March 28th, 2013

Storify Announces A Paid VIP Plan With Liveblogging And Collaboration Features, Partners With BBC

storify logo

Storify has become a useful tool for media organizations trying to capture newsworthy or entertaining social media conversations for their readers, with its ability to combine tweets, photos, and more into an embeddable conversation. Today the company is announcing a VIP plan with features designed specifically for “media organizations, publishers or anyone wanting to deeply integrate social… → Read More

February 6th, 2013

BBC Aims For More Int’l Growth, Releases First Worldwide Sports App For iOS, Android Coming Soon

BBC Sport iOS app

The UK’s BBC began to test the waters for BBC Sport apps globally last summer with the launch of a special app featuring content from the London Olympics, and today that game is entering its next quarter: BBC Worldwide today released a new BBC Sport app for iOS, the first that will be made available to consumers outside the UK. The BBC says that an Android version will also be coming soon. → Read More

October 8th, 2012

BBC Builds Out Its iPlayer Empire With iPlayer Radio, New iOS And Web Apps For Radio Service

bbc radio 2 new iplayer interface

Another digital step forward for the UK’s BBC today, this time involving the corporation’s radio assets: the state-owned broadcaster today is launching iPlayer Radio a new, integrated mobile web and desktop app, along with a new standalone iPlayer Radio iOS app, significantly ramping up the functionality of its radio business on digital platforms with more video, better navigation and improved… → Read More

July 13th, 2012

BBC Launches Localized iOS, Android Olympics Apps (Video Not Included Internationally)

BBC Olympics app

The two-week countdown to the Olympics is on, and the big broadcasters are getting their ducks in line for how they will be streaming, tweeting, sharing, and generally filling your digital life with their own twists on the global sporting event. The latest development comes from the BBC, which today released the iOS and Android versions of its Olympics apps featuring text commentaries, news… → Read More

July 11th, 2012

What’s Driving Facebook’s Olympics Deal With NBC? A Battle With Twitter For TV Presence

Screen Shot 2012-07-11 at 1.20.04 AM

Facebook and NBC are expected to announce a partnership today for the London Olympic Games. In short, Facebook users will be reminded to watch NBC’s coverage and NBC viewers will be reminded to join the conversation on Facebook.

On the surface, it looks like a straightforward marketing partnership where Facebook gets web traffic plus promotion on TV, while NBC gets a more engaging viewer… → Read More

July 4th, 2012

Late, Expensive And Probably Redundant: YouView Finally Launches UK Digital TV Service

Screen shot 2012-07-04 at 11.37.44

Two years after it was meant to go live, and with a list of backers that includes the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Arqiva, BT and TalkTalk, YouView today finally crashed the UK TV party. Available by the end of July with a selection of major retailers, the service is based around an all-in-one set-top box that you can use without a subscription, which includes 100 digital TV and radio channels… → Read More

June 28th, 2012

Facebook Adds BBC As Latest Partner For Summer Sports Push With A New Streaming App

bbc facebook

Last week, Facebook staked out its claim as a prime destination for people looking for this summer’s Olympics coverage online. Today, the BBC threw its hat into the social media ring, too — it’s putting its sports coverage into a new Timeline app. The app, which is only accessible by UK users, is in beta form (pictured here) and live already: people can currently access streams of Wimbledon. That… → Read More

June 25th, 2012

If Everyone Got Their BBC Fix Through Netflix, Could It Wipe 80% Off BBC Worldwide’s Revenues?

bbcww image

The VoD service Netflix has been leading a charge for consumers to watch more on-demand, digital video — with its service aggregating TV and film content from a number of media players now attracting more than 25 million subscribers, and bringing new audiences to that content. But just how much of an impact on traditional, physical sales are digital companies like Netflix making if they were to… → Read More

December 20th, 2011

Netflix lines up BBC for early 2012 launch in UK, Ireland

Starting in early 2012, when Netflix is set to make its debut in the UK and Ireland, registered members will be able to instantly stream available content on their television sets, tablets, game consoles, computers and mobile phones.

