Archive for the ‘ Internet ’ Category

ESPN W

ESPN is making a splash with its recently launched website. This past Monday, the company launched a site specifically catered to one demographic: Women. The site is espnW.com and its success will determine whether or not it survives.

According to BusinessInsider.com, the site will be in the format of a running blog, covering all spectrums of the sporting-world and tips for running and fitness training.

This experiment appears to be a sign of the times. The internet age has brought with it a new business model, one that tailors itself to the appeals of its consumers. But how successful can a site like this really be? With about 76 percent of ESPN’s followers being male, it would seem a female inspired  website wouldn’t have much of an impact on revenue. However, should it be a success, look for competitors to follow suit.

2010
12/09
CATEGORY
Internet
Sports
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…And You’re Done.

According to Bloomberg News, Google is again making a splash in a new business venture. The company is reportedly preparing an online book store, to be released in 2011 in the U.S. and internationally.

The move pits Google in direct competition with the current e-book leader, Amazon.com, which in the early parts of this year  controlled around 90 percent of the e-book market.

Analysts estimate that over the next five years, that dominance in sales will decrease to around 35 percent of the market, a sharp decline.  

A decline of that magnitude could be catastrophic for Amazon, and it appears the based solely off of Google’s popularity, the proposed concept will be a major success.

It appears yet again, that Google is flexing its muscle and moving in on enemy territory with the goal of competing with Apple and its increasingly popular iPad.

What does this mean for competition? Has Google taken control of yet another medium, perhaps dooming print and online competitors once its bookstore launches? Or, will the announcement spur a change in the business, prompting Amazon to make changes or leave its fate in the grips of Google.

2010
12/03
CATEGORY
Internet
Technology
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Google Attempting to Revamp YouTube?

Is it possible that YouTube may re-style itself in the near-future? It might be. Google is in talks with Filmyard Holdings, the company purchasing Miramax from Disney, in a potential deal to gain digital rights to content.

According to the New York Post, nothing is close to being finalized yet since Filmyard’s purchase hasn’t even gone through because of financial tie-ups.

Google’s interest in the film rights suggest that perhaps they would like to recreate YouTube as a site featuring much longer content than currently available.

The question is: If movies will be able to be viewed on YouTube and longer content will be loadable, what’s next? Will the live-stream service go hand-in-hand with this content extension? Could it be that television will soon be replaced by YouTube, news and all?

2010
11/22
CATEGORY
Internet
Technology
Uncategorized
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TVGuide.com Teams Up with Facebook

According to a report from Bloomberg.com, yet another broadcast oriented company is jumping on the social network bandwagon: TVGuide.com

 The site, owned by a Lions Gate Entertainment Corp., now allows users to create personal lists of prefered programming and share it with the world through, you guessed it, Facebook. Users will be able to tell friends what they are watching and post comments on their Facebook accounts.

Exposure is the goal behind the platform. Companies are realizing the magnitude of sites like Facebook, and rather than competing they’re using the site to their advantage.

With over 12.9 users registered on TVGuide.com it would make sense that Facebook would only enhance the viewership of shows and the site itself. This is obviously another example of just how personalized the Internet has made almost every aspect of the media. Companies are enlisting unsuspecting people to promote their products for free using social media, and it’s working wonderfully.

Bravo big business, bravo. You win again.

2010
11/22
CATEGORY
Internet
Television
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JohnDoe@facebook.com?

Google and Yahoo both feature e-mail and chat features. Add Facebook to that list after their Monday announcement at the Web2.0 convention in San Francisco. According to a report from SFGate.com, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduced a new messaging system for the social networking giant.

 The next-generation “modern messaging system” will incorporate e-mail, instant messages and text messaging. With over 500 million users and counting this can only bring good things for Facebook. Google and Amazon are the only two sites ahead of Facebook in terms of power on the Web, and adding a revamped messaging system will only attract more users.

The real question for Facebook is:What’s next? With the continuing growth in popularity, how else will Facebook connect its users with the rest of the world? Could they in fact follow the Google model, with a Facebook TV next in line, or some sort of news service? It’s not likely at this time, but who knows what the future holds.

2010
11/15
CATEGORY
Internet
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Cloudy With a Chance of Music…

According to multiple sources, tomorrow Apple Inc. will once again revolutionize the technology industry. The company’s homepage features a message that leaves many to speculate just how big this announcement will be: “Tomorrow is just another day. That you’ll never forget.”

MercuryNews.com reports that the announcement may have something to do with the popular iTunes service. Apple may be getting ready to unveil a “cloud computing” system for the popular music service. With this step Apple will continue its dominance over a tech-industry in which it seems to set the standards.

