Main Stories
o Report: AOL Plans New Web Browser, Content for Non-Subscribers
o Microsoft Releases Beta of Desktop Search Tool
o Sony Releases PSP Handheld Game in Japan Amid Lines at Retailers
o Mforma, Marvel Partner on Superhero Cell Phone Content
o MP3 Player Internet Radio Service Provider AudioFeast Raises $10 Million
o U.K. Film Industry Calls for Increased Govt. Action Against Piracy
o Vodafone Links Up with Boeing to Provide In-Flight Wi-Fi

o Briefly Noted: Distributed Computing Industry Association - anti-child pornography resource, XM Satellite Radio - Nasdaq 100 - GM, Def On Demand - Clear Channel Entertainment Television, MediaBay - HarperCollins, Loudeye - South Africa's Musica, Digeo - BendBroadband, Digital Lifestyles Group - Musicmatch, Roku - RealNetworks, Aspyr Media, Microsoft Internet Explorer - Mozilla Firefox
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Dulles, Va. -- Attempting to reinvest itself in the face of mounting subscriber losses, America Online is developing its own Web browser, expected to be available by early 2005, the Associated Press reported. The browser will be based on Microsoft's market-leading Internet Explorer, but include numerous new features, including several designed to drive traffic to AOL programming and products. Other features are expected to include tabbed browsing, which allows users to open new Web pages without having to open new windows, and enhanced security and search tools. The Associated Press also reported that AOL plans to open its exclusive music, sports and other content to non-subscribers, in a bid to grow profits through increased ad sales. AOL vice chairman Ted Leonsis told the AP that AOL estimates it will need to grow its monthly audience of Web surfers by 25% in the next five years to stay competitive. The open access version of AOL.com is expected to launch next year.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?M2C31240A
http://www.salon.com/tech/wire/2004/12/12/aol/index.html 
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o Microsoft Releases Beta of Desktop Search Tool

Redmond, Wash. -- Setting the stage for a battle with rivals Google and Yahoo, Microsoft on Monday released a beta version of its new MSN Toolbar Suite, which contains technology that lets users search the contents of their own computers more efficiently. The desktop search tool will find numerous types of documents, media files and email messages, including Outlook Contacts and PowerPoint files. Last week, Yahoo announced plans to release desktop search software in January, while Google's desktop search has been available since October. Microsoft said a full version of its desktop search tool is expected to be released globally next year.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/041213/sfm104_1.html 
http://tinyurl.com/4ouco 
http://beta.toolbar.msn.com 
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o Sony Releases PSP Handheld Game in Japan Amid Lines at Retailers

Tokyo -- Japanese gamers waited in lines outside Tokyo retailers overnight this weekend for the chance to purchase one of a limited supply of 200,000 of Sony's new PlayStation Portable (PSP) handheld game console, Reuters reported. Sony's foray into the handheld gaming market, the PSP features a wireless Internet connection and plays movies and music in addition to games. The PSP went on sale for a discounted price of $189 in Japan this weekend, although supplies will be limited, with Sony shipping only 500,000 units in Japan through the end of the year. The device is expected to face similar supply shortages when it goes on sale in the U.S. and Europe in early 2005. By contrast, Nintendo recently upped shipments for its DS handheld, which sold over 500,000 units in its first week on sale in Japan and 700,000 so far in North America. While Nintendo plans to have shipped 5 million DS handhelds worldwide by March 31, Sony has said it would have only 3 million PSP units on the market by the same time.
http://tinyurl.com/4lulz 
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=5918 
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o Mforma, Marvel Partner on Superhero Cell Phone Content

