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  • NBCU Wireless GM On iPhone: 'We Didn't Feel That We Had To Be There On Day One'

    When it comes to the iPhone, large entertainment companies are sitting on the sidelines. NBC Universal ( NYSE: GE ) can't justify investing in one platform, but instead is putting equal time and investment across the board at this point, Salil Dalvi, NBCU's GM of wireless, told mocoNews. He's not yet convinced there's a huge advantage of building on-device applications for the iPhone's updated operating system. "We didn't feel that we had to be there on day one … One of the real surprises from my perspective is it just really changes how we approach the market," Dalvi said. "We're taking a look at it. We haven't ruled it in or ruled it out at this point … Do we get 80 percent of what the benefit is just by offering a highly-optimized experience on a web site?" For games, there's a clear benefit, but for large entertainment companies that consider video their bread and butter the economic model around iPhone applications is still unknown. For the time being, NBCU's more immediate focus is on building up its ad-supported efforts for the mobile web, regardless of which device or platform brings users there. Video consumption is growing for NBCU on all smartphone platforms, something that was recently still considered a niche target market for the company. "Smartphone usage in general is representing a larger share of our traffic than I expected," Dalvi said. Despite the shorter reach and scale of the more capable devices, he said NBCU has also made tweaks to its mobile web sites to make use of certain features on devices than run operating systems from BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and the iPhone. Our mobile application for Blackberry and other Smartphones brings you the latest headlines when you're on the go. Go here to download .
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  • Lost In Translation: Japanese Market Not Sold On iPhone Cool Factor

    In Japan, like elsewhere, gadget fans lined up to be some of the first to buy the new iPhone last week. However, after the initial rush, it appears that consumers there aren't completely sold on the device, AP reports . The biggest reason is because the Japanese market is very unique. Phones have their own icons for email and other services; they have infrared capabilities to beam contact info to each other, and they have digital TV broadcast receivers; and other common functionalities, like recording video. Even the highly praised form factor of the iPhone doesn't fit the culture there—there's no loop for hanging trinkets and most Japanese are accustomed to using only one thumb, not two. As one person in the story says: "I don't want my friends to think I'm this uncool." Still, the iPhone presents a much more open world than what the Japanese are used to—most don't access true Internet sites, especially for things like YouTube. It's unclear how many devices have sold there, but Softbank, which is selling the iPhone in Japan, said it sold out on the first day. Our mobile application for Blackberry and other Smartphones brings you the latest headlines when you're on the go. Go here to download .
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  • AT&T Grabs Exclusive 24/7 NBC Olympics Channel For MediaFLO

    AT&T ( NYSE: T ) has used its clout as an Olympics sponsor and official telecommunications provider to the U.S team to nail an exclusive 24/7 channel on its broadcast mobile TV service run by Qualcomm's ( NSDQ: QCOM ) MediaFLO, we have learned. That's how a Verizon Wireless ( NYSE: VZ ) spokesman explained it to us: "They are an Olympics sponsor and as such they use their weight to freeze out other mobile TV providers from offering Olympics coverage." NBC's coverage of the Olympics won't be limited to AT&T entirely, but for mobile the carrier did secure sole rights for live competition footage and commentary on the MediaFLO platform, which both carriers use for broadcast-like TV service. The new channel, NBC Olympics 2Go, is set to launch August 8 at the beginning of the games and marks the third channel for NBC on the permanent 10-channel deck in addition to the limited-time channels routinely offered for special events. AT&T will play NBC's coverage of the games on its mobile TV broadcast service and its Media Net deck while Verizon's mobile offering will be limited to streaming video only on its V Cast video deck that will include daily highlights, breaking news, scores and results and more. AT&T's U-verse customers and Verizon's FiOS TV customers will get on-demand access to events at the games, footage from past games and highlights. On the broadband side, the carriers' plans are near identical as well with both launching more than 20 live streaming feeds from the games when the games begin. Related NBC And AT&T Partner On An Exclusive Music Work-Out Mix For The Olympics
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  • Mobile Content Bits: Glu-The Dark Knight; Nokia Chat; Fun Mobility-Hello Kitty; mig33

