One of the major problems in capturing and rapidly disseminating breaking news is the wide array of video standards used in cameras, network signals, and display devices. Another is getting access to channels for disseminating video on the fly. Streamworks is a UK start-up that's working to address those issues and provide a mechanism for TV news organizations to capture video from a variety of sources, convert it into appropriate standard configurations, and stream it to users through multiple channels and devices, all in real-time.
Ray Mia, Streamworks' founder and CEO, says the aim is to provide a "(s)ingle live solution, publish once deliver any and everywhere... fully integrate(d) with social tools... allowing the audience to choose that manner in which to select, see & share video content." Their service combines structural and technological elements to minimize bandwidth needs - video goes from source to an authorized transmission partner, where the video is processed before being fed to fiber optic Internet infrastructure.
They're already working with AP Television News, and have been designated the streaming partner for United Nations Web TV.
Anything that fosters faster distribution of multiple news video sources to the full panoply of screens and devices - particularly with breaking news - is likely to help news organizations and the interested public. Streamworks looks like its taking a good step in the right direction, although
there's still a bottleneck/ gatekeeper in the form of the "authorized
transmission partner." So there's still a ways to go to achieve the goal of real-time total coverage and access.
Source - How Streamworks is helping TV capture breaking news, Lost Remote
update - corrected typo in header.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Broadband for the World - Still Too Costly
A new ITU (International Telecommunications Union) report argues that broadband services remain unaffordable for much of the world.
Comparing the cost of broadband access to average national income, the study identified 19 countries where broadband cost exceeded average income, and another 30 where the cost of broadband access was greater than half of national average income. In contrast, the price of broadband access amounted to less than 2% of national average income in 49 countries (mostly in the developed world).
That's despite continuing and significant drops in the cost of broadband technologies and service. The ITU reported broadband access prices in most areas fell more than 50% in the last two years, and mobile broadband access costs have fallen 22%. In classic bureaucratic understatement, the report concludes that "huge discrepancies in affordability persist."
The report's authors urge governments to further reduce broadband access costs through subsidies, improved competition and improved regulation - in support of the ITU's goal of having basic broadcast access costs fall below 5% of average income in all emerging markets by 2015. Telecommunication costs have consistently fallen over time, and where allowed, newer technologies will naturally bring costs down as they replace older technologies.
But the problem isn't just that broadband prices are too high. The real and more serious problem is the other side of the comparison - that national average income levels are too low. However, that's both too big, and too impolitic, to be the focus of a short-term UN agency goal, so for now the ITU will stress efforts to reduce costs.
Source - Broadband still unaffordable in many emerging markets, says ITU, TelecomEngine
ITU Report - The State of Broadband 2012: Achieving Digital Inclusion For All
That's despite continuing and significant drops in the cost of broadband technologies and service. The ITU reported broadband access prices in most areas fell more than 50% in the last two years, and mobile broadband access costs have fallen 22%. In classic bureaucratic understatement, the report concludes that "huge discrepancies in affordability persist."
The report's authors urge governments to further reduce broadband access costs through subsidies, improved competition and improved regulation - in support of the ITU's goal of having basic broadcast access costs fall below 5% of average income in all emerging markets by 2015. Telecommunication costs have consistently fallen over time, and where allowed, newer technologies will naturally bring costs down as they replace older technologies.
But the problem isn't just that broadband prices are too high. The real and more serious problem is the other side of the comparison - that national average income levels are too low. However, that's both too big, and too impolitic, to be the focus of a short-term UN agency goal, so for now the ITU will stress efforts to reduce costs.
Source - Broadband still unaffordable in many emerging markets, says ITU, TelecomEngine
ITU Report - The State of Broadband 2012: Achieving Digital Inclusion For All
TV, Media Execs Embrace Multi-Platform Distribution
A recent survey of broadcasters and media executives found that three out of four believe that online, social, and mobile platforms are driving audiences to watch more television content.