Los Angeles -- Mobile entertainment publisher Mforma Group announced on Monday that it has signed a multi-year licensing agreement with comic book publisher Marvel Enterprises, to create mobile applications featuring Marvel characters such as Spider-Man, The X-Men, The Fantastic Four and The Incredible Hulk. Financial terms were not disclosed. Under the deal, Los Angeles-based Mforma will co-publish mobile games based on Marvel characters with Activision. The deal includes games, images, ringtones, mobile comic books and community applications, in addition to the creation of Marvel Mobile, a branded wireless and online website that Mforma will host to provide information, promotions and links to Marvel's available content for cell phones. Mforma has content distribution agreements with more than 100 wireless operators in 39 countries. "Nothing like this has ever before been done in mobile," said Mforma CEO Daniel Kranzler. "Today, the market and mobile technology has matured to the point that a deal of this magnitude is possible."
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/041213/135261_1.html 
http://www.marvel.com 
http://www.mforma.com 
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o MP3 Player Internet Radio Service Provider AudioFeast Raises $10 Million

Mountain View, Calif. -- AudioFeast, a company that provides a portable Internet radio service for MP3 players, announced on Monday that it has raised $10 million in its first round of venture capital financing. Venture capital firm Mayfield led the investment round; Worldview Technology Partners and previous investors also participated. Launched in September, Mountain View, Calif.-based AudioFeast offers over 400 Internet radio stations, nationally syndicated shows and other content from 50 partners in an ad-free subscription service available on MP3 players made by iRiver, Rio, iRock, Creative Labs, Dell and RCA. Subscriptions to AudioFeast's portable Internet radio service start at $2.99 per month. The company said it will use the new funds to further advance its product and business development opportunities and enhance its sales efforts.
http://www.audiofeast.com 
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oU.K. Film Industry Calls for Increased Govt. Action Against Piracy

London -- A new anti-piracy report commissioned by the U.K. Film Council recommends that the U.K. government take a number of actions to stem film piracy in the U.K., whose black market for DVDs was estimated at over $770 million for 2003 and is expected to grow to $1.9 billion within three years. The report recommends cracking down on street market and car trunk sales of pirated movies, introducing stiffer financial penalties for copyright infringement, and making the act of camcording a movie in theaters a criminal offense. The report also calls for increased public awareness campaigns, and the development of improved security procedures within the film industry. Most of these steps have been undertaken to some degree in the U.S. by the Motion Picture Association of America. "As well as the Government taking the right steps to crack down on counterfeiters, it is important that the film industry learns the lessons of music piracy, and responds quickly to technological change by providing legitimate ways for consumers to download films from the Internet," said U.K. Film Council CEO John Woodward. The report will now be submitted to the U.K. government's Creative Industries Forum on Intellectual Property.
http://www.filmcouncil.org.uk 
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o Vodafone Links Up with Boeing to Provide In-Flight Wi-Fi

London -- Vodafone Group, the largest mobile network operator in the world, announced on Monday that it is working with the Boeing Company through business unit Connexion by Boeing to deliver in-flight Wi-Fi to business customers. Vodafone said the two companies would begin trials later this month and eventually negotiate a full partnership agreement if the trials are successful. "Following successful trials and Vodafone entering into a commercial agreement with us, Vodafone customers will be able to access the Connexion by Boeing service on equipped commercial flights as we introduce high-speed in-flight connectivity worldwide," said David Friedman, vice president of Marketing and Direct Sales for Connexion by Boeing. Vodafone said the service would most likely be available first on Germany's Lufthansa jets in Europe. All Nippon Airways, China Airlines, Japan Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines and Singapore Airlines will also start offering Connexion by Boeing in the near future, the company said.
http://www.msmobiles.com/o/news/00218.html 

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(Washington) The Distributed Computing Industry Association, a peer-to-peer file-sharing software industry trade group that includes Kazaa distributor Sharman Networks, on Monday launched a new website designed to inform consumers about child pornography on file-sharing networks. The "P2P Patrol" site aims to educate users on how to recognize, remove, and report individual instances of illegal child pornography they may accidentally come across online. The site also touts a program called Blockster from SMARTguard Software that provides blocking and monitoring of children's use of peer-to-peer networks.
http://www.dcia.info 
http://www.p2ppatrol.com

