Media & Entertainment

Two weeks ago, I suggested that there might be a need for an invitation-only, highly curated, viciously monitored social network with subject matter restricted to business, tech, culture, and innovation. The response has been overwhelming, and it has taken me all week to sort through your thoughtful submissions. Continue Reading →

In response to the cancellation of Mobile World Congress, we took a poll about your willingness to join a tech-focused, monitored, social network with subject matter restricted to tech, culture, and innovation. The number of respondents was overwhelming and the results were decisive. Over 90 percent of you said you would join. So let’s get started. Continue Reading →

The coronavirus claimed Mobile World Congress (MWC) -- the world's biggest mobile phone trade event -- as a victim. I have spoken with several infectious disease specialists in the past few days to try to understand what is going on. Continue Reading →

Can you sign an AI to a recording contract? Should you? How about hiring an AI recording engineer? Is its work Grammy-eligible? Shelly and Ross talk about the Grammys and how AI-models are starting to impact the music we hear. Ross’s son Theo shows off his cello chops and we chat about talking Teslas. Continue Reading →

Stats in a new report from Blockthrough suggest that more than 750 million devices (mobile and computer) were running ad blockers in Q4 2019. The increase is pegged at roughly 64% over the past three years. Continue Reading →

If your business objective is awareness, the next time you are thinking about ditching TV, radio, or other broad reach (wasteful) advertising opportunities for a tightly targeted “addressable” campaign with “no waste,” consider the network effect. It is a powerful, valuable force multiplier. Continue Reading →

If data-driven storytelling were only about data, then every original show on Netflix or Prime Video should be a smash hit. But Netflix, Prime Video, and every other original production done by the “data rich” tech organizations have about the same production-to-hit ratio as professionally programmed old-fashioned, “data poor” networks. How can this be? Shouldn’t the data-driven programmers be better at predicting what stories will best fit an audience? What actor or actress will resonate? What music will work better? What story arc? Or at least knowing what an audience might be more likely to want? Continue Reading →

At one of the pre-Grammy parties I attended, I was asked about controversy surrounding the way the Recording Academy (the organization that produces the Grammys) categorizes music for the show. This led to some very interesting questions: Who (or what) will be eligible to win a Grammy in 2030? What will the categories evolve into? Will music need to be recorded at all? Continue Reading →

Over the past couple of weeks, Google has made some unsubtle changes to its search results pages. To say that the line between paid ads and organic search results has been blurred is to understate in the extreme. Continue Reading →

Google and Verizon just teamed up to give gamers the deal of a lifetime. (Sort of.) Continue Reading →