The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is putting an end to its lawsuit strategy, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.The RIAA has sued thousands of people over the years for allegedly stealing music on the Internet — about 35,000 people since 2003 — but the group is reportedly looking for better ways to protect its members from online piracy.
Analysts said the lawsuit strategy wasn’t particularly effective, and caused public-relations issues. Indeed, the RIAA has in the past targeted single mothers, children and even a dead person. The RIAA’s new strategy is to enlist Internet service providers.
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December 23rd, 2008
In yet another HD video announcement, Roku on Monday unveiled support 
for streaming high-definition content.Roku is the digital-media technology company perhaps best known for its Netflix Player by Roku initiative. Roku launched a set-top box for Netflix in May to compete with the likes of Apple. The device allows Netflix subscribers to instantly stream the movie-rental service’s library of 10,000 movies and TV episodes directly to their TVs.
Now, Roku is promising instant streaming in high definition. By leveraging advanced compression technology, Roku said it can stream HD content over average consumer broadband connections. That, the company said, brings HD to the mass market at an affordable price. The Roku box is available for $99.
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December 23rd, 2008
How important is the Internet to you every day in uncertain economic times? If you’re like most U.S. adults, it ranks higher than many other activities, according to a report from Harris Interactive and Intel.Indeed, most U.S. adults find Internet access essential to daily life in today’s economic climate. Some are choosing the Internet as a “must-have” over watching TV and having sex.
A full 65 percent of adults said they don’t think they could live without Internet access. An even-larger 71 percent said it’s important or very important to have Internet-enabled devices, such as laptops, netbooks and mobile Internet devices, that serve up real-time updates on important issues like the state of the economy.
“It surprised me that 65 percent said they cannot live without the Internet. That’s two out of three people,” said Michelle Melamaud, an analyst at Harris Interactive. “The Internet is more important to most of our respondents than shopping for clothes. You need clothes — clothes are not an option.”
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December 16th, 2008
I am writing a story for SoBe Fit magazine that aims to answer the question “How fit are our companies?” The feature’s main focus revolves around South Florida’s corporate wellness programs and their rise in popularity, while also considering their presence and impact on a national level. We’ll also touch on subjects like: insurance costs and expenses related to the wellness of our workforce, who pays for what on the insurance front, employee incentives to stay healthy, the policy of salaries tied to weight gain/loss, what sectors work hardest to promote health and fitness among their employees, what incentives work to motivate employees, the actual cost of our healthcare, whether or not healthy employees are more productive, and unusual or alternative ways to deal with work-related ailments.
Have a source to recommend? Comment on my blog below and I’ll reach out if it’s a fit. Thanks!
December 15th, 2008
