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July 19, 2004 -- About Us | Advertise | Events | Publications | Subscribe

Main Stories
o Apple Releases Cheaper iPods, Will Distribute iPods to Duke Freshmen
o French ISPs to Start Cutting Illegal Downloaders' Connections
o Napster Inks Deals With Six Schools for Campus Music Services
o New Microsoft Group to Foster Relationships with Media, Entertainment Firms
o Report: Demand for Paid Search Advertising Outpacing Supply
o Video Game Ad Network Massive Inc. Raises $5.5 Million
o Report: Fantasy Sports Sites Average 4.7 Million Users Monthly
o Virgin Launches Consumer Electronics Unit, Releases MP3 Player

 > DMW Announcements:
 --Future of Television: Next Generation - November 19, 2004

 > Featured Advertisement:
 --Billboard Digital Entertainment Conference & Awards - Nov. 4-5
 --New Media Attorney
 

o Briefly Noted: NCsoft - European subsidiary, Rentrak - Insight Communications, Sirius Satellite Radio - Mazda, Coding Technologies - DVD Forum, Gotuit Media - Kung Fu Records, Superscape - Fox's "Alien vs. Predator," Gameloft - Vijay Singh, Proteus - Tour de France, Arroyo Video Solutions, "Half-Life 2" - source code theft arrests
_____________________________________________

 
> Job/Event/Marketplace Classifieds:
--New Media Attorney
--Java Server Pages Developer
--Controller
--Database Programmer
--Branch Manage: Boston, Richmond, Reston, Chicago, L.A., San Jose, Minn.
--VP of Sales - Web Hosting / Internetworking / Telecom Services
--VP - Ignition Strategic Communications
--Audio Conference - Homeland Security Contracting - July 27
--Leverage the India Advantage -- For Your Data Needs 
--Strategy Firm Offers Customer Perception Study - $1,595 
 


o Apple Releases Cheaper iPods, Will Distribute iPods to Duke Freshmen

Cupertino, Calif. -- Apple on Monday introduced its fourth-generation line of iPod digital music players, which feature lower prices and a longer 12-hour battery life. The company knocked $100 off the price of its 20GB (now $299) and 40GB (now $399) models, and eliminated its 15GB model entirely. Apple also changed the control interface of its regular iPod to the same "click-wheel" functionality featured on its iPod mini devices. Separately, Apple announced a pilot program with Duke University that will distribute iPods to the school's 1,650 incoming freshman this year, and set up a version of iTunes that will allow students to access class schedules and information, in addition to buying songs. "We're approaching this as an experiment, one we hope will motivate our faculty and students to think creatively about using digital audio content and a mobile computing environment to advance educational goals in the same way that iPods and similar devices have had such a big impact on music distribution," said Duke vice president of information technology Tracy Futhey.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040719/sfm060_1.html 
http://makeashorterlink.com/?W2B5567D8 
http://www.apple.com/ipod         
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o French ISPs to Start Cutting Illegal Downloaders' Connections

Paris -- An agreement between French Internet service providers (ISPs) and the local music industry may allow government authorities to pull the plug on people who download music illegally, according to French news daily Liberation. Spearheaded by the French Ministries of Industry, Culture and Finance, the agreement could be signed as early as this week, Liberation said. If the agreement is approved, record labels monitoring peer-to-peer (P2P) networks would be able to file complaints about specific repeat offenders. In turn, a judge would be able to order an ISP to shut down that individual's Internet connection. Studies show that file-sharing is becoming increasingly popular despite the efforts of the international music recording industry. According to the OECD Information Technology Outlook 2004, the number of people using P2P networks to download music, movies, images, games and software from the Internet increased by 30% compared to the same period last year.
http://www.liberation.fr/page.php?Article=223837     
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o Napster Inks Deals With Six Schools for Campus Music Services

