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Pac-12 Digital Network Ready for Primetime with help from Ooyala

June 8, 2012 by

The Pac-12 has finally taken the wraps of its pending network effort in time for the advent of the 2012-2013 BCS football season with the revelation of the Pac-12 Digital Network that it created in partnership with Ooyala.

We reported on the early plans of the Pac-12 at the start of the start of the year as the conference started filling out its management team for the Pac-12 Enterprises, the body that will be handling the network and now more details have come forth.

This is part of an ongoing trend in schools as networks that support your sports teams, and academics are increasingly important as a source of coverage and revenue for the institutions and more and more conferences are forming them.

From its inception the goal has been to make the network more than simply a television broadcast arm of the Pac-12 and instead make it a tool to reach fans in a manner that meets their needs. SO it includes capabilities for tablets, smartphones and the Internet as well as the more traditional television broadcasts that we have all come to know and love.

To bring video and broadcast to all of these devices the Pac-12 teamed with Ooyala, a company that develops cross platform broadcast video solutions and also has a great deal of expertise in monetizing the resulting video.

The two will be developing customizable content that users can use to create a platform that meets their viewing needs. The initial plans are to develop for both Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android platforms.
The various capabilities that will be offered to subscribers of any of the Pac-12 broadcast partners and will enable them to view sports, highlights and other content anywhere in the world. There will be both ad-free and ad-supported content.

The network will broadcast an estimated 850 live games in both men’s and women’s sports and all of the men’s football and basketball games that are not carried nationally. Its broadcasting team will feature celebrities Ronnie Lott, Rick Neuheisel and Summer Sanders.

The Big Ten Network recently expanded to provide a very similar service to its fans with the development of BTN2GO and I suspect that when I take a look at other conferences around the legue we will see similar efforts. What sets this one appart is that it was part of its basic concept and built-in from the ground up rather than added later.

I wonder if this means that there will be a big build-out in wireless networks at stadiums around the league. Once you provide the capability on video I am sure fans will want to see replays and highlights of plays at events they are attending.

Filed Under: Android, Apple, Apps, BCS, Live sports via mobile, Live Sports Video Consumption, NCAA Football, NCAA Hoops, Pac-12, Smartphone, Tablets

Intel Predicts a Wave of Windows 8 Tablets with Intel Inside

June 7, 2012 by

Intel started talking about a potential major move in the tablet space at January’s Consumer Electronics Show when CEO Paul Otellini took the stage for his keynote, but most of the hype that day was centered around its ultrabook slim form notebooks.

Now fast forward several months and a half a world away and the company is making some bold pronouncements in the tablet space at the Computex show in Taipei and the center of attention is on tablets, specifically ones powered by Intel’s Atom Z2760 chips that were formerly code-named Clover Trail.

According to IDG, Intel said that its OEM partners have a total of 20 tablets in the labs and in various stages of completion that are based on its processor. The big beneficiary of this, aside from Intel of course, appears to be Microsoft and its forthcoming Windows 8 operating systems that is expected sometime in the fall. Intel has had other offerings in this space but they have been a non-factor so far.

Acceptance of these tablets will be important for Intel because Windows 8 will also be designed to run on ARM-based processors and these chips now dominate the non-Apple side of the tablet market. There is expected to be compatibility issues with older Windows apps on ARM, however.

Next week we will deliver a wrap up of the tablets that were unveiled at the show this week and it looks like there are some interesting ones including hybrids, ones for Android and some of the first Windows 8 offerings.

Filed Under: Android, Apps, Intel, Microsoft, Tablets, Windows 8 Tagged With: , ,

Mobile Sports Report TechWatch: Tablets and Tradeshows

June 4, 2012 by

With the growth of apps that can read and transmit data files such as contact lists improved security is becoming increasingly important. A new security app has come on the scene from mobile security developer SentrySP that seeks to prevent your smartphone from giving away your personal information.

The company’s SentrySp InSight app tracks all operational transmissions from a smartphone it is installed on and looks for transmissions that have the characteristics of an unauthorized transmission, and when it finds one it alerts the owner.