The Avid broadcast survey interviewed more than 200 "executives and decision-makers from leading broadcast and post and professional organizations in Europe and North America," who were asked questions about where they thought their businesses were headed, and the role and impact of a variety of digital delivery platforms.
Two thirds of the media organizations indicated that they were optimistic about their future, despite declining audiences and revenues in many traditional media operations. The optimism was more than wishful thinking - it was linked to the belief that new digital distribution platforms would offer "unprecedented" opportunity for business growth. The researchers identified three drivers for continued growth - increased audiences, multiplatform distribution (MPD), and revenues growth potential from both advertising and audience payments.
As noted above, 74% of respondents agreed with the statement that the Internet (digital video delivery) will also drive viewers to more traditional linear media (Broadcast, Cable, Satellite). As for fears of digital options further fragmenting their markets, more than half (55%) of the executives felt that current economic uncertainty was a bigger threat. They also felt that current and emerging digital video delivery options gave them entry into new and expanded markets - an entry that could be exploited in a variety of ways. 85% of respondents said that multiplatform distribution was critical to capturing new markets and their growth potential.
One largely undeveloped opportunity is the ability to access and exploit existing content archives. Respondents felt that, on average, 40% of existing archives could be monetized (potentially profitable) - but at this point they felt that only a fourth of their archives were accessible. Expanding access could make more valuable content readily available. The survey found that 83% of respondents felt that all premium video services would be available online, as a means of increasing accessibility and market size. Almost tw0-thirds (63%) also felt that MPD opened a new market for professional content. But most critically, the media executives seemed to be recognizing the full range of opportunities that multiple digital platforms offer - not only access new and expanded markets, but potential to add value to their content streams by customizing them to specific platforms and individual customers. Adding value increases demand generally, and if high enough, it can justify direct payments from consumers.
Survey participants also thought that moving towards an emphasis on exploiting content assets, by expanding accessibility or adding value through customization, could also be beneficial on the operations/cost side. When asked about the potential effects of an increased emphasis on asset-based workflows, 75% felt it would increase business efficiency and the bottom line, and two-thirds (67%) felt it would enable new business models. More specifically, 79% felt that implementing asset-based workflows would enhance operational agility, 69% indicated it would enable better automation, and 62% thought it would largely solve the problem of increasing content volume.
Exploring new business models and markets opens the way for new growth opportunities at a time when the traditional broadcast model appears static or in decline. The media executives recognize this, and are looking for their future growth to occur in other areas: 85% see growth potential in multi-platform services; 78% look to new markets and increased audiences for growth; 71% feel those increased channels and audiences will lead to increased advertising revenues; and 70% see growth from audience direct revenues (fees/sales). There's also a general recognition of the potential of the Cloud; almost all respondents indicated they were already using the Cloud (24%) or exploring how to use the Cloud in their future operations (75%)
For me, the survey results confirm that today's broadcasting and media executives now recognize the fundamental market transformation that digital has brought - they no longer see themselves as monolithic "broadcasters" relying on long-established revenue streams. They have recognized that they're primarily purveyors of content in an increasingly competitive market; that the source of their value is content and not merely a signal; and they should seek and embrace multiple mechanisms for exploiting their content and the multiple revenue streams available. While the various MPD options have yet to show they can fully replace losses in traditional revenue streams, early efforts suggest that when fully developed, the added revenues from multiple streams and operational savings could provide the basis for broadcaster survival into the future.
Sources - Multiple Digital Platforms Boost TV Viewing, Research Brief blog
To request research results, go to Avid/Ovum The Future of Digital Media Survey
The Avid broadcast survey interviewed more than 200 "executives and decision-makers from leading broadcast and post and professional organizations in Europe and North America," who were asked questions about where they thought their businesses were headed, and the role and impact of a variety of digital delivery platforms.
