by Wendy Davis on Jul 5, 12:45 PM
Earlier this year, Yahoo!'s media group head, Lloyd Braun, lamented that the Internet still hadn't had its defining "I Love Lucy" moment, the turning point that would transform the Web into a mass entertainment medium.
by on Jul 1, 1:30 PM
America Online is getting ready for its biggest Webcast ever when it streams tomorrow's Live 8 multi-city concert event. The Live 8 event, which seeks to raise awareness about and funds to combat global poverty, comes 20 years after the original Live Aid concert, which raised funds for famine victims in Africa. AOL will stream the real-time feeds of the Live 8 concerts in Berlin, London, Paris, Philadelphia, Rome, and Toronto. Between the Webcasts, TV broadcasts on major networks, and radio play, it is estimated that the concerts will be available to nearly 5.5 billion people, or 85 percent …
by on Jun 30, 12:45 PM
Amid the cacophony of ad spending forecasts, some gloomier than others, there is something marketers and media types can and should place their bets on: creativity. The "big idea," investing in the talent, along with unusual creative and media plans will always be in vogue whether ad spending forecasts are up or down. It's the Minute's version of a sure thing - the more emphasis you place on the quality of the content, the ideas, and their execution, the better off your business is.
by on Jun 29, 12:45 PM
Here's something new for your iPod today. Apple introduced new software that's supposed to make the device easier to use and offers a podcast directory that offers more than 3,000 free audio programs and a menu that enables users to automatically send new podcasts to their computers. Apple also launched color screens for the iPod. Podcasts on Apple's iTunes Music Store include a variety of topics ranging from movies to technology, and are offered by blogs and major news organizations.
by on Jun 28, 12:45 PM
Media mogul Tom Rogers finally got what he wanted all along - to become head of TiVo. He's been vice chairman of the company for more than a year and successfully negotiated a deal with Comcast to integrate TiVo into the company's digital cable set-top boxes. Rogers has been chomping at the bit to lead TiVo and now he's the top dog; he'll assume the role of president and CEO on July 1, succeeding Mike Ramsay, the company's founder, who announced he would step down in January as CEO. Now, it's up to Rogers, the ultimate dealmaker, to forge …
by on Jun 27, 1:00 PM
The Supreme Court ruled today on Grokster v. MGM Studios that Internet file-sharing services will be held responsible if they plan to offer their customers software used mostly for swapping songs and movies illegally. The unanimous decision sends the case back to the lower court, which had ruled in favor of file-sharing services Grokster Ltd. and StreamCast Networks Inc. on the grounds that the companies couldn't be sued. The decision indicates that the justices felt there was enough evidence of unlawful intent for the case to go to trial. Essentially, file-sharing services aren't going to get a free pass.
by on Jun 24, 2:27 PM
Yahoo! continued its ongoing Summit Series of events for marketers and agencies yesterday with a financial-themed event dubbed, "Selling Money." It featured a cast of smart folks that included a futurist, an analyst, a researcher, two Ivy League university professors, and the wry funnyman Ben Stein. (We must confess, we didn't stick around to hear him but we trust that he was a gas, as well as incredibly self-deprecating). Can anyone out there confirm this?
by on Jun 23, 1:00 PM
A new study by consulting firm Accenture projects that nearly 10 percent of all TV commercials in the United States will be skipped by 2009, or $6 billion worth of ads. Why? Digital video recorders. TiVo. Cable company DVRs. That's why. The study finds that nearly 40 percent of U.S. homes will have DVRs by 2009. Currently, about 8 percent of homes have DVRs with 2 percent of all ads skipped.
by on Jun 22, 12:45 PM
Google says it's building an online payment system. The system could eventually become a competitor to eBay's PayPal. However, Google CEO Eric Schmidt says the online payment system will be different than PayPal. For example, Google's online payment product won't have the same stored value payments system as PayPal, which stores funds for a short time under its control. Schmidt was very short on details.
by Wendy Davis on Jun 21, 1:15 PM
After months of planning America Online today began the rollout of its free portal site, AOL.com. With the new offering, AOL has made available for free a wide variety of content that previously was available only to subscribers.