Internet Video News Desk

US Embassy Staff Out Of Syria, Leaving My Two Year-Old Daughter Behind!

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 14:22:00 EDT

The US State Department on Monday said that it has ordered some non-essential US embassy officials in Damascus and all embassy dependents to leave Syria because of the "uncertainty and volatility" in the country. As of this morning, and since July 2010, my abducted daughter Sofia Kircaali, a US citizen, remains in Syria and in harm's way. Over the Easter weekend and on Monday, the Syrian government’s crackdown against protesters and demonstrators appeared to be reaching a crescendo, as President Bashar al-Assad is apparently refusing to grant any further concessions and seems determined to squelch any further expressions of dissent. I've been watching videos on the Internet showing violence inside a mosque one block away from where Sofia currently lives with her mother and grandmother.

My Two-Year-Old Daughter Sofia Facing Life-Long Disability in Syria

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:30:00 EDT

The day after my last tweet regarding the lack of any new information about my abducted daughter Sofia since March 4, I received an updated letter on Thursday, April 7, 2011, from the State Department on Sofia's welfare in Syria. Sofia was abducted by her mother from the United States to Syria last July, following her diagnosis of GDD with possible autism. She had 13 remaining medical appointments left at the time of her abduction, none of which she was able to keep.

State Department Photos of My Abducted Daughter Sofia in Syria

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 18:45:00 EDT

Wednesday morning I received new photographs of Sofia from the State Department in Washington, DC. Sofia remains in Syria since being abducted in July 2010. The day after my last tweet regarding the lack of any new information about my abducted daughter Sofia since March 4, I received an updated letter on Thursday, April 7, 2011, from the State Department on Sofia's welfare in Syria. Sofia was abducted by her mother from the United States to Syria last July, following her diagnosis of GDD with possible autism. She had 13 remaining medical appointments left at the time of her abduction, none of which she was able to keep. Last week's welfare report prepared by our Embassy in Damascus, Syria, after their second welfare visit to the home in Syria where Sofia remains with her mother and grandmother, showed a bleaker outcome for my daughter than the previous report dated November 2010.

A Bedtime Story for Sofia Who Remains Abducted in Syria

Sat, 09 Apr 2011 11:15:00 EDT

Diane Macedo of Fox News worked on Sofia's story for more than a month, studying documents, interviewing more than a dozen people, and fact-checking before publishing her news story on Monday and airing our interview. On Monday, she also published a detailed article on Sofia that was picked up by a dozen or so media outlets around the world during the week. When Sofia returns safely home, she will pay her first visit to Diane at the Fox News headquarters in New York City. The following is a short "bedtime story" for my daughter while she remains abducted in Syria.

Sofia's Abduction to Syria: Interview with Diane Macedo of Fox News

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 19:30:00 EDT

Diane Macedo of Fox News worked on Sofia's story for more than a month, studying documents, interviewing more than a dozen people, and fact-checking before publishing her news story on Monday and airing our interview. Here is the link to the Fox News on-camera interview and the link to Diane's news story. When Sofia returns safely home, she will pay her first visit to Diane at Fox News headquarters in New York City.

US Leaves Its Youngest Citizen Behind in Syria

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 19:00:00 EDT

Yesterday (Sunday) AP reported that "State Dept. issued travel warning on Syria" and this morning (Monday) Reuters filed a follow-up report that "US offers free flights out for employees in Syria." As of this morning, and since July 2010, my abducted daughter Sofia Kircaali, a US citizen, remains in Syria and in harm's way. On Friday, I watched videos on the Internet showing violence inside a mosque one block away from where Sofia currently lives with her mother and grandmother.

MPEG LA Moves To Drown Google's VP8 in a Patent Pool

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 07:00:00 EST

The monetizing MPEG-LA patent consortium has whistled up anybody who thinks they have patent dibs on the royalty-free open source VP8/WebM video codec that Google bought to replace the technically superior, royalty- bearing H.264 standard in HTML 5. MPEG-LA, which controls H.264 and believes VP8 treads on many patents, says it wants to create a patent pool that could attach license fees to VP8, or theoretically sue the widgetry depending on the strength of the claims.

