Category: Applications

MUMBAI: American Online Limited (AOL) has extended its Open AIM initiative (http://developer.aim.com) to include support for AIM Bots, location-based services and PC-to-PC voice calling. The update also includes support for developers working on the Mac OS X, Linux, and Pocket PC platforms or with the Java language.

Launched in March of this year, the Open AIM initiative empowers companies, communities and independent developers to build customized plugins, communications clients and mash-ups that access AOL‘s global instant messaging network, states an official release.

“Already, more than 45,000 developers are working with the AIM Software Development Kit (SDK) to bring their creativity and ingenuity to the 43 million Americans in the AIM community,” says AOL‘s vice president for Instant Messaging Marcien Jenckes. “Today, we are extremely pleased to add AIM Bots as well as voice and location services to the Open AIM toolkit, and to invite developers on the Mac, Linux and Pocket PC platforms to get involved.”

The latest update include:

— AOL has added support for AIM(r) Bots to the Open AIM initiative. With the new Open AIM Bots program, one click can turn any AIM screen name into a bot. AIM Bot sample code has been added to the updated Open AIM SDK in both C++ and Java.

AIM Bots are dedicated, opt-in Screen Names that help developers, marketers and individuals create new connections and establish strong bonds with contacts in the AIM community. In addition, AIM Bots can support audio calls, file transfers and picture sharing. For example, an AIM Bot could be created to let users send pictures or podcasts to their blogs.

AIM Bots respond automatically to instant messages they receive and can maintain IM conversations with multiple users – reaching up to 10,000 people per day – before encountering limits. To prevent IM spam, AIM Bots cannot initiate IMs without permission.

— AOL‘s new AIM Location services are now part of the Open AIM SDK. The new application program interfaces (APIs) – with sample code – have been added to the SDK to let developers build location services into clients, plugins and, in the coming weeks, web sites.

— AOL is also giving developers the ability to add AIM Talk‘s PC-to-PC voice functionality and multi-party voice chat into their custom AIM clients. For the first time, developers can integrate robust audio features based on the open source sipXtapi SIP stack, from sipfoundry.org, into their applications with a single turnkey solution.

— Finally, AOL has also added Open AIM support for developers working on the Mac OS X, Linux, and Pocket PC platforms, as well as support for the Java language. For complete documentation and to learn more about these Open AIM initiatives, visit http://developer.aim.com/.

The recent open AIM projects include:

— Bandalong Entertainment Inc., an interactive media company, formed an agreement with AOL to release an AIM(r) enabled version of their imstar service, which is now built on the Open AIM platform. imstar is the only lifelike, 3-D avatar-based instant messaging program for teens.

— Doppelganger, designer of the world‘s first virtual nightclub, introduced a virtual lounge for music audiences that seamlessly integrates the AIM service. AIM users can log on to a customised version of the AIM client and experience real time communications in Doppelganger‘s The Lounge featuring the Pussycat Dolls (http://www.pcdmusiclounge.com).

— Super Computer International, Inc., (http://www.supercomputerinc.com) announced an agreement with AOL to create a customized version of the AIM service called PlayLinc that will optimize the instant messaging (IM) experience for online gamers.

— WebEx Communications, Inc., (http://www.webex.com) the leading provider of on-demand collaborative business applications, teamed with AOL in February of this year to announce the creation of a secure, feature-rich version of the popular AIM service for businesses and at-work instant messaging users.

MUMBAI: US broadcaster HBO has announced that two shows Entourage and Deadwood are back again.

Fans can go ‘on location‘ for footage, cast interviews and other original features via www.HBO.com/podcasts or Apple’s iTunes Music Store – all for free.

Viewers will also be able to go behind-the-scenes of HBO’s new comedy series Lucky Louie. It stars Louis C.K. as head of a blue collar family. Then there is Dane Cook’s Tourgasm, a docu-style comedy series that follows the rising stand-up comic during his college tour last spring.

These new editions join the other HBO podcasts already existing. These include video and audio clips for The Sopranos, Rome, Big Love, Real Time with Bill Maher as well as select HBO Films, documentaries, sports shows, and HBO Latino’s Habla y Habla and El Perro y El Gato.

