Top Stories
o WSJ: EBay in Talks with Microsoft & Yahoo about Google
o CNET News.com: Gonzales Calls for Mandatory Web Labeling Law
o Apple Faces Tough Questioning during Final Arguments of Trade Secrets Case
o NY Times: CBS Radio and XM Satellite Considering Content-Sharing Deal
o WSJ: Microsoft Hires IAC Exec To Head Up MSN
o Business 2.0: AOL Rumored to be Preparing to Launch “MySpace Killer”

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Briefly Noted
o Nintendo, AOL Announce First-to-Play Sweepstakes
o MobilePro to Build Wireless Network for Yuma, Arizona
o CTIA Calls for Wireless Users to Recycle Phones
o Jajah Raises Second Round; Looks Toward Asian Expansion
o HP Hires Former Disney Exec as HR Chief of Imaging and Printing Group
o NFL MVP Shaun Alexander Selected for Cover of EA's Madden NFL 07
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San Jose, Calif. - The Wall Street Journal reported today that eBay has been in talks with both Yahoo and Microsoft to determine if either party might be a suitable ally against Google. The front-page article reveals that eBay first became alarmed when Google launched Google Base, a classified-advertising service, last year, which directly competes with eBay’s offerings. EBay spokesperson Chris Donlay remarked “Given how fast the Internet changes, it’s no surprise that the line between competition and cooperation is sometimes blurry”. The story also cites a study conducted by McKinsey in 2003 on behalf of eBay that concluded that Google would not use its search capabilities to enter the e-commerce space. Today, one eBay insider confessed that getting closer to Google would be similar to “letting the fox into the henhouse”.
http://tinyurl.com/p9ftk
http://base.google.com
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o CNET News.com: Gonzales Calls for Mandatory Web Labeling Law

San Francisco - CNET News.com on Thursday reported that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales remarked at an event that a mandatory rating system will "prevent people from inadvertently stumbling across pornographic images on the Internet". The Bush administration's proposal, called the Child Pornography and Obscenity Prevention Amendments of 2006, would require commercial websites to place warning labels, to be developed by the FTC, on sexually explicit pages, or risk imprisonment of up to five years. The proposal also addresses website operators that mislead visitors about the content of their sites in search engines results. Historically, online publishers have been resistant to self-imposed rating systems due to the vague and imprecise nature of content labeling and filtering.
http://tinyurl.com/epba6
http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/speeches/2006/ag_speech_0604201.html
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o Apple Faces Tough Questioning during Final Arguments of Trade Secrets Case

San Jose, Calif. -- Apple’s attorney faced tough questions from a three-judge panel of California’s 6th District Court of Appeal in San Jose during final arguments in Apple Computer Inc. v. Does, a case that could determine the extent to which online journalists are entitled to protect the identity of their sources. According to reports from CNET News.com, the presiding judge, Conrad Rushing, questioned whether the information at issue represented a genuine trade secret as well as whether journalists' right to protect their sources outweigh Apple's right to protect its trade secrets. The appeal involves a suit filed by Apple in Santa Clara County Superior Court claiming that its trade secrets had been compromised when confidential information about an unreleased Apple product code-named "Asteroid" was published on the "Power Page" web site. Last year, the lower court ruled that certain ISPs had to turn over to Apple the email records of three journalists who published stories on the site on grounds that the leak constitutes a trade-secret violation. Attorneys with digital rights group the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), representing the journalists, appealed that ruling. The outcome of this case is important as it could alter journalists’ rights to protect confidential sources and allow companies to more easily determine the origin of supposed trade secret leaks. The Court is expected to return a decision within 90 days.
http://tinyurl.com/fwezj
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1952224,00.asp
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o NY Times: CBS Radio and XM Satellite Considering Content-Sharing Deal

New York – The New York Times reports that CBS Radio and XM Satellite Radio are discussing a possible deal that would split Opie and Anthony, the foul-mouthed talk show team that has been a top talent on XM for the last 18 months, between satellite and terrestrial stations. According to executives at the two companies, the deal under consideration would provide that for three hours each weekday, the duo would do a cleaner version of their show for both the CBS and XM audiences, which would be produced in the Midtown Manhattan studios of WFNY (92.3 FM), a CBS station. Then, they would produce an additional two hours, unrestrained, of the show at the XM studios exclusively for the XM audience. As part of the deal, the two would be allowed to use the end of the CBS show to plug the XM program. Opie and Anthony would replace David Lee Roth, who has struggled with low ratings since being tapped by CBS to replace Howard Stern when he left for Sirius earlier this year. The deal is being watched closely by radio executives and analysts, who are speculating that the deal may be an indication of more content-sharing deals between terrestrial and satellite radio to come.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/21/business/media/21radio.html
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o WSJ: Microsoft Hires IAC Exec To Head Up MSN

Redmond, WA - The Wall Street Journal announced on Friday that Microsoft has hired Steve Berkowitz, a top executive from IAC/InterActiveCorp to head MSN, Microsoft’s Internet portal and search business. An official announcement is expected to be made in the coming week. The move is viewed to be part of Microsoft’s overall efforts to better compete with Google. Berkowitz currently serves as chief executive of IAC's search business, which includes Ask.com. He will succeed David Cole, who Microsoft announced last month will take a leave of absence from the company starting in May. IAC confirmed Berkowitz's departure.
http://tinyurl.com/r5gxz
http://www.iac.com
http://www.msn.com
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o Business 2.0: AOL Rumored to be Preparing to Launch “MySpace Killer”

