TiVo Offers Direct Movie Downloads
TiVo on Tuesday bolstered its movie and television show download offering with Amazon by adding the ability to order programs directly from the set-top box. Previously, customers had to use their computer to make the purchase on Amazon, which would begin the download process.
Amazon Unbox, as the service is called, offers both purchases and rentals with prices starting at $3.99 USD. The company also offers a selection of 99-cent movie rentals on the weekends. Even with the on-TiVo ordering, however, the video will not be instantly viewable as it still needs to download. Apple is expected to add similar purchasing functionality through iTUnes to its Apple TV device sometime in the future.
iPhone Owners, Check Your Bill
Owners of Apple's iPhone are beginning to receive their first monthly bill from AT&T since the new purchase and are discovering a number of mistakes on the wireless carrier's part. Most notably, AT&T is not removing prior data plans, charging users $20 for the iPhone data, as well as up to $50 for their previous package.
Although Apple pulled off what many characterized as the biggest product launch of the decade without a hitch, things have not gone so smoothly on AT&T's side. Limited stock, activation delays and now double billing surely won't help reassure those who have switched, or are looking to switch, to the carrier. BetaNews calls to AT&T customer service went unanswered, as the company only has support staff working 7am to 9pm during the week and no one to help at all on Sunday.
AOL Top Web Site Under New Ranking
Nielsen/NetRatings plans to drop its old methods of counting pageviews to gauge Web site popularity, instead opting for a system where it would measure how long a user stays on a site.
With the changing scope of Web content, the old methods are quickly becoming less relevant. More important to advertisers and investors may be how long a user spends on a site, Nielsen seems to believe.
Microsoft Updates Windows for Robots
Microsoft said Monday that it had released a improved version of its Robotics Studio platform, adding support for Windows Embedded CE 6.0 and Windows Mobile, as well as programming improvements.
The Redmond company introduced its robotics platform in December of last year, while also announcing that it would support RoboCup 2007, a project that aims to build a team of humanoid robots that would be able to defeat the world champion soccer team by 2050.
Last.fm Signs Deal with Sony BMG
The reasoning behind Web radio service Last.fm's refusal to take part in the webcasters' "day of silence" protest of exorbitant royalty fees that take effect this month became clear Monday, as the company announced a licensing deal with Sony BMG.
Under the deal, Last.fm listeners will have access to Sony's entire music catalog; financial terms were not disclosed. The label said the service's recommendation and tracking features are what enticed them to the bargaining table. Last.fm, which is now owned by CBS and based in London, says its music library is now the largest of any Web radio provider, including rival Pandora.
Microsoft to Sponsor Free Zune Concerts
Microsoft said Monday that it is sponsoring a series of free concerts over the next month to help promote its Zune music player. Called Zune Live at the BBQ, the tour features several hip-hop acts and starts in Los Angeles on July 12. Other dates are currently planned for Chicago on July 22, and New York City on August 4. Viral invitations will be sent to fans.
Confirmed artists include Common, Mos Def, Bilal, Collie Budz, E-40, and Cham, among others. Microsoft said additional acts were still being confirmed and it planned to have a few surprise acts. "It's a way to show our appreciation to the hip-hop community for its support of the Zune brand and to bring the music to life for fans," Zune marketing chief Chris Stephenson said.
Sprint Cancels Soldiers' Cell Phones
Sprint's move to cancel problem accounts is wider than initially thought, and apparently also aimed at those who may roam too frequently. However, some are crying foul over these latest moves.
The struggling carrier was exposed last week for attempting to get rid of accounts that it claimed were calling its customer service lines too frequently. An undisclosed number of customers were told their service will be cancelled on July 30.
Real Adds Lyrics to Rhapsody
Following in the footsteps of Yahoo, RealNetworks on Monday added searchable lyrics to Rhapsody Online, the Web-based version of the company's subscription music service. Customers can view legal lyrics and listen to songs for free on demand.
