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Past Editions

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DIGITAL MEDIA WIRE -- January 31, 2001
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To Subscribe For Free: http://www.digitalmediawire.com

o Sega Announces Plans For Content, Networks As It Exits Hardware Market
o Wireless Entertainment Device Maker Cybiko Raises $16 Million
o Warner Music Group, AOL to Promote Musical Acts on AOL
o Loudeye to Acquire Song Sample Provider DiscoverMusic
o Personal Video Recorder Maker TiVo, AOL Time Warner Expand Relationship
o Sony Takes Stake in Asset Management Software Maker The Bulldog Group
o Wireless Gaming Firm Unplugged Games Adds $1.2 Million to Seed Round
o Streaming Video Firm EyeCast Lays Off 28 Employees
o Briefly Noted: Bertelsmann, Inc., IndyPublish.com - ContentGuard,
MediaMetrix, ELine Music.com
_____________________________________________

> Digital Media Wire Panel: "Interactive Gaming on the Internet"

Interactive gaming is a $6.5 billion market with sales rivaling those of
the motion picture box offices. Forrester Research forecasts that
interactive gaming will be a $26 billion market by 2005. Which
technologies and business models will drive this expanding market? Will
entertainment companies profit from gaming on the Internet? Digital Media
Wire will hold a dinner and panel discussion: "Interactive Gaming on the
Internet: Recent Developments and New Opportunities" on Thursday, February
15, 2001 at the Argyle Hotel in Los Angeles. Moderator: Victor Hwang, COO,
larta. Confirmed panelists: George Alexander, VP Media & Entertainment,
CAP Gemini Ernst & Young; Jim Charne, Attorney and former President,
Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences; Brian Dearth, CEO, Hollywood
Stock Exchange; Chris Kantrowitz, CEO, The Groove Alliance.

For more information and to register:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/panel1.html
_____________________________________________

> Job Postings: VP Biz Dev/Sales, Senior Web Designer, Tech Writer, Account
Exec./Sr. Account Exec.

> Events: "Digital Media Outlook"

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 Sega Announces Plans For Content, Networks As It Exits Hardware Market

San Francisco -- Sega announced officially on Wednesday that it will end
production of its Dreamcast gaming console in March, and focus the company
on producing game software for a range of other consoles and devices.
Beginning February 4, the Dreamcast's retail price will be dropped to $99
in an effort to sell remaining inventory. The company announced on Tuesday
that its game technology will be included on Pace Micro Technology's
set-top box for interactive television, and today announced it will make
games for Palm's handheld devices and Java-based titles for Motorola cell
phones. Soon to be released are game titles Sega developed for both Sony's
Playstation 2 and Nintendo's Game Boy Advance. The company will also
emphasize its SegaNet website, where games will eventually be distributed
online for a variety of gaming platforms.
http://www.sega.com/pc/suits/playerRVViewItem.jhtml?selectedIndexCount=1
_____________________________________________

o Wireless Entertainment Device Maker Cybiko Raises $16 Million

Bloomingdale, Ill. -- Cybiko, a maker of wireless entertainment devices,
announced on Wednesday that it has raised $16 million in its second round
of venture capital financing from Vesta and Sun Capital. Illinois-based
Cybiko manufactures a portable wireless device that consists of an MP3
player, calculator, translator and organizer, that also lets users send
email and play wireless online games with one another. The company
received an undisclosed investment from America Online in September 2000.
http://www.cybiko.com
_____________________________________________

o Warner Music Group, AOL to Promote Musical Acts on AOL

New York -- As an early example of the new possibilities created by the
AOL Time Warner merger, Warner Music Group announced on Wednesday that it
will work together with America Online to create online promotions for its
musical acts. Under the agreement, AOL will promote new releases from
artists on WMG's Atlantic, Elektra, London-Sire and Warner Bros. Records
labels. The promotions will feature major artists including Bjork, Missy
Elliott, R.E.M. and Rod Stewart, as well as developing artists at the
labels. Users will be given access to 30-day, timed-out, secure digital
downloads of selected audio tracks through AOL's Winamp.com and
Spinner.com music services, as well as excerpts from music videos and
artist-branded streaming radio stations. Another aspect of the deal calls
for AOL software to be bundled on selected artists' CDs. The two companies
previously collaborated for online promotions of new albums from Madonna
and Matchbox 20.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/010131/ny_aol_tim_5.html
http://www.winamp.com
http://www.spinner.com
_____________________________________________

