Samsung Galaxy S ad on Bloglines home page

Also getting loads of ads in the press in the UK. Should sell well, and Blinkx's app should get good uptake...

Democracy Live demoted...

I notice that DL has been moved down the redesigned BBC News landing page (and reduced in size) and an iPlayer widget now sits roughly where DL used to sit.

Coincidence? Evidence that DL not that popular after all (especialyy post-election)?

I don't know, but it's gotta have an impact on DL page views/usage...

Project Canvas Chairman appointed

Post categories: project canvas

Erik Huggers | 09:43 UK time, Friday, 23 July 2010

Project Canvas' confirmation that Kip Meek has been appointed as Chairman is, I believe, a very important moment for the project I have chaired for the past two years.

Drawing an analogy; for all the partners who have worked together it's like building a new house - at this stage there is much work left to do, but we have laid strong foundations and have now been granted planning permission for the final build. As the first bricks are laid, I wanted to reflect on why the partners wanted to build this house in the first place.

Spurred by the BBC Trust to look at ways of working with other public service broadcasters we established a partnership, initially with ITV and BT, to bring internet services to the television set...

from BBC Internet Blog

-------------

Comment: I like this bit: "Because the standards are open, the potential audience is huge, and content providers will retain a direct relationship with consumers because the platform has no gatekeepers (editorial or financial). This also means it will become very cost-effective for other services and content providers on the web to build applications for the platform, and Canvas will become a byword for genuine consumer choice."

Huge. HUGE, you hear me? ;-)

Online Video Use Set to Soar

193.1 million U.S. Web video viewers by 2014
July 28, 2010
- eMarketer Staff

This year, two-thirds of U.S. Internet users, or 147.5 million people, will watch some form of online video content at least once per month, according to eMarketer.

By 2014, the number of U.S. online video viewers will represent 77 percent of Internet users, or 193.1 million people, according to eMarketer's forecasts. This growth will be driven by an expansion in content availability, technology advances and an increasing comfort level with the activity, the firm reports.

"Internet users are content to watch snack-type content at their desks or on the go, but when it comes to curling up with a movie, or even a TV episode, the living room couch is still the venue of choice," said Paul Verna, a senior analyst at eMarketer. "But as more TV sets ship with built-in Internet connectivity and technology providers devise other affordable, easy-to-use solutions for bridging the gap between the computer and the TV, the boundaries will dissolve."

from AdWeek

blinkx Partners With BBC World News to Expand News Coverage From Around the Globe

SAN FRANCISCO, July 27 /PRNewswire/ -- blinkx, the world's largest and most advanced video search engine, today announced a partnership with BBC World News, www.bbcworldnews.com, the BBC's international 24-hour news and information channel. BBC World News content will now be available and fully searchable on www.blinkx.com for all users outside of the United Kingdom. Leveraging its unique AdHoc platform, blinkx will place advertising against this premium content and share resulting revenue with BBC World News.

BBC World News is part of the world's largest newsgathering operation, delivering a diverse mix of authoritative international news, sports, weather, business, current affairs and documentary programming in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. As the heart of the BBC's commitment to global broadcasting and an integral member of BBC Global News, BBC World News delivers impartial, in-depth analysis of breaking news, as well as looking at the stories behind the news—not just what is happening, but why.

"BBC World News is an award-winning international news and current affairs channel—we're thrilled to be able to provide this caliber of current events coverage and analysis to our global audience," said Suranga Chandratillake, founder and CEO, blinkx. "This partnership will add a rich array of news reports to our index, as well as high quality entertainment and technology programming, so we can offer blinkx users access to the best video content on the Web."

As the pioneer in video search technology, blinkx has built a reputation as the smartest way to find rich media on the Web. The company has made more than 720 partners and indexed over 35 million hours of video and audio content to date...

from PR Newswire

IT training: Online video advertising 'sees ongoing growth'

The upward trend in the growth of online video advertising continues, according to Jamie Estrin, managing director of Web TV Enterprise.

"In online video we are seeing continued growth and each quarter the line is going in an upward curve," Mr Estrin said...

from Computeach

Blinkx dips after Mike Lynch share sale

Shares in Blinkx have been a strong performer recently after a series of deals for the video search company, so cue director share sales.

Mike Lynch - boss of Autonomy whence Blinkx sprung and still a non-executive director of the spin-off - yesterday sold 750,000 shares at 65p each to raise £487,500. This leaves him with a 7.5% holding.

At the same time Blinkx chief executive Suranga Chandratillake exercised options over 383,257 shares at 1p each and sold them for a total of nearly £250,000.

The news sent Blinkx shares 4.75p lower to 58.25p. They have climbed from 13p in the middle of May to 33.5p towards the start of this month. The rise since then follows a series of announcements about various partnerships, including a deal to supply an app to Samsung Electronics.

Meanwhile Autonomy - hit yesterday by news that Panmure Gordon was moving its recommendation from buy to hold ahead of results tomorrow - has recovered 11p to £18.26.

from The Guardian

...and while we're on the subject of share options...

ONE PENNY?Chandratillake was awarded share options priced at ONE PENNY?

What the FUCK did the board think they were doing awarding him options priced at ONE PENNY?

Any share options awarded to him should have been priced AT LEAST at the IPO price of 45p (ie the price that those who subscribed to the IPO had to pay - you know, the people who gave this company money to exist?), and ideally much higher to encourage him to deliver a higher share price than that at float.

Instead he got awarded 4m+ options at ONE FUCKING PENNY! No wonder he was so relaxed when the share price was tanked for the two-and-a-half years following launch - even when the price sank to 8.5p he still could have made 750% (8.5p minus the 1p option price) on his exercise price.