Two thirds of the media organizations indicated that they were optimistic about their future, despite declining audiences and revenues in many traditional media operations. The optimism was more than wishful thinking - it was linked to the belief that new digital distribution platforms would offer "unprecedented" opportunity for business growth. The researchers identified three drivers for continued growth - increased audiences, multiplatform distribution (MPD), and revenues growth potential from both advertising and audience payments.
As noted above, 74% of respondents agreed with the statement that the Internet (digital video delivery) will also drive viewers to more traditional linear media (Broadcast, Cable, Satellite). As for fears of digital options further fragmenting their markets, more than half (55%) of the executives felt that current economic uncertainty was a bigger threat. They also felt that current and emerging digital video delivery options gave them entry into new and expanded markets - an entry that could be exploited in a variety of ways. 85% of respondents said that multiplatform distribution was critical to capturing new markets and their growth potential.
One largely undeveloped opportunity is the ability to access and exploit existing content archives. Respondents felt that, on average, 40% of existing archives could be monetized (potentially profitable) - but at this point they felt that only a fourth of their archives were accessible. Expanding access could make more valuable content readily available. The survey found that 83% of respondents felt that all premium video services would be available online, as a means of increasing accessibility and market size. Almost tw0-thirds (63%) also felt that MPD opened a new market for professional content. But most critically, the media executives seemed to be recognizing the full range of opportunities that multiple digital platforms offer - not only access new and expanded markets, but potential to add value to their content streams by customizing them to specific platforms and individual customers. Adding value increases demand generally, and if high enough, it can justify direct payments from consumers.
Gary Greenfield, CEO and chairman of Avid, says "... media organizations worldwide are moving from addressing homogenous audiences to delivering personalized experiences... this change in the relationship between broadcasters and their audiences... forces a change in business models... “More than three-quarters of those surveyed (78%) thought that within the next ten years, most of the content delivered would be customized for individual viewer preferences. 70% felt that most content would also be optimized for the particular device viewers are watching the content on.
Survey participants also thought that moving towards an emphasis on exploiting content assets, by expanding accessibility or adding value through customization, could also be beneficial on the operations/cost side. When asked about the potential effects of an increased emphasis on asset-based workflows, 75% felt it would increase business efficiency and the bottom line, and two-thirds (67%) felt it would enable new business models. More specifically, 79% felt that implementing asset-based workflows would enhance operational agility, 69% indicated it would enable better automation, and 62% thought it would largely solve the problem of increasing content volume.
Exploring new business models and markets opens the way for new growth opportunities at a time when the traditional broadcast model appears static or in decline. The media executives recognize this, and are looking for their future growth to occur in other areas: 85% see growth potential in multi-platform services; 78% look to new markets and increased audiences for growth; 71% feel those increased channels and audiences will lead to increased advertising revenues; and 70% see growth from audience direct revenues (fees/sales). There's also a general recognition of the potential of the Cloud; almost all respondents indicated they were already using the Cloud (24%) or exploring how to use the Cloud in their future operations (75%)
For me, the survey results confirm that today's broadcasting and media executives now recognize the fundamental market transformation that digital has brought - they no longer see themselves as monolithic "broadcasters" relying on long-established revenue streams. They have recognized that they're primarily purveyors of content in an increasingly competitive market; that the source of their value is content and not merely a signal; and they should seek and embrace multiple mechanisms for exploiting their content and the multiple revenue streams available. While the various MPD options have yet to show they can fully replace losses in traditional revenue streams, early efforts suggest that when fully developed, the added revenues from multiple streams and operational savings could provide the basis for broadcaster survival into the future.
Sources - Multiple Digital Platforms Boost TV Viewing, Research Brief blog
To request research results, go to Avid/Ovum The Future of Digital Media Survey
Profit Moves Among Media Corps.
Media research firm SNL Kagan latest review of media firm revenues and profits is showing quite a bit of movement in the top ranks. The results are culled from the latest quarterly earnings report filed for publicly held companies.
