced on Friday that it has signed a deal with Universal Pictures to develop a movie based on its "BioShock" game, to be directed and produced by Gore Verbinski ("Pirates of the Caribbean").
    • Atari Shares Delisted from Nasdaq: New York - Video game publisher Atari, which last week agreed to merge with its major shareholder, France-based Infogrames, announced on Friday that the Nasdaq has delisted its shares, effective today.
    • Smartphone Content Firm Viigo Adds $1.5M to First Round: Toronto - Viigo, a provider of mobile content applications for smartphones, said on Friday that it has received a $1.5 million follow-on investment to its first round of financing, from RBC Venture Partners.
    • dotMobi Acquires Mobile Browsing Technology from Mowser: San Mateo, Calif. - dotMobi, a provider of Internet addresses for mobile phones, said on Friday that it has acquired the technology assets of Mowser, a developer of mobile Web browsing technology.
    • Analysis: Coldplay Compared to NIN and Radiohead: One of the key questions facing record labels and bands is how to make money in the face of peer to peer filesharing. Bands that build a direct relationship with fans may be better placed to make money from special offers such as limited edition albums and concert tickets, blogs Heather Hopkins.
    • Orb Networks Enables Live TV Streaming to iPhone: Emeryville, Calif. - Orb Networks, a developer of media place-shifting technology, announced that it has enabled live TV streaming to Apple's iPhone and iPod touch.
    • L.A. Adds Media Piracy to "Public Nuisance" Ordinance: Los Angeles - The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors this week expanded the ordinance that allows for the county to shutter a property that becomes a "public nuisance," such as in gang or drug-related instances, to include properties used to illegally manufacture and sell recordings and audiovisual works.
    • Apple Canada Settles iPod Battery Suit, Offers $45 Credit: Cupertino, Calif. - Apple's Canadian unit has settled a class action lawsuit with Canadian iPod owners over claims to the device's battery life, and will pay consumers there who purchased an iPod before June 24, 2005 a $45 credit, Canada's Gazette reported.
    • Project Playlist Hires Former RIAA Head as Consultant: San Francisco - Project Playlist, a service that aggregates streaming music links into playlists, and has been sued for copyright infringement by three of the four major record labels, has hired former Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) CEO Jay Berman as a consultant, CNET News.com reports.
    • Japan's Chaku-Uta Full Hits 200M Full-track Mobile Downloads: Tokyo - Chaku-Uta Full, a Japanese mobile music download service owned by a group of Japanese record labels and operated by Label Mobile, has now served over 200 million full-track song downloads since its inception in November 2004, Billboard reports.
    • CBS's Last.fm Debuts Original Video Programming: New York - Last.fm, the social music discovery service owned by CBS, on Friday launched a new original video programming section, featuring interviews with artists including Moby, Santogold and Spoon.
  • May 8, 2008
    • House Passes Studio-Backed, Anti-Piracy PRO-IP Act: Washington - The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday approved the PRO-IP Act, a bill pushed for by Hollywood studios that would beef up law enforcement dedicated to protecting intellectual property, as well as increase penalties for piracy.
    • Report: Comcast Mulls Bandwidth Cap for Heavy Downloaders: Philadelphia - Comcast, the nation's largest cable TV operator and provider of high-speed Internet to 14.1 million subscribers, is considering placing a 250GB monthly cap on the amount of bandwidth that subscribers may use for downloading content, a source from the company tells BroadbandReports.com.
    • RealNetworks to Spin Off Casual Games Business; May Make IPO: Seattle - RealNetworks announced on Thursday that it will spin off its casual games business, and distribute shares in the newly created company to its shareholders.
    • Facebook, Attys General Introduce New Child Safety Features: Palo Alto, Calif. - Online social network Facebook on Thursday introduced a number of new privacy protections intended to safeguard younger users from sexual predators and cyberbullies, the Associated Press reported.
    • Game Ratings Enforcement Up as New ID Bill Enters Congress: Washington - The Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) annual undercover sting operation where underage consumers try to buy R-rated movie tickets, DVDs and M-rated video games has found a dramatic improvement at video game retailers, where its secret shoppers were able to buy M-rated games just 20% of the time -- down from 42% in 2007 and 85% in 2000.
    • Best Buy Pays $2.1 Billion for 50% Stake in Carphone Warehouse: London - U.S. consumer electronics and media retail chain Best Buy announced on Thursday that it paid $2.1 billion to acquire 50% of the Carphone Warehouse, a mobile phone retailer that counts over 2,400 stores in nine European countries.
    • America Movil to Bring iPhone to Latin America: Mexico City - America Movil, a provider of wireless services in Latin America that claims 159.2 million subscribers in 16 countries, has announced a deal with Apple to launch the iPhone in the areas it serves later this year.
    • Live Universe Acquires TV Listings, Video Site MeeVee: Los Angeles - Live Universe, the company started by MySpace founder Brad Greenspan, has acquired MeeVee, a provider of TV and online video listings, for an undisclosed sum, TechCrunch reports.
    • Video Distribution Firm KIT digital Lands $15 Million: Dubai - KIT digital (formerly ROO Group), a provider of video distribution and interactive marketing services, announced on Thursday that it has raised $15 million through a private placement of equity.
    • Web Entertainment Portal Giant Realm Lands $2 Million: New York - Giant Realm, an online entertainment portal whose sites target males 18-34 and attract 4.2 million unique monthly visitors, announced on Thursday that it has received a $2 million investment from SoftBank Capital.
