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DIGITAL MEDIA WIRE -- February 19, 2003
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To Subscribe For Free: http://www.digitalmediawire.com
o Digital Still/Video Camera Chipmaker NuCore Raises $22 Million
o AOL to End Production of Set-Tops for AOLTV Interactive TV Service
o RealNetworks, Ericsson Partner on Media Delivery to Cell Phones
o Square, Electronic Arts to End Joint Venture After Square-Enix Merger
o Virtual Ad Firm Princeton Video Image to Get Up to $3 Million
> DMW Digital Music Forum: Keynote Speakers Confirmed
> DMW Publications: January Law and Policy Report
> Featured Section: I.D. Magazine Call for Entries
o Briefly Noted: Music Choice - All Music Guide, Ericsson - Sony Music
Germany, Electronic Arts - Fox Interactive - "Aliens versus Predator:
Extinction," Knology, Mforma Group - Qualcomm - SonyEricsson, 3DO - "High
Heat Major League Baseball 2004," Infogrames - "Robot Arena: Design and
Destroy," AZIO Technologies - MP3 player, THQ - "Sphinx," Rob Glaser, FCC
broadband vote, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings - CD-Rs
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> Jobs: Web Editor
> Events: Games & Mobile Forum: April 28 | NYC, Global Entertainment
& Media Summit
> Marketplace: Multimedia production firm, Entertainment & Corporate
Legal Services, Game Industry Report, iTV Chronicle,
Interest-Based Navigation
Full Classifieds located beneath "Briefly Noted" section below.
To post a Classified Ad:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/mainpostingpage.html
or contact Tinzar Than at tinzar@digitalmediawire.com
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o Digital Still/Video Camera Chipmaker NuCore Raises $22 Million
Sunnyvale, Calif. -- NuCore Technology, a developer of image processor
chips for the digital still camera and digital video camera markets,
announced on Wednesday that it has raised $22 million in its fourth round
of venture capital financing. Crosslink Capital led the investment round;
existing investors Horizon Ventures, Jafco, Sigma Partners, Techfarm and
VantagePoint Venture Partners also participated. Sunnyvale, Calif.-based
NuCore, which has now raised a total of $54 million, plans to release its
second-generation family of high performance image processors in the
spring of 2003.
http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/f_headline.cgi?day0/230500054&ticker=
http://www.nucoretech.com
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o AOL to End Production of Set-Tops for AOLTV Interactive TV Service
New York -- America Online has confirmed that it will stop producing new
set-tops for its AOLTV interactive TV service. The service will still be
available to existing subscribers, but production of the Philips set-tops
that power the service ceased in November. "The choice was based on not a
lot of interest going forward in continuing to develop that particular
platform," AOL spokeswoman Anne Bentley told CNET News.com. The AOLTV
service offered subscribers a relatively inexpensive means of accessing
email and instant messaging through their televisions. Plans with TiVo to
introduce a set-top with integrated digital video recording capacity were
scrapped last year. An AOL source also told News.com that the AOLTV unit
was "hit particularly hard" in recent layoffs at the company.
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-984920.html?tag=cd_mh
http://www.aoltv.com
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o RealNetworks, Ericsson Partner on Media Delivery to Cell Phones
Cannes -- Media delivery technology provider RealNetworks announced on
Wednesday that it has partnered with wireless technology developer
Ericsson to integrate RealNetworks' Helix media delivery technology into
the new Ericsson Content Delivery Solution. The combined offering will
allow content to be streamed to cell phones across both 2.5 and 3G
networks in every major 3GPP-compliant format, including MPEG-4, in
addition to RealAudio and RealVideo. Seattle-based RealNetworks also has a
deal with Nokia to provide technology for audio and video playback on
Nokia phones.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030219/sfw030_1.html
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o Square, Electronic Arts to End Joint Venture After Square-Enix Merger
Los Angeles -- Square, the Japanese video game developer responsible for
the popular "Final Fantasy" franchise, announced on Wednesday that,
following its previously announced merger with Enix, the company will end
its five-year joint venture with Redwood City, Calif.-based Electronic
Arts. Square Electronic Arts, which handled the publishing of all Square
titles in North America, will be dissolved on March 31; Square will then
merge with Japan-based game publisher Enix on April 1. Square Enix U.S.A.
will be established to publish Square Enix titles in North America, with
Jun Iwasaki serving as president and CEO.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030219/lath013_1.html
http://www.enix.co.jp/company/about
http://www.ea.com
http://www.playonline.com
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o Virtual Ad Firm Princeton Video Image to Get Up to $3 Million
Lawrenceville, N.J. -- Princeton Video Image (PVI), a provider of virtual
ads and other on-screen effects for sports telecasts, announced on
Wednesday an agreement that will result in the company receiving up to $3
million in new financing. Presencia en Medios, SA de CV, one of PVI's
major shareholders, has invested an additional $1.5 million in secured
convertible debt in the company and has been granted an option to invest
an additional $1.5 million on the same terms. "Presencia en Medios is a
long term investor in PVI and has shown its support once again," said PVI
co-CEO David Sitt. "We continue to believe in virtual advertising and that
PVI will be an important part of the future of television advertising."