The addition was possible thanks to an agreement with LyricFind, which has forged deals with major music labels to license song lyrics. Real also says it has indexed its new lyrics database so search engines can pick it up and drive more traffic to Rhapsody; lyric searches are incredibly popular on the Web. Yahoo launched the first legal lyrics site in late April through a partnership with Gracenote, which has licensed the content like LyricFind.
Intel Takes Minority Stake in VMware
Showing just how hot the virtualization market has become, Intel has taken a minority stake in VMware, now owned by enterprise storage company EMC. Intel is investing $218.5 million for 2.5 percent of all outstanding VMware common stock, and will gain control of one board seat. EMC paid $635 million for VMware in late 2003.
VMware, which is facing increased competition from Microsoft and newcomer Parallels, stands to gain a great deal from Intel's investment. The company will now have closer ties to the hardware its software virtualizes, although it must be careful not to cross any antitrust boundaries and US government approval will be required. For Intel, the deal is also a windfall: it is paying $23 per share, and VMware is preparing to go public for at least that much.
iRiver to Produce Rhapsody-Enabled Clix
RealNetworks has found another manufacturing partner to distribute devices that are compatible with its Rhapsody service, announcing Monday that iRiver would produce a new clix Rhapsody model.
The second-generation of the innovative device would support Rhapsody DNA, Real's own digital rights management solution. iRiver's previous clix model was a Windows Media-based device.
Google Acquires Postini for $625 Million
Google has agreed to acquire e-mail security firm Postini in a $625 million deal, the two companies said Monday. The agreement would further Google's push into the enterprise market.
Postini has about 35,000 clients and about 10 million users worldwide. Among the services offered to enterprise clients are anti-spam, archiving, encryption and policy enforcement to protect digital communications.
Live Earth Breaks Streaming Records
Microsoft's MSN division said over the weekend that its online simulcast of Live Earth had broken all previous records for online events with over 10 million streams served, surpassing the previous record held by AOL's Live 8 coverage in 2005.
That number is expected to increase as viewers come back and watch highlights of the concerts over the next several weeks on MSN's Live Earth Web site. Videos of the performances from about 100 artists will be included along with interviews, photos, and community features on the site, remaining available for "several weeks," MSN said.
Sony Drops PS3 Price by $100
Despite comments to the contrary from the company president just a week ago, Sony on Monday cut the price of the 60GB PlayStation 3 by $100, while also introducing the 80GB version to North American consumers.
The announcement comes days before the annual E3 gaming event in Los Angeles, where competitor Microsoft may announce its own price cuts in response to Sony's moves. Nintendo, meanwhile, is widely expected to leave its own pricing untouched.
Beta Test Symantec's 2008 Products
Symantec is looking for beta testers for two of its newest products, Norton Internet Security 2008 and Norton AntiVirus 2008. Both are slated to ship later this year, but the company has opened up the beta process to iron out the bugs before its final release. One of the major new features included in both applications is SONAR, which stands for Symantec Online Network for Advanced Response.
SONAR adds behavior-based protection to Symantec's applications in order to detect emerging spyware and viruses even before they are included in traditional signature-based definition files. The new versions of the company's software should also provide performance enhancements and make installation over a home network easier. Those interested in trying out the products can visit the Symantec Beta Web site.
AMD Invests in Struggling Transmeta
AMD said Friday that it would invest $7.5 million in Transmeta in order to support its work in developing efficiency technology for microprocessors. In turn for cash infusion, AMD would receive preferred stock in the company. The move continues Transmeta's transition away from producing chips to a licenser of chip technology that it develops.
The deal also has a indirect connection to AMD's chief rival Intel. The larger chipmaker and Transmeta are currently involved in a patent dispute over energy efficiency technology. AMD is currently fighting a antitrust lawsuit against Intel as well. AMD may be hoping that aligning itself with Transmeta could end up helping it to compete better with its rival, although the eventual decision in the patent case may impact those plans.
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