(Washington) XM Satellite Radio, a provider of satellite radio services with more than 2.5 million subscribers, said on Monday that it has been added to the Nasdaq-100 Index, which includes the 100 largest non-financial stocks listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market based on market capitalization. Hugh Panero, the president and CEO of XM, called the listing a "significant milestone" for the company, which currently holds about a 3-1 subscriber edge over satellite radio rival Sirius. Also on Monday, automaker GM said that it has signed up 1 million XM subscribers since it began offering the service in certain vehicles three years ago.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/041210/dcf031_1.html
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/041213/dem016_1.html 
http://gm.xmradio.com

(Los Angeles) Def On Demand, a unit of hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons' content production and distribution firm Simmons Lathan Media Group, announced on Monday that it has signed a two-year agreement with Clear Channel Entertainment Television. The companies will co-produce 12 music and fashion-related events that will be offered on DVD and through video-on-demand systems.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/041213/lam065_1.html 
http://www.clearchannel.com 
http://www.simmonslathan.com

(Cedar Knolls, N.J.) Spoken word audio content provider MediaBay announced on Monday that it has reached an agreement with HarperCollins Publishers, to offer downloadable audiobook editions of select HarperAudio and Caedmon audiobook titles. Beginning in early 2005, audiobook titles from Michael Crichton, Elmore Leonard and others will be available on MediaBay's partner, the MSN Music service.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/041213/nym007_1.html 
http://www.mediabay.com 
http://www.harperaudio.com

(Seattle) Loudeye, a provider of streaming song samples and other digital media services, announced on Monday that it has launched an online digital music store in South Africa for Musica, a leading retailer in the country. Seattle-based Loudeye's OD2 service created the custom-branded music store for Musica.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/041213/sfm022_1.html 
http://www.loudeye.com 
http://www.musica.co.za

(Kirkland, Wash.) Digeo, a developer of advanced software for digital TV set-top boxes, announced on Monday that its Moxi Media Center software is being deployed on Motorola Broadband Media Center devices by Oregon-based independent cable operator BendBroadband. The devices offer HDTV, a dual-tuner digital video recorder and other interactive features like video-on-demand. Kirkland, Wash.-based Digeo has also seen its software deployed by cable firms Adelphia, Charter and Comcast.
http://www.digeo.com 
http://www.bendbroadband.com

(Austin) Digital Lifestyles Group, a consumer electronics firm, said on Monday that it has partnered with Musicmatch, a provider of digital music subscription services and player software, to include support for Musicmatch on its hip-e, an entertainment-focused PC marketed to teens. Under the terms, Musicmatch Jukebox 9.0, which includes the company's on-demand streaming service, will be included on hip-e desktop and notebook computers.
http://www.musicmatch.com 
http://www.dig-life.com 
http://www.hip-e.com

(Palo Alto, Calif.) Consumer electronics firm Roku announced on Monday that it has released a free software upgrade for its Roku SoundBridge network music players that includes support for RealNetworks' Rhapsody digital music service. The home networking devices sell for between $199 and $499.
http://www.rokulabs.com

(Austin) Video game publisher Aspyr Media on Monday released a new game utility for Mac OS X users that allows them to quickly identify which games will run on their current system, and any necessary system upgrades for other games. The free Game Agent application informs whether a user's machine has the needed OS version, RAM size, video card and processor speed to support titles on a game by game basis.
http://www.aspyr.com/games.php/mac/aga

(San Francisco) The Mozilla Foundation, an open-source software development community, saw downloads of its Firefox Internet browser, a competitor for Microsoft's ubiquitous Internet Explorer, surpass 10 million this weekend, CNET News.com reported. Microsoft's share of the browser market has also dropped 5% since May and now stands at 88.9%, compared with a 5% rise in market share for Firefox, to 7.4%, according to data from Dutch market research firm OneStat.com.
http://tinyurl.com/6ludo 
http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox 
 
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