Mobilizedtv

Digital Holllywood: Discussing Broadband Content

Moderated by Interactive TV Alliance CEO Allison Dollar, a group of panelists discussed the issues involved in creating successful business models and creative content for broadband platforms: Jen Pate and Barb Machen, co-creators and co-executive producers of “Jen and Barb: Mom Life,” Oren Katzeff, vp/gm. Demand Media Entertainment (which runs Crack); Rafi Fine, co-CEO of Fine Brothers Film; Mark Warshaw, chief interactive officer/co-founder of The Alchemist; and Will C. Rogers, CEO of Rooftop Comedy.

So What’s Happening in Mobile Content? Powerful Devices and Fast Data Networks Have Changed the Game

Since the beginning, content developed for mobile phones has been a game of low bandwidth and slow processing speeds. Like a painter who is tasked with creating art on a very small canvas with only one color, mobile content developers did as much as they could with the resources at their disposal. Fast forward to now.

The game of low bandwidth and slow processing speeds is ending very, very quickly. High speed networks and mobile broadband are becoming increasingly ubiquitous.

Nokia Opens Hollywood Research Center

In another breaking story, MobilizedTV reports that Nokia just opened a Nokia Research Center in Hollywood, headed by Rebecca Allen, previously a senior research scientist at MIT Media Lab Europe. Allen discusses what the Research Center will be up to in the coming months. A Spielberg iPhone app, anyone?

Social Networking: Money Maker or a Collection of Address Books?

At a panel on social networking, Cellufun, Tiny Pictures, JYGY.com, and Bluepulse discussed whether social networking is really a money-maker for mobile content providers. Each company exec described how they defined social networking and integrated it–or not–into their platform. “It boils down to the definition of social networking,” said one panelist.

Miss Playboy Mobile: First Step in a Global Mobile Strategy

Playboy Mobile announced Miss Playboy Mobile 2008, at the CTIA conference in Las Vegas. Sponsored by THQ Wireless and Viva! Vision, Miss Playboy Mobile is part of a strategy to bring the Playboy brand to the mobile space. MobilizedTV speaks here with Ed Lang, svp/gm of mobile and international online for Playboy Enterprises.

WheelsTV & Azuki Partner for Mobile Vehicle Channel

WheelsTV started online ten years ago as a site for car reviews. Next it became a digital network, licensing its content to distributors like Comcast and AOL and sites like Auto Trader and Vehix. Now, it’s going mobile, thanks to a partnership with Azuki.

Abigail’s X-Rated Teen Diary: It’s not what you’re thinking…

Abigail’s X-Rated Teen Diary is really G-rated. But I got your attention, right? That’s the aim of creator Hayden Black, a very funny guy who has created the persona of a teen-aged girl afflicted by a rare disease that makes her look like a 30-something bearded guy. And she’s a huge hit among the largely 12 to 24-year old demographic.

Big Brother Goes Mobile

CBS’ “Big Brother 10″ doesn’t just live on the TV screen. AirPlay, a multi-player TV game developer, created an interactive challenge that users could engage with on their mobile phones or the Internet. It makes the most of the two-screen paradigm: young people (and maybe not so young people) are always on their computer and/or mobile phones while they’re watching TV.

ManiaTV’s Move to Mobile

Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dave Navarro…if you can’t get enough of them, you can download them (or a reasonable facsimile) to your mobile phone. Online TV network ManiaTV announced that all its franchised shows are going mobile, powered by Transpera. That includes Navarro’s Spread TV, and Comedy-on-Demand hosted by the National Lampoon Lemmings.

Marshall Herskovitz on the broadband biz post-quarterlife: Confused But Still Fighting

Marshall Herskovitz talked about the creation–and failure–of “quarterlife,” his attempt to launch an online property and then take it to TV. Though the series was successful on MySpace and YouTube, the NBC TV premiere was a disaster and NBC canceled after one episode. It was the fastest fall I’ve ever gone through in this business, and I’ve been through a few,” said Herskovitz.

New on the Scene: TileFile

TileFile, based in Sydney, Australia, has been in stealth mode for two years. With VC and Motorola money, the company is now debuting its specialized video/audio tiles to the U.S. and Australian markets. What if the front were the tile and the back was the social network?, mused CEO David Bolliger. Read more on how TileFile works for multiple platforms.

New on the Scene: Vringo

This company profile focuses on Vringo, which offers a way to share video clips between friends. Founded in 2006, Vringo lets people send ring-forward and ring-back video clips. At the heart of the application is social networking. Vringo is also interested in using avatars in the mobile environment.