Disney held onto the top spot, reporting $2 billion in net profits in the second quarter of 2012, a gain of 22% from the second quarter of 2011. Last year's number 2, News Corp., fell off the list, reporting a net loss of $1.5 billion this last quarter, a result of the company writing off restructuring charges from its ailing print newspaper unit. Replacing News Corp at #2 this quarter was Thompson Reuters, whose reported $935 million net profits was up 63% from the previous year. News Corps fall allowed Viacom to move into the third spot, with $547 million in profits, down 7% (in part a result of ratings issues surrounding Nickelodeon). Time Warner dropped to the fourth spot with profits of $429 million, a 33% fall from the same quarter last year (revenues and profits this quarter took a hit from the company shutting down operations for its cable channel TNT in the Turkish and Indian markets). CBS posted net profits of $427 million, up 8.1%; advertising group Omnicon Group reported profits of $314 million, up slightly (2.3%); Discovery Communications reported $293 million in net profits, up 15.4%; Liberty Media moved down, reporting profits down 12% to $249 million. Completing the top ten was McGraw-Hill, holding steady at $220 million (up 2%).
Among those discussed, three reported substantial gains in net profits, four reported falling profits (and one a massive lost), and three with modest gains in reported net profits. Even for the biggest players, media markets remain volatile.
Source - Disney Is Tops In Profits, News Corp. Drops, MediaDailyNews
Disney held onto the top spot, reporting $2 billion in net profits in the second quarter of 2012, a gain of 22% from the second quarter of 2011. Last year's number 2, News Corp., fell off the list, reporting a net loss of $1.5 billion this last quarter, a result of the company writing off restructuring charges from its ailing print newspaper unit. Replacing News Corp at #2 this quarter was Thompson Reuters, whose reported $935 million net profits was up 63% from the previous year. News Corps fall allowed Viacom to move into the third spot, with $547 million in profits, down 7% (in part a result of ratings issues surrounding Nickelodeon). Time Warner dropped to the fourth spot with profits of $429 million, a 33% fall from the same quarter last year (revenues and profits this quarter took a hit from the company shutting down operations for its cable channel TNT in the Turkish and Indian markets). CBS posted net profits of $427 million, up 8.1%; advertising group Omnicon Group reported profits of $314 million, up slightly (2.3%); Discovery Communications reported $293 million in net profits, up 15.4%; Liberty Media moved down, reporting profits down 12% to $249 million. Completing the top ten was McGraw-Hill, holding steady at $220 million (up 2%).
Among those discussed, three reported substantial gains in net profits, four reported falling profits (and one a massive lost), and three with modest gains in reported net profits. Even for the biggest players, media markets remain volatile.
Source - Disney Is Tops In Profits, News Corp. Drops, MediaDailyNews
Radio Evolution Conference Proceedings
You can access and download individual papers, as well as the entire proceedings, here -
Radio Evolution: 2011 ECREA Conference Proceedings
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
A Guide for Measuring Mobile
Advertisers want to know who their ads are reaching, so they can evaluate the cost-effectiveness of different types of media or messages. The lack of widely accepted metrics for online and mobile audiences has hampered the acceptance of those media as conduits for advertising campaigns - so there are continuing efforts to develop metrics for analyzing reach and impact, and building consensus within the industry as to their viability and validity.
“This paper establishes the groundwork on how marketers can leverage mobile analytics, tap into the tools in the mobile toolbox and apply the data to not only evolve their mobile experience, but also evolve their entire marketing strategy,” said Mike Ricci, vice president of mobile at Webtrends and co-chair of the MMA’s Mobile Analytics Committee.It's a start, but it's not clear whether the various parties will buy into the MMA recommendations.
Sources - MMA Issues Mobile Analytics Guide, OnlineMediaDaily
MMA Primer on Mobile Analytics
MMA Paper on the State of Mobile Measurement (2011)
How much News on Local TV?
While industry surveys show incremental growth in local TV news schedules in the last few years, one report suggests that it's the few mega-news broadcast stations that are really profiting from the expansion of local news operations. In particular, there's a group of stations, predominantly Fox O&Os or Fox affiliates, that have been very successful while airing more than 60 hours of local news a week.
