US. Poverty a problem for pay TV

For years, execs at pay TV companies and telcos boasted about their growth as subscribers continued to pay more for new cable services, next-generation smartphones and faster broadband. Amid the euphoria, however, those execs didn't address what might happen to their bottom lines when consumers could no longer swallow those increasingly larger bills. Variety reports.

In a foreboding new report titled "U.S. Telecommunications and Cable & Satellite: The Poverty Problem," one analyst concludes that a major risk facing companies like Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Verizon and AT&T is not heated competition from each other, or a fast growing outlier like Netflix, but rather poverty.

Read full article.

Copyfight: EFF co-founder enters e-G8 "lion's den," rips into lions

John Perry Barlow—EFF co-founder, Grateful Dead lyricist, and, improbably, now a rancher—arrived in Paris and began tweeting up a storm from the e-G8 summit gathered there this week to discuss the future of the Internet.

After listening to French President Nicolas Sarkozy call repeatedly for Internet regulation and more copyright protection, Barlow added, "You'd have thought from Sarkozy's talk he was addressing a convocation of Anonymous and the Pirate Party. He wasn't."

And then it was his turn to take the stage: "I am about to enter the Lion's Den at #eG8."

Read more

French "three strikes" anti-piracy software riddled with flaws

The French "three strikes" policy was put on hold last week after the private company tasked with collecting piracy data, TMG, was hacked and found to be insecure. The hack has allowed the company's data-collecting software to be examined. It turns out that servers weren't the only thing that TMG failed to properly secure; their anti-piracy software is riddled with flaws, too.

[via arstechnica]

YouTube: Three Billion Views a Day

YouTube users are now uploading 48 hours of video a minute. That’s up 37 percent in the last six months, and 100 percent in the last year.

[via All Things D]

YouTube posts most viewed commencement addresses

YouTube has posted the most viewed commencement speaches. Fabulous.

In first place, and my forever favorite, Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

[via The Huffington Post]

New Study Finds iPad is Cure for Adultery

Popwuping reports on a new scientific study - released May 19 in The Borowitz Report - that claims iPad owners are less likely to commit adultery "because they stop noticing other people altogether."

According to the study, commissioned by Apple, Inc., iPad use disrupts what scientists agree are the necessary first stages of extramarital sex: "noticing, admiring, and talking to other people."

And not only did iPad use make them thoroughly uninterested in extramarital sex, "their nonstop talking about the amazing features and apps on their iPads made them completely unattractive to potential sex partners as well."

... The study also indicated that iPad owners are far less likely to have sex with the people they are married to, but that in two-iPad couples “neither partner seems to care.”

In Europe, the International Monetary Fund announced that the iPad would be “mandatory equipment” for any candidate who hopes to take the helm of the IMF.

Fun. Read more. Via The Borowitz Report.

TEDTaxi: A new idea-spreading device from TEDxBuenosAires

Brilliant video from TEDxBuenosAires: TED called on the city’s most remarkable speakers: Taxi drivers, to connect the ideas of TED with the citizens of Buenos Aires.

50 taxis
20 passengers per week
1 week
7000 listeners

[via TEDBlog]

German police seize Pirate Party servers

Acting on a French request for assistance, German police today confiscated German Pirate Party servers—apparently hoping to search the prominent collaboration tool widely used within Anonymous to select targets for attack.

[via arstechnica]

Saudis arrest YouTube activist challenging ban on women drivers

Saudi authorities have arrested an activist who launched a campaign to challenge a ban on women driving in the conservative kingdom and posted a video on the internet of her behind the wheel, activists said. The Guardian reports.

The YouTube video, posted on Thursday, has attracted more than 600,000 views and shows Manal Alsharif, who learned to drive in the US, driving her car in Khobar in the oil-producing Eastern Province.

"Police arrested her at 3am this morning," said Maha Taher, another activist who launched her own campaign for women driving four months ago to spread awareness of the issue.

