Random Stuff — GigaOM

Random Stuff

Don’t like your local cable company? Then why don’t you get pay TV straight from Mexico, India or the Middle East? That’s the idea behind Verismo, a company that is announcing the launch of a new triple-play platform targeted towards virtual MSOs later today. Read More »

Today on the Net: U.S. consumers really like their Redbox rentals, but they’ll also soon be able to try out Netflix without any physical DVD rentals. Also, online TV troublemaker Ivi just submitted another legal filing. Read More »

 
 

There is No New Media: It’s All New Consumption

Do regulators really have their heads in the sand?

Now television broadcasters are blocking Google TV from getting access to the content broadcasters put online to make sure they don’t lose advertising dollars. But the cat is out of the bag. All information is nothing more than bits on one network — the Internet. Read More »

LifeSize Introduces Modular HD Video Conferencing Bridge

Video conferencing company LifeSize today announced the LifeSize Bridge 2200, an HD video conferencing product. The Austin, Texas-based company (now a division of Logitech) says that because the 16-port product is modular, it should enable businesses using it to scale their video conferencing needs as required. … Read More »

Today, when the Giants faced off against the Phillies in Game 3 of the NLCS, the official Twitter account for the Federal Communciations Commission provided several updates on the game for Cablevision subscribers unable to watch the game because of an ongoing dispute with Fox. … Read More »

The fight over how much Cablevision will pay Fox in retransmission fees escalated to a new level this morning as Fox had denied Cablevision’s broadband customers access to Hulu and other Fox-affiliated online content. The move shows how online video has grown in importance. Read More »

Why Cable May Let the Google Fox Into the Henhouse

Google’s newly announced partnership with DISH will distribute Logitech’s Google TV device and allow for limited integration with the satellite TV provider’s set-tops. But the real question is whether or not Google can sell such an act to the Comcasts and Time Warners of the world. Read More »

That’s Not a Remote; That’s a Speak ‘n Spell!

Sony’s Google TV remote is a good example of the challenge facing any manufacturer looking to integrate its TV platform with Google’s devices. The remote sports 90 buttons, and it often requires two hands for things that many people are used to doing one-handed. Read More »

Sony Prices Google TV to Sell; Will People Buy?

Sony unveiled a new family of Google TV-powered TVs and a Blu-ray player, pricing the hardware with an eye toward selling consumers on the benefits of marrying the full Internet with TV. The announcement came one week after Logitech announced its Google TV-powered Revue set-top box. Read More »

What Would Facebook TV Look Like?

Google headlines this week beg the question: Would Facebook ever pursue a three-screen strategy by offering up its own TV platform to users? The answer could be yes, as the TV screen seems too big a honeypot to ignore for a company that lives on advertising … Read More »

Cisco Umi: An HD Telepresence System for SMBs?

Yesterday, Cisco launched its consumer telepresence offering, Umi, which will provide high definition video calling in the home. At $599, plus an additional $24.95 per month for unlimited calls, it seems a little pricey for its target consumer market, but could it work for SMBs? Read More »

Where Is Android’s Go-To Place for Paid Videos?

Android doesn’t offer a complete solution especially when it comes to video content. Sony is trying to correct the problem with the release of a new Crackle video app, but it only points up the need for a more comprehensive solution, something hopefully Google is working … Read More »

More Must Reads

Citrix’s web conferencing products (GoToMeeting, GoToWebinar and GoToTraining) will have integrated HD conferencing, the company announced at its Citrix Synergy conference today. The HD technology, allows up to six simultaneous conferencing streams at a resolution with a total maximum resolution of 1920 x 960. Read More »

So I broke down and got one of the new Apple TVs, despite my initial objections. There was a few reasons why I did, some of which I’ve detailed at TheAppleBlog recently. But the future possibilities of the Apple TV for web working also intrigue me. Read More »

Cisco Systems veteran Tony Bates is taking over as the CEO of Skype. He will replace Josh Silverman, who is leaving the company for undisclosed reasons. Bates’ hiring indicates that Skype is serious about its IPO plans. Read More »

Blip.tv is joining the HTML5 party, and it’s doing it with a brand new player, due to launch in the next couple of days. The new player supports advertising, maintains Blip’s previous look and feel, and will be about five times faster than the Flash player. Read More »

If you’re a hardcore cleantech enthusiast, then you’re familiar with GE’s commitment to environmentally-friendly innovation. While the newest episode of The GE Show seems a little bit like an effort to show off that commitment, it does utilize a surprising amount of engaging interactivity. Read More »

Now this didn’t take long: Seattle-based online TV start-up Ivi has received more that ten cease and desist letters from major broadcasters like CBS and ABC for its online TV service. The company responded to these demands with a copyright lawsuit of its own today. Read More »

Nokia’s Ovi store has taken a perceived backseat to the iTunes App Store and Android Market. We spoke with Qik EVP Bob Rosin and several other developers at Nokia World for their perspective on Nokia’s Ovi Store enhancements, Symbian^3, and the Qt development tools. Read More »

We really like the Skype platform, so when looking for a way to overcome our technical challenges we looked for ways to “piggyback” on our existing system. I believe we have found our solution with VuRoom, a video conferencing plugin for Skype. Read More »

Twitter today announced a new version of Twitter.com at the company’s first-ever major press conference at its San Francisco headquarters. The new app will embed media in the right pane through deals with 16 photo and video hosts including TwitPic, YouTube, Vimeo and Ustream. Read More »