Los Angeles -- Napster, the digital music service unit of Roxio, announced on Monday that it has signed agreements with six schools to offer campus digital music services. The new deals with Cornell, George Washington University, Middlebury College, the University of Miami, USC and Wright State will complement Napster's existing agreements with Penn State University and the University of Rochester. Napster did not disclose whether students will be paying for the basic service as part of their tuition, but they will be charged $0.99 to burn tracks to CD or transfer them to portable players. Some schools will utilize Napster and IBM's "Super Peer" application, which caches the most popular Napster content on on-site IBM servers managed remotely by Napster. "Penn State's students have been thrilled with the Napster experience, downloading as many as 100,000 songs each day," said Penn State president Graham Spanier. "We see our Napster implementation as central to our effort to create a more student-centered university while at the same time offering an alternative to music piracy and copyright infringement."
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040719/nym056_1.html 
http://www.napster.com  
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o New Microsoft Group to Foster Relationships with Media, Entertainment Firms

Redmond, Wash. -- Microsoft on Monday announced the formation of a new group within the company that will focus on developing relationships with the media and entertainment industries. The company said its new Media/Entertainment & Technology Convergence Group will "consolidate and drive the company's strategies for the digital convergence of home entertainment technologies, personal computing and media, particularly in the areas of business and market development, technical and IP policy, and industry-standards initiatives." Microsoft named Blair Westlake, former chairman of the Universal Television & Networks Group, as corporate vice president of the new group. The company said the new group will lobby for Microsoft on issues such as content-protection, digital rights management and media format standards in Washington.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040719/sfm073a_1.html  
____________________________________________

o Report: Demand for Paid Search Advertising Outpacing Supply

New York -- Despite the emergence of companies like Yahoo's Overture, the growth in demand for paid search advertising outpaces growth in supply, according to new research from Nielsen/NetRatings, a provider of Internet audience measurement services. The lack of supply is leading to higher prices and threatening to slow the growth of search advertising, the firm said, adding that the problem can be mitigated with continued investment in technologies aimed at improving the relevancy of search results. "Conversations with several advertisers reveal that, even with recent increases in price, search engine advertising is still cost effective," said Ken Cassar, the director of strategic analysis at Nielsen//NetRatings. "However, if prices continue to rise, this will not indefinitely be the case. The low hanging search opportunities are nearly picked over." Americans generated 1.2 billion search sessions during May, a 30% rise from the year before.
http://www.nielsen-netratings.com/pr/pr_040719.pdf  
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o Video Game Ad Network Massive Inc. Raises $5.5 Million

New York -- Massive Inc., a developer of in-game video game advertising, announced on Monday that it has raised $5.5 million in its oversubscribed second round of venture capital financing. Draper Fisher Jurvetson Gotham led the investment round; RRE Ventures and existing investors Tobat Capital and Newlight Associates also participated. New York-based Massive plans to launch its video game advertising network in October, which will initially serve ads to 10 online game titles from publishers including Konami and Ubisoft.
http://www.massiveincorporated.com 
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o Report: Fantasy Sports Sites Average 4.7 Million Users Monthly

Reston, Va. -- Over 7 million Americans -- or about 5% of all U.S. Internet users -- visited online fantasy sports websites in October, and an average of 4.7 million users monthly visit the fantasy sports sections on Yahoo, Sportsline and ESPN, according to data from comScore Media Metrix. Users spent an average of 93 minutes at these sites per month, and viewed an average of 219 pages. The report found that football is the most popular fantasy sports game, and that Yahoo Sports draws nearly three times the monthly audience of its nearest competitor, boasting 3.1 million users per month as compared to ESPN (950,000) and Sportsline (930,000).
http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=485 
____________________________________________

o Virgin Launches Consumer Electronics Unit, Releases MP3 Player

San Jose, Calif. -- Virgin Electronics, a new consumer electronics development unit of the company funded by Richard Branson's Virgin Group, announced on Monday the opening of its new offices in Silicon Valley, and the launch of its first product, the silver-dollar sized Virgin Electronics Wearable 128MB MP3 Player. The company, which relocated from New York to attract Silicon Valley talent, named former Handspring and Creative Labs executive Greg Woock as CEO, and former Palm and Handspring executive Joe Sipher as senior vice president of marketing. Virgin Electronics' new $99 MP3 player, which will be sold at retail chain Target, weighs just half an ounce and was designed to be worn around the neck or arm.
http://www.virginelectronics.com 

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 > DMW Events:

Future of Television Forum: Next Generation
November 19, 2004  |  New York City

www.televisionconference.com
Phone Registration Available Now
323-822-0936

OVERVIEW
Last year 370+ attended Future of Television Forum, which included keynotes from Mark Cuban (Chairman, HDNet / Owner, Dallas Mavericks), Joshua Sapan (President & CEO Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc.), and David Zaslav (President, NBC Cable). This year's event is scheduled for November 19, 2004 at NYU's Stern School of Business and will feature an impressive line-up of speakers and cutting-edge topics focused on the "Next Generation" of television.

