Geek Chic: TV necklace

A blast from the past.

This little design was the infamous TV holding screen- which appeared when there were 'technical difficulties' or between the hours of one and seven.

Now you can wear it nostalgically round your neck-genius! From Art School Dropout.

[via The Bag Lady]

NBC agrees to 'next day' episode service on Netflix

Netflix has sealed a deal with NBC Universal to begin offering online episodes of hit series "Heroes," the day after they air on television.

Under the pact, Netflix subscribers will also be able to view past episodes of other NBC series, including "30 Rock," "Friday Night Lights" and "The Office," via rented DVD or on Netflix's website.

[Variety via TV Tattle]

YouTube debate as homework assignment

Ray Keller, a Nebraska teacher, turned the YouTube debate into a video homework assignment to get his students interested in the election.

[WSJ Blog via Ypulse]

Hollywood studios send writers new offer

Hollywood studios presented a new contract offer to striking film and TV writers Thursday that the studios said would pay writers millions of dollars extra for shows created for the Internet.

But writers said some of the proposals amounted to rollbacks and said studios should adopt their counteroffer.

[via the Associated Press]

TV time seen growing faster than Web

Time spent watching television will rise faster than leisure time spent on the Web through 2012, while a major audience for Internet video could take even longer to develop, consultancy Bain & Co said on Thursday, reports Reuters

"According to data exclusively released by Bain at the Reuters Media Summit in New York,U.S. viewers on average will spend nearly two more hours per week watching television by 2012, fueled by growth in video-on-demand choices and the use of digital video recorders.

In that same time frame, Internet use outside of the office is expected to rise by less than half an hour per week.

The data could be sobering to TV networks and Web media companies, which are investing heavily in Internet video sites and testing ways to make money off them through advertising."

Bed comes with Home Theater

Spotted on Engadget, a home-theater-bed. It can be yours for a mere $ 35.000.

EU declines to set mobile TV standard

European Union nations on Thursday asked the European Union not to call for a Nokia-backed mobile TV standard for Europe. Associated Press reports.

"The European Commission had asked all 27 EU governments to support DVB-H, or Digital Video Broadcasting for Handhelds, and to look for ways to mandate its use to help push forward the rollout of broadcasts to mobile phones.

It said this was the best way to avoid format wars — like the conflict now raging between movie disc types HD DVD and Blu-Ray — that can hold back the spread of new technology."

UK writers show US strike support

British film and TV writers have held a demonstration in London to show their support for striking US screenwriters. The
BBC reports.

"Scores of writers rallied outside the Trades Union Congress buildingWriters Guild of America"

Mark Burton, whose credits include Wallace and Gromit, said the issue at stake was how creative artists are paid in the digital world.

Further protests were held in Paris, Berlin and four Australian cities."

TiVo Partners To Enter PC TV Tuner Market

According to Information Week, Nero, a maker of DVD-burning software, has agreed to develop software that will bring TiVo's popular digital video recording software and program guide to the PC, a move that would create a competitor toMicrosoft's Windows Media Center.

"Under the deal, Nero would develop software that would provide a PC-based DVR that could be connected to a digital TV. Computer manufacturers offer PCs with TV tuners that can be connected to TV services.

The deal also holds the promise of getting TiVo technology to an international market. Nero has offices in Germany, Japan, and China, as well as the United States. The companies did not release a timetable for the software release, or pricing."

TV, Film, Game Violence threatens Public Health: Study

Violence depicted on television, in films and video games raises the risk of aggressive behavior in adults and young viewers and poses a serious threat to public health, according to a new study, reports Reuters.

"After reviewing more than 50 years of research on the impact of violence in the media, L. Rowell Huesmann, of the University of Michigan, and his colleague Brad Bushman concluded that only smoking posed a greater danger.

... The findings, which are reported in the Journal of Adolescent Health, support earlier research which showed that children who watch violent television shows and who identify with the characters and believe they are real are more likely to be aggressive as adults.

The results were true for both men and women."

NATO's new Afghan battleground: YouTube

NATO is acknowledging YouTube as its new battleground in the six-year war on Taliban fighters in Afghanistan, as the military alliance posts formerly secret surveillance and attack video. CNN reports.

