Next Issue Media Now Available on iPad: Described as Netflix for Magazines

  • Next Issue Media has launched its magazine service on the iPad, bringing 39 titles to the device for a monthly subscription fee of $14.99. Consumers also have the option to purchase individual issues and subscribe to individual titles.
  • Next Issue is a joint venture from publishers Conde Nast, Hearst, Meredith, News Corp. and Time Inc.
  • “It’s not a perfect analogy, but the easiest way to explain the app is, yes, as Netflix for magazines,” suggests TechCrunch.
  • The app recently added Bon Appétit, Brides, Golf Digest, GQ, Self, Vogue and Wired to its offerings, which already includes titles such as The New Yorker and TIME.
  • Next Issue CEO Morgan Guenther aims to double the offerings by the end of the year. He notes that all titles will be “premium, high readership titles.”
  • “Guenther’s other plans include adding search, personalization, and social features, as well as expanding to other platforms” reports TechCrunch.

Foundd Service Launches this Week: Helps Recommend Movies to Groups

  • Movie recommendation engines from Netflix and Amazon assume a solitary movie viewing experience, but start-up Foundd allows up to five friends to combine their movie preferences to find common viewing ground across multiple catalogs.
  • Users rate movies during a short “getting to know you” quiz and then connect to friends via Facebook or Twitter.
  • “Netflix has put a lot of effort into predicting how much I’ll like every one of their movies,” says Foundd CEO Lasse Clausen. “But as a user, I don’t really care whether I’ll dislike a movie with 2.3 or with 2.35 stars, that doesn’t help me find a good movie. Foundd focuses on giving more accurate predictions over a smaller number of movies and those that the user will really like.”
  • “A ton of companies are working on recommendations around video and movies,” notes TechCrunch. “But the idea to match up personalized recommendations within a small group is still somewhat novel. And handy.”
  • Clausen hopes that in the future Foundd’s algorithm will include games, books, Internet video and apps. Multiple platforms would allow for a more nuanced and complete rating and recommendation system.

ESPN Faces Challenges with Twitter: Dawn of a New Era of Reporting?

  • Twitter’s profound impact on journalism not only increases the pace of the news cycle, but can influence how writers decide to deliver their stories. For example, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst once chose his lead based on the robust response to a tweet.
  • While only 15 percent of adults who are active online use Twitter, 31 percent of Internet users ages 18-24 use the network. This has led to ESPN identifying Twitter as an important tool for the future.
  • The condensed news cycle means writers have little to no time to craft a story. Sometimes, reporters even write their stories directly on Twitter, 140 characters at a time.
  • “It can make you look like you’re vacillating or changing your mind, when in fact you’re reporting” explains ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
  • Twitter causes some uneasy relationships between employees and employers, as personalities who build large followings sometimes focus more on their individual brand rather than promoting the company.
  • For example, Bill Simmons built his 1.75 million Twitter followers thanks in part to his prominent position at ESPN, but his Twitter home page does not mention any affiliation with ESPN. Rather, Simmons enjoys having his own brand.

Acer Aspire S5 Review: The Pros and Cons of an Ambitious Ultrabook

  • CNET reviews the Acer Aspire S5, which it describes as “an incredibly thin and light ultrabook that hides its ports, including Thunderbolt, behind a clever motorized door.”
  • The S5 is thinner and lighter than the 13-inch MacBook Air. The ultrabook is a mere 15mm thick and weighs only 2.6 pounds, while touting an Intel Core i7 CPU.
  • The review notes that if the mechanical door ever malfunctions, users would be left with a limited laptop. Another concern is that the keyboard is not backlit. Also, the laptop only has a 1,366×768 pixel resolution, which is a bit low for a $1,399 laptop.
  • The review additionally notes that the battery life could be better. The S5 ran for 4 hours and 37 minutes during a CNET video-playback battery test.
  • Despite its flaws, the Acer Aspire S5’s strikingly slim frame and weight make it worth a purchase for many mobile users, according to the review.
  • “What I’d love to see is a version of the S5 that stays as thin and light, but skips the gimmicky motorized flap, perhaps adding a millimeter or two to fit in the USB and HDMI ports,” reports CNET. “The MagicFlip can’t be an inexpensive part to include. Dropping it might allow Acer to bring the price down closer to $1,000, where it would be much harder to resist.”

