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Google Android platform commands 7.1% U.S. Smartphone market share in Jan 2010

2010-03-10T11:25:00.000-08:00

According to the recent comScore report on U.S. Mobile phone industry trends, Google's Android platform recorded a 7.1% Market share for Jan 2010 period positioning itself as the fourth biggest smartphone platform in the U.S. Blackberry maker Research In Motion (RIM) was the leading smartphone platform in the U.S. with 43% market share followed by Apple (25.1%), Microsoft (15.7%), Google (7.1%) and Palm (5.7%). For Jan 2010 period, top five U.S. Smartphone platforms represented 96.6% of the total smartphones in use. Android Mobile OS grew 4.6% since Sep 2009, while Microsoft and Palm saw a decline in their Smartphone OS share during the same period. Palm, which has been facing increased competition from Android and iPhone operating systems, slipped to fifth position behind Android.

Recent IDC Forecast report estimates Android Mobile OS to ship 68 million units making it the second most popular smartphone operating system worldwide behind Nokia's Symbian by 2013.

Nokia leads the global smartphone OS market in 2009 with 38.9% share, followed by RIM (19.8%), Apple (14.4%), HTC (4.6%) and Samsung (3.3%).

U.S. Smartphone Platform Market Share: Sep 2009 - Jan 2010

Smartphone Platform	Sep 2009	Oct 2009	Dec 2009	Jan 2010	Change (Sep 09 - Jan 10)
RIM	42.6%	41.3%	41.6%	43.0%	0.4
Apple	24.1%	24.8%	25.3%	25.1%	1.0
Microsoft	19.0%	19.7%	18.0%	15.7%	-3.3
Google	2.5%	2.8%	5.2%	7.1%	4.6
Palm	8.3%	7.8%	6.1%	5.7%	-2.6

Source: comScore

U.S. Smartphone Platform Market Share (%): Jan 2010

Vevo: Fastest growing Online Video Site in U.S. for Jan 2010

2010-03-08T17:24:00.000-08:00

According to the latest comScore research note, U.S Internet Users watched more than 225 million videos on Vevo in Jan 2010. The music video website, which was launched in Dec 2009 as a joint venture between Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and EMI Music with Google as Technology partner, served 50 million more videos in January than previous month. Google sites top the list with more than 12.8 billion videos being watched in Jan 2010, representing a 39.5% share. Hulu took the second spot with 903 million videos, representing a share of 2.8%. Except AOL and Vevo, all other video property sites saw a decline in number videos watched in Jan 2010 compared to Dec 2009 period. Fox Interactive Media slipped from fourth position in Dec 2009 to sixth spot in Jan 2010, as the number videos served by the network dropped by more than 250 million.

In terms of the unique viewers, Google Sites (including YouTube) ranked top with 136.4 million unique viewers, followed by Yahoo! Sites with 51.4 million for Jan 2010. Vevo, with 32.3 million unique viewership stood at ninth position followed by AOL LLC.

Number of Videos viewed (000s) online in U.S.

Video Property	Dec 2009	Jan 2010
Google Sites	13,242,487	12,816,043
Hulu	1,013,494	903,078
Microsoft Sites	561,052	491,753
Yahoo! Sites	539,416	435,487
Viacom Digital	372,641	361,228
Fox Interactive Media	550,505	293,008
Turner Network	366,987	283,244
AOL LLC	209,957	241,991
Vevo	174,911	226,125
CBS Interactive	297,298	217,407

Source: comScore

The Hurt Locker wins six Oscars including Best Director for Kathryn Bigelow

2010-03-07T21:03:00.000-08:00

The Hurt Locker won the Best Picture at 82nd Annual Academy Awards 2010 held at Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. Kathryn Bigelow has won the Best Director award for the same movie. This is the first time Best Director award is won by a woman. The Hurt Locker, which was nominated in nine categories, also won Oscars in Best Original Screenplay, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Film Editing. Jeff Bridges won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance in Crazy Heart. Sandra Bullock won Best Actress Oscar for Blind Side. Avatar won Oscars in Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects categories. As expected, Mo'nique has won Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire. Geoffrey Fletcher won an Oscar in Best Adapted Screenplay category for Precious. Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett won in Best Original Song category for "The Weary Kind" in Crazy Heart while Christoph Waltz won Best Supporting Actor award for Inglourious Basterds. El Secreto de Sus Ojos (The Secret in Their Eyes) from Argentina won in Best Foreign Language Film category. Here are the Oscars 2010 winners:

Best Picture
The Hurt Locker

Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow - The Hurt Locker

Best Actor
Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart

Best Actress
Sandra Bullock - Blind Side

Best Supporting Actor
Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds

Best Supporting Actress
Mo'nique - Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

