Mobcaster Funds Its First Two Series [with videos]

January 20, 2012

Mobcaster, a startup that intends to be “the world’s first crowd-funded TV channel,” announced that its first two shows have been funded.

The amounts donated by the public have fewer zeros than Boardwalk Empire or Terra Nova budgets, but nonetheless these creators have raised enough money to make their programs and put them somewhere they could get seen.

Back to Your Senses is the more expensive of the two, at $15,000. It’s a documentary series by Andrea Claire Maio about people who have followed their hearts to perform work that is meaningful to them without regard for financial gain.

The other is On the Campaign Tail (pictured), which reached its $2,500 goal. It also is a documentary series; this one by Michael Terry looks at the volunteers, the campaign workers and the local candidates to better understand their motivations and the role they play as the grass roots of a democracy.

Founded in 2011, Mobcaster is based in New York and is currently in public beta.

Related links:

http://mobcaster.com

http://mobcaster.com/project/on-the-campaign-tail

http://mobcaster.com/project/back-to-your-senses

BTYS pitch for Mobcaster.com from andrea claire maio on Vimeo.

Raditaz Adds Personal Context to Streaming Music

digitalmediawi

January 20, 2012

Raditaz is now officially live, offering a free streaming music service that lets listeners add location and other contextual tags to their customized listening experience.

When a user creates a personal station, Raditaz automatically tags it with the GPS coordinates of where the user happens to be. It then appears on the service’s “map view” and its “explore” page where other listeners can choose to play it. Professionally created stations are also available.

Users also can add other, more subjective types of tags to their stations. As an example, Raditaz suggests a playlist could be tagged #running #beach for a station the user created for that scenario. Other ideas quickly come to mind. How about #dogwalking #morning? Or #trafficjam, for the daily commute?

Just as they can with location information, users can browse based on these personal tags. They also can see what’s trending among other listeners.

Raditaz is free and allows users to skip as many songs as they want to. Stations are generated using The Echo Nest technology,and Raditaz licenses its music from MediaNet so it has a library of about 14 million songs.

The service is supported by geographically relevant display and audio advertising. Raditaz, which is based in Connecticut, reports having raised $3 million from angel investors to date.

Raditaz has been in beta since May 2011. Digging into the trivia files reveals that in its earlier incarnations Raditaz was known as CompletePlaylists and then as GetPlaylists.

“FM radio just doesn’t cut it anymore – our preference for making music personal has changed the way we find and listen to music,” said Tom Brophy, founder and chief executive officer, Raditaz. “In the new music world where music is more about identity than opinion, we bring personality to the music people love to listen to the most, creating a whole new music experience, and opening the door for a powerful new revenue model for advertisers.”

Related links:

http://raditaz.com

http://www.mndigital.com

http://the.echonest.com

Mvix Device Sends Files to Nearby Phones

digitalmediawi

January 20, 2012

Mvix has launched MvixAir, its mobile communications system that is aware of who’s nearby. MvixAir allows any Bluetooth-enabled device to receive information relevant to where they are.

The company said it could be used for things like transmitting special offers to consumers in a shopping mall, coupons at a supermarket, maps at airports, schedules at events, or anything else people in close proximity would be interested in receiving for free. Alternative, it also can be used for purposes like marketing research, foot traffic monitoring, crowd estimation and retail performance metering.

MvixAir continually scans for Bluetooth devices that are within 100-300 feet (depending on several different factors). People must grant permission for it to make a connection and send the file. It’s multithreaded, so it can deal with multiple things at the same time.

Mvix is privately owned and based in Chantilly, Va.

Related link:

http://www.mvixair.com

Trigger Raises $1 Million for Cross-Platform Mobile

digitalmediawi

January 20, 2012

Mobile firm Trigger has raised $1 million in a seed round, enough to launch its cross-platform HTML5 mobile development framework. The funding was raised through AngelList from investors who include Paul Graham, SV Angel, 500 Startups, Russ Siegelman, Steven Walske, RightVentures, Venture51 and John Taysom.

Trigger enables developers to write an app just once, before the service makes it simple to make the app compatible with Android, iOS and desktop browsers and then to distribute it across all devices and their marketplaces.

