Month: September 2004

Disney Puts the Brakes on MovieBeam

Disney has decided not to expand their MovieBeam service into new markets until at least 2005. The service, launched a year ago, uses a set-top-box to download films via broadcast TV signals. The box can hold up to 100 films, which viewers can then rent for US$1.99 to US$3.99 (€1.64 to €3.28). Subscribers then watch the content on their televisions, and can control the film as if they were watching a DVD, by pausing and fast forwarding or rewinding sections. Films are updated on the box regularly, without user intervention.

The lack of expansion is not because the service has been unpopular – instead, Disney say that the service has been successful, and has attracted interest from companies interesting in partnering with them.

MovieBeam is currently only available in the Salt Lake City, Utah; Spokane, Washington; and Jacksonville, Florida areas, and Disney had intended to launch the service in three more markets by the end of the year. However, the company is now in discussions with technology and electronics companies on how best to take the service national in the USA in 2005 or early 2005.

MovieBeam customers are due for a remote upgrade to their service in October this year, with improvements to the user interface and new content such as short films and current trailers.

Info source: Stefanie Olsen, CNet and Disney

MovieBeam

First 3G Betting Service is Balls

3, the 3G mobile network provider and Ladbrokes have launched what they claim is the first 3G video mobile betting service.

The service is called Balls!, and it’s a numbers draw game (like the Lottery, I suppose, but repeated every minute, and with less holding up of the queue in my local newsagents) – it’s apparently one of the most popular products on Ladbrokes.com. The company have ported the Flash-based game over to 3rd generation mobile networks, allowing punters to bet up to 1,440 times a day. Recent jackpots for the web game have been UK£54,000 and UK£94,000 (€79,580 to €138,538). Stats are available on which numbers come out most often, for those of you deluded enough to think that makes a difference.

Bob Fuller, Chief Executive of 3 commented: “3 leads the video mobile market with an unrivalled portfolio of content and Ladbrokes Balls! on 3 is yet another first for the UK’s leading 3G network. We are setting the agenda for 3G and are constantly challenging the UK market place with our range of innovative products and faster, better mobile services. With over 1.2 million customers in the UK, the potential for these types of services on 3 is very exciting.”

David Briggs, Commercial Director, Ladbrokes e-Gaming said: “We’re delighted to be working with 3. Ladbrokes Balls! is a game that lends itself well to the immediacy of video mobile. Balls! is already the most popular game on Ladbrokes.com and we expect the service to be equally as popular on 3’s video mobiles.”

Ladbrokes – NB Digital Lifestyles are not responsible if you’re daft enough to blow your lunch money on a gambling site

SCO Caps Legal Costs in Linux Fight

In an attempt to reassure shareholders and limit runaway legal costs, SCO has announced that it is restructuring its arrangement with Boies, Schiller & Flexner, the company’s legal firm. SCO is currently in a protracted battle with the IBM and the Linux community over claims that it owns sections of the Linux kernel source code, and claims that the GNU Public License is invalid.

SCO has now agreed to pay BSF US$31 million (€25.5 million) for the entire legal case, but but they will now receive a higher proportion of any settlement fee if SCO win the case. BSF now are now looking to get up to 30% of any damages awarded to SCO.

With things not looking too bright for the UNIX provider, 30% of nothing may not make BSF very happy. Recent developments in the case with IBM have seen SCO’s evidence based on sections of the Linux kernel code dismissed. They have even been accused for manipulating their source code to make it look more like Linux kernel by omitting lines. Some of the code put forward as evidence does not even appear in the kernel, is public domain, or is exempt because of compatibility standards.

SCO has cash and securities amounting to about US$43 million (€35.35), so even if they lose they’ll have US$12 million (€9.87) in the bank. Legal costs for SCO have been becoming increasingly expensive of late – last quarter’s bill came to US$7.3 million (€6 million), contrasted with the US$15 million (€12.33 million) the company spent in the five quarters previously.SCO’s president and CEO, Darl McBride, is still upbeat about his company’s future: “Several positive developments fell into place for us this quarter that strengthened the Company’s overall position. We successfully delivered on our strategy to restore profitability within our UNIX business which is generating positive cash flow. At the same time, we saw a nice uplift from SCOsource licensing revenue. In addition, we closed the BayStar transaction and as announced today, we implemented a Shareholder Rights Plan that will help protect the Company from any potential undervalued takeover attempt. Finally, we are pleased to have entered into a letter of intent with Boies, Schiller & Flexner that not only demonstrates their belief in SCO’s legal case but will also provide SCO with greater financial flexibility. We remain steadfastly committed to enforcing our intellectual property rights on behalf of our customers, employees and shareholders. Through the combination of the quarter’s positive developments and our current cash position, we are well-positioned to pursue our current litigation through its conclusion.”