"The strategy aims to counter years of propaganda video posted on the Internet showing Taliban attacks on NATO forces which fighters use to claim that NATO's position in the Afghan war is deteriorating.

"The Taliban, who are literally cave-dwellers, are doing better than we are on a key battleground -- and that's video," said NATO spokesman James Appathurai. "They deploy with videographers. We don't. They have DVDs out in an hour, we don't."

Wielding video cameras like weapons, fighters quickly upload images of their attacks and create a valuable morale booster for their supporters.

Now, after much internal debate, NATO has begun declassifying and posting top secret combat video on YouTube and other Web platforms to try and beat the Taliban at its own game."

Republican YouTube Debate Questions: A Big Yawn

According to Silicon Alley Insider, more than 5,000 video questions for the Republicans have been uploaded to YouTub for tonight's debate on CNN in Tampa, Fla. That's quite a bit more than the 3,000 or so vids uploaded for the Democratic YouTube debate this summer.

... "Whereas many of the memorable questions for the Democratic debate were both well-made and funny -- think of the animated snowman's question on climate change -- Republican YouTubers tend to be dour and lo-fi: "regular people with video cameras."

HDNet to Air Presidential Debate In High-Def

HDNet will air the next Democratic presidential debate this Saturday night live and in High-Definition, according to TV Predictions

The debate, which will focus on minority issues, is expected to include all eight Democratic candidates, including Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and former Sen. John Edwards (D-NC).

HDNet, a 24-hour High-Definition network available on satellite and several cable systems, will begin coverage of the debate Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET with a preview show hosted by Dan Rather.

Dozens of Torrent Sites May Be Shut Down

Dozens of torrent sites, including well-known platforms like BitTorrent Monster, BTJunkie.org and myBittorrent.com, could be forced to shut down by the end of this week, leaving the file-sharing world in turmoil.

The expected mass exodus is due to a broad change of policy at the Dutch web hoster LeaseWeb, which used to be a reliable partner for many torrent sites but has recently come under pressure by rights holders.

The Netherlands isn’t the only region feeling the heat; rights holders are increasing the pressure on torrent sites around the world.

[via NewTeeVee]

Uploading Speeds Slowly Catch Up

For years, Internet service providers have been cranking up the speed of downloads. Now companies are betting consumers will pay for faster uploads, as a growing number of users post music, videos and photos to the Web.

[via the WSJ]

YouTube pulls plug on Egypt activist over brutal videos

The video-sharing website YouTube has suspended the account of a prominent Egyptian anti-torture activist who posted videos of brutal behaviour online. The Guardian reports.

"Wael Abbas said some 100 images he had uploaded to the site were no longer accessible to users due to "complaints about the content".

Abbas, who this year won international recognition for his work in opposing the use of torture, claims the clips depicted police brutality, voting irregularities and anti-government demonstrations.

Speaking to Reuters earlier today, Abbas said: "They closed it (the account) and they sent me an e-mail saying that it will be suspended because there were lots of complaints about the content, especially the content of torture."

The shocking imagery sparked uproar throughout Egypt, a country where human rights groups claim torture is commonplace. The tape also prompted an official investigation, which led to a rare conviction of two policemen who were sentenced to three years in prison for torture.

YouTube, and other video-sharing sites on the internet, has emerged as a powerful forum for critics of the Egyptian government.

Elijah Zarwan, a prominent blogger in Egypt, said he thought it unlikely that YouTube had come under official Egyptian pressure to suspend Abbas's page.

He claimed it was more plausible that the site was reacting to the graphic nature of the videos. "I suspect they are doing it not under pressure from the Egyptian government, but rather because it made American viewers squeamish," he said."

Related:

-- Egyptian Prisoner's torture sent to his friend's cell phones by police

-- Egypt's Torture Video Sparks Outrage

-- Video phones expose torture in Egypt

YouTube Bans Breast-feeding Video

The great breast-feeding debate raged on Tuesday, after YouTube's removal of a breast-feeding video sparked yet another nursing controversy, according to a mothers' group, reports Seattle Post Intelligencer.

"YouTube is the latest new media site to ban nursing images, following actions at MySpace and Facebook, according to the League of Maternal Justice. Bill Maher stoked the breast-feeding fire when he compared public nursing to masturbation earlier this year.

