Video chat service ooVoo has announced new product upgrades, including a new app for Facebook that allows for 12-way video chatting.
“The company, whose name represents two sets of eyes looking at each other, lets users access video chat rooms from the iPhone and Android phone over Wi-Fi, 3G and 4G LTE as well as via Web and desktop apps,” reports the Los Angeles Times.
An upgrade to the company’s iPad app also includes the 12-way video chat feature, and allows users to view four video streams at once.
“One of the most convenient aspects of this service over, say, Skype or Facetime, is that users can invite people by sending them a user-specific ooVoo link, so friends can participate without having to download the application,” explains the article.
The service offers the ability to record and upload video chats to YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, free of charge.
Currently, ooVoo has 46 million users worldwide, 60 percent of which are under the age of 25.
Global File Systems, a subsidiary of Kazaa owner Brilliant Digital Entertainment, is selling software that replaces links to pirated content with links to legitimate content that users can purchase.
“And soon, a version of the same technology could be used by ISPs to inject their own advertisements into search results — a capability that is sure to raise the ire of proponents of network neutrality,” reports Ars Technica.
The software, Global File Registry (which advertises with the tagline “What goes up can come down”), is derived from Truenames, a file identification technology that was once part of Kazaa.
Several major companies have already purchased the software including Skype, Level 3 Communications, and Google. And it is being marketed to ISPs in Australia, New Zealand and France.
Moreover, it is being given away to law enforcement customers for use in blocking access to child pornography sites.
Cable and satellite TV companies are opposing any move by the FCC to redefine online video distributors as multichannel video programming distributors.
“In a public comment period that ends in the coming weeks, the commission is asking whether the rules of multichannel distributors — like the right to carry certain popular channels and the responsibility to carry some less popular ones — should apply to new online distributors like Hulu and YouTube,” reports The New York Times.
“If it decides that they should, then more companies could stream TV shows to computers and smartphones, hastening an industry-wide shift to the Internet,” adds the article.
A simple change to the definition of multichannel distributor could have far-reaching effects, including a change to the way companies acquire programming, a shift in bundling practices that could potentially alter the cable model significantly, holding online services to traditional rules of retransmission consent, and more.
“We’re barely into the second inning of how video distribution will ultimately work,” said Will Richmond, editor of VideoNuze. “Broadband delivery is leveling the playing field for new, deep-pocketed, over-the-top entrants to disrupt the traditional pay TV model.”
One of the legal complaints filed by broadcasters claiming that the Aereo video service represents unfair competition has been dismissed by a federal judge in Manhattan. However, the copyright infringement claim will be heard next week.
“Aereo, whose backers include media mogul Barry Diller, in March began streaming local broadcast TV signals over the Internet to New York residents for $12 a month,” reports the Wall Street Journal. “Major broadcasters sued to shut the service down, claiming copyright infringement and unfair competition.”
U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan, who ruled against the unfair competition claim, will hear arguments regarding broadcasters’ complaint that Aereo, which is not paying to license broadcast content, is doing so illegally.
“It’s disappointing. But we look forward to our day in court to prove that Aereo’s unauthorized streaming of our content constitutes copyright infringement,” said a Fox representative, a plaintiff in the lawsuit.
Attorneys are lining up to represent TV broadcasters in the very likely legal showdown with Dish Network over its Auto Hop feature, which allows viewers to watch programming via digital video recorders without any commercials.
“The parent companies of the four major broadcast networks — Fox Broadcasting, NBCUniversal, ABC/Disney Television Group and CBS Corp. — have begun consulting with major law firms with the expectation that litigation will be filed against Dish,” explains The Hollywood Reporter.
Dish CEO Charlie Ergen introduced Auto Hop to the network’s 14 million customers in March without telling any of the content providers about the skip function in advance.
It should be noted, however, that it remains unknown how many customers actually have the new DVRs that include the Auto Hop feature.
Dish continues to defend the feature. “The commercial zapping feature has to be activated; the recorded programs will still contain the ads if the button isn’t used. The feature also won’t allow the commercials to be skipped until at least 1 a.m. Eastern time the next day, and studies show that a significant amount of recorded programming is viewed the same night it airs,” reports The Huffington Post in a related article. “Dish has also supported broadcasters by paying significant rate increases for their content, said company spokesman Robert Toevs.”
Regardless, Fox and NBC have pulled ads for the Dish DVRs from their networks. Discovery CEO David Zaslav suggested that in order to compensate for lost ad revenue, Dish would need to raise prices for subscriptions. “If there isn’t going to be advertising, then there needs to be a lot higher subscriber fees,” he said.