Cloud Expo, Inc. Announces Cloud Expo 2011 New York Venue

Fri, 28 Jan 2011 20:45:00 EST

Cloud Expo, Inc. announced on Thursday that Cloud Expo 2011 New York, the 8th International Cloud Computing Conference & Expo, will take place June 6-9, 2011, at the Javits Center in New York City. The International Cloud Computing Conference & Expo series is the world’s leading Cloud-focused event and is held in New York, Silicon Valley, Prague, Tokyo, and Hong-Kong. Over 600 corporate sponsors and more than 65,000 industry professionals have participated in Cloud Expo since its inception, 10-folds more than all other Cloud-related events put together.

Mac & the Lion Have Been Sleeping with iPad & the iPhone

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EDT

Apple's App Store has done so well - seven billion downloads - and the Mac is now doing so well - the Mac would be #110 of a Fortune 500 list if it was spun out - that Apple figured why not give Mac its very own App Store? So a Mac App Store should be up and running by mid-January. Apple is going to want its usual 30% of the take. Payment will be through iTunes. Free apps are welcome. Developers can start submitting apps next month. Downloaded apps will auto-install and auto-update. Otherwise software for the Mac will be through the usual channels.

Cloud Expo 2011 East To Attract 10,000 Delegates and 200 Exhibitors

Thu, 07 Oct 2010 17:45:00 EDT

SYS-CON Events announced today that the 8th International Cloud Expo will take place June 6-9, 2011, in New York City. The International Cloud Computing Conference & Expo series is the world's leading Cloud-focused event and is held three times a year, in New York, Silicon Valley and in Europe. Over 600 corporate sponsors and 10,000 industry professionals have participated in Cloud Computing Expo since its inception, more than all other Cloud-related events put together.

Will Skype IPO be the Biggest IPO Since Google?

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 07:18:00 EDT

Skype, now 70% controlled by private equity house Silver Lake which valued the joint at $2.7 billion when it bought in, wants to go public and raise $100 million. The Internet phone service has 8.1 million customers who pay to make calls to conventional or mobile phones, up from 6.6 million 12 months ago. Otherwise 124 users a month avail themselves of its free service.

Open Letter to the President of Syria Bashar al-Assad

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:00:00 EDT

Mr. and Mrs. President Bashar al-Assad: At the tender age of 17 months my severely ill daughter Sofia, an American citizen, was abducted by her mother on Monday, July 26, in Istanbul, Turkey, and taken to Syria. I was informed yesterday by Sofia's mother that she will not be coming back to the United States nor will she allow Sofia to return home. Sofia has been diagnosed with a severe medical condition that requires immediate treatment in the United States. It was scheduled to start on July 27, 2010, in New Jersey, the day after her abduction and was supposed to last until she reaches the age of 3. Any delay in the urgently needed treatment will result in a life-long disability for Sofia and make her dependent for the whole of her adult life. The treatment is not available in Syria. Mr. President, I grew up in Turkey listening to the evening news during our family dinners where I used to hear your father Hafez al-Assad's name more often than the names of my own family together with Menachem Begin, Golda Meir, Anwar Sadat, and Yasser Arafat. I plead with you on behalf of my daughter Sofia to learn of her whereabouts and see her safely and speedily returned home. I also respectfully request a visa to Syria to meet her at the United States Embassy in Damascus to bring her home. Mrs. President, parents around the world have only the Hague Convention to rely on in international child abduction cases. I urge your humanitarian consideration, as the mother of a precious child, to fight for Syria to be a part of the Hague Convention. Thank you in advance.