... The campaign Alsharif launched is aimed at teaching women to drive and encouraging them to start driving from 17 June, using foreign-issued licences.

In 2008, CNN reported on a Saudi woman who posted a video of herself driving on YouTube in an effort to urge the Saudi government to expand the rights of women to drive in Saudi Arabia. YouTube with "Wajeha Al-Huwaider has a driver's license, but she is only allowed to drive in rural areas of Saudi Arabia. She said that restriction "paralyzes half the population." She wants authorities to let women drive in Saudi cities.

YouTube starts showing full-length movie blockbusters

YouTube is upgrading from cute kittens to Hollywood stars, making the move from homemade clips to full-length films. Monsters and Critics reports.

... Users now have access to 3,000 movies, along with critics' commentaries and bonus materials, all online. The selection includes classics like Goodfellas and Taxi Driver, as well as recent releases like The King's Speech and The Green Hornet.

So far, the selection is only available to American residents, who have to pay 3.99 dollars to rent a movie this way. In other countries, users will have to make do with a handful of older, but free movies at www.youtube.com/movies.

Read full article.

Which TV Shows Are People Talking About? SocialGuide Will Tell You

SocialGuide, which aims to provide a real-time view into which shows are stirring up the most conversation. GigaOM reports.

Like other social TV startups, SocialGuide enables users to set up individual accounts, look for their friends and share what they’re watching on Twitter and Facebook.

... Even if viewers don’t log in to the service or explicitly “check in” to any TV shows, SocialGuide can still provide valuable data to both TV viewers and the content owners themselves. The site works by scouring Twitter in real time for conversations about shows as they are airing, creating a listing of the most social shows on TV. It then aggregates all of those social conversations into one spot. The result is a real-time social channel listing.

Read full article.

HBO Lets iPad Users Watch Game of Thrones A Week Early

This weekend, subscribers to HBO will be able to watch the seventh episode of Game of Thrones a whole week early.

The seventh episode of the series, entitled “You Win or You Die,” will go live on the network’s HBO Go online platform. In addition to the HBO Go website, subscribers can also tune in through the service’s recently released mobile apps.

The HBO Go apps were teased in a YouTube ad released last week, promising a May 2 launch date. But they appeared a few days early.

[via GigaOM]

Not all viewers of Arab TV networks develop anti-American feelings

Despite the fears of some Americans, Arab television networks such as Al Jazeera do not promote anti-American feelings among all their viewers, according to a new study. PhysOrg.com reports.

Research based on surveys of nearly 20,000 residents of six Arab countries suggests that while watching networks like Al Jazeera fuels anti-American feelings in some viewers, it actually reduces such sentiment in others.

The results suggest that it is too simplistic to blame the Arab media for stoking resentment and hatred of America, said Erik Nisbet, lead author of the study and assistant professor of communication at Ohio State University.

"Arab TV viewers aren't getting a single, unified anti-American message from networks like Al Jazeera," Nisbet said. "Viewers interpret the messages they get from Al Jazeera through the lens of their own political identity.

Read full article.

YouTube remembers fallen journalists

YouTube has teamed up with the Newseum in Washington, D.C., to create a video memorial for men and women who lost their lives pursuing the news.

The Newseum in Washington, D.C., Google and YouTube are together launching thevideo memorial"> Journalists Memorial channel on YouTube to remember the journalists who have died in the last year while reporting news around the world.

[via YouTube Global Blogspot]

Net pirate monitoring firm hacked

Trident Media Guard, a French company specialized in software to prevent unauthorized copying of files over the Internet and hired by the French government to track down net pirates, has been hacked.

[via the BBC]

Netflix's Internet traffic overtakes Web surfing

According to a study published Tuesday by Sandvine Inc and reported by the AP, Netflix movies and TV shows account for nearly 30 percent of traffic into homes during peak evening hours, compared with less than 17 percent for Web browsing.

The number of Netflix customers is growing quickly, to 23.6 million subscribers in the U.S. and Canada as of the end of March.