San Francisco - Business 2.0 reported on an April 19 post at Download Squad alleging that AOL program manager Armughan Javaid has confirmed the existence of AOL's “MySpace killer”, claiming the service "will be open for non-members, and it will be kick-ass!" There has been much speculation that AOL plans to use its AIM instant messenger as a platform to enter the social networking market. In March, the B2Day blog reported that AOL is working on a project, codenamed "AIMSpace", expected to launch in mid-April.
http://tinyurl.com/mh9tl
http://money.cnn.com/2006/04/20/technology/business2_browser0420/
http://news.com.com/2061-11199_3-6063865.html

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2006 Digital Entertainment & Media Directory - 1,000+ Company Profiles

Digital Media Wire's d

Musicane empowers content owners to market, promote and distribute their audio, video and ringtones. Using our marketing tools and payment processing owners can sell their content directly from their own website or from one of their different community profiles. Musicane houses the digital content and reports real time sales to Nielsen Soundscan. To learn more about Musicane, visit www.musicane.com.
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o Nintendo, AOL Announce First-to-Play Sweepstakes

Redmond, WA - Nintendo and AOL announced a First-to-Play sweepstakes to promote Nintendo’s new Revolution game console. The winner of the contest will not only be the first consumer to use the new platform, but will also appear on stage to experience the new console in front of thousands of top industry insiders and reporters on May 9, prior to the start of E3, the video game industry’s largest event. "No consumer has ever played this new Nintendo system before," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "But more importantly, no one has ever interacted with video games in this way before." Shaped like a remote control, the device allows users to direct the action on the television screen through the motion of the controller itself. People can enter the sweepstakes between April 21 and April 28.
www.aol.com/nintendo-first-to-play
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060420/lath114.html?.v=32
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o MobilePro to Build Wireless Network for Yuma, Arizona

Bethesda, Md. - MobilePro, a Bethesda, Maryland-based provider of wireless broadband services, said that it has been picked to design and operate a new wireless network for the city of Yuma, Arizona. The network will initially cover a portion of the city's 106 square miles, enabling a range of subscription high-speed data, voice and video services. MobilePor said that the services will be offered in a variety of increments, from annual to by the hour. All Wi-Fi-enabled devices will have free access to the network's landing page, which will contain information about the service and instructions on how to connect. MobilePro already serves three other cities in Arizona.
http://www.hawkassociates.com/mobilepro/mobilepro212.htm
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o CTIA Calls for Wireless Users to Recycle Phones

Washington, DC - With Earth Day taking place on Saturday, wireless association CTIA has issued the call for all wireless consumers to recycle their used wireless products. The organization said that many wireless carriers have take-back programs to recover retired wireless products, and all of them will accept wireless products from other networks. Manufacturers also include prepaid mailing envelopes in the box of their new phones, giving consumers a free way to recycle their old phones, with web-based retailers of wireless phones offering similar programs. "Today, every major wireless carrier retail store across the country will collect and recycle all makes and models of wireless phones, accessories and chargers," said Steve Largent, president of the CTIA. "This is an incredibly simple and consumer-friendly process, and we want every wireless consumer in America to take part in it." Since launching in 1999, The Wireless Foundation's Call To Protect program has collected over 2.5 million phones, provided over $3 million in funding for domestic violence agencies and kept over 200 tons of retired electronics out of landfills.
http://www.ctia.org/news_media/press/body.cfm?record_id=1605
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o Jajah Raises Second Round; Looks Toward Asian Expansion

Menlo Park, CA - Jajah, a Menlo Park-based provider of Internet telephone services, said that it has raised an undisclosed amount in its second round of funding, led by Globespan Capital. The company said that Globespan's work in the Asian market will help it to expand beyond the U.S. and Europe. Venky Ganesan, the managing director of Globespan Capital, said that beyond the financing, Jajah will gain "solid connections with leading companies across Japan, Korea, China and India." This announcement follows Jajah's recent deal to integrate its service within Opera browsers and the Symbian operating system. The service connects users phone-to-phone, with the Internet used only to initiate the call.
http://www.jajah.com
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060419/nyw042.html?.v=46
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o HP Hires Former Disney Exec as HR Chief of Imaging and Printing Group

Palo Alto, CA - Hewlett-Packard on Friday named John Renfro, the head of human resources at The Walt Disney Company, to lead human resources for its Imaging and Printing Group (IPG). Renfro will serve as a vice president of the group, which reported revenue of $25 billion last fiscal year. He previously spent four years at Disney, serving as senior vice president and chief human resources officer. He previously oversaw human resources at Gateway and Zenith and held senior HR positions at Ameritech and A.C. Nielsen.
http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2006/060421a.html
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o NFL MVP Shaun Alexander Selected for Cover of EA's Madden NFL 07

Redwood City, CA -  Electronic Arts announced today that NFL MVP and NFC Champion running back Shaun Alexander will appear on the cover of Madden NFL 07, the latest version of EA’s best-selling football franchise. Last year’s edition sold more than six million copies. Madden NFL is entering its 17th year, having sold more than 51 million copies. Developed by Orlando-based EA Tiburon, Madden NFL 07 will be available in August on the following platforms: Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, GameCube, Nintendo DS, PC, PSP, and Game Boy Advance.
http://www.info.ea.com/news/pr/pr765.pdf
www.madden07.com
 

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