Aereo case audio now up
The audio from Tuesday's Supreme Court arguments in ABC v. Aereo is now available online.
You can stream it through your ISP, but the Supreme Court asks that you don't try to pick it up by using any little tiny antennas, since it isn't sure those are legal.
See also Summing up yesterday's arguments in ABC v. Aereo.
Links 4/25/2014: Ex-GSI Commerce, eBay unit chief Saridakis hit with insider trading charges stemming from acquisition
Ex-EBay Unit Chief, Five Others Settle SEC Insider-Trading Case (Bloomberg)
Netflix accuses Comcast of charging twice for the same internet content (The Verge)
Comcast Says Netflix Slowed Down Its Own Streams (Re/code)
Netflix researching “large-scale peer-to-peer technology” for streaming (Ars Technica)
Time Warner Cable cuts video subscriber losses, adds Internet clients (Reuters)
Amazon’s Shrinking Profit Sets Off a Seismic Shock to Its Shares (New York Times)
Pennsylvania PUC officer finds Lyft, Uber drivers easy to pursue in Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
Oregon's Plan B: Ditch Its Own Health Exchange, Join Healthcare.gov (Bloomberg Business Week)
Comcast's RDK joint venture helps spur acquisition for one firm, new Philly office for another
Tom Paine
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Two recent announcements both involve companies that support Philadelphia-based RDK Management LLC, a joint venture between Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Liberty Global.
Cognizant, the Teaneck, NJ-based systems integration giant, has acquired itaas, an Atlanta-based firm that specializes in testing and integration services for video platforms and applications.
A key aspect of itaas' business is its role in supporting the RDK joint venture. Last fall, itaas was selected by RDK Management LLC to oversee community support services as well as technical support and training for licensees of the RDK. Most of itaas' approximately 200 employees appear to be based in Atlanta or India, plus some in Canada. It has no Philadelphia office listed among the locations on its website.
Also, a Dublin, Ireland-based company named S3 Group has opened a Philadelphia office to be closer to Comcast and the RDK initiative. The office, located at 1800 John F. Kennedy Blvd, will initially have seven employees, according to the Philadelphia Business Journal. S3 helps manage the RDK code base.
The Reference Design Kit (RDK), originally developed primarily by Comcast, is a preintegrated software stack for set-tops, gateways, and other IP-capable devices. Comcast, through the joint venture, has made an effort to open it up and make it an industry standard. RDK Management says there are now more than 140 RDK licensees, and RDK applications will be on display by several of those at next week's Cable Show in Los Angeles.
The joint venture was formed last year, with Comcast veteran Steve Heeb being named its President and GM.
Links 4/24/2014: 'Welcome to Comcast Country'; FCC changing Net Neutrality regs?
Welcome to Comcast Country (New York Times)
Op-Ed by Daniel Denvir of Philadelphia City Paper.
Reports: FCC Poised For Changes To Net Neutrality Policy
(NPR)
Verizon Braces for Installment-Plan Impact After AT&T Surge (Bloomberg)
Verizon FiOS Still Growing, But Slowing (Multichannel News)
If HANA fails, SAP dies: Teradata CTO (Information Age)
Amazon Web Services sales up again (Gigaom)
FinancialForce gets a $50 million infusion (Silicon Valley
Business Journal)
Safeguard Scientifics Announces First Quarter 2014 Financial Results (Business Wire)
Always considerable amount of interesting, granular information in Safeguard's reports.
Qlik Tech Q1 Revenue Misses, Year View In-Line (Barron's: Tech Trader Daily)
Google, Apple, Adobe and Intel agree to settle Silicon Valley hiring case (PC World)
Summing up yesterday's arguments in ABC v Aereo
Tom Paine
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Below is a summary of some of the better analyses of yesterday's oral arguments in ABC v. Aereo in front of the Supreme Court.
Getting a grasp of the complex technology issues was difficult, as at least one justice openly admitted. Also, justices seemed reluctant to step on a 2008 appeals court ruling that upheld Cablevision Systems Corp's cloud storage video recorder.
While several justices were skeptical of the purpose of Aereo's technology, implying it was designed primarily to evade existing copyright law, most were very concerned about interfering with the future growth of cloud computing in its many different forms.
Comcast joined lead plaintiff ABC in appealing the case against Aereo to the Court. While some cable system operators where generally more sympathetic to Aereo than broadcasters were, Comcast of course is both of these through its NBC ownership.
First Round Capital and FirstMark Capital, another VC firm active in the Philly area, were
early seed investors in Aereo, which was then known as Bamboom Labs, in 2011. Others, led by IAC Corp's Barry Diller, came in later as major investors.
Philadelphia was originally scheduled to receive Aereo service in 2013 but that never happened, and it is now tentatively scheduled to receive it some time this year, probably
pending the decision in this case, which might come in June or July.
At oral arguments, Supreme Court isn’t sold on Aereo (Ars Technica)
At Stake in the Aereo Case Is How We Watch TV (New York Times)
U.S. justices show little support for Aereo TV in copyright fight (Reuters)
At Aereo arguments, can old-school analogies explain new technology? (Reuters Blog)
Supreme Court justices skeptical of Aereo, but wary of killing it (Fortune)
Cloud implications could save Aereo (SNL Kagan)
Justices Express Concern Over a Sweeping Aereo Ruling (Variety)
Why the Supreme Court, and You, Should Side with Aereo in the Legal-Tech Case of the Year (Yahoo Tech)
Links 4/23/2014: Wireless lobby group names ex-FCC member & current Comcast exec Baker as president; What's up with LevelUp?