As a network, Fox has no network news broadcast, the smallest primetime schedule, and offers very little daytime network programming - which translates as more potential time for news or other content.
The report suggests that several factors can contribute to the growth in local TV news. Locally produced programming, like local news, is one of the few areas where the station controls all of the advertising spots, and thus gets all the revenues. Historically, even with more traditional levels of news content, local news brings in about 50% of a station's total revenues. Expanding the amount of news programming is also fairly inexpensive, as added programs can recycle stories, use stories and content that didn't make their primary newscasts, and offer significant opportunities for soft news coverage of local events and community activities. New newscasts in the fringe hours (between midnight and the start of the morning network shows) can be done with minimal cost, while offering a means for local broadcasters to stay relevant in an era of 24/7 cable news channels and the Internet. In addition, the relative low cost and increased revenue potential of newscasts can be a better bargain that filling mid-day schedules with increasingly high-priced syndicated programs.
Going long with local news can also provide the buffer and time to follow through with breaking news and to pursue enterprise stories.
Source - More News Turns Out To Be Good News, TV Newscheck
As a network, Fox has no network news broadcast, the smallest primetime schedule, and offers very little daytime network programming - which translates as more potential time for news or other content.
The report suggests that several factors can contribute to the growth in local TV news. Locally produced programming, like local news, is one of the few areas where the station controls all of the advertising spots, and thus gets all the revenues. Historically, even with more traditional levels of news content, local news brings in about 50% of a station's total revenues. Expanding the amount of news programming is also fairly inexpensive, as added programs can recycle stories, use stories and content that didn't make their primary newscasts, and offer significant opportunities for soft news coverage of local events and community activities. New newscasts in the fringe hours (between midnight and the start of the morning network shows) can be done with minimal cost, while offering a means for local broadcasters to stay relevant in an era of 24/7 cable news channels and the Internet. In addition, the relative low cost and increased revenue potential of newscasts can be a better bargain that filling mid-day schedules with increasingly high-priced syndicated programs.
Station leaders say that airing local news when others can’t — for, say, four to five hours in the morning, or from late afternoon straight until 7 p.m. — has given them an edge with viewers, who see them as the closest things to 24/7 news on broadcast TV.
“You almost can’t get away from us,” says Dana Hahn, news director at WJBK, which airs two hours more news before lunch (7.5 hours) than the average station airs all day. Morning news, which starts at 4:30 a.m., runs straight until noon. News returns for another 90 minutes at 5 p.m., and again at 10 for another 90 minutes.WJBK's efforts in Detroit seem to be paying off, with their morning and late afternoon newscasts coming in number 1 among adults in the 25-54 age demographic, and coming in second in direct competition with local Big Three affiliates' newscasts.
Going long with local news can also provide the buffer and time to follow through with breaking news and to pursue enterprise stories.
“Because we’re effectively in news 24/7, it gives us the opportunity to makes sure our stories are accurately researched so that we have really strong hooks into the story,” says Bill Schneider, GM of Fox-owned WAGA Atlanta... “We’re not pressed for news and sound bites.”The longer news schedule also allows more opportunity for community outreach, and can help to build engagement and trust with the local community -
“For our viewers, it doesn’t matter what time you’re heading out to work or whether you’re sleeping late,” Hahn says. “We are going to be there for you.”The strategy may not work for everyone, but is something for news directors, station managers, and station owners to consider.
Source - More News Turns Out To Be Good News, TV Newscheck
China to Push Broadband Deployment
China's Ministry of Industry and IT has announced plans to significantly increase broadband Internet deployment and use in the next few years. The basic goal is to extend broadband coverage to 95% of the country by 2015, and its adoption by 250 million users. (The 95% probably refers to population reach rather than geographic coverage). While the announcement did not provide specifics as to how that would be achieved, Ministry leaders have previously urged Chinese tech industries to increase research and development, with a goal of developing inexpensive yet reliable equipment to meet the various needs of smaller schools, communities, and small and medium-sized enterprises. The Ministry has also signaled that additional regulations are in the works "to ensure fair competition" and "smooth development" in the broadband sector.
