Main Stories
o Sony Develops 1GB MiniDisc, Will Launch Music Download Store in Spring
o HP to Release Branded IPod Player, Bundle ITunes Software on All PCs
o Philips Unveils Internet-Enabled TV Set, Signs Content Deal with Yahoo
o Intel Creates $200 Million Digital Home Fund  
o WSJ: Archos Portable Movie-Copying Device May Anger Hollywood  
o U.K. Education Department to Invest $45 Million in Internet "Whiteboards"
o Sirius to Offer In-Car Satellite TV, Inks Deals with Audio Manufacturers

o Briefly Noted: TivoToGo, Sprint PCS - Music Tones, Sundance Online Film Festival, Sony Ericsson - mobile multiplayer game service, Sprint PCS - Game Lobby, Gametrac, THX Games Mode, Scientific-Atlanta - DVRs, Linksys - networked DVD player, Prismiq - CinemaNow - SnapFish, Humax - TiVo, Aiwa - USB audio, RIAA - L.A. street vendor raids

Berlin -- Sony Europe announced on Thursday the development of a new higher-capacity MiniDisc format, "Hi-MD," which offers up to 1GB or 45 hours of recording capacity. Sony said the format will incorporate OpenMG and MagicGate copy-protection technologies, and that the first Hi-MD Walkman products will be released in the spring. Sony also announced on Thursday plans to launch Connect, an online music download store. A new unit based in Santa Monica, Calif. called Sony Connect will operate the service. Launching in the spring with a library of 500,000 tracks, the service will sell songs for $0.99 in Sony's proprietary ATRAC3 format. Songs will initially be transferable only to Sony devices, including Net MD Walkman recorders, Hi-MD Walkman recorders, ATRAC CD Walkman players and Network Walkman players, with the company eventually adding support for devices from other manufacturers. Sony said it partnered with United Airlines to offer frequent fliers the ability to redeem miles for music downloads through the Connect service.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040107/nyw173_1.html
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040107/nyw174_1.html
http://makeashorterlink.com/?W1CD21107
_____________________________________________

o HP to Release Branded IPod Player, Will Bundle ITunes Software on All PCs

Las Vegas -- PC maker HP announced on Thursday that it has partnered with Apple to release an HP-branded digital music player based on Apple's iPod, as well as a version of Apple's iTunes digital music store for its customers. One part of the alliance -- which will serve as a boon for Apple -- includes the provision that HP consumer PCs and notebooks will now come preinstalled with Apple's iTunes jukebox software. The HP-branded iPod will be released this summer, and will be priced competitively with similar products.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040108/85648_1.html 
http://www.apple.com 
http://www.hp.com
_____________________________________________

o Philips Unveils Internet-Enabled TV Set, Signs Content Deal with Yahoo

Amsterdam -- The Netherlands' Royal Philips Electronics this week unveiled a new TV set that features a wireless connection that allows it to play music, pictures and video from the Internet or PCs. The company displayed the first Internet-ready TV set -- which is not yet for sale -- at this week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The company on Thursday also announced it has signed a global deal with Yahoo to develop and deliver Yahoo content via Philips' Internet-enabled TVs and home entertainment systems.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?K19042007
____________________________________________

o Intel Creates $200 Million Digital Home Fund

Santa Clara, Calif. -- Looking to further its efforts to converge personal computers and consumer electronics devices, Intel on Wednesday unveiled plans to create a $200 million fund that will invest in companies developing hardware and software technologies for the digital home. John Miner, the president of Intel Capital, said that the Intel Digital Home Fund is designed to "complement Intel products and accelerate development of key technologies and content which enhance and simplify the digital home experience." The new fund will invest in companies developing hardware and software, as well as connectivity and supporting technologies. Intel is hoping to cash in on wireless home networking, which will allow people to view and listen to digital content -- including music, photos and video -- on multiple networked devices.
http://www.newsalert.com/bin/story?StoryId=Cp_UsubKbmda3yJm3nJK
____________________________________________

o WSJ: Archos Portable Movie-Copying Device May Anger Hollywood

Paris -- The Wall Street Journal on Thursday reported on how a personal media player made by a small French company called Archos can be plugged into a DVD player and record movies while ignoring embedded copyright protections, raising the possibility of a legal response from Hollywood. The Archos device uses near-DVD quality MPEG-4 video compression to record the equivalent of 160 two-hour movies to an internal hard drive; another feature enables these movies to then be transferred to a PC, where they can be shared online or burned back onto unprotected DVD. More than 100,000 units of the Archos device have already been sold worldwide.
http://money.cnn.com/2004/01/07/technology/hand.held_device.dj/index.htm
http://www.archos.com
____________________________________________

o U.K. Education Department to Invest $45 Million in Internet "Whiteboards"