Adobe Should Cut Its iPhone Losses and Switch Focus

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 09:11:00 EDT

Adobe should cut its losses with Apple and target its flagship Flash Player at telecoms carriers, independent analyst Ovum has claimed in a new report*. With the spat over Apple's refusal to support the Adobe Flash technology on its iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices continuing to generate column inches, Ovum believes it is time for Adobe to turn the tables by courting new sponsors of its technology in the shape of telecoms operators. The report states that Adobe and telecoms carriers are faced with similar threats and share similar goals in relation to value-added applications and content, and that carriers should therefore seek an industry-wide partnership with Adobe to use Flash as the basis of their own multi-screen device, development, delivery, and distribution systems.

CMT Fans Crown Carrie Underwood the Big Winner at the '2010 CMT MUSIC AWARDS'

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 00:54:00 EDT

NASHVILLE, Tenn., June 10 /PRNewswire/ -- The night belonged to first-time winners and fan-favorite Carrie Underwood, who took home two wins at this year's CMT MUSIC AWARDS. Underwood took top honors for VIDEO OF THE YEAR ("Cowboy Casanova") and CMT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR ("Temporary Home" from INVITATION ONLY: CARRIE UNDERWOOD); while Keith Urban took home the buckle in a first-time category win for MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR ("'Til Summer Comes Around," and Miranda Lambert scored her first CMT Music Award for FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR ("White Liar").

Two Million iPads Sold to Mounting Competition

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 17:00:00 EDT

Apple said Monday that it has sold over two million iPads in less than two months. It began shipping the dingus, which only launched April 3, in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK over the weekend. Reuters says Japanese and Australian buyers "stormed" the shops while others in London, Munich and Paris stood in all-night queues. The hot new device will be available in nine more countries in July including Ireland, Austria and Mexico with broader distribution slated for later this year. Bootleg devices are selling in China. Internal targets are said to be to move 10 million units this year, a number iPad will exceed if the pace keeps up.

Google Fires First Shot in Brewing Codec War

Sat, 22 May 2010 05:00:00 EDT

Google fired a shot across Apple’s bow Wednesday and considering the way things have been going Apple will probably seek to return fire in the not-too-distant future with an armor-piercing lawsuit. The latest fray started when Google got up at the Google I/O developers conference – like it was widely expected to do – and open sourced VP8, the video codec it got when it acquired On2 Technologies, the video compression house, in February for about $125 million. VP8 will try to displace H.264, the proprietary codec that Apple and Microsoft are invested in. VP8 is now part of a thing called the WebM project, which also includes the open source Ogg Vorbis audio format, and a container format based on a subset of the open source Matroska multimedia container.

blinkx Launches Mobile Video Search Site

Wed, 19 May 2010 09:00:00 EDT

blinkx, the world's largest and most advanced video search engine, today launched a public beta version of its world-class product that is specifically designed for mobile access at http://m.blinkx.com/. Starting Wednesday, consumers can access the blinkx Mobile Video Search beta site from any phone with a Web browser that can play MP4s, including the iPhone, Google Nexus One, HTC Desire and Magic, and also the Blackberry Bold 9700 devices. The new site leverages blinkx's extensive network of top tier content partners to enable users to search, browse and play millions of videos from a wide and varied range of broadcasters and media companies, including ITN, CelebTV, HowCast and Lonely Planet.

Google To Buy Key VoIP House

Tue, 18 May 2010 16:17:00 EDT

Google said Tuesday that it means to buy Norway's publicly traded VoIP codec house Global IP Solutions Holding AB (GIPS) for $68.2 million cash, a move that could put it in contention with Skype not to mention the telecom companies that are selling its phones. The deal, which represents a 27.5% premium over GIPs' closing price Friday, will also give Google ownership of parts of the technology underlying the instant messaging systems used by Yahoo, AOL and Baidu. Global IP Solutions makes the real-time processing software for voice and video calls over the Internet, widgetry used by IBM's Lotus Sametime as well as Cisco's WebEx scheme under a shiny new deal.

