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Past Editions

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DIGITAL MEDIA WIRE -- January 2, 2001
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To Subscribe For Free: http://www.digitalmediawire.com

o Intel Enters Digital Audio Market With 128 MB MP3 Player
o Wireless Video Software Developer ActiveSky Raises $21.8 Million
o Napster Files Trademark Lawsuit Against Online Clothing Store
o Videolocity Acquires Video-On-Demand Developer 5th Digit
o Webnoize: German Indie Record Label To Join Bertelsmann-Napster Service
> Digital Media Wire Networking Event: Future of Music Policy Summit
o Briefly Noted: First International Digital - Song Dog Network,
Concurrent Computer Corporation - Time Warner, Convera - FoxSports.com,
eSynch - Viosport, Digital Island - NaviSite, "3G"
_____________________________________________

> Job Postings: Technology Manager, SW & FPGA Engineers, Sales Rep., PR Professionals

> Events: Master the Technology, Potomac Tech Wire Seminar Series, iHollywood Forum

Full Job/Event descriptions listed below "Briefly Noted" section or at
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/postings.html

To Post a Job: http://www.digitalmediawire.com/jobs.html
To Post an Event: http://www.digitalmediawire.com/events.html
_____________________________________________

o Intel Enters Digital Audio Market With 128 MB MP3 Player

Hillsboro, Ore. -- Computer chipmaker Intel announced on Tuesday the
release of its first portable digital music player, capable of holding 128
MB on its flash memory card -- the equivalent of about four hours worth of
digital music. Intel will officially announce the product, scheduled to be
released to consumers in February, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES)
in Las Vegas this week. The $299 player will compete with similar products
from Compaq, Creative Labs, Rio, Philips and others, which hold only 32 or
64 MB of music. An optional accessory kit includes a car adapter and a
docking station to connect the player to users' home stereos. The Wall
Street Journal reported that Intel plans to announce the release of two
other Internet appliances at CES -- a wireless web-surfing device called a
WebTablet, and an email and instant messaging device called the ChatPad.
The article noted that some analysts believe Intel's ventures outside the
chipmaking market will dilute its brand. "They are getting into a domain
they don't have a lot of experience in -- right at a time when they aren't
even doing well in their core business," said George Day, a professor of
marketing at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business.
http://www.intel.com/home/audio/
_____________________________________________

o Wireless Video Software Developer ActiveSky Raises $21.8 Million

Redwood City, Calif. -- ActiveSky, a developer of software that enables
video distribution over wireless networks, announced that it has raised
$21.8 million in its second round of venture capital financing. JK&B
Capital led the investment round; Star Ventures, Comverse, Innovation
Capital, Sumitomo, PacRim Venture Partners and Waypoint Ventures also
contributed. Redwood City-based ActiveSky develops visual media player
software that can encode, distribute, stream and playback video and
animation content sent over wireless networks to cell phones and other
wireless devices. The company recently announced a partnership with
wireless device manufacturer Handspring to include its software in the
company's handheld Visor devices.
http://www.activesky.com/pr/press001228.html
_____________________________________________

o Napster Files Trademark Lawsuit Against Online Clothing Store

Redwood City, Calif. -- Napster, Inc. has filed a trademark infringement
lawsuit against Sports Service, Inc., a clothing retailer that operates
Napsterstore.com, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. The site
sells what it calls "official" Napster paraphernalia including T-shirts
and hats featuring the Napster logo. Napsterstore.com's design even
resembles the look of Napster's homepage and file-sharing program. Napster
encountered a similar situation when it asked rock band The Offspring to stop selling bootlegged Napster gear on its website. A spokeswoman for
Redwood City-based Napster confirmed the lawsuit against Sport Service,
but would not elaborate. Sport Service creates custom T-shirts and other
products for several automotive and racing-related companies, including
NHRA drag racing and Mopar, but does not list Napster among its corporate
partners on its website.
http://www.napsterstore.com
http://www.sportserviceinc.com
_____________________________________________

o Videolocity Acquires Video-On-Demand Developer 5th Digit

Salt Lake City -- Videolocity, a provider of video-on-demand (VOD)
technology, announced on Tuesday that it has acquired 5th Digit, a
developer of VOD technology. Salt Lake City-based Videolocity will offer
$4.75 million in stock in exchange for ownership of 5th Digit. The
transaction includes options that are redeemable until 2002.
New York-based 5th Digit develops technology for closed systems that
allows users to choose movies from a library of available titles.
Videolocity said it will implement 5th Digit's technology in a VOD service
designed for hotels, hospitals and resorts. The service will include
security technology to prevent unauthorized copying or rebroadcast of
movies. The company is currently seeking content partners to provide video
content for the service.
http://www.videolocity.com
_____________________________________________

