Buena Vista Announces Blu-ray Plans
Buena Vista Entertainment said Monday that it would be releasing its first Blu-ray day-and-date release title in December, as well as its first 50GB disc in November. The studio exclusively supports Sony's high-definition video disc format, and distributes films by Walt Disney, Touchstone, Hollywood Pictures, Miramax and Buena Vista.
The first day and date title would by Walt Disney's "Invincible," set to release December 19. The first 50GB titles would be "Enemy of the State" and "Flightplan," set to release November 21, followed by "Pearl Harbor," releasing on December 19. Pricing for most of the titles would be $34.99 USD, Buena Vista said in the announcement.
Oracle Acquires MetaSolv for $219mn
Oracle said Monday that it had acquired telecommunications software developer MetaSolv in a $219 million cash transaction. The company produces software that automates the process of fulfilling and activation of wireless, VOIP, IPTV, and broadband services, among others. Oracle says the addition of MetaSolv's technology would allow it to offer an end-to-end solution for the "campaign-to-cash" process.
"Conventional, customized solutions have proven inefficient, inflexible and costly," Oracle senior vice president Bhaskar Gorti said. "Oracle is putting service providers in control to simplify their infrastructure, deliver more services faster and drive brand loyalty." The merger is expected to close by early next year, pending shareholder and regulatory approval.
YouTube Forced to Delete 30,000 Clips
A group of Japanese content providers has been successful in getting YouTube to remove some 29,549 clips that it claimed were posted without permission, it said Friday. The Japan Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers represents 23 media companies in the country. The group is also calling on the video sharing site to better screen what its users are posting.
In addition to pushing for more stringent oversight, the group also called on the site's users to refrain from posting copyrighted material. YouTube serves more than 100 million videos per day, and content providers have become increasingly vocal in attempting to push the service to better control what its users are posting.
Logitech Acquires Squeezebox Maker
Logitech said Thursday that it had acquired Slim Devices, a company that produces music devices that integrate into a home network, for $20 million in cash plus possible performance-based payments tied to future revenue targets. Slim Devices makes the popular Squeezebox, a device that streams Internet radio to a stereo, and the Transporter, which streams a user's digital music collection.
"Slim Devices will benefit from Logitech's brand, their retail channel, their expertise in developing quality hardware, and their existing portfolio of complementary products such as speakers and remotes," Slim Devices CEO Sean Adams said in a post on the company site announcing the transaction. "Logitech believes this will be a fast growing segment of their business, and we are looking forward to making that happen."
ICANN Approves .asia Domain Name
ICANN said Wednesday that it had approved the ".asia." top-level domain, which will provide an additional suffix possibility for companies based in the Asia-Pacific region. The new TLD would be controlled by the DotAsia Organization, made up of groups running domain names for other Asian countries. Registration will not begin for another six to nine months, as the contract has not yet been finalized.
Like previous new TLDs, the group will give trademark holders first rights to domain names, and it plans to restrict registrations to companies based within the region. Individuals and groups would also be able to register names as well. Pricing for .asia domain names would likely vary, DotAsia said.
Adobe Releases Flash Beta for Linux
Adobe said Wednesday that it had released a beta of its Flash player for the Linux operating system. According to the company, a final version of the player will be released early next year. In addition, Adobe is in the process of writing 64-bit versions of Flash, although it declined to specify any kind of release timeline.
"Adobe Flash Player 9 for Linux beta supports the same major features and functionality as the Windows and Macintosh versions for playback of Flash content and applications," the company said. There are a few features that do not work, such as the full screen feature, although Adobe is working on that functionality for the final release, it said.
EU Looks to Regulate Net Video
A proposal currently being discussed by the European Commission may end up requiring Web sites and mobile phone services to conform to a set of standards regarding Internet video, media reports indicate. While it is intended to offer certain types of protection, some member governments say the law is too broad.
For example, the new law may actually require licenses to post amateur content, the British Broadcasting Minister says. "Supposing you set up a website for your amateur rugby club, uploaded some images and added a link advertising your local sports shop," Minister Shaun Woodward said. "You would then be a supplier of moving images and need to be licensed and comply with the regulations." He said his government is seeking a compromise that would better define what "television" is.
Google Campus Turns to Solar Power
Google has announced plans to build the largest solar power installation on a corporate site at its Mountain View campus, putting in 1.6 megawatts of solar photovoltaic panels. The panels will cover the roofs of Google's four main buildings, as well as another two buildings and appear in the company's parking lots.