REGISTRATION
Early Bird: $195 (until August 31)
Pre-Registration: $295
(until November 12)
Registration: $395 (after November 12 & at Door)
Online Registration: http://kb.digitalmediawire.com/register.php?eventid=1074

Phone: 323-822-0936


To submit speakers for or request information about exhibiting or sponsoring at the 2004 conferences, please contact Tinzar Than, VP, Marketing & Events, Digital Media Wire, Inc. at: tinzar@digitalmediawire.com.
 

Past Events | Sponsorship Materials | Partners & Clients
 

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> Featured Advertisement:

> Billboard Digital Entertainment Conference & Awards, November 4-5 

The Billboard Digital Entertainment Awards honor this vision, along with innovation, entrepreneurship and brand development in digital entertainment.

With awards in 30 unique categories honoring achievements involving games, music and film, television and video, Billboard recognizes the cutting-edge developments and forward thinkers shaping the future of entertainment.

The Conference will feature provocative panel sessions on current digital entertainment issues. For a complete list of speakers, panel and keynote addresses, visit the site below. Early bird registration ends August 31st!

For more information, please call 323-822-0936 or visit www.digitalentertainmentawards.com

For online awards submissions, conference registrations and purchasing Awards Gala Dinner tickets, please click here.

Deadline for Submissions: September 15, 2004

Conference & Awards Show: November 4 and 5, 2004

AWARDS CATEGORIES
(click here for category descriptions)
AWARDS ENTRY FORM
(click here to download entry form)

> New Media Attorney

The online division of a multimedia global entertainment company has an exciting career opportunity for a New Media attorney with 4-6 years prior legal experience. In this key role, you will provide counseling and transactional support to various business units of the online division and work with the corporate legal department to monitor and enforce the company's editorial standards and protect its intellectual property. Primary responsibilities will include the drafting and negotiating of a wide variety of agreements related to: content development and distribution working closely with international group on a range of international Internet, broadband and wireless distribution agreements, strategic partnerships, vendor and technology service providers, advertising, marketing, and other commercial matters.

The successful candidate will have a JD with a minimum of 4-6 years prior legal experience with an emphasis on intellectual property and commercial transactions. An Internet background and in-house experience preferred. Must have excellent communication and organization skills, as well as the ability to problem solve in a business-friendly, creative manner. Looking for a fast-moving, sharp attorney with the ability to provide high quality legal support.

For immediate consideration, send your resume AND salary requirements to: Legalres58@yahoo.com.
 

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o Briefly Noted:

(London) Korean video game developer NCsoft announced on Monday the creation of a European subsidiary in London, which will benefit from a $6 million investment from the parent company. NCsoft, which distributes the "Lineage" massively multiplayer online game, plans to launch "Lineage II" and "City of Heroes" in Europe by the end of 2004.
http://www.ncsoft.net

(Portland, Ore.) Cable TV operator Insight Communications said on Monday that it has partnered with Rentrak, a provider of video industry data, to launch a video-on-demand audience measurement service. Testing of the OnDemand Essentials service will begin in September in the 12 markets in which Insight offers video-on-demand; the company serves a total of 1.4 million subscribers.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040719/sfm098_1.html 
http://www.insight-com.com 
http://www.rentrak.com

(New York) Sirius Satellite Radio, a provider of satellite-delivered digital radio programming, said on Monday that carmaker Mazda will make Sirius a dealer-installed option on a number of 2005 model Mazda vehicles, and a standard feature on its limited production Tribute model.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040719/nym141_1.html 
http://www.siriusradio.com

