Category: Software

MUMBAI: Sony Media Software, a provider of music creation programs for the PC and FremantleMedia licensing worldwide, the licensing division of FremantleMedia, international creators and producers of programmed brands in the world, have announced the availability of American Idol Jam Trax and American Idol Extreme Music Creator software, two new applications that let users create music just like the stars of American Idol.

American Idol Extreme Music Creator software offers more advanced music- making features for aspiring musicians and singers who are serious about the chance at their turn as America‘s next superstar. Users can record their vocals, remix their own favorite songs or burn them to a CD to share with others.

The software includes hundreds of royalty-free music loops and samples in multiple genres making the creative possibilities endless. Extreme Music Creator also comes with a free Randy Jackson‘s Producer‘s Pack bonus disc, providing over 250 additional pop music loops and samples. With up to six prearranged projects, users can simply lay down their vocals and create a song and is available at a price of $49.95.

Music producer and one of the judges on American Idol Randy Jackson said, “This software is the bomb, working with American Idol Extreme Music Creator software is a great way for anyone to discover their hidden musical talents. With my producer‘s pack you can access even more loops that will help you create your own tracks and remix your favorite songs. Then you can share your new music creations with the world.”

American Idol Jam Trax and American Idol Extreme Music Creator software (which includes the bonus Randy Jackson‘s Producer‘s Pack) are available at Best Buy, Circuit City, Target, Office Depot, Amazon.com and other major retail stores nationwide.

Future editions of the Randy Jackson‘s Producer‘s Packs, add-on loops and music samples for American Idol Extreme Music Creator software, will hit the shelves before the holidays for a price of $24.95, adds the release.

MUMBAI: Brovis Wireless Networks (BroVis), a global provider of next-generation broadband wireless infrastructure systems and solutions, has started sales, marketing and manufacturing operations in the south east asia region comprising of 10 countries.

As part of this global expansion initiative, BroVis has signed a comprehensive strategic partnership with Iconbase SDN BHD, Malaysia, a provider of telecom and wireless products, with regional offices in many south east asia regions.

BroVis has completed its series B financing of US$3 Million led by Parakletos at Ventures, based in Menlo Park, CA, USA. The investment will fuel global expansion as well as product development activities.

In conjunction with this funding and expansion, Silicon Valley Venture capitalist and head Parakletos at Venture Dr. Paul Kim has joined the BroVis board of directors as chairman. The other two board members are , BroVis founder and CEO Muthu Logan, and BroVis technology strategist and founding investor Babu Mandava.

“Fresh investments pouring in would strengthen our expansion activities and also enable us to invest in acquiring necessary resources. Value addition through R&D is indispensable and we would continue to excel in the same” said BroVis founder and chief executive officer Muthu Logan.

The Brovis broadcell and radio-zone solutions deliver a comprehensive solution for telcos, service providers and corporate campus network managers, enabling fast deployment and simple integration into existing networks. NLOS capabilities allow operators to reach more customers while reducing overall costs.

Brovis is getting aggressive in the Indian market as well as expanding in the newer regions. The firm is set to launch a whole new range of wireless products by this fiscal year end. The new product line includes enhanced version of its current product line as well as new product lines like wireless dynamic mesh routers and Wi-Max based solutions, added the release.

MUMBAI: Conexant Systems Inc., a supplier of semiconductor solutions for broadband communications and the digital home, has announced that its CX2430X family of MPEG decoders for free-to-air satellite set-top boxes (STBs) has received the leading product award in the consumer electronics category in the EDN China innovation award 2006 competition.

The system-on-chip (SoC) decoders were developed in Conexant‘s Shanghai design center, which is focused on developing STB chips for worldwide applications.

The award was presented to Conexant at a ceremony in Shenzhen. The 131 entries in the competition were judged by a panel of specialists that included representatives from academic and research institutions, universities, and Chinese original equipment manufacturers.

Conexant‘s broadband media processing business, executive vice president and general manager Lewis Brewster said, “We are honoured that our CX2430X MPEG decoders were chosen for this important award by a group of esteemed industry experts. We remain focused on delivering innovative solutions that will help Chinese manufacturers design and develop products for domestic and international markets.”