Licensing: EU Proposes Standardized Revenue Collection for Music Sales

  • The European Commission aims to reform music licensing revenue collection with standardized methods of collection across European borders.
  • The Commission’s press release explains “new digital technologies are opening up great opportunities for creators, consumers and businesses alike,” but notes that many European nations currently employ inadequate licensing laws.
  • All 27 European Union member states have iTunes, but the Apple service only accounts for 19 percent of music revenue sales in Europe. Comparatively, iTunes “generates almost half of equivalent revenue in the U.S., according to figures from the IFPI industry body,” reports The Verge.
  • “The proposed changes would force collecting societies to comply with strict new standards, including a requirement to publish an annual transparency report,” notes the post. “The ultimate aim is to prevent situations where societies are too disorganized or ill-equipped to engage in international revenue collection, choosing to simply restrict distribution instead of offering suitable licenses.”
  • “All collecting societies should ensure that creators are rewarded more quickly for their work and must operate with full transparency,” says Michel Barnier, commissioner for Internal Market and Services. “This is paramount to sustaining investment in creativity and innovation which will in turn lead to additional growth and increased competitiveness.”

PC Gaming Looks to Capitalize on Life-Cycle Lull of Leading Consoles

  • As the current generation of consoles grow old, and as gamers await the next generation, PC gaming looks to capitalize on the console lull.
  • PC games were once the standard of multiplayer gaming, and as consoles become dated, gamers are again turning to PCs to deliver more current graphics and engines.
  • In May, “Diablo III” sold more titles than any other game, marking the first time since July 2010 that a PC-only game was the top-selling game.
  • “Historically the PC game market has taken a lead in commercial innovation compared to the console sector,” explains Piers Harding-Rolls, senior principal analyst and head of games for IHS Screen Digest. “This innovation has extended to business model — the introduction of subscriptions and micro-transactions — and across digital business.”
  • New technology, such as Nvidia’s GTX 680 GPU and Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 4, “could spur resurgence for those looking to purchase game-specific PC, such as those offered by companies such as Digital Storm or Dell’s Alienware division,” reports Fortune.
  • “The issue now is whether the game developers will respond with software that takes advantage of new technology,” notes the article.

Could Cloud-Based Gaming Replace the Need for Next Gen Consoles?

  • Sony’s recent acquisition of cloud gaming company GaiKai, prompts TechCrunch to question if Sony may consider releasing a cloud-based gaming service rather than an expensive console device.
  • Typically, companies sell the expensive consoles at a loss, hoping to profit from the sales of games and other services. But cloud-based services could dramatically reduce the costs for consumers and allow the companies to profit more quickly. A cloud-based console could sell for as little as $100.
  • However, there are problems with cloud-based gaming, starting with the fact that Sony does not have the infrastructure in place to host a full network of cloud-based gamers. Building such a network would be expensive.
  • Cable companies also have begun to introduce tiered broadband plans. Cloud-based gaming would stream HD content, which could require a a great deal of bandwidth, even for casual gamers. Hardcore gamers would rack up enormous cable bills, which would essentially punish the company’s most valued customers.
  • However, a low-cost game console could attract new customers and free the likes of Microsoft and Sony to create services that are not tied to a specific piece of hardware.
  • “Making gaming a streaming service rather than based on the physical purchase of games also opens up new potential business models,” suggests TechCrunch. “Xbox Live already has a membership fee attached, and subscription games — where you get the software for free but then pay a monthly fee to access the game online — are nothing new, particularly in the MMORPG world. But without the need for physical downloads or actual distribution of discs to consumers, subscriptions could become even more popular for cloud-powered games.”