New Jersey-based Princeton Video Image is responsible for creating the
"virtual 1st down line" seen in professional football telecasts.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030218/182707_1.html
http://www.pvi-inc.com
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DMW Presents. DIGITAL MUSIC FORUM
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March 3, 2003 | New York City | 9:00AM - 7:00 PM
Full list of speakers and agenda:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/events/MusicForum_030303.htm
A full-day forum focusing on business & legal issues impacting the music
industry today. The agenda includes 2 keynote addresses, 4 moderated
panels and breakout sessions.
Featuring: An Interview & Jam Session with the Legendary Les Paul
Confirmed Keynote Speakers:
Lyor Cohen | Chairman & CEO, The Island Def Jam Music Group
Chris Gorog | CEO, Roxio "Why We Purchased Napster"
Steve Rennie | REN Management (Artist Manager for Platinum-selling
Incubus)
And panelists from: Sony Music, MTV/VH1, Roxio, Listen.com, FullAudio,
Moviso, Columbia Records, United Musicians, LAUNCHcast/Yahoo!, pressplay,
Astralwerks/EMI, Morpheus/Streamcast Networks, U.S. Copyright Office,
Electric Artists, Audible, Music Choice, Terra Lycos, AT&T Wireless
February registrations: $200 until February 28
At the door: $250
Pre-Register at: http://kb.digitalmediawire.com/register.php?eventid=1024
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DMW Publications: January Law & Policy Report
==========================================
Contact tinzar@digitalmediawire.com or call 323-464-0793 to order your
copies.
To purchase directly, go to:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/marketplace.htm
Digital Media Law & Policy Report - New Issue
Must-read publication on legal and policy matters related to digital
media. 35+ pages of case summaries, news and analysis, policy updates,
court filings, and exclusive interviews with legal counsel and business
leaders.
Published monthly. January issue on sale now!
**Special Reduced Rates available for a limited time**
Price: $19.00 Per Issue | $195.00 Annual Subscription
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/marketplace.htm
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==================
FEATURED SECTION
==================
Featured Section posting at:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/featuredpostingpage.htm
CALL FOR ENTRIES!
I.D. MAGAZINE'S INTERACTIVE MEDIA DESIGN REVIEW
I.D. is accepting entries into the 2003 Interactive Media Design Review.
This competition spotlights the year's most innovative interactive designs
in 7 categories -- from CD-ROMs, DVDs, games and kiosks to software
installations, Web sites and experimental work. Send in your best work --
all winning projects will be featured in the November 2003 issue of I.D.
and posted on our Web site at the same time.
CONTACT INFO: IDcompetitions@fwpubs.com
http://www.idonline.com/specialoffers.asp?DMWA
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Briefly Noted:
(Horsham, Penn.) Music Choice, a provider of digital audio programming to
cable and satellite TV operators, announced on Wednesday that it has
licensed Alliance Entertainment's All Music Guide database of music
reviews and artist information for use with its TV-based service.
Pennsylvania-based Music Choice currently provides 17 million digital
cable homes, and more than 5 million DirecTV subscribers, with
commercial-free music channels through their televisions.
http://www.musicchoice.com
http://www.aent.com
http://www.allmusic.com
(Stockholm) Wireless equipment supplier Ericsson announced on Wednesday a
partnership with Sony Music Germany to offer a new digital mobile music
service, M-USE. The service, which will feature both Sony's local and
international artists, will allow subscribers to send and receive music
clips together with messages that incorporate information about the music,
the artist, and associated artwork in MMS format. M-USE will become
available initially to mobile network operators in Germany, Switzerland
and Austria in the spring of 2003.
http://www.ericsson.com/press/20030219-093237.html
(Redwood City, Calif.) Video game developer Electronic Arts announced on
Wednesday that it signed an agreement with Fox Interactive to develop
"Aliens versus Predator: Extinction," based on the Twentieth Century Fox
films "Aliens" and "Predator." Developed by Costa Mesa, Calif.-based Zono
and co-published by Fox Interactive and Electronic Arts, versions of the
title for PlayStation 2 and Xbox are scheduled for release in summer 2003.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030219/190387_1.html
http://www.foxinteractive.com
http://www.ea.com
(West Point, Ga.) Knology, a local provider of cable TV, phone and
high-speed Internet services, said on Wednesday it has begun offering
interactive TV services to its subscribers in Montgomery and Huntsville,
Alabama. All digital subscribers will receive access to interactive news,
sports and TV games; those who pay an extra $6.95 per month can send and
receive email with a wireless keyboard. Georgia-based Knology plans to
roll out iTV services in other markets throughout 2003.