(Mountain View, Calif.) Coding Technologies, a developer of audio compression technology, announced on Monday that industry standards group the DVD Forum selected its High-Efficiency AAC codec -- also known as MPEG-4 aacPlus -- for its DVD Audio specifications. The company also said that patent licenses for its HE AAC are now available through the MPEG-4 Audio patent pool.
http://www.dvdforum.org 
http://www.codingtechnolgies.com

(Boston) Gotuit Media, a provider of video-on-demand software, said on Monday that it partnered with independent record label Kung Fu Records to offer music videos on-demand from, Kung Fu artists such as The Ataris and Ozma, to cable TV operators. Massachusetts-based Gotuit said a trial of the service is currently underway with a major cable operator.
http://www.gotuit.com/press/releases/071904.html 
http://www.kungfurecords.com

(Hook, England) Superscape Group, a developer of mobile games and 3D game technology, on Monday said it signed a licensing agreement with 20th Century Fox Licensing and Merchandising, to develop a 3D wireless game based on "Alien versus Predator," a Fox film due for release in August.
http://www.superscape.com

(Paris) Mobile game developer Gameloft said that it has signed pro golfer and PGA Tour money leader Vijay Singh to be the cover athlete for its "Vijay Singh Real Golf 2005" title, due for release in the fourth quarter of 2004.
http://www.gameloft.com/en/shop.php?press1=257

(Silver Spring, Md.) Wireless entertainment publisher Proteus said that it partnered with The Discovery Channel to provide daily updates about Lance Armstrong and the U.S. Postal Service Team during the 2004 Tour de France to mobile phone users in the U.S. and Europe. The updates will be sent via SMS and are available for $1.99 to AT&T and Verizon Wireless users.
http://proteus.com/about/news_archive/000048.jsp

(Pleasanton, Calif.) Arroyo Video Solutions, a provider of digital video delivery technology to cable TV and telecommunications firms, announced on Monday that it has named Kim Kelley, former president of cable TV operator Insight Communications, as its new president and CEO. Pleasanton, Calif.-based Arroyo provides video-on-demand, transactional advertising, e-commerce and other iTV applications to its customers.
http://www.arroyo.tv/press_releases/07-19-2004.html

(London) U.K. newspaper The Guardian recently reported on the efforts undertaken by the FBI, Scotland Yard, German authorities and the online gaming community to investigate the theft of source code for the anticipated PC game "Half-Life 2" from developer Valve Software. Valve said that hardcore gamers sent the company thousands of pieces of evidence to help catch the hackers, which were combined with law enforcement efforts that resulted in the arrests of several suspects in Germany and other countries. "Fairly quickly after the source code was leaked, we sent out mail to the gaming community appealing for assistance in tracking down the perpetrators…and amassed thousands of pieces of evidence in a few days," Valve managing director Gabe Newell told The Guardian.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/online/story/0,3605,1260989,00.html 
http://www.half-life2.com
 
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> Classifieds -- Ad Postings

> New Media Attorney

The online division of a multimedia global entertainment company has an exciting career opportunity for a New Media attorney with 4-6 years prior legal experience.  For more information, see  Featured Advertisement.
_________________

> Java Server Pages Developer

Internet security product and services company is seeking an experienced JSP developer to join our product development team. Ideal candidate should be team/people oriented and clearable to Top Secret. 3 plus yrs of exp. in JSP, Java, and Oracle. Competitive salary, bonus, benefits, and stock options are available. Please send your resume and compensation requirements to careers@trustintegration.com  or contact Tri Phan at (703) 684-4845 or tphan@trustedintegration.com
_________________

> Controller

Join a well-established non-profit organization downtown DC as their Controller. This position will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the accounting department and financial reporting for the organization. This person will also provide monthly financial reports for the CFO's review, and will ensure compliance with all Federal and state reporting requirements. Qualified candidates will have: Bachelor's degree in accounting or equivalent, five or more years of nonprofit accounting experience, CPA required, proficient working with computerized accounting systems and spreadsheets, maintains the ability to fulfill all accounting functions during the absence of the Accounting Assistant, ability to develop and monitor budgets, experience hiring and supervising other employees. Please send resume to kstephens@hirestrategy.com  or visit http://www.hirestrategy.com/quicklinks/hire202.asp
_________________

