#filmonik this sun,manc,uk at odderbar on ox rd, 7.30pm, i'll be showing my latest doc, G20 Climatecamp, see what really happened

#Mediacity UK have just put up a new video, check out my blog, Salford never looked so Pixar http://ping.fm/1bVo7

Media city Promo film

Media city UK 'Salford' the new video, what a nice place to work..

will be missing darkfibre jamie kings new film at FACT liverpool sat, Im promoting http://ping.fm/KPZgd at Cambridge film fest

New film ACTORS GUIDE TO SURVIVAL

The Actors Guide to Survival - the new documentary by Director/Producer Mark Ashmore is out now , 

see the trailer below and buy now at http://www.futureartists.co.uk

Netflix (USA's LOVEFILM) want to be on consoles

for more like this visit us at http://www.futureartists.co.uk

Netflix: We want to be on all consoles

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has said that the company intends to offer its service across a majority of home entertainment, including Sony and Nintendo consoles.

The company currently has an exclusive deal with Microsoft for the service in the US, but there have long been rumours that the movie rental and streaming business will eventually appear on the PlayStation 3 and Wii.

"Eventually we want to be on all the game consoles, all the Blu-ray players, all the internet TVs," Hastings told Reuters.

"So we are working in parallel with all of those efforts. Currently our Xbox deal is exclusive and we haven’t characterised it more than that."

Hastings also said the firm has its sights set on the mobile market, but home consoles are currently a higher priority for the company.

"(With) movie watching, we are not focused on mobile yet, but (instead) on the TV, on Blu-ray and on the videogame consoles. We will get to mobile eventually, including the iPhone."

Earlier this year Netflix denied it was looking at bringing its service to other consoles after a job posting said the company was looking for a candidate with "years of experience both building and leading the development of games on the current generation gaming consoles."

Over one million Xbox 360 users downloaded and activated Netflix in the first three months over Xbox Live, racking up over 1.5 billion minutes of viewing, according to Microsoft.

the actors guide to survival filmed at the edinburgh fringe in scotland is online to view now http://tiny.cc/29vWp : wud luv 2 hear feed bk

to all ACTORS check out my new film 'the actors guide to survival' trailer on youtube here http://tiny.cc/Mhoph please give feedback!! fame @fame

@Facebook brings in Tag like errr? #Twitter

Tag! You're It. Facebook Deploys a Twitter-Style '@' Tag

LATEST BIZFEED POSTS:

• Monday, September 14, 2009
  Intuit to Buy Free Online Rival Mint
• Monday, September 14, 2009
  Tag! You're It. Facebook Deploys a Twitter-Style '@' Tag
• Monday, September 14, 2009
  Intel's New 'Jasper Forest' Chip Improves Performance With Less Power
• Monday, September 14, 2009
  Windows 7 Moves People to the Cloud
• Saturday, September 12, 2009
  Why the Cliq Won't Click

ALL BIZFEED POSTS

MORE BUSINESS CENTER BLOGS

Facebook has just introduced the latest feature in its ongoing evolution to blur the lines between social networking and search engine- tags. The new ‘@' tags allow users to tag other users in posts and integrates a whole new realm of search capabilities.

Facebook already allowed users to tag photos to identify other Facebook contacts. Photos is using the term loosely. The reality is that you can tag any image just by pointing to a spot on in the image and then identifying which contact that spot should be linked to. This type of image tagging has led to all kinds of fun (as well as possible malware compromise).

The new tagging is in posts or status updates, though, rather than images. For example, if I write a post about going to my best friend's wedding, I can tag the post with my best friend's name. The tag will make it easy for other users who read my post to be able to link to and view all other status posts related to my friend no matter who wrote the posts. Its sort of like an instant search function with the tagged friend being the search term.

The new tagging is actually borrowed from Twitter, a rival social network.Twitter users use the ‘@' symbol followed by the name of other Twitter users as a means of tagging the user and providing a link to that user's profile. In terms of social networking it helps to extend the network of contacts and allow people to easily find and link with even more like-minded individuals.

Twitter users also use another form of tagging called hash tags. As the name implies, hash tags use a hash (#) symbol rather than the @ symbol. Where @ tags are used to identify other users, hash tags are used to identify keywords and help to index the message so others can find it.

For example, I might tweet "I can't believe he just did that on live TV" and add "#Kanye" to the end. The message itself, while it is about Kanye West's outburst during Taylor Swift's acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards, doesn't say specifically who it is about. The Twitter search index would not identify this message in a search for posts related to Kanye West, but adding the hash tag associates it with that keyword.

All of the tagging essentially boils down to delivering relevant, real-time search capabilities. The ability to interconnect and expand the network of influence is nice as well, but the grand prize for all of the tagging is the ability to quickly and easily index information as it is entered and provide a priceless wealth of searchable information in real time.

