Cynopsis: DIGITAL

06/23/09

Good morning, it’s Tuesday, June 23, 2009, and this is your first early morning digital briefing. 

Perhaps the “S” stands for Super sales. Although it released the device in only 8 countries this time around, Apple sold over 1 million new iPhone 3G S units during the weekend. (The better-than-expected results no doubt had something to do with AT&T‘s inability to activate many of the phones in the U.S. over the weekend; the snafu prompted Apple to send out $30 iTunes credits on Monday to customers who are still waiting.) The 1 million unit figure far surpassed industry analysts’ estimates, who predicted that increased competition from RIM’s BlackBerry and Palm’s Pre would dampen enthusiasm for the phone. Another 6 million users downloaded the new iPhone 3.0 operating system. The new $99 price point for the iPhone 3G model is also expected to bring more price sensitive consumers into the fold as their existing contracts expire. Mobile phone makers aren’t the only ones who should be worried here. With its live video capture and posting capabilities, the iPhone 3GS is going to compete directly with handheld camcorders like the Flip Mino, as it saves the step of having to download what you shoot to a computer.

 
The broadband spectrum freed up by the DTV transition has allowed two mobile TV services to emerge in the U.S., both powered by Qualcomm’s FLO TV mobile broadcast unit:
 
Verizon’s V Cast Mobile TV service is now available residents in the San Francisco area, Cleveland and Milwaukee. V Cast Mobile TV offers full-length simulcast and time-shifted programming from networks including CBS, CBS College Sports, CBS News, CNBC, Comedy Central, ESPN, Fox Mobile, MSNBC, MTV, NBC, NBC 2Go, NBC News, NBC Sports, Nickelodeon and NickToons. Verizon Mobile TV packages vary in price: a basic 12-channel mobile package costs $15/month while a premium service including unlimited streaming video clips, mobile web access and other features costs $25/month.
 
AT&T Mobile TV expanded its availability yesterday to 20 new markets including Boston, Charlotte, Cleveland, Houston, Miami, Milwaukee, Sacramento and San Francisco, making it available in more than 80 markets nationwide. Programming services include CBS Mobile, CNBC, Comedy Central, ESPN Mobile TV, FOX Mobile, FOX News, MSNBC, MTV, NBC 2Go, Nickelodeon, CNN Mobile and Sony’s Crackle movie channel (formerly Sony PIX.) Unlimited access to services costs $15/month.
 
Hearst Magazines Digital Media completed a redesign of Cosmopolitan.com, featuring a pink color scheme akin to Glam.com and a multicolumn layout favored by many blogs of the day. A new top-of-the-page navigation bar enables users to drill down with drop-down menus that constantly update links based on what’s being featured.
 

                                                                                
Online advertising firm VideoEgg struck a new partnership with Six Apart Media, operator of the TypePad blogging platform, integrating AdFrames ad units into VideoEgg’s invitation-based ads. Bloggers who opt to place the new Twig ad unit on their pages will allow VideoEgg to deliver cost-per engagement (CPE) ads to their pages regardless of whether or not they are members of VideoEgg’s audience network. The program will allow VideoEgg to potentially reach thousands of additional sites. Launch partners include Orbitcast, Make Use Of and Blog Net News.
 
Those little town blues are melting away for HuffPo, as it is called, as the popular blogging portal launched a New York version. Meanwhile Huffington Post Chicago announced a syndication agreement with ESPN’s localized Chicago site. ESPNChicago.com will be the exclusive provider of sports content to HuffPost Chicago, including breaking news, opinion and sports calendars.
 
Responding to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s digital textbook initiative, eBook publisher Yudu Media published a new tome to help educators figure out how to utilize digital technologies to reach their students. The eBook demonstrates Yudu’s contextual search tool, online page highlighter, page tabs and digital bookmarking capabilities.
 

 
The Warner Bros. Consumer Products division launched a new commercial clip licensing web site at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival enabling advertisers and creative professionals to search for, browse and download trailers and one sheets for use in marketing materials. The site encompasses assets from Warner Bros., DC Comics, Turner, Castle Rock, New Line Cinema and Hanna-Barbara. Recent campaigns utilizing WBCP assets include Breyer’s Smooth and Dreamy webisodes featuring 30 Rock star Jane Krakowski and a Toyota Prius campaign in Japan using Superman to hit upon the car’s “heroic” status.
 
