Motorola unveiled its Google smartphone yesterday. Dubbed the CLIQ, like all Google Android based phones, will only be available on T-Mobile. While the operating system is similar to that of the regular Android desktop, CLIQ's interface will include a "social networking dashboard," which includes access to email, various social networks and all other web portals.
Comcast COO Stephen Burke told the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2009 Media, Communications and Entertainment Conference that it will begin rolling out TV Everywhere between the next 30 and 60 days. Burke told the audience that its authentication system will give subscribers access to content from 22 cable networks. The venture with Time Warner will be the first of its kind, and will give the two companies a head start on the when I want it, where I want it market.
Cable networks reported a 4.4% increase in revenue despite an overall decrease in ad spending. The networks took in a combined $44 billion from advertisers and affiliates. While growth slowed, analyst Derek Blaine of SNL Kagan, who conducted the report, believes that 2009 will "be just a blip in the long-term growth" of the industry.
In an attempt to weak the pain of blacked out local football games, the NFL will let fans in blacked out markets stream games on NFL.com. The catch? Users can only begin watching games at midnight after the game has ended and will have access to the stream for 72 hours.
After weeks of speculation, the US Copyright Office announced that it is opposed to Google's recent deal with the Authors Guild. The office noted that the settlement would "bind authors, publishers, their heirs and successors to these rules, even though Google has not yet scanned and may never scan their works."
Shelly Palmer is a consultant and the host of MediaBytes with Shelly Palmer a daily show featuring news you can use about technology, media & entertainment. He is Managing Director of Advanced Media Ventures Group LLC and the author of Television Disrupted: The Transition from Network to Networked TV. Shelly is also President of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. You can join the MediaBytes mailing list here. Shelly can be reached at shelly@palmer.net For information about Get Digital Classes, visit www.shellypalmer.com/seminars