The Digital Asset Management Acquisitions continue to occur.
In a move that appears to be both a technology and customer rollup, KIT Digital a publicly traded company on NASDAQ (Symbol: KITD) acquired The FeedRoom for $9.8M and Nunet (from IMG Worldwide) for $11.1M totaling around $20M. KIT Digital provides end-to-end video IP technology and services, and with these acquisitions expands that capabilities with broader video and business oriented DAM offerings. The purchase of The FeedRoom is essentially equivalent to thier last round of funding. As part of the transaction, The FeedRoom's controlling shareholders -- NewSpring Ventures, BEV Capital and Velocity Equity Partners -- invested $4.0 million in KIT digital common shares, at a price of $11 per share, through the conversion of The FeedRoom Series F Preferred Shares purchased at closing.
The FeedRoom, a provider of Video and traditional digital asset management (DAM) solutions had acquired ClearStory Systems in December of 2008. At the time ClearStory's customers included Bristol-Meyers Squibb, National Geographic, and several others. I suspect that there would be concern from these large customers about the stability of their DAM vendor.
I'm not as familiar with Nunet, but if it's what I believe it to be, it is video asset packaging and distribution technology that was developed many years ago at IMG Worldwide to support many of their clients with establishing their brands and creating appealing web sites that utilized video. This would mark an exit for IMG Worldwide from the DAM space -- which always seemed to me as a sideline business.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Give up sex or your cell phone? 1 in 3 would give up sex!
A survey done by Kelton Research for Samsung Mobile in several US cities shows that on average 30% of men and women would put their sex lives on hold for a year, rather than give up their cell phones for the same period. Overall, a greater percentage of women than men were willing to give up sex for a year than their phone.
The choice -- communication or sex -- was put to 300 people in several major cities. The results for some of these cities are below, drawn from different media reports.
In Denver 33 percent of women would put their sex lives on hold for a year to be able to use a mobile device. Only 20 percent of men would choose a cell phone over a steamy night.
In Boston, 31 percent of men and women would give up sex for a year rather than forfeit their telephones for the same amount of time, according to a study released this morning. When it came to the battles of sexes, 38 percent of Boston women were more willing than men to lose their libidos versus missing their mobile phones. Only 19 percent of men said they would be celibate.
A survey of D.C.-area residents by Samsung Mobile found that 27 percent of men and women would rather forgo sex for an entire year than give up their cell phones for the same amount of time. Women, 38 percent, were more willing than men, 9 percent, to give up sex to keep the phone, Samsung says.
In Chicago, women (36 percent) were more willing than men (15 percent) to lose their libidos versus missing their mobile phones.
Which would you choose? ... and Why?
The choice -- communication or sex -- was put to 300 people in several major cities. The results for some of these cities are below, drawn from different media reports.
In Denver 33 percent of women would put their sex lives on hold for a year to be able to use a mobile device. Only 20 percent of men would choose a cell phone over a steamy night.
In Boston, 31 percent of men and women would give up sex for a year rather than forfeit their telephones for the same amount of time, according to a study released this morning. When it came to the battles of sexes, 38 percent of Boston women were more willing than men to lose their libidos versus missing their mobile phones. Only 19 percent of men said they would be celibate.
A survey of D.C.-area residents by Samsung Mobile found that 27 percent of men and women would rather forgo sex for an entire year than give up their cell phones for the same amount of time. Women, 38 percent, were more willing than men, 9 percent, to give up sex to keep the phone, Samsung says.
In Chicago, women (36 percent) were more willing than men (15 percent) to lose their libidos versus missing their mobile phones.
Which would you choose? ... and Why?
Posting from the Sky! AA's Gogo Inflight Wireless
I'm posting this from the Sky! I'm on an AA flight returning from Detroit offering it's new Gogo Inflight Internet. It's complimentary but would be offered for $9.95 per flight -- a little pricey for a short flight, but probably worthwhile for a coast to coast US flight. I don't know it's offered overseas. For a business traveler (when they return to the air) this could be money well spent.