Best Animated Feature Film
Up

Best Original Screenplay
Mark Boal - The Hurt Locker

Best Adapted Screenplay
Geoffrey Fletcher - Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

Best Original Song
Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett - Crazy Heart

Best Animated Short Film
Nicolas Schmerkin - Logorama

Best Documentary Short Film
Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett - Music by Prudence

Best Live Action Short
Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson - The New Tenants

Best Makeup
Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow - Star Trek

Best Art Direction
Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg (Art Direction) and Kim Sinclair (Set Decoration) - Avatar

Best Costume Design
Sandy Powell - The Young Victoria

Best Sound Editing
Paul N.J. Ottosson - The Hurt Locker

Best Sound Mixing
Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett - The Hurt Locker

Best Cinematography
Mauro Fiore - Avatar

Best Original Score
Michael Giacchino - Up

Best Visual Effects
Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones - Avatar

Best Documentary Feature
Louie Psihoyos and Fisher Stevens - The Cove

Best Film Editing
Bob Murawski and Chris Innis - The Hurt Locker

Best Foreign Language Film
El Secreto de Sus Ojos (The Secret in Their Eyes) from Argentina

Precious wins 5 awards including Best Picture at Independent Spirit Awards

2010-03-05T22:20:00.000-08:00

Precious won the best picture and Lee Daniels won the best director for Precious at 25th Film Independent Spirit Awards hosted by Eddie Izzard at LA Live in download Los Angeles. Precious, which was nominated in five categories won best director (Lee Daniels), best first screenplay (Geoffrey Fletcher), best supporting female (Mo'Nique), best female lead (Gabourey Sidibe) and the best picture. The Leo Tolstoy drama The Last Station, which was also nominated in five categories did not win any awards. Jeff Bridges won best male lead for his role in Crazy Heart. Country-music drama Crazy Heart won best first feature film for director Scott Cooper. Geoffrey Fletcher won best first screenplay award for Precious. Scott Neustader and Michael H. Weber won best screenplay for (500) Days Of Summer.

Humpday won John Cassavetes Award, which honors films made under $500,000. Paranormal Activity which was nominated in best first feature film category lost to Crazy Heart.

Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire and The Last Station were both nominated in five categories each.

The Spirit Awards recognize and honor movies that are made with less than $20 million budget, with majority of it originating outside the Hollywood studio system. And the award goes to:

Category	Winner
Best Feature	Precious
Best Director	Lee Daniels (Precious)
Best First Feature	Crazy Heart
John Cassavetes Award	Humpday
Best Screenplay	(500) Days Of Summer
Best First Screenplay	Geoffrey Fletcher (Precious)
Best Female Lead	Gabourey Sidibe (Precious)
Best Male Lead	Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart)
Best Supporting Female	Mo'Nique (Precious)
Best Supporting Male	Woody Harrelson (The Messenger)
Best Foreign Film	Lone Scheerfig (An Education)
Best Documentary	Sacha Gervasi (Anvil! The Story Of Anvil)
Best Cinematography	Roger Deakins (A Serious Man)
Robert Altman Award	A Serious Man

iPad Available in US on April 3; Pre-Orders start on March 12

2010-03-05T08:14:00.000-08:00

Apple today announced the availability of iPad tablet devices in U.S. The Wi-Fi only iPad models are going to be available in the U.S. on April 03, while Wi-Fi + 3G models are going to be available in late April. In addition, all models of iPad will be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK in late April. Beginning March 12, US customers can pre-order both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models from Apple’s online store or reserve a Wi-Fi model to pick up on Saturday, April 3, at an Apple retail store. Apple unveiled iPad tablet on Jan 27 in a media event in San Francisco. The base price of entry level iPad with 16 GB storage is set at $499. 32GB version and 64 GB version are going to cost $599 and $699 respectively. WiFi+3G version iPads are going to cost $130 more compared to Wi-Fi variants.

Pricing (Wi-Fi enabled models)
16 GB	$499
32 GB	$599
64 GB	$699

Pricing (Wi-Fi + 3G enabled models)
16 GB	$629
32 GB	$729
64 GB	$829

Availability in the U.S.
WiFi version iPad will be available on April 03
WiFi + 3G version iPad will be in late April

Apple tops Fortune's Most Admired Companies list for 2010

2010-03-04T22:07:00.000-08:00

For the third time, Apple Inc., has been ranked the most admired company in the world by Fortune's 2010 annual rankings. The iPod and Mac maker ranked top in five of the nine key areas considered for the rankings. The annual rankings list companies based on their Innovation, People management, Use of corporate assets, Social responsibility, Quality of management, Financial soundness, Long-term investment, Quality of Products/Services and Global competitiveness.

Internet search giant Google ranked second in the list. Other technology and Consumer Electronics companies from the 50 most admired companies list include Amazon.com (5), Microsoft (11), IBM (15), Cisco Systems (20), Intel (31), Hewlett-Packard (32), Sony (38), eBay (40), Nokia (41), Samsung Electronics (42) and AT&T (45).