o Webnoize: German Indie Record Label To Join Bertelsmann-Napster Service

Cambridge, Mass. -- Edel Music, a large German independent record label,
announced that it will add its recordings to a paid music file-sharing
service being developed by Napster and German media company Bertelsmann
Webnoize reported on Tuesday. Hamburg-based Edel said it will soon release
promotional tracks onto Napster, and in six months will release its entire
catalog as part of the planned secure membership service. In addition to
its own roster of artists, Edel owns stakes in Red Distribution, Play It
Again Sam, U.K.-based Eagle Rock Entertainment and Deston Songs. The
planned service will offer secure downloads of songs to users for an
as-yet-undetermined fee, which will go towards compensating copyright
holders for use of the recordings. "We are sure we will earn enough money
from this method of distribution," said Andre Schirmer, director of
corporate communications for Edel Music. "Napster has 40 million users. We
don't expect that everybody of these 40 million will pay for high-quality
music, but if it's half, or more than half, the artists will earn a lot of
money through the Napster platform."
http://news.webnoize.com/item.rs?ID=11525
_____________________________________________

o Digital Media Wire Networking Event: Future of Music Policy Summit

Washington, D.C. -- Digital Media Wire will host its next networking event
on Wednesday, January 20, 2001 at the Future of Music Policy Summit in
Washington, D.C. The event will be for subscribers, conference attendees
and those interested in the convergence of entertainment, technology and
the Internet. Light hors d'oeuvres will be served and there will be a cash
bar.

Sponsors:
Morrison & Foerster, LLP
Coalition for the Future of Music

Date: Wednesday, January 10, 2001
Time: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Location: Georgetown University Conference Center
3800 Reservoir Road, NW - Washington, D.C.

To register for the networking event:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/dc.htm

To register for the Future of Music Policy Summit:
http://www.futureofmusic.org/events/summit0101/
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Chicago) First International Digital, a developer of multimedia software
that was spun-off from Motorola, announced on Tuesday the release of the
MP3i format, which bundles graphical information along with music in a
file. The technology, developed in association with Song Dog Network, can
be used to create MP3-karaoke files, or to embed album artwork, liner
notes, pictures or advertising inside of sound files. The technology is
currently used in Chicago-based First International Digital's irock MP3
player, which allows users to listen to music, see lyrics and record a
vocal track simultaneously.
http://www.fidinc.com
http://www.songdognetwork.com

(Atlanta) Concurrent Computer Corporation, a provider of digital video
technology, announced on Tuesday the launch of its video-on-demand service
for Time Warner cable subscribers in Tampa Bay, Florida. The service will
be available to 130,000 digital subscribers, and has the capacity to
support 15,500 simultaneous movie streams. Competing VOD provider
Blockbuster recently announced the launch of its service, which uses
technology from Enron Corp.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/010102/ga_concurr.html
http://www.ccur.com
http://www.twtampabay.com

(Vienna, Va.) Convera, the new company formed by the merger of Excalibur
Technologies and Intel's Interactive Media Services division, announced
that FoxSports.com has become the company's first post-merger customer.
Under the deal, Convera will offer game highlights for FoxSports.com.
Convera provides similar services to the National Basketball Association,
which owns a stake in the company.
http://www.convera.com
http://www.foxsports.com

(Tustin, Calif.) eSynch, a provider of broadband streaming video
technology, announced on Tuesday that it has partnered with Viosport, an
extreme sports broadcaster. Under the agreement, Michigan-based Viosport
will stream coverage of amateur and professional sports including mountain
biking, skateboarding and whitewater rafting through Tustin-based eSynch's
broadband player.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010102/ca_esyn_vi.html
http://www.esynch.com
http://www.viosport.com

(San Francisco) Digital Island, a provider of content delivery services,
announced on Tuesday that it has partnered with NaviSite, a provider of
streaming media technology. Under the agreement, Massachusetts-based
NaviSite will use San Francisco-based Digital Island's technology to speed
content across the Internet for its streaming media service. The two
companies recently collaborated on the webcast of a Madonna concert in the
U.K.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/010102/ca_digital.html
http://www.digitalisland.com
http://www.navisite.com

