Main Stories
o Largest U.S. Cable TV Firm Comcast Makes $54 Billion Bid for Disney
o Report: Women Over 40 Play More Online Games Than Men, Teens
o Apple Faces Class Action Suits Over iPod Battery Life
o TiVo Wins Judgment in Patent Suit Brought by Pause Technology
o Comcast, Gemstar to Jointly Develop Digital TV Interactive Program Guides
o Report: Downloaded Songs Now Second Top-Selling Singles Format in U.K.
o Warner Bros., Mattel Team on "Batman" Interactive TV Series and Toy Line
o Take-Two Gets "First-Look" Video Game Rights to Cartoon Network Series
o Paid Content Syndicator Synacor Raises New Funds
o Cell Phone Camera Chipmaker TransChip Raises $19 Million

o Briefly Noted: Nextel - NASCAR handsets, Yahoo Messenger - Sprint PCS, Sirius Satellite Radio - The Wall Street Journal Radio Network - Mazda, Game Show Network - $1 million iTV sweepstakes, Hasbro - Videonow

New York -- Comcast, the nation's largest cable TV operator with 21 million subscribers and stakes in networks including E!, Style, The Golf Channel and G4, on Wednesday launched a surprise bid to acquire The Walt Disney Company for about $54 billion. The bid was announced after Disney CEO Michael Eisner rejected a private request from Comcast CEO Brian Roberts to open merger negotiations between the two companies. If Disney were to accept the offer and the deal passed antitrust regulatory approval, it would create the world's largest media company. In addition to its film studio and theme park assets, Disney also owns TV networks ABC and ESPN. Comcast said in a statement that the deal "would propel broadband forward, expanding current services and inspiring new ones." In its own statement, Disney said its board will "carefully evaluate" Comcast's proposal.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040211/nyw099_1.html
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040211/115505_1.html
http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/040211/media_disney_30.html 
http://news.com.com/2009-1026_3-5157294.html
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o Report: Women Over 40 Play More Online Games Than Men, Teens

New York -- Of those who play games on the Web, women over 40 play most often and spend the greatest number of hours per week doing so, beating out both men and teens, according to a nationwide online survey of 3,600 casual gamers conducted by Digital Marketing Services for America Online's "Casual Games Report." The survey found that women over 40 spend an average of 9.1 hours, or 41% of their weekly online time playing games, compared with 6.1 hours or 26% of total online time for men. "While teens and young men have the reputation of playing games for hours on end, the reality is that it's their mothers who are far more likely to exhibit this type of behavior -- just with different games," said AOL Games general manager Matthew Bromberg. The survey also found that nearly twice as many adults said that they have played for more than eight consecutive hours than did teenagers, and that more adult players have stayed up all night playing games than teens. Teens still spend an average of 7.4 hours per week playing games -- which half said was more time than they spend reading, and over 25% said was more time than they spend on homework.
http://media.aoltimewarner.com/media/press_view.cfm?release_num=55253774
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o Apple Faces Class Action Suits Over iPod Battery Life

Cupertino, Calif. -- Disgruntled users of the popular iPod digital music player have filed five separate class action lawsuit against their maker, Apple Computer, claiming that the batteries that operate the devices wear out too quickly, Reuters reported. The suits, filed in late December in Santa Clara, San Mateo and San Francisco counties, accuse Apple of false advertising, unfair competition, breach of warranty and fraudulent concealment, among other allegations. Apple, which has been buoyed by strong sales of the iPod in recent quarters, said that it is beginning its own investigation into the claims.
http://biz.yahoo.com/rc/040210/tech_apple_1.html
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o TiVo Wins Judgment in Patent Suit Brought by Pause Technology

San Jose, Calif. -- TiVo, a provider of digital video recorder hardware and services, announced on Wednesday that a federal judge has granted summary judgment in TiVo's favor in a patent infringement case brought by Massachusetts-based Pause Technology in 2001. United States District Judge Patti Saris said that TiVo's technology does not infringe on a 1995 Pause patent that covers a "time delayed digital video system using concurrent recording and playback." San Jose, Calif.-based TiVo said it will pursue an order that would require Pause to pay all of its attorneys' fees and costs.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040210/sftu142_1.html
http://www.pausetechnology.com 
http://www.tivo.com
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o Comcast, Gemstar to Jointly Develop Digital TV Interactive Program Guides

New York -- Cable TV operator Comcast announced on Wednesday that it has partnered with Gemstar-TV Guide International to form a joint interactive program guide (IPG) development group, with the goal of creating an industry-leading IPG for Comcast. As part of the agreement, Comcast will pay Gemstar a one-time fee of $250 million to license its IPG technology as well as TV Guide brand and content. While Comcast will retain the right to initially launch any new products across its digital subscriber base, Gemstar will have the exclusive rights to distribute the jointly developed products to other multichannel video providers. Additionally, the two companies agreed to enter into a new distribution arrangement providing for carriage of the TV Guide Channel, TV Guide On Demand and the TVG Network on Comcast systems.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040210/phtu040_1.html 
http://www.comcast.com 
http://www.gemstartvguide.com
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o Report: Downloaded Songs Now Second Top-Selling Singles Format in U.K.