Facebook is continuing to innovate and explore new ways to leverage the vast network of users it has amassed. Blurring the line between social network, microblog, and search engine makes sense in the evolution of Web 2.0 and Facebook seems to be making progress delivering features and functions that attract and retain users.

Facebook could still learn a thing or two about how to develop user-friendly terms of service from Twitter though.

Tony Bradley is an information security and unified communications expert with more than a decade of enterprise IT experience. He tweets as @PCSecurityNews and provides tips, advice and reviews on information security and unified communications technologies on his site at tonybradley.com.

Michael Jackson - This is it

'This is it' the Michael Jackson movie , lets hope its better than moonwalker?

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Ricky Gervais actors studio

I have a lot of respect for Ricky Gervais, as a comedy perfomer, writer, director and producer, he is on fire here

UK tv industry grapples with 3D TV

Special Feature: Media Industry Develops 3D Vision

High-definition (HD) is only now beginning to gain critical mass in major TV markets. But already the production and distribution business is talking up the next revolution - 3D TV.

In the space of the last few months, there have been stories that both Sky and Channel 4 are to offer their viewers access to 3D content. There are also reports that Sony is planning to roll-out a 3D-enabled version of its Bravia television set during 2010.

Optimism around 3D is primarily down to the impact it has had in the theatrical market. New figures from the US show that 3D film releases have helped the movie business record a 4% increase in box office revenues year on year. Despite the fact that 3D tickets were being sold at a premium in the teeth of a recession, major releases such as Up, G-Force and Ice Age 3 were all given a dramatic boost by the new technology. In each case, 3D accounted for around half of ticket revenues - despite 3D only being available in a third of cinema screens.

Figures like that have got Hollywood extremely excited - with many insiders predicting that the 2D film industry could be virtually obsolete within 20 years (at least in genres like family entertainment). Walt Disney, for example, is in the midst of releasing a slate of eight Pixar-produced 3D movies - including new versions of Toy Story and Toy Story 2. With dozens of 3D films now in production or distribution, other headliners include Dreamworks' animation hit Monsters Vs Aliens and James Cameron's much-hyped science-fiction release Avatar.

Against this backdrop, it's not surprising that the TV industry also wants a piece of the action - though it's not yet clear it will generate the same kind of response as the movie box office.

Of the projects coming to the UK TV market, BSkyB's proposal for a 3D channel is the most sophisticated - though the company is not expecting massive uptake in 2010. Instead, it wants to experiment in the 3D space, evolving its offering so that it is ready for the moment when 3D TVs go mainstream.

In technological terms, Sky's current approach is an interim approach to delivering 3D - rather than a wholesale overhaul of 2D production technology. In the context of sport, for example, Sky's approach is to shoot action using two cameras side-by-side. The two images are then merged and played out via a TV screen. As a result, viewers wearing special 3D glasses are tricked into believing they are seeing a 3D image.

The glasses (so-called stereoscopic technology) are, for the time being, an essential part of the process - as they are in any 3D film and TV offering. And so is the need for a 3D-ready TV set if you want to experience the full capabilities of the medium. This is probably the biggest short-term obstacle to take-up since it requires consumers to buy new sets when many are just coming to terms with plasma and HD. To put it in perspective, Hyundai recently launched a 3D TV set in Japan which costs £2500 - a significant premium on HD TV sets.

Still, the big Japanese and Korean manufacturers are doing their best to stimulate global demand - having already seen decent levels of take up in their home markets over the last year. Sony Corporation CEO Sir Howard Stringer recently told the consumer electronics industry that Bravia TV sets, Vaio laptops, Playstation3 consoles and Blu-Ray DVD players compatible with 3D are all on their way. “3D is clearly on its way to the mass market," he claimed. "As with HD a few years back, there are a variety of issues to address. But the 3D train is on the track and we at Sony are ready to drive it home.”

Panasonic is also busy grappling with 3D. At recent trade shows, it has been showcasing developments in the field of gaming. It also has a Hollywood hothouse where it is developing 3D home entertainment package which includes a 3D plasma TV, Blu-ray player and the necessary glasses.

Of course, affordable sets is not the only issue here. As the roll-out of HD has shown us, there's no point having a 3D-ready TV set if there's no decent content to play out on it. Channel 4 is seeking to address this by running a simplified version of 3D this autumn using an established stereoscopic technology called ColorCode. In this case, it will offer a week of 3D programming which can be watched on an ordinary TV set (as opposed to a 3D-ready set). Highlights include footage of the Queen’s Coronation and a Derren Brown show. Viewers will be able to pick up a free pair of 3D glasses from Sainsbury’s in the week running up to the C4 experiment.

