Pandora executives detailed changes in its usage and business models (see 1609150046) on an investor call Tuesday and at the Goldman Sachs Communicopia Conference in New York Wednesday. During both events, presenters showed a 10-second Taco Bell commercial that's representative of the video ads designed to help increase advertising revenue in the company’s still-free ad-supported service, the primary breadwinner for Pandora's foreseeable future. Also at the conference, executives from AT&T (see 1609210048), Comcast (see 1609200042) and other companies spoke.
Pandora executives detailed changes in its usage and business models (see 1609150046) on an investor call Tuesday and at the Goldman Sachs Communicopia Conference in New York Wednesday. During both events, presenters showed a 10-second Taco Bell commercial that's representative of the video ads designed to help increase advertising revenue in the company’s still-free ad-supported service, the primary breadwinner for Pandora's foreseeable future. Also at the conference, executives from AT&T (see 1609210048), Comcast (see 1609200042) and other companies spoke.
Pandora executives detailed changes in its usage and business models (see 1609150046) on an investor call Tuesday and at the Goldman Sachs Communicopia Conference in New York Wednesday. During both events, presenters showed a 10-second Taco Bell commercial that's representative of the video ads designed to help increase advertising revenue in the company’s still-free ad-supported service, the primary breadwinner for Pandora's foreseeable future. Also at the conference, executives from AT&T (see 1609210048), Comcast (see 1609200042) and other companies spoke.
The iPhone 7 launch will accelerate the headphone market’s shift, already well in motion, toward Bluetooth connectivity, said NPD analyst Ben Arnold in a blog post last week. Bluetooth generated 45 percent of all headphone revenue and 13 percent of unit shipments over the past 12 months, Arnold said, up from 31 percent and 9 percent in the prior period. In June and July, Bluetooth headphones were 52 percent of sales for the category.
As expected, Sonos announced voice control integration with Amazon’s Alexa voice engine at a Tuesday news conference in New York (see 1608150029). Sonos owners with an Alexa product -- an Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, Tap or “any other Alexa-enabled device” -- will be able to control Sonos play, pause, skip and volume functions by voice early next year, said Mike George, vice president-Amazon Echo. Users can ask Alexa to play music from Amazon Music, Spotify and other services, and it will flow to any group of Sonos speakers in the home, said the companies.
As expected, Sonos announced voice control integration with Amazon’s Alexa voice engine at a Tuesday news conference in New York (see 1608150029). Sonos owners with an Alexa product -- an Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, Tap or “any other Alexa-enabled device” -- will be able to control Sonos play, pause, skip and volume functions by voice early next year, said Mike George, vice president-Amazon Echo. Users can ask Alexa to play music from Amazon Music, Spotify and other services, and it will flow to any group of Sonos speakers in the home, said the companies.
Regulatory reviews of the Verizon's planned buy of XO Communications $1.8 billion moved forward in states and at the FCC. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission posted reply briefs by parties Thursday, while New York regulators continued their analysis after comments closed in June (see 1606270062). With the Hawaii PUC waiving review last week, 15 of 17 states have now cleared the deal. Wednesday, the FCC resumed its informal 180-day review clock at Day 86, making the target date for a federal decision in late November.
Regulatory reviews of the Verizon's planned buy of XO Communications $1.8 billion moved forward in states and at the FCC. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission posted reply briefs by parties Thursday, while New York regulators continued their analysis after comments closed in June (see 1606270062). With the Hawaii PUC waiving review last week, 15 of 17 states have now cleared the deal. Wednesday, the FCC resumed its informal 180-day review clock at Day 86, making the target date for a federal decision in late November.
Three months before a presidential election that could signal the end of his time in the driver’s seat, has Chairman Tom Wheeler’s FCC done what he said it would when he took office? Based on interviews with FCC officials, pay-TV executives and communications attorneys of many stripes, the answer is, “Mostly.”
A legal dispute between Backpage.com and the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations could have broad implications for Congress' future subpoena power and the First Amendment rights of online publishers and others, several observers said. The subcommittee has until 4 p.m. Friday to respond to last week's decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to temporarily block a congressional subpoena that would have forced the online classified advertiser to hand over documents for the inquiry into whether the service facilitates online sex trafficking. Backpage lawyers argued last week in a filing that the subcommittee is using its "subpoena power as a bludgeon to burden or restrict editorial policies of which it disapproves," essentially endangering First Amendment rights for all online publishers.