In the beginning of November, the video streaming giant signed up MGM as its first content provider for the regions, and this morning Netflix announced a new digital… → Read More

December 20th, 2011

Netflix Lines Up BBC For Early 2012 Launch In UK, Ireland

bbc

Starting in early 2012, when Netflix is set to make its debut in the UK and Ireland, registered members will be able to instantly stream available content on their television sets, tablets, game consoles, computers and mobile phones.

In the beginning of November, the video streaming giant signed up MGM as its first content provider for the regions, and this morning Netflix announced a new… → Read More

December 6th, 2011

BBC’s Global iPlayer Heads To The iPhone, iPod touch

bbciPlayer

While not everyone would agree, I’m firmly of the belief that news (and most everything) sounds much better delivered in a British accent.

The BBC’s new global iPlayer app, which has launched in more than 11 western European countries, offers up much more than just your daily news, but is chock-full of fun words like “arse,” “blimey,” and one of my personal favorites, “daft.” If you’re into… → Read More

December 5th, 2011

The BBC’s Entire Hour-Long Facebook Special Is Pulled From YouTube

The BBC did an hour-long special on Facebook, including interviews with Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg, as well as cameos by Ron Conway, David Kirkpatrick, and others. The entire video is now on Youtube. Update: Well, that was fast. One version’s been pulled down, but more are popping up.

It’s kind of funny to watch. “Even the Queen is on Facebook,” the British reporter marvels. The show… → Read More

March 30th, 2011

Tesla Sues BBC For Libel Claiming Top Gear Rigged Tests, BBC "will be vigorously defending"

Top Gear fans? Remember the episode from a few years back where the crew tried to flog the Tesla Roadster? Yeah, it didn’t end so well for the Tesla after Clarkson started off praising the little electric supercar. The entire segment is embedded for your viewing enjoyment after the jump, but the skinny is that the Top Gear testers sort of died prematurely — a few times. The first… → Read More

February 25th, 2011

Updated: Apple And The BBC To Co-Host iPad 2 Release Event?

Let the speculation begin. The BBC is holding an event next week, on the same day and exactly the same time that iPad 2 is to be announced. The Apple event starts at 10am PST and the BBC event starts at 6pm GMT (which are exactly the same). If true, it looks like there could be some video chatting between the two companies from across the pond. → Read More

February 9th, 2011

BBC's New iPlayer App Gets A Hands-On

We heard about the BBC’s new iPad app for the iPlayer service yesterday (Android users, be patient, it’s coming), but the player itself escaped description. Today brings a hands-on from Pocket-Lint, who pronounce the app very strong, though the lack of offline viewing, they say, is troublesome. → Read More

February 9th, 2011

BBC To Launch On-demand iPlayer App For Android And iPad

We first heard about the BBC’s iPlayer a few years ago and for awhile it wasn’t doing too well. Then more and more people started catching on to the whole ‘watch TV on your own time’ thing, and iPlayer got really popular. I blame part of that on great shows like the UK Office and Top Gear UK — too bad the US counterparts aren’t as desirable. To keep momentum moving, the BBC is planning on… → Read More

September 13th, 2010

Top Gear USA To Have A Stig

The much anticipated Top Gear USA debuts this fall on the History Channel, and until now, has lacked one important item: The Stig. That is until a new rumor has mention that there will be a Stig and the Stig will drive. → Read More

August 25th, 2010

The BBC Is Going To Wait This 3D TV Thing Out For Just A Little Bit Longer

The Beeb: not a fan of 3D TV. Well, not a fan of the confusion surrounding its deployment. The BBC, in a recent interview, said that it’s not sure which direction 3D TV is heading, so it cannot commit to anything, much less a full deployment, any time soon. → Read More

How publishers are trying to kill off publicly-owned tech media outlets

It’s a trend that is highly unlikely to happen in the US due to its ubiquitous privatization of, well, everything. However in good old Europe, where control of the media is often under the hood of governmental institutions such as the BBC in the UK, or ARD in Germany, on the one hand, and in the hands of private media companies on the other, problems can arise.

More recently this has happened to… → Read More

May 26th, 2010

BBC Adds Twitter And Facebook To Socialise Its On Demand Service

The BBC’s video on demand service, iPlayer is introducing social networking features which should further boost the uptale of Twitter and Facebook in the UK – as if they needed any boosting. The new iPlayer Beta is set to go live officially at the end of June.