Trigger’s framework is called Forge. Developers create their applications in the languages they’re already familiar with – HTML, CSS and JavaScript. They then then use the Forge tools to build the app as native, with offline access and native functionality. Trigger also has a debug tool called Catalyst.

“Demand for mobile apps, both native and mobile web, is exploding and web developers are looking for ways to benefit from this shift. With Trigger, developers can create rich, native apps using their existing skills,” said co-founder and chief executive officer Amir Nathoo. “With Android activations up to 700,000 per day, the mobile applications market clearly is no longer just about iOS. This shift makes HTML5 extremely important as a cross-platform technology. But native functionality is needed to take advantage of the distribution and revenue opportunities – that’s where Trigger comes in – we make it possible.”

He added that cross-platform problems are not new, but that the competition was more complicated and time-consuming to use.

Related links:

https://trigger.io

https://trigger.io/forge

http://angel.co

Felony Arrests Shut Megaupload Cloud Locker [with indictment]

digitalmediawi

January 20, 2012

Authorities in several countries, led by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, acted Thursday to shut down Megaupload Ltd. and arrest several of the people involved in its operation. This is the first major anti-piracy action taken against a cloud storage service, which the Motion Picture Association of America and others content are hotbeds of piracy.

Megaupload Ltd. is based in Hong Kong, and four of its key people were arrested in Auckland, New Zealand, on five charges related to conspiracy to commit racketeering, money laundring and criminal copyright infringement. U.S. authorities contend Megaupload, with 150 million registered users worldwide, generated more than $175 million in criminal proceeds and caused more than half a billion dollars in harm to copyright owners.

The arrests were carried out by the Organised & Financial Crime Agency New Zealand (OFCANZ) and New Zealand Police following a U.S. request to arrest individuals for the purpose of extradition.

U.S. prosecuters said it had jurisdiction to act since Megaupload hosted and stored content on leased servers in Virginia.

Kanye West, Alicia Keys and even Kim Kardashian have publicly endorsed Megaupload for legitmate uses. The service’s business model is to offer a basic level of storage and downloading for free, with faster speeds and larger lockers available for a monthly premium. Megaupload also carried advertising on its website.

Kim Dotcom, Megaupload’s former chief executive officer and current chief innovation officer, was one of the four arrested in New Zealand. He is a resident of Hong Kong and New Zealand and a dual citizen of Finland and Germany who had his name legally changed. Two other German citizens and one Dutch citizen also were arrested. Three other defendants – one each from Germany, Slovakia and Estonia have not yet been apprehended.

A short time previously, Megaupload had a message on its landing page that said in part, “The fact is that the vast majority of Mega’s Internet traffic is legitimate, and we are here to stay. If the content industry would like to take advantage of our popularity, we are happy to enter into a dialogue. We have some good ideas. Please get in touch.”

New Zealand police spokesman Grant Ogilvie said significant property was confiscated as part of the action, including: $8 million that had been invested in various New Zealand financial institutions; a Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe, a pink 1959 Cadillac convertible and other vehicles; two short-barreled shotguns; and a number of valuable artworks.

Chris Dodd, MPAA chairman and chief executive officer, said: “This criminal case, more than two years in development, shows that law enforcement can take strong action to protect American intellectual property stolen through sites housed in the United States.”

Cary Sherman, Recording Industry Association of America chairman and chief executive officer, said the RIAA was “deeply grateful” for the legal action. The statement added, “The indictment outlines a sinister scheme to generate massive profits through the distribution of the stolen intellectual property of others.”

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, an online freedom advocacy group, said in a statement that the indictments set “a terrifying precedent,” adding “If the United States can seize a Dutch citizen in New Zealand over a copyright claim, what is next?”

Related links:

Sky News (Australia) – Megaupload accused front NZ court

New Zealand Times – Copyright accused denied bail

Wall Street Journal – U.S. Shuts Offshore File-Share ‘Locker’

Associated Press – US Internet piracy case brings New Zealand arrests

Deutsche Welle – US shuts down popular file-sharing site

Politico – Megaupload shut down over piracy violations

Image courtesy of BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Ltd.

