Monthly Archives: June 2011

3D still a gimmick

June 30, 2011
By

3D In the 1950s, 3D cinema was supposed to save moviegoing from the ravages of newfangled television techology. But it turned out to be a classic gimmick: a technological response to what was really a market problem. Consumers weren’t choosing TV over the movies because movies lacked spectacle; they chose it because it filled the need for casual entertainment in the convenience of their living room. If moviegoing was to compete with television it would have to be with more compelling product, not more spectacle. Read more »

When you’re GeoHot, you’re hot; when you’re Howard Stringer, you’re not

June 29, 2011
By

Hackers What a striking contrast in the fortunes of Sony chairman and CEO Sir Howard Stringer, and those of George Hotz, the hacker formerly known as GeoHot, who was sued by Sony earlier this year for cracking the PS3 security system.

Facing frustrated, and at times hostile, shareholders at Sony’s annual meeting Tuesday, Stringer acknowledged that the lawsuit against Hotz triggered a backlash from hacker groups that led to the devastating cyber-attack on Sony’s PlayStation Network and Qriocity network in May and June. Read more »

Netflix looks for new friends on Facebook

June 28, 2011
By

Deals Netflix obviously wasn’t kidding when it announced earlier this year that a “major” integration with Facebook was in the works. Last Thursday, the two companies announced the Netflix CEO Reed Hastings will join the Facebook board of directors, about as close an integration as you can get without a formal merger.

Oddly, the announcement didn’t actually tell us much about how Netflix actually plans to use Facebook or what the integration will consist of. Much of the speculation triggered by the announcement focused on potential operational aspects of the integration, most of which could be achieved without tying the companies together at the board level. Presumably, then, there are other, more strategic reasons why Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg would want Hastings on his board, and why Hastings would want the seat. Read more »

The limits of unlimited movies

June 28, 2011
By

Box Office Lots of buzz this morning about MoviePass, a start-up hoping to bring Netflix-style all-you-can-eat subscriptions to the big screen. For $50 a month, MoviePass subscribers will be able to see unlimited movies in theaters using their smartphones as a ticket.

Using the MoviePass web app (native iOS and Android apps are in the works), subscribers can search for movies and showtimes at participating theaters, reserve their seat and then flash their phone screens at the box office when they get to the theater as proof of purchase. The service will initially be available only in the San Francisco Bay Area but plans call for rolling it out to other cities later this year. Users will be charged a $3 premium if they choose a 3D screening. The app will also let users pre-order the movie they just saw on DVD or VOD on their way out of the theater. Read more »

Site-blocking battle going global

June 27, 2011
By

Copyright From virtually a standing start in the U.S. last year the debate over blocking access to so-called rogue web sites that host copyright infringing content has escalated rapidly into a worldwide battle.

Last week, a group of leading technology investors and venture capitalists sent a letter to members of the U.S. Congress warning that the Protect IP Act (PIPA), which was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee in May, could stifle innovation and harm U.S. competitiveness around the world.

“The bill is ripe for abuse, as it allows rights-holders to require third-parties to block access to and take away revenues sources for online services, with limited oversight and due process,” the group said. “While we understand PIPA was originally intended to deal with “rogue” foreign sites, we think PIPA will ultimately put American innovators and investors at a clear disadvantage in the global economy.” Read more »