Connecting People & Knowledge - Since May 2000
   
Today's Sponsor

        

Future of Digital Production Tour
Experience the future of digital production with the next generation of professional applications from Apple- Final Cut Pro 4, Shake 3, and DVD Studio Pro 2. See how the latest applications and hardware from Apple can be used to create an integrated, high-resolution post-production pipeline. Space is limited.  Register Now


September 23, 2003 -- About Us | Advertise | Events | Publications | Subscribe

Main Stories
o Report: U.S. Consumer Spending on Online Content Up 23% in 2003
o 'Net Radio Stations Unite to Offer Advertising Across Entire Medium
o Vivendi Universal Owns Too Many Businesses, Bronfman Says
o Nintendo, SN Systems Provide Game Developer's Kits to U.K. Universities
o Nokia Strikes European Cell Phone Micropayments Deal with Visa
o AMD Releases New Gamer-Friendly 64-Bit Processor for PCs
o Recommendation Software Firm AgentArts Gets Investment from Nokia


 > DMW Announcements:
 --Future of Television Forum - Agenda, Registration & Call for Speakers
 --DMW Publications
 

o Briefly Noted: SportsLine.com - Amazon.com, Image Entertainment - DVDPlanet, Sony CLIE - PVR accessory, Sonic Solutions - HP, Zagat Survey Music Guide, Nokia - N-Gage developers' contest, New York Times - premium crosswords, Electronic Arts - 3 new titles, Sony Online Entertainment, Acclaim Entertainment, Sega of America, Mumbo Jumbo, ValuSoft, "Shaolin Soccer" - P2P systems - Miramax

 
> Job/Event/Marketplace Classifieds:
 --Streaming Media CA, October 14-16, 2003, Santa Clara CA
 --Vanward Technologies - .NET developer
 --HireStrategy - Forensic Accountant
 --Complimentary Report to Improve Lead Generation
 --Major Account Manager
 --Utilizing Network Diversity for Reliability & Cost Control
 --
Does Your Story Belong in BusWeek, WSJ, or InformationWeek?
 

o Report: U.S. Consumer Spending on Online Content Up 23% in 2003

New York -- Consumer spending for online content in the U.S. grew to $748 million in the first half of 2003, an increase of 23% over the same period last year, according to a study conducted by ComScore Networks on behalf of the Online Publishers Association. The top three categories of online content -- Personals/Dating, Business/Investment and Entertainment/Lifestyles -- accounted for 65% of online content spending in the first half of 2003, up from 61 percent in 2002. U.S. consumers spent $214.3 million on Internet dating in the first half of 2003, up 76% percent from the first two quarters of 2002. The study also found that the share of online users who paid for content in the second quarter grew to 10.9% of the total online universe.
http://www.online-publishers.org 
_____________________________________________

o 'Net Radio Stations Unite to Offer Advertising Across Entire Medium

Chicago -- A consortium of online radio webcasters has banded together to offer an advertising format that can place an ad simultaneously across most Internet radio stations and channels in North America. The "Gigabuy" was organized by Web radio journalist Kurt Hanson and will include webcasters such as AOL, Yahoo, Live365.com, Radio Free Virgin and a host of independents, who plan to offer the advertising opportunity to one major national advertiser this fall. The buyer will receive a radio commercial every two hours for eight weeks on "the vast majority of Internet radio stations and channels in North America," generating an estimated 80 to 100 million impressions. "One single advertiser has never purchased a schedule for every magazine in America or on every television program or every cable channel," said David Goldberg, vice president and general manager, Music at Yahoo. "We believe the purchase of the 'Gigabuy' will be history-making and will net the advertiser significant exposure above and beyond the significant branding power of the buy itself."
http://www.gigabuy.org
_____________________________________________

o Vivendi Universal Owns Too Many Businesses, Bronfman Says

Paris -- According to Vivendi Universal board member Edgar Bronfman Jr., the French media conglomerate's assets are spread across too many unrelated businesses. "It seems to me that after the sale of Vivendi Universal Entertainment (VUE), the diversity of Vivendi's assets constitutes a problem for investors interested in the stock," Bronfman said. "Because the activities belong to too many different industries that don't necessarily have any connection." Bronfman was suspended from the board after launching an unsuccessful bid for VUE. He will return to the board once the sale of VUE to U.S. television network NBC is complete, Bronfman told French newspaper Liberation.
http://www.liberation.com
_____________________________________________