Mega Upload Indictment

Yahoo Showcases Sundance Shorts

digitalmediawi

January 19, 2012

Yahoo has raised the curtain on nine of the short films from the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, enabling audiences to watch these independent shorts without an invitation to Park City.

Being Yahoo, the films will be presented with photos, some background information and other editorial context, and the opportunity for viewers to vote and comment on their favorites. This year Yahoo is taking that one step further by presenting the filmmaker who got the most votes with the inaugural Yahoo Audience Award and a $5,000 prize at the Sundance Film Festival’s Official Awards Ceremony on Jan. 28.

Yahoo is the official sponsor of the Short Film Program at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, which runs January 19-29 in the Utah cities of Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance.

In addition to this involvement, Yahoo Movies is providing exclusive film-related content and original news daily from their correspondents at the event, while its sister omg! Now will cover Sundance from its own perspective by sharing celebrity and entertainment moments.

Yahoo Movies gets more than 26 million users per month, and a comScore Media Builder Custom Report in October 2011 found that omg! was the most popular among 75 original video programs, as defined by Yahoo, including Hulu, MSN, AOL, Forbes, PopSugar, IGN, TMZ, New York Times, Smosh.com, ABC News, Sugar, Funny or Die, She Knows and CraveOnline.

The nine shorts included in the Yahoo showcase are: ’92 Skybox Alonzo Mourning Rookie Card; Aquadettes (pictured); The Arm; Debutante Hunters; Dol (First Birthday); Henley; Long Distance Information; Odysseus’ Gambit; and Una Hora por Favora.

“Yahoo is the home for major entertainment events online and this year, we’re bringing film buffs with us to one of the world’s most significant film festivals,” said Mickie Rosen, senior vice president of Yahoo Media Network. “We look forward to providing film lovers a role in Festival voting with our new Audience Award and keeping them connected with minute-by-minute reporting. Some of the best filmmakers started their careers developing short films and now our audience has the chance to pick what could be the next big name in the film industry.”

Trion Worlds' $85 Million Funding Trips the Rift

digitalmediawi

January 19, 2012

Game publisher and developer Trion Worlds has completed an $85 million round of equity financing led by Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan with participation from existing investor Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bertelsmann AG. Trion previously raised $100 million from BDMI, Time Warner Inc., Comcast Corp., Fidelity Investments and ACT II Capital.

Trion said it would use the funds to further grow its premium online games business. There are two other factors that may come into play, however. The company in October told Reuters it believed an IPO “was inevitable,” and its upcoming game platform initiative could prove to be a very valuable asset.

Trion’s Rift, its only completed game, quickly became a financial and critical hit when it went live in March 2011. The massively multiplayer online role-playing game activated more than a million accounts in its first four months and ended the year with North American and European revenues in excess of $100 million.

The company has two other highly anticipated titles in the pipeline. End of Nations, a massively multiplayer real-time strategy game being developed with Petroglyph Games, is set to make its debut within the next few months.

Even more interesting is Defiance, Trion’s collaborative project with Syfy Channel to simultaneously produce a TV show and an online action game in the same universe. The concept involves having the storylines merge and for events in one medium to affect what happens in the other. Syfy Channel is part of NBCUniversal, which is controlled by Trion investor Comcast.

Then there’s Red Door, Trion’s game platform initiative, which comprises both a consumer platform and a full-scale publishing and development platform. Based on Trion’s existing technology, Red Door is built to host third-party premium games with end-to-end capabilities and customized white label services.

Lars Buttler, Trion Worlds founder and chief executive officer, said: “Backing from a stalwart long-term investor such as Teachers’, which has the experience and structure to support our vision, and the expanded relationship with our current stakeholder and great supporter, BDMI, is a massive endorsement for Trion.”

Trion is headquartered in Redwood City, Calif., with offices in San Diego, Calif., Austin, Texas, and London, U.K.

With $107.5 billion in assets as of December 31, 2010, the independent organization Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan is the largest single-profession pension plan in Canada. Its direct investment program is one of the most comprehensive and successful in the world.