    • Lonelygirl15 Founders Building Studio To "Teach Hollywood How To Do It Right": n/a
    • NBC Offers Full Episodes of "The Office," "30 Rock" on iPhone: New York - Despite its much-publicized removal of its programs from Apple's iTunes Store in December, NBC has begun offering streaming full-length episodes of shows including "The Office" and "30 Rock" for free on the iPhone, Silicon Alley Insider reports.
    • Microsoft Pays "Zune Bonus" to Indie Digital Distributors: Los Angeles - Microsoft recently doled out one-time bonus checks to independent digital music distributors including The Orchard and IODA, apparently to balance out the reported $1 per Zune sold it has granted to major labels including Universal Music Group, Hypebot reported.
    • Warner Music Adds MP3s to Wal-Mart Download Store: Los Angeles - Warner Music Group has added DRM-free songs to Wal-Mart's online music store, which dropped songs from Warner as well as Sony BMG and Universal Music when it decided to offer only MP3s, Hypebot reports.
    • CBS' Last.fm to Power AOL Radio in Europe: New York - Last.fm, the social music discovery service owned by CBS, has signed a deal to power AOL Europe's online radio service, beginning in the U.K., France and Germany.
    • The Echo Nest Offers Music Recommendation API: Somerville, Mass. - The Echo Nest, a developer of enhanced music search, recommendation and interactivity technology, on Thursday launched Recommend, an API that can be used to offer a music discovery and recommendation tool n ay website, blog, social network or retail site.
    • Electronic Arts Debuts 'EA Sports Freestyle', Plans Wii Fit Title: Redwood City, Calif. - Electronic Arts has launched a new sub-brand, EA Sports Freestyle, which will target what it says is the growing casual sports games audience.
    • THQ to Develop New Titles for Marvel, DreamWorks: New York - Marvel Entertainment said on Thursday that it has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with video game developer THQ, which will create video games based on the Marvel's kid-friendly Super Hero Squad franchise.
  • May 7, 2008
  • May 6, 2008
    • Survey: Majority of Execs See Newspapers Going Free: London - A majority (56%) of senior newspaper executives said in a recent survey that they believe that the majority of news, be it print or online, will be free in the future -- up from 48% who said the same a year ago.
    • Microsoft Adds TV Shows from NBC, Others to Zune Web Store: Redmond, Wash. - Microsoft announced on Tuesday that it has added more than 800 downloadable TV show episodes from NBC Universal, Viacom, Time Warner, Liberty Media and other providers to the online store for its Zune portable media player.
    • Webby Awards Winners Named; Colbert is 'Person of the Year': New York - The winners of this year's Webby Awards were announced on Tuesday, with special achievement honors going to TV host Stephen Colbert, film director Michel Gondry and musical artist will.i.am.
    • Chicago Transit Authority Sued for Pulling "Grand Theft Auto" Ads: New York - Video game publisher Take-Two Interactive has sued the Chicago Transit Authority and sales agent Titan Outdoor for pulling ads for its "Grand Theft Auto IV" game without any explanation, Reuters reports.
    • Buzznet Acquires Web Music Community Absolute Punk: Hollywood, Calif. - Buzznet, a music-focused social media community, on Tuesday announced that it has acquired yet another music site, this time purchasing alternative music Web zine Absolute Punk for an undisclosed sum.
    • 3D Gesture Tech Developer Prime Sense Lands $20.4 Million: Tel Aviv, Israel - Prime Sense, a developer of technology that can enable "3D vision" in electronic devices, has raised $20.4 million in its second round of venture capital financing, led by Canaan Partners.
    • Mobile TV Firm ROK Buys IPTV Provider Jalipo for $16.8 Million: London - ROK Entertainment Group, a provider of mobile TV delivery technology, announced on Tuesday that it has acquired Jalipo Ltd, a U.K. provider of IPTV services, through the issuance of 600,000 ROK shares in a transaction valued at about $16.8 million.
    • P2P Video Delivery Firm Kontiki Completes Split with VeriSign: Mountain View, Calif. - Kontiki, the developer of a managed peer delivery platform for video and digital content, said on Tuesday that it has completed its split from parent VeriSign.
    • PurePlay Raises Funding for Legal U.S. Poker Site: San Francisco - PurePlay, an online poker site that allows users to play for cash and claims to be compliant with U.S. laws, announced on Tuesday that it has raised a third round of venture capital, led by Bay Partners, with total funding to date now at $15 million.
    • Analysis: Raising the a la Carte Alarm: Paul Sweeting: What the television networks need is to figure out how to capture the value created by enabling consumers to access, select, aggregate, transform, embed and share content--in a word, to use it. Anything else is just TV with buffering.
    • New Apple iPhone Carrier Partners: Vodafone, Telecom Italia: Los Angeles - Apple has signed deals with international wireless carrier Vodafone to distribute its iPhone in 10 countries, and with Telecom Italia to distribute the device in Italy.
    • Neil Young to Release Entire Repertoire on Blu-ray Disc: San Francisco - Neil Young said on Tuesday that he will release his entire repertoire on Sony's Blu-ray Disc format, the Associated Press reported.
    • Microsoft, Hyundai-Kia to Develop In-car Infotainment Systems: Seoul, South Korea - Microsoft announced on Tuesday that it has signed a long-term agreement with Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group to co-develop the next generation of in-car infotainment systems.
