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COMCAST is drawing heat for allegedly inhibiting access to BitTorrent. The Associated Press claims that the provider “actively interferes” with P2P file-sharing services to reduce network traffic. Comcast denies the claim, saying they do not block access to any sites, applications or services. However a nation-wide test found that Comcast consistently delays connections to the Continue Reading →

BIG MEDIA has formed a coalition to stop pirated material from being released on the web. The group includes Viacom, Disney, Microsoft, CBS, Fox, MySpace, and NBC Universal. These companies have agreed to put “commercially reasonable” content identification systems in place by the end of the year. They issued a 15-point manifesto outlining extensive copyright-protecting Continue Reading →

BEST BUY has stopped selling all analog TV sets and has ordered stores to pull unsold sets from the shelves, ensuring an all-digital holiday season. The mandate is an aggressive and bold move to prepare for the upcoming digital transition. The retailer has committed to selling digital-to-analog convertors and will stock them by early January. Continue Reading →

GOOGLE has unveiled its piracy-fighting service for YouTube, calling it “YouTube Video Identification.” The system requires media companies to submit digital files to Google, who will process them and create a “digital fingerprint.” Videos uploaded by users will be checked against the fingerprint, and rejected if a match is found. The system was developed in-house, Continue Reading →

The 59th Annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards Ceremony will be held on January 7, 2008 at the Venetian Hotel, Las Vegas, NV (the opening night of the CES show). For more information, please contact: Cheryl Daly or visit http://www.emmyonline.tv The nominees for Outstanding Achievement in Advanced Media Technology for Best Use Of Commercial Advertising Continue Reading →

Last week the RIAA won its lawsuit against Jamie Thomas, a Minnesota woman who put 24 songs in her Kazaa shared folder. The judgment, now being appealed, was for $222,000 ($9,250 per song). It’s a big number, and because it’s so big, it is excellent fodder for sensationalists on both sides of the issue. The Continue Reading →

WARNER MUSIC has lost MADONNA from its stable of artists, in a high-profile deal that only adds to the record industry’s woes. Madonna has signed a deal worth $120 million with LIVE NATION, the concert promoter. The arrangement includes rights to three new studio albums, merchandising, and concert tours. The news follows a recent uptick Continue Reading →

GOOGLE will announce a new service that turns the AdSense network into a video distribution tool. Web sites will be allowed to embed ad-supported YouTube content that is contextually relevant to their site, similar to how they currently embed relevant ads. The move will give video creators a distribution channel that extends beyond YouTube.com, as Continue Reading →

Is there finally an interactive television business? We’re about to find out. For years, various companies have attempted to demonstrate that Americans are ready, willing and able to interact with their television programming. Unfortunately, the technological infrastructure for creating a true interactive television experience has never been deployed at scale. So, there has never been Continue Reading →

GOOGLE‘s entry into the mobile phone market will come purely as a software provider, according to the NY Times. The search-giant has been working for two years on a mobile Linux-based operating system, which it will offer to handset makers for free. The company is seeking to extend its advertising dominance into the mobile market, Continue Reading →