HBO VP, marketing and strategic partnerships Steve Pamon says, “The additional content for iPods give fans more exposure to their favorite HBO programs, characters and actors as well as introduces them to our newest shows.

“We launched the site several months ago and have already seen incredible success, most recently hitting the 1 million download milestone for Real Time with Bill Maher.”

Fans can visit the HBO.com site or the ‘HBO Room‘ on iTunes for the latest mix of free video and audio clips that will role over time:

For Entourage HBO is offering recaps from seasons one and two. These revisit important moments and reconnects fans with major characters. There will also be an insiders scoop on the series. There will also be clips from the new season. There are similar features for Deadwood.

MUMBAI: Software major Apple has introduced the new iPod U2 Special Edition as part of a continued partnership between Apple, U2 and Universal Music Group (UMG).

The new U2 iPod is based on the fifth generation 30GB iPod and holds up to 7,500 songs, 25,000 photos or over 75 hours of video and features a distinctive, all-black stainless steel enclosure, red Click Wheel and custom engraving of U2 band member signatures.

Apple VP worldwide iPod product marketing Greg Joswiak says, “We are thrilled to continue working with one of the greatest bands in the world to bring U2 fans a special edition of the world‘s best digital music player. With its distinctive new design, including an all-black stainless steel enclosure, the new U2 iPod is sure to be a hit.”

U2 iPod customers will also receive 30 minutes of exclusive U2 video downloadable from the iTunes Music Store. The new U2 iPod is available immediately for Rs.21,400.

Featuring integration with the iTunes Music Store and the iTunes digital music jukebox, the new U2 iPod features Apple‘s patent pending Auto-Sync technology that automatically downloads digital music, podcasts, photos, audiobooks, home movies, music videos and popular television shows onto the iPod and keeps them up-to-date whenever the iPod is plugged into a Mac or Windows computer using USB 2.0. The new U2 iPod features up to 14 hours of battery life for music playback.

The iPod requires a Mac with a USB 2.0 port and Mac OS X version 10.3.9 or later and iTunes 6; or a Windows PC with a USB 2.0 port and Windows 2000, XP Home or Professional (SP2) and iTunes 6. Battery life and number of charge cycles vary by use and settings. Music capacity is based on four minutes per song and 128-Kbps AAC encoding; video capacity is based on H.264 750-Kbps combined with 128-Kbps audio; and photo capacity is based on iPod-viewable photos transferred from iTunes.

MUMBAI: UK broadcaster Channel 4 has acquired exclusive UK rights to screen Buena Vista International Television‘s (BVITV) shows Betty the Ugly and Brothers and Sisters.

The deal was agreed between Channel 4 director of acquisitions Jeff Ford and BVITV executive director, sales, UK & Ireland Catherine Powell.

Based on the Columbian telenovela Betty La Fea, Betty the Ugly is a quirky one hour comedy series executive produced by award-winning actress Salma Hayek and Silvio Horta.

The show follows Betty Suarez (America Ferrera), a seemingly plain, but intelligent and hard-working, secretary at fashion magazine “Mode”. Between her boss Daniel and herself, neither of them knows the ins and outs of the fashion world, but together they‘re a formidable team against the label-wearing sharks who will do anything to see them fail.

Actress Calista Flockhart (Ally McBeal) stars in the drama series, Brothers & Sisters. Flockhart stars alongside Rachel Griffiths Six Feet Under and Ron Rifkin Alias in this drama from producer Ken Olin Alias and Jon Robin Baitz, one of Broadway‘s most prominent playwrights.

As the adult children of William Walker, along with their respective families, gather to celebrate Kitty‘s birthday, little do they know that, on this day, their lives will take a dramatic turn.

Kitty‘s radio success has led to a TV pundit job in Los Angeles, but her boyfriend in New York has just proposed. Thomas has joined forces with his sister, Sarah, a high powered executive and mother of three, in an effort to fix the family business. Kevin‘s well-ordered life is shaken by the news that his ex-wife is moving his adolescent son to Texas. Justin, a Gulf War vet, has kicked nicotine, but other addiction‘s keep him from moving forward in his career and love life.

