Report: Apple Hires Mobile Payments Expert

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

Vimeo Adds Support for iPhone, iPad Video Playback

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New York – IAC’s (NASD: IACI) Vimeo video sharing site on Tuesday
released a universal player that supports viewing of embedded Vimeo videos on
Apple’s iPhone and iPad, using HTML5. The company also introduced a new Watch
Later feature that lets viewers mark a video for future viewing, as well as a
new Vimeo video channel for Roku broadband set-top boxes.


 

Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/25kd4ht

http://www.vimeo.com

Random House Launches Seussville.com

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New York – Random House Children’s Books on Tuesday
announced the launch of a new official online home of Dr. Seuss, in partnership
with Dr. Seuss Enterprises. Seussville.com features interactive educational
resources, games and galleries of Dr. Seuss’s early sketches and artwork.


 

Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/2c46yan

http://www.seussville.com

Associated Press Ends Talks With Cheezburger Blog Owner

1

Los Angeles – The Associated Press has ended talks on a
partnership with Pet Holdings Inc., the blog network that includes I Can Has
Cheezburger and Fail Blog — over "journalistic integrity" concerns,
the Los Angeles Times reported.

The months-long talks reportedly centered on subscribing
to the AP’s photo feeds, as it does with Getty Images, and allowing users to
submit their own photo captions.

"They [AP] felt that allowing the
unwashed masses to [alter image captions] would be against their journalistic
integrity," Pet Holdings CEO Ben Huh told the Times.

 

Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/2b8eju6

(Los Angeles Times)

http://icanhascheezburger.com

Report: RIM Slashes Price of New BlackBerry Torch to $99

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Los Angeles – BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (NASD: RIMM) (RIM) has
halved the price of its brand new BlackBerry Torch smartphone to $99 at some online
retailers, PC World reported.

Some analysts estimated that RIM sold just
150,000 units during the Torch’s launch weekend.

By comparison, Apple (NASD: AAPL) sold an estimated 1.7 million units of the iPhone 4 in its opening weekend.

The Torch is still listed at
$199 on carrier partner AT&T’s website, but PC World reported seeing the
$99 price tag at Amazon.com and other websites.

 

Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/3xxsn5v

(PC World)

Survey: 62% of U.S. Consumers Time-Shifting Primetime Shows

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Philadelphia, Penn. – While 80% of U.S. consumers say they
regularly watch live primetime television, two-thirds (62%) report having
watched primetime shows via time-shifting technology, according to a new report
conducted by International Communications Research on behalf of Comcast (NASD: CMCSA), the
nation’s largest cable TV provider.

The number of consumers time-shifting their
viewing of primetime programs — either via a digital video recorder,
video-on-demand or Internet streaming — is up more than 60% from a year ago,
and 80% from three years ago.

"Time-shifting has hit the mainstream and is changing the way
people watch TV," said Diana Kerekes, vice president of entertainment services
for Comcast.

Comcast said that its on-demand programming has
expanded to 17,000 items per month, and its 23.2 million subscribers are
viewing more than 350 million VOD selections monthly.

 

Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/257d6z7

(Comcast study)

http://tinyurl.com/3996okj
(AP)