There’s been a decision in the Oracle v. Google trial. It’s been determined that Android does not infringe Oracle patents.
“Judge William Alsup of the U.S. District Court for Northern California exonerated the search giant following a trial that lasted three weeks, ruling that Google did not infringe on six claims in U.S. Patent RE38,104, along (with) two claims in U.S. Patent 6,061,520,” reports Engadget.
While the jury found that Android infringed copyrights with 37 Java APIs, a unanimous verdict was not reached in regards to whether it was covered under fair use. The jury also found that Google had infringed on one copyright count with the use of rangeCheck code. Judge Alsup is expected to rule on whether the SSO of the Java APIs can be copyrighted at all.
“Per the agreement that both teams struck last week, should Alsup find that the SSO is not covered under copyright law, Oracle will receive statutory damages from Google for the rangeCheck and test file usage, a maximum of $150,000 per infringement count,” reports The Verge in a related post. “Should he rule to the contrary, all three copyright infringement counts will be bundled together to be dealt with in a new trial or in an appeals court.”
Appeals are expected, based on the magnitude of the case. “Oracle presented overwhelming evidence at trial that Google knew it would fragment and damage Java. We plan to continue to defend and uphold Java’s core write once run anywhere principle and ensure it is protected for the nine million Java developers and the community that depend on Java compatibility,” according to Oracle’s statement following the verdict.
Google’s official statement: “Today’s jury verdict that Android does not infringe Oracle’s patents was a victory not just for Google but the entire Android ecosystem.”
Social mobile video start-up Socialcam continues to gather users, and will likely gain even more after rolling out its new website this week. It has been designed “to create more engagement for users that might not have the mobile app installed,” reports Engadget.
“In addition, Socialcam is hoping to highlight some of its most popular users by releasing a leaderboard. Doing so will show off some of the celebrities and non-celebrities who have developed followings through the platform,” explains the post.
The new site and leaderboard feature is about harvesting community on Socialcam, according to CEO Michael Seibel.
The average video posted on Socialcam is about 60 to 80 seconds long, compared to the 15 seconds allowed through competitor Viddy.
“Users also spend a lot of time playing with filters and effects before uploading videos onto the platform. On average, they check out eight different effects on each video before publishing,” according to Engadget.
Zynga and American Express have come up with a plan designed to combine physical and virtual commerce.
On Tuesday, the companies announced a program called Zynga Serve Rewards, which will allow FarmVille players to “earn rewards after making purchases with a prepaid card from American Express,” according to CNET.
In order to take advantage of such rewards, users will plant a Serve Money Tree on their farms. Then they’ll have to register for Zynga Serve Rewards to receive a prepaid card in the mail.
“After adding money to the card and activating it, they will be able to make purchases wherever American Express is accepted,” explains the article.
Currently, Serve cardholders will get 50 units of Zynga’s Farm Cash back on the first five purchases of $25 or more. The program is available to FarmVille users only, but will likely extend to CastleVille, CityVille and others in the future.
In a related post, TechCrunch describes the Serve program as “a kind of catchall service that supports many payment methods from traditional plastic cards with magnetic stripes to NFC to QR codes to basic online payments.”
“This partnership isn’t for existing credit and charge card customers. It’s about trying to appeal to a new segment. These customers may be Millennials. They may be somewhat underserved in terms of banking. They may only use debit, cash and check,” says David Messenger, executive vice president of enterprise growth for American Express.
In its first move to directly back a content company, Google is participating in a funding round for Machinima, a prominent content partner for YouTube. In contrast to Google’s other investments for YouTube content, this is not a loan but investment for an actual equity stake.
This round is expected to raise more than $30 million, which will value Machinima at $190 million.
Machinima, which reportedly generates in excess of a billion views per month, produces videos primarily for videogame players.
“The deal may ruffle some feathers among other video makers, some of whom already complain that YouTube favors Machinima and a handful of prominent content partners,” reports Peter Kafka for AllThingsD.
“The counter to that argument: Why shouldn’t Google back content producers who make stuff for its properties? After all, YouTube is trying to become more like TV. And most of the big TV networks own their own studios outright,” suggests Kafka.
Following ratification by Nevada’s legislature to regulate self-driving cars, the California State Senate has proposed its own set of standards. The California bill passed 37-0 and now heads to the State Assembly.
California is taking a more cautious approach than Nevada. “Earlier this month, Nevada issued its first testing license to Google, allowing the company to begin trials on state roadways. California’s bill doesn’t go quite as far, outlining general performance and safety requirements that manufacturers must meet before embarking on test drives,” reports The Verge.
