Hulu No Longer For Sale, Studio Execs Find Tech Giants Aren't Fool

With tens if not hundreds of billions in cash, one might believe that the tech and wireless giants would do anything to find a way to reinvest some of that. And perhaps some folks believe that the tech execs, some being nerds, could be fooled into parting with a couple of billion dollars.

Well, the studio executives who represented the companies that owned Hulu found out that these nerds are no fools.

No one was going to buy a company that was at the mercy of people who could make or break it simply with what is offered or taken away. And who would want Hulu without some sort of guarantee that the content it currently had couldn't be taken away in a couple of years.

Google was willing to double the asking price for Hulu of the studios would give Google four years instead of two years of content.

The fact that the execs pulling the strings at Hulu did not want the Google deal is telling as far as what they are thinking.

After two years and two billions, the new owner of Hulu would have to come back to the table and renegotiate for the rights. And that would be when the studios can ask for billions more.

So when they realized they could not fool anyone into a such a bad buy, Hulu owners decided their ball home since no one will play by their rules.

So if the mobile giants, Apple and Google, want a way to distribute content, they'll need to find other ways.

From what I can tell, Microsoft seems most willing to deal and work with content providers and distributors.

It'll be interesting to see what happens next.

Source: Techcrunch.


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iCoud/iOS 5: Apple Instructions Leave Much To Be Desired

iOS 5 and iCloud is upon us now.  However, there is a lot of confusion going around that I think folks need to be aware of.  Because I was kinda confused while I was looking around for new apps and features.

So, I'll take it upon myself to provide you with information that I've heard as I explore iOS 5.  And yeah, iOS 5 is that good.  Worth the time to get to know.  But it'll take some time.  

Together with iOS and iCloud, Apple could really be ready to change mobile yet again.  And it ain't got anything to do with iPhone 4S or the lack of iPhone 5.

I'll write up iMessage next.

iOS 5: Auto Cache Cleaning Could Wipe Out Data Just When You Need It (That's Life)

There is an interesting situation happening with iCloud and iOS 5. According to Instapaper's creator, when the iOS device reaches a threshold, it will automatically delete some cached files.

I don't know just how critical this issue is but I figure I share this with you.  If you happen have some important files like a presentation and your iPad or iPhone deletes it, wow, that could be pretty bad, you know?

More at MacNN.

Tablet: Baby On the Tablet and Magazine

Here is an adorable video of a baby trying to use a tablet and translating that to "using" a magazine.  Yes, adorable and, yet, it is a glimpse of where the future is headed.




More At Gizmodo.

iOS 5 - Take The Time To Get To Know It

iOS 5 rocks.  However, for those of you who have been able to upgrade without much of a hiccup, I suggest that you take time to get to know it.  

It's not easy nor it is difficult.  I think the difficult at times at this time for some people, including myself, is the load of traffic hitting Apple's servers and the Internet in general.  

So, I suggest you take the time to get to know your new iOS.  I have and I'm loving Find My Friends (I guess I've got the stalker personality) and iMessage.

I'm having some trouble with Notification Center - I don't see my weather or stocks.  

And generally, updates are coming in, albeit, slower than it was yesterday.

So, again, be patient with the updates and get to know your iOS.  Once you get the hang of it, it'll blow you away.  

I can't wait for my iPhone 4S (in Kentucky of all places now) tomorrow.  Siri, you and I are gonna get to know each other well.

Analyst Who Blew iPhone 5 Call Is Now Being Widely Quoted That Apple Will Bring Smaller Screen iPad To Fight Amazon Kindle Fire

Today, there is a lot of buzz about Apple even before iOS 5 was officially released.  Word from a know-it-all Wall Street analyst is that Apple will be fighting the Kindle Fire by Amazon with a $250-300 iPad.  This particular analyst said that iPad mini will allow Apple to hold the tablet market and even benefit in markets like China and others because of the low cost.  

Interesting...let's make this analyst famous, shall we? Brian White of Ticonderoga Securities is the analyst in the spotlight.  And not the good kind of spotlight.

His name sounded familiar so I decided to put on my investigative journalist hat and look him up...on Google.  I didn't have to go far.

According to Know Your Mobile, BW, as he is known to his friends, vowed that Apple was to release the iPhone 5 with an aluminum unibody with a larger screen on October 4th. It would have been spectacular, he said! 

Well, things did not quite happened as BW said it would.

TS powers-that-be, why is this guy still working for you?  Unless it's his job to just make @#$% up, then I get it.  But I don't think its why you pay him to do this.  

No iPhone 5, highly doubt the mini iPad.  But hey, right on with the iPad 3.  Oh, and please, can you ask Brian if the sun'll rise tomorrow.  Thanks!

My fellow bloggers.  I like rumors as the next guy.  Love reading about them.  Love your work.  But we need to set some ground rules here.  No more rumors from Brian White or Digitimes.  Okay?

Blackberry Problems Extended to US

This is the third day in a row that I've had to write about this.  RIM's Blackberry outage has now extended to North America (Reuters).  What exactly is going on here?

Yesterday, we were told that it had to do with a corrupt database and the failure to switch to a backup.  Fine.  So make that switch already, RIM!  

I'm not a Blackberry fan but as the number three platform with a loyal following, they really are not doing much to give the throng of its fans something to work with.  At this rate, there may not be anyone left to buy the QNX superphones when they eventually make it to the market.

Just about everyone, pundits, analysts, bloggers, all are saying this could not have come at a worst time.  I'm seriously not looking forward to the next financial earnings call between the RIM CEOs and the analysts.  I'd say the Wall Street guys take it to them and really ask difficult questions and don't buy the BS that'll be handed out.

Maybe I'm naive but I think despite this, RIM can still turn it around.  But it has to really really take a hard look at its core and get back to what made Blackberries so popular and an indispensable mobile tool.