Could it be that the iTunes “cloud” is just a stepping-stone for a bigger plan Apple has? Will they be able to revolutionize information gathering and storage by integrating this feature into the iPad?  Perhaps this innovation will spillover into the news media industry, further signaling an end to print news. Continue reading →

2010
11/15
CATEGORY
Internet
Technology
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World Series on the Web

For those of you who don’t live under a rock, you may recall a skirmish between Cablevision and News Corp. over retransmission fees for Fox programming.  Nearly two weeks after News Corp. pulled its channels from Cablevision, blacking out over 3 million subscribers, the two companies came to a haphazard agreement. 

But, during those hellish two weeks a very important sporting event just so happened to be slated to be televised on Fox: the Major League Baseball playoffs. The National League Championship Series was blacked out, then came the World Series. Would the most important seven games in baseball be blacked-out for a portion of the country?

Well, for the first two games that was the case, but behind the scenes Cablevision was working hard to rectify the problem however they could. Before the start of the Series, reports surfaced of attempts to get  “government entities and non-profits to consider the copyright exemption that would allow [Cablevision] to retransmit the World Series for free over the Internet.”

Could it be that in the midst of a change in mediums for media the broadcast companies would find an ally in the Web. It doesn’t seem likely, but could companies such as News Corp. and their bully techniques be threatened by an alliance such as this proposed one?

2010
11/03
CATEGORY
Internet
Sports
Uncategorized
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TV? What’s That?

 

This past Wednesday, President Barack Obama made an appearance on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” hosted by comedian/cult icon Jon Stewart. While the interview itself was unprecedented, the way viewers watched was equally unique. According to a report from the New York Post’s website, and Comedy Central officials the interview was a massive hit, on the Internet.

In comparison to the number of views for a typical “Daily Show” episode, President Obama’s interview garnered nearly three times the views, and nearly a million total, combined with segmented clips and the full length episode.

Videos on the internet aren’t new. Clips or full-length episodes aren’t either, but is a trend emerging? Are people consciously choosing to forgo watching television in favor of Internet viewing? The internet seems to be gaining steam in terms of viewership and accessibility for the masses. With sites such as Hulu and YouTube, offering clips and episodes along with TV station sites offering the same, the use for a television seems to be shrinking.

 Could it be the beginning of the end for the beloved TV? Stay tuned, or, just go online and check later.

2010
11/01
CATEGORY
Internet
News
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HTML 5: Let the Tracking Begin.

Maintaining your privacy on the Internet may get a whole lot harder in the upcoming years. The development of the fifth version of Hypertext Markup Language — HTML 5 — used to create websites has exposed a problem. Sure it will become the premier way to web surf and will revolutionize the way we browse, but it will come at a cost: Your privacy. 

The article, featured in Monday’s Business Day edition of the New York Times points out the new web code will offer many perks, checking e-mail offline, downloading multimedia without the need for extra software and even allowing you to search content easily with smartphones. Unfortunately, the bad side is the lack of privacy users will be faced with.

Large amounts of data will be able to be collected or stored on user’s hard drives , enabling trackers to monitor users’ actions, from their location to their time zone. It also may allow for photographs , blog text, shopping cart contents, e-mails and browser history to be easily collected and even dispersed.

Could this mean that advertisers will be able to further tailor their ads to the specific interests of users? Will the advertising industry have to change the way it operates? Will it be for better or for worse?

One thing is certain: Privacy will never be the same again.

2010
10/13
CATEGORY
Internet
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Google: The Company That Does It ALL

How vast will the reach of Google become in the near future?

Just when you thought Google was done expanding its brand to include everything from search engines to cell phone software, they go an do this. According to an article published Tuesday by Claire Cain Miller, of the New York Times, Google will be upping its involvement  in a new field of business for the company: Display Advertising.  And to boot, they’re letting the world know in a big way, a big-apple way, to be specific. The company will unveil a massive billboard in the middle of Times Square on Wednesday in an attempt to boost its advertising brand. The cool part about the billboard is that it will be low to the ground and allow for passersby to interact and watch video. So, Google is advertising for its display advertising brand? Well according to the article, the billboard is part of “Google’s broader ad campaign called Watch This Space, which includes ads in trade magazines and other print and online media, to inform the advertising industry and investors of Google’s online display ads.”  I wonder how Google’s influence on advertising will effect media advertising as a whole. The company’s reach seems to be growing monthly, venturing into new fields of business, as well as revamping old ones. Is there a possibility of Google venturing into the news industry? Sure, Google News is competent, but it pales in comparison to legitimate news outlets and one would think its only a matter of time before the company expands yet again, whether it be a revamp of Google News or a new direction. Television would seem to be an option for the Internet mogul, but is it a real, viable, profitable opportunity? That is yet to be seen.

2010
09/23
CATEGORY
Ads
Internet
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