You know Redbox, the big red “box” you’ve probably spied sitting outside your local grocery or drug or convenience store?
I first ran into one back in August 2008, just before I moved overseas, staged in the entryway of a …
Clicking & Streaming
How the Business of Streaming Music Will Change Culture…For the Better
The rise of the iPod and iTunes made it harder for labels to pack long-playing albums with subpar “filler” tracks. It also made it easier for music fans to fall for a hit single for the low price of 99 cents, arguably …
Spotify Releases Long-Awaited iPad App
While plenty of people are in love with Spotify’s all-you-can-stream desktop app, its mobile products have left many — including our own Jared Newman — wanting more. Today, Spotify filled a huge gap in its offerings by …
How Small E-Booksellers Could Help Break the Amazon-Apple Duopoly
It’s a scary time for publishers. Last Wednesday, the Department of Justice filed a major antitrust lawsuit against Apple and five big publishers for allegedly price-fixing e-books. The goal was apparently to prevent Amazon, …
A Netflix Cable Channel? Right for Netflix, Possibly Right for Us
How Much Is a Song Worth? To One Music Label, Nothing
How much is a song worth? It’s a question that’s often been discussed since the internet got involved in the music industry. Is it 99 cents, as iTunes, Amazon and other digital retailers believe? Is it some minuscule percentage …
What ‘Ownership’ Means for Digital Media (Hint: Not Much)
Here’s a question: When you buy digital media, what are you actually getting for your money?
Actual ownership over a copy of the media — a la analog media purchases — or just permission to watch/read/listen to something …
Goodnight, Television?
We’re still some distance from a world where online streaming of content can truly challenge the dominance of television, but recent figures suggest that the number of households in the U.S. with at least one television actually …
Mass Media + Cloud Storage = All the Same Mistakes?
What if Hollywood tried to create its own content cloud, but the Internet didn’t want to use it? That’s the problem emerging with news that Netflix has dropped out of the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem, a move that could …
How to Do Original TV Online Properly (Hint: Study Netflix)
With Netflix now having multiple series of original content in various levels of production, including shows that it beat out HBO and other cable channels for the rights to, you might be forgiven for thinking that 2012 was going …
Looking Forward to 2012: The End of Media Ownership
Ah, that final week between Christmas and New Year, when we look backward at all that happened and forward at the year to come. And what a year to come–one that could bring not only the so-called Mayan apocalypse, but also John …
Why Xbox 360′s New Update Isn’t the Future of Television
I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but the future of television begins today. Or, at least it does if you believe Microsoft, who’s using the term to describe the new Xbox 360 upgrade that goes live today. The update brings
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