In an effort to surpass its major competitors, Facebook and YouTube, Myspace has been expanding and diversifying its TV content. Mediaweek reports that they announced their newest branded channel from TMZ on Wednesday.
TMZ, according to comScore, is one of the most heavily trafficked gossip sites, attracting nearly 11 million unique visitors last month. They will be providing Myspace with two to three exclusive clips per week, along with several nonexclusive clips.
The TMZ channel will join several other branded channels on Myspace including BBC, National Geographic and the New York Times. The TMZ channel will be competing with Myspace's current Celebrity channel which includes content from People magazine and Getty images.
This effort to broaden content offerings seems to be a trend among the social networking sites recently. Sites that began with a specific purpose and niche market, such as Facebook which was originally only a network of college students, are now diversifying in an effort to become the favorite "one stop shop" for viewers.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Hulu.com shakes up the world of web video
Hulu.com, the newest face in the world of online video, offers viewers a new realm of content. This joint venture from NBC and News Corp provides "premium content" from networks like Fox, USA, E! Entertainment and the like, all at no cost to viewers.
Launched just last year, the site continues to add content and increase its availability across the globe.
Along with full length TV shows from popular series like Heroes and The Office, Hulu also offers popular commercials (like those from the Super Bowl) and movie clips and trailers. Their video player is completely customizable, and you can easily share and embed your favorite clips and videos, as well as view them from other partner sites like MSN, MySpace and Yahoo.
On top of all this, Hulu's CEO, Jason Kilar, seems to know what viewers want and need from embeded advertising. Mediaweek.com reported that during a recent presentation, Kilar urged online advertisers to "deliver creative that is suited to the environment." He went on to say that producing original creative placements that are shorter in length was the best way to do this.
After poking around on Hulu.com myself, I've determined that this newcomer has a lot going for it. If they're able to keep the content free and updated it wont' be long before Hulu.com is as widely known as YouTube.
Launched just last year, the site continues to add content and increase its availability across the globe.
Along with full length TV shows from popular series like Heroes and The Office, Hulu also offers popular commercials (like those from the Super Bowl) and movie clips and trailers. Their video player is completely customizable, and you can easily share and embed your favorite clips and videos, as well as view them from other partner sites like MSN, MySpace and Yahoo.
On top of all this, Hulu's CEO, Jason Kilar, seems to know what viewers want and need from embeded advertising. Mediaweek.com reported that during a recent presentation, Kilar urged online advertisers to "deliver creative that is suited to the environment." He went on to say that producing original creative placements that are shorter in length was the best way to do this.
After poking around on Hulu.com myself, I've determined that this newcomer has a lot going for it. If they're able to keep the content free and updated it wont' be long before Hulu.com is as widely known as YouTube.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Local avalanche makes safety concerns a reality
While hiking the backcountry near Cameron Pass on Sunday, three Fort Collins' men encountered a life-threatening avalanche.
According to the Coloradoan, two of the men escaped unhurt, while the third remains in a coma at Medical Center of the Rockies.
Despite being experienced backcountry skiers equipped with the right gear, the group encountered the slide while trying to traverse a slope and reach a safer place to descend 'Hotdog Bowl', a well-known spot near Zimmerman Lake. Luke Mason, the only member of the group that wished to be identified, spoke out Tuesday about the horrific experience.
"I knew it was dangerous where we were, but going in the trees was very difficult because the snow was so deep," Mason told the Coloradoan.
The avalanche barely missed Mason and the second group member and hit the third dead on, engulfing him in 2 1/2 feet of snow. Mason and his surviving friend were able to locate their friend using their beacons and performed CPR until he regained a pulse and began breathing.
Bill Cotton, a seasoned rescuer who arrived to rescue the group, noted that this was the only rescue he'd encountered where the buried person survived. Cotton credited the man's rescue to his friends' knowledge and skill with their equipment.
The Colorado Avalanche Center is predicting more of these incidents throughout the season due to the way the snowpack is forming. So if you were considering heading into the backcountry without proper training, you may want to reconsider.
According to the Coloradoan, two of the men escaped unhurt, while the third remains in a coma at Medical Center of the Rockies.
Despite being experienced backcountry skiers equipped with the right gear, the group encountered the slide while trying to traverse a slope and reach a safer place to descend 'Hotdog Bowl', a well-known spot near Zimmerman Lake. Luke Mason, the only member of the group that wished to be identified, spoke out Tuesday about the horrific experience.
"I knew it was dangerous where we were, but going in the trees was very difficult because the snow was so deep," Mason told the Coloradoan.