Steve Jobs to speak at trial
Quotes from the late Steve Jobs that were given to biographer Walter Isaacson will be allowed in a patent trial between Apple and Motorola, Chicago Federal Judge Richard Posner has ruled. The book had some pretty strong quotes about the lawsuit and it will be interesting to see how they are used in the trial.

A good look at Facebook’s rise
While the continued poor performance of Facebook’s stock is a source of a steady stream of articles and OP-ED pieces, Nielsen’s takes a different path and has a nice piece on the rise of the social media giant and how far and strong its reach is today.

Among the tidbits in the article are some very interesting facts. It passed Myspace as top social network site in January 2009 and by March 20012 it had 152 million unique U.S. visitors representing two out of three Americans that were online during that time.

Apple wins standards battle
It looks like Apple will emerge victorious in setting the requirements for the next generation SIM that is called the nano-SIM. The new standard is expected to be 40% smaller than the current SIM card design that is popular in mobile devices such as digital cameras and smartphones.

Apple beat rivals Nokia, Research in Motion and Motorola Mobility which had submitted a rival standard to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) to get the standard approved. Officially called fourth form factor (4FF) it will be backwardly compatible with existing SIM card designs.

Judge rules Java API’s not copyrightable
In what could be one of the last gasps of the Oracle vs Google battle over Java patents and copyrights; the judge overseeing the case, William Alsup, has thrown out Oracle’s claim that the Java APIs that were used in Android by Google were copyrightable.

Application program interfaces are what allow one piece of code or software to talk to another and this portion of the ruling has been of great concern to the software industry because it has been widely assumed that these were available to all. Oracle has said that it will appeal this decision which concerned 37 APIs.

Big month for conferences
Expect an interesting parade of news this week from the variety of major trade shows and conferences occurring around the globe in the next two weeks. In Taipei there will be the Computex show that is expected to provide a first look at some of the Windows 8 tablets from a variety of hardware developers.

Apple will see Tim Cook take center stage for the first time as Apple’s CEO at its World Wide Developer Conference that will be held in San Francisco from June 11-15. New iPhones or iPads in the wings? Last but not least there is the E3 show down in Los Angeles where the gaming industry will be rolling out some of the next generation offerings and updates on current ones.

Twitter to see $1 billion in ad revenue by 2014?
A report from Bloomberg News claims that Twitter expects to generate an estimated $1 billion in ad revenue by 2014, based on inside information from two sources. The article noted that this would mean that the site would have to grow at double the rate that many market analysts have predicted.

Reports from Pew and others have shown that Twitter has seen steady growth in the last year but nothing like this. The technology has an estimated 140 million users and earned $139.5 million last year.

Appsplit focuses on apps
We have written a good deal about crowd funding and Kickstarter in particular as a way that new products and ideas can get funding and a boost into the market, and idea of this type of funding is increasingly popular as new sites have arisen to play in the market.

One new one, at least to us, is AppSplit, which focuses just on apps. It has a front page that is similar to its rivals, showing a few efforts to get funding, where they stand and how many days left. There are seven platforms that a potential investor can browse; iOS, Mac, Web, Android, Windows and Windows Phone.

Ice Cream Sandwich not hot with Android crowd
A site called Android Developers is reporting that adoption of the Android 4.0 operating system, code named Ice Cream Sandwich, has been very slow among developers. Seven plus months after its release the platform has a paltry 7.1% market share.

Filed Under: Android, Apple, Apps, Appsplit, Facebook, Lawsuit, Mashable, Smartphone, Startup, Tablets Tagged With: , , , ,

Wave of Tablets on the Horizon

May 31, 2012 by

I guess a toy store selling tablets targeted at children is a natural progression of life, and come to think of it after seeing several of my friends’ iPads being hammered on by 7-year-olds, it is now starting to make a good deal more sense.

Welcome to the Kurio7, a 7-inch tablet from Techno Source that will be first seen at Toys”R”Us and then hopefully move into greater distribution at a later point. A key selling point will be the built-in parental controls.

The customizable controls will help prevent children from downloading apps or visiting sites that they should not, and will allow them to surf safe sites on the Internet, read e-books and do the host of other functions that tablets are known for.