With 250 million iPods, 43 million iPhones, and 32 million iPod touches sold to date, plus the announcement of iPad tablet, Apple changed the way music is distributed and consumed in digital age. Cupertino, Calif., based Apple also ranked third in BusinessWeek's fourth annual Customer Service Champs 2010.

Rank	Company	Industry
1	Apple	Computers
2	Google	Internet Services and Retailing
3	Berkshire Hathaway	Insurance: Property and Casualty
4	Johnson & Johnson	Pharmaceuticals
5	Amazon.com	Internet Services and Retailing
6	Procter & Gamble	Soaps and Cosmetics
7	Toyota Motor	Motor vehicles
8	Goldman Sachs Group	Megabanks
9	Wal-Mart Stores	General Merchandisers
10	Coca-Cola	Beverages
11	Microsoft	Computer Software
12	Southwest Airlines	Airlines
13	FedEx	Delivery
14	McDonald's	Food Services
15	IBM	Information Technology Services
16	General Electric	Electronics
17	3M	Medical and Other Precision Equipment
18	J.P. Morgan Chase	Megabanks
19	Walt Disney	Entertainment
20	Cisco Systems	Network and Other Communications Equipment
21	Costco Wholesale	Specialty Retailers
22	Target	General Merchandisers
23	BMW	Motor vehicles
24	Nike	Apparel
25	PepsiCo	Consumer Food Products

Source: FORTUNE on CNNMoney.com

Netflix is sued for 28-day delay of new release DVDs

2010-03-04T14:56:00.000-08:00

Susan Uman, a Netflix subscriber from Manhattan, is suing the movie rental company and Warner Bros. in a class action lawsuit filed in Manhattan Federal Court for the 28 day delay of new release DVDs. Warner Bros. and Netflix announced on Jan 06 that Netflix subscribers would have to wait 28 days from the day new release movie DVDs and Blu-ray discs are available for public to rent. In return, the DVD rental company got access to older movie catalogs from the studio to be used in it Watch Instantly streaming service. Warner Bros. made a similar agreement on Feb 16 with Redbox, the operator of DVD vending kiosks in grocery stores for $1 a night DVD rentals. This move is seen as a desperate effort by Hollywood studios to sell more DVDs during the 28 day period.

The lawsuit claims the 28-day waiting period is a"scheme to restrain trade" that limits the value of Netflix subscription and demands Netflix to stop the practice.

Touchscreen Mobile Device sales to see 97% growth in 2010

2010-03-04T10:30:00.000-08:00

According to a recent report from technology and market research firm Gartner, the worldwide sales of Touchscreen mobile devices is expected to surpass 362.7 million units in 2010, representing a 96.8% increase from 2009 sales of 184.3 million units. From a sales volume perspective, Asia Pacific is going to be the leading region for touchscreen mobile devices in 2010 representing 35.6%, followed by Western Europe with 26.8% and North America with 24.4% of the total sales. In Asia Pacific region, sales of touchscreen mobile phones are projected to surpass 129.1 million units in 2010. The report notes , by 2013 touchscreen mobile devices will account for 58% of all mobile device sales worldwide and more than 80% in North America and Western Europe.

Apple introduced iPhone smartphone in Jun 2007, whose success helped other manufacturers to introduce touchscreen smartphones and personal internet devices including Motorola Droid, Google Nexus One. Penetration of touchscreen smartphones, which is at 46.56% in North America, 49% in Western Europe and 23.4% in Asia Pacific is an indication of the amount of sales growth they are going to see in coming years.

Netflix streaming coming to iPhone and iPad tablet?

2010-03-02T13:09:00.000-08:00

If the recent survey is any indication, Netflix soon may be able to claim a true anywhere-anytime online streaming service through its Watch Instantly program.The DVD rental company sent out a survey asking its customers if they would be interested in an iPhone online streaming application that lets users watch movies and TV shows over Wi-Fi network. Netflix streaming application, which is embedded in numerous internet connected gaming consoles, high definition TV sets, DVD players and Blu-ray disc players, already lets its subscribers watch movies and TV shows online without waiting for a physical DVD in mail.

With the advent of services like EPIX and HBO Go, Netflix is feeling the need to go mobile to maintain its competitive advantage. Even though there are number of iPhone applications for Netflix queue management, like iPhlix and PhoneFlicks none of them facilitate online streaming. On Feb 17, Sony announced that Netflix streaming will be available on its Wi-Fi enabled personal internet viewer - Dash. Recent survey explores the possibility of similar streaming application for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad tablet devices.