    • Entertainment Rights to Bring Classic Kids Shows Online: London - Entertainment Rights, a U.K. media group that holds children's programming rights, on Tuesday announced new Web distribution deals that will bring shows like "He-Man," "She-Ra," "Rocky & Bullwinkle," "Fat Albert" and "Casper the Friendly Ghost" to YouTube, Joost and Babelgum.
    • Burst Media Debuts Ad Network for Independent Websites: Burlington, Mass. - Burst Media, a provider of online advertising services and technology, announced on Tuesday the launch of a new online advertising network aimed at independent websites.
    • Biddle to Market Networked Blu-ray Content Service in U.S.: Burbank, Calif. - Dreamer, a Korea-based interactive TV developer, said on Tuesday that it has opened an office in Burbank, Calif. to market its Biddle technology, a platform that lets content distributors deliver customized, interactive programming and services to networked Blu-ray Disc players or PlayStation 3 consoles.
  • May 5, 2008
  • May 2, 2008
    • New York Times: Microsoft Increases Bid for Yahoo: Sunnyvale, Calif. - Hoping to avoid a messy proxy battle, Microsoft has increased its bid for Sunnyvale-based Yahoo by "several dollars," The New York Times reported on its web site late Friday.
    • Viacom Reports Higher than Expected Q1 Profits: New York - Viacom Inc. today reported that its quarterly net profit rose 33 percent, beating Wall Street forecasts, on strong sales of the "Rock Band" video game and higher advertising revenue at its cable networks, including MTV Networks.
    • Google TV Ads Now Available to U.S. Advertisers: Mountain View, CA - CNET reports that Google announced on its AdWords blog that Google TV Ads, a program that has been in beta since June 2007, is now available to all U.S.-based advertisers.
    • NPD Report Indicates Blu-ray Players Still Slow To Catch On: New York - Blu-ray standalone players plummeted 40 percent from January to February, then rose only 2 percent from February to March in spite of winning the high def format war, according to a report by research firm NPD Group.
    • Report: Chinese Online Games Market to Triple in Five Years: Shanghai, China - China’s online video game market is expanding rapidly, with sales forecasted to grow from $1.7 billion in 2007 to $6 billion in 2012, according to a survey released by Niko Partners today.
    • A Hole in the Apple?: The question now is whether even Apple, for all its marketing prowess, can persuade consumers where others have not that loading up their hard drives is a better way to store their movie library than simply putting it on the shelf, blogs Paul Sweeting.
    • Nine Studios to Release Movies on iTunes on Same Day as DVD Release: Cupertino, Calif. - Nine major Hollywood studios said that they will begin releasing their movies on Cupertino-based Apple's iTunes on the same day they're released on DVD.
    • Grand Theft Auto IV Boosts Sony PS3 Sales According To Retailer: Foster City, Calif. – The launch of the much anticipated video Game “Grand Theft Auto IV” this week has reportedly led to an increase in sales of the Sony Playstation 3 game consoles in stores across the country.
    • World Golf Tour Raises Second Round of Funding: San Francisco - World Golf Tour, a San Francisco-based developer of photo-realistic online golf games, said on Friday that it has raised an undisclosed amount of funding in its second round, led by Menlo Park-based Panorama Capital.
    • Microsoft Popfly Introduces Casual Game Creator Alpha: Redmond - VA - Microsoft today announced Popfly Game Creator for Silverlight to compete with Adobe’s popular flash format.
    • USAToday.com Launches Online Flight Community: USAToday.com, the web site of USA Today, on Thursday launched an online flight community called "Today in the Sky."
    • Sam's Club Launches E-Recycling Program: N.E.W. Customer Service, the Sterling-based provider of extended service plans and buyer protection programs for consumer products, said that it has launched a new online electronics recycling service for Sam's Club.
    • RightsFlow Launches Outsourced Music Licensing Solutions: New York - RightsFlow, LLC, a private New York-based company, announced the launch of its outsourced music publishing licensing and royalty systems for record labels, distributors, online music retailers, and others engaged in distribution and sale of recorded music.
  • May 1, 2008
    • Judge Calculates Web Radio Royalties Owed to ASCAP: New York - A federal judge in New York has created a formula for calculating the royalties that large webcasters AOL, RealNetworks and Yahoo must pay songwriters and music publishers for streaming their songs between 2002 and 2009, which could provide just one performing rights organization, ASCAP, as much as $100 million in payments.
    • XM, Sirius Extend Merger Deadline As FCC Decision Looms: Washington - Still awaiting approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio have agreed to extend their merger deadline, which otherwise would have expired on May 15.
    • Infogrames to Acquire Rest of Atari for $11 Million: Lyon, France - Video game publisher Infogrames, the largest shareholder in New York-based Atari, announced on Thursday that it will acquire the rest of the company's outstanding shares for $11 million, or $1.68 per share.
    • Softbank-led Group Invests $430M in China's Oak Pacific: Beijing - Japan's Softbank has led a $430 million investment that will give the group a 35% stake in Oak Pacific Interactive (OPI), which manages Xiaonei.com, China's largest social networking site.
    • Movie Studios Add Day-and-Date DVD Releases to iTunes Store: Cupertino, Calif. - Apple on Thursday announced that new release movies from the major Hollywood studios will now be made available for purchase and download from the iTunes Store on the same day as their DVD releases, and will be priced at $14.99.
    • Sezmi Introduces Hybrid TV Delivery Service: Belmont, Calif. - Sezmi on Thursday introduced its next-generation television platform, an alternative to cable and satellite services that combines digital over-the-air local broadcasts, broadband-delivered video, and channels beamed to the Sezmi set-top by local TV stations over unused portions of the broadcast spectrum.