o Nintendo, SN Systems Provide Game Developer's Kits to U.K. Universities

Bristol, England -- Nintendo has teamed with SN Systems, a U.K.-based provider of software development tools for video game consoles, to offer five U.K. universities software and hardware they will use to incorporate Nintendo GameCube game development into their courses. Schools to receive the development kits include the Universities of Hull, Abertay and Northumbria, as well as the Bolton Institute of Higher Education and Liverpool John Moores University. "These students are the future of the games industry and it is essential we invest in their development. Businesses need to work more closely with educational establishments to ensure students have the relevant skills when they graduate," said SN Systems director Andy Beveridge.
http://www.snsys.com/news/22090301.htm  _____________________________________________

o Nokia Strikes European Cell Phone Micropayments Deal with Visa

Helsinki -- Finnish cell phone maker Nokia announced on Tuesday that it has joined forces with Visa EU in a deal that will allow customers to use their phones to make secure card payments. The deal will make use of Nokia's "wallet" application, which enables the user to store personal information -- such as usernames and passwords, Visa payment card details, addresses and personal notes -- on a mobile phone, enabling users to pay for ringtones, games and other content automatically on a Visa account. The two companies plan to demonstrate the application and Verified by Visa at the Mobile Commerce World Europe 2003 event in London, Sept. 23-24, 2003.
http://press.nokia.com/PR/200309/918306_5.html
_____________________________________________

o AMD Releases New Gamer-Friendly 64-Bit Processor for PCs

Sunnyvale, Calif. -- In a move that could give it a leg up on rival chipmaker Intel, AMD on Tuesday launched its new Athlon 64-bit processor for desktop and notebook PCs. Until now, most desktop computers have relied on 32-bit processors, with only servers relying on the faster chip. The company plans to initially target the new chip at scientists, engineers and hard-core gamers. The release is expected to help Athlon move toward profitability following eight straight quarterly losses. Intel currently has no announced plans for releasing its own 64-bit processor.
http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/030922/tech_amd_athlon_7.html
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030922/225264_1.html 
http://www.amd.com
_____________________________________________

o Recommendation Software Firm AgentArts Gets Investment from Nokia

San Francisco -- AgentArts, a provider of entertainment content recommendation and personalization software, announced on Tuesday an undisclosed investment from Innovent, an investment unit of cell phone maker Nokia. San Francisco-based AgentArts' software tracks a user's media preferences and then makes recommendations on other media. "As more and more digital entertainment becomes available to consumers via new services and devices, consumers will increasingly value automated intelligence enabling them to find, manage and access the most valued content," said AgentArts CEO Andrew Coates. The company did not say what its plans are for the new funds.
http://www.agentarts.com  
http://www.nokia.com/nokia/0,,5578,00.html  

Top


Top


> Featured Advertisement:

Top


o Briefly Noted:

(Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) SportsLine.com, an Internet-based sports media company, has announced a revenue-sharing alliance with online retailer Amazon.com. Under the agreement, SportsLine initially will supply about 7,000 different sports-related products to Amazon customers and receive a portion of the revenues after paying Amazon a commission. SportsLine is currently operating online stores for Fleer.com and NCAASports.com.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030922/flm002_1.html 
http://www.sportsline.com

(Chatsworth, Calif.) Image Entertainment, a licensee and distributor of DVD programming in North America, announced on Tuesday that its DVDPlanet unit has sold its assets to Planet Entertainment for $2.5 million in cash. The sale includes the company's DVDPlanet.com consumer movie retail site and Huntington Beach, Calif.-based DVD Planet retail store. "Online retailing of home entertainment programming is becoming increasingly competitive, with many online retailers offering free shipping and steep discounts," said Image Entertainment COO David Borshell.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030923/235301_1.html 
http://www.dvdplanet.com

(San Diego) Sony on Tuesday released an accessory for its CLIE handheld personal digital assistant (PDA) that turns the device into a personal video recorder (PVR). The $300 CLIE PEGA-VR100K video recorder accessory connects to a TV or set-top box and can record up to four hours of video on a 1GB removable Memory Stick. Recorded video may then be viewed on a TV, PC or the CLIE handheld.
http://www.sonystyle.com/clie

(Marin County, Calif.) Sonic Solutions, a developer of audio and video creation software, announced on Tuesday that PC maker HP will include its RecordNow! version 6 CD/DVD data mastering software with all new HP Pavilion, Compaq Presario and HP Media Center desktop PCs the company ships worldwide.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030923/235623_1.html 
http://www.sonic.com