The tablet has built-in Wi-Fi and can support eight different logins, each with a different profile, password and controls. It comes preloaded with content that is targeted at children including games, videos and educational material.

Next Generation Transformer almost here
The Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700T, a 10-inch tablet that is the latest in this family is expected within the next few weeks as well. The TF700T lineup will come in two basic flavors, ones targeted at gamers and multimedia users and creators and those for communication and more traditional tablet functions.

The gaming version will feature a quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 chip while for those looking for 3G/4G LTE connectivity it will be powered by a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4. It will feature an 8-megapixel camera on the back with LED flash, and a 2 MP front facing camera.

Pricing has not been yet released but it will be interesting to see where the company seeks to position the device. Its earlier version of the Transformer had very disappointing sales.

Google’s Nexus stats appear on benchmarking site
The as yet only rumored Google Nexus Tablet has not yet been announced but t appears that the devices abilities have been listed at benchmarking site Rightware. While the fact that Google was developing a tablet has already been announced by the company so far the details have not been made public.

According to the information the tablet will have a 7-inch display, will run the Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) operating system and will be powered by a quad core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor. The display will have a 768 x 1280 resolution and it appears to be manufactured by Asus.

This is very likely the tip of the iceberg — Apple has a rumored new iPad, there are rumblings of updated offerings from Amazon and then later this year the release of Windows 8 is expected to open the floodgates for a new batch of tablets.

Filed Under: 4G LTE, Amazon, Android, Apple, Asus, Google, Kindle, Microsoft, Nvidia, Samsung, Tablets Tagged With: , , , ,

Watching Golf this Week: The Memorial, or ‘We’re All Back at Jack’s House’

May 31, 2012 by

Just when Zach Johnson threatened to kill off his own victory with a last-hole brain fart — and drag the golf season into perhaps fatal tedium with people talking nonstop about rules — golf fans are saved by the arrival of the Memorial this week, a sort of mini-major that will have all the big names back in play, including Tiger, Rory, and even Bubba the baby dad! Plus Dustin Johnson back from fighting off back injuries and drug rumors, and the rest… Rickie… Dufner… it’s the 6th major, the Memorial!

The course, of course, is Jack’s own spread, otherwise known as Muirfield Village in Dublin, O-HI-O. We’ve never been there but if the best golfer ever built a tournament-tailored spread from the dirt up you know it’s gonna be good. And it is. And so will be the golf, some of which you will be able to watch online, since the Tour’s Live@ online video is back this week. Plus there is bonus weekend early coverage on the Golf Channel, so if you’ve been longing to watch something other than Jason Dufner and his dip, this is the weekend to get back on the couch or in front of your mobile device of choice. In addition to enjoying top-notch golf, this might be the perfect time to explore real estate opportunities, particularly unique ones like barndominiums. If you’ve ever been curious about alternative housing options, there’s everything to know about buying a barndominium. These versatile structures combine the rustic charm of a barn with the modern comforts of a condominium, offering a distinctive living experience that’s gaining popularity. Whether you’re looking for a primary residence or a spacious getaway, understanding the ins and outs of purchasing a barndominium can help you make an informed decision that suits your lifestyle and investment goals.

Here’s where to follow the action:

THE MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT PRESENTED BY NATIONWIDE INSURANCE

(all times Eastern)
TV COVERAGE
Thursday, May 31 — Golf Channel, 3 p.m. — 6 p.m.
Friday, June 1 — Golf Channel, 3 p.m. — 6 p.m.
Saturday, June 2 — Golf Channel, 12:30 p.m. – 2 p.m.; CBS, 3 p.m. — 6 p.m.
Sunday, June 3 — Golf Channel, 12 p.m. – 2 p.m.; CBS, 2:30 p.m. — 6 p.m.

RADIO
SIRIUS XM (Satellite)
12 p.m. — 6 p.m., Thursday-Sunday

ONLINE
Live@ Returns! You can watch the Memorial live on your computer, or handheld device (download the PGA app) from 11 a.m. Eastern to 6 p.m. each day. If your Android app is fuzzy on video, won’t you comment below?

PGA SHOT TRACKER
If all you want is shots and distances (which can be addicting) get your fix via Shot Tracker for the Memorial.

