Google I/O 2011: Music Beta App Announced and… Movies from the Cloud

Google officially announced its long-rumored streaming-from-the-cloud music app for Android and the web at Google i/o at Moscone Center in San Francisco. It’s currently free (it is in beta after all) — request an invite at music.google.com. No comment on whether or not Google has come any closer to offering streaming legally, as licensed by the labels and publishers. Another exciting announcement — you can now rent videos on Android Market at http://market.android.com/movies. You have 30 days to stream each rental via web or mobile tablet or phone ($1.99 – $3.99 per rental).

In other news from the opening keynote: To date there have been:
* 100M Android activations
* 400,000 daily activations on 215 carriers
* 200,000 available apps on Market

It took:
* 2 years to 1 billion app installs
* 5 more months to 2 billion
* now 4.5 billion app installs from Android Market

Honeycomb 3.1 coming soon to all devices
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Ice Cream Sandwich – new Android OS – 2.4 – coming soon

…and all 5,000 attendees at Google I/O are receiving the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet (a special-edition model, a month before it hits stores)!

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Interview: Ooyala’s Chris Wong on Trends in Online Video and Advertising

Digital Hollywood took over the Ritz at Marina del Rey for its Spring 2011 conference, a nice change of scenery for the hundreds of studio execs, advertising and entertainment execs, online video creatives, technologists, SAG members and agents in attendance. (Members of the Dallas Mavericks, who could be spotted in and around the pool area, apparently enjoyed their stay as well).

Between absorbing the latest trends as discussed by multiple panels we managed to interview a few executives from top online media companies.

In the video below, Ooyala’s Vice President of Biz Dev, Chris Wong, explains the importance of streaming video solutions providers, why most companies require DRM (digital rights management) to control copyright, and ponders the meteoric rise of Netflix and the potential impact of its competitors.



Click here to view on YouTube.

Tina Fey and Steve Martin Share Wisdom and Wit at Nokia Theatre

Tina Fey and steve Martin
Tina Fey and Steve Martin yuck it up at a “Live Talks Los Angeles” conversation at Nokia Theatre Tuesday night. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Nokia Theatre was packed Tuesday night for a one-off chat and Q&A at which Steve Martin and Tina Fey expanded on highlights from her new book “Bossypants.” What was billed as a summit of two comic writers with recently released books was more of a casual three-way love fest between Martin, Fey and the audience, which laughed and applauded with near-absurd frequency.

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Jad Abumrad Interview After Radiolab : Symmetry Live at UCLA Royce Hall

Jad Abumrad Interview from Andy Sternberg on Vimeo.

It’s not often that you get to see your favorite radio show or podcast produced and performed before a live audience. Granted, there are more opportunities to “watch the radio” than you’d imagine and I’ve seen my fair share of Buzz Out Loud and TWiT podcasts live in person. But I digress.

I posted some of my favorite Radiolab episodes right here a few months ago. Soon after that it was announced that the show was going on the road. A typical hour of Radiolab is likely to contain some of the most incredible, cerebral and aurally tantalizing radio you’ll hear. And it was just as fulfilling and entertaining as I could have expected live. Hosts Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich were brill as usual — the 5-part show was built around the theme: Symmetry (I’ll post it after it airs). And a big bonus was live cello machinations by the incredibly talented Zoë Keating.

Thanks WNYC for taking the show on the road and especially for giving me a few minutes to “geek out” with Jad about everything from writing to production to sequencing the Novation Launchpad MIDI controller for Ableton Live.

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