Archive for December 13th, 2007
According to a press release from TimeWarner, Nielsen Online is now ranking the CNN Digital Network as the largest online news audience with 32.8 million unique users. We’ve been following this closely since the metrics merger with the Internet Broadcasting sites. That partnership put CNN slightly ahead of MSNBC, but hadn’t put it at the top of the list until November. The press release also says that “During November, the CNN Digital Network also retained its No. 1 position among all News and Information Category sites for total usage minutes for the fourth month in a row, ranking ahead of Internet stalwarts Wikipedia and the Weather Channel.” Press release after the jump.
(Disclosure: Many of my employer’s sites are part of the CNN Digital Network.)
Read the full post December 13th, 2007
Oh my. I just discovered that ABCNews.com is offering a O.J. Simpson Trial Tracker widget, complete with a countdown until his next court date. “His new legal travails have been one of the most closely followed stories on ABCNEWS.com, and so we wanted to offer you a way to stay up to the minute on this law and order roller coaster,” explains ABCNews.com.
I dare someone to embed this on their site.
December 13th, 2007
Years ago, I got my start on a Vic-20 and later, the venerable Commodore 64. I programmed games for my junior high school friends, both in BASIC and Machine Language. In fact, I was so hard core, I owned two Vic-20s and two Commodore 64s at one point. So who was behind the C64, perhaps the best-selling personal computer of all time? Jack Tramiel, an Auschwitz survivor and former member of the U.S. Army who decided that his future wasn’t in repairing typewriters but in building electronics. And this week, Tramiel was honored during the 25th anniversary celebration for the Commodore 64. Cool.
December 13th, 2007
FrontDoor.com is a new real estate listings service, powered by HGTV. The idea is to own the home ownership lifecycle “from search and decision-making with FrontDoor, to decoration and personalization with HGTV, maintenance and remodeling with DIY Network and HGTV Pro, then preparation to sell and start the cycle again with FrontDoor,” explains John Lansing, president of Scripps Networks. Unlike most real estate sites, FrontDoor.com adds “how-to” content to the mix, along with 300 video clips to start. Will it be enough to compete in the crowded real estate space right now? We’ll see. But kudus to Scripps for pursuing opportunities outside the traditional TV bubble. Release…
Read the full post December 13th, 2007
In a Hollywood first, Paramount Pictures will premiere “Jackass 2.5″ on the web — and in some cases, for free. At first, the movie will sell on iTunes and Amazon’s Unbox in the $10 to $15 range. A DVD will also go on sale. Then a few days later, it will stream for free (with ads) on Joost and other partner sites. And then a month later, the flick will be available on cable and satellite VOD. Also, partner MTV Networks will use the premiere to jump-start a community at JackassWorld.com, a new site currently under construction. As the name implies, Jackass 2.5 isn’t a full sequel of Jackass 2: it will be a mix of new material and outtakes from the previous movie. And it only cost $2 million to make.
I think this is long overdue, and many movies will soon follow non-traditional tracks — especially those that are popular among the younger set. (Full disclosure: I haven’t been to a theater in two years. And only two or three times in the last five years.)
December 13th, 2007
Explains the NY Times: “(Dow Jones) shareholders accepted a $5.3 billion offer that paid them far better for their holdings than anyone would have predicted just months ago, and that demonstrated once again Mr. Murdoch’s charter membership in the distinct minority who are enthusiastic about the industry’s future. The vote was 60.27 percent in favor.”
Also: Prof predicts Murdoch’s WSJ will end up looking like USA Today
December 13th, 2007