London -- Downloaded digital songs have become the second most popular singles format in the U.K., according to data from the U.K.-based Official Charts Company, which monitors download sales. More than 150,000 downloads were sold during January -- bolstered by the 50,000 sold at the launch of MyCokeMusic.com -- eclipsing sales of 12-inch and seven-inch vinyl singles, cassettes and DVD singles in the U.K. However, the CD single format continues to lead all sales, with nearly 350,000 sold during one week in January alone.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3475337.stm
http://www.theofficialcharts.com/html/index.shtml  ____________________________________________

o Warner Bros., Mattel Team on "Batman" Interactive TV Series and Toy Line

El Segundo, Calif. -- Warner Bros. Consumer Products announced on Wednesday that it has partnered with toymaker Mattel to create a line of action figures and toys that can receive special signals directly from a TV broadcast that unlock new capabilities in the toys and provide more information about the show and its characters. The companies will use the recently announced Warner animated series "The Batman" to transmit the encoded data -- consisting of graphics, storyline components, gadgets and other features -- to Mattel's new Batwave line of interactive TV toys. St. Louis-based VEIL Interactive Technologies (Video Encoded Invisible Light) will provide the wireless interactive TV delivery technology, which transmits an invisible data stream embedded in the video picture that is transmitted to and received by the toys. The interactive TV toys will begin selling when "The Batman" debuts on the Kids' WB network this fall, and also later on Cartoon Network.
http://www.veilinteractive.com/2003/VEILMattel.htm  ____________________________________________

o Game Developer Take-Two Gets "First-Look" Rights to Cartoon Network Series

New York -- Take-Two Licensing, a unit of the video game publisher responsible for the "Grand Theft Auto" game franchise, announced on Wednesday an agreement with cable TV channel Cartoon Network allowing Take-Two 'first-look' rights to develop and publish video games for all new Cartoon Network properties. Cartoon Network has previously licensed its properties to a number of different developers, including Bam Entertainment, Majesco and Amaze Entertainment, who have created games based on series including "Powerpuff Girls" and "Samurai Jack." The first property licensed by Take-Two under the agreement will be the network's series "Codename: Kids Next Door." "This partnership will harness the strengths of both companies to build on existing brands and create new ones. Ultimately, we hope to see the simultaneous launch of a new series with a multi-platform video game," said John Friend, senior vice president of Cartoon Network Enterprises.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040211/115189_1.html 
http://www.take2games.com
http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/watch/tv_shows/kidsnextdoor/index.html ____________________________________________

o Paid Content Syndicator Synacor Raises New Funds

Buffalo, N.Y. -- Synacor, a provider of technology that allows ISPs to bundle digital media offerings and other online products with their access services, announced on Wednesday that it has raised a new round of financing from Advantage Capital Partners. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. New York-based Synacor offers online content from providers including Walt Disney Internet Group, Fox Sports and ABC News to providers of dial-up and broadband Internet access including Susquehanna Communications. The company will use the new funding to expand its customer base to larger MSOs and telephone companies looking to leverage the growing market for paid premium content and services.
http://www.synacor.com/press/releases.php?id=109 ____________________________________________

o Cell Phone Camera Chipmaker TransChip Raises $19 Million

Ramat Gan, Israel -- TransChip, a developer of single chip cameras for cell phones and other multimedia-enabled devices, announced that it has raised $19 million in its fourth round of venture capital financing. Redpoint Ventures led the investment round; also participating were previous TransChip investors Mission Ventures, Cadence Design Systems, Analog Devices chairman Ray Stata and Qualcomm co-founder Andrew Viterbi. Israel-based TransChip said its TC5740 module is already being incorporated into CDMA and GSM mobile phone models by leading handset makers. The company will use the funds to increase its marketing, sales and research and development activities.
http://www.transchip.com/releases1.asp?ReleasesID=55

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(Reston, Va.) Wireless network operator Nextel Communications has released 11 new auto-racing handsets manufactured by equipment partner Motorola, based on its exclusive NASCAR license. The handsets include 10 phones modeled after specific drivers, including Rusty Wallace, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon. The phones each feature the number and design, colors and signature of the driver. Nextel also plans to tout its NASCAR sponsorship on power chargers, carry cases and headsets.
http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=4569277
http://makeashorterlink.com/?P62F21C57

(Sunnyvale, Calif.) Yahoo on Wednesday announced a partnership with wireless network operator Sprint PCS, to offer its 3.2 million PCS Vision subscribers the ability to access their Yahoo Messenger accounts directly from their cell phones for an added $2.99 per month. The Yahoo Messenger for Mobile application lets users see who else is online, send and receive instant messages and hold multiple simultaneous IM sessions.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040211/115196_1.html 
http://www.pcsvision.com 
http://mobile.yahoo.com/messenger/sprint

(New York) Sirius Satellite Radio, a provider of satellite-delivered digital radio programming, on Wednesday announced an agreement with The Wall Street Journal Radio Network, that will result in the launch of hourly market reports and news from The Wall Street Journal Report and Dow Jones Money Report. New York-based Sirius also recently announced that automaker Mazda will make Sirius available as a dealer-installed option in Mazda vehicles including the Tribute, MPV, Miata, RX-8, MAZDA3 and MAZDA6 for the 2004 model year.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040211/nyw056_1.html
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040209/nym220_1.html 
http://www.siriusradio.com

(Farmington Hills, Mich.) Game Show Network, a cable TV network that plays re-runs of classic and modern game shows, has launched a $1 million instant win promotion for players of its interactive version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" During the two-month promotion, each time a viewer plays a "sync-to-broadcast" interactive game on the television they receive one instant win opportunity. The insurance backing and technical services for the promotion are being provided by Michigan-based ePrize.
http://www.gsn.com

(New York) Toymaker Hasbro said that it has licensed additional video content for its Videonow portable video player for kids. The $49 device uses a proprietary disc format not compatible with other devices, and offers 30-minute programs on discs costing $7.99. Newly available will be full-length episodes of network programs including "America's Funniest Home Videos," "American Idol," "Fear Factor," and "I Love Lucy," in addition to cable network content such as Nickelodeon's "SpongeBob Squarepants" and Discovery Channel's "Shark Week."
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040211/115622_1.html 
http://www.hasbro.com/videonow

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