http://www.knology.com
(Seattle) Mforma Group, a developer and publisher of wireless games,
announced on Wednesday that it developed two movie-related titles for
Qualcomm's BREW platform. "Star Trek Nemesis" and "Top Gun Air Combat" are
expected to be available to users with BREW-enabled cell phones this
month. Separately, Seattle-based Mforma announced that 50 of its games now
support Sweden-based Synergenix Interactive's "morphun" gaming engine,
which is available on Sony Ericsson handsets including the T300.
http://www.mforma.com
http://www.qualcomm.com/brew
http://www.sonyericsson.com
http://www.synergenix.se
(Redwood City, Calif.) Game developer 3DO said on Wednesday that its "High
Heat Major League Baseball 2004" title for Sony PlayStation 2 will be in
retail stores this weekend. Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Curt Schilling
was signed as spokesperson for the game. Redwood City, Calif.-based 3DO
said it is also developing versions of the title for the PC, Xbox,
GameCube and Game Boy Advance.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030219/sfw051_1.html
http://www.3do.com
(Beverly, Mass.) French video game publisher Infogrames said on Wednesday
that "Robot Arena: Design & Destroy" for PC has shipped to retailers. The
robot-building game features a multiplayer mode that may be played via the
Internet or LAN.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030219/192267_1.html
http://www.infogrames.com
http://www.robotarena.com
(Baldwin Park, Calif.) AZIO Technologies, a manufacturer of storage
products, on Wednesday the release of its keychain-sized MP3 player.
Baldwin Park, Calif.-based AZIO's AZIO MP306 player features voice
recording and is available with 64B ($79) and 128MB ($99) storage
capacities.
http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/f_headline.cgi?day0/230500112&ticker=
http://www.azio-tech.com
(Calabasas Hills, Calif.) THQ, a developer of video games, announced on
Wednesday that it is currently at work on "Sphinx," an original
interactive adventure game for PlayStation 2 and Nintendo GameCube. In
development at U.K.-based Eurocom Entertainment Software, "Sphinx" is
scheduled for release in the fall of 2003.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030219/190262_1.html
http://www.eurocom.co.uk
http://www.thq.com/sphinx
(London) The BBC Online recently featured an interview with RealNetworks
CEO Rob Glaser, on the topic of online media piracy. "I don't think online
piracy is impossible to stop," Glaser told BBC News Online. "But the
command and control approach to just saying 'hey we want to shut this
down' and not offer a compelling alternative that's commercial doesn't
work very well because the Internet is such an open environment. If you
just shut services down, like shutting down Napster, others will pop up
unless you offer a commercial alternative."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2758177.stm
(Washington) CNET News.com on Wednesday offered an overview of Thursday's
vote before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on a variety of
broadband-related proposals. "Should federal regulations be strengthened
or rescinded? The FCC's answer will determine not only the winners and
losers in the broadband race, but also how much consumers will pay for
high-speed access and how technologies such as online movies and video
telephony will be implemented."
http://news.com.com/2100-1033-984733.html
(New York) The New York Times recently reported on how Smithsonian
Folkways Recordings, which controls over 2,000 vintage folk and world
music recordings, is using recordable CDs to fulfill its obligation to
keep all of its titles in print. While the rest of the recording industry
sees CD-Rs mainly as a tool for music piracy, Folkways reports that it
sold 13,467 $19.95-priced CD-Rs last year, accounting for 6 percent of its
CD sales.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/17/business/media/17FOLK.html
http://www.si.edu/folkways
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===================
CLASSIFIEDS - JOBS
===================
To Post Jobs: http://www.digitalmediawire.com/jobpostingpage.htm
Web Editor
Variety.com is looking for an experienced Web Editor to work on the daily
production of the Los Angeles newspaper's site. You must have excellent
journalism credentials and know the entertainment industry from a business
perspective. You must: have worked for a content web site, have
journalism in your blood, know Dreamweaver and the AP Style Guide. Hours
vary from noon-midnight, Sun. - Fri. To apply, send a resume, cover
letter, 2 URLS. No word attachments Send to
hrlosangeles2@reedbusiness.com, include the job title WEB EDITOR and job
ID# RBI 505 in the subject.
