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, as well as create a satisfying mobile experience for its many Internet services. The free software will compete directly with Microsoft Windows Mobile. Google-based phones are expected to be released sometime next year.
THE FCC will conduct more testing on mobile wireless devices that operate on the “white space” between TV station signals. Microsoft and other device-makers have been pushing the Commission for free, unlicensed access to the spectrum, while The NAB has strongly opposed the move, saying it will cause interference with digital TV signals. The FCC had previously rejected a device created by Microsoft. Chairman Kevin Martin said additional testing will be conducted on new devices that had been offered, and invited tech and broadcasting companies to view the tests firsthand.
PROM QUEEN, the Michael Eisner-backed Internet TV show, will see a second life on foreign TV. Vuguru, the show’s studio, will create localized versions of Prom Queen for French and Japanese television. The company is in talks to reach other foreign markets as well, adapting the show for each one. Eisner said that “Each individual country will have their own model.”
MSNBC has acquired NEWSVINE, a social-networking news site. Newsvine has one million monthly visitors, who come to share links to major news stories and submit their own opinions on events. The site will remain separate from MSNBC.com. However, MSNBC.com will incorporate some of its social-networking aspects, and offer it more links to MSNBC content.
TOYOTA will announce a unique new advertising initiative today. The company has created a branded video game for the Xbox platform, which it will release as a free download on the Xbox Live service in the US and Canada. The game features a Toyota Yaris that players can drive around the screen, shooting enemies and dodging fireballs. The idea for the game came from Toyota’s advertising agency, Saatchi & Saatchi LA.