| Novo DVD armazena dez mil vezes mais, OJE de 22-05-2009 |
Discos ópticos de cinco dimensões com uma capacidade 10.000 vezes superior à dos actuais DVDs podem chegar ao mercado no prazo de 10 anos, revelaram investigadores baseados na Austrália. A equipa de cientistas da Swinburne University of Technology de Melbourne avançou que o segredo consiste na junção de nanopartículas e de uma dimensão de polarização à tecnologia já existente, o que possibilita o incremento extremo da capacidade de armazenamento sem necessidade de alterar o tamanho dos discos actuais. Os investigadores, que já assinaram um acordo com a Samsung Electronics, acrescentam que esta técnica inovadora lhes permitiu armazenar 1,6 terabytes de dados num único disco, antecipando o potencial de, no futuro, subirem esse valor até aos 10 terabytes. |
sexta-feira, 22 de maio de 2009
Novo DVD armazena dez mil vezes mais
domingo, 17 de maio de 2009
Analysis: Ticketmaster Surviving Without Live Nation But Other Issues Remain
By Glenn Peoples, Nashville
Ticketmaster’s Q1 2009 earnings release on Tuesday saw the company being impacted by the loss of Live Nation ticketing volume, the Bruce Springsteen ticketing fiasco in New Jersey and the proposed merger with Live Nation. Like many other companies in the entertainment world, Ticketmaster praises its long-term strategy of acquisitions, synergies and cost-cutting. And like many other entertainment companies attempting to lure cash-conscious consumers, Ticketmaster can point to middling results rather than clear-cut successes.
This was Ticketmaster’s first quarter since Live Nation contracts began to expire and the concert promotion giant began selling its own tickets in January. With the loss of Live Nation, Ticketmaster’s ticket volume was down 6% and the value of those tickets was down 7%. Those losses from Live Nation took away $8 million from Ticketmaster’s profits, which fell 78% to $7.2 million on $373.8 million in revenues (a 7% increase). The company said ticket value was down only 1% excluding Live Nation.
TicketsNow, Ticketmaster’s secondary ticketing service, has proved to be a problem child. A settlement with the Attorney General of New Jersey cost the company $350,000. Even worse are the effects of changes at TicketsNow that pulled $15 million in profits from the bottom line in Q1. As a part of the settlement, tickets cannot be posted to TicketsNow until primary tickets go on sale. In addition, customers will be informed about and provided a link to primary tickets at Ticketmaster.com if the event is not yet sold out. Those changes are good for consumers but will lower short term profits. The best long-term strategy, however, may be to acquiesce to government demands and forego further punishment and financial pain. In the context of a longer time frame, changes at TicketsNow are prudent.
Merger costs were also a big part of Q1 results, amounting to $6.5 million during the period. Ticketmaster said yesterday over half its bank lenders have approved the proposed merger with Live Nation. Both Live Nation and Ticketmaster believe their merger will be approved later this year. Recent statements by antitrust officials at the Department of Justice, however, give hints the merger will face far greater scrutiny than had it been pushed through during the previous administration.
With a traditionally slow Q1, the Artist Services division (via the merger with Front Line) contributed only $34.8 million of revenue and $4.4 million of EBITDA. This division will continue to be in flux will take some time to reach its potential as Front Line is re-shaped and fit into the larger, merged company. It continues to acquire smaller competitors -- Mick Management (John Mayer) in November 2008, for example, and Dale Morris (Kenny Chesney, Big & Rich) just recently.
The company has decided to move Echo, the online e-commerce and artist services company Ticketmaster acquired in March 2007, to Los Angeles. Judging from conversations with involved parties, the transition could easily be a drag on artist relationships and the division’s Q3 performance. There is a good chance the transition will cause lower levels of e-commerce, and the loss of employees means an absence of knowledge and relationships that Front Line will need to service the handful of Echo clients Ticketmaster will keep.
One bright spot was a resilient average revenue per ticket, which increased 1% in the domestic market as ticketing volume dropped 9%. Global ticketing volume was down 8%. The concerts segment was down 9%.
Ticketmaster’s Q1 2009 earnings release on Tuesday saw the company being impacted by the loss of Live Nation ticketing volume, the Bruce Springsteen ticketing fiasco in New Jersey and the proposed merger with Live Nation. Like many other companies in the entertainment world, Ticketmaster praises its long-term strategy of acquisitions, synergies and cost-cutting. And like many other entertainment companies attempting to lure cash-conscious consumers, Ticketmaster can point to middling results rather than clear-cut successes.