SCO

Slashdot debates SCO’s case

Trymedia Expands Presence in Europe

Krone and Aon.at have joined Trymedia’s distibution network of downloadable games, with 4,200 affiliates offering over 650 titles.

The two companies join AOL UK, which is providing its members with instant access to hundreds of major game titles for purchase and download from a co-branded site on the AOL UK service. AOL UK is the first major UK ISP to offer Trymedia’s complete catalogue of downloads to users.

Trymedia’s partners include Atari, Activision Value and Team 17, along with many others. Titles available from the Trygames site include bestsellers like Prince of Persia, Driver and Temple of Elemental Evil.

Broadband adoption now means that a 550 mb download for a game is no longer unthinakble – just ask all the gamers who have eagerly downloaded Half-Life 2 from Steam in the past week or so. Industry analysts are predicting that the market for downloadable games will pass US$270 million (€220 million) in 2009.

“You don’t need to be a games-focused website to generate revenue from downloadable games,” said Gabe Zichermann, Trymedia’s VP of Strategy and Communications. “As clearly demonstrated by the strong growth of Trymedia’s distribution channel and its revenues, we believe that all Internet destinations can benefit from adding an outsourced games channel that delivers increased visitors, retention, stickiness and direct revenues.”

Games distributed via Trymedia’s technologies are protected by the ActiveMARK content protection system. The DRM system allows consumers to make back up copies of games and even play them on multiple computers. They are even allowed to give copies to others – though the copy then reverts to free trial mode, giving an incentive for the recipient to register and pay for the copy.

Trymedia’s products and services

Trymedia games

UPDATED: Downloaded Music Chart on Radio 1, 1st September

The Official Download Chart premiers on Radio 1 tonight, on the Scott Mills show. The chart is compiled from data provided by stores based on the Loudeye service, plus iTunes and Napster and a number of smaller online music sites.

The Official Chart will be focussing on downloaded, paid music rather than tracks streamed to customers, and further details have emerged regarding the rules of the chart. Tracks must cost a minimum of UK£0.40 (€0.60) and mustn’t be more than ten minutes long. Many tracks that are longer than 8 mins on services like iTunes are labelled “Album Only”, so this may be less of an issue. Tracks which have no physical format are included in the chart, so this will lead to interesting divisions between the traditional chart and online services issuing exclusives.

Rules on incentives (bundling something free with a single to prompt people to buy it) are as tough as with the standard charts, but retailers and labels are allowed to stream one video alongside the down load, and provide images and textual information about artists.

Sorry – just been out in the garden, burying my radio. I’ve discovered that today is “Cure” day on Radio 6, and I didn’t want to take any chances. People have been known to fall over and switch radios on by mistake, you know.

As promised, an update to the Official Download Chart. In the top ten, there was only one track in common between the single chart and download chart, “Dry Your Eyes”.

1 ‘Flying Without Wings’ – Westlife

2 ‘Blazin Day’ – Blazin Squad

3 ‘She Will Be Loved’ – Maroon 5

4 ‘Lola’s Theme’ – Shapeshifters

5 ‘American Idiot’ – Green Day

6 ‘This Love’ – Maroon 5

7 ‘Dry Your Eyes’ – Streets

8 ‘Bedshaped’ – Keane

9 ‘Laura’ – Scissor Sisters

10 ‘Apocalypse Please’ – Muse

The Official Chart

Cellular Cinema

Zoie Films, a company who support and promote independent films and film makers have launched the world’s first film festival for mobile phones. The festival will be held every December and is intended to showcase content and technology and will be screened via Tin Can Mobile to Nokia handsets. More than a hundred independent film makers are expected to submit work showing exactly what can be achieved on a 2” TFT.

Films must be at least one minute long, but under five minutes and can be submitted on a number of formats including MPEG, WMV or VHS. Entry fees are between US$35 and US$45 (€28.77 to €37).

Winners will be screened at zoiefilms.com and via Tin Can Mobile, and prizes include a week at a golf resort spa in the Phillipines.

Zoie Films