Challenges: Netflix's first challenge would be to convince Apple to allow its streaming application on iPhone and other mobile internet devices, as it directly competes with Apple's iTunes service. Once the application is available on iPhones connected through Wi-Fi, Netflix has a bigger challenge of getting cellular mobile operators agree to allow the service on their 3G networks. Carriers have every reason to not to allow any online media streaming service through 3G as it clogs their network (as seen in AT&T network for iPhone usage). Mobile carriers may agree to allow the service over 3G for a fee - either flat rate or per GB data transfer, which brings a final challenge for Netflix: Can Netflix provide free online streaming for its subscribers forever? Netflix already pays Content Delivery Networks (CDN) like Akamai, Limelight and Level 3 to stream its media content to TVs, gaming consoles and computers. Having to pay iPhone carriers for 3G use of streaming service means more overhead costs for Netflix.

Availability of Netflix streaming on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad tablet would definitely help the DVD rental company get more subscribers in long term.

Netflix survey text below:


	Imagine that Netflix offers its subscribers the ability to instantly watch movies & TV episodes on their iPhone. The selection availability to instantly watch includes some new releases, lots of classics and TV episodes. There are no advertisements or trailers, and movies start in as little as 30 seconds. You can fast-forward, rewind, and pause or watch again. The movies & TV episodes you instantly watch are included in your Netflix membership for no additional fee. Whenever you want to instantly watch content on your iPhone, your iPhone must be connected to a Wi-Fi network (such as one you might have at home or at work, or in public places like coffee shops, book stores, hotels, airports, etc.) If this functionality were available, how likely would you or someone in your household be to instantly watch movies & TV episodes on your iPhone via a Wi-Fi network?

Google acquires online photo-editing tool Picnik

2010-03-01T20:45:00.000-08:00

Today Google announced that it is acquiring online photo editing software company Picnik. Picnik's online software lets users edit photos from picture sharing services like Picasa Web Albums, Flickr, Facebook, myspace, photobucket and webshots. Seattle based Picnik announced last month that users edited 1 billion pictures using their online software so far. As the cloud-based Google apps office suite and browser based Chrome operating system continue to gain mainstream adoption, purchase of Picnik gives the search giant a key tool for online photo management.

Google acquired online photo editing software Picasa in 2004, and started offering a free download of the software for Windows, Mac OS and Linux environments. In 2007, the company acquired another image technology firm - Image America, whose technology is now being used in aerial photography of Google maps.

Report: Google Chrome continues to gain Browser Market share

2010-03-01T17:12:00.000-08:00

According to Browser Market Share data from Net Applications for February 2010, Google Chrome saw 0.41% gain with 5.61% market share. Microsoft Internet Explorer continues to lead the category with 61.58%, while Firefox commands 24.23% share. Compared to January 2010, IE, Firefox and Safari lost market share, while Chrome, Netscape and Other browsers saw a slight increase in share.

In November 2009, Firefox captured - for the first time - more than 25% of the browser market. With the introduction of Apple's iPad tablet and Android-based Netbook computers, both Safari and Chrome are expected to increase their market share.

Browser	Jan 2010 (%)	Feb 2010 (%)
IE	62.18	61.58
Firefox	24.41	24.23
Chrome	5.2	5.61
Safari	4.51	4.45
Opera	2.38	2.35
Netscape	0.35	0.75
Others	0.33	0.98

Samsung Full HD 3D series TVs available at Amazon now

2010-02-28T09:03:00.000-08:00

Samsung's Full HD 3D series TV UN55C7000 is now available at amazon. Features of the LED high definition television include Full 1080p HD, 240 Hz motion rate, USB drive access, 4 HDMI ports (ver 1.3), Component and PC Input, BD Wise Access to applications like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Flickr, Yahoo News, Amazon Video-On-Demand, Games, Sports applications, Wireless internet access to stream audio and video content from PC and Skype video conferencing.

Apple ranked third in Customer Service Champs 2010 list

2010-02-26T20:53:00.000-08:00

Apple is ranked at third position in BusinessWeek's fourth annual Customer Service Champs 2010 rankings. The rankings are based on perceived quality of a company's staff and what customers think of its processes, such as return policies and reservation procedures. Catalog retailer L.L. Bean ranked top with a total score of 1055.95, followed by Insurance company USAA with 1042.76 score. Cupertino, Calif., based iPod maker took the third spot with a score of 1016.55. Apple's Genius Bar technical support and in-store checkout process are the two innovative customer support approaches that made the company a favorite among customers. Other technology companies that include in the list are Amazon.com (11) and Dell (23) with scores of 933.55 and 872.64 respectively.

With annual sales of more than $4500 per square foot, Apple retail stores combine eye catching product placement and great customer service to make every visit to their store a memorable shopping experience.

