Widgets will come to your TV. “It’s really going to create a dramatic change”, says Yahoo’s VP Patrick Barry. Comcast has teamed up with Intel and Yahoo to allow third-party developers to create web-connected widgets for TV.
So far, the following companies are working on one: Blockbuster, CBS Interactive, CinemaNow, Cinequest, Comcast, Disney-ABC Television Group, eBay, GE, Group M, Joost, MTV, Samsung Electronics, Schematic, Showtime, Toshiba and Twitter… The widgets (weather updates, news, games…) would be powered by a chip in the set-top box, which is connected to the Internet. A sample: a Yahoo Weather widget over the top of your local news.
The Widget Channel framework, developed by Intel and Yahoo, is intended to enhance the traditional TV watching experience and bring content, information and community features available on the Internet within easy reach of the remote control.
Open software development
Described as an “open software development framework,” the Widget Channel will allow developers to use Internet tools and standards including HTML, XML, JavaScript, and Adobe Systems’ Flash technology to write applications that can run on TVs and other devices.
Comcast and Intel expect to begin integration testing of the Widget Channel framework in the first half of 2009 on Comcast’s interactive program guide using the CableLabs-developed tru2way technology for interactive cable applications.
“The Widget Channel enables interactive applications, and tru2way technology has opened the door for these types of innovations to work in the cable industry,” Comcast chief technology officer Tony Werner said in a statement.
Intel chip for set-top boxes
Intel has developed a system-on-a-chip for cable set-top boxes and other consumer electronics devices, the Media Processor CE 3100 (formerly code-named Canmore), which provides high-definition video decoding and viewing, home-theater-quality audio, 3-D graphics, and the ability to run Internet-based applications.
"TV will fundamentally change how we talk about, imagine and experience the Internet," Eric Kim, general manager of Intel’s Digital Home Group, said in a statement. "No longer just a passive experience unless the viewer wants it that way, Intel and Yahoo are proposing a way where the TV and Internet are as interactive, and seamless, as possible."
Intel and Yahoo plan to make a development kit available to developers, including TV and other consumer-electronics device makers, advertisers and publishers. The Widget Channel also will include a gallery to let developers publish their TV Widgets across multiple TV and related devices and through which consumers can find widgets they would like to use.
More information right here.
The iTunes Download radio show
Mega radio syndicator Premiere Radio Networks has created a new show called The iTunes Download that counts down the 30 most downloaded iTunes songs. It’s a three-hour weekend music countdown hosted by iTunes Director of Music Programming Alex Luke.
“Radio is where more music buyers first hear what they want to buy and iTunes is the place they go to do it — now we’re connecting the two,” said Luke.
"The iTunes charts have become the first indicator, each week, of what millions of music fans are buying," added Luke. "Radio is where more music buyers first hear what they want to buy and iTunes is the place they go to do it -- now we're connecting the two."
CNN joins the embedded video rush
CNN.com finally got on board with the embedding video trend. With MSNBC.com, News.com, FoxNews.com and others, CNN.com has joined the embedded video gold rush.
Top 30 news sites
Who are the most watched news sites? Nielsen-Netratings has listed of the top news and information sites. For the second straight month, msnbc.com is in the top position followed by Yahoo News and CNN.com. ABCNews is 7th, Fox News is 9th, CBS News is 13th and WorldNow is 14th.
Here is the list.
Examiner: mixing local news with (paid) bloggers
The billionaire owner of the SF Examiner, Philip Anschutz, is getting success with his idea of pushing into local market with Examiner.com. This is an online newspapers network that mix local aggregation with original columns and community features. Right now there Examiner.com's in 57 cities.
Local bloggers, called "Examiners", are paid as independent contractors: $2.50 per 1,000 pageviews, and they get free advertising.
Examiner.com says its pageviews have reached 6 million a month and growing.
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