These siblings are about to find out that underneath the idyllic family facade lie many secrets that threaten to either tear the family apart or bring them closer together.

Ford said, “We are delighted to have secured the rights to these much sought after series that confirm C4‘s commitment to the best of US drama.”

MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide has appointed Simon Danker as the director of the digital media. Prior to taking up this new role Simon Danker was director of UK and Ireland TV within BBC Worldwide‘s Global TV sales division.

Danker will be reporting into BBC Worldwide managing director Digital Media & director of Strategy David Moody.

Danker will lead the team looking at widening the availability of programmes on new technology platforms such as the Internet and mobile phones.

This will include the development of BBC Worldwide‘s iPlayer, a commercial version of the BBC‘s proposed iPlayer, which would allow people to download television and radio programmes via the internet, according to an official release.

Danker‘s portfolio will also cover music, determining new commercial opportunities for BBC Worldwide‘s music rights and working closely with record labels. Developing partnerships with music and new media industry players both domestically and internationally will be a key part of his role.

Simon Danker said: “New distribution platforms will give audiences what they really want – access on-demand to an unprecedented choice of programming. The quality and breadth of BBC Worldwide‘s catalogue and our global reputation as a distributor, means we are in a great position to work with platform owners and producers to generate new income streams in this space.

Digital Media & Director Strategy managing director David Moody said: “Simon brings to this new role a wealth of experience. His proven track record in developing strategies for TV Sales, building relationships with third parties and his knowledge of new media distribution make him perfect to join this increasingly important area of the business. I‘m delighted to have him on board.”

Danker joined BBC Worldwide in 2000. More recently, Danker has managed and grown the development of programme sales to Video on Demand (VoD) platforms such as BT and Homechoice.

Danker‘s prior position as director of UK and Ireland TV within BBC Worldwide‘s Global TV sales division is to be filled by Lisa Cfas, currently head of business affairs in the Independents Unit and Children‘s.

She joined BBC Worldwide in August 2003 before which she was part of the business affairs team in the BBC, supporting drama commissioning for Indies and later BBC Films.

Cfas will take over Simon‘s role gradually over the next two to three months.

MUMBAI: Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) is setting up cyber cafes at major railway stations across the country to create user-friendly public internet access points.

The company, which has been awarded franchisee rights for running of cyber cafes at 68 locations, plans to make all of them operational in the next few weeks. The first of this was inaugurated at the Bangalore railway station by VSNL president of broadband and retail business Shashi Kalathil.

Speaking on the occasion, Kalathil said, “This effort will enable VSNL implement the promise made in the Union Railway budget of setting up such cyber cafes across the leading railway stations in the country. We are keen on making internet easily available so that passengers can stay connected even while on the move.”

All Tata Indicom dial-up internet and broadband subscribers can use this facility by using their existing accounts. “Each of these cybercafes will be equipped with 10-20 high end multimedia PCs with flat panel monitors and will be open 24 X 7. Travellers can now avail Internet browsing and gaming facilities at very affordable rates. We also plan to offer other value added services like printing, scanning, mobile charging and CD writing through these cafes. Passengers can also use the cyber cafes for making onward bookings, checking their bank statements, tracking their investment portfolio and making ISD calls at affordable prices,” VSNL said.

Tata Indicom will also create select areas in the railway station that are Wi Fi enabled, allowing passengers to experience the internet on their laptop or Wi-Fi enabled PDAs.

MUMBAI: Video game and entertainment information destination IGN.com, which was acquired by News Corp recently has launched IGN TV.

The channel focusses on television shows for the 18-34 year-old male demographic. The IGN.com TV channel (IGNTV.com) covers the world of television through in-depth feature stories, interviews with top stars, ‘what to watch‘ suggestions and video clips. Visitors to the site will also have the opportunity to contribute to the dialogue through blogs, building out elements of fan pages for their favourite shows and by contributing entries to the site‘s TV database.