London -- The U.K. Department for Education and Skills has earmarked an extra 25 million pounds ($45 million) for new Internet and video displays called "whiteboards," which will replace schools' traditional blackboards, the BBC reported this week. Education Secretary Charles Clarke was quoted as saying that the additional funds would help educators to "meet the personal needs of every learner". Clarke also said that the new whiteboard technology would motivate students by creating a more personalised education system, the BBC reported.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/3375465.stm
_____________________________________________

o Sirius to Offer In-Car Satellite TV, Inks Deals with Audio Manufacturers Las Vegas -- Sirius Satellite Radio, a provider of satellite-delivered digital radio programming, announced that it plans to deliver four channels of satellite TV to in-car receivers by the middle of 2005, Reuters reported. The company also announced a number of new partnerships with manufacturers that plan to release both car and home satellite radio receivers. Tivoli Audio will release several specialty home audio satellite receivers, while Niles Audio Corporation and Crestron will integrate Sirius tuners into their custom installation products. In addition, Fujitsu's Eclipse line of car audio receivers will now be Sirius compatible, with the company also releasing its own Sirius receiver. Car audio manufacturer Blaupunkt said it will release Sirius-ready satellite radios and plug-and-play receivers in the spring.
http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=siri&d=v1 
http://www.tivoliaudio.com 
http://www.nilesaudio.com 
http://www.crestron.com 
http://www.eclipse-web.com 
http://www.blaupunktusa.com 
http://www.siriusradio.com

Top

Top

>Sr. Sales Executive – Media, Entertainment and Aggregator

Peppercoin, Inc. is a micropayments company that enables online merchants to sell low-priced digital goods profitably. Peppercoin was founded by world-renowned leaders in cryptographic technology from MIT whose previous ideas led to significant enterprises worth billions of dollars. By joining the Peppercoin team, you will help us perpetuate this record of success. We are looking for an experienced sales professional to sell our service and product offerings to the Media, Entertainment and Aggregator markets. The position demands knowledge of these markets and a proven ability to sell new products from early stage start-ups.  Send resume to careers@peppercoin.com  URL: www.peppercoin.com

Top

(Las Vegas) TiVo, a developer of digital video recorder services, said on Thursday it will release a new feature called "TiVoToGo" in the fall of 2004, which will allow subscribers to move their favorite programs stored on a TiVo to a laptop for viewing on the road, or to any PC for burning to DVD. The service will require TiVo-enabled versions of Sonic Solutions' MyDVD and CinePlayer applications, as well as a TiVo Content Security Key, which the company said will prevent media from being shared online. Separately, San Jose, Calif.-based TiVo said it would allow XM Satellite Radio subscribers to access the digital audio channels through their TiVo devices beginning in the second half of 2004.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040108/sfth080_1.html
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040108/sfth078_1.html 
http://www.sonic.com 
http://www.xmradio.com 
http://www.tivo.com

(Las Vegas) Wireless network operator Sprint PCS said on Thursday that it has added Music Tones -- cell phone ringtones that are actual excerpts of artists' recordings -- from Universal Music Group artists including Sting, Sheryl Crow and Hoobastank to its offering. The company also said Music Tones of Beyonce Knowles' tracks "Crazy in Love" and "Baby Boy" have cumulatively sold over 500,000 downloads to Sprint PCS customers. Kansas-based Sprint PCS said it sold over 20 million ringtones and screen savers on its PCS Vision service during 2003.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040108/cgth006a_1.html
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040108/cgth014_1.html 
http://www.sprintpcs.com

(New York) The Sundance Institute has launched the 2004 Sundance Online Film Festival, which this year will feature 12 animated films, 10 short subject fiction and non-fiction films, and 8 works created using "interactive digital forms." Visitors will be able to view all films online and vote for the audience award. Now in its fourth year, the online festival will run until Feb. 15.
http://www.indiewire.com/onthescene/onthescene_040108sund.html
http://www.sundance.org

(London) Wireless developer Sony Ericsson on Thursday launched a trial of a wireless multiplayer gaming service for owners of many Sony Ericsson phones on 2.5G networks worldwide. The fully online game network will utilize technology from Stockholm-based Terraplay Systems. The first titles available on the service are "Rally" (a 4-player game) and "RC Battle" (an 8-player game).
http://www.terraplay.com/news_fset.asp?id=79 
http://www.sonyericsson.com