PowerBuilder TV

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 09:45:00 EDT

The PowerBuilder community will be partnering with Sybase to bring you a series of webinars called PowerBuilderTV. Sessions will include new features and tips and tricks to using PowerBuilder and companion products. Presenters are notable figures from the PB community, including Dave Fish, Chris Pollach and Arthur Hefti. You can attend live sessions for the opportunity to ask questions and participate in promotions. Videos will be archived for consultation.

Kyte Launches Support for the iPad

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 08:45:00 EDT

Kyte, the online, mobile and social video platform for live and on-demand content, today announced an SDK for developing Kyte-powered iPad apps for distribution through the Apple iTunes App Store, as well as web-based support for the iPad through a new, universal embed code that outputs HTML5 video. The new SDK and HTML5 support provides media companies and marketers with the flexibility and choice to build native iPad applications, or extend compatibility of their new or existing Kyte-powered websites to the iPad.

Why Social Media Check-Ins Could Bridge the ROBO Gap

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST

Badges, Passports, the Creator, the Founder, the Mayor, getting a Pin, picking up a raccoon..This is the language of the newest phenomenon to hit the location-enabled social media marketing world. I am talking about Social Networking Games. No longer only for geeks and geocachers, these are real tools for seeing where your friends are, in real time, as they “check-in” to locations and share what they are doing. Since the device knows where it is, you can only check in to a location you are visiting. While mobile location sharing is not new, incentives that tap our competitive side offered by a “game” are, and this makes all the difference.

iPad New Media Topic Launched on Ulitzer

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:00:00 EST

Ulitzer.com, the first revolutionary "new media" platform in the world, announced today that a new Ulitzer topic site, Apple Tablet (http://tablet.ulitzer.com), was launched today to provide the most comprehensive breaking news and blog coverage of Apple Tablet. Launch time authors and contributors to the new Ulitzer topic include: Maureen O'Gara, Bob Gourley, Salvatore Genovese, Wilson Kerr, Brandon Watson, Aditya Banerjee, Scott McKain, Bryan O'Rourke, Charles Jolley, Jeremy Geelan, Yeshim Deniz, and Elizabeth White.

Citrix Online Innovates Web Conferencing

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:45:00 EST

Citrix Online’s strategy addresses the strong growth potential for high definition and affordable audio conferencing services. According to Wainhouse Research, an independent firm that provides insight on the global markets for this sector, Citrix Online is well-positioned to meet the demand. “The market opportunity for Web and audio conferencing volume is approximately two times larger than the current one, providing ample opportunity for Citrix Online to accelerate its growth,” says Marc Beattie, managing partner and CSP practice manager. “The unattended audio conferencing category alone, which is where Citrix Online Audio focuses – is expected to surge – growing 93%, and almost doubling in volume between 2008 and 2013.”

Wilson Kerr Launches "Location Based Services" Topic on Ulitzer

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 10:30:00 EST

The power of Location allows information (including advertising) to be delivered to consumers most-able to act upon this information, based on their real-time proximity to the physical locations where transactions occur. Location is changing the very nature of advertising and mobile Location Based Services (LBS) are expected to see a 45% increase in revenue generated in 2010. In the next 5 years, more people will gain access to the web on their phones than on PCs. Since consumers carry their phones with them, this is a game-changer for performance-based advertising. Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, Nokia, Apple, Amazon, Dell, Garmin, etc are all in the mix here and there is a lot at stake.

Is a Smartphone a Digital Signage Player Too?

Sat, 09 Jan 2010 21:45:00 EST

Like many people in the industry I have been watching the evolution of these phones and thinking they will pretty quickly get to the point that they could be fully realized digital signage playback devices. This one is capable of playing out 720P HD, the report says. However, the question was always whether that made any sense if small form factor PCs were available for $300-$400 and these handsets were $600. Presumably, the cost breakdown here is for very high volumes and does not include assembly. So baking all that in, these are units that would still probably be more than a very capable small-form factor PC. But if the right deal could be worked with a carrier, and therefore the subsidized handset costs kicked in, these things are now at a point where testing one would not be the goofiest thing ever tried. The open question, probably among many, is whether a smartphone designed to play videos and Flash 10 now and then would behave nicely if it was asked to do that over and over and over, 20 hours or more each day.

