Iraqi stations launched online by JumpTV
By STOKELY BAKSH
UPI Technology Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 (UPI) — Starting in February, five independent Iraqi broadcast stations will be streamed online through a partnering up with the New York-based online TV service JumpTV.
Calling itself the world’s leading online television network, JumpTV has over 100 channels from nearly 50 countries appealing especially to expatriates from countries including India, Columbia, Dominican Republic, Bangladesh and Eastern Europe.
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Portable tourist guides now in service
By STOKELY BAKSH
UPI Technology Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Jan. 27 (UPI) — Your iPod might be your next tourist guide if you find yourself in Ireland, just one more example how countries are adapting with evolving technologies to intrigue a new generation of tourists.
A small number of entrepreneurs have already latched onto this idea as national tourism is hitting the bandwagon too.
Dublin Tourism is launching iWalks — the first in a series of podcasts or audio guides available to tourists, as one way to help boost its tourism business.
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By STOKELY BAKSH
UPI Technology Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Jan. 25 (UPI) — More Americans who search online for a new home are more likely to purchase a house through a real-estate agent than a non-Internet user, says a recent survey from the National Association of Realtors.
The survey revealed 81 percent of online home searches bought a house through a real-estate agent, compared with 63 percent of non-Internet users. These non-Internet users were most likely to buy directly from the builder or the owner.
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Watch out iPod, Mobile TV is under way
By STOKELY BAKSH
UPI Technology Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 (UPI) — Portable television may have just gotten a lot easier, now that the wireless industry is checking into mobile TV.
A new alliance of wireless and technology companies are jumping on the bandwagon to do just that, including Intel, Motorola, Modeo, Nokia and Texas Instruments.
The Mobile DTV Alliance aims at promoting an open standard in North America for broadcast digital TV reception on mobile devices called Digital Video Broadcasting-Handheld (DVB-H).
Converging media is nothing new and the mobile phone is no exception. The mobile industry continues to look for ways to incorporate consumer electronics such as the camcorder, the still camera, audio player, with wireless, Bluetooth, WiFi, UWB technology all onto the cell phone.
And digital TV is the next step.
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Anti-abortion bloggers convene in Washington
By STOKELY BAKSH
UPI Technology Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 (UPI) — Technology is playing an integral role in delivering the anti-abortion message, say those in the movement, but better communication between bloggers as well as firsthand reporting is needed, agreed prominent anti-abortion bloggers Monday at their first annual conference.
Anti-abortion bloggers convened at the Family Research Council to discuss strategic uses of the blogosphere to communicate Christian anti-abortion messages prior to the 33rd annual March for Life in Washington.
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iPods — or can we call them iPodsicians?
By STOKELY BAKSH
UPI Technology Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 (UPI) — iPods are no longer just basic MP3 players — now they are portable musicians, or iPodsicians, too.
With portable media devices taking center stage — literally — the transformation of the iPod may slowly erode the landscape of traditional audio and visual stage performances.
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Euro political blogs lagging behind U.S.
By STOKELY BAKSH
UPI Technology Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 (UPI) — Blogging in America has been transformed into a political watchdog post shaking up today’s political and journalistic worlds; however, the same effect hasn’t made a significant stir in European affairs.
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Digital killed the video store
By STOKELY BAKSH
UPI Technology Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 (UPI) — The livelihood of video stores and online rentals might be numbered, now that the video-download movement is underway.
The dawn of convenient video downloads of movie and television shows follows in the steps of audio music and music videos, and more companies are jumping on the bandwagon, trying to tap into a chunk of this growing industry.
A number of companies have already introduced video services or new technologies that support video download.
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‘Sirius’ secrets, serious cash
By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 (UPI) — Shock Jock Howard Stern kicked off his first satellite radio show Monday morning, satisfying many of his fans with his intended segment and cliff-hanger “Revelations.”
The segment that wasn’t allowed to air by Infinity Broadcasting/CBS Radio would have had listeners’ pair anonymous deep secrets shared by the show’s staff that includes getting caught for adultery, cosmetic surgery, sex with vegetables and spending $10,000 on Internet porn.
Stern also revealed new announcer Star Trek’s George Takei and denied a marriage with long-time girlfriend and model Beth Ostrosky, discrediting rumors that the couple married in Mexico.
Getting a $500 million deal over the next five years for his satellite show, Stern’s paycheck continues to grow as a result of Sirius exceeding its subscription targets.
He received 34 shares worth $220 million for Sirius meeting its target, set in 2004 upon Sirius’ deal with Stern when shares were worth about $110 million.
The four-hour Howard Stern Show airing on weekday mornings on two channels will be joined with controversial Florida-based radio personality Bubba “The Love Sponge” Clem as the weekday afternoon host on Howard 101. The fellow shock jock lost his job with Clear Channel Communications after “he incurred a record $755,000 fine from federal regulators — just before company officials were due to face Congress to talk about broadcast indecency,” St. Petersburg Times Media Critic Eric Deggans reported.
Other shows include Howard 100 News, bedtime stories on Tissue Time with Heidi and Ben and Ray Stern discusses Stern’s childhood on Meet the Sterns.
Stern’s satellite show also ends his feud with Clear Channel Communications Inc. and his 25-year conflict with Federal Communications Commission censors.
“There is no other personality like Howard Stern in the world of entertainment,” said Sirius President Scott Greenstein in a statement, “and he is finally on SIRIUS Satellite Radio where he will be given the freedom and support to create and perform. Today we are seeing just the beginning of this remarkable pioneering force.”
With the addition of Stern in its 2006 line-up, Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. nearly tripled its subscriber base in 2005, ending with 3.3 million subscribers, an increase of 2.1 million from 600,000 in 2004, more than they expected.
Of those subscribers, it gained 1.4 million in the fourth quarter alone prior to Stern’s debut, beating XM Satellite Radio Holdings 900,000 new subscribers in the fourth quarter.
Still, XM leads the two-company-industry closing out the year with more than 6 million subscriptions, with the addition of 2.7 million subscribers in 2005.
Next year will prove to be an interesting year for satellite radio as subscriptions continue to climb and with the addition of more celebrities taking to the airwaves which includes Stern joined by Martha Stewart and Bruce Springsteen on Sirius and Bob Dylan and Snoop Dog on XM.
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Author feature: Counterfeiting
By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent
Published January 9, 2006
WASHINGTON — A booming knockoff community might be the product of evolving technology and inefficient law enforcement, according to one counterfeit expert.
Counterfeiting is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world, worth more than $500 billion and accounting for 7 percent of the world’s trade, according to business journalist and broadcaster Tim Phillips in his book “Knockoff: The Deadly Trade in Counterfeit Goods.”
United Press International interviewed Phillips about the growth of this prosperous but illegal global industry.
ID theft a concern for new year
By Stokely Baksh Jan 3, 2006, 22:54 GMT
WASHINGTON, DC, United States (UPI) — Forget about losing excess pounds — what consumers really should resolve for the New Year is protecting their identity, security experts warn.
