IntoNow's SoundPrint Mobile App Can ID TV Shows

By
Mark Hefflinger
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0

Palo Alto, Calif. – IntoNow on Monday introduced its
SoundPrint technology, a "Shazam for TV" that can identify live TV
programs by analyzing audio samples. The company said it has indexed more
than 140 million minutes of broadcast TV so far, and is currently monitoring more
than 130 channels in real-time. Available for the Apple iPhone and iPad,
IntoNow said its SoundPrint application can be used to share TV viewing on
social media, and to help power recommendations and commerce.

 

Related Links:
http://www.intonow.com

AOL, Mark Burnett Team on "CliffsNotes" Comedic Shorts

By
Mark Hefflinger
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0

New York – AOL (NYSE: AOL) on Monday announced a deal with reality TV
producer Mark Burnett ("Survivor"), publisher John Wiley & Sons and
Coalition Films, to co-develop a series of comedic video shorts based on
Wiley’s "CliffsNotes" guides to literature. The videos will
"present classic works of fiction in humorous, irreverent, animated shorts
that still manage to present the plots, characters, and themes to the
viewer."

 

Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/6b87l3o

Report: 23.8% of Global Web Traffic Involves "Digital Theft"

By
Mark Hefflinger
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0

Washington – Some 23.8% of global Internet traffic involves
"digital theft," with the BitTorrent file-sharing protocol accounting
for 11.4% of this figure, according to a study commissioned by NBC Universal
and conducted by brand and trademark monitoring firm Envisional.

In the U.S.,
the study estimated 17% of Internet traffic is "infringing," with
BitTorrent traffic accounting for 9% of this total.

Envisional’s analysis of
the top 10,000 peer-to-peer swarms found that 99.24% of non-pornographic
material being traded was copyrighted material.

It also found that
"infringing cyberlocker sites" accounted for 5.1% of global Internet
traffic, while "infringing video streaming sites" made up 1.4% of
global traffic.

"Bottom line, according to this new study, nearly
one-quarter of the traffic on the Internet involves the unauthorized
distribution of copyrighted material such as movies, TV shows, music and video
games," said Bob Pisano, president and iterim CEO of the Motion Picture
Association of America (MPAA).

"Whether you call it piracy, digital theft,
illegal downloading or unauthorized streaming, it’s stealing the creative work
of others."

 

Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/45nd5xm
(PDF: Envisional report)

Report: Android Smartphone Shipments Surpass Nokia's Symbian

By
Mark Hefflinger
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0

Reading, U.K. – Worldwide shipments of smartphones equipped
with Google’s (NASD: GOOG) Android operating system surpassed those of Nokia (NYSE: NOK) Symbian
handsets for the first time ever during the fourth quarter of 2010, according
to a report from market research firm Canalys.

Android shipments were 32.9
million during the quarter, to 31 million for Nokia’s Symbian.

HTC and Samsung
were the makers of nearly 45% of the Android-based handsets shipped; other top
manufacturers included LG and Acer.

The U.S. market remains the largest in
terms of smartphone shipments, and Android led in the fourth quarter with
shipments of 12.1 million units — nearly three times the number shipped by
BlackBerry maker RIM.

"The U.S. landscape will shift dramatically this
coming year, as a result of the Verizon-Apple agreement," said Canalys analyst
Tim Shepherd.

"Verizon will move its focus away from the Droid range, but
the overall market impact will mean less carrier-exclusive deals, while increasing
the AT&T opportunity for Android vendors, such as HTC, Motorola and Samsung."

 

Related Links:
http://www.canalys.com/pr/2011/r2011013.html

Screenshots Hint Amazon Readying Video Streaming Service

By
Mark Hefflinger
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0

Seattle – Amazon.com (NASD: AMZN) may be preparing to launch an instant
streaming video service to compete with Netflix (NASD: NFLX), according to screenshots
published by Engadget.

The screenshots display a new video streaming option
available on Amazon Prime, the company’s service that offers unlimited two-day
shipping and other amenities for $79 per year.

A "Watch now" button appears
next to movie titles, in addition to text that reads, "Your Amazon Prime
membership now includes unlimited, commercial-free, instant streaming of 5,000
movies and TV shows at no additional cost."