The folks at the League of Maternal Justice weren't totally surprised that YouTube banned the clip, which was viewed at least 68,000 times before disappearing, but they were upset."

The Webby Awards' 12 Most Influential Online Videos of All Time

2006 will surely go down as the year when Internet video broke to the worldwide masses, but even before this historical benchmark, online video was an important part of many users' Internet experiences.

To celebrate its 12th year, The Webby Awards has put together a list of some of the most important, influential and beloved online videos of all-time.

It wasn't easy to narrow down over a decade of online video to just twelve, but each of the videos listed below represents an important starting point for the tactics and trends currently flourishing online:

Jennicam (1996)
All Your Base Are Belong to Us (2000)
BMW Films: "The Hire" (2001)
The Star Wars Kid (2002)
JibJab - "This Land" (2004)
Burger King's Subservient Chicken (2004)
Lazy Sunday (Narnia Rap) (2005)
Israel-Hezbollah War (2006)
LonelyGirl15 (2006)
OK Go - "Here We Go Again" (2006)
Senator George Allen's "Macaca" Incident (2006)
Zidane Headbutt (2006)

[via boingboing]

TV rivals form on-demand service

The BBC, ITV and Channel 4 are to launch a joint on-demand service, which will bring together hundreds of hours of television program in one place. The BBC reports.

"The service is set to go live in 2008 and will offer viewers access to current shows - like Ugly Betty and archive material.

... The BBC's iPlayer, ITV's catch-up service and Channel 4's 4oD will continue to exist along the new online "aggregator", which will provide a complement to the established providers.

Programing from all three broadcasters will be available for free download, streaming, rental and purchase via the internet, with expansion on to other platforms planned. "

ToyTi wireless television for tots

"I Do It" has launched its new wireless 10-inch portable TV "ToiTi into Europe. The ToyTi comes in two parts - "transmission" and display.

Parents can stream programming to their children safe in the knowledge that it's safely approved, and the TV looks ultra-friendly'n'fun thanks to the various toy-like furry covers.

[Aving via Pocket-Lint]

Can the Internet really compete with cable TV?

Whether broadband can provide serious competition to cable TV has suddenly transformed from a theoretical question to the heart of a political debate in Washington, reports News.com.

"The debate is expected to come to a head on Tuesday morning, when the FCC is scheduled to meet to decide whether to impose extensive new regulations on the cable industry."

NBC to Use TiVo's TV Viewership Data

According to the WSJ, NBC Universal has become the first major TV broadcaster to strike a deal with TiVo Inc. for the right to use TiVo's TV viewership research and interactive advertising products.

"... The deal comes as advertisers, media buyers and TV executives continue to grapple with a changing TV ad landscape, where an increasing number of viewers are using digital video recording devices to fast-forward through ads.

With its research, TiVo is competing with industry giant Nielsen Media Research, which also offers commercial-ratings and demographic data. Advertisers, media buyers and TV networks have made many of their ad deals this year based on Nielsen ratings of TV commercials."

Sales Of Multimedia Phones To Pass TVs Next Year

Worldwide shipments of multimedia-enabled mobile phones will exceed 300 million units next year, surpassing shipments of television sets, according to a research report being released this week by MultiMedia Intelligence. Sales of such phones will generate over $76 billion in revenue.

[via Information Week]

Dare We Hope A Deal Has Been Struck...?

As the WGA strike begins its 4th week, Nikki Finke of Deadline Hollywood has been told positive news about today's resumption of contract talks between the writers and the producers.

"So positive, in fact, that I'm almost fearful to post it. But here goes: a very reliable source tells me that there appears to be a deal seemingly in place between both sides."

[via TV Tattle]

IBM patent could pause your DVD movie for "a word from our sponsors"

Imagine this scenario. You've just received the latest Hollywood blockbuster in the mail from the DVD rental service of your choice. You settle back to watch the film on your flatscreen TV. 15 minutes or so into the movie—right as the action is building to a crescendo—the movie fades to a commercial. For the next minute, you're forced to watch the commercial as the fast-forward button has suddenly stopped working. The unhappy experience is repeated two or three more times before the movie ends. The only way to avoid the interruption is to pay another buck or two to the company you rented from.