“Rift’s success with gamers worldwide is the tip of the iceberg for Trion,” Buttler said. “No other company has successfully attempted to create an original IP, build paradigm-altering technology, and develop a business of scale to lead the industry, let alone excel at all three. We have a world class team focused on our vision to bring the era of connected live services to premium games, much in the way casual and mid-core games have already been disrupted.”

Related links:

http://www.trionworlds.com

http://www.otpp.com

http://www.bdmifund.com

http://www.bertelsmann.com

Constant Contact Acquires Amplifier-Backed CardStar

digitalmediawi

January 19, 2012

McLean, Va. – Amplifier Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund based in McLean, said on Thursday that Constant Contact, a Massachusetts-based provider of email marketing services to small businesses, has acquired portfolio company CardStar, a Boston-based developer of mobile apps focused on loyalty cards and mobile coupons.

Amplifier seeded CardStar, which also has an office in McLean, in 2009, and later led its institutional funding round.

Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Constant Contact will continue to operate CardStar’s free mobile loyalty app, which is available on platforms including iPhone, Android and Blackberry. The app consolidates membership and rewards cards on smartphones, freeing consumers from physical cards while allowing merchants to tailor mobile deals and information to their customers.

Andy Miller, the co-founder and chief executive officer of CardStar, will serve as the company’s director of mobile products, while co-founder and chief technology officer Danny Espinoza will lead future product direction.

This article was also published in Potomac Tech Wire.

Related links:

http://amplifierventures.com

http://www.mycardstar.com

http://investor.constantcontact.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=640723

USA Network's 'White Collar' Nabs a Miso SideShow

digitalmediawi

January 19, 2012

To coincide with the midseason premiere of White Collar this week, USA Network rolled out an online game and a synchronized second screen experience powered by Miso. Both experiences are designed to deepen the relationship between the show’s mismatched crime fighters and their legion of loyal fans by engaging them beyond the television.

The White Collar SideShow uses the Miso mobile platform in a companion viewing experience that includes social interaction, trivia, quotable quotes and more. It also enables viewers to check in and acquire exclusive White Collar badges. Each episode of the show will have its own SideShow, compatible with iPhone and iPod Touch.

Viewers also can play Mozzie’s Mission, a six-week series of challenges like spotting details and solving riddles. The game incorporates original video that highlights both its New York City location and its sponsor’s 2012 Ford Explorer vehicle. Those who successfully complete the six challenges can enter a previously inaccessible sweepstakes to win an iPad 2. Sponsored by Ford, Mozzie’s Mission was created in conjunction with the show’s creator and executive producer Jeff Eastin.

White Collar fans recently were given the opportunity to collect clues and share their thoughts about a kidnapping with the Where Is Elizabeth Burke? online feature, judged by Eastin, which was part of building anticipation for the new series.

The show just began its third season. As the network describes it, White Collar focuses on the unlikely partnership between con artist Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer) and FBI agent Peter Burke (Tim DeKay). Caffrey’s expertise helps Burke catch other elusive criminals, but this season we’re not sure whose side he is really on.

http://www.mozziesmission.com

http://whereiselizabethburke.usanetwork.com

http://blog.gomiso.com/2012/01/17/miso-usa-are-conning-their-way-into-your-living-room

Seacrest, AEG and CAA Morph HDNet into AXS TV

digitalmediawi

January 19, 2012

Ryan Seacrest somehow found time to partner his Ryan Seacrest Media with HDNet, AEG and CAA on a joint venture that begins with rebranding Mark Cuban’s HDNet as AXS TV and encompasses music and lifestyle programming, live pay-per-view concerts, an online auditioning site and more.

AXS TV will launch in a few months as a live entertainment and lifestyle channel. Financial terms of the new venture were not disclosed, but each of the partners brings a different element to the package.

Ryan Seacrest Media, which holds an ownership stake in AXS TV, will provide access to multi-media platforms, assist in corporate brand development, and spearhead celebrity and brand relationships for AXS TV. In addition, his independent entertainment production company Ryan Seacrest Productions will develop and produce programming for the new channel.

