Telstra to Sell Cisco’s Cius

From The Online Reporter   
 

Cisco’s Cius could be a major competitor to RIM’s PlayBook tablets in the corporate market. Telstra, the incumbent Australian telco, will by year-end be selling Cius tablets to corporates, and, it hopes, in large lots. 

Cisco’s Cius Tablet Being Stationed

on Its Docking Station 

The initial units are Wi-Fi-only but 3G and 4G models are to come later this year, which makes the point about how far Apple was ahead of other technology giants in tablets.

Telstra is looking forward to the 4G models because it’ll have some of its 4G network up and running by year-end. 

Cisco’s selling points are Cius’ compatibility with its Teleprescence business video platform and its collaboration software. It’s also emphasizing Cius’ ease of developing and distributing apps. 

Otherwise it’s just another tablet and one with a 7-inch screen: Android 2.2 (not Honeycomb), 600 pixel touchscreen, 52 grams and 32GB of internal memory plus an SD slot. It has an HDMI out port, which will help in making corporate presentations on TVs. There’s also a mini-USB port. It plays video in 720p HD video at 30 frames per second. Its rear-facing camera can record 720p HD video. 

Cisco is undoubtedly working to get all the world’s telcos selling Cius’ because telcos have thousands of sales reps that are in frequent contact with large corporates and government agencies that are already their customers, something that Apple doesn’t have.

 To see 4 free editions of The Online Reporter, the weekly source for competitive intelligence about digital content, online entertainment services, mobile media and wireless networks, visit www.onlinereporter.com/trial_copies.php  

Next Gen iOS on Show in June

From The Online Reporter   

 

Recently it’s been a war of the operating systems in mobile devices.

Apple struck the latest blow by announcing this week that it will show the next-generation operating systems for the iOS devices and Mac PCs at its Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco in June. It did not say when it would be available.

“At this year’s conference we are going to unveil the future of iOS and Mac OS,” Apple senior VP of worldwide product marketing Philip Schiller said. “If you are an iOS or Mac OS X software developer, this is the event that you do not want to miss.”

The $1,600 tickets to the show sold out in less than 12 hours. Remember when only Microsoft could draw that size of a crowd of developers that quickly? Apple said there’ll be 100 technical sessions during the conference. 

And you have to wonder if Apple will unveil any new gadgets there.

Lenovo Selling 10-inch, Android Tablet in China

From The Online Reporter   

 

Lenovo has started selling its LePad tablet China, joining the tablet market with Dell, LG, Samsung and Motorola Mobility. Like other non-Apple tablets, LePad has a 10.1-inch screen and the Android OS. It has both Wi-Fi-only and Wi-Fi-with-3G cellular versions. Lenovo said the unit will be on sale outside China in June. 

At CES, Lenovo also showed a combination notebook/tablet with Windows 7 and a sliding keyboard base. It has not said when the unit would be available.

The company said it has a new mobile Internet and digital home business operation that’ll make tablets, smartphones, smart TVs and cloud computers.

Lenovo better hurry! Apple practically owns the tablet market. Competition in smartphones is fierce with giants like Microsoft and Nokia struggling. Companies like Sony and Philips are having difficulty selling TVs at a profit. It’s not certain that cloud computers will sell in large volumes, and Samsung, Acer, Asus and Sony are expected to have them in a few months. 

Lessons From the Cutting Room Floor: Our Upcoming “Smart and Social TV” Report

By Geoff Whiting

As we’ve begun to put the final touches on our upcoming “Smart and Social TV” report, we’ve found some trends staring at us that were too important to wait. While all the industry hype floats around the newest TV sets and the latest specialized smart gadgets, we’ve noticed that some of the tried-and-true players in the space are doing well and that, for now, some of the trends of the first smart devices are still key to consumer success. 

The three biggest issues are:

1. There is going to be a gap in what’s available on older models and on the lower-end models of a given series. If a user purchases a Blu-ray player from one company and then that company switches over to a new platform, they will likely not see all of the new updates come their way. For example, LG previously called their smart TV apps platform “NetCast,” but has transitioned to branding the platform on its newer systems as “LG Smart TV” and added some video services. Companies aren’t standing still, so this isn’t just a simple rebranding—it’s new content and online services that older hardware can’t necessarily support.

2. Authentication is going to be a big hurdle as devices add new content and evolve. Part of the reason older hardware can’t get all of the new apps/services is that it can’t properly authenticate its security and grab appropriate content licenses to verify its eligibility to display content. This is why some older Blu-ray players haven’t been updated with various services like Qriocity or Hulu. The big content names want to make sure their content is secure and that users aren’t recording content somewhere along the way.

