iOS

APPLE wants to slash the price of TV show downloads in half, according to a new report in Variety. The company has been presenting studios with the idea of selling shows for $0.99 per episode, telling them that increased volume will make up for the price drop. However, the studios are concerned that such low-priced Continue Reading →

APPLE unveiled an all new lineup of iPods yesterday – including revamped shuffles and a new, squarish Nano. The company also released the iPod Touch, which is essentially a phone-less iPhone with WiFi, and announced an unexpected, massive $200 price cut for the iPhone. The iPhone and iPod Touch will be able to purchase songs Continue Reading →

APPLE kicked off the holiday weekend by issuing a press release saying it would not sell new NBC shows for the upcoming season. NBCU previously said it would withdraw from iTunes in December. Apple’s release says it will not raise prices to meet NBCU demands, and refuses to sell half a season’s worth of episodes, Continue Reading →

SPRINT NEXTEL has chosen SAMSUNG to provide the infrastructure for its WiMax service in New York. Samsung is also providing the infrastructure in Washington D.C., Boston, and other cities. The service, called Xohm, is expected to launch in Washington D.C. in April 2008, and will follow in NY towards the end of next year. AKAMAI Continue Reading →

THE MAJOR NETWORKS are embracing online video more than ever to help launch their new fall lineups. NBC is out in front with the most aggressive move: offering full downloads of season premieres via Amazon.com and the iTunes Store. The episodes will also be available through VOD on almost 30 cable and satellite systems, and Continue Reading →

 CABLELABS has approved a new technical standard for IP video, in conjunction with major movie studios and consumer-electronics makers. It brings together Paramount, Sony Pictures, Walt Disney, Warner Brothers, Hitachi, Intel, Panasonic, and Toshiba. The specification will allow set-top boxes and other devices to transfer cable signals throughout home networks, and should spur growth Continue Reading →

YAHOO is seeing positive results from its new SmartAds, which were introduced to travel-industry advertisers last month. SmartAds utilize consumer data to personalize ads on the fly, changing design and content to fit a specific user’s preference. In a test of the technology, Yahoo found that consumers clicked on SmartAds up to three times more Continue Reading →

THE TELEVISION BUREAU OF ADVERTISING announced that ePort is set to launch this November. ePort is the open-standard electronic exchange for buyers and sellers of TV spots, supported by CBS Television Stations, E.W. Scripps, Gannett Broadcasting, NBCU Stations, and several other broadcasters. The full suite of online transactions will be available in March 2008. FACEBOOK Continue Reading →

VIDMETRIX has launched its own multi-site video uploader. The tool will allow video publishers to automatically distribute their content to seven video-sharing sites: YouTube, MySpace, Metacafe, Google, Yahoo, Revver, and Veoh. Tubemogul, which announced a multi-site uploader last week, is adding 3 new distribution sites to its service today, bringing its total reach to 9 Continue Reading →

AOL will purchase TACODA, the online behavioral-targeting ad firm. Tacoda serves ads to 4,000 websites, reaching approximately 125 Million people. AOL is reportedly paying between $200 million and $300 million for the acquisition. CROWN CASTLE has pulled the plug on Modeo, its DVB-H mobile TV service. Modeo began trials earlier this year in New York, Continue Reading →