o Loudeye to Acquire Song Sample Provider DiscoverMusic

Seattle -- Loudeye Technologies, a provider of encoding, hosting and other
digital media services, announced on Wednesday that it will acquire
DiscoverMusic, a provider of song samples and album cover art to online
music retailers. Terms of the pending transaction were not disclosed.
Seattle-based DiscoverMusic's song samples will be integrated into
Loudeye's media subscription service, which enables websites and online
retailers to offer secure song samples to users. DiscoverMusic has
agreements will all major labels except Sony, as well as 800 independent
labels to provide song samples. The combined company will be able to offer
its customers -- which include Amazon.com, BMG Direct, barnesandnoble.com,
CDnow and Tower Records -- a choice of 2.5 million samples from about
190,000 CDs.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010131/wa_loudeye.html
http://www.loudeye.com
http://www.discovermusic.com
_____________________________________________

o Personal Video Recorder Maker TiVo, AOL Time Warner Expand Relationship

San Jose, Calif. -- TiVo, a manufacturer of a personal video recorders
(PVR) for television, announced on Wednesday that the company has expanded
its relationship with AOL Time Warner. TiVo will spend $21.5 million on
traditional and new media advertising for its product on AOL Time Warner
media properties, whereas AOL will give TiVo access to $43.5 million to
fund operations -- monies originally restricted under a previous agreement
to be used for the development of a combined set-top box /PVR for
interactive television. Additionally, TiVo will reduce the exercise price
of certain warrants held by AOL. AOL invested $200 million in San
Jose-based TiVo in June 2000.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010131/ca_tivo_ao.html
http://www.tivo.com
_____________________________________________

o Sony Takes Stake in Asset Management Software Maker The Bulldog Group

Toronto -- The Bulldog Group, a developer of digital asset management
software, announced on Wednesday that Sony Electronics has taken an
undisclosed minority stake in the company. Sony will also become a
worldwide distributor of Bulldog's software, selling it to terrestrial
television broadcasters in Japan as well as in the U.S. Toronto-based
Bulldog Group's software, when coupled with Sony's video servers and
storage, will allow TV stations to store, reformat and play videos, stills
and text content in broadcast-quality video and a low-resolution streaming
Internet version. The company's investors include Sony Pictures
Entertainment, Sun Microsystems, MSD Capital and Bell Canada.
http://www.bulldog.com/press_center/p_c_news_sony_01.htm
_____________________________________________

o Wireless Gaming Firm Unplugged Games Adds $1.2 Million to Seed Round

New York -- Unplugged Games, a developer of multiplayer games for wireless
devices, announced on Wednesday that it has raised an additional $1.2
million in funding to bring its total seed round investments to $3.5
million. Participants in the round included Alacrity Ventures, Windcrest
Partners, Hudson Ventures, Oak Hill Advisors and individual investors. The
funding will be used for product development and to hire additional
employees. New York-based Unplugged Games currently has deals to provide
games to wireless providers Verizon and Sprint PCS.
http://www.unplugged.com
_____________________________________________

o Streaming Video Firm EyeCast Lays Off 28 Employees

Herndon, Va. -- EyeCast, a provider of technology for video over the
Internet, said that it has laid off about 20 percent of its staff, or 28
employees. A company spokesperson said the layoffs were spread across
various departments and were the result of market conditions. EyeCast is
involved in the acquisition, storage and distribution of streaming video
over the Internet.
http://www.eyecast.com/
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(San Francisco) Bertelsmann announced on Wednesday that it has appointed
Joel Klein to the position of chairman and CEO of Bertelsmann, Inc. --
head of the company's U.S. operations. Previously, Klein served as head of
the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Klein will
advise Bertelsmann CEO Thomas Middelhoff on acquisitions and e-commerce
initiatives, as well as the company's music file-sharing service with
Napster, which Middlehoff said will launch in June or July.
http://www.bertelsmann.com/press/press_item.cfm?id=2749