The avalanche barely missed Mason and the second group member and hit the third dead on, engulfing him in 2 1/2 feet of snow. Mason and his surviving friend were able to locate their friend using their beacons and performed CPR until he regained a pulse and began breathing.
Bill Cotton, a seasoned rescuer who arrived to rescue the group, noted that this was the only rescue he'd encountered where the buried person survived. Cotton credited the man's rescue to his friends' knowledge and skill with their equipment.
The Colorado Avalanche Center is predicting more of these incidents throughout the season due to the way the snowpack is forming. So if you were considering heading into the backcountry without proper training, you may want to reconsider.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Films for every fancy
There are so many great snowboard films out this season, I decided to use this entry to highlight some of the best in a few different categories.
If you favor street riding:
If you favor street riding:
- We're People Too - this film by MDPeople features riders like Austin Smith, Nima Jalali, Jon Kooley and Brian Fox on heavy street rails, ledges and wall rides
- Optimistic - this movie is all about fresh powder, crazy antics and seasoned veterans showing their talents. Featuring riders like Mark Frank Montoya, Danny Davis and Nicolas Muller, Absinthe Films really delivered this time.
If you like to see the ladies shred:
- La la Land - this flick is all about the ladies. Laura Hadar, Leane Pelosi, Anne Flore-Marxer, Hana Beaman and Tara Dakides, along with many others, shred the park, street and powder in this project by Runway Films.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Old Town offers festive fun
Christmas shopping is always a somewhat chaotic experience.
The masses of people, checkout lines and the pressure to find "the perfect gift" at a price you can afford tend to diminish the cheer and festivity of the holiday season.
Malls, outlet centers and superstores like Target and Walmart may be appealing for their large selection and sometimes lower prices, but to me they always epitomize the chaos of the season.
That's why I prefer to shop in Old Town.
During the day the area is bustling with patrons, but the spread out pedestrian mall and ability to wander the decorated streets and "window shop" offers a bit more ambiance than the average shopping center.
The tree-lined streets are also quite a sight to behold at night when the lights sparkle amongst their bare branches.
Aside from the quaint gift shops and relaxed holiday atmosphere there are several festive activities being offered by the Downtown Business Association that shouldn't be overlooked:
- Old Town Skating Rink: Open weeknights and weekends, the rink is great affordable holiday entertainment. Skating costs $2 and skate rentals are only $1.
- Horse and Carriage Rides: Starting this weekend horse drawn carriages will roam the downtown streets available to hire for romantic after dinner rides or scenic tours Wednesdays thru Sundays and the Tuesday of New Years Eve.
- Santa Claus & his workshop: Wednesdays thru Sundays from now until the 24th Santa and his helpers can be found in his hut in Old Town Square. Special events like storytime and skating with Santa will be offered throughout the week and a professional photographer will always be on hand to take pictures.
The masses of people, checkout lines and the pressure to find "the perfect gift" at a price you can afford tend to diminish the cheer and festivity of the holiday season.
Malls, outlet centers and superstores like Target and Walmart may be appealing for their large selection and sometimes lower prices, but to me they always epitomize the chaos of the season.
That's why I prefer to shop in Old Town.
During the day the area is bustling with patrons, but the spread out pedestrian mall and ability to wander the decorated streets and "window shop" offers a bit more ambiance than the average shopping center.
The tree-lined streets are also quite a sight to behold at night when the lights sparkle amongst their bare branches.
Aside from the quaint gift shops and relaxed holiday atmosphere there are several festive activities being offered by the Downtown Business Association that shouldn't be overlooked:
- Old Town Skating Rink: Open weeknights and weekends, the rink is great affordable holiday entertainment. Skating costs $2 and skate rentals are only $1.
- Horse and Carriage Rides: Starting this weekend horse drawn carriages will roam the downtown streets available to hire for romantic after dinner rides or scenic tours Wednesdays thru Sundays and the Tuesday of New Years Eve.
- Santa Claus & his workshop: Wednesdays thru Sundays from now until the 24th Santa and his helpers can be found in his hut in Old Town Square. Special events like storytime and skating with Santa will be offered throughout the week and a professional photographer will always be on hand to take pictures.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Tools, skill essential for backcountry safety
This season I plan to venture into the backcountry to experience a different type of snowboarding that the resorts can't quite offer. But before I do I know I will need to learn a lot about how to navigate possibly unstable snow.
If you're like me and also thinking of exploring this season, taking an avalanche course is the best way to educate yourself. But to give you an idea of where to start, I've compiled some basic information.