(New York) Zagat Survey, a provider of consumer survey-based leisure guides on restaurants and other topics, announced on Tuesday its first Zagat Survey Music Guide, which polled over 10,000 participants to come up with the 100 Greatest Albums of All Time, and a number of other rankings. The most popular album was voted to be Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run;" the top five also contained three Beatles albums ("Abbey Road," "Sgt. Pepper's," "White Album") and U2's "The Joshua Tree."
http://www.zagat.com

(Helsinki) Cell phone maker Nokia on Tuesday announced a contest for developers across Europe, the U.S. and Canada creating games for its N-Gage hybrid cell phone/handheld gaming device. The ConnectCoder, N-Gage Mobile Game Deck Game Battle 2003 encourages developers to create a connected, social gaming experience, where mobility is a central part of the game. Prizes include 30,000 euros to be divided among the top three entries.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030923/235340_1.html
http://www.forum.nokia.com/games

(New York) The New York Times on Tuesday launched new premium interactive versions of its popular crossword puzzles, featuring multiplayer options and online rankings. Powered by PZZL.com, the new features enable a player to invite up to four other members, via instant message, email or phone, to join an online game room devoted exclusively to their puzzle. The Premium Crosswords service will be offered for an annual fee of $34.95 or else for $5.95 per month.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030923/235501_1.html 
http://www.pzzl.com 
http://www.nytimes.com/crosswords

(Redwood City, Calif.) Electronic Arts, a developer and publisher of video games, announced on Tuesday the release of three new titles: "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004" and "NHL 2004" for PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube and the PC; and "The Sims Double Deluxe" for PC. The golf and hockey titles enable online play through the PlayStation 2. "The Sims Double Deluxe" features the original "The Sims" title, in addition to expansion packs "The Sims Livin' Large" and "The Sims House Party" in one bundle.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030923/235326_1.html 
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030923/235811_1.html
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030923/235403_1.html
http://www.tigerwoods2004.com 
http://www.nhl2004.com 
http://www.thesims.com

(San Diego) Sony Online Entertainment on Tuesday announced the voice talent it has lined up for its "Lords of EverQuest" PC title, due for release in the fall. The company said that actors including John Rhys-Davies, Kate Mulgrew and Katey Sagal will lend their voices for characters in the game. San Diego-based SOE also announced on Tuesday that its EverQuest Fan Faire event will be held in Chicago on Sept. 26-27. The real-world event will gather some of the 450,000 registered players of the multiplayer online game together for various festivities.
http://www.sonyonline.com 
http://everquest.station.sony.com/fanfaire/index.jsp

(Glen Cove, N.Y.) Video game developer Acclaim Entertainment on Tuesday released its "NBA Jam" title for PlayStation 2 and Xbox, based on the classic arcade title, to North American retailers. Developed by Acclaim Studios Austin, the game features online components available through Xbox Live, as well as a soundtrack compiled by legendary funk musician Bootsy Collins.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030923/nytu063_1.html 
http://www.acclaim.com 
http://www.nbajam.com

(San Francisco) Game developer Sega of America on Tuesday released its "Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg" title for Nintendo GameCube into retail stores. The game was designed by Yuji Naka and Sonicteam, the same group within Sega responsible for creating the company's flagship "Sonic the Hedgehog" game franchise.
http://www.sega.com

(Dallas) Mumbo Jumbo, a video game development unit of United Developers, announced on Tuesday plans to release "Activision Anthology: Remix Edition," a PC game compilation of over 75 classic Atari 2600 titles. The title, which goes on sale next month, will also offer an 80's soundtrack featuring artists like Flock of Seagulls, Billy Ocean and the Alan Parsons Project.
http://www.mumbojumbo.com

(Minneapolis) ValuSoft, the value-priced PC game publishing unit of developer THQ, announced on Tuesday the release of its "18 Wheels of Steel: Across America." The franchise has sold over 500,000 units to date, according to data from NPD Techworld.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030923/235090_1.html 
http://www.valusoft.com

(San Francisco) Wired News on Tuesday reported on the surprising popularity of "Shaolin Soccer," a Hong Kong film about soccer-playing monks, which ranked in the top 10 most downloaded movies across peer-to-peer file-sharing systems, as reported by anti-piracy firm BayTSP. "There's been a lot of frustration with these cult fans about Miramax limiting the ability for this film to be widely released in the U.S.," Kung Fu Cinema website founder Mark Pollard told Wired News. "If [Shaolin Soccer] is No. 10, there is obviously a serious missed opportunity that [Miramax] should be taking advantage of."
http://www.wired.com/news/digiwood/0,1412,60511,00.html
http://www.baytsp.com 
http://miramax.com/shaolin_soccer/index.html