(Las Vegas) Mobile carrier Sprint PCS on Thursday launched The Game Lobby, a nationwide virtual mobile community for gamers to meet, recommend wireless games and challenge each other. Managed by San Diego-based M7 Networks, the service will be free to those who purchase a Sprint PCS game and will offer features including a single gamer tag and password across games and publishers. Separately, Kansas-based Sprint PCS said it would publish wireless games from European publisher Gameloft, the first of which will be "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell."
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040108/cgth001_1.html
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040108/cgth002_1.html
http://www.m7networks.com 
http://www.gameloft.com 
http://www.sprintpcs.com

(Las Vegas) Xilinx and Gametrac Europe on Thursday demonstrated the Gametrac mobile entertainment device at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The Gametrac device offers features including games, multimedia messaging, MP3 and MP4 playback, a digital camera, and GPRS network link to allow wide-area network gaming. The company has not provided pricing or exact release details for the device, which is expected to first go on sale in the U.K. sometime in 2004.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040108/sfth021_1.html 
http://www.xilinx.com 
http://www.gametrac.com

(Las Vegas) THX, the audio and video standards group formed by director George Lucas, on Thursday introduced its THX Games Mode, a new audio post-processing technology and listening feature for THX-certified home theater systems. "With more than 50 percent of home theatre owners integrating video game consoles into their home entertainment systems, THX Games Mode will provide the ultimate way to experience video game sound," said THX's Mark Tuffy. "For the first time, gamers will have access to playback systems that accurately place sound effects, music and character dialogue all around them, pulling the gamer even closer into the action."
http://www.thx.com

(Las Vegas) Scientific-Atlanta, a manufacturer of digital TV set-top boxes, on Thursday introduced two new products -- the Explorer 8000HD DVR, a dual-tuner, high-definition TV digital video recorder, and the Explorer 8300 Multi-Room DVR, a home server that will allow three other set-tops in the house to access TV programs stored on the device's hard drive via a coaxial cable connection.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040108/clth018_1.html
http://www.scientificatlanta.com

(Las Vegas) Linksys, a manufacturer of networking equipment, on Thursday introduced its Linksys DVD Player with Wireless-G Media Link, a DVD player that can wirelessly distribute digital video, music, and pictures stored on a PC to view and play on a TV or stereo system. Irvine, Calif.-based Linksys said it is working to include support of Internet radio and music streaming services for the product, which will go on sale by the end of the first quarter of 2004.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040108/lath036_1.html 
http://www.linksys.com

(San Mateo, Calif.) Prismiq, a developer of networked entertainment devices, said on Thursday that it partnered with CinemaNow to make the Internet-based video-on-demand service accessible on televisions via the Prismiq MediaPlayer/Recorder. San Mateo, Calif.-based Prismiq also announced a deal with online photo service Snapfish, where Prismiq customers will receive free Snapfish services; Prismiq's device also allows digital photos to be viewed on a TV.
http://www.cinemanow.com 
http://www.snapfish.com 
http://www.prismiq.com

(Las Vegas) Korean electronics firm Humax announced on Thursday that it has licensed digital video recorder technology from TiVo, which the company will incorporate into a full line of digital video recorders and DVD recorders. In the start of the second quarter of 2004, Humax will introduce two standalone TiVo Series 2 digital video recorders, which will sell at retailers including Tweeter and Good Guys.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040108/nyth005_1.html 
http://www.tivo.com 
http://www.humaxusa.com

(San Diego) Japanese consumer electronics firm Aiwa on Thursday introduced a line of removable USB audio devices, which connect directly to a PC for transferring music and other files. The products include a 128MB, flash memory-based "pavit," as well as two 2GB, hard drive-based "Giga pavit" models.
http://www.us.aiwa.com

(Los Angeles) This week's edition of the LA Weekly features a report on the Recording Industry Association of America's (RIAA) recent FBI-styled raids on street vendors selling pirate CDs in Los Angeles. The RIAA anti-piracy street teams, mostly composed of ex-cops, wear black jackets that resemble FBI or DEA officers' uniforms with "RIAA" on the back, but maintain they do not represent themselves as law enforcement. The teams ask the street vendors to voluntarily turn over their goods, sign pink "incident sheets," and agree to be photographed, in exchange for a promise from the RIAA not to press charges. "We notify them that continued sale would be a violation of civil and criminal codes. If they'd like to voluntarily turn the product over to us, we'll destroy it, and we agree we won't sue," John Langley, Western regional coordinator for the RIAA Anti-Piracy Unit, told LA Weekly.
http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/07/news-sullivan.php

Top

Top

Copyright 2004 Digital Media Wire, Inc. All Rights Reserved.