 

 
The Iranian government is utilizing a cutting-edge technology developed with Siemens AG and Nokia Corp. that enables it to inspect deep packets of data to control and censor access to information on the internet on a large scale, per the WSJ. The “monitoring center,” was part of a larger contract with Iran’s centralized telecom monopoly that included mobile-phone networking technology. Iran’s censorship technique is a more centralized approach than the one taken by the much larger China, which depends on the cooperation of multiple service providers.
 

 
IPhone users are more satisfied and loyal than Blackberry owners or other smartphone users and some 4 in 10 Blackberry users say they will consider switching to the Apple device for the next purchase, according to a survey conducted by Crowd Science. IPhone also users surf the internet, access email, WiFi and GPS and listen to music more often than other smartphone users. In terms of satisfaction with the product, the iPhone out-performs other smartphones in:

• screen size (iPhone 73% vs. Other smartphones 45%) 
• navigation within the phone (iPhone 75% vs. Other smartphones 40%) 
• availability of add-ons (iPhone 79% vs. Other smartphones 35%)
• video playback (iPhone 77% vs. Other smartphones 31%)

 
Belkin has come out with a new Gigabit Powerline HD adapter kit that you plug into your wall to transmit data over your home’s existing electrical lines. Just hook it up to your existing home network hub and a PC, game console or flat panel TV to transmit videos at ultrahigh speeds that peak at 1,000 megabits per second. Belkin says actual data throughput and distance will be lower, depending on interference, network traffic, building materials, and other conditions, but powerline delivery should put the 802.11n Wi-Fi standard to shame in terms of speed.
 
T-Mobile has launched its follow up the G-1, the first phone to run off Google’s Android mobile OS. Utilizing the Android 1.5 update, a.k.a. Cupcake, the myTouch 3G replaces a physical keyboard with a virtual one, allowing a much thinner profile. T-Mobile also promises improved battery life and Microsoft Exchange support – the latter being a key to the iPhone success among business users. Like the G-1, the myTouch also features a 3.2-inch HVGA touch screen display, a 3.2 megapixel camera and Bluetooth support.
 
Freeverse just revealed that its Flick Fishing game for the iPhone has now sold one million copies – making it the first paid app to hit the 1 million mark. The 99 cent game was first launched in November and has been a top seller for months on the Apple App Store. Last week, Freeverse introduced a new iPhone OS 3.0 update for Flick Fishing that contains peer-to-peer and in-app purchasing features. Nearly 10% of OS 3.0 players have already bought new content for the game through in-app purchasing, according to Freeverse.
 

 
Apple investors can breath a sigh of relief. CEO Steve Jobs reported to work at the company’s Cupertino headquarters yesterday for the first time since is illness, according to a CNBC report.
 
David Bell, former CEO and Chairman of the Interpublic Group of Companies, has joined the Board of Directors of online media verification solutions provider DoubleVerify.
 
Former TVWeek Editor Josef Adalian has been appointed TV Editor at TheWrap.com.
 
Titan Worldwide has upped Sales Director and Deputy Managing Director of Titan Ireland Heather McGuire to SVP and GM of the Northern California region. Heather will also sit on the Executive Committee of the company.
 

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

 
Despite efforts to suppress them, horrific images of the violent protests in Iraq such as the apparent murder of a young woman named Neda Soltan continue to trickle through, galvanizing the country and increasing pressure on the U.S. to act. Aside from the ubiquitous YouTube, ad supported British video sharing site Live Leak has become one of the go to destinations to view citizen postings because it focuses on news and does a fairly effective job at weeding out banal and gratuitous postings. (The site also tries to keep flaming and spamming in the comments section to a minimum.) Filter by sections to browse what interests you including Recent Media, News/Politics, Education, Entertainment and Citizen Journalism. (The site’s MiddleEast section aggregates the latest from that region.) LiveLeak premium subscribers (€9.95/month, €99.50/year) gain access to more content options and social networking features.
 
Clarification : NFL.com’s Fantasy Football Preview is a physical magazine but up-to-date profile changes and roster moves are posted to NFL.com as things change.
 
Later — Wayne
 Wayne Karrfalt for Cynopsis: Digital
06.23.09

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