New York - A group of investment funds led by Jana Partners has taken a 21% stake in technology publisher CNET Networks, and is seeking to oust the company's current directors and take a majority of its board, The New York Times reported, citing people briefed on the proposal. [more..]

Foster City, Calif. - Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) said on Monday that it sold 1.2 million PlayStation 3 consoles during the holidays, along with 1.4 million PSP handhelds and 1.3 million units of the PlayStation 2. [more..]

Las Vegas - Nearly one-half (45%) of U.S. media consumers are now frequently creating user-generated content, a 12% increase from a spring 2007 survey that challenges "the conventional assumption that online content creation is limited to a niche group of technology-savvy individuals," according to a recent survey commissioned by Deloitte & Touche. [more..]

Las Vegas - Comcast, the nation's largest cable TV provider, announced on Monday that it has partnered with electronics maker Panasonic, part of Japan's Matsushita, to develop a portable digital video recorder (DVR) and DVD player that can record programming from both Comcast and other cable TV providers. [more..]

New York - Major label Sony BMG said on Monday that later this month it will begin selling digital album cards, which will feature codes redeemable for full-length albums as high-quality MP3s paired with bonus content. [more..]

Las Vegas - After a 22% increase in 2007, U.S. video game industry sales growth is expected to slow in 2008, rising just 13% to $17.9 billion, according to projections from the Consumer Electronics Association. [more..]

Los Angeles - Digital music service provider Napster announced on Monday that it will begin selling songs exclusively in the MP3 format beginning in the second quarter. The company had previously sold songs in Microsoft's protected WMA format, and will continue to utilize that format for its subscription-based offerings. [more..]

Seoul, South Korea - A group of consumer electronics, technology and broadcast companies have formed dotTV, a consortium that aims to bring interactive elements like social networking and online video to the TV viewing experience. [more..]

Singapore - Motorola announced on Monday that it will acquire Soundbuzz, a provider of online and mobile music services in Asia. [more..]

Englewood, Colo. - Liberty Media, which owns interests in a broad range of media and entertainment companies, announced on Monday that it has acquired a controlling stake in Bodybuilding.com, a fitness site and retailer of sports nutrition products. [more..]

Redwood City, Calif. - Electronic Arts said on Monday that it has completed its acquisition of VG Holding Corp. -- the owner of both Canada-based BioWare and Los Angeles-based Pandemic Studios. [more..]

Rockville, Md. - Hillcrest Labs, the developer of a platform that lets consumer electronics manufacturers and service providers create interactive digital media products, said on Monday that it has raised $25 million in a new round of funding, led by new investor AllianceBernstein. [more..]

Washington - ARPU, the developer of a point-of-sale advertising network, has raised $8.7 million in its third round of funding, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). [more..]

New York, N.Y. - Hakia.com, a developer of search engine technology, announced on Monday that it has raised a $5 million investment from Prokom Investments, a current shareholder. [more..]

Kansas City, Mo. - Handmark, a developer and distributor of mobile games and applications, announced on Monday that it has acquired U.K.-based Astraware, a developer of games for smartphones. [more..]

Vienna, Va. - Privacy Vaults Online (PRIVO), a provider of Web-based compliance software to clients such as Vivendi Games and Burger King, said that it has raised nearly half of the $1.2 million in funding that it is currently seeking. [more..]

We've set up shop at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show and will be bringing you coverage from Las Vegas this week. If you're in town for the show, make sure to stop by and see us at our booth in the Content Zone in Central Hall 11760O and don't miss our Digital Media Insider event on Tuesday night. Enjoy the show!

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Gates’ keynote underscored the fact that Microsoft is still far from a digital entertainment company, blogs Jay Baage. [more..]

The Consumer Electronics Show, which officially starting today here in Las Vegas, is, as usual, controlled chaos. Here are my initial impressions after the first day of rubbing shoulders with roughly 140,000 attendees and exhibitors (as well as the occasional celebrity) in the 1.85 million square feet of exhibition space, blogs Jay Baage. [more..]

Las Vegas - Sony Pictures Television announced on Monday that it has signed an agreement with Google's YouTube, to establish a number of ad-supported channels that will feature episodes of classic TV shows and other content. [more..]

New York - The New York Times and CNBC on Monday announced a Web content-sharing agreement, which will consist mainly of Times articles being posted on CNBC.com and CNBC video being posted on NYTimes.com, The Times reported. [more..]

Las Vegas - NBC Universal announced on Monday that it has teamed with Microsoft to create the website for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. [more..]

Los Angeles - Ovation TV, a pay-TV network that features a range of visual and performing arts, announced on Monday that it has acquired the International Music Feed (IMF) channel from Universal Music Group. [more..]

Las Vegas - Razer Group's Jook Inc. unit on Monday introduced its digital music standard that includes social networking features, allowing portable music players to wirelessly transmit songs to other portable players in the vicinity. [more..]

Alviso, Calif. - TiVo said on Monday that it will soon add the ability for its subscribers to apply its "Season Pass" feature to Web video, enabling users to subscribe to and watch a broad range of RSS feeds. [more..]