According to Google, the installation will create enough electricity to power the equivalent of 1,000 average California homes and lower the company's usage by 30 percent during peak times. Google has joined up with EI Solutions to complete the task. "By saving electricity (not to mention producing clean renewable energy), we also save money. In fact, we believe this project demonstrates that a large investment in renewable energy can be profitable," commented Corporate Environmental Programs Manager Robyn Beavers on the Google Blog.
GameTap Expands Into Canada
GameTap, the broadband gaming and entertainment network from Time Warner made its first moves outside the United States Tuesday, bringing the service's 600 games and TV shows to Canadian consumers. Other countries will follow throughout 2007, the company said.
GameTap runs $6.95 per month, or $59.40 when purchased annually. Customers have access to console, arcade and PC games, as well as GameTap TV and multiplayer capabilities. "We are committed to growing not only via an international audience, but by also increasing the product catalog including the addition of original and episodic games," said GameTap general manager Stuart Snyder.
McAfee Buys Data Loss Prevention Firm
McAfee on Monday announced it had acquired Onigma for $20 million in cash in order to bolster its data protection solutions. The company is re-branding Onigma's offering as McAfee Data Loss Prevention, which is designed to monitor, report on and prevent confidential data from leaving an enterprise.
Data loss has become a major concern for businesses after a number of high-profile cases in which social security and credit card numbers were left on lost and stolen laptops. "Onigma gives us additional capabilities and expertise to help customers reduce the risk associated with compliance violations, corporate governance concerns, internal policy infractions and information leaks," said McAfee CTO Christopher Bolin.
DigitalLife 2006 in Pictures
DigitalLife 2006 kicked off on Thursday and BetaNews was in attendance to see the latest technology being showcased at the event. The show floor heated up on Friday and was swamped Saturday with consumers from all over New York City, young and old. Click the image to view a slideshow.
Exhibitors ranged from TiVo to Intel to Microsoft. HD DVD brought a 16-wheeler decked out as a home theater, while Sony responded by demoing Blu-ray on the latest high-definition displays. Attendees also lined up for a chance to play the Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation 3 game consoles, as well as the new Final Fantasy XII and retro Namco titles.
Virtual PC 2007 Beta Now Available
Microsoft on Thursday released a beta version of Virtual PC 2007, the latest version of the company's virtual machine software that is capable of running Windows Vista as both a host and guest operating system. The update takes advantage of new hardware virtualization technology from both Intel and AMD.
"So now you have an easy way to try out Windows Vista, even if you are reluctant to replace the OS on one your existing PCs; or if you have already taken the plunge you can spin up a legacy operating system in a virtual machine on your Windows Vista machine," explained Vista product manager Nick White. Virtual PC 2007 Beta is available for download from Microsoft's Connect beta site.
Ask Debuts Streamlined Mobile Search
Ask.com joined the ranks of rival search providers by offering a mobile version of its site with Ask Mobile Search. The company said it designed the page to minimize keystrokes while increasing navigability and decreasing load times. In some cases, data can be accessed up to 50 times faster than competing mobile search products, according to Ask.
"Mobile is an increasingly important access point for searchers," said Jim Lanzone, CEO of Ask.com, in a statement. "The new Ask Mobile makes it easy for users of Web-enabled cell phones, PDAs and other mobile devices to take advantage of the world-class relevance and industry-touted search tools offered by Ask.com." The new site is available immediately at mobile.ask.com.
Want A Download With That?
McDonald's joined the digital content revolution Wednesday as it began beta testing m-Venue, its digital media content service. At select locations, users would be able to browse and download music from several labels, including Sony BMG and Universal via a Wi-Fi connection. The first restaurant to offer the service would be in Schaumberg, Ill., about 20 miles from Chicago.
The company has equipped the resturant with wireless Internet, and has added widescreen displays that would promote the service and its content, as well as allowing users to send text messages to be displayed on the screen. According to McDonald's, food sales have increased 17 percent since the service was introduced.
Office 2004 for Mac Also Gets Patched
In addition to four security bulletins issued Wednesday for Office on Windows, Microsoft has released Office 2004 for Mac version 11.3. The update includes undisclosed security fixes, along with bug fixes in Word and PowerPoint.
"This update contains several updates to enhance security and stability, including fixes for vulnerabilities that an attacker can use to overwrite the contents of your computer's memory with malicious code. In addition, this update includes all of the improvements released in all previous Office 2004 updates," Microsoft said. Version 11.3 is available for download now.
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