Rank	Brand	Industry
1	L.L. Bean	Online/Catalog Retail
2	USAA	Insurance
3	Apple	Computers & Electronics
4	Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts	Hotel
5	Publix Super Markets	Supermarket
6	Nordstrom	Department Store Retail
7	Lexus	Automotive
8	The Ritz-Carlton	Hotel
9	Barnes & Noble	Big Box Retail
10	Ace Hardware	Home Improvement Retail
11	Amazon.com	Online/Catalog Retail
12	Wegmans Food Markets	Supermarket
13	Starbucks	Restaurant
14	Amica Mutual Insurance	Insurance
15	Charles Schwab	Brokerage
16	Jaguar	Automotive
17	WestJet	Airline
18	American Express	Credit Card
19	Enterprise Rent-A-Car	Rental Car
20	Branch Banking & Trust	Banking
21	Panera Bread	Restaurant
22	True Value	Home Improvement Retail
23	Dell	Computers & Electronics
24	Southwest Airlines	Airline
25	Fairmont Hotels & Resorts	Hotel

Source: J.D. Power & Associates, BusinessWeek

3 reasons why Vudu could be a serious alternative to Netflix

2010-02-24T19:04:00.000-08:00

Wal-Mart's recent announcement to acquire Vudu has seen mixed reactions - ranging from how the retail giant could bring its trademark low-quality service to the online streaming distribution to how it makes perfect sense for Amazon to buy Netflix to compete with new Vudu - from analysts, industry and consumers. Wal-Mart's reputation for service quality notwithstanding, Netflix has every reason to worry about the deal. One of the key reasons why Netflix established itself as a key player in online movie streaming segment is the huge number of Consumer Electronics devices, including gaming consoles, high-definition TVs and DVD players that support Netflix's online streaming feature. But, its 'Watch Instantly' online streaming service has never been top-notch when compared to Amazon's Video-On-Demand or Vudu's online streaming service. Inspite of the streaming service being free for the Netflix customers, Netflix offers less than perfect solution for people who are looking for latest catalog of movies and TV shows to watch online in high definition.

Availability of new release DVDs: Netflix's agreement with Warner Bros. means the DVD rental company is not going to get the new release DVD and Blu-ray movies until 28 days after they are released by the studio. Add to this the Short wait, Long wait and Very long wait that Netflix customers usually experience with new DVD movies. This makes it almost 2 months for Netflix customers to rent a new release DVD movie. In contrast, Vudu customers can watch the movie online same day as DVD release. So, for someone who doesn't want to wait 2 months to watch a new release DVD movie and who doesn't mind paying few extra bucks, Vudu subscription is a compelling option.

Online streaming Quality: There is no doubt Blu-ray disc offeres best Video (1080p) and audio (7.1 surround sound) quality which can't be matched by either broadcast TV or online streaming services. But, when you compare the quality of online streaming content, Vudu's online streaming provides near HD quality (up to 1080i/1080p) than Netflix's Watch Instantly service (upto 720p). Also, Vudu's support for surround sound audio for streaming content and availability of more than 3000 HD titles makes it a better option for people who want instanteneous access to HD quality movies and TV shows.

Competitive pricing: Both pay-as-you-go and subscription pricing structures offer differnt options for customers in terms of how much media one wants to consume and how often. Wal-Mart, with its position as the biggest retailer and with reputation for low-cost products and services, can influence HDTV and DVD manufacturers to include its Vudu streaming service in as many devices as it could and negotiate better content deals with Hollywood studios so as to make its Vudu online movie service a better offering than Netflix. If Wal-Mart could provide more streaming catalog movies and TV shows on most of the available Consumer Electronics devices, there would be enough number of people willing to subscribe to its Vudu service so as to make its rental fees lower than that of Netflix.

A well executed online movie distribution by Wal-Mart through Vudu will give Netflix the need to improve its online streaming catalog quality and quantity or force it be an acquisition target.

Wal-Mart to acquire Vudu; Should Netflix be worried?

2010-02-22T13:37:00.000-08:00

The New York Times is reporting that Wal-Mart has agreed to buy Vudu, an online movie service company which used to offer its services through a set-top-box and recently collaborated with Electronics manufacturers LG Electronics, Mitsubishi Electric, Samsung, Sanyo, Sharp, Toshiba and Vizio to provide the online movie streaming service on High Definition Television sets. Wal-Mart's purchase of Vudu places the retail giant in direct competition with similar online movie service offerings from Netflix, Amazon Video-On-Demand, Blockbuster, Apple's iTunes service and EPIX.

With its position as the largest seller of DVD discs and HDTVs, Wal-Mart is expected to use Vudu online movie streaming abilities to increase the sales of internet connected TVs by incorporating the Vudu functionality in the television sets that it sells. Vudu online movie service could also complement sales of physical DVDs by Wal-Mart, which have been seeing a decline in recent past.