This was Ticketmaster’s first quarter since Live Nation contracts began to expire and the concert promotion giant began selling its own tickets in January. With the loss of Live Nation, Ticketmaster’s ticket volume was down 6% and the value of those tickets was down 7%. Those losses from Live Nation took away $8 million from Ticketmaster’s profits, which fell 78% to $7.2 million on $373.8 million in revenues (a 7% increase). The company said ticket value was down only 1% excluding Live Nation.
TicketsNow, Ticketmaster’s secondary ticketing service, has proved to be a problem child. A settlement with the Attorney General of New Jersey cost the company $350,000. Even worse are the effects of changes at TicketsNow that pulled $15 million in profits from the bottom line in Q1. As a part of the settlement, tickets cannot be posted to TicketsNow until primary tickets go on sale. In addition, customers will be informed about and provided a link to primary tickets at Ticketmaster.com if the event is not yet sold out. Those changes are good for consumers but will lower short term profits. The best long-term strategy, however, may be to acquiesce to government demands and forego further punishment and financial pain. In the context of a longer time frame, changes at TicketsNow are prudent.
Merger costs were also a big part of Q1 results, amounting to $6.5 million during the period. Ticketmaster said yesterday over half its bank lenders have approved the proposed merger with Live Nation. Both Live Nation and Ticketmaster believe their merger will be approved later this year. Recent statements by antitrust officials at the Department of Justice, however, give hints the merger will face far greater scrutiny than had it been pushed through during the previous administration.
With a traditionally slow Q1, the Artist Services division (via the merger with Front Line) contributed only $34.8 million of revenue and $4.4 million of EBITDA. This division will continue to be in flux will take some time to reach its potential as Front Line is re-shaped and fit into the larger, merged company. It continues to acquire smaller competitors -- Mick Management (John Mayer) in November 2008, for example, and Dale Morris (Kenny Chesney, Big & Rich) just recently.
The company has decided to move Echo, the online e-commerce and artist services company Ticketmaster acquired in March 2007, to Los Angeles. Judging from conversations with involved parties, the transition could easily be a drag on artist relationships and the division’s Q3 performance. There is a good chance the transition will cause lower levels of e-commerce, and the loss of employees means an absence of knowledge and relationships that Front Line will need to service the handful of Echo clients Ticketmaster will keep.
One bright spot was a resilient average revenue per ticket, which increased 1% in the domestic market as ticketing volume dropped 9%. Global ticketing volume was down 8%. The concerts segment was down 9%.
segunda-feira, 11 de maio de 2009
Corte de net para downloads ilegais votado a 12 de Junho
Corte de net para downloads ilegais votado a 12 de Junho
Ministros das comunicações vão decidir se estão ao lado do Parlamento Europeu ou não
Os ministros das telecomunicações da União Europeia vão reunir-se a 12 de Junho para decidirem se aceitam ou não o chumbo do Parlamento Europeu (PE) à proposta do presidente francês, Nicolas Sarkozy, que prevê o corte do acesso à Internet para quem fizer downloads ilegais, sem que seja necessária uma ordem judicial.
Caso os ministros não aceitem a decisão do Parlamento Europeu, a reforma da legislação sobre comunicações electrónicas será adiada para o Outono.
O Parlamento Europeu aprovou uma proposta que considera o acesso à internet um «direito fundamental», que apenas pode ser interrompido com a autorização de um juiz.
Ministros das comunicações vão decidir se estão ao lado do Parlamento Europeu ou não
Os ministros das telecomunicações da União Europeia vão reunir-se a 12 de Junho para decidirem se aceitam ou não o chumbo do Parlamento Europeu (PE) à proposta do presidente francês, Nicolas Sarkozy, que prevê o corte do acesso à Internet para quem fizer downloads ilegais, sem que seja necessária uma ordem judicial.
Caso os ministros não aceitem a decisão do Parlamento Europeu, a reforma da legislação sobre comunicações electrónicas será adiada para o Outono.
O Parlamento Europeu aprovou uma proposta que considera o acesso à internet um «direito fundamental», que apenas pode ser interrompido com a autorização de um juiz.
À Procura da Escala - cinco exercícios disciplinados sobre cultura contemporânea
À Procura da Escala - cinco exercícios disciplinados sobre cultura contemporânea
Pinto Ribeiro, António
Pinto Ribeiro, António
Exercício 1. Há, de facto, modos diferentes de governar, inclusivamente na cultura
Exercício 2. A interculturalidade: propósitos e ambiguidades
Exercício 3. Europa-África. E vice-versa?
Exercício 4. À procura da escala
Exercício 5. Fragmentos de cidades
- A propósito de cidades perfeitas
- Um artista de rua
- Piscinas
- Hortas
- Desempregados
- Chá
- Quarto de hotel numa cidade árabe
sexta-feira, 8 de maio de 2009
Live Nation CEO Confident About Summer Touring Season
Live Nation CEO Confident About Summer Touring Season
May 07, 2009 - Touring
By Mitchell Peters, L.A.
