Best Easter Egg EVER: Google Earth comes with Flight Sim
The latest version of Google Earth has a little easter egg hiding in its code. Did I say little? How about a whole flight simulator? Mashable has the details, and sure enough there’s an instructions page for Google Flight Simulator. I have killed an evening flying around Kathmandu, L.A., New York and mostly into the [...]
Google News now hosting AP stories
Update: Google has moved ahead with an agreement it signed last year with the Associated Press, and it is now hosting AP stories directly on the site — ultimately reducing the traffic Google News refers to news sites. Not only will Google host the AP stories instead of linking off to newspaper sites, but it [...]
NBCU: We won’t be leaving iTunes until December
This keeps getting more interesting. NBCU says it “never asked to double the wholesale price for our TV shows” as Apple asserted in a press release earlier today. And that’s not all. “We want consumers to know that all our returning series, including new episodes, will be available on iTunes through the remainder of the [...]
More fallout on the NBCU-Apple slapdown
It’s the media vs. technology showdown of the summer, that’s for sure. – Disney stands by iTunes, which is no surprise given Steve Jobs is on the board. “Clearly the availability of these programs [on iTunes] if anything is helping the linear channel,” says Disney exec. – Forrester Research analyst is surprised by [...]
Poll: Who’s hurt worse?
Do you think NBCU or Apple will be hurt more by the iTunes break up? Vote here. (I can’t get the Quibblo poll to embed properly on Lost Remote for some reason.)
Apple bites back over NBCU’s iTunes pullout
Update: Last night, a NY Times story reported that NBC will not renew its agreement with iTunes, which would mean its shows would disappear off the store in December. But today Apple announced that it decided “to not offer NBC TV shows for the upcoming television season beginning in September.” Says Apple VP of iTunes Eddy Cue, “We are disappointed to see NBC leave iTunes because we would not agree to their dramatic price increase. We hope they will change their minds and offer their TV shows to the tens of millions of iTunes customers.” Apple says NBC wanted to raise prices from $1.99 a show to $4.99 (which NBC later disputes).
Apple knows that the value of having shows appear on iTunes is much greater than the direct financial benefit — but the promotional value, especially for new shows striving to get noticed in a new fall season. (NBC accounts for 30 percent of iTunes TV show sales.) NBC is in a rebuilding year on the programming front, and Apple knew this would be a great way to make a point.
As of last check, NBCU shows are still available on iTunes.
Update: See this new post which clarifies which material will stay up.
Apple’s press release below…
NBCU to pull out of iTunes
The single biggest supplier of video to iTunes, NBC Universal has decided not to renew its contract with Apple, reports the NY Times. The decision likely stems from frustration over Apple’s refusal to allow flexible pricing or product bundling. There are two ways to look at this, of course. The first is there are other [...]
TV Guide not closing, despite incorrect report
Update: TVNewser reported earlier today that TV Guide would stop putting out its print edition. LostRemote cited that report – but it turns out to not be true. Here’s a statement from a TVG spokesperson: “TV Guide magazine is alive and well. There was no mandatory meeting today; like most businesses, our offices closed at [...]
Hey! Oye!… Nielsen launches new site
Nielsen is launching a new service that is described as part social network, part opinion catcher, and part buzz tracker. Hey! Nielsen is still in private beta – but the site will be used to give Nielsen clients data on what customers are liking — and what they aren’t. The site is set to launch [...]
CNN drops Reuters service
CNN and CNN.com will stop using Reuters wire and feed services on Friday. “This is about content ownership,” CNN spokesman Nigel Pritchard said. “Everything is changing and content ownership is king.” Reuters aside, do you believe that “content ownership is king?”
Dallas CBS station debuts auto site
The new auto search site DFWVehicles.com is the product of CBS-owned KTVT and KTXA in Dallas, as well as the network’s radio and outdoor properties. CBS says it may roll out similar sites in other markets.
Your moment of Zen
Anchors at KOVR in Sacramento re-enact the Sen. Craig incident. Live. Nice shoes.
Video class taught by… newspaper web guy
The Online News Association’s upcoming annual conference in Toronto is offering a class on shooting video. But the instructor is not a TV person, but Chet Rhodes, an award-winning videojournalist from WashingtonPost.com. You’ll get no argument from me, as the WashingtonPost folks have been light years ahead of most TV operations with online video. But [...]
85% of the video we consume is pre-recorded
From the department of obvious insights: Vint Cerf, Google smart guy who totally invented the web way more than Al Gore did, claims conventional TV will go away in favor of downloadable content that you view on demand. Not news to the LR faithful. But, this stat from Cerf’s speech is really cool: “85% of [...]
Setup in dire need of a punchline
From Huffington Post: “U.S. computer company Apple Inc. and German automaker Volkswagen AG are discussing the possibility of building an “iCar” which would feature products by the producer of the ubiquitous iPod personal music player.” I am confident one of you can take this softball of a setup line and hit the punchline out of [...]
New Mexico paper to be sold – or close
EW Scripps has decided to sell or close the Albuquerque Tribune. The Trib is one of the rare remaining afternoon newspapers and operates as part of a joint operating agreement with the morning-delivered Albuquerque Journal. Scripps says the sale will not include rights to the JOA, which will be dissolved no matter the outcome of [...]
Better usability with embedded video
I was on IM earlier today with Liz, and I got to ranting about one of my new pet peeves. I know, I know, “Which one, Dave, you have so many, for you are a truly grumpy man,” you say. Well yes, my bill for pet peeve food is quite high these days, so let [...]
Copps on net neutrality and media consolidation
So I was hooting about PBS Ombudsman Michael Getler posting that they need to get Bill Moyers an ombudsman of his own after his latest editorial flap, and I surfed over to Moyer’s Journal site. I got totally sidetracked by Moyers’ interview with FCC Commissioner Michael J. Copps about the state of media consolidation and [...]