While services like Netflix and Amazon VOD bring online media content to HDTVs, EPIX and HBO Go have been trying to facilitate customers watch their programming on computers in addition to HDTVs. Wal-Mart's entry into online movie streaming means increased competition for both categories of online media providers, especially for Netflix and Amazon, as they compete for new content deals and inclusion of their services in internet connected TVs, gaming consoles and DVD disc players.

While Netflix positioned itself as a strong player in online media streaming category, Wal-Mart could give Netflix a run for their money by offering large catalog of high-definition movies through Vudu service at lower prices. Netflix's Watch Instantly streaming service doesn't offer true high-definition in terms of 1080p video and surround sound audio at present, even though the DVD rental company announced that 5.1 surround sound and closed captions are in their 2010 development roadmap.

Best Buy is said to be developing an online movie store in collaboration with Sonic Solutions, which owns CinemaNow online movie service, to introduce this summer. As Wal-Mart and Best Buy enter the online movie content distribution business, they could use their positions to win favorable content deals from Hollywood studios, which may negatively affect Netflix, Amazon and Apple's iTunes.

Google Android to be #2 Mobile Operating System by 2013

2010-02-21T19:40:00.000-08:00

According to a recent IDC Forecast and Analysis report on Worldwide mobile operating system for 2009-2013, Google's Android Mobile OS is going to reach 68 million units making it the second most popular smartphone operating system behind Nokia's Symbian by 2013. The report notes that Android OS is going to see a compound annual growth rate of 150.4% between 2008 and 2013. Nokia's Symbian operating system is going to maintain its lead as the most popular mobile OS, while Apple's iPhone operating system and webOS continue to gain market share. By 2013, the worldwide shipment of smartphones is going to be more than 390 million units.

Google announced first Android based smartphone Droid in collaboration with Motorola on Nov. 6 2009. Since then, mobile device manufactures introduced a slew of Android based smartphones, including Nexus One, which Google released on Jan. 5 2010 in collaboration with hardware manufacturer HTC.

Apple's iPhone held 14.4% smartphone market share in 2009 behind Nokia and Research In Motion (RIM), according to another report from IDC.

Phone	Android Version
Google Nexus One	2.1
HTC Corporation	2.1
Dell Mini 5	above 1.6
Acer Liquid e	2.1
Motorola Heron	2.0
Motorola Droid	2.0
HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1)	1.0
HTC Magic (T-Mobile myTouch 3G)	1.5
HTC Hero (T-Mobile G2 Touch)	1.5
HTC Click	1.6
Samsung Galaxy	1.5
Samsung Moment	1.5
Motorola CLIQ	1.6
Sony Ericsson Xperia	1.6

Report: Netflix makes it to Most Innovative Companies 2010 list

2010-02-19T12:22:00.000-08:00

According to Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies 2010 report, Netflix is ranked the 12th most innovative company. Technology and Internet companies top the list with Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Google and Huawei occupying the top 5 spots. Other technology companies from the list include HP (10), Hulu (11), Intel (14), Spotify (15), Cisco (17), IBM (18), Alibaba (29), HTC (31), Microsoft (48) and Twitter (50). From movie and television industry, Netflix (12) is joined by Hulu (11), Disney (20) and Consumer Electronics manufacturer Samsung (36).

With its low-cost mail order DVD rentals, Netflix built a successful business model over last few years.The online DVD rental company has been collaborating with gaming console manufacturers, HDTV and Blu-ray disc manufacturers to include its 'Watch Instantly' streaming service in most of the consumer electronics and video entertainment devices. Growing popularity of online video and costs associated with shipping physical DVD discs prompted Netflix to invest in its streaming service few years back.

Currently, Netflix customers with any of their unlimited plans (starting from $8.99) can stream movies and TV shows to their internet connected TVs and computers free of cost. This is a win-win for both the customers and the online movie rental company as it reduces the cost associated with mailing physical DVDs for Netflix and gives the customers an option to watch movies and TV shows instantly without having to wait for the DVDs in mail.

Netflix's focus to provide affordable movie viewing experience at home is going to keep the company ahead of the game, at least for now, from other movie services from Apple's iTunes, Amazon, Hulu, EPIX and recently announced HBO Go online service from HBO.

Netflix streaming is coming to Sony's "Dash" Personal Internet Viewer

2010-02-17T18:20:00.000-08:00

Sony today announced that its new personal Internet viewer - dash - will feature a dedicated application for Netflix, allowing Netflix customers to instantly watch movies and TV episodes through streaming. The Wi-Fi-enabled tablet device from Sony runs widgets based on the Chumby’s platform as well as Sony’s Bravia Internet Video platform. Dash is already capable of streaming other Bravia Internet Video sources such as YouTube, Pandora, Epicurious, Crackle, Livestrong, and Blip.tv. Adding video streaming capabilities to Sony's Dash personal Internet viewer brings Netflix one more step closer to consumer living room.