According to the Internet Society of China, there are currently more than 150 million broadband users, and 355 million users with dial-up Internet access.
Source - China to speed up broadband rollouts, telecoms.com
According to the Internet Society of China, there are currently more than 150 million broadband users, and 355 million users with dial-up Internet access.
Source - China to speed up broadband rollouts, telecoms.com
Election 2012: Is TV Relevant?
A recent post on MediaPost's TV Board blog suggests that television is becoming increasingly irrelevant in elections. In it, Gary Holmes points to the minimal impact of the two major party conventions on surveys of candidate preference and the large declines in audience size. While the decline in viewing isn't good, he turns to the demographic mix of convention coverage audiences for an explanation. On each convention's final night, more than half of the TV audience was aged 55 or older; and more critically, those 18-34 made up only 15% of Democratic primary viewers, and 11% of Republican primary viewers. News channels and shows skew older anyway, but not as extremely as live election event coverage seems to. TV news and political coverage of the conventions just don't seem to be reaching uncommitted or swing voters in the electorate.
History suggests that the audiences for the coming Presidential debates won't attract many of that segment of the electorate either - the debate audiences will most likely continue to primarily attract the older, committed partisans of the candidates, looking to score the hits like a prize fight judge. And afterwards, there's likely to be a lot of punditry about disinterested and lazy publics failing to devote their attention to these "serious" debates. However, I'll suggest that its increasingly rational for people looking for reliable information on which to base their vote to ignore the live coverage of the upcoming Presidential debates. History shows that modern televised Presidential Debates rarely offer rational discussion of the issues and positions. Rather, they're all about the candidates getting their pre-scripted talking points in (rather than providing meaningful answers to the actual questions asked), and the moderators doing their best to trigger "gotcha" moments about trivialities (rather than addressing and exploring the substantial candidate differences on critically important and pressing issues). Modern debates don't have much impact unless a candidate makes a grievous error - which will be massively covered in the following weeks.
Well, then, what about political advertising, slated to reach stratospheric levels this year? The trouble with having a lot of political advertising is that you have a lot of political advertising. TV stations and networks will be awash in multiple airings of attack ads - but ads, and particularly political ads, can quickly reach a saturation point beyond which they have little, if any, positive impact. (Personally, I identify most of them in the first few seconds and immediately change channels - particularly attack ads)
Anecdotal evidence from the last few weeks might even suggest a backlash. In the last few weeks, mainstream news media, television in particular, have trumpeted multiple claims that Romney "gaffes" have ended his campaign, a plethora of Obama campaign attack ads (labeled misleading and dishonest by fact-checkers) and additional buys for a PAC ad blasting Romney that even the Obama campaign said was dishonest and inappropriate. And the result of this avalanche of all this negativity from television on Romney's support and approval levels? National tracking polls show him picking up support from voters, to the point that he's come from several percentage points down, to being tied with (or slightly leading) Obama.
But the money's been raised, and will be spent. Attack ads will flourish and will likely to become really dirty and dishonest as the election nears (when the folks running campaigns calculate that it's too late for preposterous claims to be challenged effectively). But by then, one hopes, a lot of people will have already tuned them out - and perhaps even tuned out the channels, stations, and programs they appear on (I predict a big increase in delayed viewing, as DVR let you quickly skip the nastyness). And television, in terms of news coverage and live coverage of political events will become even less relevant.
I do think that TV could correct the trend if it wanted to - but when media think partisanship and conflict drives ratings and profits, it doesn't seem likely. So to the American electorate - let's make TV irrelevant in elections. Maybe then the TV's incentives will shift to providing objective reporting and analysis instead of the current incentives to uncritically repeat partisan talking points.