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====================
CLASSIFIEDS - EVENTS
====================
To Post Events: http://www.digitalmediawire.com/eventpostingpage.htm
Digital Media Wire Presents...Games & Mobile Forum
April 2003, New York City
Focusing on games and mobile entertainment opportunities and business
models. Panel topics will include "The Battle to Control the Living Room:
Is the Game Industry Winning?", "Mobile Games: Business Models & New
Opportunities", "Legal & Policy Issues Impacting the Game Industry &
Mobile Entertainment", and "Home Networking: Technology for Modern Living
& Entertainment."
Door Tickets Price: $250. For Early Bird Specials, pre-register at:
http://kb.digitalmediawire.com/register.php?eventid=1025
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Global Entertainment & Media Summit
February 28-March 2, New York City
The Global Entertainment and Media Summit returns to New York City for a
productive three days of conferences, workshops and keynotes all
dedicated to helping to facilitate the growth of our industries. Keynotes
include Danny Goldberg, Dave Marsh, Lee Abrams of XM Satellite Radio and
Jack Healey, of the Human Rights Action Center--formerly of Amnesty
International. The event will feature over 20 productive panel sessions
over the course of the three-day event.
Show dates are Friday, Saturday and Sunday, February 28, March 1 and March
2. Registration is $75 per person and includes admission to all events.
Details: http://www.globalentertainmentnetwork.com
Schedule: http://www.globalentertainmentnetwork.com/schedule.htm
Tickets: http://www.globalentertainmentnetwork.com/tickets.htm
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==========================
CLASSIFIEDS - MARKETPLACE
==========================
To Post Marketplace:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/marketplacepostingpage.htm
Dangerously Creative EarthNatives for Hire
EarthNative is a film/video and multimedia production company bringing the
sky's limit down to Earth and original creations to you. We provide a
variety of production services for projects or produce completed programs
to suit your style. Stock library available for licensing. Fully equipped
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equipment rental list, editing, graphic artists and directors for hire.
Drop a line to: hightech@earthnative.com or 323.876.6503
http://www.earthnative.com
_____________________________________________
Entertainment & Corporate Legal Services
Top Credentialed Attorney with 9 years of experience representing major
studios, entertainment start-ups, VCs, investment banks and other blue
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trademark registration and disputes, copyright issues and other
transactional and contract law services. Qualified in California and
Texas. Retainer required to commence services. Tel. 323-363-3620.
_____________________________________________
Game Industry Law & Policy Report
Special industry report covering law & policy matters impacting the game
industry. The 15-page report includes case summaries, news and analysis,
feature article and an exclusive interview with Doug Lowenstein,
President, Interactive Digital Software Association. Price: $19.00
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/marketplace.htm
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For those who believe in ITV - "Interactive TV: The Definitive Chronicle"
Covering the period 2000 to the present, this sourcebook presents a
complete history of the news and events that have shaped the business of
iTV since the beginning of the 21st Century. Culled from countless
sources, including the Digital Media Wire database, this 175 pages PDF (on
CD) covers all of the major players as well as the legal and financial
issues that helped shape the industry. Key research and industry
projections as well as a host of facts, figures, resources and thousands
of iTV-related links are included. Price: $ 55.00.
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/marketplace.htm
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Etronica helps you "Find the Good Stuff FAST!"
Etronica's unique software toolset enables "Interest Based Navigation" of
Digital Content. The Patent Pending software tools can be incorporated
directly into content websites and portals, installed in TV settop boxes
or integrated as OEM components. The tools drive the automatic tagging,
indexing, and categorization of text. A recommendation engine suggests
highly relevant new information to users as they interact. Personalized
advertising and commerce offerings can also be automatically served.
Contact us to learn more: info@etronica.com
http://www.etronica.com
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Digital Media Wire, Inc. leverages its integrated media network to provide
exceptional value to individuals and companies determined to capitalize on
the convergence of media, entertainment and technology. Digital Media
Wire, the first in a series of business-intelligence publications,
delivers original daily briefings on the business, legal and financial
developments shaping digital media.
Digital Media Wire is part of the Tech Wire Media Group, an international
network of publications that includes Potomac Tech Wire, New England Tech
Wire, Southeast Tech Wire, Bay Area Tech Wire, Tri-state Tech Wire and
European Tech Wire. The network reaches more than 62,000 individuals from
over 70 countries worldwide each business day.
Upcoming publications, events & information at:
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Questions, Comments & Suggestions to:
tinzar@digitalmediawire.com
News Tips, Scoops & Press Releases to:
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_____________________________________________
Editor: Mark Hefflinger
Chief Executive Officer: Ned Sherman
VP, Marketing and Events: Tinzar Than
Copyright 2003 Digital Media Wire, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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