The CX2430X family can be used for applications ranging from basic STB functionality to advanced STB applications. The devices include an integrated high-speed data port that easily interfaces to a variety of broadband front-ends, allowing the decoders to serve as a common back-end platform for satellite, terrestrial, and cable platforms, asserts an official release.

In addition, the decoders can be used with our satellite tuners to form a complete front- and back-end system solution. This flexibility, along with the robust feature set, provides manufacturers with economies of scale as they can leverage a single device across multiple product offerings

MUMBAI: In a report on the future of the global media industry Standard & Poor‘s Equity Research Services says that traditional media companies will need to develop multiple content distribution platforms to exploit the growth of digital and wireless opportunities, as well as the growth of online advertising in order to grow their businesses.

In the study Emerging Digital Strategies For Branded Entertainment Standard and Poor‘s Media and Entertainment Equity Analyst, Tuna N. Amobi, explores the intersection of different digital growth strategies for traditional media
companies. While in “Old Media and New Media-Friends, Not Foes,” Standard & Poor‘s Internet Software and Services equity analyst Scott Kessler examines how traditional media companies could and should monetise their
content via partnerships with online media firms.

Amobi says, “If traditional media and content companies want to grow their businesses and maintain their relevance in the ever-changing entertainment landscape, they need to quickly devise and systematically execute new media strategies that are highly responsive to the digital entertainment revolution.

“Regardless if it‘s through acquisition, partnership or organic growth, these companies need to leverage the growth associated with online advertising and video, as well as the various paid content, wireless and video game channels or risk the perils of a continued audience fragmentation across these emerging platforms.”

Kessler says, “Given the exciting opportunities and notable challenges constituted by this new Internet age, traditional media companies need to think big, and think differently. They will be best served by partnering with new media companies with specialised assets and competencies, rather than going it alone to monetise their content.”

MUMBAI: BBC World is now available on DTH service provider Tata Sky.

BBC World regional director distribution and business development, Europe, Middle-East & South Asia Gerry Ritchie says, “We are very excited about our new association with Tata Sky. At a time, when India is witnessing rapid growth and change in the television and entertainment industry, Tata Sky provides us with an ideal platform to reach our target viewer with an interest in international news and events. This new agreement with Tata Sky will introduce BBC World to new viewers and increase the channel’s audience reach.”

Tata Sky MD and CEO Vikram Kaushik said, “It is our endeavour to provide Indian viewers with a world-class satellite television service, offering the best in home entertainment. Since the launch of our service in August, we have continuously expanded our offering to include India’s most popular television channels and a host of exciting, interactive services.

“The availability of BBC World on our platform reiterates our commitment to provide our subscribers with access to top-of-the-line content, in this case, the best of international news.”

MUMBAI: Napster , the digital music pioneer, has announced the launch of Napster Mobile on iMode, NTT DoCoMo‘s mobile internet platform currently used by over 40 million of its over 52 million mobile subscribers across Japan.

DoCoMo customers can use Napster Mobile to access full-length songs and ringtones that can be delivered Over-The-Air (OTA), directly to their mobile handsets including the N902iX, the SH903i, the F903i, the D903i and other soon to be released models in the 903i series for immediate listening and downloading, asserts an official release.

Napster Mobile subscribers in Japan pay a monthly access fee of approximately $3 per month, and can acquire individual songs and ringtones for mobile delivery and download using a credit-based system. Subscribers receive 300 credits per month to procure individual songs and ringtones, and they can purchase additional credits at any time.

Using a compatible DoCoMo handset gives Napster Japan‘s Napster To Go portable subscription customers the power to transfer their favorite music from their PC directly to their mobile phone.

iMode customers can subscribe to Napster Mobile for unlimited access to Napster Mobile‘s music programming features, including personalized recommendations, featured artists and new releases, exclusive music and chart information, and to browse Napster Mobile‘s vast catalog of full-length songs and ringtones, adds the release.

MUMBAI: Intelsat has announced that it placed first on the World Teleport Association‘s (WTA) annual rankings of the top teleport operators. Intelsat led the list of the 2006 global top twenty.

