Category: Technology

MUMBAI: ESPN Digital is set to introduce ESPNFC, a new multi-lingual and multi-platform brand for football fans around the world coinciding with 2012 Uefa European Football Championship.

The new online offering will bring together all of ESPN’s football properties and house them under one universally recognised name. ESPNFC will add global and regional contributors to ensure coverage of all news and developments.

Online and on mobile, ESPNFC will have the ability to detect where a fan is accessing content, and deliver locally relevant content for that region and serve that in the native language.

ESPNFC will also provide unique, customizable digital opportunities for marketers who can work with ESPN to reach sports fans on both a global and regional scale using ESPN’s worldwide sales teams.

ESPN president and Disney Media Networks co-chairman John Skipper said, “ESPN is solidifying its dedication to football year-round with the launch of ESPNFC. It represents one of ESPN’s most significant global commitments to the sport and leverages the core strength of what ESPN does well – serve sports fans. In short, ESPNFC is the definitive source for football coverage worldwide.”

Beginning this week, fans can experience a preview of ESPNFC with branded content online and on mobile platforms specific to the Euro 2012 tournament in Poland and Ukraine. Later this year online and on mobile – around the start of new football seasons around the world – ESPNFC will expand to encompass all major leagues and competitions worldwide.

ESPNFC will also be integrated into ESPNdeportes.com, which serves the Spanish-speaking community in the US.

The company will also rename its signature global multi-platform football debate and discussion show to ESPNFC PressPass (from ESPNsoccernet PressPass), reflecting the new brand.

Inside ESPNFC, fans can access Live MatchHQ, a re-imagined and enhanced version of GameCast which provides the live game experience for those who are not able to watch the game live.

MUMBAI: Chinese Pay-Per-View (PPV) and Video On Demand (VOD) platform You On Demand has signed a deal with Miramax to distribute films from its library for Transactional Video On Demand (TVOD).

The titles include ‘There Will Be Blood‘, ‘Chicago‘, ‘Pulp Fiction‘ and the ‘Scream‘ series.

You On Demand chairman, CEO Shane McMahon said, “The Miramax library includes some of the best known, award winning and critically acclaimed films Hollywood has to offer. We are very excited to add Miramax films to the You On Demand platform.”

Miramax now joins You On Demand‘s content partner family including Warner Bros., Disney, Lionsgate, Magnolia, K2 Communications, Gravitas Ventures, American Media Works and Film Buff.

MUMBAI: International digital sports media company Perform has launched video on demand service livesport.tv on Facebook which will also see the integration of its more than 50 channels on the platform.

The channels include a range of live and VOD content from a number of leading sports competitions including European and South American leagues, World Snooker, Australian Rules Football (AFL), PSA squash, Mixed Martial Arts, Handball, Darts, Hockey, Tennis, Rugby Union, Rugby League and Pool plus a number of one-off box office sporting events from sports such as Boxing.

All video on demand content will be available for free, whilst payment for the livesport.tv subscription service will initially be managed through PayPal or via credit card, with localised pricing starting from ?2.99 per month dependent on the sport. Facebook credits are expected to be introduced in the coming months.

Livesport.tv will use Facebook‘s targeted advertising to reach potential subscribers for each sport. The livesport.tv platform will also be made available for other sports content owners to distribute their live and highlights content to targeted groups of connected fans globally.

Perform Joint CEO Oliver Slipper commented, “This is an exciting integration. We believe that making livesport.tv available through Facebook presents a great opportunity to build our subscriber business and increase our VOD audience. Our focus with Facebook will be to use the targeted advertising to communicate with niche fans around the world looking for special interest live sports content and use the in-built virality of the platform to target the hundreds of millions of sports fans on Facebook to share our VOD sports content and drive video views globally.”

Mumbai: Global IT services company Tata Consultancy Services has launched Editorial Collaboration Platform (ECP), an online system for editorial planning of web-based publishing, and radio and television broadcasting.

The ECP solution was unveiled at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show in Las Vegas.

According to the company, the system efficiently unifies data to remove information silos and integrates Microsoft Outlook and other databases to simplify editors’ daily lives.

