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Sony to acquire Gracenote for $260 million

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gracenote.pngSony Corp. of America has agreed to buy digital media identification company Gracenote, Inc. for about $260 million plus other contingent consideration.

Formerly known as CDDB, Gracenote delivers a substantially improved consumer experience in digital media devices and applications, plus media monitoring and other data services to the recording industry.

Gracenote will become a wholly owned Sony subsidiary but its existing business will continue to operate separately. Gracenote’s management team will remain with the company.

The deal is expected to close in late May.

Originally posted on April 20, 2008 @ 9:47 pm

Podcast.com launches corporate podcast channels

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Podcast.com is now providing an opportunity for companies to get their own Corporate Podcast Channel to provide businesses a way to aggregate the growing number of corporate podcasts that provide branding, awareness and educational experiences to customers and prospects of corporations. Additionally, the company announced its first Corporate Podcast Channel customer as PriceWaterhouseCoopers. The PWC Corporate Podcast Channel can be found at pwc.podcast.com.

A Corporate Channel is a dedicated channel on Podcast.com that allows businesses to leverage the built-in Podcast.com search engine optimization and gain access to the rapidly growing base of podcast consuming visitors to Podcast.com. Podcast.com Corporate Podcast Channels also provide companies with access to distribution of their content to hundreds of millions of Internet-connected devices including cell phones, portable Wifi devices and Internet radios. The combination is an unsurpassed “hyper-distribution” of the company’s content. Corporate Podcast Channels on Podcast.com also provide an opportunity to take many discreet corporate podcasts and provide one central aggregated portal to maximize company branding and educational efforts.

Originally posted on April 20, 2008 @ 10:04 pm

Etelos connects data, apps, and users wherever and whenever

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Etelos, Inc. announced its new technology that enables true data ubiquity and application portability beyond simple online and offline synchronization. Any browser-based application from the Etelos Marketplace enabled with these new technologies can exchange data swiftly and securely with any other AOP-enabled application, bringing collaboration in the workplace to new heights.

Etelos has filed multiple patent applications for technology that enables browser-based applications to function offline, reconcile changes made while offline, and synchronize data with any other AOP-enabled application when returning to the cloud. In addition, Etelos AOP Beta is now available to users and developers.

Regardless of the availability of an Internet connection, this technology manages the potential conflicts between multiple users and their edits and allows for interaction between different applications.

These patents are the basis of the technology behind the Etelos ecosystem, which includes the Etelos Application Server, Version 6. The system for running a Web-based application offline is encompassed in Apps on a Plane, which enables any Web-based application distributed through the Etelos Marketplace to function offline, online and anytime. Etelos App Sync manages applications when synchronizing.

Originally posted on April 21, 2008 @ 6:44 am

Gameloft secures licensing deal with wrestling superstar Hulk Hogan

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gameloft.pngGameloft has forged a licensing agreement with legendary wrestling icon, Hulk Hogan. The deal, negotiated through Hogan’s marketing agent, Darren Prince of Prince Marketing Group, brings one of wrestling’s most popular personalities to mobile gaming. Hulkamania Wrestling will give fans the chance to experience an amazing amount of legendary holds in wild wrestling beat downs, and the power of the people’s champ, Hulk Hogan, right in the palm of their hands.

Backed by the iconic power of Hulk Hogan himself and featuring a 3D isometric view that provides total immersion into the ring, Hulkamania Wrestling gives fans a realistic wrestling beat-down, complete with eccentric wrestlers, jabs and humorous dialogue. With an amazing number of no-holds-barred moves, players can take down their opponents with bone crushing efficiency through the use of such classics as the Strong Clothesline, Spinbuster, Pedigree, Doublehand Choke Lift and more.

Not only will players get the opportunity to play as wrestling legend, Hulk Hogan, but they’ll be able to take on seven of wrestling’s other crazy stars, all with different looks and wrestling styles. Just like in the actual ring, players will be able to use their environments – hurl chairs or throw opponents on tables – to completely dominate their opponents and claim the Hulkamania Wrestling Ring as their own.

Originally posted on April 21, 2008 @ 10:06 pm

Consumers will return to online shopping sites that embrace Web 2.0, survey reveals

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With consumers continuing to spend briskly online, and social websites aggregating ever-larger numbers of participants, the twain–online shopping and social networking–may finally be meeting.

That’s the main finding of a new nationwide survey from Guidance, a specialized technology advisor that envisions, builds and supports web technology solutions that help businesses thrive online. In the new survey, more than 60 percent of respondents report being drawn to online retailers that employ Web 2.0 tools and techniques.

In association with Chicago market researcher Synovate, Guidance asked 1,000 online consumers, “When thinking about shopping online, what is most likely to make you return to a given shopping website?”

According to the Guidance/Synovate eNation study, conducted in March, 35 percent of total respondents said they’re most likely to return to a shopping website if it makes recommendations on products or services for sale–recommendations being among the most dominant activities in a Web 2.0 world. Another 26 percent want “a unique experience each time” they shop. Continually changing content is likewise a hallmark of Web 2.0.

Eighteen percent said they’re more likely to return “if the site solicits their feedback” on its products and services–feedback being the flipside to product and service recommendations. Sixteen percent said “a welcome when they arrive” at the site is the factor most likely to make them return, while 6 percent said they’re most likely to return “if the site makes them feel part of a community” with other shoppers/site visitors.

Originally posted on April 20, 2008 @ 10:58 am