January 2007 Archives

RealNetworks launches film and entertainment news site Film.com

on January 31, 2007 3:42 PM | Permalink | Comments ()

RealNetworks has launched a film and entertainment news site, Film.com, featuring film previews, movie trailers, DVD releases, and coverage of television programming and celebrity news.

Plenty of other web sites and blogs already offer similar content - so it remains to be seen if Real can build an audience in a crowded space.

Having said that, I'm always impressed with Real's resourcefulness, in this case putting to use the great domain name they owned (but had essentially mothballed several years ago), and creating inventory for online advertising.

I also like that the site will offer a free full-length independent movie each week. The "Film.com Movie of the Week", supported by in-movie sponsorship and advertising, will initially draw on a catalog of movies through a deal with GreenCine, a San Francisco-based company with a library of independent, international and documentary films.

Seeking to further differentiate the site - and no doubt get media exposure - Real introduced the new Film.com at Sundance, where Film.com contributors posted daily video reports and commentary from the film festival.

Among my friends from Real working on the project are Elizabeth Coppinger, Vice President, Media Software & Services (pictured); Michael McMurray, Director, Product Management; and Ted Kuoppamaki, Product Manager (who was Art Director at the original Film.com, which was founded by Lucy Mohl in 1994). Congrats on the launch of your new product!

Upcoming Speaking Engagements: Video on the Net; Innovation Insights

David Eckoff

on January 18, 2007 1:36 PM | Permalink | Comments ()

I'm looking forward to participating as a panel speaker at the "Video on the Net" conference in San Jose in March. The topic: "A New Look at Content."

Then in April, I will be a keynote speaker at Perot Innovation Lab's "Innovation Insights 2007" in Phoenix, speaking on the topic "Lessons from the Consumer Web."

Other speakers at the "Video on the Net" conference include: Jeremy Allaire, Chairman and CEO, Brightcove; Andrew Baron, Creator & Co Producer, Rocketboom; Bob Bowman, President and CEO, Major League Baseball Advanced Media LP; Albert Cheng, Executive Vice President, Digital Media, Disney-ABC Television Group; Bernard Gershon, Senior Vice President and General Manager, ABC; Jeff Karnes, Director of Multimedia Search, Yahoo!; Robert Scoble, Podtech.net; Steven Starr, CEO and Founder, Revver; Timothy Tuttle, Vice President, AOL Video, AOL; and Niklas Zennstrom, Founder & CEO, Skype.

Other speakers at Innovation Insights 2007 include: Dr. Richard Crandall, Apple, Apple Distinguished Scientist; and speakers from Google, Intel and NASDAQ.

Review: ASICS Gel-Kinsei running shoes

David Eckoff

on January 1, 2007 4:19 PM | Permalink | Comments ()

As we start 2007, if you're making a new years resolution related to fitness and in the market for new running shoes, I can recommend the Gel-Kinsei, ASICS' most technologically advanced shoe.

Just how technologically advanced are these shoes? In a recent profile of the best running shoes, Men's Health described the Gel Kinsei as "packed with more technology than a space shuttle."

Here is what makes the Gel-Kinsei special, according to ASICS:

Optimal cushioning environment and improved rearfoot stability thanks to ASICS' innovative "Discreet Heel Unit". In the Discreet Heel Unit, the rearfoot is separated from the main body of the midsole, allowing for the control of the density throughout the heel unit than a standard EVA midsole.

Improvements allowing for proper "windlass mechanics", the coordinated action of the layers of muscle, tendon, ligament and bony architecture, to maintain arch height and foot rigidity. This helps the foot acts as an efficient lever, and achieve effective push off power.

The remainder of the platform is comprised of ASICS' new proprietary midsole polymer that has all of the qualities of ASICS' standard SpEVA, but is dramatically lighter.

An improved Biomorphic Fit System allows the upper to move in the same way the foot does, reducing the effect of material bunching that can cause blistering. The upper also employs a mesh "Spacemaster" material which promotes efficient moisture wicking for a cooler, drier environment.

Setting asside all the technical specs, these shoes have been great for me.

I used to run competitively until a knee injury and subsequent surgery ended my running career - or so I thought. During the past two decades, I attempted numerous comebacks with various shoes but was never able to run pain-free.

Now with a combination of strength training and the ASICS Gel-Kinsei, I am back on the road and running pain-free. In September, I ran my first 10K race in 20 years - and I now run to work (and back home) each day as my mode of transportation.

I purchased a pair of Gel-Kinsei running shoes last August and can give them an enthusiastic thumbs up.