Collide: Google Shares Web-Based Open-Source Collaboration Tool

  • Google shuttered the collaborative coding project that programmers Scott Blum and Jamie Yap had built, but the company has released their work to encourage open-source development.
  • The project, named Collide (short for “Collaborative Integrated Development Environment”), allows multiple programmers to work on a single project at the same time in a similar fashion to Google Docs.
  • “Yap said he hopes releasing some of the Collide project as open-source software will give it a new lease on life outside Google or lead to improvements at other online development tools,” reports CNET.
  • “This is a small slice of useful functionality that we hope can serve as a catalyst for realizing what our original intentions were with our project,” explains Yap.
  • “There are some pretty gnarly ideas around code review and version control workflows floating around (not enabled) in some of the client code in Collide that we hope will see the light of day soon,” he adds. “There are some pretty crazy things you can do with a hosted development environment.”

How Will the Mini iPad Impact Competition in the Smaller Tablet Market?

  • With Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal both reporting that Apple will launch a smaller version of its iPad later this year, the mini iPad seems to now be more of a reality than a rumor.
  • The new device may potentially lead to devastating competition for other products in the smaller tablet market including the Kindle Fire, Nook and Nexus 7.
  • Apple will likely sell its device at a premium, but the company “would do well against its competitors purely on the strength of its apps,” suggests TIME.
  • Other companies have tried to compete with Apple in the 10-inch tablet market, but none have succeeded, and companies may experience similar frustration as Apple and its ecosystem of apps migrates to smaller tablets.
  • Apple likes to profit from its hardware (Apple makes $150 on each Wi-Fi iPad 2), which means it will likely sell its mini iPad for $250 or $300.
  • With Apple dominating the market while selling at a premium, other companies will likely drive prices lower, “but they won’t come up with better products that way — only cheaper ones,” speculates TIME.

Analysts Say Google Nexus 7 Tablet to Generate Little Profit Per Device

  • Google will reportedly make only $15 on each Nexus 7 tablet, according to estimates from research firm UBM TechInsights.
  • CNET questions why Google would sell the tablet at such a thin profit margin.
  • “It’s possible that the Nexus 7 has been designed to either snatch away the consumers who are buying Kindle Fires or Barnes & Noble’s Nook tablets, or lure enough of a market share that constructing additional revenue streams based on the use of the tablet becomes worthwhile,” reasons the post.
  • The Nexus 7 has a higher resolution screen than the Kindle Fire and has a front-facing 1.2 megapixel camera, whereas the Kindle Fire does not have a camera with video chat capabilities.
  • Analysts suggest the Kindle Fire generates an estimated $46 per sale and a $499 iPad generates $171 per sale.
  • “If the estimated cost of construction proves sound, then the Nexus 7 must be intended for use in other ways to claw back some of the potential lost profit margin Google has established for itself,” notes CNET. “What has the company chosen? According to reports, online advertising revenues will make up the shortfall. In comparison, Amazon relies on downloaded, purchased content — and does well by it.”

Security Firm Says Some Free Mobile Apps Include Aggressive Adware

  • “Overly aggressive ad networks — which can change users’ phone settings, send notifications and/or covertly access personally identifiable information — are present in 5 percent of free apps, according to new research by mobile security company Lookout,” reports AllThingsD.
  • Lookout also estimates users have downloaded applications including this technology “at least 80 million times, mostly on Android devices,” notes the article.
  • The security firm explains most developers use the software not because they have malicious intent, but because “they haven’t thought about the implications.”
  • The article features a chart that offers a breakdown of apps with aggressive ad networks based on specific categories. In order of popularity, the top four categories are: personalization, entertainment, games, and music and video.
  • Lookout found that “the alleged ‘bad actor’ ad networks — which include LeadBolt, Moolah Media, Appenda and IZP — are most common in personalization apps, to change phone wallpaper or make puzzles,” notes AllThingsD.

United Nations Declares that Free Expression Online is Basic Human Right

  • The United Nations Human Rights Council has declared Internet-based free speech and free expression as basic human rights. The ruling does not require countries to change their laws, but does establish standards by which countries will be judged.
  • Eileen Donahoe, U.S. ambassador to the U.N., hailed the decision as “momentous for the Human Rights Council.”
  • “It’s the first ever U.N. resolution affirming that human rights in the digital realm must be protected and promoted to the same extent and with the same commitment as human rights in the physical world,” she told reporters.
  • Although China ultimately supported the decision, ambassador Xia Jingge explained: “We believe that the free flow of information on the Internet and the safe flow of information on the Internet are mutually dependent… As the Internet develops rapidly, online gambling, pornography, violence, fraud and hacking are increasing its threat to the legal rights of society and the public.”
  • The decision puts Internet companies in an interesting position, as some will now expect the companies to promote freedom of speech at all costs.
  • But the decision does not change the fact that individual countries establish their own Internet laws. Thus, companies will likely continue to operate in accordance with local law.