Mountainzone.com stresses the importance of understanding the fundamentals. Avalanche conditions form as a result of the interaction of terrain, weather, and snowpack. All of the information needed to predict snow stability can be obtained from these three.
Storms are the source of most of the world's avalanches. The combination of new snowfall and wind creates the unstable layering that result in slab avalanches because the rate at which stress is added to the snowpack exceeds the rate at which these new layers can gain strength.
Also, a prolonged period of cold and clear weather can substantially weaken the snowpack and create a hair trigger situation.
Of course, there is a lot of other knowledge that is essential to backcountry safety. Testing your knowledge and skills in controlled practice sessions is important, but also requires some essential tools:
• Avalanche Beacon - A portable transceiver that reflects a signal from an aboveground transceiver, making known the exact location of the device in case the carrier is buried in an avalanche.
• Snow Shovel- A small, portable shovel with a detachable handle that can be easily carried in a pack while in the backcountry.
• Probe - long skinny pole used to measure horizons in snow layering and locate avalanche victims
• Survival Blanket - waterproof, lightweight blanket that retains a maximum amount of body height to keep you warm
All of this equipment can be purchased at backcountry.com and discount sites like steep and cheap.
If you're like me and also thinking of exploring this season, taking an avalanche course is the best way to educate yourself. But to give you an idea of where to start, I've compiled some basic information.
Mountainzone.com stresses the importance of understanding the fundamentals. Avalanche conditions form as a result of the interaction of terrain, weather, and snowpack. All of the information needed to predict snow stability can be obtained from these three.
Storms are the source of most of the world's avalanches. The combination of new snowfall and wind creates the unstable layering that result in slab avalanches because the rate at which stress is added to the snowpack exceeds the rate at which these new layers can gain strength.
Also, a prolonged period of cold and clear weather can substantially weaken the snowpack and create a hair trigger situation.
Of course, there is a lot of other knowledge that is essential to backcountry safety. Testing your knowledge and skills in controlled practice sessions is important, but also requires some essential tools:
• Avalanche Beacon - A portable transceiver that reflects a signal from an aboveground transceiver, making known the exact location of the device in case the carrier is buried in an avalanche.
• Snow Shovel- A small, portable shovel with a detachable handle that can be easily carried in a pack while in the backcountry.
• Probe - long skinny pole used to measure horizons in snow layering and locate avalanche victims
• Survival Blanket - waterproof, lightweight blanket that retains a maximum amount of body height to keep you warm
All of this equipment can be purchased at backcountry.com and discount sites like steep and cheap.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Optimistic?
Last night I attended an event that left me feeling pumped and inspired.
At 8 p.m. CSU hosted Sphere of Influence, Absinthe Film company and pro rider Mark Frank Montoya and his crew to show their new film, Optimistic?. The film not only showcased the impressive talent of the pro riders, but also focused on raising awareness of global warming.
The group's Sphere of Influence tour is making its way across the country, stopping only at small art house theaters where the atmosphere is very personal and admission is only $5. Absinthe Films has partnered with the Energy Action Coalition and stopglobalwarming.org among other environmentally conscious groups, and the tour uses only environmentally safe products.
After Mark Frank Montoya and Nicolas Mueller signed posters and handed out information on global warming the film kicked off with one of MFM's crew presenting an original rhyme about the state of our environment.
By the time the film was over I was not only pumped for the season and inspired to ride better than I ever have before, but also to get involved with protecting the environment.
Even if you miss the event, I challenge you to take the initiative and find out what you could be doing to reduce your negative impact on our world.
At 8 p.m. CSU hosted Sphere of Influence, Absinthe Film company and pro rider Mark Frank Montoya and his crew to show their new film, Optimistic?. The film not only showcased the impressive talent of the pro riders, but also focused on raising awareness of global warming.
The group's Sphere of Influence tour is making its way across the country, stopping only at small art house theaters where the atmosphere is very personal and admission is only $5. Absinthe Films has partnered with the Energy Action Coalition and stopglobalwarming.org among other environmentally conscious groups, and the tour uses only environmentally safe products.
After Mark Frank Montoya and Nicolas Mueller signed posters and handed out information on global warming the film kicked off with one of MFM's crew presenting an original rhyme about the state of our environment.
By the time the film was over I was not only pumped for the season and inspired to ride better than I ever have before, but also to get involved with protecting the environment.
Even if you miss the event, I challenge you to take the initiative and find out what you could be doing to reduce your negative impact on our world.
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