mobile

Because the [itvt] editorial team is busy working on The TV of Tomorrow Show (March 3rd-4th in San Francisco) and on our new EBIF Intensive event (March 5th in San Francisco), we will be covering most stories in summary/round-up form over the next few weeks. Here is a round-up of interactive TV content news for the past few days:

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) last week announced the launch of a new mobile phone application that will initially be available for iPhone/iPod touch, BlackBerry and Android handheld devices, and that the company says will subsequently support "dozens" of additional handhelds. "The TCM mobile device application is the ultimate mobile experience for classic film fans and is an important part of our strategy to solidify TCM's position as a lifestyle brand," Dennis Adamovich, TCM's SVP of brand and digital activation, said in a prepared statement.

Broadcast network, CBS, and action sports programmer, Fuel TV, both announced the availability of free, video-enabled iPhone/iPod touch applications in the Apple App Store Wednesday.

In a posting on its corporate blog, Wednesday, mobile advertising and analytics specialist, Medialets, announced that it has developed and launched an interactive video ad for "Contra," the latest album from the indie rock band, Vampire Weekend. The ad--which is designed both to raise awareness of the new album and to drive direct downloads from the iTunes Music Store--is currently running within the NPR News iPhone app.

Akoo, a Chicago-based company that operates a social music television network for out-of-home environments, announced Wednesday that the US Patent and Trademark Office has awarded it a patent (#7,647,613) covering "an apparatus and method of using mobile devices to select on-demand content and socially interact with programming across networked digital video and Internet protocol (IP) television services through SMS text messaging or mobile applications."

According to Akoo, the patented technology currently powers its out-of-home social music TV network. However, the company says, its "patent portfolio strategy includes additional applications in the home, as well as across multiple platforms, including social media, mobile, and gaming consoles."

CastUP, a subsidiary of interactive TV and conditional access technology provider, NDS, that specializes in IP streaming media products and CDN systems, on Tuesday announced the launch of an end-to-end video delivery solution for the Apple iPhone.

Interactive TV software developer, Zodiac Interactive (note: the company's EBIF user agent is being deployed by MSO Cablevision--see the article published on itvt.com, November 5th), on Monday unveiled the latest version (2.5) of its PowerUp ITV framework, a cross-platform software that the company bills as unifying and enabling advanced interactive TV applications across multiple set-tops, including legacy boxes.

Sky News said Monday that its iPhone/iPod touch application has been downloaded over a million times since its launch last May. The UK satellite TV operator's news arm also announced Monday that it is launching a new mobile Internet service. (Note: Last week, Sky News also announced the launch of an interactive TV widget for the Yahoo! Widget Engine--see the article published on itvt.com, January 11th.)

CBS's CBS News and CBS Mobile arms announced Wednesday the launch of the "CBS News Katie Couric" iPhone/iPod touch application in the Apple App store (note: Couric is the anchor of "CBS Evening News," and arguably CBS's most high-profile news personality).

A number of pieces of connected TV news came across [itvt]'s desk, Tuesday. Here is a brief--and by no means exhaustive--round-up (note: also see "Vudu Unveils Vudu Apps OTT Service," "ActiveVideo Networks in Deal to Provide Blockbuster with Cloud-Based User Interface," and "Showtime Networks, Betfair Launch Interactive TV Widgets"):

Here is a round-up of some other interactive TV-related stories we didn't have room for in this issue:

Premium programmer, HBO, has launched a free iPhone/iPod touch application in the Apple App Store. According to the company, the app, which was designed by Atimi Software, is designed to provide an "in-depth, interactive experience" that incorporates a range of branded entertainment, including video clips and in interactive episode guide. "We think the HBO App for iPhone and iPod touch will quickly attract both HBO's loyal fans as well as new consumers," HBO's VP of brand strategy, Alison Moore, said in a prepared statement.

As expected, the BBC governing body, the BBC Trust, has provisionally approved the BBC's further participation in Project Canvas, an initiative on which the corporation is partnering with UK public service broadcasters, ITV, Channel 4 and Five, and UK ISP's, BT and Talk Talk, in order to attempt to develop a common standard and interface for the delivery of online catch-up services such as the BBC iPlayer, the ITV player and 4oD, as well as other Internet-based services (including VOD and interactive TV widgets), to broadband-connected Freeview and Freesat set-top boxes (note: the partn

Italian software company, Command Guru, recently produced an interactive, live streaming, fly-on-the-wall reality TV show, centering on the efforts of an international team of 10 developers, led by Cocoa guru, Aaron Hillegass (author of "Cocoa Programming for Mac OS X"), to develop a free, open source, social networking iPhone application in seven days ("from start-to-publish on the App Store").

Verizon announced Wednesday that it has launched an NBA League Pass interactive TV widget on its FiOS TV service. According to the company, the free widget allows viewers to order NBA League Pass, an NBA subscription package that provides up to 40 out-of-market live NBA games per week, via their remote control; and also provides them with instant access to headline news, player reports, game-time alerts and more.