NBCU, Time Warner, News Corp, Viacom, CBS, Disney and Discovery Communications are teaming to create a rival to the Nielsen metric system. The media conglomerate is also working with major advertisers like AT&T and Proctor & Gamble, as well as ad agencies WPP and Starcom MediaVest. The goal is to create accurate measurements across multiple platforms and hopes the new service will launch by the end of 2009.
Twitter announced that they will launch an official API for "retweeting" tweets. The goal is to provide accurate measurements and analytics for the value of passing a link on to a friend or follower. It is also a way for Twitter to stay on top of trending topics and control data analytics.
Microsoft is finally set to make Outlook available for Mac's. The email application will be packaged with the Microsoft's Windows Office Suite beginning next year. The move comes after Apple announced that OS X will support Microsoft Exchange beginning this month.
AT&T has filed a complaint with the FCC over Cablevision withholding access to HD sports programming. The suit is very similar to a complaint filed by Verizon last month. AT&T claims that FCC law states that cable providers cannot control content provided by customers of competing services.
Les Paul, father of the electric guitar passed away yesterday. One of the god father's of rock and roll, whose signature line of guitars is still a mainstay for Gibson, was smart, funny, a consummate performer, a great musician and a brilliant inventor. Les Paul was 94.
Shelly Palmer is a consultant and the host of MediaBytes with Shelly Palmer a daily show featuring news you can use about technology, media & entertainment. He is Managing Director of Advanced Media Ventures Group LLC and the author of Television Disrupted: The Transition from Network to Networked TV. Shelly is also President of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. You can join the MediaBytes mailing list here. Shelly can be reached at shelly@palmer.net For information about Get Digital Classes, visit www.shellypalmer.com/seminars