Internet service providers are increasingly placing monthly limits on each subscriber's data consumption and charging extra when the limit is surpassed.

Read full article.

The Future of Internet Video Streaming

An insightful must-read article on the future of Internet video streaming. By Tavis J. Hampton for Pamil-Visions.net.

... As it currently stands, the issues has not caused an uproar with consumers, who are still able to watch a good number of movies and shows online. But the issue of the day is more about customers wanting access to the movies they like, many of which may or may not be available for online streaming.

Netflix may have found a way around this dilemma, and that is to offer their own original content. It recently signed a deal to bring its first original TV show, House of Cards, to its online streaming, bypassing TV networks completely. It is conceivable that more shows and even full-length movies could follow. Similarly, Google has set aside money to purchase the rights to original full-length content for YouTube.

Read full article.

Is Google taking the 'you' out of YouTube?

Despite YouTube having the tagline "broadcast yourself", the most viewed clips are often corporate videos or those featuring internet celebrities, many of whom now earn over $100,000 a year. The BBC reports.

So much has changed for YouTube since the days where it seemed to be known solely for videos of cats playing the piano and people falling down holes. Now, users are more likely to be found watching a Channel 4 programme or Justin Bieber music video than its more traditional output.

Indeed, half of the top 10 most viewed clips of all time are by Bieber or rap star Eminem.

Read full article.

New bill upgrades unauthorized Internet streaming to a felony

Arstechnica reports:

According to Bill S. 978 introduced by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Cornyn (R-TX) streaming is a "public performance" rather than a "distribution"—and holding a public performance without a proper license is not a felony. S. 978 adds "public performance" to the felony list.

Online streamers can now face up to five years in prison and a fine in cases where:

-- They show 10 or more "public performances" by electronic means in any 180-day period and

-- The total retail value of those performances tops $2,500 or the cost of licensing such performances is greater than $5,000.

Movie makers and theater owners support the bill.

Read full article.

Update: Something I missed, picked up by Gizmodo:

The bill would target operators and sharers, not watchers.

Vagueness About ‘Pirate’ Domain Seizures Disturbs US Politicians

Domain seizures of alleged pirate sites continue to be criticized in the United States. Two of the most outspoken politicians on the issue have asked the responsible authorities about the legitimacy of the seizures, but received insufficient answers. In a response both politicians characterize the seizures as censorship and claim that the authorities “demonstrate little if any understanding of the Internet’s value and function.”

Read full article in TorrentFreak.

TV shows try to get multitaskers attention

Trying to hold the attention of multi-tasking viewers is proving problematic for these plot-intensive shows. The Los Angeles Times reports.

Audiences don't just focus solely on their screens these days, most people are watching TV with a laptop on their legs," says Laurie Zaks, executive producer at ABC.

... The challenge has forced producers to become even more creative in trying to keep viewers engaged. Robert and Michelle King, the married co-creators of CBS's "The Good Wife" go with the hostage approach. Typically, "The Good Wife" runs at least eight minutes before the opening credits and a commercial break, much longer than most shows. Last week's opening act ran 15 minutes.

Read full article.

Americans face piracy website blocking

Websites that link to pirated music and movies or sell counterfeit goods could soon be blocked in America, reports the BBC.

US politicians are about to consider legislation which includes a raft of measures to clamp down on such sites.

The Protect IP bill gives government and copyright holders tools to stop Americans reaching illegal material.

Digital rights groups said they were "dismayed" by the proposals and feared the effect the final law would have on the internet.

Read full article.

Which TV Shows Are the Most Social?

The most social shows on TV aren’t necessarily those with the highest Nielsen ratings. That’s the big takeaway from a new research study from TVGuide.com, which ranks the most social TV shows from the 2010-2011 television season. Mashable reports.

The rankings, which are based on TVGuide.com episode checkins, Facebook Likes and site comments, offer an interesting look at not only what shows are most social, but also how viewers really use social media to interact and engage with their favorite shows.