    • AT&T to Launch Mobile TV Service on Sunday: San Antonio, Texas - AT&T plans to launch its AT&T Mobile TV service for cell phone users on Sunday, providing its customers an alternative to Verizon's similar V CAST service.
    • Ticketmaster Buys VIP Ticketing Services Firm SLO: West Hollywood, Calif. - IAC's Ticketmaster announced on Thursday that it has acquired the assets of SLO Limited, a provider of VIP ticketing services to major touring artists and special events.
    • Web Messaging Firm Meebo Raises $25 Million: Mountain View, Calif. - Confirming earlier reports, Web-based messaging and chat service Meebo announced on Thursday that it has raised $25 million in new financing, led by JAFCO Ventures.
    • Buzz Watch: The BlackBerry 9000 - an iPhone Killer?: n/a
    • Rentrak Calculates Top Films of 2006-2007 Across Platforms: Portland, Ore. - The top-grossing films of 2006-2007 in the U.S., when including box office sales, DVD and VHS sales and rental estimates, and video-on-demand viewing, were "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" (Disney), "Transformers" (Paramount) and "Cars" (Disney), according to data compiled by Rentrak.
    • "Grand Theft Auto IV" Breaks Single-Day U.K. Sales Record: London - Take-Two Interactive's "Grand Theft Auto IV" broke the U.K. single-day video game sales record on Tuesday, selling around 609,000 copies, Reuters reported, citing data from the Entertainment Retailers Association.
    • ZeeVee Device Transmits Web, PC Video to HDTVs: Littleton, Mass. - ZeeVee on Thursday announced the launch of its ZvBox, a $499 device that lets users transmit Internet TV, online video and computer content to all HDTVs in the home.
    • Mobile Media Delivery Firm uVuMobile Names New CEO: Atlanta - uVuMobile, a provider of technology for delivering video and audio content to mobile handsets, has named Scott Hughes as its president and CEO.
    • EA to Ship "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09" on Aug. 26: Redwood City, Calif. - Electronic Arts said on Thursday that it will release its "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09" game on Aug. 26.
  • April 30, 2008
    • Judge Rejects "Making Available" Theory in File-Sharing Case: Los Angeles - A federal judge has rejected a pillar of the recording industry's argument in the copyright infringement lawsuits it has filed against file-swappers, ruling that simply "making available" songs in a shared folder on their computers equates to infringement.
    • House Judiciary Committee Approves PRO-IP Act: Washington - The House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday approved the PRO-IP Act, a bill that would provide more resources for the government to combat intellectual property crimes, increase penalties, and create a White House-level position to coordinate efforts.
    • Radiohead's Thom Yorke: Free Album Offer Was a "One-Off": Los Angeles - Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke has called the band's move to let consumers decide how much, if anything, to pay for its new album "In Rainbows" a "one-off," which likely won't be repeated again, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
    • AOL Revenue Down 23% in Q1; Just 8.7M Subscribers Remain: Dulles, Va. - Another sharp drop in subscription revenue took its toll on AOL's bottom line during the first quarter, parent Time Warner said on Wednesday.
    • Time Warner to Spin Off Cable TV Business: New York - In a move expected by analysts, media conglomerate Time Warner will completely spin off its cable TV company, CEO Jeffrey L. Bewkes announced in a statement on Wednesday.
    • Shareholders Approve Macrovision Deal for Gemstar-TV Guide: Santa Clara, Calif. - Four months after first announcing plans to acquire Gemstar-TV Guide, Macrovision, a provider of anti-piracy technology and informational databases, said that shareholders from both companies have now approved the $2.3 billion deal.
    • Multiplayer Game Publisher Turbine Raising $40 Million: Westwood, Mass. - Turbine, a developer and publisher of multiplayer online games, is raising a $40 million third round of venture capital financing, led by Granite Global Ventures, PEHub.com reported.
    • Social Games Publisher Kongregate Gets $3 Million from Bezos: San Francisco - Kongregate, a publisher of free social online games, has received a $3 million investment from Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos' Bezos Expeditions, SiliconValley.com reported.
    • Zodiac Interactive Sells Mobile Content Search Engine Zodigo: Valley Stream, N.Y. - Zodiac Interactive, whose interactive TV software has garnered the company an Emmy award, announced on Wednesday that it has sold its Zodigo mobile content search engine through a management buy-out led by Matt Johnston, formerly Zodiac SVP of strategy and CEO of Zodigo.
    • Social Bookmarks Site Mister Wong Acquires Lifestream.fm: Los Angeles - Mister Wong, a Germany-based social bookmarks site, has acquired Lifestream.fm, a service that allows users to aggregate RSS feeds from various social media sites, Mashable.com reports.
    • Google's Priority: Make Some Money Off YouTube: It's a good thing Google makes so much money from its core business of placing text ads next to search results, because it's still searching for the special sauce on its other big initiatives, blogs Paul Sweeting.
    • Playboy Debuts YouTube Casting Channel, Audience Network: New York - Playboy Enterprises on Wednesday announced a number of new digital initiatives, including a new YouTube channel that will host video submissions for prospective new models, and the creation of a Playboy Audience Network of video sites through which it will distribute content.
    • Free Coldplay Single Downloaded 600K Times in 24 Hours: London - Major label EMI said on Tuesday that the new Coldplay single it began offering as a free download for a week as of yesterday has already been downloaded more than 600,000 times, Billboard reports.
