Seth Gilbert, 08-26-2008
Today just about anyone with the interest and a computer can label themselves a journalist. In the news media, the barriers of entry have fallen to a level of insignificance. Barriers to success are another thing altogether. Building and maintaining an audience and drawing consistent ad revenue are substantial tasks, especially in a weakened advertising economy. It’s an up and down process that requires constant attention. Even the biggest brands aren’t immune from the struggles. The New York Times proved that Tuesday with July results that showed weakness not just in print where it was expected, but surprisingly online too.
Click to Read More
Seth Gilbert, 08-25-2008
Two companies addressing two different aspects of the online video marketplace – live content interactivity and broader, high quality video distribution – both announced financing news Monday. For San Mateo based Conviva, it was a $20m Series B Financing. For Utah based Move Networks, it was news that Microsoft was joining prior Series C investors with an undisclosed strategic investment.
Click to Read More
Seth Gilbert,
Dating back to February, Electronic Arts and Take Two were pitted against each other in a very public corporate takeover battle. For months, the companies issued dueling press releases and went back and forth in SEC filings. On August 18 that process ended. Electronic Arts announced they were allowing their Tender Offer to expire. In reply, Take Two invited the formerly hostile suitor to review documents on a possible path toward a friendly merger.
Today, the companies filed one last document. An 8K announcing they’d entered into a new material agreement – one assuring confidentiality in all their future discussions.
The update from the comanies s there will be no more updates. From here on in, and for the near term foreseeable future, the rollercoaster ride of back and forth press releases is officially closed. Silence will be golden. Click to Read More
Seth Gilbert, 08-22-2008
It’s a presidential election year and mobilizing potential voters, especially young ones, is an important activity. To advance the cause, youth centered voting activist organization, Rock the Vote, has creatively partnered with Microsoft’s Xbox Live online gaming community.
Beginning Monday August 25, the first day of the democratic National Convention, Xbox LIVE members will be able to register to vote, share opinions, interact and participate in polls through the console community.
While we’ve covered some clever nontraditional uses of game consoles before, this has to rate near the top of the list. It is up there just slightly behind using Wii controllers for robotics or Stanford’s groundbreaking Folding@home molecular research project.
Click to Read More
Seth Gilbert,
Follow that phone… is the iPhone heading to Russia? Deal or no deal?
Reuters UK has reported it may be there in October. An unnamed source cited in an article from the news bureau says an agreement has been reached between Apple and Mobile TeleSystems (MTS), Russia’s largest mobile network operator.
No details have emerged and neither side has issued a statement confirming the report.
At this point, with only an an anonymous source, it remains very possible the story could turn out to be incorrect. Three mobile providers, MTS, Vimpelcom and MegaFon have all been vying for iPhone rights in Russia. As was the case with Japanese carrier rights before the phone’s launch, reports and rumor around the web and blogosphere (including the Reuters report) have, at different times, put Apple in discussions with all three.
Click to Read More
Seth Gilbert, 08-21-2008
Apple’s broken sales records in many of their recent quarters including the last but when forecasts were given for the current quarter, Apple was particularly conservative. Citing a “product transition” widely believed to involve Macbook notebooks, the company forecast only a Q4 earnings result of $1 per share on sales of $7.8b. Analysts were looking for $1.24 a share on sales of $8.3b. Midway through the quarter, some analysts are now starting to set out projections that turn Apple’s conservatism upside down.
Click to Read More
Seth Gilbert,
Yahoo’s proxy fight is over, the board seats have been filled, and the disruption of Microsoft’s bid seems past, but there continues to be some attrition at senior roles. The report today is that Yahoo’s senior vice president Todd Teresi, who’s headed the Publisher Channel for the last year, will jump ship to join Web site metrics firm Quantcast.
At Yahoo, Teresi was responsible for managing off-network partnerships. He was at Yahoo for about ten years. Prior to joining Yahoo!, he was a founding member of the high-technology mergers and acquisitions practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Click to Read More