Software Firm Whacked for $391 Million (Courthouse News Service)
SAP still on hook in patent infringement case, court says, even though Patent & Trademark Office says(in non-final ruling) that patents are invalid.
SAP's on-site apps fumble for the gearstick as cloud stamps pedal (The Register)
Wireless lobby group names former FCC member [& Comcast exec] Baker as president (Washington Post)
Dish Said to Target Summer Debut for Internet-TV Service
(Bloomberg)
Chernin Teams With AT&T in Online Video Investment Venture (New York Times: DealBook)
Cognizant Snaps Up Itaas (Multichannel News)
Ireland company sets up Philadelphia office to be close to Comcast (Philadelphia Business Journal)
Regulators approve settlement with Verizon over broadband rollout (NorthJersey.com)
Tough Realities Persist In Mobile Payments
(ReadWrite)
Interesting details on LevelUp's progress to date.
Unisys Announces First-Quarter 2014 Financial Results (PR Newswire)
Revenue declines 6%; loss increases.
University takes a pass on Oracle after ERP lawsuit settlement
(IT World)
Montclair State choses Banner from Ellucian (formerly SunGard HE) instead.
Bain Capital invests $230 million in Oregon firm that acquired King of Prussia's Maxwell Systems
Tom Paine
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The Portland, Oregon-based construction software firm which acquired King of Prussia-based
Maxwell Systems from LLR Partners in February has agreed to sell a $230 million stake in itself to Bain Capital.
Bain's investment in Viewpoint Construction Software largely replaces the stakes held by Updata Partners and TA Associates while providing additional growth capital. Viewpoint declined to say whether Bain's investment would give it a majority ownership position, according to the Portland Oregonian.
Maxwell, which served smaller contractors and was probably set back by the recession,
was viewed as a tuck-in acquisition by the larger Viewpoint, which has some 700 employees.
Maxwell also seemed to be behind in adopting a cloud computing platform. At the time of
the Maxwell acquisition Viewpoint said there would be some job reductions in King of Prussia; terms of that deal weren't disclosed.
The Bain investment means an IPO, though still a possibility for Viewpoint down the road, probably won't happen for a while. But these kinds of larger, later stage investments have become common recently as some companies draw back from the nervous IPO market and seek what is essentially a round of bridge financing.
Links 4/22/2014: Comcast earnings don't miss a beat, said to be near Charter deal; Aereo arguments
Comcast Adds Cable-TV Customers Again, Bucking Industry (Bloomberg)
Charter Said to Near Deal With Comcast For 1.5 Million Customers (Bloomberg)
Comcast/Netflix: Unwinding the Latest Traffic Jam, but at What Cost? (Knowledge@Wharton)
Argument preview: Free TV, at a bargain price? (SCOTUS Blog)
Supreme Court Hears Arguments in Aereo Case (New York Times)
In Aereo hearing, Supreme Court expresses concern for cloud computing – but doubt over tiny antennas (Gigaom)
Dell Boomi sees strong growth, aims to improve integration errors
(ZDNet)
How Fieldglass survived difficult times on the way to an exit (Chicago Tribune)
Fieldglass agreed to be acquired by SAP last month.
Dancing Giants: At SAP, it is about trying to make the battleship turn faster (PandoDaily)
Center City showing signs of weakness (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Netflix beats estimates: Hastings opposes Comcast/TWC deal (Update: Comcast responds)
Tom Paine
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Netflix today reported first quarter results that topped estimates, with over $1 billion in
revenue and 48 million subscribers worldwide.
Its net profit of $53 million, or 86 cents per share, also beat estimates.
Netflix also said it planned to raise prices for new subscribers in many countries by up to $2 per month, or 25%.
In his letter to shareholders, CEO Reed Hastings also revealed publicly his opposition to Comcast's proposal to buy and merge with Time Warner Cable.
The merger "would possess even more anticompetitive leverage to charge arbitrary interconnection tolls for access to their customers. For this reason, Netflix opposes this merger," Hastings wrote.
Earlier this year, Netflix reached an agreement with Comcast to pay for direct interconnect access to Comcast's network. Initial results indicate increased speeds for customers using Netflix with Comcast.
Update: Comcast responds
Links 4/21/2014: First Round Capital portfolio firms in the news
Pfizer Said to Have Held Now-Dormant Talks to Buy AstraZeneca (Bloomberg)
Cash-strapped Square talks with potential buyers
Half of $340 million raised has been consumed, sources report (MarketWatch)
Aereo Case Will Shape TV’s Future (New York Times)
Aereo to Face Uphill Battle in Supreme Court, Experts Say (Analysis)
(Hollywood Reporter)
All atwitter for Gnip: Boulder waits to see impact of Twitter's purchase of local firm (Boulder Daily Camera)
Exclusive: Birchbox banks $60 million (Fortune Tech)
Square, Aereo, Gnip & Birchbox are all First Round Capital portfolio companies.
Tucker Twitmyer leaves EnerTech Capital (Fortune Term Sheet)
Will join Franklin Square Capital Partners.
Comcast, Time Warner Cable tie-up could change business services landscape (SNL Kagan)
Charter Shares Soar On Comcast/TWC Speculation (Multichannel News)
AT&T wants to beat Google Fiber to the punch in 21 new cities (VentureBeat)
SAP’s New EVP And GM Of Mobile Sees Tech Trends Converging
(TechCrunch)
ICD-10 Delay: What's Next For Healthcare Organizations? (Information Week)
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