    • Virgin Mobile, Burger King Team on $1 "Ringtone Value Menu": Los Angeles - Virgin Mobile USA on Wednesday announced a ringtone promotion with fast food chain Burger King and Warner Music Group, to create a "Virgin Mobile Ringtone Value Menu" that will offer a selection of ringtones for just $1 each.
    • ICO Global Signs Content Deal with Discovery: Reston, Va. - Following the launch of its North American satellite earlier this month, ICO Global Communications said that it has signed a deal with Discovery Communications, which will provide content for the alpha trials of the company's new mobile interactive media service, known as ICO mim.
    • Eventful to Provide Event Listings for L.A. Times' The Guide: San Diego - Eventful, a site that aggregates local event listings, said on Wednesday that it will provide a selection of regional events to The Guide, a new resource on live music, book signings, art galleries, restaurants and other activities offered by the Los Angeles Times.
  • April 29, 2008
    • WSJ: Blockbuster May Take Stake in Viacom Movie Channel: New York - Video rental giant Blockbuster is in negotiations toward taking a stake in the new pay-TV movie channel joint venture announced by Viacom and several movie studios last week, people familiar with the situation told The Wall Street Journal.
    • XM, Sirius Delay Annual Meetings Pending Merger: Washington - With their merger possibly on the brink of completion, XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio both announced on Tuesday that they would both postpone their annual meetings.
    • Record Labels Sue Music Stream Aggregator Project Playlist: New York - Divisions of three of the four major record labels on Monday filed copyright infringement lawsuits against Project Playlist, a site that lets users create playlists from streaming songs served from all over the Internet, Reuters reported.
    • Cox Acquires Adify Online Ad Network for $300 Million: Atlanta - Cox Enterprises, the owner of a cable TV and broadband provider, newspapers, television and radio stations, announced on Tuesday that its Cox TMI unit will acquire Adify, a provider of vertical online advertising.
    • Verizon, Vodafone to Stream Live Madonna Concert to Mobiles: Basking Ridge, N.J. - Verizon Wireless and international mobile network Vodafone announced on Tuesday that they will team to offer what they say is the "first ever live global mobile simulcast" tomorrow, when they provide live streaming of Madonna's concert at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City.
    • Apple, Rogers to Launch iPhone in Canada This Year: Toronto - Canadian telecommunications firm Rogers announced on Tuesday that it has partnered with Apple to launch the iPhone in Canada this year, but declined to provide details on pricing or a release date for the device.
    • InvenSense Lands $19 Million for Mobile Motion Sensing: Sunnyvale, Calif. - InvenSense, a developer of motion sensing units for mobile consumer applications, said on Monday that it has raised $19 million in its third round of funding, led by new investor Sierra Ventures.
    • Music Discovery Site MOG Gets $2.8M; Major Labels Invest: Berkeley, Calif. - MOG, a music discovery service with a desktop music player, has raised $2.8 million in new financing, from Universal Music Investments, Sony BMG Music Investments and The Angels Forum 74, VentureBeat reported.
    • Serious Business Gets $4 Million Social Media Applications: Los Angeles - Serious Business, a developer of social media applications such as the "Friends for Sale" game on Facebook, has raised $4 million in a first round of financing from Lightspeed Venture Partners, the Inside Facebook blog reported.
    • Paid Inc. Secures $2.5 Million for Celebrity Fansites: Boston - Paid Inc., a provider of websites and fan club services for celebrities and organizations, announced on Tuesday that it has signed a new $2.5 million revolving credit line with Lewis Asset Management.
    • Sonic Solutions Buys PhotoShow Developer Simple Star: Novato, Calif. - Sonic Solutions, a provider of digital media software, announced on Tuesday that it has acquired the assets of Simple Star, the developer of PhotoShow, an application that lets users create multimedia files from photos and videos.
    • Analysis: Twitter Gaining Momentum But Still Niche: I looked at Hitwise clickstream data and it appears that Twitter is building on a loyal user base. The site's top sources of traffic last week were Social Networks and Forums, Email Services and Search Engines, blogs Heather Hopkins.
    • eMusic Launches Subscription Services in Canada: New York - Digital music service eMusic on Tuesday announced the availability of its service in Canada, offering a catalog of 3.5 million songs from 33,000 labels in the unprotected MP3 format.
    • MySpace Introduces Web Karaoke Service Powered by kSolo: Los Angeles - News Corp.'s MySpace social network on Tuesday announced the launch of MySpace Karaoke, an online karaoke service powered by kSolo, which Fox Interactive Media acquired in April 2006.
    • Clear Channel Debuts erockster Radio Site for Coachella Crowd: San Antonio - Clear Channel Radio on Tuesday announced the launch of erockster, a site that offers a collection of on-air, online and on-demand music content, along with community features.
    • CellSpin Lets Users Post to Facebook, Blogs via Mobile Phones: San Jose, Calif. - CellSpin on Tuesday introduced its mobile application that allows users to post audio, video, photos and text on social media sites including Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Blogger, Picasa, Flickr and even live eBay auctions.
    • BBC America Adds TV Episodes to iTunes Store: New York - The BBC announced on Tuesday that it has made BBC America programming available for purchase for the first time from Apple's iTunes Store.
    • Sirius Now Available on Squeezebox Network Music Players: New York - Sirius Satellite Radio said on Tuesday it has signed a deal with Logitech, to make over 80 Sirius channels available for streaming on the company's Squeezebox line of network music players.