Intelsat is a provider of fixed satellite services.

WTA‘s global top twenty ranks companies based on revenues from all satellite-related sources which includes independents, satellite carriers, fiber carriers, and technology providers.

Intelsat SVP global marketing Vicki Warker said, “Our leadership in this sector of the satellite industry is a testament to the growth of our hybrid GlobalConnexSM managed solutions business. Since its introduction in 2002, our GlobalConnex revenues have grown dramatically and now represent an annualised run-rate of approximately $130 million.”

“We provide seamless, secure and easy delivery of voice, data, video and IP traffic anywhere in the world through bundling our satellite capacity with our global teleports, points of presence and ground network infrastructure,” he added.

Intelsat‘s GlobalConnex services are among its highest growth services, driven by demand for corporate data and voice over IP applications, asserts an official release.

The offering also provides end-to-end support for media, internet trunking, WiFi hotspots, distance learning, and point-of-sale transactions. Another component of Intelsat‘s teleport services includes hosting disaster recovery facilities for broadcasters and other operators, adds the release.

MUMBAI: Adobe has won a Technical and Engineering Emmy from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for its Flash video technology, in recognition of the software‘s role in bringing television content to the Internet.

The award for streaming media architecture and components was announced by the National Academy of Television and will be formally delivered to Adobe at a ceremony held during the Ces trade show, in January 2007 in Las Vegas.

Today, television shows like Lost, Desperate Housewives, Grey‘s Anatomy and Friday Night Lights are being delivered online thanks to Flash video, while the technology also powers the video capabilities of social networking sites such as YouTube and MySpace.

Adobe president and COO Shantanu Narayen says, “Flash Video is fundamentally changing the role of video on the Internet, and this prestigious award is further proof of this technology‘s profound impact on how broadcasters deliver their content.

“ABC and NBC and pop culture phenomena like YouTube and MySpace are relying on Adobe technologies to reach new audiences. Winning this Emmy is deserved recognition for our engineering teams and Adobe’s continued commitment to innovation in dynamic media.”

With Flash Video technology, users can view interactive video online as an instant-on web video experience. Flash Video is delivered via Adobe Flash Player, allowing content publishers to reach the largest possible audience on the web and to deploy consistent, high-impact online video across all major platforms and browsers, while lowering the costs of development, quality assurance, and support. Adobe Flash Player is installed on over 700 million Internet-connected desktops and mobile devices.

Flash Video works with Flash® Media Server 2 to give organisations a scalable and secure way to stream video content, and partnerships with leading content delivery network providers — Akamai, Limelight, and VitalStream — to create the foundation for delivering web video and rich media applications to the widest possible audience on the Internet.

The Technology and Engineering Emmy Awards honor achievements in two areas: Science Engineering and Technology for Broadcast Television, which includes broadcast, cable and satellite distribution and Broadband and Personal Television encompassing interactive television, gaming technology, the Internet, cell phone, private networks, and personal media players

MUMBAI: US wireless service provider Verizon and chip major Intel have collaborated to enable consumers to play popular PC games on their television sets through IntelViiv technology-based PCs.

This makes the games more enjoyable and accessible than ever before.

The companies will also market a version of PlayLinc, a new game messenger that provides a faster and more entertaining way to enjoy multiplayer games online. PlayLinc, which is free, provides a variety of features, including free private servers, VoIP integration and the ability for players to track when their friends are online and ready to join a game.

Verizon director of new product development Colson Hillier says, “We’re creating a graphics-rich, ’big-screen’ game-playing experience for the entire family. The games that families now enjoy on their PCs will become larger than life, more fun to play and accessible in virtually every room of the house, through linkages between a family’s PC and their TV. This is an extension of Verizon’s commitment to provide customers with the content and service they want, whenever they want it, and however they want to receive it.”

TThe Verizon Games on Demand service enables users to play popular PC games on their TVs through Intel Viiv technology-based PCs running Microsoft Windows XP* Media Center Edition 2005 (MCE). Using a wireless game controller and MCE remote control, consumers can play a broad array of games from the comfort of their favorite couch or easy chair, also referred to as the “10-foot view” of the television set. Consumers can access the service through the Media Center Edition menu system by selecting the service using their remote control.