    -- Glu ( NSDQ: GLUU ) Mobile released The Dark Knight , a mobile game based on the latest Batman installment set to hit U.S. theatres July 18. The game is Glu Mobile's second title for Warner Bros.; it's also releasing a suite of content associated with the film, including 31 wallpapers, 14 voice tones, four music tones and eight animated screensavers for mobile phones. -- FunMobility is bringing Hello Kitty to mobile phones thanks to a new deal with Sanrio, which created the icon more than 30 years ago. Sanrio, which has a grown to a $1 billion business worldwide, inked a deal with FunMobility to sell the company's content to mobile phone users through its wallpaper applications and syndication deals with carrier storefronts. -- mig33 , a mobile social network, is expanding its catalog to include a range of new exclusive ringtones and wallpapers. The expansion came after the company's initial offering, mig33 emoticon packs drew more than 90,000 downloads in the first week. The community, which counts more than 14 million registered users on its rolls, is seeking more content partners and hopes to add more to its catalog in the coming months. -- Nokia's Beta Labs released a short video outlining its new instant messaging service that makes use of GPS location. Nokia ( NYSE: NOK ) Chat enables users to chat with their contacts and pull up their real-time location on a map. ContentNext's EconCeleb Seminar examines what drives the economics of celebrity content. July 23, 2008 at the Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood. Learn more .
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  • Player X Buys Spanish Games Firm, Splits Production And Publishing Arms

    UK mobile games maker Player X is buying Madrid-based mobile games publisher Gaelco Móviles for an undisclosed cash amount - its first acquisition and part of a European expansion plan. At the same time, it's separating out its production and publishing operations in to two new divisions - Studio X and Player X Distribution . Joining the latter unit on game aggregation and portals, Gaelco Móviles is mostly strong in the Mediterranean, has carrier tie-ups with Telefonica ( NYSE: TEF ), Vodafone ( NYSE: VOD ), TNM, Bouygues and Wind, and is responsible for titles like Mini Morris Fun Car (after the jump). Player X CEO Tony Pearce said it's the first of a "raft of significant strategic moves" that are coming. Our mobile application for Blackberry and other Smartphones brings you the latest headlines when you're on the go. Go here to download .
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  • SendMe Mobile Partners With Warner Music For Mobile Content

    SendMe Mobile, an off-deck provider of ringtones, wallpapers and other mobile content, expects to announce today that it has signed an agreement with Warner Music Group ( NYSE: WMG ), to sell content from such artists as Kid Rock and Missy Elliott on SendMeMobile.com and will give away prizes on SoLow.com . SendMe said as part of this deal, it will create custom SMS-subscription products that will let fans connect with their favorite artists. On SoLow.com, users will try to place the lowest unique bid to win music giveaways. SendMe, which raised $15 million in venture capital in March , already has a number of content deals, including ones with Corbis, EMI Music, Glu ( NSDQ: GLUU ), Gameloft ( EPA: GFT ) and Sony ( NYSE: SNE ) Pictures. But if the deal with Warner is sounding a bit familiar, it's because just last week Thumbplay confirmed it had secured a mobile-content deal with Warner, as well. It will be interesting to see what happens as music labels feel more comfortable working with off-deck providers and a lot of these sites start to offer the same content. Going forward, exclusives and original mobile content will be key, otherwise price may be the only determining factor to the consumer. Our mobile application for Blackberry and other Smartphones brings you the latest headlines when you're on the go. Go here to download .
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  • Chatterous Raises Angel Round To Develop Group Chat Across Platforms