  • April 28, 2008
    • RIAA: CD Shipments Down 17.5%; Digital 23% of Revenues: Los Angeles - While U.S. CD shipments were down 17.5% in 2007, digital formats now account for 23% of U.S. recording revenues, up from 16.1% in 2006 and 9% in 2005, according to year-end shipment data calculated by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
    • Warner Bros. to Launch Video Sites TheWB.com, KidsWB.com: New York - Time Warner's Warner Bros. Television Group on Monday announced plans to launch two new broadband, ad-supported sites, TheWB.com and KidsWB.com, the former of which will feature both The WB Networks' most popular series and other programming, as well as original series created specifically for the site.
    • Apple Threatens U.K. Sellers of Cheaper Imported iPods: London - Apple has threatened legal action against nearly a dozen U.K.-based online retailers who are buying Apple iPods in the U.S., where they cost about $30 less, and then reselling them in the U.K. at a discount on Apple's pricing, The Register reported.
    • Blockbuster Begins Selling Video Games, Consoles & Accessories: Dallas - Video rental giant Blockbuster announced on Monday that it has begun selling video games, game consoles and accessories at all of its U.S. corporate-owned stores, as part of the company's broader plan to significantly expand its game business.
    • Chinese Video-sharing Site Tudou Lands $57 Million: Los Angeles - Tudou, China's largest video-sharing site, has landed a $57 million fourth round of venture capital financing, from return backers IDG Technology Venture Investment, Granite Global Ventures and General Catalyst Partners, Pacific Epoch reports.
    • Report: Microblogging Service Twitter Raises Funds: San Francisco - Twitter, the microblogging service that limits posts to 140 characters, has raised "either $15 million or $20 million" in new funding from undisclosed investors, a source familiar with the deal tells CNET News.com.
    • Social Game Developer Akoha Raises $1.9 Million: Montreal - Akoha, the developer of a new social game with elements of social entrepreneurship, multiplayer and reality-based games, announced on Monday that it has raised $1.9 million in new financing from angel investors.
    • Gamer Community Site GamerDNA Acquires 360voice.com: Cambridge, Mass. - GamerDNA, a provider of online communities for video game players, announced on Monday that it has acquired It Can Talk Inc., the owner of 360voice.com, a community website for Xbox 360 users.
    • SouthPeak Interactive to Go Public Through Acquisition: Midlothian, Va. - Moving a major step closer to completing a deal it first announced in January, video game publisher SouthPeak Interactive said on Monday that it has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Global Services Partners Acquisition Corp. (GSPAC) in a deal that will take the company public.
    • GTA IV Looks Great, But Is It Worth A Full 10?: n/a
    • Nine Inch Nails to Sell Personalized Tickets for Best Seats: New York - Trent Reznor's Nine Inch Nails announced on Monday that the band has secured very limited allotments of "the guaranteed best possible seats" to every headlining show on the band's upcoming tour, and will make them available for sale via NIN.com.
    • Metallica Ponders Radiohead-style Album Release: Mountain View, Calif. - With one more record due to Warner Music under their current contract, Metallica is considering a Radiohead-style release for future efforts, drummer Lars Ulrich tells Rolling Stone.
    • Weezer Promote New Single on Buzznet Music Community: Los Angeles - Online music community Buzznet, which recently acquired music blogs Stereogum and Idolator, has announced an online promotion for the release of Interscope/Geffen/A&M Records' artists Weezer's new single, "Pork & Beans."
    • U.K. Media Retailer HMV Debuts Online Social Network: London - U.K. media retail chain HMV has launched a beta test of a new social networking site, which allow users to import music and film files and create their own libraries, then be matched up with other members with similar tastes, The Telegraph reported.
    • Radio Broadcaster Emmis Launches Interactive Unit: Chicago - Emmis Communications, a broadcaster that owns several dozen U.S. radio stations, on Monday announced the launch of Emmis Interactive, a new unit that will market the company's interactive service to radio broadcasters and other local media companies.
    • USA Today to Publish Mediabase Radio Airplay Charts: Los Angeles - Gannett's USA Today said on Monday that it has partnered with Mediabase to provide music radio airplay charts in a new weekly feature, to run in the magazine's Life section and on its website every Tuesday.
    • "ZT Online" Hits Record 2.1 Million Concurrent Gamers in China: Shanghai, China - Chinese online games operator Giant Interactive Group announced on Monday that its two-year-old "ZT Online" multiplayer game reached a new Chinese record of 2.1 million peak concurrent users over the weekend.
  • April 25, 2008
  • April 24, 2008
  • April 23, 2008
    • "American Idol" Contestant's Album Pulled from Amazon.com: Los Angeles - A 2006 album from current "American Idol" contestant David Cook that was the top-seller at Amazon.com's MP3 store over the weekend, besting even Mariah Carey's new album, has now been removed from the store, FoxNews.com reported.
    • Europe Calls for Game Sales Code of Conduct, Better Ratings: Brussels - The European Commission has recommended that the video game industry there invest further in its ratings system, as well as adopt a code of conduct on the sale of games to minors within two years.
    • Activision to Extend "Guitar Hero" to Other Instruments: New York - Video game publisher Activision has affirmed plans to extend its wildly popular "Guitar Hero" franchise beyond the guitar and bass to other instruments, a la rival music-based game "Rock Band," Activision CEO Bobby Kotick said in an interview with Portfolio.com.
