HTC One

TNS MEDIA RESEARCH will begin receiving data from 100,000 DirecTV set-top boxes to analyze viewing patterns as part of a new service called TNS DirecTView. Households will be asked to join the service, which will record demographic data but be stripped of names and other identifying information. The new service will offer second-by-second ratings similar Continue Reading →

NBC has decided to use reruns from USA Network and internationally-produced shows to help fill the void created by the writers strike. The network will air the “Monk” and “Psych” reruns on Sunday during prime-time. According to Ben Silverman, two shows are currently being produced for NBC outside the US using foreign writers not bound Continue Reading →

KEVIN MARTIN conceded defeat yesterday for his suggestion that the 70/70 rule is in effect. He withdrew a report that contained the 70/70 claim as justification for further cable regulation and will re-submit his proposal without it in the coming months. Martin’s plan to lower channel lease fees for independent networks was passed and will Continue Reading →

FACEBOOK is the focus of a heated bidding war between MICROSOFT and GOOGLE. The two companies are competing for less than 10% of the social networking site and a deal could be announced within the next 48 hours. Google is reportedly driving the price very high in an attempt to outbid Microsoft. The winning bidder 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 →

AMAZON is now going head-to-head with iTunes. The company launched its digital music store yesterday, offering 2.3 million tracks. Songs cost as little as 89 cents, come at a high bitrate, and not one of them is crippled by DRM. As a result, they work with almost any device on the market. Universal and EMI, Continue Reading →

CRISPIN PORTER + BOGUSKY has signed up for StopWatch, TIVO‘s second-by-second viewer data service. The company will use the data to evaluate viewer reactions to its ads, which could influence future creative decisions. TiVo’s StopWatch releases a daily sampling of the data from 20,000 TiVo boxes. Starcom, Interpublic and a handful of other companies already Continue Reading →

Adobe, maker of the Flash Media Server and its associated ubiquitous player, has announced that it will support the H.264 format. I know what you’re thinking — I lost you at “H.” I mean, seriously, could there be a more geek-centric thing to write about? Stay with me, that’s all the tech we’re going to Continue Reading →