The legislation requires mechanisms for disabling the autonomous functions and requires at least one licensed driver be in the vehicle during test trials. Additionally, companies conducting trials must be insured at $5 million minimum.
Senator Alex Padilla authored the bill and envisions California as “the global leader” of autonomous driving. He notes that autonomous driving would not only create new jobs, but would decrease tragic accidents since the “vast majority of these collisions are due to human error.”
“Through the use of computers, sensors and other systems, an autonomous vehicle can analyze the driving environment more quickly and accurately and can operate the vehicle more safely,” adds Padilla.
Google now officially owns Motorola Mobility after starting the $12.5 billion acquisition process in August.
The deal had been stalled since February as the companies waited for China to approve the agreement, which it did over the weekend. Europe and the U.S. had already announced their approval.
China was stalling as it questioned Google’s claims that Motorola would continue to operate independently and that Google would not show the vendor favoritism.
Before approving the deal, China “forced Google to agree to keep Android open and free for a period of five years to ensure it didn’t change its stance and give Motorola preferential treatment,” according to CNET.
The acquisition could help ease Google’s legal issues, since Motorola Mobility holds thousands of patents and patent applications. Google has been involved in numerous legal proceedings over claims that its Android phones violate patents.
“Rumors have been swirling for the last week or so that there could be significant layoffs at Moto following the merger, which would further enforce the perception that Google is more interested in the company’s patents than in entering the hardware business,” notes Engadget in a related post.
Teaming up with Comcast Cable, Verizon Wireless is launching Viewdini, “a new portal for mobile users to aggregate, search out and get delivery of all kinds of video content,” details The Hollywood Reporter.
The announcement was made during the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) Cable Show in Boston.
Dan Mead, president of Verizon Wireless, says the company has been working for several years to create this new approach to video on its network in response to “the desire of consumers to be able to absorb any video on any device they want any time they want.”
“It’s indicative of the changes in the media landscape,” added filmmaker and actor Edward Burns during the NCTA panel. “The audience has changed. They aren’t nostalgic for the way we consumed entertainment.”
A study by Robert Hammond, assistant professor at North Carolina State University, shows that file sharing of an album prior to its release actually benefits sales.
The study was conducted on a sample of 1,095 albums from 1,075 artists from May 2010 to January 2011.
Hammond collected download statistics on new albums released on the largest BitTorrent tracker dedicated to music and compared this data with sales numbers.
“I isolate the causal effect of file sharing of an album on its sales by exploiting exogenous variation in how widely available the album was prior to its official release date,” Hammond explains in his paper. “The findings suggest that file sharing of an album benefits its sales. I don’t find any evidence of a negative effect in any specification, using any instrument.”
“However, according to the research, sales may actually be hurt by going after these sites,” reports TorrentFreak. “Hammond’s findings suggest that piracy itself acts as a form of advertising similar to radio play and media campaigns, where more downloads result in a moderate increase in sales.”
IBM has decided to ban the use of Apple’s Siri on its internal networks as the company is concerned that confidential emails, messages, appointments, addresses, and more are being stored by Apple.
According to Apple’s iPhone Software License Agreement: “When you use Siri or Dictation, the things you say will be recorded and sent to Apple in order to convert what you say into text.”
“Because some of the data that Siri collects can be very personal, the American Civil Liberties Union put out a warning about Siri just a couple of months ago,” reports Wired.
The privacy concerns are especially felt by corporate users. “Just having it known that you’re at a certain customer’s location might be in violation of a non-disclosure agreement,” says Edward Wrenbeck, lead developer of the original Siri iPhone app.
However, Apple’s handling of Siri data may not be all that different from what takes place with other Internet companies. “I really don’t think it’s something to worry about,” adds Wrenbeck. “People are already doing things on these mobile devices. Maybe Siri makes their life a little bit easier, but it’s not exactly opening up a new avenue that wasn’t there before.”
Google was forced to anonymize its search information due to privacy concerns. Perhaps Apple may be forced to do the same.
A number of companies are developing augmented reality glasses that display information in the wearer’s field of view.
Google, for example, is rumored to be selling its own Google Glasses next year.
Potential applications include turn-by-turn directions, retrieval of information, face and object recognition, automatic language translation, etc.
One device from Recon Instruments is made for skiers and snowboarders and displays speed, text messages, caller ID and plays music.
In entertainment, glasses can be used for augmented reality games.
“By 2020, the world will have perfect augmented vision,” said Dave Lorenzini, who designs augmented reality apps and related businesses at consulting firm Augmented Reality Co. “It’s like creating the Internet again but inside the real world.”
Video chat service ooVoo has announced new product upgrades, including a new app for Facebook that allows for 12-way video chatting.