    • MSN Music Customers to Lose Access to Songs on New Devices: Redmond, Wash. - As a result of Microsoft shuttering its MSN Music store in favor of its Zune Marketplace, the company has told MSN Music customers that the licenses for the songs they purchased can be updated for the last time up until Aug. 31 -- after which time the songs cannot ever again be transferred from the devices on which they are currently stored, according to reports.
    • RIAA Spent $2 Million Lobbying Congress on Copyrights in 2007: Washington - The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) spent nearly $2.1 million in 2007 lobbying Congress for favorable copyright laws, Ars Technica reported, citing the group's disclosure via the Lobbying Disclosure Act.
    • ZVUE Receives Delisting Warning from Nasdaq: San Francisco - ZVUE, a maker of portable media players and operator of an online entertainment network that includes eBaumsWorld.com and Putfile.com, said on Wednesday that it has received notice from the Nasdaq that its shares are in danger of being delisted from the exchange.
    • The9 Makes Equity Investment in Korean Game Developer G10: Shanghai, China - The9, an online game operator in China, announced on Wednesday that it has made an equity investment of $38 million in Korean game developer G10 Entertainment.
    • Play Hard Gets $5 Million for Casual Online Sports Games: Foxboro, Mass. - Play Hard Sports, a developer and publisher of casual online sports games, on Wednesday announced its launch and a $5 million first round of financing, led by New Enterprise Associates.
    • Will There Be a Microsoft and Yahoo Deal?: n/a
    • Judge Tosses Digital Royalty Claims by Ramones Drummer: New York - A federal judge has dismissed former Ramones drummer Richard "Richie Ramone" Reinhardt's lawsuit that sought nearly $1 million in what he claimed were unpaid digital royalties, the Associated Press reports.
    • GetBack Debuts Social Network for Users Over 35: Los Angeles - GetBack Media has launched its social network targeted at users over the age of 35, featuring partnerships with a range of firms to provide music and video content, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
    • 60Frames Premieres New "Kids in the Hall" Sketch: Los Angeles - Digital media financing and syndication company 60Frames Entertainment announced on Wednesday the premiere of "Carbangers," a new original video sketch from comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall.
    • AT&T to Offer Live Webcast from Coachella Festival: San Antonio - AT&T has announced that it will provide an exclusive live webcast from the 2008 Coachella music festival this weekend from its broadband AT&T blue room site.
    • Linden Lab Names Mark Kingdon as New CEO: San Francisco - Linden Lab, the developer of 3D virtual world Second Life, has named Mark Kingdon as its new CEO, replacing company founder Philip Rosedale, who will remain chairman.
    • Fandango Adds Voice-Activated Movie Listings for Mobile: San Francisco - Advance movie ticket seller Fandango said on Wednesday that it has partnered with Microsoft's Tellme to add voice-activated movie information for mobile phones.
    • EA Signs Boston College QB Matt Ryan for "NCAA Football": Redwood City, Calif. - Electronic Arts said on Wednesday that it has signed former Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan as the cover athlete for the PlayStation 3 version of its "NCAA Football 09" game, scheduled for release in North America on July 15.
  • April 22, 2008
    • Sony Acquires Music ID Firm Gracenote for $260 Million: New York - Sony Corporation of America announced on Tuesday that it will acquire Gracenote, a provider of digital media identification and recommendation services, for $260 million plus other contingent consideration.
    • Report: U.S. Consumers Will Spend Less on Entertainment in '08: Port Washington, N.Y. - Thirty-seven percent of Americans believe they will spend less on entertainment products and devices this year, compared to just 18% who anticipate spending more, according to a new survey conducted by market research firm NPD Group.
    • SonyBMG Signs Up for Nokia "Comes With Music" Service: Espoo, Finland - Nokia announced on Tuesday that Sony BMG has joined Universal Music Group in licensing its catalog for unlimited access on Nokia phones as part of the company's Comes With Music offering.
    • Citing Unworkable Licensing, Music Service Sonific Turns Off: San Francisco - Sonific, a provider of licensed music widgets and free music applications for social media, said on Tuesday that it will take its service offline "as a consequence of the unworkable music licensing situation and the resulting lack of solid revenue modeling," co-founder and CEO Gerd Leonhard wrote in a note on Sonific.com.
    • Sony Delays Launch of PlayStation Home Service Again: Tokyo - Sony has once again delayed the launch of its "Home" 3D virtual community for the PlayStation 3 console, now saying the service will launch for users in the fall. The service had initially been slated to launch last fall, but pushed the debut until this spring.
    • Report: U.S. Mobile Media Revenues to Double by 2012: Washington - U.S. mobile media and entertainment revenues are expected to more than double over the next five years, but the strongest growth will not occur until after 2010, as the technical and market environment for such services improves, according to a new report from market research firm Analysys.
    • Social Media Marketing Firm BuzzLogic Acquires Activeweave: San Francisco - BuzzLogic, a provider of social media marketing services and a social media ad network, announced on Tuesday that it has acquired Activeweave, developers of the BlogRover browser companion application.
    • Vysr Lands $2 Million for "User-Centric" Browser Application: Palo Alto, Calif. - Vysr, a developer of browser technology that lets users "tap their favorite Web services and social networks wherever they go on the Web," announced on Tuesday its emergence from stealth mode and a $2 million round of financing.
    • MobiTV Gets $5 Million in Equipment Financing: Menlo Park, Calif. - MobiTV, a provider of mobile TV programming and distribution services, has received $5 million in equipment financing from Leader Ventures.
