p2pnet World Headlines: Jan 9, 2010
MagicJack’s next act: Making cellphone fees disappear for home users Canadian Press
The company behind the magicJack, the cheap Internet phone gadget that’s been heavily promoted on TV, has made a new version of the device that allows free calls from cellphones in the home, in a fashion that’s sure to draw protest from cellular carriers. The new magicJack uses, without permission, radio frequencies for which cellular carriers have paid billions of dollars for exclusive licenses. YMax Corp., which is based in Palm Beach, Fla., said this week at the International Consumers Electronics Show that it plans to start selling the device in about four months for US$40, the same price as the original magicJack. As before, it will provide free calls to the U.S. and Canada for one year. The original magicJack is available in Canada. The new device is, in essence, a very small cellular tower for the home.
Behind the Warner Bros. and Netflix Accord New York Times
Earlier this week, Netflix cut a deal with Warner Bros. that will delay the availability of new Warner movies to Netflix subscribers by almost a month but expand the number of older Warner films available for digital streaming. Whether or not this is good for Netflix subscribers depends entirely on how they use the service. The deal was a compromise by both sides, according to interviews with Kevin Tsujihara, president of the Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, and Reed Hastings, Netflix’s chief executive. Warner, according to Mr. Tsujihara, didn’t want the availability of its films on Netflix to prevent people from paying full price to buy DVDs at retail.
Gay kiss ad wasn’t yanked as it never ran: Transit official Metro News
Uproar over a Virgin Mobile ad with a gay kiss that was reportedly pulled by Calgary Transit was the result of a mistake, according to officials. Online gay magazine Xtra.ca reported Thursday that Calgary Transit had pulled a Virgin Mobile ad depicting two men kissing while allowing an ad with a heterosexual kiss to remain. That’s false, according to transit spokesperson Ron Collins, and this was later confirmed by a retraction on Xtra.ca. The ad with the two men never made it to Calgary bus shelters, contrary to what Virgin told the magazine. [Also see Bell Virgin Mobile sex ad: gays kissing]
CES 2010: Genachowski Hits the Floor Broadcast Newsroom
Speaking at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas Jan. 8, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski described broadband as an “engine for economic growth” and emphasized that providing wireless broadband access will be an important component of the national broadband plan the Commission is currently formulating. But he did give some comfort to broadcasters, who are lobbying against the FCC reallocating part of their spectrum for mobile broadband applications, by acknowledging the importance of free over-the-air television for millions of Americans.
Facebook ‘bra colour’ status update craze ‘raising breast cancer awareness’ Telegraph
A new Facebook craze is sweeping the social networking site, where woman give details of their bra colour, to help raise awareness for breast cancer. Women have been giving details of their bra colour to help raise awareness for breast cancer on Facebook Photo: PA Thousands of female users – and some male ones – began updating their statuses on Friday with ‘beige’, ‘hot pink’, ‘crimson red’, ’sexy black and gold’ or even ‘nothing’. As online confusion raged and dozens of bloggers speculated about its meaning, it was disclosed it was part of a new campaign to help raise awareness for breast cancer.
Art Clokey dies at 88; creator of Gumby LA Times
Art Clokey, the creator of the whimsical clay figure Gumby, died in his sleep Friday at his home in Los Osos, Calif., after battling repeated bladder infections, his son Joseph said. He was 88. Clokey and his wife, Ruth, invented Gumby in the early 1950s at their Covina home shortly after Art had finished film school at USC. After a successful debut on “The Howdy Doody Show,” Gumby soon became the star of its own hit television show, “The Adventures of Gumby,” the first to use clay animation on television.
Elvis Babies BuzzFeed
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January, 2010
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