“The rise of the multi-screen media presents an array of new opportunities for both broadcasters and publishers as they evolve into digital enterprises. TCS Editorial Collaboration Platform solution allows media companies to transition from ‘channel-centric’ media production to trans-media story-telling and enables the creation of editorial communities that can virtually collaborate across multiple locations,” said TCS VP and head of media and information services Kamal Bhadada.

The ECP solution was developed by TCS’s digital media group — a vast resource of skilled media professionals with extensive domain experience to provide real-life solutions. The TCS solution works with Microsoft SharePoint, SharePoint Online and windows Azure platforms.

Bhadada added, “The TCS strategy of leveraging its digital media expertise to develop solutions using commonly used technology platforms such as Microsoft SharePoint, allows media customers to deploy solutions that are highly tailored to the changing digital media workflows, while providing media companies with benefits of lower cost and state-of-the-art IT platforms. Thus, in this rapidly evolving marketplace, media operations can maximise their collaborative potential by focusing on product innovation rather than worrying about continuous investment into a cluster of custom-made production tools.”

Microsoft MD worldwide media and cable industry Taras Bugir said, “We’re excited about this new offering from TCS to ease media organisations’ transition to truly digital media companies. This is a great example of how Microsoft helps companies deliver new experiences and services to capitalise on changing market demand.”

NEW DELHI: The path has been cleared for the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) to issue its tariff order for digital addressable systems with the Information and Broadcasting Ministry notifying the much awaited Cable Television Networks Rules, 2012.

Cable operators and multi-system operators (MSOs) will now have to ensure that they have the capacity to carry the minimum number of channels as specified by Trai, which is expected to issue its Tariff Order and other directives ‘shortly‘, a Ministry official told indiantelevision.com.

Trai has also received legal sanction for this, the official added.

Cable operators and MSOs will have to set up a grievance redressal mechanisms and subscribers can file complaints and get time-bound redressal if they are not satisfied with service quality.

The new Cable rules also redefine the procedures for MSOs who will have to submit a processing fee of Rs 100,000 for registration in an entity in place of Rs 10,000 as was the case until now. But there is no change in fee for registering as a local cable operator.

MSOs will now have to register with the Central Government while local cable operators (LCOs) can continue to be registered with Head Post office in the territorial jurisdiction where their offices exist.

The benefit of provisional registration has been provided to avoid delays in giving clearances to MSOs and LCOs.

The registering authority may grant provisional registration after preliminary scrutiny of such applications. The application procedure for cable operators has also been reworked.

The first phase of digitisation of the four metros has to be completed by 30 June. The other phases will be completed by December 2014.

Ministry officials denied that the delay in issuance of the Rules or Tariff order will create any problems for LCOs or MSOs in switching over.

MUMBAI: Kerala Communicators Cable (KCCL) has entered into a strategic alliance with Conax, the global provider of solutions for protecting multi-device digital content, for content security.

Conax will provide cost effective and flexible content security solutions to KCCL for enabling smooth digital migration and advanced service offerings.

Located on the Malabar Coast of south-west India, KCCL is an initiative of the cable TV operators in Kerala within the umbrella of the Cable Operators Association (COA). KCCL operators claim a representation of 70 per cent of cable TV services in the south-west Indian state with over 200 cable TV operators.

Conax said that it will guide the Kerala cable TV operators in navigating the new digital landscape, integrating new product offerings and obtaining secure distribution of both multi-device of premium content.

“With extensive experience in digitisation and the Indian pay-TV market, we are confident the partnership with security partner Conax will provide KCCL operators with a strong roadmap for the future,” said KCCL director Nassir Hassan Anwar. “Conax was chosen based on strong customer relations, highly flexible, proven solutions and the company’s commitment to the Indian market.”

With a need for higher security and a simple integration of future services and offerings, Conax products featured in the contract include Conax Contego. The Conax Contego solution will provide the KCCL operators with a stable system, technical expertise and responsibility for integration together with Conax-approved partners.