Twitter, Facebook and Windows Live Messenger will be linked to a user’s “BBC ID” which they get when they register on BBC.co.uk. Users… → Read More

March 22nd, 2010

BBC Wildlife magazine shares secrets online

One great thing about the internet is the number of people offering advice. Of course, sometimes you need to take that advice with a grain of salt, but photography advice is usually safe. Case in point; BBC’s Wildlife Magazine published a series of Photo Masterclasses in 2006/2007. The information still holds true now (theory rarely changes) and is definitely worth a read. → Read More

November 17th, 2009

BBC News appoints a Twitter newbie as Social Media Editor

[UK] Yep. You read that right. News has broke that the BBC News’ newly appointed Social Media Editor hasn’t signed up to Twitter prior to today. In other words, he’s a newbie. As a result, let’s just say that there’s a bit of a Twitter storm brewing. → Read More

June 29th, 2009

One of our interns makes it big by carrying a Walkman for a week

Wee Scott Campbell of Aberdeen, Scotland is 13 years old and sent us an email last week asking if he could write for us. What he lacks in physical age he makes up for in chutzpah. And so, much to my surprise, I wake up this morning to discover young Campbell on BBC comparing an iPod to a Walkman with his mum and generally impressing the heck out of us.

The bairn writes:

My dad had told me it was… → Read More

May 17th, 2009

If The Watchdogs Are Saved: Ethical Repercussions Of A Newspaper Bailout

The somewhat depressing and controversial possibility of a newspaper bailout turned into a stone-cold reality in the past few months as politicians, including Sen. John Kerry, Sen. Ben Cardin and President Obama, have hinted at giving the newspaper industry a life vest to save a sinking industry.

Kerry, in his dire remarks at the Senate hearing on “Future of Journalism” a few weeks ago, made→ Read More

May 7th, 2009

$100K TyphoonHD4 used underwater for the first time

So the BBC has an upcoming six-part series dubbed South Pacific and to help create some hype for the show they released this footage of Dylan Longbottom in “a 12 foot monster barrel wave.” Before I spout off about why that statement is ridiculous I’ll get through the rest of the nitty gritty.

Aussie cameraman Bali Strickland was in the water filming Longbottom with a specially outfitted → Read More

April 17th, 2009

Who says DRM is difficult to understand?

The BBC has released this helpful infographic to let everyone out there know that DRM isn’t just simple — it’s fun! Of course, you’d have to be a goddamn PhD of doublespeak to make any sense of it, but who isn’t these days? → Read More

December 10th, 2008

Broadcast 2.0 and BBC's iPlayer

“Broadcast 2.0″: a swanky new term for the convergence of Internet video and social media. BBC is working on integrating this idea into their iPlayer, launched a year ago in December 2007. Anthony Rose, head of the iPlayer online broadcasting project for the BBC, is working towards a social networking player where your friends are going to choose what you watch. Upcoming iPlayer… → Read More

August 8th, 2008

BBC loses precious children’s data

Really, your child is not that cute. Yes, I’m sure you think your child is adorable, but unfortunately, he, she or it just doesn’t have what we are looking for. Thank you for your time… and your information. The BBC is responsible for a stolen data stick that contained the private information of hundreds of children. The group of children auditioned for an upcoming BBC show, called… → Read More

July 3rd, 2008

Don’t forget your phone at the future store

At Germany’s new grocery story of the future (already in use by residents of the present) shoppers can use mobile phones to check out while they shop. The store has created free software for your phone that allows you to use your camera to capture barcodes as you shop. Once finished, just press a button and all your purchases come up as a single bar code. Slide your phone under the barcode… → Read More

May 20th, 2008

BBC Natural History Collection heading to Blu-ray

Want to show off your fancy new HDTV and Blu-ray player? Yes, you do! This summer will see the release of “The BBC High-Definition Natural History Collection,” a collection of some of the best high-def nature programming money can buy. The collection has a few episodes from series like “Planet Earth” (which is amazing, by the way), “Galapagos” and “Wild… → Read More