Blog

Jerry Romano sent me a short news clipping, “19 Entertainment owns the format rights to Pop Idol, here known as American Idol, and pulls in an estimated $1 billion annually in merchandising, ad sales, sponsorships, etc.” along with a simple personal message,”WOW!”  What is more remarkable: the fact that American Idol is can gross $1B Continue Reading →

Yahoo!, the number two search engine in the US is about to get into the blogging biz in a big way.  On March 29, 2005 the company will introduce a service called Yahoo 360.  Right now, you can configure your MyYahoo to read as many blogs as you wish. This competes with dedicated blog reading Continue Reading →

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The home video arm of the Walt Disney Co. announced it would release movies in the newly-developed UMD format for Sony Corp.’s PlayStation Portable handheld video game and media device.   Buena Vista Home Entertainment said it would release five movies this spring: “National Treasure,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse Continue Reading →

The text of TiVo’s 8-K filing:   On March 15, 2005, we entered into a non-exclusive licensing and marketing agreement with Comcast STB Software DVR, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Comcast Corporation, and Comcast Corporation, as guarantor of Comcast STB’s obligations under the agreement. Pursuant to our agreement, we have agreed to develop a TiVo-branded Continue Reading →

We just shot the pilot episode of our new talk show, Advanced Media Today at Rainbow Media’s 11 Penn Studios in midtown Manhattan. The set was very simple, a golden cyclorama, lit with Emmy gobos and four chairs behind pedestal mounted laptop computers.   The pilot episode came out great!  Many thanks all around, but Continue Reading →

As reported by Ben Berkowitz: SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Microsoft Corp.on Wednesday gave some of the first key details on the next generation of its Xbox video game system, which will include an emphasis on high-definition content, an integrated media browser and “microtransactions” for in-game purchases.   In a speech at the Game Developers Conference Continue Reading →

There are many interesting approaches to digital rights management (DRM).  Almost all of them require the use of a technology to identify a piece of intellectual property (IP) and another piece of technology to recognize its identity.  There are several ways to do this if you have the luxury of encoding the original master with Continue Reading →

This article by Ted Hearn was passed around my group today.  I know there is a consumer advocate in here somewhere …   An array of technology firms, including major computer and TV-set manufacturers, is pressing federal regulators to enforce new set-top-box rules against the cable industry. Cable operators are resisting implementation of a Federal Continue Reading →

One of my favorite PowerPoint slides shows a picture of an iPod with a simple question under it: “Why is the number one personal music device made by a computer company?”  Up to now, the answer was pretty simple — the electronics and intellectual property sides of Sony simply couldn’t get it together.  While they Continue Reading →

On April 2, 2005 XM will increase their monthly subscription fee by 23%.  Their, very matter of fact, letter states that they have made “dramatic improvements” to their channel lineup.  These improvements include 50 new channels, like: ACC, PAC-10, and Big Ten college football and basketball and traffic and weather channels covering 21 markets.  Will Continue Reading →