That's the scenario envisioned in a patent application filed by IBM (and dug up by Zatz Not Funny!). When DVDs are inserted for playback, the disc would check to see if the viewer had purchased the ad-free version or the (presumably) lower-priced version with unskippable commercials. If it's the latter, the disc player would phone home to an online service to download commercials or play ads embedded on the discs themselves.

[reBlogged from ars technica]

More Web sites embrace freewheeling live shows

A growing number of Web sites are trying to revive appointment viewing by offering live programming. Many of these new online shows incorporate interactive features so viewers can ask questions of hosts or guests through instant messaging, email, phone calls or even Webcams. And, without censors to worry about, these shows can be more freewheeling than standard network programming. The WSJ reports.

"One of the newest programs is "LateNet With Ray Ellin," a twice-monthly talk show that created by Mr. Ellin, a comic who has appeared on Comedy Central.

Mr. Ellin says he modeled his show after David Letterman's, and in the tradition of late-night TV hosts, he begins his show with a monologue, speaks with guests and has a musical act. The guests -- many of them comics, such as Jeff Garlin -- often do a stand-up routine, and spend time with Mr. Ellin commenting on the text and Webcam messages the show receives, which are projected onto a wall of the club, so the live audience can see them.

Another site, ManiaTV, offers 16 live programs, including " Spread Entertainment," a weekly talk show that began this summer. "

Tracking the media audience, wherever it may be

According to the IHT, French media consumers are about to enter a brave new world where broadcasters and advertisers can study and dissect their habits wherever they are.

"Early next year, Médiamétire, a French audience survey company, will roll out a new system using inaudible tones emitted from television broadcasts that can give a richer view of the popularity of shows by demographic group and format.

Ultimately, the company intends to track select volunteers beyond their living rooms and television sets to radio, personal computers, mobile phones and perhaps video game consoles that double as tiny television sets.

... The Médiamétrie system, called watermarking, embeds the inaudible tones in programmin. Those sounds are tracked by set-top monitors in the homes of volunteers who eventually will be asked to don special mobile devices, akin to pagers, that will track television and radio use outside the home.

Médiamétrie calls this landscape "plurimedia, meaning that can be accessed in many forms, anywhere."

Sympathy for the Devil: The Nice-Guy Serial Killer Next Door

During the past two years Showtime has made its mark with series that ostentatiously demand our sympathy for narcissists, wrongdoers, the egregiously misbehaved. The New York Times reports.

"At the center of “Californication ” is a wounded philanderer. “Brotherhood” delivers a thug with brain trauma. On “Weeds” a widowed mother, her options foreclosed, turns to drug dealing and parental neglect. What does it say that Dexter Morgan, a forensics expert and serial killer, is the most likable character in this assembly?

There's something seriously wrong with all of us. That said. I can't wait until the next Dexter episode.

Related:

-- ‘Dexter’ Draws Blood, Bigger Audiences - Viewers are catching on; last Sunday’s episode attracted a network-high 1.23 million viewers, Showtime said on Wednesday. That marked “the biggest audience ever for a series on Showtime since the network started breaking out numbers for individual series in 2004, and nearly 10 percent of Showtime’s overall subscriber base of about 13 million,” Broadcatsting & Cable reports.

Movie Director Uses BitTorrent as Lawyers Chase Those Downloading His Movie

“I download lots of TV-shows, I’ll admit that. But it’s also about them already having been aired on TV, and have kinda been accessible for free already. I also think it’s stupid to have to wait for six or seven months to get to watch a TV-show that’s already been aired in the USA.” - Tommy Wirkola, the director of a successful Norwegian Kill Bill parody movie who admits to downloading TV shows via BitTorrent himself and doesn’t support his distributor as they take legal action against his fans.

[via TorrentFreak]

France set to cut Web access for music, film pirates

Internet users in France who frequently download music or films illegally risk losing Web Internet access under a new anti-piracy system unveiled on Friday, backed by French president Nicolas Sarkozy. [via Reuters]

"... Under the agreement - drawn up by a commission headed by the chief executive of FNAC, one of France's biggest music and film retailers - service providers will issue warning messages to customers downloading files illegally.

If users ignore those messages, their accounts could be suspended or closed altogether."