IGN.com‘s entertainment division publisher Steve Horn says, “IGN.com‘s move into daily coverage of television marks an exciting time for television fans. We have built a destination that brings the trusted voice and personality of IGN together with robust user tools, blogs, boards and a comprehensive user-controlled database.

“IGN TV is the place for the hardcore television fan to get info on their favourite shows, meet fellow fans, and participate in the news dialogue by using the tools to express their very own opinions.”

IGN.com claims to have the largest online concentrated audience of 18-34 year-old males. This move it says will see it become an even more comprehensive offering for its core audience with the launch of IGN TV. The channel will cover 25 shows in detail with mini-sites created around each, staffed by confirmed television geeks who have been following the shows for years, with at least one massive feature each week that explores the world of television in greater detail.

To celebrate the launch of IGN TV, the site‘s first major feature will be the The TV Top 100 a collection of quotes from 100 entertainment industry leaders about their favourite television memories. Till 16 June 2006, 20 people will be showcased each day, from writers to directors to musicians to stars of screens big and small. Each person will share thoughts about their favorite events, episodes, lines and series.

Notable participants include Kate Bosworth, Brandon Routh who stars in the upcoming film Superman Returns, John Goodman, Bruce Willis, Steve Buscemi, Lindsay Lohan and director Wolfgang Petersen, Troy.

MUMBAI: Emmy Award winner Louis J. Horvitz will return for his 12 time as director of the US Academy of Television Arts and Sciences‘ (Atas) 58th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards

The 58th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards will air live in the US on 27 August on NBC.

In March, Horvitz directed The 78th Annual Academy Awards. This marked his 10th year at the helm of the Oscars.

MUMBAI: Narrowstep Inc., the UK-based IPTV firm, announced that its proprietary technology, telvos (Television Operating System) was chosen to power the Country Channel, the first broadband TV station designed for outdoor enthusiasts.

Accessible at www.countrychannel.tv, the channel is dedicated to country-life communities, and went live on a 24/7 basis, on 9 June.

The Country Channel covers subjects of interest to people living in the countryside, providing targeted, relevant information to those who live, work or play, close to nature. It aims to appeal to fast-growing outdoor groups such as horseback riders and breeders, wildlife spotters and bird watchers, conservationists, hikers, walkers, fishers, truck farmers and weekend farmers. It also appeals to the societies and clubs that these people belong to, states an official release.

The Country Channel is available on subscription, with a startup price of 16.99 pounds for a full year. In order to provide as full an experience for viewers as possible, the Country Channel also encourages appropriate advertising and sponsors who can bring information and services to the audience, adds the release.

MUMBAI: Telkonet, Inc., the provider of in-building broadband access over existing electrical wiring, announced that they have begun deployment to beta customers and testing of its Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) service in New York City. Telkonet‘s NuVisions IPTV service delivers traditional cable TV programming and enables subscribers to surf the internet, receive on-demand content, and perform a host of Internet-based functions via their TV sets.

As per an official release, the NuVisions IPTV service will deliver a host of bundled services such as television, internet, and telephone service over the NuVisions‘ gigabit network that connects the properties it serves in a redundant gigabit ring within New York City – a virtual fiber optic network in the air. NuVisions also plans to add more channels and features, such as video-on-demand, movies, games and interactive content, to the service when fully deployed. With NuVisions‘ IPTV service, subscribers can use the television via remote controls and wireless keyboards to watch TV programs, surf the Internet, communicate with building services, and shop with neighborhood vendors or national retailers.

NuVisions IPTV service can be deployed rapidly and at a lower cost than current cable televisions systems. It can offer consumers many advanced features, such as the ability to record several programs simultaneously without having to add more tuners. The NuVisions IPTV service is seamlessly integrated into a building as it relies on existing telephone wires for delivery to subscribers.

The use of IP technology enables direct communication between a subscriber‘s IPTV device, which replaces the much larger traditional set-top “cable box”, and the NuVisions control center. As a result of this direct connection to the control center, functions currently performed by stand alone devices, such as digital video recorders (DVR‘s), are now incorporated as features of the new offering controlled through the IPTV device, the release adds.