Netflix streaming service is already available on gaming consoles, internet connected TVs and Blu-ray disc players. With the growing popularity of tablet computer devices and mobile internet gadgets, Netflix is trying to make sure that consumers can access the content wherever and whenever they want it.

Netflix uses Silverlight technology from Microsoft to stream movies and TV shows from its Watch Instantly online catalog to computers and internet connected TVs.

With an USB port, wireless connectivity, 16:9 aspect ratio, Netflix streaming and 7-inch color touch screen, Sony's Dash is a perfect portable internet device to watch movies and TV shows at home.

Even though Dash doesn't offer as many features as the recently announced iPad tablet device from Apple, its price and ability to stream Netflix videos will attract consumers who don't want to spend $499 on an entry level iPad tablet.

Sony’s dash personal Internet viewer will be available this April for about $199.

Redbox to get Warner new DVDs after 28-day window

2010-02-16T19:54:00.000-08:00

Now it is Redbox's turn. Warner Bros. and Redbox today announced that new release DVD and Blu-ray titles from the studio are available to redbox customers after a 28-day window. The agreement also marks the end of the lawsuit that redbox filed against Warner Home Video in August 2009. The deal also requires redbox to destroy DVD discs after the rental time-span, so as to discourage the availability of cheap DVDs in the market. On January 6 2010, Warner Bros. announced similar agreement with Netflix that requires the DVD rental company to wait for 28 days before it could get access to the studio's new DVD and blu-ray disc releases.

Movie studios have been trying to find ways to increase the sales of DVDs in the wake of affordable movie rental options and online streaming offerings from Netflix, redbox and Amazon. With these agreements, Warner Bros. is expecting to sell more DVDs during the 28-day window. Similarly, redbox is expected to get access to more Blu-ray titles from the studio.

Redbox has distribution deals with Sony, Lionsgate, Paramount and Summit Entertainment studios, though none of them restricts access to the DVDs during the 28-day window.

EPIX announces movie streaming to mobile devices

2010-02-15T23:17:00.000-08:00

EPIX - the premium movie service offering from Paramount, Lionsgate and MGM - has announced at Mobile World Congress (MWS) 2010, which is being held in Barcelona, Spain the availability of its streaming service on mobile phones. The streaming service on mobile devices is expected to provide subscribers full-length movies and programming. The service is going to offer a feature that enables subscribers to pause a movie they are watching on TV or computer and resume watching it on a mobile device. EPIX, which was launched in October 2009 with Verizon FiOS as the only distribution provider later announced the addition of Cox communications, Charter Communications, Mediacom Communications and the National Cable and Telecommunications Cooperative to its providers list.

Adobe's Flash Player 10.1 is going to power EPIX's mobile streaming service. Studios and DVD rental service providers are expanding streaming service to take advantage of the broadband internet connectivity on Consumer Electronics. Netflix , in particular, has been expanding its streaming service by partnering with Consumer Electronics Manufacturers to bring its streaming service to gaming consoles, internet connected TVs and Blu-ray disc players.

Availability of movie streaming service on mobile devices is going to let people access the content anytime, anywhere, but it remains to be seen if cellular providers are going to allow the streaming service without charging a premium.

Vancouver is the most livable city in the world

2010-02-13T00:50:00.000-08:00

According to the latest annual index compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Canadian city of Vancouver, which is hosting 21st winter Olympic games, is the most livable city in the world. Vancouver is at the top of the list with a rating of 98.0, while Vienna (97.9) and Melbourne (97.5) stood at second and third positions respectively. Seven of the top ten most livable cities are in Canada and Australia. Livability rating for the 140 cities worldwide is calculated based on more than 30 qualitative and quantitative factors across five broad categories: Stability, Healthcare, Culture and environment, Education and Infrastructure.

Top 10 cities

Rank	Country	City	Rating
1	Canada	Vancouver	98.0
2	Austria	Vienna	97.9
3	Australia	Melbourne	97.5
4	Canada	Toronto	97.2
5	Canada	Calgary	96.6
6	Finland	Helsinki	96.2
7	Australia	Sydney	96.1
8=	Australia	Perth	95.9
8=	Australia	Adelaide	95.9
10	New Zealand	Auckland	95.7

Bottom 10 cities

Rank	Country	City	Rating
130=	Senegal	Dakar	48.3
132	Sri Lanka	Colombo	47.3
133	Nepal	Kathmandu	47.1
134	Cameroon	Douala	43.3
135	Pakistan	Karachi	40.9
136	Nigeria	Lagos	39.0
137	PNG	Port Moresby	38.9
138=	Algeria	Algiers	38.7
138=	Bangladesh	Dhaka	38.7
140	Zimbabwe	Harare	37.5