“Conax is proud to be selected as security partner by KCCL,” Conax president and CEO Morten Solbakken added. “The contract with KCCL is confirmation of Conax’ continued commitment to the digitisation and development the Indian broadcast industry and continued growth within the region. Conax continues to focus on India – a dynamic market providing vast opportunities.”

The partnership with Conax will enable KKCCL operators to reduce churn, overcome the challenges of digitisation and harness the opportunities provided by the new digital environment, the company said.

MUMBAI: WWE has announced that WrestleMania, held on 1 April in Miami, set new records for pay-per-view buys and gross sales.

Preliminary estimates show that WrestleMania, featuring the main match between The Rock and John Cena, garnered 1.3 million pay-per-view buys with global gross sales in excess of $67 million including the live event.

WrestleMania was seen around the world on pay-per-view in more than 105 countries and 20 languages.

Next year’s WrestleMania will take place on 7 April 2013. Ticket information will be announced later this year.

MUMBAI: Premier digital media company Yahoo! showcased a lineup of original video for its monthly global audience of 700 million users at its Digital Content NewFront event in New York City.

The internet giant also unveiled a number of new projects, covering a variety of topics — from sports to fashion to relationships — and featuring voices, hosts, and creative talent.

Yahoo!‘s new programming lineup for 2012 and beyond includes: Dancing With Myself (Debuts 2013), Men‘s Slate of Shows and Talent, Talk Show In Development – No Title (Debuts in July) with Jeff Goldblum as host, Stunt Nation (Debuts in July) with Sal Masekela as host, Yahoo! Sports Minute (Live) with Angela Sun as host, KaBOOM! (Debuts in July), The MANual (debuts in July), and Superfans (Debuts in July).

“The media and advertising industries are at a watershed moment, and no one is more poised to take advantage of the shift toward digital content than Yahoo!. Globally, we are a digital media powerhouse, providing high-quality, engaging & personalized content on every screen,” said Yahoo EVP & Head of Global Media Ross Levinsohn.

“We‘re partnering with industry leaders and top Hollywood talent, creating unique, premium experiences for distinct audiences around the world. By doing so, we create a tremendous opportunity for advertisers to connect with highly engaged and targeted audiences. We provide the content experiences that consumers want and the context that advertisers desire.”

BANGALORE: The MTV Voices website will showcase a new animated four part web-series featuring a differently-able cross cultural super hero ‘Silver Scorpion’ that has been created through the ‘Open Hands Initiative’, a partner initiative between the two.

Silver Scorpion is the brainchild of a group of 26 American and Syrian youths with disabilities who gathered in Damascus a about a year ago.

Open Hands Initiative co-founder and chairman Jay T Synder says,” “This is not just a comic book; it’s a breakthrough effort in public diplomacy that helps forge lasting bonds and understanding between the youth of the United States and the Middle East. his type of people-to-people diplomacy is as important now as it was a year ago when we brought these creative young people together, and it will be even more important in the years ahead.”

Liquid Comics co-founder & CEO Sharad Devarajan said. “Great superheroes have always been allegories to larger societal issues and the story of our generation is globalization and our ability to overcome regional and cultural differences to find our common humanity. These students and their experience together speak to the very best of that globalization in the years ahead.”

“MTV Voices is all about giving young people a platform to express ideas, aspirations, concerns about the world in a creative manner”, said Viacom International Media Networks VP of Social Responsibility John Jackson. “The Silver Scorpion project and how its super hero was conceived absolutely reflects that core value and is a natural fit for MTV Voices. Through the story of the super hero, the young Americans and Syrians involved with the project have found a way of sharing their values with the world, and MTV Voices is delighted to bring that to our audience, encouraging them to engage with us on the narrative, the ideas and the vision”.

As recognition of the students work, at the 2010 Clinton Global Initiative, former US President Bill Clinton highlighted the Silver Scorpion project, stating that the comic book, “…will help to establish trust and understanding between cultures, to empower young people with disabilities.”

The Silver Scorpion tells the story of an Arab teenager, Bashir Bari, who loses his legs in a tragic accident. The hero envisioned by the students has the power to not only bend metal with his mind, but to transform his world… and ours.