3. Right now, it’s hard to recommend a new smart TV. In just the past six months we’ve seen major platform shifts among smart TVs. These include new partnerships, whole new platforms, older platforms losing support and platform fragmentation that looks similar to the way Android has fragmented across mobile phones over the past year due to differing versions and carrier restrictions. Presently, a separate smart TV adapter like Apple TV or Boxee is best for consumers who’ll not want to be obsoleted. Ranging from $75 to $200, most smart TV adapters provide a better investment for consumers who have purchased an HDTV in the last three years. 

Smart TV adapters are also appealing because they’re typically portable. Being able to use that relatively cheap purchase on two or three TVs makes it feel like an even better deal. And trust us, consumers are definitely willing to lug the few-pound box from the living room to the bedroom, especially on rainy nights. 

For any questions, concerns or comments about our upcoming “Smart and Social TV report,” or to make sure your favorite device or platform is covered, drop us a line at whiting@onlinereporter.com. 

To see 4 free editions of The Online Reporter, the weekly source for competitive intelligence about digital content, online entertainment services, mobile media and wireless networks, visit www.onlinereporter.com/trial_copies.php  

BridgeCo Powers Apple’s AirPlay

From The Online Reporter  
 

If AirPlay becomes a standard for streaming audio to multiple brands of devices in the home, it will be a killer app for Apple. If it also becomes a standard for streaming video to TV sets and Blu-ray players, as we reported last week, it would make it very hard for Apple rivals to compete in tablets, smartphones and smart TV adapters like the Apple TV.

BridgeCo, a venture capital-backed company, reportedly helped Apple develop the AirPlay technology for third-party devices that allows PCs, iPads, and iPhones to send audio streams to non-Apple devices that have AirPlay technology embedded. Currently, surround sound receivers from Pioneer, Denon, Marantz, B&W, JBL and iHome have the AirPlay technology.

However, only the $99 Apple TV can receive AirPlay videos and then only from apps that are AirPlay-enabled. Apple has said it is working to make all apps work with AirPlay.

BridgeCo uses an AirPlay-enabled version of its JukeBlox technology, which is a software stack and a network media processor that can be integrated into a Wi-Fi network media module from a Wi-Fi chipmaker. Potentially Apple’s iOS products could transmit audio to any Wi-Fi-capable receiver in the home that has the AirPlay technology.

BridgeCo CEO Gene Sheridan told the CNBC pay-TV network that the two companies “worked together to establish a set of API’s” (a software protocol to communicate) so that their two platforms could “implement the AirPlay technology.” He said the deal has an “immense” upside, what with 120 million AirPlay-compatible Apple products already in use. AirPlay could generate more than half of BridgeCo’s revenues, he said.

BridgeCo’s Web page asks CE makers to inquire about embedding the AirPlay technology in their audio products. The cost is reportedly $4 per device for audio. Apple may want a higher license fee for technology that receives videos.

Despite Intel and Microsoft’s attempts, no one has taken control of TV sets and Blu-ray players as the two did for PCs. As with smartphones and tablets, they have left the door open for Apple in the living room.

Last week we reported that two TV set makers were reportedly working with Apple to embed AirPlay into their sets.

If AirPlay is built into TV sets in a big way, it will ensure that Apple has a large number of devices that play content from its iTunes service just as the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch have done for the iTunes music service. That could eventually include a streaming music subscription, which would stream a consumer’s music from the cloud and Netflix’ movie/TV subscription service, or perhaps Apple’s own video subscription service. 

It is rumored that Apple is developing its own TV sets. So why would it bother when its streaming technology is in every TV set?

Apple, which is quietly increasing its presence in video games, could also allow users to show on the TV set a game that’s played on an Apple device.

Other BridgeCo solutions for audio device makers include streaming Pandora, Rhapsody and about 12,000 online radio stations.

The company’s headquarters are in El Segundo, California, with a development group in Bangalore, India. 

 To see 4 free editions of The Online Reporter, the weekly source for competitive intelligence about digital content, online entertainment services, mobile media and wireless networks, visit www.onlinereporter.com/trial_copies.php  

CBS Brings 8 Days of Tweets to Live TV

From The Online Reporter  

Bring out the tablets! Social networking is coming to live CBS broadcasts for eight days. From April 3 to 11, #CBSTweekWeek will feature live tweets from actors, musicians and sports analysts during the broadcast of primetime shows and sporting events. Viewers can use the hashtag to ask questions and get responses. A list of covered shows is at: http://tinyurl.com/4qrrfst.