Source - Is Television Becoming Irrelevant to the Election?, TV Board, a MediaPost blog
Well, then, what about political advertising, slated to reach stratospheric levels this year? The trouble with having a lot of political advertising is that you have a lot of political advertising. TV stations and networks will be awash in multiple airings of attack ads - but ads, and particularly political ads, can quickly reach a saturation point beyond which they have little, if any, positive impact. (Personally, I identify most of them in the first few seconds and immediately change channels - particularly attack ads)
Anecdotal evidence from the last few weeks might even suggest a backlash. In the last few weeks, mainstream news media, television in particular, have trumpeted multiple claims that Romney "gaffes" have ended his campaign, a plethora of Obama campaign attack ads (labeled misleading and dishonest by fact-checkers) and additional buys for a PAC ad blasting Romney that even the Obama campaign said was dishonest and inappropriate. And the result of this avalanche of all this negativity from television on Romney's support and approval levels? National tracking polls show him picking up support from voters, to the point that he's come from several percentage points down, to being tied with (or slightly leading) Obama.
But the money's been raised, and will be spent. Attack ads will flourish and will likely to become really dirty and dishonest as the election nears (when the folks running campaigns calculate that it's too late for preposterous claims to be challenged effectively). But by then, one hopes, a lot of people will have already tuned them out - and perhaps even tuned out the channels, stations, and programs they appear on (I predict a big increase in delayed viewing, as DVR let you quickly skip the nastyness). And television, in terms of news coverage and live coverage of political events will become even less relevant.
I do think that TV could correct the trend if it wanted to - but when media think partisanship and conflict drives ratings and profits, it doesn't seem likely. So to the American electorate - let's make TV irrelevant in elections. Maybe then the TV's incentives will shift to providing objective reporting and analysis instead of the current incentives to uncritically repeat partisan talking points.
Source - Is Television Becoming Irrelevant to the Election?, TV Board, a MediaPost blog
Keeping Pace w/Apps
With both technology and operating systems improving so rapidly, it can be tough keeping up. For app developers it can be particularly tough and problematic, as a growing body of research suggests that having apps optimized for specific device/OS combinations can have a significant impact on their adoption and use by consumers. There's been a pack of announced upgrades recently -
- Twitter's put out a significantly revamped and improved version of its iPad app - improving the timeline function to allow one-touch access to photos, videos, and Web page summaries. It also adds new tools for tracking "favorites" and accessing stories and social media content popular with friends. Twitter has 140 million users who generate 340 million tweets daily.
- Twitter rebuilds iPad app with new profiles, photo streams, FierceMobileContent - Google announced that it had acquired Nik Software, developer of the iOS app Snapseed. Snapseed allows users to shoot and edit photos, apply filters, and share photos via Facebook - and was named 2011 iPad App of the Year. Nik had been working on optimizing the software for Android - and with Google's purchase that should now be fast-tracked, as Google is hoping that Snapseed can challenge Instagram and help push the growth of it's own social media system, Google+.
- Google acquires Sanpseed photo sharing app to rival Instagram's dominance, FierceMobileContent - DirecTV is expanding its Audience Network app to iPad. The app allows DirecTV subscribers to access programming on their mobile devices, both at home and on the road. At the moment the app allows access to some 60 channels through the home network. The app can also deliver programming outside the home, but so far few channels permit streaming of live TV to locations outside the home. While DirecTV continues to work with programmers to license their signals for live streaming, its proceeding with plans for releasing an iPhone version of Audience Network next month, and an Android app by the end of the year.
- DirecTV streams Audience Network to iPad: pushes programmers for mobile video rights, FierceCable - Hearst Television recently launched an Election 2012 app that combines current national election coverage with content from its 25 local news stations. The app also lets users access background information on candidates and their positions and voter guides with information on registering to vote and poll locations. The effort is part of Heart Television's Commitment 2012 election coverage project.
- Hearst Television taps second screen to enhance election coverage, Promaxdba Daily Brief
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)