PacketVideo Showcases TwonkyMedia Product Family at CES

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:00:00 EST

PacketVideo (PV) announced today that new versions of its market-leading TwonkyMedia family of connected home solutions are now available and will be on display at CES in North Hall room N213. TwonkyMedia solutions break down digital walls and enable seamless media sharing on connected devices throughout the home network. From Samsung TVs to H-P MediaSmart devices to Denon receivers, TwonkyMedia products place the user in control with functionality that is easy and intuitive, while creating a medium that encourages and enhances shared experiences.

Ulitzer Launches CES 2010 Topic Offering Most Comprehensive News Coverage

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:15:00 EST

Ulitzer.com, the first revolutionary "new-media" platform in the world, launched today "CES 2010" topic (http://ces2010.ulitzer.com) to provide the most comprehensive breaking news covergae of the annual consumer electronics show. The International CES is produced by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the consumer technology industry. CEA represents more than 2,000 corporate members involved in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and integration of consumer electronics products. All profits from CES are reinvested into industry services, including technical training and education, industry promotion, engineering standards development, market research and legislative advocacy.

Interactive Projector Turns Surfaces Into Touch Screens at CES

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:00:00 EST

Light Touch incorporates LBO’s proprietary holographic laser projection technology (HLP), creating bright, high-quality WVGA resolution video images that are always in focus. HLP enables extremely wide throw angles, resulting in large images being created at close proximity to the projector’s aperture. HLP can also correct for distortion and optical aberrations in software, enabling novel table-top projection. A unique optical architecture delivers a Class 1 laser safety classification making HLP and devices that incorporate it eye safe.

Microsoft Cloud to Power New TV Experiences

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 23:30:00 EST

Version 2.0 of award-winning Mediaroom TV platform enables subscription TV providers to deliver more entertainment content to more types of screens, using a single cloud-based infrastructure.

Dailymotion Announces Broadband TV Advertising Formats

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 09:00:00 EST

Dailymotion, one of the largest Web video sites in the world, announced interactive advertising formats for Dailymotion’s broadband TV and IPTV channels. The announcement follows the successful launch of Dailymotion’s iPhone app and expands Dailymotion’s successful ad-supported content strategy to all three screens. The newly-launched Dailymotion ad formats bring the rich, interactive experience of Web advertising to Internet connected TVs. Based on success of Web-based formats, the TV advertisements, delivered via a Web ad server, provide an easy transition for advertising looking to transition to multi-screen advertising campaigns with made-for-TV interactive capabilities.

Apple Tries Pissing on Google’s Shoes

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 22:30:00 EST

Hours before Google was due to trot out its Nexus One Google Phone Tuesday, Apple sent out a statement saying that more than three billion apps have been downloaded in the roughly 18 months that its iTunes App Store has been open. Reminding Google who’s king of the hill, Apple CEO Steve Jobs added, “This is like nothing we’ve ever seen before. The revolutionary App Store offers iPhone and iPod touch users an experience unlike anything else available on other mobile devices, and we see no signs of the competition catching up anytime soon.”

Ten Predictions for Video Conferencing Solutions in 2010

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 23:30:00 EST

As the first decade of the millennium comes to a close, Vidyo believes that change is on the horizon in the videoconferencing market as we enter 2010. Vidyo’s predictions for the coming year: 2010 will be the first year when corporate funded, large-scale desktop solutions will be the largest market growth segment in video conferencing. Unified Communications and social media platforms will include a videoconferencing function, and by the end of the year, no market leader offering will be available without video.