AEG’s role is multifaceted. AXS TV will have a studio at the AEG-owned and operated L.A. Live, the complex in downtown Los Angeles that includes Staples Center, Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, Club Nokia and The Grammy Museum’s Clive Davis Theater. It also will provide direct access to those and other AEG venues of all sizes. This will enable AXS TV to deliver the complete experience surrounding live entertainment events, including rehearsals, sound-check and performance “and right thru the after-party,” the company said.

Dish will expand its existing relationship with HDNet by including AXS TV in its America’s Top 120 programming package, which will deliver it to over 35 million households. This package is just one tier above Dish’s basic DishFamily package. AXS TV will continue to be available on HDNet’s other existing distributors, however, including DirecTV, Comcast, Verizon, AT&T, Charter, NCTC-member systems, Suddenlink and Shaw (in Canada).

Beginning on March 15, Dish also will offer AXS-branded video on demand concerts of performances captured at AEG live events. Additionally, Dish will undertake to offer viewers ticket packages made possible by AEG that will include things like premium seating, private viewing areas and specials on refreshments.

Later in the year, scheduled for August 1, Dish and AXS TV will launch an online audition site called AXS Headliner Club that will provide local bands and musicians the opportunity to be considered for performance slots at an AEG-affiliated club or theater.

CAA will do what it always does, create valuable content relationships for the network and provide strategic advisory services. Ryan Seacrest is represented by CAA.

Popular existing HDNet programs including HDNet Fights, Inside MMA, Dan Rather Reports, its Sunday concert series some other non-scripted series will continue on AXS TV.

Each of the participants issued a statement.

Ryan Seacrest (pictured): “Over the last year, we’ve been diligently working with our partners AEG and CAA to strategize and explore how we could deliver quality live entertainment and lifestyle programming to a large audience. HDNet is the perfect partner to help us translate our vision into a reality, giving us an instant reach into 35 million homes when we rebrand the channel and launch AXS TV. Mark Cuban and Tim Leiweke bring a tremendous amount of entrepreneurial experience and spirit to this venture, and I’m confident our collective collaboration will make AXS a success.”

Mark Cuban, co-founder and chairman, HDNet: “I’m incredibly excited to be in business with AEG, Ryan Seacrest, and CAA. This is a major step on our way to offering more live programming than any other entertainment and lifestyle network. And our partnership with Dish to offer unique subscriber services will allow AXS TV to change the value proposition between networks, distributors, and subscribers. AXS TV will unquestionably be able to leverage our unique assets to do things no other network will be able to replicate.”

Timothy J. Leiweke, president and chief executive officer, AEG: “AEG is very pleased to be involved with Mark Cuban and HDNet and equally as proud to have partners like Ryan Seacrest Media and CAA. The live business continues to grow and expand and the ability to give fans the opportunity to experience live in a different way is something we have been looking for a way to do for years. As part of a point of emanation for content, we are excited to provide the resources of L.A. Live, the O2 and our London campus among the many assets we are bringing into the partnership. In addition, we are excited that AXS TV will have a host studio at L.A. Live. This is a natural tie-in for our ticketing platform, axs Ticketing, as well as our facilities around the world. This is a platform for all agents, all promoters and all managers. It is not the creation of an AEG channel. It is about the fans and bringing the live experience to them.”

Joe Clayton, chief executive officer, Dish: “AXS TV brings Dish subscribers a premier TV destination for concert-goers to watch the most popular concert acts and provide opportunities for unique ticket sales at venues near them. The new Dish is all about ‘more music, more movies, and more magic.’ So, we’re pleased to provide a majority of our subscribers front row seats to this innovative channel.”

David O’Connor, managing partner, CAA: “We have worked closely with AEG and Ryan Seacrest to conceptualize a new network that could benefit from our combined resources and create a new distribution opportunity for artists and content creators and their high-quality entertainment and lifestyle programming. Mark Cuban and his HDNet make a terrific partner for this venture, and we look forward to joining forces to help build AXS into a premier cable destination for entertainment enthusiasts.”

Related links:

http://www.HD.net

http://www.hdnetfights.com

http://www.aegworldwide.com

http://www.dishnetwork.com

http://www.dish.com

http://ryanseacrest.com

http://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/latest.jsp?resourceid=4941314&access=RS