(Bethesda, Md.) IndyPublish.com announced on Wednesday that it will use
digital rights management technology from Maryland-based ContentGuard to
secure its offering of out-of-print and independently authored e-book
titles. Maryland-based IndyPublish.com offers writers design, distribution
and marketing services, and provides access to resources including
editors, agents and publicists.
http://www.indypublish.com
http://www.contentguard.com

(New York) Internet measurement firm Media Metrix said on Wednesday that
CBS websites saw a dramatic increase in traffic on Sunday and Monday as a
result of the Super Bowl. CBS.com had 858,000 unique visitors on those two
days -- a 200 percent increase over the previous three weeks' average,
while SportsLine.com saw an 85 percent increase in traffic. "Compared to
last year's Super Bowl, when traffic to most major sports sites remained
flat, [this year] the game's official broadcaster successfully drove
massive traffic to online properties via in-game programming," said
Christopher Todd, analyst, Jupiter Research.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/010131/ny_jupiter.html

(Nashville, Tenn.) ELine Music.com, an online music distributor, announced
on Wednesday that John P. Brancaccio has been elected president & chief
operating officer of the company.
http://www.elinemusic.com/

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

> Sonata, Director/VP Biz. Dev./Sales - Wireless Internet - New York City

Venture-backed wireless company specializing in the next generation of
location-based applications and wireless advertising seeks executive to
initiate, negotiate and close deals. Cultivation of business contacts,
structuring deals, negotiation of contracts and being part of an effective
business development team will be essential. Familiarity with advertising,
high-tech software or Internet products. Must have a passion for
emergingtechnology. Send resumes to hr@sonatainc.com.
http://www.sonata.com
_____________________________________________

> Lucid Designs, Senior Web Designer - Los Angeles

This is an opportunity to join a young, growing company with established
high-profile clients. Should have a minimum of two years design
experience, and a thorough knowledge of web standard design software such
as Photoshop, Illustrator and Flash. Experience with Dreamweaver, DHTML,
CD-ROM or print production are pluses, but not required. Position includes
benefits and generous salary. Send resumes and examples of on-line work to
jobs@luciddesigns.com
http://www.luciddesigns.com
_____________________________________________

> Static, Tech Writer - Los Angeles

Software company that transforms the desktop into a peer-to-peer
distributed network for businesses and consumers seeks writer to document
cool software. Needs to have moderate programming/coding skills
(especially C/C++), as well as clear, concise and creative writing skills.
Experience with some sort of document layout software is needed. Send
resumes and tech-writing samples to cooljobs@static.com
http://www.static.com
_____________________________________________

> Ruder Finn, TECHNOLOGY-Account Exec./Sr. Account Exec. - San Francisco

Global independent public relations agency seeks executives to help handle
explosive new business growth in dynamic and fast-moving office. Requires
excellent written/oral communication, organizational and problem-solving
skills, as well as a passion for client service. Sr. level positions
require strong program planning, client counseling and staff mentoring
skills. Great accounts, smart programs, competitive compensation and
benefits. Send resumes to careers@ruderfinn.com
http://www.ruderfinn.com

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

> Digital Media Outlook, April 2, 2001 -- New York City

Don't miss a beat. In a world of limited bandwidth, companies are
pushing technology and services that mesh data with formats like MP3
and MPEG while employing edge serving and IP multicasting to clear
a path to the audience. At Digital Media Outlook, learn where
the future lies for rich media services and infrastructure companies.
http://www.digitalmediaoutlook.com/home.html?e=DMO01Dwire
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