Courtesy Economist Intelligence Unit

iTunes to reach 10 billion song downloads soon. Enter to win $10,000

2010-02-11T18:55:00.000-08:00

Apple's iTunes music store soon will be reaching 10 billion song downloads. To celebrate this achievement, Apple has announced a 10 Billion Song Countdown promotion that will award a iTunes gift card valued at $10,000 to the lucky person who downloads the 10 billionth song. Click here to enter the contest. It took iTunes close to 3 years (1033 days) to reach its first billion downloads, while the next billion songs were downloaded in less than an year (322 days). Apple's iTunes accounts for more than 69% of the digital songs and 25% of all songs (including physical discs) sold in the U.S.

Apple is reportedly preparing to introduce $0.99 TV shows just in time to coincide with the availability of its iPad tablet device next month.

02/12/2010: Projected date for 10 billionth song download

Apple commands 25.3% US smartphone market share in Dec 2009

2010-02-09T18:01:00.000-08:00

Acording to a recent comScore report on US mobile subscriber market share for December 2009, Apple's US smartphone market share increased by 1.2% to 25.3%. Blackberry maker Research In Motion (RIM) lead the category with 41.6% market share, while Apple's iPhone (25.3%) and Microsoft's Windows platform (18.0%) stood at second and third positions respectively. Compared to previous reporting period (September 2009), RIM and Microsoft each lost 1-percentage point in December 2009 period, while Palm lost 2.2-percentage points in market share. Apple and Google posted a gain in smartphone market share for the same period.

According to a recent IDC's market report, Apple shipped 25.1 million iPhones in 2009 capturing 14.4% of global smartphone market share.

In the overall US mobile market segment, Motorola ranked top with 23.5% market share, followed by LG (21.9%), Samsung (21.2%), Nokia (9.2%) and RIM (7.0%). Compared to previous reporting period (September 2009), Motorola and Nokia lost market share to Samsung, RIM and LG in December 2009.

The study says a total of 234 million people age 13 and older used mobile devices in December 2009 in the U.S.

Google's Feb 09 event: Google announces buzz for GMail and Mobile devices

2010-02-09T11:03:00.000-08:00

Google today announced Google buzz - Google's approach to sharing - for GMail and mobile devices. Google buzz enables people to have auto-follow feature, rich sharing experience (both public and private) and Inbox integration. Google buzz is available over the course of next few days. Google buzz on mobile devices enables users to post buzz and follow the buzz based on their location using the phone's GPS receiver. Google also announced new version of Mobile maps for Nokia, Windows mobile and Android mobile platforms with integration to Google buzz.

Google buzz featrues
Auto-following
Rich, fast sharing experience
Public and private sharing
Inbox Integration
Recommended buzz

Buzz on Mobile devices

Netflix plans to add 1080p and 5.1 surround sound to it's streaming service [Updated]

2010-02-08T17:27:00.000-08:00

CNET is reporting that Netflix has plans to introduce 1080p resolution with 5.1 Surround Sound to it's streaming service later this year. Netflix has been constantly expanding it's streaming service to internet connected TVs, Blu-ray disc players and gaming consoles. List of devices that support Netflix streaming include Roku player, Tivo player, XBox 360, Sony PS3, Nintendo Wii, Blu-ray players from LG, Samsung, Insignia, High Definition Televisions from LG, Sony, Vizio, LG/Samsung Blu-ray Home Theatre Systems, Windows and Mac computers.

Recently, the DVD rental company, along with Warner Bros., announced that DVDs and Blu-ray discs from the studio will not be available to customers of Netflix until 28 days after the release date. In exchange, Netflix is expected to get access to the studio's titles to add them to it's streaming service.

Currently, Netflix doesn't charge it's customers for streaming service as long as they are enrolled in their unlimited plans starting from $8.99.

In a recent interview, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said he expects two-thirds of the 12.3 million subscribers to be streaming at least 15 minutes per month in the next 18 months. But he did not indicate if he plans to charge customers for the streaming service.

Introduction of 1080p resolution and 5.1 Surround Sound to it's streaming service means additional bandwidth and overhead costs to Netflix. Considering that only 10% (1.23 million) of the total 12.3 million Netflix customers subscribe to Blu-ray discs, it remains to be seem if customers would be willing to pay for a full HD streaming service, if Netflix decides to charge for the service.

Even though customers broadband internet connection speed is going to determine the quality of 1080p resolution and surround sound audio for streaming content, Netflix hopes to get more customers by offering full HD content through it's streaming service.

Update: Netflix representative clarifies that even though 5.1 surround sound and closed captions are in 2010 development roadmap, 1080p is not. So, we may not be seeing full HD coming to Netflix Watch Now streaming service in near future.