It's an interesting moment for 3D - because it will give us all an insight into whether viewers who have seen 3D in all its glory on a movie screen are happy to accept a simplified version in the context of TV. If it works, then it means the industry can move forward relatively quickly. But if C4's experiment with ColorCode disappoints then it may make people less inclined to spend heavily on a new 3D set.

The folk at Sky are masters of marketing and have already shown that it is possible to drive HD channel sales by linking them to Sky+ technology. So perhaps they will find ways to incentivise take-up of 3D by attaching its rollout to other parts of the offering. But even if they do, it won't be possible for Sky to employ the kind of simplified technology being used by C4 - because it needs to position 3D as a premium offering to customers who are already paying £500-600 a year in subs.

A few Hollywood 3D films isn't enough in itself - so Sky will need to look at the potential for 3D live sports coverage. Experiments by Fox Sport in the US with NFL show that enhanced sport is popular with fans - but it is also expensive to produce. Sky is investing in other forms of content - notably a 3D version of Are You Smarter Than A 10 Year-Old and a 3D performance of Swan Lake by the English National Ballet. But the reality is that Sky can't do it alone and will need to see third party investment in 3D drama, documentary, events and animation before it has a fully-functioning offering. That could take a matter of years - because it requires risk investment from both producers and channels, many of whom are still in the midst of absorbing the incremental cost of HD content.

Of course, Sky is in no hurry for the market to take off - since it is doing very well from other areas of its business. So while it waits for the manufacturers to develop affordable sets and wage the inevitable format war, it can perfect its 3D system and monitor the reaction among audiences. There are, for example, question-marks over whether 3D can work as well in the living room as it can in the cinema. One obvious difference is that people who go to the cinema have made an appointment-to-view with 3D content. But in the TV lounge, you're dealing with a fluid audience - chopping and changing channels and walking in and out of the room. In this context, the need to wear 3D glasses might quickly become a bore - unless you're dealing with rarified water-cooler events. But if that's the case how do you make a profitable 3D business?

One solution could be technologies which dispense with the need for glasses altogether - though again there's a cost implication. Philips and LG, for example, have both showcased 3D TVs that do not require glasses. But they cost much more than conventional sets. There's also a consumer experience issue to resolve. While glasses can cause headaches and eyestrain, there have been reports that autostereoscopic technologies (ie no glasses) can cause nausea - which means their main commercial use to date is digital advertising panels.

Behind all of this debate, there is also the question of how it affects other players in the 3D chain. Not surprisingly, a lot of attention has been paid to the image acquisiton end of the market. But what about the post-production sector? Here there is also likely to be the need for extra investment - with market-leaders like Avid already bringing 3D workflow solutions to market. And it's not just about technology. The Hollywood and game industry experience suggests new skillsets will need to be developed if post-houses and producers are to deliver the new visual grammar which will allow 3D to reach its potential.

Apple's iPod refresh: What you need to know

by Josh Lowensohn

• Font size

Apple on Wednesday unveiled a refreshed lineup of iPods, as well as new iTunes, and iPhone/iPod Touch system software at an invite-only event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in downtown San Francisco.

While there were no tablet computers, or an updated version of the Apple TV (as rumors had suggested), Apple's CEO Steve Jobs surprised everyone by anchoring the keynote, making it his first public appearance since October 2008.

Read on to get a quick overview of what was announced, and why it matters.

 

Price cuts and new hardware

Apple introduced an updated version of the iPod Nano that sports a built-in video camera and microphone located on the lower left-hand side. It also features a slightly larger 2.2-inch display, up from 2 inches. There is still no Wi-Fi or built-in Web browser, so users will first have to sync the videos to their computers to access and edit the files. The upgraded device also has an FM tuner, a feature iPod users have been pining for, for a very long time.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs takes to the stage once again to demo the new camera and FM tuner-equipped iPod Nanos.

(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET)

The new iPod Nano will come in two versions, one 8GB ($149), and one 16GB ($179). That represents a $20 price cut on the high end. The system software also makes use of some of the added features in iTunes 9, like Genius Mixes. And it's inherited the VoiceOver control from its siblings, the iPod Shuffle and Touch.

The buttonless iPod Shuffle remains, though there are new colors, capacities and a lower entry price. The new 2GB flavor, which is available in five colors, runs $59, along with the same colors in a 4GB version that costs $79. There's also a $99, 4GB "special edition" that's made of polished stainless steel and currently available only at Apple's online and retail stores.

The low end of the iPod Touch line got price cuts, and the device got capacity bumps on the higher end. The 8GB model is now $199, down from $229. Meanwhile, the 16GB model has been shelved in favor of a 32GB version, which costs $299. At the high end, users can now get a 64GB model, which runs $399. Both the 32GB and 64GB models are packing faster internals, similar if not the same to the recently released iPhone 3GS, and are now capable of OpenGL ES 2.0 which boosts 3D performance.