    • Social Search Start-up Mechanical Zoo Gets Angel Funding: San Francisco - Mechanical Zoo, a social search start-up founded by a number of ex-Google employees, has raised $750,000 in convertible debt from angel investors and is set to launch a beta test of its service next month, CNET News.com reported.
    • Analysis: Netflix Guidance Disappoints - Here's Why: The big challenge facing Blockbuster and Netflix is not each other, but the fact that the studios are still clinging to quaint notions like exclusivity, blogs Paul Sweeting.
    • Photo-sharing Service Photobucket Launches Developer API: Palo Alto, Calif. - Photobucket, the photo-sharing service acquired by News Corp.'s Fox Interactive Media last year, announced on Tuesday the release of the site's application programming interface (API), which will allow developers to build new applications based on Photobucket.
    • Apple Files for Patent on Possible iPhone Chat Application: Los Angeles - Apple has filed a patent application on a universal interface for real-time text chat on touchscreen devices, which could result in the release of a chat application for the iPhone or iPod touch, Apple Insider reported.
    • MySpace, NBC News Partner on "Decision '08" Site: Los Angeles - News Corp.'s MySpace and NBC News on Tuesday launched Decision '08, a new section on MySpace's IMPACT Channel that will feature in-depth election-related news, analysis and discussion.
    • Sony Taps Improv Troupe Groundlings for Digital Shorts: Los Angeles - Improv comedy troupe the Groundlings has signed a one-year deal with Sony Pictures Television to create 50 digital shorts for the Web and mobile platforms, Variety reports.
    • Thomas Dolby Among Remixers of Radiohead Track: Suffolk, England - Among the 2,000 or so who have uploaded their own remixes of Radiohead's song "Nude" after the band made stem tracks available for download from iTunes was electronic musician Thomas Dolby, the artist said on Tuesday.
    • Eurosport to Broadcast Championship Gaming Series: Los Angeles - The Championship Gaming Series, a worldwide professional video game players' league, has announced a deal with Eurosport and BSkyB that grants Eurosport the exclusive continental European broadcast rights for CGS.
  • April 21, 2008
  • April 18, 2008
    • Take-Two Rejects Lowered Takeover Bid from Electronic Arts: New York - Video game publisher Take-Two Interactive said on Thursday that just 8% of its shareholders were in favor of Electronic Arts' $2 billion bid for the company, prompting EA to extend the deadline and slightly reduce its offer -- which Take-Two again rejected.
    • AOL Laying Off 100 from Platform-A Ad Unit: New York - Time Warner's AOL is laying off around 100 employees from its new Platform-A advertising unit, which was created through the blending of several acquisitions, including Adverstising.com, Tacoda, Quigo, Third Screen Media, Lightningcast and Adtech, Silicon Alley Insider reports.
    • Senator Petitions FCC to Reject XM-Sirius Merger: Washington - Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), a high-ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee, on Friday wrote to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) asking the agency to block the $5 billion merger of satellite radio firms XM and Sirius, Reuters reported.
    • Report: Despite Economy, U.S. Game Sales Up 57% in March: Port Washington, N.Y. - Bypassing the current troubles in the overall economy, U.S. video game sales hit $1.7 billion in March, up 57% from a year ago on strong sales of Nintendo's Wii and "Super Smash Bros. Brawl," according to industry sales data compiled by market research firm NPD Group.
    • NY Times Internet Revenue Up; Overall Revenue Drops: New York - Internet revenue for The New York Times Co. rose 14.8% in the last quarter, while the company's overall revenue decreased to $235.4 million, a 6.4% drop compared to the same period a year ago, the company announced.
    • MPAA Sues Streaming Movie, TV Index Site Pullmylink.com: Los Angeles - The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) yesterday filed a federal copyright infringement suit against Pullmylink.com, saying the site "contributes to and profits from massive copyright infringement by identifying, posting, organizing and indexing links to infringing content found on the Internet."
    • CW Yanks "Gossip Girl" Streams in Bid to Boost TV Ratings: Los Angeles - The CW has decided to stop streaming free episodes of "Gossip Girl" from its website, in a test to see whether the popular streams were eating into the show's TV audience, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
    • MTV Adds Full Album Downloads to "Rock Band" Game: New York - Viacom's MTV Networks said this week that it will begin offering owners of its "Rock Band" video game to download full albums compatible with the game beginning next week, to include records from Judas Priest, the Cars and the Pixies.
    • Gamer Community Site GamerDNA Raises $3 Million: Cambridge, Mass. - GamerDNA, an online community for video game players, announced on Friday that it has raised $3 million in its first round of venture capital, led by Flybridge Capital Partners.
    • Mahalo Daily's "The Week in 60 Seconds": n/a
    • Analysis: Content Aggregation is King?: Aggregators are taking a larger piece of the pie but the size of the pie is growing with visits to content creators and all News and Media websites growing, blogs Heather Hopkins.
    • Perez Hilton in Syndicated Radio Deal with ABC Radio Networks: Dallas - Celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton this week signed a deal with ABC Radio Networks to host a twice-daily celebrity news radio feature that will be syndicated exclusively through ABC Radio Networks.
    • Dolby, Infitec Team to Develop 3D Digital Cinema System: Los Angeles - Dolby Laboratories' Digital Cinema unit this week announced a deal with Germany's Infitec to develop and market a digital 3D cinema delivery system for theaters, Variety reported.
    • Nokia to Debut Music Store in Australia Next Week: Espoo, Finland - Nokia plans to launch another Nokia Music Store in Australia next week, which at launch will offer 2.5 million tracks from all the majors e