1. NCIS

2. American Idol

3. Criminal Minds

4. Glee

5. House

6. Fringe

7. Bones

8. Castle

9. Smallville

10. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Although some of these shows, like NCIS and American Idol, are also extremely popular in the Nielsen ratings, that isn’t the overall rule. Programs like Glee, which have huge social media followings and a great web presence, barely rank in Nielsen’s Top 40.

Smallville, a program that is wrapping up its tenth and final season, has a tremendously strong social fanbase, despite being one of Nielsen’s lowest rated programs.

Read more.

Is the internet going to be the death of television?

The BBC takes on the confusing picture of Television and TV on the Internet - as we watch more video than ever before this way. But we're also watching more television. What is less clear is where the broadcast industry is ultimately headed.

New Bill Would Criminalize Illegal TV Show Streaming

This is bad news. According to Broadcasting&Cable, a new bill would criminalize illegal TV show streaming. Currently, felony status only applies to uploads and downloads.

The bill (S. 978) was introduced by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Christopher Coons (D-Del.)

It is already a felony to download or upload that content, so the bill would just extend that to streaming a recommendation made by White House Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator Victoria Espinel, The Copyright Alliance pointed out in praising the move.

In March, the Obama administration recommended that Congress clarify that streaming illegal content, in addition to downloading it, can be a felony.

Read full article. Image from BV BlackSpin.

Senate bill gives feds power to order piracy site blacklisting

Senate anti-piracy legislation introduced Thursday would dramatically increase the government’s legal power to disrupt and shutter websites “dedicated to infringing activities.”

A major feature of the PROTECT IP Act, introduced by 11 senators of all stripes, would grant the government the authority to bring lawsuits against these websites, and obtain court orders requiring search engines like Google to stop displaying links to them.

Full article in arstechnica.

Previously: - Revised 'Net censorship bill requires search engines to block sites, too

Find Out if You’re a Target in the Biggest U.S. BitTorrent Lawsuit Ever

Wired: In what is being touted as the largest BitTorrent file sharing lawsuit in U.S. history, more than 23,000 people will soon be notified by their internet service providers that their subscriber information is being turned over to lawyers suing over the 2010 Sylvester Stallone flick The Expendables.

Check out Wired's IP Detective to see if you've been implicated in a the Bittorrent lawsuits. Answer is immediate.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has a great resource on what to do if you’re a target.

YouTube videos now have Live Captions

Watching videos on YouTube just got a bit easier to understand, thanks to the launch of Live Captions. The service is available to all of YouTube’s partners or even competing live stream sites to improve video viewing experience for all users (particularly those with hearing impediments but also to make sense of foreign clips).

[via ZDNet]

Biggest BitTorrent Downloading Case in U.S. History Targets 23,000 Defendants

At least 23,000 file sharers soon will likely get notified they are being sued for downloading the Expendables in what has become the single largest illegal-BitTorrent-downloading case in U.S. history. Wired reports.

A federal judge in the case has agreed to allow the U.S. Copyright Group to subpoena internet service providers to find out the identity of everybody who had illegally downloaded the 2010 Sylvester Stallone flick — meaning the number of defendants is likely to dramatically increase as new purloiners are discovered.

Subpoenas are expected to go out this week.

All told, more than 140,000 BitTorrent downloaders are being targeted in dozens of lawsuits across the country, many of them for downloading B-rated movies and porn.

Read full article.

A Russian Titan Embraces the Web

Amid the ever-shifting landscape of film-viewing technology, streaming has suddenly become a rushing river. And now Mosfilm, the 87-year-old titan of Soviet and Russian film production—famed for works by masters such as Sergei Eisenstein and Andrei Tarkovsky, as well as genre films from adventure tales to musicals—has taken a leap into that river. On April 26 Mosfilm announced a partnership with YouTube allowing viewers to watch a substantial number of landmark movies from the studio's collection in their entirety.

Read full article in The Wall Street Journal.