VMIX Offers Platform for Renting Shows on Facebook

From The Online Reporter   

 

- ‘It’s All about Location’

- Control of Video Rights Management & Distribution

Think Facebook is the next Netflix and you want to rent your movies, TV shows and videos on it just as Warner Bros is doing? Then the company to talk to is VMIX. 

VMIX has a platform called VMIX Social that lets content owners and distributors rent videos on social networking sites like Facebook where they can be played immediately or later on a tablet, smartphone, smart TV or PC.

The six-year-old San Diego company says it’s the first to offer a turnkey solution for live and on-demand video rentals plus promotional videos on social networks.

VMIX Social will initially be available on smartphones, tablets and PCs. In the future, it’ll be available on smart TVs. The company would not say what studios or distributors it’s working with but expects to make several announcements in April.

Warner Bros added five movies to Facebook this week in addition to the one that it posted a few weeks back. Warner Bros is listed as a VMIX customer, but VMIX does not say whether it’s for VMIX Social.

Warner Bros Films Now Available on Facebook

• The Dark Knight
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
• Inception
• Life as We Know It
• Yogi Bear

Renting shows on Facebook has several advantages over renting on Netflix:

- Facebook has a worldwide audience of 600 million and more users than Netflix’ 20 million who pay at least $8 per month.

- The studio/distributor is in complete control.

- No complex contract is needed upfront.

- Prices, terms and geographies can be changed when needed.

- Facebook lets shows and prices be posted however the studio or distributor sees fit.

- Movies rented on Facebook give viewers a way to immediately post their reviews.

On the other hand, there’s no up-front payment with Facebook as there would be with Netflix.

Watching Movies on Facebook

There are a couple of negative elements that come with renting movies on Facebook:

- The offer isn’t valid in all states or outside the States, at least not currently.

- To rent the movie, the user has to allow the studio to access their account just like any other app. That includes a person’s demographics, list of friends and shared information.

 
Location, Location, Location

Content owners and distributors are faced with a number of choices when it comes to renting content online, each with their own terms and conditions:

- A third-party site such as Apple’s iTunes, Amazon on Demand, LoveFilm, Vudu, CinemaNow and others.

- A subscription service such as Netflix and Hulu Plus.

- A studio or distributor’s own Web site such as Sony’s free, ad-supported Crackle.

- A pay-TV service such as the TV Everywhere service that Time Warner Cable and others are developing.

- Social TV is the “in thing” these days: “Let’s text while we watch!”

What’s needed now on Facebook is a recommendation engine like the one The Filter is offering, a better way to pay than only with Facebook credits and a better search. Facebook has a search that allows users to find a movie by name but not by actor, producer, studio and the like.

VMIX president and CEO Pat Burns said, “Studios can now transform Facebook fan pages into destination sites for browsing, renting and sharing premium video. They are sites that deliver full-length features and TV series capable of turning your Facebook fans into paying customers and valuable viral promoters.”

He said the company believes Facebook is ready for renting movies and TV shows, and Facebook users are beginning “to demand content they can love instead of like.”

VMIX co-founder and CTO Greg Kostello said VMIX Social is a win for media companies. “It’s all about location. Facebook is the number one destination on the Web, with more than 600 million consumers connecting to brands and products by the minute. Over 700,000 businesses have pages on Facebook, with top companies supporting a network of over 64 million Facebook fans and growing.”

When Warner Bros announced its first movie on Facebook, Thomas Gewecke, president of Warner Bros Digital Distribution, said, “Facebook has become a daily destination for hundreds of millions of people.”

 
Key Components

VMIX listed the key components of VMIX Social as:

- Integration with social network engines to keep transactions and consumers in Facebook, encouraging easy and wide social distribution

- Live and on-demand video streaming direct to Facebook fan pages and any Internet-connected device

- Fine control of video rights management and distribution

- Interactive video templates and galleries for promoting content in Facebook

Searching on Facebook

With $26 million in venture funding, VMIX has provided its platform to media partners, including newspapers such as McClatchey, broadcast media companies such as ESPN, NASA, Penguin Books and products like Toyota’s Scion.

Kostello said VMIX has enabled “10 million consumers over the past five years to watch more than 50 million videos per year on their computers, phones and other devices.”

He said VMIX knows the industry is ready for this Facebook implementation. 

To see 4 free editions of The Online Reporter, the weekly source for competitive intelligence about digital content, online entertainment services, mobile media and wireless networks, visit www.onlinereporter.com/trial_copies.php