It's impressive. The speed is pretty good -- it's fast enough to watch a Yahoo! or ESPN video (my test cases), though the playback speed sometimes exceeds the buffer speed, making videos stop and go. Page loads are fast. I'm finding that occasionally, some page loads are incomplete, and emails containing embedded images load slowly or incompletely when asked to update the images (Thunderbird email option). However overall, for browsing web sites and doing email it's a very good experience.
Gogo strongly suggests a proper browsing netiquette: that users browse "appropriate" sites, and that you don't visit sites or do things that could "shock your neighbor" in the next seat. They also don't allow video phone conversations -- though I'm not sure how they police that.
The availability of in-flight internet access removes one of the last barriers to being connected all the time from anywhere... well that and a few dead cell spots in some of the canyons near Golden, Colorado and on route 3A near Winchester and Tewksbury Mass.
It's impressive. The speed is pretty good -- it's fast enough to watch a Yahoo! or ESPN video (my test cases), though the playback speed sometimes exceeds the buffer speed, making videos stop and go. Page loads are fast. I'm finding that occasionally, some page loads are incomplete, and emails containing embedded images load slowly or incompletely when asked to update the images (Thunderbird email option). However overall, for browsing web sites and doing email it's a very good experience.
Gogo strongly suggests a proper browsing netiquette: that users browse "appropriate" sites, and that you don't visit sites or do things that could "shock your neighbor" in the next seat. They also don't allow video phone conversations -- though I'm not sure how they police that.
The availability of in-flight internet access removes one of the last barriers to being connected all the time from anywhere... well that and a few dead cell spots in some of the canyons near Golden, Colorado and on route 3A near Winchester and Tewksbury Mass.
Yawning Explained: A cooling mechanism for the brain!
OK, so this post isn't technology or digital media related... but if we think of the human body as a pretty darn cool machine, then perhaps it fits. In any event, it appeals to my inquiring mind -- wondering for years, why people yawn.
Now researchers at Binghamton University believe that the primary purpose of yawning is to control brain temperature. Apparently our brains operate more efficiently when cool, and that yawning is a physical adaptation that has evolved to provide maximum cooling of the brain.
Apparently they studied Australian parakeets (so much for being called a "bird brain") because they have relatively large brains, live wild in Australia, which is subject to frequent temperature swings, and, most importantly, do not engage in "contagious yawning", as humans and some other animals do. Contagious yawning is thought to be an evolved mechanism for keeping groups alert so they "remain vigilant against danger", according to the researchers. Makes sense to me. It also explains why people yawn when transitioning from sleep to a waking state, and how yawning doesn't occur and in fact can be counter productive in certain circumstances.
The article concludes stating that this new study on yawning changes the popular notion that yawns are mere signs of boredom. On the contrary, a commentator on the study states that "yawning more accurately reflects a mechanism that maintains attention, and therefore should be looked at as a compliment!"
I wonder if it also works to cool off "hot heads"?!
The full article can be found here.
Now researchers at Binghamton University believe that the primary purpose of yawning is to control brain temperature. Apparently our brains operate more efficiently when cool, and that yawning is a physical adaptation that has evolved to provide maximum cooling of the brain.
Apparently they studied Australian parakeets (so much for being called a "bird brain") because they have relatively large brains, live wild in Australia, which is subject to frequent temperature swings, and, most importantly, do not engage in "contagious yawning", as humans and some other animals do. Contagious yawning is thought to be an evolved mechanism for keeping groups alert so they "remain vigilant against danger", according to the researchers. Makes sense to me. It also explains why people yawn when transitioning from sleep to a waking state, and how yawning doesn't occur and in fact can be counter productive in certain circumstances.
The article concludes stating that this new study on yawning changes the popular notion that yawns are mere signs of boredom. On the contrary, a commentator on the study states that "yawning more accurately reflects a mechanism that maintains attention, and therefore should be looked at as a compliment!"
I wonder if it also works to cool off "hot heads"?!
The full article can be found here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
