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New Media News Every Morning

Dell acquires Zing Systems, re-enters mobile entertainment scene

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DellHardware giant Dell enters the portable entertainment scene again with its recent acquisition of technology and software startup Zing Systems.

Known for its “always connected” mobile entertainment, Zing currently provides the streaming audio technology for Sandisk Sana Connect wireless mobile mp3 player, and the Sirius Stiletto.

This acquisition is just one of the steps that Dell has taken to expand its retail catalog. “We’re looking at companies that can expand our capability to provide great product experiences,” said Frink. “We think this is a company that can provide a great technology and entertainment experience.

However, with the disappearance of the Dell DJ Ditty, Dell’s own-branded but now defunct portable media player, many are perplexed about this recent attempt. Then again, when all else fails, Dell could still continue effectively selling third party products anyway.

Originally posted on August 7, 2007 @ 12:08 pm

iPhone gets 20,000 widgets from Plusmo

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plusmo.jpgPlusmo, a free mobile media service that delivers personalized rich mobile experiences, announced the availability of its free and customizable mobile widgets service to users of Apple’s new iPhone. A custom interface gives iPhone users access to more
than 20,000 Plusmo widgets– most of them created by users.

“Plusmo’s personalized homepage makes it easy for iPhone users to discover, install and personalize widgets making them instantly available at the touch of an icon on the iPhone,” says Mike Elgan, a technology blogger. “Plusmo makes text- and photo-based content far more readable than the iPhone Safari browsers zoom-and-pan interface. Plusmo also offers iPhone users easy access to external iPhone widgets.”

Originally posted on August 2, 2007 @ 11:00 am

Universal Pictures to launch mobile film portals

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unversal.jpgUniversal Pictures, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies to a global audience, has partnered with wireless infrastructure and interactive applications company, MINICK, to to build and manage their mobile film portals on a global basis.

The partnership is designed to provide Universal with a scalable, streamlined framework to rapidly deploy mobile websites and develop significant mobile presence for their brands to complement existing distribution through mobile operators.

“We have only scratched the surface of what mobile can truly achieve and over the coming years the types of services, data collection and interactive initiatives used by Universal Pictures and other MINICK clients will only grow and become richer,” said Lourens de Beer, MINICK UK’s Managing Director.

Originally posted on August 2, 2007 @ 9:08 am

Texterity releases digital magazines for iPhone

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texterity.jpgTexterity Inc., provider of digital publishing solutions, has launched a beta version of the first digital magazine interface and portal designed for the Apple iPhone. This is the first time users will see a publisher’s complete magazine, as originally published, on the iPhone.

Texterity and a select group of publishers will offer free digital editions, designed for the iPhone’s Safari browser, of over 20 different magazines for iPhone users to read and enjoy through Texterity’s new digital magazine iPhone portal.

Texterity has initially included over 20 publications, representing a wide range of interest areas, in the beta version. As part of the demonstration, publishers have made free digital editions available to any iPhone user. For those without iPhone, this link is for you.

The magazine editions available from Texterity as free iPhone editions are: The American Lawyer, ALM Media; Baseline, Ziff Davis Media; Cabinet Maker, Watt Publishing Company; CIO Insight, Ziff Davis Media; Cottage Living, Time, Inc.; Craft, O’Reilly Media; eWEEK, Ziff Davis Media; Elite Traveler, Universal Media; ID Magazine, F+W Publications; Industry Week, Penton Media; Make, O’Reilly Media; Northern Home & Cottage, Prism Media; Oracle Magazine, Oracle Publishing; Popular Science, Bonnier Magazine Group; Quest Magazine, Quest Media; Quick & Simple, Hearst Corporation; Every Day with Rachael Ray, The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc.; Ready Made, Meredith Corporation; Statement Magazine, EJJ Publications; Taste of Home, Reiman Media Group; Telephony, Penton Media; Vibe, Vibe Media; and WoodenBoat, WoodenBoat Publications

Originally posted on August 1, 2007 @ 8:59 am

MTV launches mobile social network in Japan

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mymtv.jpgViacom International has launched Japan’s first mobile entertainment social networking service called myMTV.

MyMTV members can create their own profile pages as well as upload and share video taken on their mobile phones. They will also be able to link to pages created by their friends or content providers. The service is ad-supported and free to consumers, and is available on all three of Japan’s mobile operators, NTT DoCoMo, KDDI and Softbank Mobile.

“MyMTV is the most sophisticated mobile service we’ve launched to date and shows the strength of our global digital network. Japan is at the forefront of the mobile entertainment market and is playing a key part in the global development of MTV Networks’ digital products,” said Gideon Bierer, senior VP of digital media at MTV Networks International.

Originally posted on August 1, 2007 @ 1:16 pm