Nielsen Acquires Ad Tech Company Vizu for Online Advertising Tools

  • Nielsen has acquired technology advertising analysis company Vizu and plans to make Vizu’s Ad Catalyst available immediately.
  • “Until now, Nielsen measured an online advertising’s reach but not its effectiveness,” reports TechCrunch. Vizu will allow advertisers to access real-time data regarding Internet advertising campaigns.
  • “Eventually, Nielsen will do more to integrate Vizu’s features with its measurement of online ad reach, and with its cross-platform products,” notes the post.
  • The goal, says Scott McKinley, Nielsen executive VP for Ad Effectiveness, is “bringing data out of Vizu systems and connecting up with how we measure television, so we can offer advertisers a complete picture of reach and effectiveness across television and online.”
  • In related news from Lost Remote: “The social TV analytics and curation company Trendrr is planning to launch a new service that will enable TV stations to measure social conversations around local programming and talent — and compare those conversations with their competitors.”
  • According to the report, Trendrr plans to initially launch the service in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago during the next quarter. It will add new sources to combine with the data it currently measures from Twitter, Facebook, GetGlue, Viggle and Miso.

CEO Believes TV Everywhere Will Help Cable Companies with Advertising

  • In a guest post for AllThingsD, RBG Networks CEO Jef Graham argues the TV Everywhere concept can help cable companies fight Netflix, YouTube and Amazon — and add up to $12 billion in total revenue over the next three to five years.
  • Graham explains how traditional television advertisements are ineffective, as they are not focused. Yes, advertisers can choose specific shows, time slots, and, in some cases, can target viewers by area code, but these types of advertisements are still less focused than Internet-based advertising.
  • TV Everywhere allows advertisers to track IP addresses to better understand viewers, and thus better cater the advertising experience to particular interests.
  • “Men aren’t seeing ads for women’s shoes, for instance; someone doing Web searches in advance of a trip to Hawaii might see pitches for hotels or rental cars,” explains Graham. “And since there are now often multiple Internet-enabled devices in a given home, ads can be targeted directly to the device that a particular family member uses most often.”
  • TV Everywhere also helps to solve problems with DVRs and commercial-skipping technologies. People are more inclined to watch advertising while viewing on-demand content on a laptop or tablet than when they DVR a program, so this helps drive advertising dollars back into television programming.
  • “And as the technology side of the house has worked through its issues and stands poised for broad deployment, we see the barriers breaking down on the content side as well,” concludes Graham. “We expect to see a similar pattern for targeted advertising — the technology is in place, and the new ad model will follow as the stakeholders work through their negotiations, with everybody coming out a winner.”

U.S. Seeking International Copyright Limits with Trade Agreement Provision

  • The office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has held private meetings to discuss and draft an international copyright provision to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
  • USTR spokeswoman Carol Guthrie explains that “the United States is proposing a new provision, consistent with the internationally recognized ‘3-step test,’ that will obligate parties to seek to achieve an appropriate balance in their copyright systems in providing copyright exceptions and limitations for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.”
  • “These principles are critical aspects of the U.S. copyright system, and appear in both our law and jurisprudence,” adds Guthrie. “The balance sought by the U.S. TPP proposal recognizes and promotes respect for the important interests of individuals, businesses, and institutions who rely on appropriate exceptions and limitations in the TPP region.”
  • While most intellectual property holders have applauded the developments, they eagerly await the release of the treaty. Without the treaty in hand, no one can analyze the precise language, which “makes a big difference in how effective it will be on the ground,” according to intellectual property attorney Jonathan Band.
  • Critics, such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation, complain that the propositions are nothing more than “ACTA-plus.” The organization notes that the 3-step-test “imposes rigid constraints on the sorts of ‘fair use’ provisions countries may enact.”