(San Francisco) Wired News reported on the upcoming "third generation"
(3G) wireless network auctions in the United States, which have the
potential to bring worldwide roaming and streaming video features already
available in countries such as Japan and Finland to the U.S. The article
cites a study published by the Los Angeles Regional Technology Alliance
(Larta) that questions the hype associated with wireless video, and points
to the limited numbers of handheld device owners. "The amount of money the
carriers and wireless developers will invest is going to be so large that
it will take years before they show a dime of profit," said Larta Chief
Operating Officer Victor Hwang.
http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,40740,00.html
http://www.larta.org

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Job Postings:
===================================================
To Post Jobs: http://www.digitalmediawire.com/jobs.html

> Washingtonpost.com, Technology Manager

Washingtonpost.com, the region's most popular destination for everything
Washington, is seeking a Technology Manager. Join our hot team of
professionals and enjoy advanced classes in the latest technologies,
networking at industry events, working for a solid world-class
organization with a future, and making your mark on our award-winning
website. Send resumes to jobstech@wpni.com or visit
http://www.washingtonpost.com and click on Join Us.
______________________

> Convergent Companies, Inc., SW & FPGA Engineers - Greenbelt, MD

We are developing break-through video compression technologies for the
Internet and are looking for FPGA and Software engineers with 1-8 yrs
experience. BSEE/CS familiarity with C++, image processing, object
programming. FPGA position, exp FPGA programming, DSP architectures esp
w/Xilinx. Check out Employment section of our website for details.
Send resumes to jobs@convergentcompanies.com
http://www.convergentcompanies.com
______________________

> Intervise, Sales Representative - DC Metro

Responsible for selling IT Consulting Services to Fortune 1000 companies
and Internet startups. Sales Professional must have 3+ years experience in
selling IT Professional Services. Package includes base salary and
commissions, 401K and Health and Dental insurance.
Send resumes to cgriesbach@intervise.com
http://www.intervise.com
______________________

> KG Communications, Public Relations Professionals - McLean, VA

KG Communications specializes in launching start-ups in the telecom field.
Opportunities exist for candidates with strong writing and communications
skills, knowledge of high-tech trade & business media, analysts and
events. A minimum 3 years' experience in high-tech PR-telecom a plus.
Highly competitive compensation, benefits and perks.
Send resumes to kay.handrahan@kgcom.com

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Event Postings:
===================================================
To Post Events: http://www.digitalmediawire.com/events.html

> Master the Technology that is Changing the World - GW Virginia Campus

The George Washington University School of Engineering and Applied Science
will hold an informational session at the Virginia Campus in Ashburn from
6-8 p.m. on January 11th . This is a great opportunity to find out about
cutting edge graduate engineering degree programs including: Computer
Security and Information Assurance; Multimedia, Animation, Graphics and
User Interfaces; Software Engineering and Systems; Computer Architecture,
Networks, Parallel and Distributed Computing; Wireless and Mobile
Networks; Telecommunications and Computers. Contact: scason@va.gwu.edu
http://www.seasva.gwu.edu
______________________

> Potomac Tech Wire Seminar Series: Doing Business with Israel

Sponsor: Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue. On Thursday, Jan. 11, Potomac Tech
Wire and Jones Day will host a panel discussion on DC technology firms
doing business with Israel. Panelists include: Daniel Epstein, Executive
Director of US-Israeli Business Exchange; Emanuel Friedman, Chairman and
Co-CEO of Friedman, Billings & Ramsey; Philip Garfunkle, Former President
of Yazam; Stephan Mallenbaum, Partner, Jones Day (Moderator); Additional
Panelists To Be Determined. When: 7:30-8:00 a.m. - Registration and
Breakfast; 8:00-9:30 a.m. - Panel Discussion and Q&A; Where: McLean
Hilton.
To Register for this Event: http://www.potomactechwire.com/Israel.htm
______________________

> iHollywood Forum: How Adult Entertainment Profits From the Internet

Whatever one's attitude toward adult entertainment, one fact is
undeniable: it's the only segment of the entertainment industry that
consistently makes money on the Internet. Panelists include: Larry Flynt,
Publisher of Hustler Magazine; Gail Harris, CEO and President of Falcon
Foto; David Schlesinger, Vice President of Internet Marketing at Vivid
Video; Fred Lane, Author of "Obscene Profits: The Entrepreneurs of
Pornography in the Cyber Age" (Routledge 2000); Mike Rick, Co-founder of
Cybersynergism (Webmaster Superstore for Online Adult Entertainment) and
kSEXRadio.com. When: Wednesday January 17, 6:00 pm-10pm; Where: Santa
Monica Doubletree.
To Register: http://www.ihollywoodforum.com/new/events/jan17_2001.htm
______________________

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