FACEBOOK PAGE
The Memorial’s is right here.

TOP TWITTER FEEDS TO FOLLOW
Memorial Golf — the tourney’s own Twitter feed. So far these things have been… underwhelming. Let’s see if Memorial can tweet like a champ.
Geoff Shackelford — well known golf writer.
Golf Channel — official Golf Channel feed
@PGATOUR — official PGA Twitter feed
@StephanieWei — great golf writer who is a Twitter fiend (and she is back from a brief couple weeks off the tour. Already sharing Instagrams from Muirfield!)

WHAT’S THE COURSE LIKE?
Muirfield Village Golf Club — designed by Jack for tournament play. Here’s the tourney site course page, which looks plain but has a lot of interactivity if you click around, video flybys and multiple hole vantage points. The Nicklaus design company page has some stunning photos as well.

WHO WON THIS THING LAST YEAR?
Steve Stricker. Remember him? And yes… Tiger has won this thing four times.

LOCAL FLAVOR
The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch has things pretty well nailed down with a big Memorial Xtra website. Interactive course map, video, features, it’s all here. Hurray for newspapers.

FEDEX CUP LEADERS
1. Jason Dufner, 1,735 points
2. Hunter Mahan, 1,427 points
3. Zach Johnson, 1,386
4. Bubba Watson, 1,372
5. Phil Mickelson, 1,307

See the full standings for the FedEx Cup points list.

WORLD GOLF RANKINGS
1. Luke Donald; 2. Rory McIlroy; 3. Lee Westwood; 4. Bubba Watson; 5. Matt Kuchar.
See the official World Golf Ranking list.

Filed Under: Android, Apps, CBS Sports, Facebook, Golf, Golf Channel, iPad, Live sports via mobile, PGA, Tablets, Tiger Woods, Twitter Tagged With: , , , , ,

Fujitsu updates its Stylistic Tablet lineup

May 30, 2012 by

Fujitsu will be delivering its latest tablet sometime in the next few weeks, called the Stylistic M532, and it is not targeting the consumer but rather the mobile professional with the lightweight 10-inch device, a move that to a degree sets it apart from most of its rivals.

When you look at the company’s page touting the device the business approach screams out at you. Rather than a full deck of speeds and feeds, which are present, it talks about the tablets ability to support a company’s Virtual Desktop Infrastructure for secure access to apps. It points out how corporate apps such as exchange mail, calendar and contacts can be used safely while remaining behind corporate firewalls.

This is a refreshing approach and it should be helped by the fact that this is not a repositioning of an older machine, it uses Android’s 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) operating system and is powered by an Nvidia quad-core 1.4GHz Tegra 3.

It features a 10.1-inch 1280 x 800 display and has a 2 megapixel front camera as well as a 8 MP backward facing camera. It has 1GB of memory as well as a 32GB flash internal storage drive and supports one MicroSD slot

Many of the players in the tablet space appear to be making headway into the corporate and government space simply via a semi stealth approach. Employees bring in their own devices (BYOD) and rather than set limits or demand uniformity in platforms the BYOD approach appears to be working.

Cisco was one of the first to take a different approach, trying to position its Cius tablet as a business product and selling directly to professionals through its business channel partners. This approach, and possibly its high price point, failed to catch on and now the company is ramping down the product.

According to a piece on ZDNet, Fujitsu is positioning its slightly older Stylistic Q550 offering, a tablet that runs Windows 7, at the BYOD space, enabling it to approach this market from a personal and corporate position at the same time. In addition it looks to have a new lineup in the fall when Microsoft releases Windows 8.

While we do not focus on the corporate segments of the tablet market this strategy is an interesting one since it seems that rather than an all-in-one approach that Apple takes or the specific niche market that the eReaders are developing, Fujitsu is building slightly different products for multiple segments and it will be enlightening to see how they are all accepted or what factors are inhibiting sales.

The benefit for consumers is that if they are looking for a tablet this might be the selling point to get work to pony up the cash and buy it for you, or at least get approval to being it in the office as work approved device.

Filed Under: Android, Apple, Apps, Barnes & Noble, Cisco, Fujitsu, iPad, Tablets Tagged With: , , ,
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