Top


> Classifieds:

> Streaming Media CA, October 14-16, 2003, Santa Clara CA

This October top business leaders from all over the world will gather at Streaming Media CA to learn about and explore the latest trends, products, and services in streaming and digital media technologies. This cutting-edge event features an intensive, 4-day conference program with industry leading keynotes and the brightest minds in the business. Don't miss out! For more information, or to register, go to: http://www.streamingmedia.com/CA

____________________

> Vanward Technologies - .NET developer

 Northern VA We seek confident, self-starters who have solid industry experience with the .NET framework (C#, VB.NET, ASP.NET, ADO.NET, etc). Strong OO skills, familiarity with testing frameworks (JUnit, NUnit, various xUnits), Test Driven Development, Aspect Oriented programming, and Iterative Software Development are a must. US Citizenship is required. Send resumes to dotnet-techwire@vanwardtechnologies.com

____________________

> HireStrategy - Forensic Accountant

Primary responsibility is to develop a new screening tool used to identify companies with aggressive accounting practices and an in-depth analysis of financial statements. Candidates must have a CPA, Master's in accounting, a minimum of five years public accounting experience at the senior level, and experience drafting financial statements and related footnotes. Qualified candidates must also have the ability to analyze, interpret, summarize and present complex financial and business-related issues. If interested please email resume to mmolinas@hirestrategy.com  or visit http://www.hirestrategy.com/quicklinks/hire133.asp

 ____________________

> Complimentary Report to Exponentially Improve Your Lead Generation ROI

See how to optimize the odds of achieving breakthrough lead generation outcomes while minimizing downside risk. It's called Optimarketing (R), a hybrid of unconventional creative and sophisticated direct marketing. It's resulted in dozens of record-breaking campaigns - and it's only available at Passaic Parc. Get our report, "Dare To Be An Optimarketer" Send inquiries to rrosenthal@passaicparc.com  Visit http://www.passaicparc.com/techwire

____________________

> Major Account Manager

Industry leader is seeking candidates for consultative sales of conferencing and multimedia communications to federal or commercial clients. Candidates must have proven and consistent sales success with excellent presentation skills. Technical experience with conferencing or network/data products a plus. Send resumes to bfleig@vsgi.com  Visit http://www.vsgi.com

____________________ 

> Utilizing Network Diversity for Reliability and Cost Control

Companies today can incur substantial business costs and customer dissatisfaction from unexpected network downtime. This technical seminar presents networking strategies to increase your company's overall IP performance and reliability without increasing your IT budget. Attendees: Vice Presidents, Directors, or Managers in IT, Engineering, Web Ops. Send inquiries to EnterpriseInternet@equinix.com  Visit http://www.equinix.com/resources/events/

 __________________


> Does Your Story Belong in BusWeek, WSJ, or InformationWeek?

Or all (or none) of the above? Find out from someone who has been there, done that. Since 1991, Ed Bride's clients have achieved visibility in these and other trade and business media, and he can do the same for your company. With over 30 years' experience in editorial management (Computerworld, Software Magazine), corporate PR (HP) and independent consulting, Ed has managed and/or executed all facets of media relations. Call 413-442-7718 or write for a resume and list of engagements. Send inquiries to Ed@edbride-pr.com


Top


About Us
Digital Media Wire, Inc. is a news organization, publisher and events company serving the digital media industry since May 2000. Our daily newsletter delivers original briefings on business, legal and financial developments shaping digital media and read by over 30,000 executives and professionals. To subscribe for free, please click here.

Digital Media Wire, Inc. is part of the Tech Wire Media Group, an international network of publications that includes Digital Media Law Report, Potomac Tech Wire, New England Tech Wire, Southeast Tech Wire, Bay Area Tech Wire, Tri-state Tech Wire and European Tech Wire. The network reaches more than 70,000 individuals from over 70 countries each business day.

Advertising & Sponsorship
Publications, Events & Information


Executive & Editorial Team
Chief Executive Officer: Ned Sherman
VP, Marketing & Events: Tinzar Than
Editor: Mark Hefflinger

Contact Us
Questions, Comments & Suggestions
News Tips & Press Releases

Unsubscribe

Top


Copyright 2003 Digital Media Wire, Inc. All Rights Reserved.