    A company called Chatterous has raised less than $500,000 in angel funding to help users create private groups that they can chat with using text messages, email and instant messaging, according to VentureWire via VentureBeat . The Seattle-based company lets you create an online group of friends and gives everyone a common Chatterous email address, Jabber/Google ( NSDQ: GOOG ) Talk address and short code to make it easy to communicate from one entry point and reach people wherever they may be. As VentureBeat points out, there's other startups tackling this problem, but from a different angle. Companies like Orgoo and Digsby bring your email, IM and SMS accounts together in a single page or service, and Twitter lets you post messages, but they are public, not private. Our mobile application for Blackberry and other Smartphones brings you the latest headlines when you're on the go. Go here to download .
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  • EA Maps Out Games Slate For Remainder Of 2008

    Electronic Arts ( NSDQ: ERTS ) kicked off E3 in Los Angeles with fresh details on games currently in development and planned for release through the remainder of the year. Out of a lineup of 28 titles, four are being developed for mobile phones, six for PCs and the rest are split almost evenly across Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, Nintendo's Wii and earlier or portable consoles from the big three. EA Sports also mapped out a slate of five tiles being developed for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 ( full slate with details here ). The company's pinning a lot of hopes on the coming months, a period that will see its largest intellectual property offering yet. ( Release ). Sim Animals, a news Sims franchise, is among the new titles under development. EA also partnered with id Software to publish RAGE, a new first person shooter game being developed for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC and Mac. ( Release ). Our mobile application for Blackberry and other Smartphones brings you the latest headlines when you're on the go. Go here to download .
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  • Interview: Ryan Wuerch, CEO, Motricity: IPO Still An Opportunity; 'M&A Will Be A Part Of Our Core'

    Motricity, the mobile infrastructure company that acquired InfoSpace ( NSDQ: INSP ) Mobile for $135 million in October, has been relatively quiet following a burst of publicity over its controversial headquarters move, opting to focus on the structural changes, wooing new customers and working on contract renewals. Longer term, though, CEO Ryan Wuerch plans to acquire more companies, raise even more capital and expand outside of its carrier customer base to work directly with media companies and handset manufactures . With such lofty goals, the company has a ton to execute on. For background, Motricity bought InfoSpace Mobile to beef up its carrier storefront and portal services, which manage and organize the millions of pieces of mobile content that end-users consume on a daily basis. To do so, the company raised nearly $200 million, which doubled the amount it had raised to date, and added high-profile Carl Icahn to its board, among others. Following the transaction, Wuerch tipped the company on its head, by moving the headquarters from Durham, N.C. to Bellevue, Wash., laying off hundreds of its East Coast employees and choosing InfoSpace's technology as the platform it will use going forward. After the jump, some lengthy excerpts from a 90-minute interview with Wuerch and Brendan Benzing, Motricity's SVP of product strategy and marketing . Disclosure: Motricity was a sponsor of our recent Seattle event Who's Motricity?: Wuerch: "We are a brand behind the brand. If you open up your AT&T ( NYSE: T ) phone today, you see ringtones, games and graphics, that's us...If you are configuring your portal, and choosing stocks, weather and news feeds, that's Motricity via InfoSpace. If someone is texting to vote on CNN, whether it's to Obama or McCain, that's Motricity...we work with 10 of the 13 top carriers in North America, and the top six use our infrastructure." By the numbers: Wuerch: "The core of our business, and majority...
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  • Mobile Content Bits: New Sprint Treo; IBM Fits Web Into Mobile; Verizon Tours With Jonas Brothers

    -- Treo With Windows Mobile On Sprint: The new Treo 800w has launched with Sprint ( NYSE: S ), marking the first device to be shipped with Windows Mobile 6.1, according to Microsoft ( NSDQ: MSFT ). The Treo 800w, which is geared toward the business user, comes with WiFi, GPS and 3G and has a touchscreen with stylus and a full Qwerty keyboard. -- Highlighting the Web: IBM researchers said they have developed software that allows mobile users to clip pages off the Web and slim them down for viewing on a mobile phone, reports TechWorld . IBM's Almaden Research Center built the service, which it calls "highlight," as a Firefox browser extension. It lets users record the steps required to perform a simple task on the web—like looking up a flight—on a website, and then clip and send the relevant section of the Web site to another server, which makes the pages viewable on a mobile device. Don't get too excited yet—the IBM researcher hasn't publicly released Highlight, but may if there's enough interest in the project. -- Verizon ( NYSE: VZ ) Partners with Jonas Brothers: The pop-singing Jonas Brothers is partnering with Verizon Wireless for its 41-city "Burning Up" tour, produced by Live Nation ( NYSE: LYV ). Customers of Verizon Wireless who download Jonas Brothers' songs, purchase ringtones or ringback tones from V CAST will be entered to win a pair of tickets to see the concert. What's interesting is that the tickets they can win are called "mobile tickets," which will be received on their phone with a unique barcode. The ticket is good for two seats and will be scanned at the door. Check out the best business jobs in digital media. Go here for paidContent.org Job Board.
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  • Airborne Mobile Lays Off 27 Percent Of Its Staff; Breaks Off From Japanese Owners

