Month: August 2003

Kobe drifting into irrelevance?

The 18-year-old James, whose storied high-school career generated multiple national television appearances and landed him on the cover of Sports Illustrated, signed a six-year endorsement deal with Coca-Cola Co. (KO.N) brands Sprite and Powerade, the company said on Thursday. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. James has not yet played a minute of … Read moreKobe drifting into irrelevance?

CAPTCHA-ing the Spammer

Chances are, you’ve been CAPTCHAd. Since the Internet spam problem reached epidemic proportions several months back, an increasing number of Web-based e-mail services and antispam applications have started using CAPTCHA (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart) against the online bots spammers so often use to carry out their dirty deeds. … Read moreCAPTCHA-ing the Spammer

Key FCC broadband rules expected soon

The Federal Communications Commission is poised to release controversial rules that many believe will shape the future of the broadband and telecommunications business. After six long months of waiting, the Federal Communications Commission is poised to release controversial rules that many believe will shape the future of the broadband and telecommunications business. In February, the … Read moreKey FCC broadband rules expected soon

Digital-cable devices could hit retail

Last month, a bill was introduced in the House of Representatives that would require the FCC to adopt a proposal for a digital TV standard developed by dozens of cable operators and consumer electronics companies. The proposal pushes for a national “plug-and-play” standard for digital TVs that would not require set-top boxes. Its approval would … Read moreDigital-cable devices could hit retail

Cable Ops Fast-Forward DVR Roll-Out, Have No Plans For Special Ads

Beyond the commercial-skipping capability that gives advertisers and agencies pause, DVRs offer the possibility of addressable and long-form ads that can be served directly to the user’s hard drives. That possibility is already a reality at TiVo, which has agreements with entertainment companies and automakers for its so-called Showcases. Yet two MSOs speeding deployment of … Read moreCable Ops Fast-Forward DVR Roll-Out, Have No Plans For Special Ads

Financial Privacy Bill Advances

The California State Assembly overwhelmingly approved a bill Monday that will impose what could be the toughest financial privacy standards in the nation, barring companies from sharing all sorts of personal data from individuals’ phone numbers to their bank balances. The bill, authored by State Sen. Jackie Speier (D-San Francisco), requires insurance companies, banks and … Read moreFinancial Privacy Bill Advances

Net video to become a staple for cable?

Video on demand is a growing business for cable companies, according to a new study that predicts that 15 million cable subscribers worldwide will be paying for the feature by 2007. Video on demand (VOD) is a service offered by cable companies that lets subscribers order movies any time of day and control the video … Read moreNet video to become a staple for cable?

ASPEN, Colo.–Antispam proposals in Congress are not strict enough and would do more harm than good, the chairman of the Federal Trade Commission said Tuesday. In a strongly worded criticism of current legislation, Tim Muris characterized the dozen or so bills as well intentioned, but he warned they “will do little to solve the current … Read more

Full steam ahead for ferry Wi-Fi in Washington state

Long said the ferry system, which serves 15,000 commuters a day in the Puget Sound region, received federal funding for a feasibility study of Wi-Fi service in July and began planning for the service yesterday with its contractor, Mobilisa Inc. in Port Townsend, Wash. The funding of about $1 million means it’s full steam ahead … Read moreFull steam ahead for ferry Wi-Fi in Washington state