Category: Software

MUMBAI: In its endeavour to reach out to the trendy, fashion oriented consumers, Samsung Mobile has become the sponsor of ibibo iFashion Photographer organised by the social networking site.

Samsung will be using the 8.0MP Samsung Ultra Touch mobile to lead this association since even fashion photographers can even shoot with this phone, given its superior camera performance. ibibo.com’s initiative for fashion photography is fast becoming the largest fashion photography network online, with iFashion Photographer entering season three.

The premise targets budding fashion photographers across India. It offers an opportunity to shoot international models with the best make-up artist and stylist, under the supervision of India’s leading fashion photographer, Jatin Kampani.

Samsung Ultra Touch Phone found ibibo iFashion Photographer platform extremely interesting and relevant to the product. As part of the initiative, photography enthusiasts participate by simply uploading their photos on ibibo.com. The ibibo community votes for the photos they like best. The judge of the competition, Jatin Kampani, chooses the top 5 Fashion Photographers of the season. The 5 will get to win a Samsung Ultra Touch mobile each.

MUMBAI: Google along with its video sharing site, YouTube, are reportedly in talks with major Hollywood studios to allow streaming of movies.

The California-based company is talking to studios like Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Warner Bros, Sony and Lions Gate Entertainment, for their movies.

Amid media reports, YouTube is evaluating options of charging rent for some titles while showing ads during other movies that it will stream for free. Additionally, some titles might be available on the site on the same day of the theatrical release.

However, the Wall Street Journal noted that negotiations are “continuing” and there are “no guarantees” the deals will be struck. “Many details remain in flux, including whether users will eventually be able to download movies,” WSJ said.

MUMBAI: Yahoo has rolled out Yahoo Meme micro blogging service in English. The company launched this service in Portuguese earlier this year and in Spanish last month.

Yahoo Meme is currently available in an invite only mode, where a user can create the account after receiving invitation.

Under the new service, users get a blank blog for micro-sharing text, photos, videos and music.Also, Yahoo! India has canned its plan to offer SpotM, a communications service which was launched last September and was in its beta stage. The site is closed and is not accessible anymore.

MUMBAI: Rainbow Media Holdings has signed a distribution deal with triple-play service provider Free for the launch of its channel Sundance in France.

Starting today, Sundance will offer audiences films, documentaries and original programmes. It will also mark the occasion of Free’s 10th anniversary.

“On the eve of our 10th anniversary, we are ecstatic that Free will be first to broadcast Sundance Channel in France—a real opportunity for all of us and a fitting match,” said Free GM Maxime Lombardini.

The game, available on www.district9.zapak.com, allows the gamer to play as a human or a non-human. As a human, the gamers’ mission is to be on patrol in District 9 as a MNU officer and to arrest or shoot non-humans. If the gamer chooses to play as a non-human, then the mission is to take action against the oppressive MNU Corporation and its patrolling guards.

Zapak Digital Entertainment COO Rohit Sharma said, “District 9 gives us an opportunity to provide a sci-fi game to our Indian audience. Zapak will be able to reach out to maximum gamers in the country. We believe this game will be well accepted as it has a unique offering for our gamers.”

Both these posts are newly created by the organisation keeping in line with its recently introduced restructuring exercise.

As part of their new mandate, both Ansari and Ghosh will report to New Media CEO Manish Agarwal. Ansari will be responsible for building and growing online destinations for entertainment and information. Ghosh, meanwhile, will be responsible for increasing partnership with operators and platform players to drive revenue.

New Media CEO Manish Agarwal said, “Zaki Ansari and Subhash Ghosh bring with them an industry experience of over 15 years, which will be extremely valuable to the new media business. We are proud to have them on board and look forward to working with them.”

Prior to this, Ansari was VP – product development at Rediff while Ghosh was EnvIO Networks senior director India & APAC markets.

Under the terms of the agreement, NetworkPlay.in will have exclusive ad-serving rights to owned and operated properties on Airtel‘s DTH platform.

Says NetworkPlay.in co-founder Ampreet Singh, “To us, this space is a natural progression like mobile and IPTV and we are very glad that we have embarked on this endeavour with a marquee brand like Airtel.

The portal to be owned and operated by NBCUDS will be headed by NBC Universal VP for digital product strategy and development Sab Kanaujia. The site will expand its content offerings from cricket to other sports in the future.

“This initiative demonstrates our commitment to India. We are delighted to work with Ten Sports to launch India‘s premier, video-rich, sports portal,” says Kanaujia.

NBCUDS has selected Vdopia, the online video advertising platform, as its digital ad sales partner for the portal. Vdopia will represent the Ten Sports content on tensports.com as well as on syndication partner web sites.

Ten Sports senior VP revenue and digital media Mark Denton says, “Having built up a substantial brand leadership position in the sub-continent, we are excited to be able to partner with a company of the pedigree and with the digital expertise of NBC Universal.”

The cricket portal will be launched on 8 September with live webcast coverage of Compaq Cup and the triangular cricket series between India, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.

These include 32 high-definition (HD) channels, 23 Spanish language channels, five standard definition (SD) channels and four international premium channels.

Said Comcast regional SVP Oregon and SW Washington Curt Henninger, “Our HD content has exploded in the last year and we hear from customers that it is exactly what they want from us as more consumers make the switch to high-definition.”

HD Channels include the Comedy Central, HBO Family, Showtime 2, TMC HD and TMC Xtra. The SD channels include Hallmark Movie Channel, Ovation, Retirement Living, C-SPAN 3 and Sportsman Channel.

MUMBAI: eBay Inc has signed an agreement to sell 65 per cent of Skype Communications to an investor group led by Silver Lake and includes Index Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz and the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Investment Board.

eBay will receive $1.9 billion in cash upon the completion of the sale and a note from the buyer in the principal amount of $125 million, valuing the company at $2.75 billion. eBay had acquired Skype in 2005 for $4.1 billion.

eBay will retain 35 per cent stake in Skype. “This is a great deal, unlocking both immediate and long term value for eBay and tremendous potential for Skype,” said eBay Inc president and CEO John Donahoe. “We have acted decisively on a deal that delivers a high valuation, gives us significant cash up front and lets us retain a meaningful minority stake with talented partners. Skype is a strong standalone business, but it does not have synergies with our ecommerce and online payments businesses.”

Skype as a separate company will have the focus required “to compete effectively in online voice and video communications and accelerate its growth momentum.”

The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2009, the company said in a statement.

In April 2009, eBay had announced plans to separate Skype from the company, beginning with an IPO in 2010. The decision followed a year long review of Skype within eBay‘s portfolio. As it prepared for an IPO, the company said it would naturally consider bids for Skype that offered an attractive valuation. Donahoe said the deal offered by the investor group achieved that.

“This deal achieves our goal of delivering short and long term value to eBay and its stockholders, without the possible delays and market risk of an IPO,” Donahoe added. “Selling Skype now at this great valuation, while retaining an equity stake, makes sense for the company. And it allows us to focus all of our energies on the opportunities in front of PayPal and eBay.”Skype is a software that enables conversations over internet. Many individuals and businesses use Skype to make free video and voice calls, send instant messages and share files with other Skype users. It is also used to make low cost calls to landlines and mobiles.

Silver Lake MD Egon Durban said, “This transaction benefits all parties involved and will allow Skype the opportunity to accelerate the growth of its business by harnessing the deep technological and company development expertise that resides within the investor group.”