Tuesday, March 25, 2008

snapshot 3/25/08

Netflix surveys members on Microsoft Xbox
Online movie rental company Netflix Inc (NFLX.O) has surveyed its subscribers to gauge their interest in streaming movies to their televisions using Microsoft Corp's (MSFT.O) Xbox 360, a Netflix spokesman said on Monday.


Sony BMG developing online music service
The CEO of Sony BMG Music Entertainment says that the company is developing an online music subscription service that would give users unlimited access to its music and be compatible with a host of digital music players.

As for costs to subscribers, the newspaper quoted him as saying that the "simplest option would be a flat rate" fee per month of around 6 to 8 euros ($9 to $12) for unlimited access to Sony BMG's entire music catalog and that the downloads would be compatible with all players, including Apple's ubiquitous iPod. He said that it was "even possible that clients could keep some songs indefinitely, that they would own them even after the subscription expired."


Imeem Opens Its Massive Media Catalog to Third Parties
Like MySpace and Facebook before it, imeem will allow third-party software developers to create applications that run on its music-oriented social network, it announced Tuesday. This puts imeem's massive catalog of licensed music at developers' disposal. The service has deals with all four major labels and many indies that allow its users to legally post just about any song for others to enjoy. Imeem says its API will differ from its MySpace and Facebook counterparts by letting developers build the site's music, videos and photos into their apps:


Musical social network searches for a niche with geo-location
Social networking sites are a dime a dozen these days, compelling developers to implement new methods to garner interest. To that end, the IndieMV Group today announced a slew of new changes to its social network for the indie music community.

The most significant change allows IndieMV to offer data, promote events and target ads directly by a user's geographic location. All Google-driven banner ads also have been modified and "enhanced" to provide ads solely on a user's location. If the technology does mistake a user's geographic location, or a user wants to check the "scene" for a different location, it's possible to select a new location through several drop down menus.


3i/BV-Backed DVD Trading Site Peerflix Closing Down Main Service
Peerflix, the Palo Alto, CA-based online DVD trading platform, is in the process of closing down its main swapping service, after adoption and reliability issues, reports Webware. It will continue as Peerflix Media Network, an online advertising network focused on movie watchers. As Rafe points out, “Instead of getting more reliable as its user base grew, the service got less and less reliable, most likely as users stopped participating in it.”


Music scene finds latest hot spots on social sites
Musical heavyweights such as 50 Cent and R.E.M. can't get by with just a MySpace page and a website any more. They need a virtual fan connection. Almost daily, the rapper sends new videos through his Kyte.tv channel to his own Thisis50.com site and to thousands of personal sites where listeners have embedded Kyte's player. Recent dispatches have included new videos with G-Unit and diatribes against rival Fat Joe.

R.E.M. this week lets fans listen to the new album, Accelerate, on the iLike social network a week before it goes on sale. "We hope it will get a lot of exposure, and people will recommend it to their friends, and hopefully some of them will go out and buy the record as well," says band manager Bertis Downs.

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