    Montreal-based Airborne Mobile , which was purchased by Japanese-based Cybird for more than $90 million in 2005, confirmed today that it has restructured the company, which includes a management buy-out, layoffs and the elimination of some of its divisions. In a letter sent to business partners, the company's co-founders wrote that they have "orchestrated a management buyout from Cybird Holdings in Japan, and have regained full control over Airborne Mobile's direction and destiny...That said, to ensure long-term viability and the creation of value to our shareholders and business partners, we have instituted a series of changes that while painful in the short-term, will serve to expand the Company's focus on profitable product lines while maintaining its renowned creativity." Co-founder and President Andy Nulman said in an interview that the restructuring included laying off 27 of their 100 employees, and that they decided to no longer make mobile games and applications, which are costly to develop and hard to distribute. On the buy-out, Nulman said Cybird was interested in concentrating on its domestic businesses. He declined to say how much they paid, but said "We paid cash, and not a lot of it." After the restructuring, the company will have a three-pronged approach: It will work with carriers, providing ringtones, graphics and other content, including SMS and MMS services; it will work with companies on their off-deck approach; and they'll have some time to focus on future projects, which could include creating interactive experiences between people and their phones. In 2008, the company expects to record about $30 million in revenue, or about as much as last year, and get closer to profitability. "We eliminated some of the product lines that weren't generating any of the money, and were draining all of our resources...If we keep costs down and revenues up, we'll be in good shape. The first thing that you don't...
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  • Trials And Tribulations Of Buying The iPhone 3G (Or Not)

    Five AT&T ( NYSE: T ) stores, one Apple ( NSDQ: AAPL ) store and still no iPhone 3G. Once I pulled up to the closest AT&T store, I instantly knew I was in for an adventure . At least 75 people in line at 7:15 a.m. (PDT) and the second guy in line was trying to sell his spot for $250 minimum. People were camped out along 2nd Avenue in the Belmont Shores neighborhood of Long Beach, Calif. for up to 24 hours before the doors swung open. Camping chairs, pajamas, newspapers and coffee cups were in abundance as the crowd waited anxiously for the buying to begin. AT&T representatives wouldn't confirm, but a few people in line heard there were only 40 units available, so I jetted off to another store across town in a less popular neighborhood. No luck there either, but I waited around until about 10:30 a.m. (PDT) before throwing in the towel. To say the line moved at a sluggish pace would be an understatement. Turtles crawl faster. After two-and-a-half hours inching along the line, and with about 40 people in front of me, an AT&T representative whispered that there were only 9 units left. None of the employees at the Long Beach stores would officially comment on how many iPhones were on hand or even if they expected to meet demand. "We're trying to accommodate the public," one manager said, declining to give more information. Along with unmet demand, early customers who were able to purchase an iPhone talked about activation snafus inside the store and were sent home to activate on iTunes. It was past 11 a.m. by the time I reached the next AT&T store on my journey toward iPhone 3G-ness in Wilmington, Calif. That store and two subsequent stores in Harbor City and Carson were completely sold out. Each of the stores tried their best to sell late arrivals an iPhone that would be shipped to them within five days, but few were taking up the offer. Finally, I reached the Apple store in Manhattan Beach, where we'd been told there were still...
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