901am

New Media News Every Morning

Mogulus launches

By

mogulus.pngMogulus, a New York-based internet startup, unveiled a groundbreaking live streaming platform today that enables anyone with a computer, a web-cam and a high speed connection to broadcast like a multi-million dollar television station.

In beta for the past four months, more than 17,000 producers with beta access created more than 18,000 live 24/7 channels and streamed more than 12 million unique viewer minutes a month, according to Haot.

Mogulus enables producers to:

– Run scheduled 24/7 broadcasting playlists, where everyone watching sees the same content and can chat about it, while the “channel owner” has full control – they can interrupt and go live at any time

– Incorporate broadcast graphics (ticker, bug, bumpers, …) into your channel, just like the major television networks

– Collaborate in real time with multiple producers, and control the same channel at the same time from anywhere in the world with your team.

– Mix between multiple live cameras located anywhere in the world and upload or import videos from the web with a simple drag and drop action.

All of these capabilities are in the Mogulus Studio application (Adobe Flash). The Mogulus Player is a widget which producers can embed and distribute on any websites on the internet, including Facebook.

Unlike Joost, Brightcove, BlipTV and other online video sites, Mogulus is betting on the “linear TV model”, where consumers on the internet tune in and surf live or scheduled channels just like they do in their lounge with traditional television.

Originally posted on November 14, 2007 @ 4:44 pm

TV Guide cancels ceremony and television special for Online Video Awards

By

onlinevideoawards.pngTV Guide is cancelling the ceremony and television broadcast of its Online Video Awards, both originally scheduled for early December. This decision was made in light of the current labor dispute between the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).

TV Guide remains committed to covering and recognizing the best in professional-produced web-programming, and will announce the winners of this year’s Online Video Awards in 18 separate categories on November 26th. TV Guide consumers have responded enthusiastically to the Awards, and have thus far cast more than one million, six hundred thousand online votes. Fan voting is currently taking place at tvguide.com/videoawards and will close on November 15.

Originally posted on November 13, 2007 @ 7:46 pm

Fatdoor hires Yahoo! veteran as CEO and secures $5.5 million in funding

By

fatdoor.pngFatdoor, a neighborhood community platform, today announced the addition of Yahoo! veteran, Jennifer Dulski, to its team. The company also announced that it has secured $5.5 million from an investment group led by Norwest Venture Partners (NVP) and also including KeyNote Ventures. Fatdoor will use this first institutional round of funding to expand its market presence, scale its infrastructure and further build out the company’s innovative, community offerings.

Fatdoor began testing its service through an alpha site open in Silicon Valley earlier this year. It will continue that alpha with existing users and incorporate the feedback and recommendations it gathers for the public launch, which is planned for spring of 2008.

As part of the investment, Sergio Monsalve will join Fatdoor’s board of directors.

Originally posted on November 14, 2007 @ 11:33 am

Gorilla Nation taps Panache for past pre-roll ads

By

gorilla.jpgGorilla Nation, an online advertising sales representation company, has expanded its advertising offerings by adopting Panache’s patent-pending in-video advertising-delivery technology, which gives its customers greater flexibility and advertising choices.

The Panache technology, which provides advertisers more flexible, targeted and less-intrusive ways of delivering their campaigns across multiple media, allows Gorilla Nation to offer its customers a delivery choice beyond pre-roll advertising— messages that run before a video begins. Static images, rich interactive applications, or streaming videos can be delivered into video at view time for a rich, engaging and customized advertising experience. The technology is infinitely scalable, highly customizable, and the toolset so easy to use that expensive engineering resources can be kept out of the process.

Gorilla Nation, which handles media sales for more than 500 high-traffic, quality websites in vertical markets, not only gives its customers more flexibility with Panache but enables them to integrate the technology much faster into current systems.

Originally posted on November 14, 2007 @ 6:28 pm

Microsoft unveils new Zune players, allows customization

By

zune.png

Tomorrow, consumers ready for a richer, more connected and more personal entertainment experience will have the first opportunity to get their hands on sleek new Zune players, redesigned Zune software, and new online services including the Zune Marketplace and Zune Social, an online music community. The players, along with dozens of accessories, will be available at retailers across the United States, while the new Zune software will be available for free download.

For the first time, consumers also will have the option to customize their Zune player with laser-engraved designs and personal text through a new web store called Zune Originals. Customers will be able to purchase a Zune player directly from Microsoft at zuneoriginals.net and choose from a collection of laser-engraved artwork designed exclusively for Zune by 18 internationally recognized artists.

The Zune Originals Artist Series will launch with designs from artists Colletivo Studios, Catalina Estrada, Laurent Fetis, Sam Flores, Klaus Haapaniemi, Pierre Marie, Kenzo Minami, Parskid, Mike Perry, Phunk Studios, Chisato Shinya, Skwak, Iosefatu Sua, Tado, Nobumasa Takahashi, Ramiro Torres, Darvin Vida and Steve Wilson.

Together with the original Zune 30GB, the new models and customization options make it easier for consumers to find the size, color, design and price that best suits them. Three new Zune models will be on store shelves tomorrow: the black Zune 80GB, which has a bright 3.2-inch screen and comes with premium in-ear noise-isolating headphones (ERP $249.99), and the slim, ultra-portable Zune 4GB (ERP $149.99) and the Zune 8GB (ERP $199.99), both available in pink, green, black and red. The new Zune models also feature the new Zune Pad, a touch-sensitive navigation button that lets people fly through menus or lists with the flick of their thumb, or click to easily change songs or adjust the volume. Every Zune player includes wireless sync and wireless sharing, a built-in FM tuner, and a bright color screen to display music, pictures, videos and podcasts. Existing Zune owners will receive all new software features via a free and easy upgrade, available Nov 13.

Originally posted on November 12, 2007 @ 1:24 pm