NEW DELHI: Aakash One and Aakash Two tablets – technically named by its manufacturer DataWind as Ubislate 7+ and Ubislate 7C Models – have been formally launched despite the controversy that surrounded the brand with Indian Institute of Technology – Rajasthan rejecting the models and the government shifting the work to IIT- Mumbai.

Providing smartphone communication, Internet access, tablet computing and multimedia entertainment, the devices also pack a powerful combination of content and applications. The totally indigenously produced models are priced at Rs 2,999 ($57) and Rs 3.999 ($76), thus making them the cheapest smartphone-cum-tablet in the world.

Intended to help bridge the digital divide, DataWind’s new products break the affordability barriers of computers and bandwidth constraints of wireless networks to deliver internet access to anybody that can afford a simple mobile phone.

The UbiSlate tablets are the only devices in the market to offer DataWind’s UbiSurfer browser, based on 18 international patents that can deliver internet access on traditional GPRS networks which cover the far reaches of the globe. In India the devices will offer unlimited web-browsing using DataWind’s breakthrough web delivery platform for under Rs.100 a month on traditional mobile networks.

DataWind CEO Suneet Singh Tuli told indiantelevision.com that the tablets can be booked on the website of Datawind, and those who book by paying a part of the sum at the time of the booking will be given priority. He expected to clear the complete backlog within a month or two.

Differentiated with a resistive screen on the UbiSlate 7+ to the four-point multi-touch projective capacitive screen on the UbiSlate 7C, both models come with embedded GPRS modems in addition to WiFi connectivity allowing ubiquitous internet access.

The 7” screen tablets support the Android 2.3 operating system that delivers a rich touch-screen graphical user interface which significantly reduces the learning curve for new computer users in joining the world wide web. A powerful 800 Mhz Cortex A8 processor allows smooth usability of a broad range of applications. The embedded HD video co-processor delivers high quality video content making it a perfect multimedia device.

Tuli said, “Over the last year, I have been traveling the globe, talking at the World Bank, with heads of state, at numerous universities and at global conferences, evangelizing the power of the internet to transform people’s lives. We have now created a product that removes the barriers and levels the playing field.”

DataWind’s co-chairman and CTO Raja Singh Tuli added, “Our challenge was not only to create a powerful yet low-cost device, but to truly make it useful, we had to create a technology that could deliver internet access everywhere at an affordable price.”

At the launch event, devices were provided to school children from Guru Harkrishan Public School by Canadian High Commissioner Stewart Beck, Head of Trade and Investment for North India for the UK Trade and Investment from the British High Commission Frances Hooper; CMAI President N K Goyal, and Harvinder Singh Sarna, Member of the Delhi Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee.

Delivery of UbiSlate 7+ devices have started to consumers who have pre-booked on DataWind’s http://www.ubislate.com/ webiste, and will continue over the next several months before retail availability. Delivery of UbiSlate 7C devices will start at the end of May.

Beck said the primary achievement was not manufacturing the product but making it affordable.

DataWind also unveiled its ecosystem of partners for providing content, applications and access, making it the industry’s largest collaborative effort to deliver consumers a complete turnkey offering in a single unit. DataWind announced relationships with:

Aircel; VMC Systems Ltd.; Yahoo! India; The Indian Express Group; Get Jar for the world’s largest independent app store providing access to over 350,000 software applications; and InMobi independent mobile ad network.

In addition, Reverie Language Technologies Pvt. Ltd. will provide 13 Indian languages including Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, and Punjabi/Gurmukhi. Mango Learning solutions will provide for game based educational modules, interactive smart books and the full CBSE curriculum; RKS Learning Private Ltd. for TestBag, the most comprehensive solution for testing and e-assessment; Intelligia finger tracing apps to teach letter writing for toddlers; Pixatel for utilities and games created for tablet form factors; Poketalk for call
back long distance services; MyJobs; and Blueworld portal to help encouraging a socially conscience approach to the internet.

In addition, a consumer can buy accessories like a solar battery, a dust cover, a screen protector, car charger, microphone and earpiece, external antennae and a USB Memory Drive.