Techno-politics

NBC has launched NBC Direct, a service that allows consumers to download NBC content. Users can subscribe to shows and have them automatically download when new episodes become available. However, they must watch them within 48 hours of downloading. NBC Direct has some other major drawbacks: it requires a proprietary player, Windows Media 10 and Continue Reading →

FACEBOOK officially unveiled a multi-faceted ad system that taps into user referrals and exploits the site’s “social graph.” The system allows brands to establish company profiles on the network. When a user interacts with a company page, the activity (and a display ad) will be reported virally to that user’s network via news feeds. Beacon Continue Reading →

JEFF BEWKES will replace Richard Parsons as the CEO of Time Warner, effective January 1st. The move comes after months of speculation about Parsons’ future at the company and pressure from Wall Street due to a sagging stock price. Parsons will remain Chairman of Time Warner and said that Bewkes has his “full support” as Continue Reading →

THE WRITERS GUILD contract expired this morning and no new agreement has been signed. A strike could be ordered at anytime. Last night, in last-minute meetings, the companies and producers told the WGA to withdraw its demand for higher residuals from DVD sales. WGA negotiators rejected the order and halted the negotiations. The Guild has Continue Reading →

GOOGLE will announce plans for Google-powered phones within the next two weeks according to The Wall Street Journal. The company has been approaching handset makers and aims to bring the phones to market by mid-2008. Google will offer an open operating system that encourages developers to create innovative new applications for phones and aims to 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 →

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 →

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 →

MICROSOFT is expected to make several major online video announcements today, at DigitalLife in New York. The company is rumored to be adding fullscreen, ad-supported video content to Windows Media Center. Content will include Fox Sports videos, full-length music concerts, and individual shows such as the popular Arrested Development. Ads will be served by YuMe Continue Reading →