Sweden's Pirate Party to Host Wikileaks Servers

By
Mark Hefflinger
-
0

Stockholm – Wikileaks, the whistleblower site that recently
published more than 90,000 U.S. government documents related to the war in
Afghanistan, has officially accepted an offer from Sweden’s Pirate Party to
host some of its Web servers, TorrentFreak reported. The Pirate Party has said
it intends, should it be voted into Parliament next month, to claim
Parliamentary immunity on servers it hosts from within the halls of Sweden’s
government — and in theory make it impossible to remove content from those
servers.

The Pirate Party made its offer to Wikileaks last month, amid concerns that the site could be targeted for shutdown by U.S. authorities.

"We welcome the help provided by the Pirate Party," Wikileaks
spokesman Julian Assange told TorrentFreak.

"Our organisations share many
values and I am looking forward to future ways we can help each other improve
the world."

"I’m delighted that we’re able to help WikiLeaks,"
Pirate Party leader Rick Falkvinge told TorrentFreak.

 

Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/2clbzsa
(TorrentFreak)

http://tinyurl.com/29r3l62
(DMW previous coverage)

http://www2.piratpartiet.se/international/english

http://www.wikileaks.org

BermanBraun Inks $100 Million Website Ad Deal With Starcom

By
Mark Hefflinger
-
0

Los Angeles – Starcom MediaVest, a unit of ad giant Publicis
Groupe (NYSE: PUB), has signed a four-year deal with entertainment website and TV production
firm BermanBraun potentially worth more than $100 million, The New York Times
reported.

The deal will see Starcom receive "first look" rights for
advertising placement on BermanBraun sites, including celebrity news site WonderWall.com,
women-focused Glo.com, and several in development — including a political site
for MSNBC.com; a site targeting Latinos; and move and television portals.

Starcom
clients — who include Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble and Wal-Mart — will
also reportedly be able to "help shape the sites that are still in
development."

"We think this deal is going to shape the future,"
Starcom CEO Laura Desmond told The Times.

 

Related Links:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/18/business/media/18starcom.html

http://www.smvgroup.com/news_popup_flash.asp?pr=1813

http://www.bermanbraun.com

Google TV

By
Mark Hefflinger
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0

WSJ: TV Networks Wary on Google TV Business Model

By
Mark Hefflinger
-
0

New York – Google (NASD:  GOOG) is having difficulty securing partnerships
with TV networks for its new Google TV software, as some see it as potentially
cannibalizing their existing business and lacking in a solid plan to turn a
profit, The Wall Street Journal reports. Expected to launch in the fall, the
service will exist in Google-developed software on set-top boxes made by Sony (NYSE:  SNE),
Logitech and others, and let viewers search listings for programming available
on broadcast and cable networks, as well as Web video.

Google reportedly in
recent weeks met with ABC (NYSE:  DIS), CBS (NYSE:  CBS), NBC (NYSE:  GE) and Fox (NYSE:  NWS), seeking better integration of
their respective online video sites with Google TV, to facilitate searches.

Google
executives are reportedly waiting to generate usage before figuring out a
business model for the listings, sources told The Journal, which also reported that
some media companies are discussing whether to block services like Google TV through
technological means.

 

Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/289mu7o
(WSJ)

http://www.google.com/tv

U.K. Game Developer Realtime Worlds Enters Administration

By
Mark Hefflinger
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0

Dundee, Scotland – Video game publisher Realtime Worlds,
which had raised over $80 million in financing from backers including Maverick
Capital, New Enterprise Associates and WPP, has gone into administration, the
Financial Times reported.

Scotland-based Realtime Worlds was founded in 2002 by
Dave Jones, whose previous development credits included "Grand Theft
Auto" and "Lemmings."

The company cited weak sales of its latest
title, "APB: All Points Bulletin," as a major contributing factor in
the move. It employs some 200 staffers in Scotland, and more than 40 at a studio
in Boulder, Colo.

"Our intention is to continue trading the company while
we attempt to find a going concern buyer which will safeguard the future of the
business," Paul Dounis, of administration firm Begbies Traynor, told FT.

 

Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/3x5tjzg
(Financial Times)

http://www.realtimeworlds.com

Report: Apple Hires Mobile Payments Expert

By
Mark Hefflinger
-
0

New York – Apple (NASD: AAPL) recently hired mobile payments expert
Benjamin Vigier, a specialist in near-field communication, in a sign the
company may be working on a service that would let iPhone or iPod owners make
purchases by swiping the devices in retail environments, Near Field
Communications World reported. Vigier previously helped develop mobile payment
services for PayPal and Starbucks while at mFoundry. The New York Times cited
sources who say Apple has recently hired other specialists in near-field and
similar mobile technologies.


 

Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/24zuasu
(Near Field Communication World)

http://tinyurl.com/23nwzpj
(N.Y. Times)

Nokia to Dump 'Comes With Music' Brand, Fold Service Into Ovi

By
Mark Hefflinger
-
0

Espoo, Finland – Nokia (NYSE: NOK) has abandoned its Comes With Music
brand, the name for its service that bundled a music subscription service into
the price of a mobile phone, and folded it into its Ovi line of entertainment
services, Billboard reports. The service, which Billboard notes has been a
tough sell to U.S. mobile operators, will now be known as Ovi Music Unlimited.


 

Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/2avfj85
(Billboard)

http://tinyurl.com/26kfxfx
(Comes With Music)

Report: China Unicom to Sell Apple's iPad

By
Mark Hefflinger
-
0

Beijing – China Unicom will sell both Apple’s iPhone 4 and
iPad in China, sources told Caixin Online. According to the report, no
timetable has been reached yet on a release date for the iPad, while the
carrier is expected to launch the iPhone 4 next month.


 

Related Links:
http://english.caing.com/2010-08-16/100170926.html

http://tinyurl.com/2crnq7p
(All Things D)

Barnes & Noble Releases Updated Nook E-reader App

By
Mark Hefflinger
-
0

New York – Bookseller Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS) on Tuesday launched
its re-branded Nook e-reader software application for the PC and Apple’s
iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Formerly called the B&N eReader, the
application lets users customize color and text style schemes, and features new
optimization for the iPhone 4’s "retina" display, along with the
LendMe feature that lets users share e-books with friends.


 

Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/2g62z86

http://www.bn.com/nookapps

THQ Debuts $69 uDraw GameTablet Accessory for Wii

By
Mark Hefflinger
-
0

Agoura Hills, Calif. – Video game publisher THQ (NASD: THQI) on Tuesday
introduced the uDraw GameTablet, a new accessory for the Nintendo Wii that
includes a drawing, coloring and art-based game. Priced at $69, the device
sports a 4×6-inch screen, detachable stylus, and the ability to save artwork to
an SD card. The uDraw GameTablet is slated for release in the U.S. this fall,
and overseas in early 2011.


 

Related Links:
http://us.thq.com/us/news/show/11721

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