An Engadget tipster also noted
that a unit of Amazon recently acquired several variations of the domain
PrimeInstantVideos.com.

 

Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/4zh7hrm
(Engadget)

Startup America

By
Mark Hefflinger
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0

White House Launches "Startup America" Investment Program

By
Mark Hefflinger
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0

Washington – The White House on Monday announced the launch
of Startup America, a new program chaired by AOL co-founder Steve Case that
aims to expand access to capital and other key resources for start-ups with the
potential to create large numbers of jobs. The program already has garnered
major commitments from several of the nation’s largest tech companies,
including a $200 million pledge by Intel (NASD:  INTC) to invest in start-ups, $150 million
from IBM (NYSE:  IBM) to fund programs that promote entrepreneurs and new business
opportunities and a plan by Facebook to host "Startup Days," a series
of 12-15 events designed to provide entrepreneurs with access to expertise, resources
and engineers.

"Those entrepreneurs who are intent on growing their
businesses create the lion’s share of these new jobs, in every part of the
country and in every industry," the White House said in a statement.

"Moreover, it is entrepreneurs in clean energy, medicine, advanced
manufacturing, information technology, and other fields who will build the new
industries of the 21st century, and solve some of our toughest global
challenges."

 

 

Related Links:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/01/31/are-you-ready-startup-america

http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/startup-america

http://www.startupamericapartnership.org

AOL Acquires European Video Distribution Network goviral

By
Mark Hefflinger
-
0

New York – AOL (NYSE: AOL) said on Monday it has acquired goviral, a
European video distribution network, in a deal worth $96.7 million.

Under the
deal, AOL paid $74.1 million at closing, and will pay another $22.6 million
over the next two years.

goviral, which will maintain its offices in the U.K.,
Germany, France, Denmark, Sweden and Spain, distributes branded video content
across the Internet for major brands, media agencies, creative agencies and
content producers.

Clients include Nike, LG, Unilever, Paramount, Nokia,
Hyundai/Kia, Audi, Nintendo and Gucci.

AOL said the acquisition will bolster
its video offerings in Europe, and ultimately North America.

"Video is
core to AOL’s consumer programming strategy and goviral has created an
incredibly compelling platform," said Kate Burns, the senior vice
president of AOL Europe.

Over the past year, AOL also has acquired StudioNow,
5min Media, TechCrunch, Thing Labs, Pictela and about.me.

 

Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/4vuta6q

http://www.goviral.com

Access 360 Lands $12M for Out-of-Home Digital Ad Network

By
Mark Hefflinger
-
1

New York – Access 360 Media, an operator of digital networks
in stadiums, arenas and shopping malls, has secured $12 million in a new round
of financing led by Columbia Capital.

New York-based Access 360 called
Columbia’s investment the "first step in a larger commitment," which
the company will use to increase its footprint through acquisitions, new hires
and organic growth.

"As audiences get more difficult to reach in
traditional media…we think advertisers will look for ways to interact with
their customers on digital platforms outside the home," said Jeff
Patterson, a partner at Columbia Capital.

"Shopping malls and sports
stadiums are superb venues where advertisers can take advantage of targeted,
rich media advertising with consumers."

 

Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/4tyb8xj

http://www.access360media.com

Nearly 100,000 Americans Sued for File-Sharing in Past Year

By
Mark Hefflinger
-
1

Los Angeles – Nearly 100,000 Americans have been sued for
suspected copyright infringement on file-sharing networks over the past year,
according to details of a study published by TorrentFreak. The majority are
alleged to have utilized the BitTorrent file-sharing network, although a few
hundred users of eDonkey were also targeted.

The 99,924 defendants were
sued as part of a total of just 80 lawsuits, which seek the identities of the many
"John Doe" defendants from their various Internet service providers.

TorrentFreak notes that 68 of these cases are
still active, affecting 70,914 defendants, and that nearly all of the
recently-filed cases target alleged downloaders of adult content.

Also included in the list of defendants are many who allegedly downloaded feature films like "The Hurt Locker."

The lawsuits have rarely come to trial; plaintiffs instead typically offer to settle their copyright claims for several thousand dollars — less than the cost of a legal defense.

 

 

Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/45a7vhu
(TorrentFreak)

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