The iPod Classic remains untouched in features and price, although the capacity has been bumped from 120GB to 160GB.

 

New software

iPhone/iPod OS 3.1

Apple announced the release Wednesday of OS 3.1, which will be a free update to both iPhone and iPod Touch owners.

With 3.1, users on both platforms can now get Genius recommendations for applications they've purchased. These show up in the App Store app, as well as in iTunes, and function in a similar fashion to Genius for music. It takes your purchase information and sends it to Apple, which will analyze it for similar purchases, and offer up recommendations. This may end up being a more precise system since there are fewer apps than music tracks.

3.1 also adds a new security feature for iPhone owners--the capability to lock down the device over the air using MobileMe. Previously, if your phone was lost or stolen, this feature would only be enabled if the user had set it that way.

iTunes 9

Apple introduced a new version of iTunes, which offers iPhone and iPod Touch users a way to better organize applications they have added to the device. Users can now drag and drop apps to multiple home screens at once, instead of doing so on the device itself.

iPhone and iPod Touch users can now rearrange apps on their home screen right in iTunes, instead of on the device itself.

(Credit: Apple)

Another new feature in iTunes 9 that users in households are sure to enjoy is something called Home Sharing. This lets you automatically sync purchases across multiple computers within a household. This means they don't have to be redownloaded, or transferred from portable devices, which can save time if you're in a hurry.

The Genius feature and DJ feature have been mashed together to create something called Genius Mixes. The software can create multiple stations of music without the user having to pick a song for it to start from.

The software also has a new purchase-centric feature called iTunes LP, that adds a handful of digital pack-ins to purchased albums such as liner notes, photos, videos, lyrics, and links to online resources. This confirmed rumors Apple had been cooking up such a feature going back earlier this year.

In the same vein of iTunes LP, there's iTunes Extras--basically repackaged bonus features from movies and TV shows. This aims to add a little more value to rented and purchased video content, and steer customers toward Apple's store instead of some of the competition.

 

Other tidbits

• Apple is now offering 30,000 ready-made ringtones for $1.29 a pop. These come from all four major labels, and differ from the current system, which allows you to make your own ringtone from any song you've purchased from the store for a fee of 99 cents. The new system cuts out the need to even buy the song.

• Apple has sold 30 million iPhones since the launch of the device.

• More than 20 million iPod Touches have been sold.

• More than 100 million iPod Nanos have been sold.

• Users have downloaded 1.8 billion apps from a catalog of more than 75,000.

• Apple has 100 million registered iTunes users.

• Users have submitted more than 27 million music libraries to contribute to the Genius feature, totaling 54 billion songs.

• iPhone developer Tapulous demonstrated an upcoming title called Riddim Ribbon that lets players race on their own music tracks. Looks quite similar to PC title Audiosurf.

• EA demonstrated Madden 10 which uses virtual, onscreen controls.

• Gameloft has had 20 million game downloads. The company demonstrated a new first-person shooter game called Nova that's reminiscent of Halo.

Correction: This post initially included some incorrect pricing information. The OS 3.1 update only costs money for those who had not yet upgraded to 3.0 or higher. Also, the iPod Shuffle price cut refers to the 2GB model.

Tesco links with microsoft to cut out distrobuters

Microsoft to launch virtual DVD service in U.K.

by Lance Whitney

Microsoft is bringing the DVD experience to downloadable movies--at least in the U.K.

Teaming up with U.K. retail giant Tesco, Microsoft announced Wednesday a new service to offer consumers downloadable videos with the same interactivity, special features, and high quality found on physical DVDs.

Based on Microsoft's Silverlight technology, the "virtual DVD" service will start sometime this fall. It will allow Tesco customers who buy certain movies to also download digital copies of the flicks for their Windows or Mac computers. Besides providing high-quality video, the digital versions will include bonus content, related MP3 files and ringtones, and networked games. Tesco said it is working with "broad range of major movie studios" as part of the deal.

"For the first time, consumers will be able to enjoy a DVD equivalent experience with digital movies, which paves the way for more advanced viewing experiences enabled through Silverlight, Rob Salter, category director for Entertainment at Tesco, said in a statement. "In the future we expect to offer our customers innovative digital solutions that far exceed the DVD experience and deliver exclusive content, Web events, and services wherever and whenever they want them."

Tesco, a grocery chain, has taken advantage of technology to create new business ventures. The company has expanded its reach in recent years to create software and offer a Skype-like VoIP service.

Though the virtual DVD service initially will be available only in the U.K., Microsoft said it expects to branch out to additional markets.