Google Targets Mobile Marketing Business

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 17:00:00 EST

Google will be acquiring AdMob, a network for ads on mobile gadgets for $750 million broadening its advertising reach to include mobile segments. Omar Hamoui, CEO of Admob launched the company 4 year ago and has been a pioneer in the way he has maneuvered the controls imposed by wireless carriers to produce an effective mobile network for advertising. The platform has allowed Independent apps developers to find cost-effective ways to sell their product in targeted spots.

Scalable Video Coding (SVC) to Impact Global Videoconferencing Market

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:00:00 EST

Wainhouse Research has released its latest study, "H.264 SVC: A Technical Assessment," an independent view of the Scalable Video Coding (SVC) standard, ratified in late 2007 whose benefits are gaining recognition and acceptance in multiple segments of the videoconferencing and unified communications markets. The report contrasts H.264 SVC with the preceding H.264 (AVC) Baseline Profile used for many years in traditional videoconferencing systems. Conclusions were based on side-by-side comparisons of a variety of videoconferencing devices and analysis of architecture and coding aspects.

Fotolia Celebrates Fifth Birthday

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 03:23:00 EST

CEO Oleg Tscheltzoff explains the secret to Fotolia’s success: “Sourcing photos, vectors, and videos that are legal for commercial and promotional use from the most talented artists around the world has enabled Fotolia to provide incredible value. Designers, marketing, and creative professionals traditionally paid upwards of $500 per image in the past. Fotolia offers the same quality and usage rights starting at $1.”

Digicable Signs 10-Year IT Outsourcing Agreement with IBM

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 06:00:00 EST

IBM today announced that Digicable, a cable and broadband distribution player in India, has signed a US $83 million, 10-year strategic outsourcing agreement with IBM. As part of this agreement, IBM will support the integration of Digicable's digital media content delivery and value added services applications with its core business technologies and processes. This integrated approach will enable Digicable to provide superior and personalized service to its subscribers.

Youku Completes $40 Million First Closing of Expansion Round

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:00:00 EST

On the third anniversary of its launch, Youku.com, China's leading Internet video website, today announced that it has closed US$40 million in private equity funding in a first tranche of a growth financing round. The round was led by Chengwei Ventures and the first closing was raised entirely from existing investors. Besides Chengwei, those investors include Brookside (Bain) Capital, Maverick Capital, and Sutter Hill Ventures. Youku is in active discussion with other potential investors over a second tranche of the round, which will raise up to an additional $40 million.

Streaming Media in the Cloud by Amazon and Adobe

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:45:00 EST

Amazon Web Services announced, on Wednesday, streaming media delivery for Amazon CloudFront, the content delivery service from AWS. This new feature enables streaming delivery of audio and video content, providing an alternative to progressive download where end users download a full media file. Amazon CloudFront streams content from a worldwide network of 14 edge locations, ensuring low latencies and providing cost-effective delivery. Like all Amazon Web Services, Amazon CloudFront requires no up-front investment, minimum fees or long-term contracts, and customers only pay for what they use. To learn more about Amazon CloudFront and to start streaming content, visit http://aws.amazon.com/cloudfront.

My Three iPhone Predictions For 2010

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 23:00:00 EST

Yeah, it's this time of the year. Again. Making predictions is so tempting... This year I'll cover just the iPhone. Apple will let Flash Player on iPhone no later than October ’10. They don’t have a choice, if they want to stay competitive. Enough of a crippled Web browser already. ActionScript won’t kill, but will seriously damage Objective-C as the language of choice for development of iPhone applications. The programs written in ActionScript will be a lot more entertaining and engaging than today's iPhone applications.

Geek My Reality Show...Cool!

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST

Having been the lone male in my house for a long time, I get outvoted on many things, but especially the TV. Luckily I am proud to say that I am a tech/gadget geek as well, as an admirer and part-time developer for iPhone, so I sometimes retire to my study in the evenings to investigate tech trends & code.