Despite Live Nation's first-quarter loss of $102.7 million, due in part because of fewer music fans attending concerts in the North American market, the company's CEO Michael Rapino has assured investors that business will pick up this summer.
"Our first quarter results were in line with our expectations and reflect the season's slowest period of the year for us," Rapino said today (May 7) during a conference call with investors. "We have now entered the busiest season for concerts and top-line trends remain healthy."
Live Nation's first-quarter loss of $102.7 million compares with a loss of $37.2 million, or 50 cents per share, in the year-ago quarter, which had been bolstered by 42 cents per share of income from the sale of its North American theatrical business, motor sports division and a business related to producing and selling concert DVDs. See the full details of Live Nation's first-quarter results here.
Live Nation will have a busy summer in 2009, promoting international music festivals and tours for such artists as U2, Coldplay, Nickelback, Madonna and the Jonas Brothers, among many others. The live entertainment company is also developing strategies to stimulate ticket sales for concerts at the amphitheaters it owns or operates in North America.
"We're executing multiple promotions to provide low-cost tickets to fans in this tough economy," Rapino said. "This summer we have over three million lawn tickets priced under $30, and have expanded our four-pack to 70% of our shows. We're also running extensive price promotion with corporate partners such as Citi and 7-11, and working to expand the number of affiliate programs to drive ticket sales to our site."
The CEO also addressed dynamic ticket pricing for upcoming concerts. "In terms of dynamic pricing, I wouldn't say we've made a ton of headroom yet. I think that's still the low-hanging fruit that we have to get to," Rapino said. "We'll test some this summer, but by next year this will be an ongoing change on how we sell with all of the different options."
One of those tests will be the summer amphitheater tour by No Doubt, which begins later this month. "We priced the house very smartly, versus a traditional three-scale model," Rapino said of the tour. "And that's provided some great learning and increased revenue."
Rapino also addressed the status of Live Nation's proposed merger with Ticketmaster Entertainment, which is currently under review by the U.S. Department of Justice on whether the combined entities would be anti competitive.
"We're in the second review, as we've announced, which is just an extensive data collection, period," he said. "All indications we're getting from advisers is that fall is a very reasonable close and time period."
Additional reporting by Associated Press
May 07, 2009 - Touring
By Mitchell Peters, L.A.
Despite Live Nation's first-quarter loss of $102.7 million, due in part because of fewer music fans attending concerts in the North American market, the company's CEO Michael Rapino has assured investors that business will pick up this summer.
"Our first quarter results were in line with our expectations and reflect the season's slowest period of the year for us," Rapino said today (May 7) during a conference call with investors. "We have now entered the busiest season for concerts and top-line trends remain healthy."
Live Nation's first-quarter loss of $102.7 million compares with a loss of $37.2 million, or 50 cents per share, in the year-ago quarter, which had been bolstered by 42 cents per share of income from the sale of its North American theatrical business, motor sports division and a business related to producing and selling concert DVDs. See the full details of Live Nation's first-quarter results here.
Live Nation will have a busy summer in 2009, promoting international music festivals and tours for such artists as U2, Coldplay, Nickelback, Madonna and the Jonas Brothers, among many others. The live entertainment company is also developing strategies to stimulate ticket sales for concerts at the amphitheaters it owns or operates in North America.
"We're executing multiple promotions to provide low-cost tickets to fans in this tough economy," Rapino said. "This summer we have over three million lawn tickets priced under $30, and have expanded our four-pack to 70% of our shows. We're also running extensive price promotion with corporate partners such as Citi and 7-11, and working to expand the number of affiliate programs to drive ticket sales to our site."
The CEO also addressed dynamic ticket pricing for upcoming concerts. "In terms of dynamic pricing, I wouldn't say we've made a ton of headroom yet. I think that's still the low-hanging fruit that we have to get to," Rapino said. "We'll test some this summer, but by next year this will be an ongoing change on how we sell with all of the different options."
One of those tests will be the summer amphitheater tour by No Doubt, which begins later this month. "We priced the house very smartly, versus a traditional three-scale model," Rapino said of the tour. "And that's provided some great learning and increased revenue."
Rapino also addressed the status of Live Nation's proposed merger with Ticketmaster Entertainment, which is currently under review by the U.S. Department of Justice on whether the combined entities would be anti competitive.
"We're in the second review, as we've announced, which is just an extensive data collection, period," he said. "All indications we're getting from advisers is that fall is a very reasonable close and time period."
Additional reporting by Associated Press
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