The final round of voting for Kia’s “Who’s Next” online talent competition begins Sept. 6, with one of four finalists getting $10,000 for best conceptualizing the slogan “a new way to roll.” And, oddly enough, the finalists actually represent YouTube talent. Read More »

We’re here at the Yerba Buena Center for the Apple Music event, and for all of you without Apple hardware who can’t see the live stream, we’re going to live blog the thrill, chills and anticipated product releases. So check back for the news. Read More »

Apple has queued up Akamai to power today’s highly anticipated live stream of of product announcements by CEO Steve Jobs in San Francisco. Contrary to reports the company would use its new data center, the stream will be outsourced to Apple’s long-time CDN partner. Read More »

If we know one thing about our readers, it’s that you use the latest mobile phone platforms and newest gadgets, and you have strong opinions about which devices to buy next. Take our mobile survey to help us identify the next big trends in mobile. Read More »

Dimdim today launches Dimdim 6.0, the latest version of its browser-based web conferencing tool. Particularly impressive among the features in the release are the improved screensharing capabilities — thanks to an updated myScreen plugin — and the ability to host four-way video conferences. Read More »

Recent coverage of popular and successful YouTube creators making a profit off their content has lead to a backlash regarding the quality of what’s being created. But dismissing YouTubers means dismissing their genius at audience engagement, doing all of web video a disservice. Read More »

With social media shown to improve ratings for awards shows and tech-savvy Jimmy Fallon hosting, it’s little surprise that last night’s Emmy Awards had enough going on to warrant two-screen viewing. But did seven different live-streamed angles on the backstage action improve the show? Read More »

Skype, the Internet telephony company that recently filed for an IPO maybe up for sale. Cisco Systems is said to be sniffing around Skype, according to a report. The deal if it happens would put Cisco in direct conflict with some of its carrier customers. Read More »

Today Google launched a web series for people who care about Google Trends but find the task of actually reading Google Trends too time-consuming and stressful. The Google Beat offers weekly updates on a few of the week’s most popular search terms. Read More »

For most YouTubers, the almighty viewcount reigns supreme — if your video doesn’t break five figures, it doesn’t matter how good it is. It’s an interesting yet at times exhausting attitude — which is possibly why the 0Views blog is so refreshing an experience. Read More »

Netflix today released its iPhone/iPod touch app that allows subscribers of its video streaming service to get video on their iPhones and iPod touches. Netflix is on a path of diversification away from DVD by emails, as it is betting that streaming is the future. Read More »

The Sony PlayStation3 didn’t offer any real advantages over other gaming devices or set-top boxes until it got dibs on Hulu Plus, making the PS3 the first console able to stream Hulu to the TV. But what’s the user experience actually like? Read More »

At last night’s Creative Arts ceremony for the 2010 Emmys, the Jimmy Fallon digital experience and the independently-produced Star Wars Uncut won awards for their interactivity. Neil Patrick Harris and The Man Your Man Could Smell Like also took home shiny gold statues. Read More »

Civicus World Assembly; representatives from 94 countries talking about ways to deal with issues like climate change and poverty. (Livestream, Saturday, 5.15 AM – 2 PM PT & Sunday 5.30 AM – 7 PM PT) V Festival; the U.K.’s largest live music festival … Read More »

GetGlue today launches its social entertainment mobile application for Google Android handsets and mobile website, adding another smartphone platform to leverage its more than 5 million user recommendations and check-ins. Can the company make money as a “part Foursqure, part Facebook” type of social service? Read More »

The success of last fall’s Paranormal Activity guaranteed that another horror project would try using Eventful’s Demand It to bring in audiences. The twist with the MTV-produced Savage County is that while it was originally a web series, fans may get it on TV. Read More »

Dr. Horrible collaborator Jed Whedon, in between writing for television and helping Felicia Day make music videos, has kept busy with his own projects. And his new self-published album, entitled History of Forgotten Things, represents a sincere effort to create compelling original music. Read More »

Today on the Net: Disney CEO Bob Iger is liking the iPad, Apple is going back to its roots with a new name for its Apple TV device, Ustream is going to Hollywood, DIRECTV is partnering with Google for TV ads, and more. Read More »

Skype told potential investors in its first IPO filing today that it plans to grow its business by adding users, offering premium features like group video chat, increasing the number of business users that log in to its service, and adding new monetization models, such as … Read More »

Skype, the Internet telephony company, is looking to raise up to $100 million in an initial public offering, according to an S-1 filing with the SEC. The offering was widely viewed as in the cards, though I admit it came sooner than I thought. Read More »

If you’ve been eagerly awaiting the first entry in Vevo’s live concert series, then your waiting stops very soon. At 10 PM ET/7PM PT tonight, the Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire will kick off the “Unstaged” live music series. Read More »

Next New Networks’ newest film-focused web series isn’t anywhere to be found on nextnewnetworks.com — or YouTube, or any of the site’s many other distribution partners. Instead, MSN Film Fan, hosted by Maribel Arber, is running exclusively on MSN.com. Read More »

A filmic adaptation of a poem by Canadian poet/songwriter/spoken word artist Tanya Davis and shot, animated and edited by filmmaker Andrea Dorfman (also Canadian), How to Be Alone blends together drawings and live-action to create a treatise on solitude, self-awareness and creativity. Read More »

Today on the Net: Will Ferrell stars in an exclusive Wired iPad app video, Howcast is clocking 25 million video views per month, network execs want more ad dollars for TV Everywhere content and 3G iPhone users can now install Facetime by voiding their warranty. Read More »

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