> Database Programmer 

Judy Diamond Associates, a leading provider of employee benefits databases located near the McPherson Square Metro station, is looking for a database and Internet savvy programmer to assemble its products. Candidates must be able to learn quickly, self-start, and follow through on projects without supervision. Two years experience and proficiency with FoxPro, Microsoft Excel, and SQL preferred. Candidates must demonstrate excellent communication skills and a thorough knowledge of database and Internet technologies. Benefits include competitive salary, 401(k), and health. E-mail resume to dcole@judydiamond.com, or fax 202-728-0845 (no phone calls, please).
_________________

> Branch Manage: Boston, Richmond, Reston, Chicago, L.A., San Jose, Minn.

Aquent, a global leader in the IT staffing industry, is seeking an experienced branch manager who has experience acting as a "player/coach" responsible for individual sales quotas, managing the day-to-day activities of the sales and recruiting staff, setting performance expectations, and assisting with the sales and recruiting process. We are looking for a seasoned manager who has experience developing deep relationships with clients. Candidates should also have several years of sales experience in the IT staffing industry, branch or regional management experience, and a track record in the local area Please email your resume to lisas@ren-network.com  Please visit http://www.aquent.com  for company information
_________________

> VP of Sales - Web Hosting / Internetworking / Telecom Services

XIF is an 8-year old Internetworking Solutions firm. We are a small firm with a start-up mentality, but with the luxury of having been a profitable entity since 1997 with a strong customer base and a stable source of revenue. We are currently seeking to hire a VP of Sales. We view this position as a critical component to our future growth, and are looking for a true equity partner. We are looking for someone with 8+ years experience in sales and sales management, preferably in Web Hosting and/or Telecom. Send inquiries to jobs@xif.com.
_________________

> VP - Ignition Strategic Communications

Ignition Strategic Communications is a fast-paced, fast-growing independently owned communications consulting firm with offices in Washington, D.C. and Austin, Texas. The firm has a reputation for delivering sophisticated, highly successful public relations and public affairs campaigns. Ignition seeks talented people with at least a decade of experience. Ideal candidates will have hands-on experience media relations and PR experience, management know-how and entrepreneurial expertise in growing a full-service agency. Journalism experience useful. Competitive salary and benefits. Send resumes to mediarelationsjob@hotmail.com.  No phone calls, please.
_________________

> Audio Conference - Homeland Security Contracting - July 27

Spending on homeland security is growing at an unprecedented pace at state, local and federal levels. During its first year, the Department of Homeland Security signed over 18,500 contracts for goods and services from US companies of all sizes. Join the Institute of Management and Administration (IOMA) and our panel of contracting experts in this 90-minute audio telephone conference to find out how proper marketing and product strategy can make all the difference in your DHS bid. Click the link below for information and to register: http://www.homeland-directory.com/contracting.html
_________________

> Leverage the India Advantage -- For Your Data Needs

DC-based outsourcing firm String Information Services offers online data collection & telephone verification solutions from its operations centers in India. String guarantees 30%-50% cost savings, world-class quality and quick turn-around. Our marquee client list includes firms from all over North America. To learn more, and to set up a free trial, contact Prashant Kothari at 1-888-3STRING, Box 702 or marketing@stringinfo.com
_________________

> Strategy Firm Offers Customer Perception Study - $1,595

How likely is it you will continue to purchase products/services from us? What can we do to earn more of your business? Would you recommend our products /services to a colleague? For a limited time, capture these and other critical customer perception indicators with Velociti Partners' Customer Perception Study for only $1,595 USD. This is not a canned service - Velociti will work directly with your team to develop the focus and methodology to capture important data that is currently slipping through the cracks. Contact sales@velocitipartners.com  today to discuss the opportunity with one of our consultants.
 
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Digital Media Wire, Inc. is a news organization, publisher and events company serving the digital media industry since May 2000. Our daily newsletter delivers original briefings on business, legal and financial developments shaping digital media and read by over 30,000 executives and professionals. To subscribe for free, please click here.

Digital Media Wire, Inc. is part of the Tech Wire Media Group, an international network of publications that includes Digital Media Law Report, 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 70,000 individuals from over 70 countries each business day.

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