Verizon Games on Demand combines the power and flexibility of the Intel Viiv technology platform, featuring the Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor, with the speed and reliability of Verizon’s broadband networks and the innovation of its growing online gaming services.

Intel’s digital home group VP Kevin Corbett, said”Intel Core 2 Duo processors deliver exceptional PC gaming performance and are the foundation for Intel Viiv technology, which is helping to ignite new digital entertainment experiences. The combination of Intel Viiv technology and Verizon Games on Demand provides consumers with a wide selection of popular gaming experiences for both the PC and the TV, which adds a whole new dimension to online gaming.”

Intel Viiv technology helps connect the PC to the TV and enables consumers to simplify, share and control their games, music and movies with the energy-efficient performance delivered by the Intel Core 2 Duo processor?. The technology is widely supported by a number of PC and consumer electronics manufacturers, as well as content and service providers such as Verizon.

Verizon Games on Demand features click-and-play access to PC games that appeal to many different gamers, including adults and children. The service was named a Popular Mechanics Editor’s Choice at the 2006 International Consumer Electronics Show. The service will feature:

* 3-D navigation and launch via the MCE remote control

* Schedule game downloading and prioritize or change the schedule for future game play

* Click-and-play experience with no game installation process

* Wireless gamepad controls that create a console-like playing experience

* Ability to choose games based on rating, genre or other criteria

* Automatic system check to ensure the PC has the necessary drivers and available memory, among other things, to run each game, along with automatic system updates

* Accelerated game downloads to begin playing even before the download is completed

* Graphics that Intel says makes casual game playing as exciting as sophisticated console gaming.

MUMBAI: France based comunications services provider Alcatel and Samsung Electronics have signed an agreement to develop mobile handsets compatible with the evolution of the DVB-H standard in the S-Band. This is part of Alcatel’s Unlimited Mobile TV solution.

The two parties will collaborate on interoperability testing in order to deliver a seamless end-to-end solution to operators and a high quality Mobile TV service to end-users. Both companies will support the standardization process of this solution in the DVB Forum undertaken in the DVB-SSP (Satellite Services for Portable devices) Ad-Hoc Group, and join forces to market their combined solution. In a first step, this agreement covers Europe, where the S-band spectrum is available today.

The solution in the S-Band allows complete territory coverage for Mobile TV at the scale of a country or even a continent, including inside buildings. Besides, this solution is compatible with DVB-H in UHF, which also enables the development of dual-mode UHF/ S-Band Mobile TV terminals.

Samsung senior VP Kwang Suk Hyun says, “Samsung values its new cooperation with Alcatel for handsets in the S-Band, as it opens the door to a significant new business opportunity for Samsung in Europe. S-Band is a solution of choice in Europe for Mobile TV deployment and Samsung intends to be a major player in this business.”

Alcatel’s mobile broadcast activities president Olivier Coste says, “We welcome Samsung as a new key stakeholder in the S-Band ecosystem for broadcast Mobile TV, as they enjoy a track record in fast Mobile TV handset development and go-to-market capability. Samsung’s endorsement of our hybrid mobile TV solution in the S-Band also demonstrates the attractiveness of this option for the Mobile TV industry at large.”

The goal of Alcatel’s “Unlimited Mobile TV” solution is to make television available on mobile phones throughout rural and urban areas, including indoors, with a wide range of programming options and excellent image quality, regardless of the number of viewers simultaneously watching the same programme.

This universal broadcast coverage is possible thanks to the unique combination of a high-power geo-stationary satellite for cost-effective nationwide coverage and a network of low power repeaters, co-located with mobile base stations, to provide urban and indoor coverage. This innovative solution uses an evolution of the DVB-H standard in the 2 GHz band (S-Band), a telecom frequency band between 2.17 and 2.2 GHz associated with satellite usage, which is adjacent to the 3G/UMTS band. This 30MHz band is currently available all across Europe.