Archive for the ‘Media News’ Category

When you have a successful track record building things, it’s a good thing to move on once an item has already been built, so you build something else. Ev could build a life fitness treadmill and make you want to walk on it.

Twitter co-founder Evan Williams stepped down Monday as chief executive, handing over to a Google veteran brought in last year to help the micro-blogging service make money.

Williams, in a post on the company blog, said Twitter’s chief operating officer, Dick Costolo, would take over as CEO of the San Francisco-based startup effective immediately.

Costolo, whose Web content distribution company Feedburner was purchased by Google in 2007, has been at the forefront of efforts to begin monetizing Twitter since he joined the company last year.

It seems the fight between Amazon and Macmillan is not over yet.

Online retailer Amazon.com Inc resumed selling hardcover and paperback books from Macmillan Publishers late on Friday in a sign the two companies are getting closer to resolving a pricing dispute over Macmillan’s electronic books, which remain unavailable on Amazon.

Popular titles such as “Sarah’s Key” by Tatiana de Rosnay were once again available in hardcover for $17.13. But Amazon’s website displayed a message for those wanting to read the book on a Kindle: “Tell the publisher! I’d like to read this book on the Kindle.”

Who knew that people would get so pissy over e-books? Let Macmillan set the price they want, the consumers will decide whether or not to pay that price. The same rings true with used cars, auto parts, and humidifier filters. If it costs too much, people won’t buy it.

While we all sit here following developments in Iran from the safety of our 22 inch monitors, some people in Iran search for whole life insurance just so they can walk down the street. Now this.

A computer hacker briefly hijacked Twitter.com on Thursday, redirecting users to a website and claiming to represent a group calling itself the Iranian Cyber Army.

Twitter, which in June became a key communication channel for Iranian protesters disputing the country’s election results, said it was disrupted for a little more than an hour.

Twitter’s home page was replaced with one whose headline read “This site has been hacked by Iranian Cyber Army” and an anti-American message.

Isn’t it funny, Iran tries to block access to the internet as a whole, but they can’t stop a stupid attack on Twitter. Nice. Not.

I went to the music/bookstore this week, and it was a hassle I don’t want to go through again. Once I made my way through the crowds and found the items I was looking for, the clerk could not ring them up because they were missing barcodes and apparently the only way to purchase something from this store is to use the barcode scanner. There was no option (they said) for manual entry. How archaic. It’s nice to see some things progressing though.

A federal appeals court in New York ruled that a Yahoo Inc Internet radio service is not required to pay fees to copyright holders of songs it plays, a defeat for Sony Corp’s BMG Music.

In a case closely watched by the recording industry, the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a 2007 jury verdict that Launchcast, a webcasting service run by Yahoo’s Launch Media Inc unit, did not give listeners enough control to be an “interactive service” that would require the fees.

Finally. I hope to see more rulings like this in the future.

Check this out. Although the people working at a fulfillment center might have an issue with digital books, I think having them available as an option is awesome.

The fight against a legal settlement that would give Google Inc. the digital rights to millions of copyrighted books is starting to resemble a heavyweight brawl in the library.

Microsoft Corp., Yahoo Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. are joining a coalition that hopes to rally opposition to Google’s digital book ambitions and ultimately persuade a federal judge to block or revise the Internet search leader’s plans.

I really don’t care who gets the rights, but having the books available online so people like me can download them, load them on the Kindle, or read them in a browser is an awesome idea. I’ve always thought it would be nice to have access to many different books with the click of my mouse.

This article actually came as quite a shock to me. Because DISH and AT&T are breaking up? No. Because DISH needs AT&T to survive? No. Then why?

Satellite TV provider Dish Network said Tuesday that AT&T will end its agreement to bundle its TV service with AT&T’s broadband and phone service at the end of the year.

AT&T and Dish have had a joint marketing deal since July 2003, which allows AT&T to package the Dish TV service with AT&T’s phone and Internet packages. But AT&T has decided not to renew the agreement, and as required by the contract between the two companies, AT&T is giving Dish six months notice that the deal will expire December 31, 2008.

I was shocked because I never got a chance to bundle all my services. Not that I would have, but here in former Bellsouth territory, all of the bundles I have seen are with DirecTV.

I never received an offer to bundle my services. I had no idea DISH and AT&T were working together. Now that’s marketing for you. Great job guys! You need to take a clue from the guys who market Orovo. At least I have heard of that, and knew that it was available.

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