I hope someone comes and takes over this fucking company. £2 sounds about the right price - very affordable for a Microsoft or a Google (or a News Corp or a Yahoo! or an Apple or many many others). Then I won't have to think about this company or its management any more...

Way to go, guys!

How to kill market sentiment stone dead. Well done! I hope Blinkx gets fucking taken over...

"Blinkx dips after Mike Lynch share sale

Shares in Blinkx have been a strong performer recently after a series of deals for the video search company, so cue director share sales.

Mike Lynch - boss of Autonomy whence Blinkx sprung and still a non-executive director of the spin-off - yesterday sold 750,000 shares at 65p each to raise £487,500. This leaves him with a 7.5% holding.

At the same time Blinkx chief executive Suranga Chandratillake exercised options over 383,257 shares at 1p each and sold them for a total of nearly £250,000.

The news sent Blinkx shares 4.75p lower to 58.25p. They have climbed from 13p in the middle of May to 33.5p towards the start of this month. The rise since then follows a series of announcements about various partnerships, including a deal to supply an app to Samsung Electronics.

Meanwhile Autonomy - hit yesterday by news that Panmure Gordon was moving its recommendation from buy to hold ahead of results tomorrow - has recovered 11p to £18.26."

from The Guardian

So Mike Lynch sells 750k shares @ 65p a share...

...thereby realising £487,500.

This action causes the share price to drop (as I write) 5.48p, thereby wiping £1,274,248 off his remaining holding of 23,252,712 shares.

For a supposedly clever man that strikes me as a remarkably stupid thing to do.

Also, of course, Chandratillake and Lynch selling sends an appalling message to the large holders who have either just got in or upped their stake. What kind of message does it send to Standard Life - who have just increased their holding in Blinxk to 9% - that Lynch and Chandratillake are selling shares because they think the price looks toppy?

And what message does it send to Citi, who have just upped their price target to 100p? That they're wrong? What is that going to do for Blinkx's relations with the City (and Citi)?

All we've heard from Chandratillake since the company floated is what a bright future it has - yet as soon as it looks like achieving that bright future he does this and kills the enthusiasm stone dead.

Just when I thought I was wrong about Chandratillake on this blog he pulls this shit.

Congratulations, Suranga, you just tanked the share price!

Thanks a lot, Mike!

The Blinkx share price was rising quite nicely today until this was announced:

"Blinkx plc announces that on 20 July 2010 Dr Michael R Lynch, a Non-Executive Director, notified the Company that he sold 750,000 Blinkx plc Ordinary Shares ('Blinkx Shares') at a price of £0.65 per share. The transaction represented approximately 3.1% of Dr Lynch's holding, and following the transaction Dr Lynch's is interested in 23,252,712 Blinkx Shares, representing 7.5% of the Company's issued share capital.

On 20 July 2010 Suranga Chandratillake, Blinkx's Chief Executive Officer notified the Company that, on 19 July 2010, he exercised options over 383,257 Blinkx Shares at an exercise price of £0.01 per share, and subsequently sold those Blinkx Shares at a price of £0.65 per share. Following this transaction, Mr Chandratillake's total number of options in the Company under the blinkx US Share Option Plan is 4,109,314."

OK, so he only sold 3% of his holding - but given that he can't need the money why bother at all? Clearly because he thinks the price is looking toppy.

Or at least it was, before it started sinking back on the above news.

Thanks a lot, Mike!

And as for Chandratillake - disgraceful, if you ask me. He's never bought a single share in the open market, as far as I'm aware, and yet as soon as the price rises (a rise patient shareholders have been waiting for for nearly three years) he exercises some options (priced at 1p!) and makes a packet...

blinkx Introduces Mobile API, Opens Mobile Video Index to Distribution Partners

SAN FRANCISCO, July 21, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- blinkx, the world's largest and most advanced video search engine, today announced the launch of a new API (Application Programming Interface). The newly available API gives developers of mobile applications and sites access to blinkx's unrivaled index of MP4 video...

from Virtualization

-----------

Comment: wasn't so long ago Chandratillakie was saying he didn't think mobile was an important market for Blinkx. I always thought that view was wrong - good to see that the penny has finally dropped with Blinkx. Now if they'd only sort out their social media strategy...

Another prediction of huge growth for online ad spend...

"But it is the Internet that will show the biggest share growth this year and beyond, according to a revision made to the company's annual spending forecast. Online advertising spending will rise from $49.8 billion and 10.5% of global spending in 2008 to $82.7 billion and 17.1% in 2012."

http://www.dmnews.com/global-ad-spend-to-increase-35-propelled-by-online/article/174879/

Blinkx (LON:BLNX) report:Google 2Q results ~ takeaways for blinkx?

By Daniel Stewart & Co



-Google missed Street estimates despite 24%YoY revenue and profits growth ($6.82bn, $1.84bn respectively) on higher costs associated with R&D, and a payroll increase of 1,184 to 21,805.


-The company highlighted internet advertising and smartphones as key areas for investment, emphasising the growth in Android apps but playing down the dwindling Nexus One handset.


-In commentary Google said it was pleased with the progress of display advertising, particularly on YouTube saying "our display network, which includes YouTube, is growing very rapidly" although it did not provide specific YouTube numbers.


-Takeaways? Google has high hopes for on-line advertising and growth prompted by the combination of smartphones and its Android platform. These are both areas which are clearly at the core of blinkx' offering, particularly following its announcement yesterday an exclusive global Android-based deal with Samsung. We remain Buyers of blinkx, target price under review.

from SMR.com

Citi raises its price target for Blinkx

Citigroup raises Blinkx (BLNX.LN) price target, almost doubling it to 100p from 55p. Citi cites strong search volumes, steady monetization and high online video CPMs [impressions per 1000 page view]. These, combined with favorable forex moves drive the target price increase. Citi says recent newsflow, including commentary on advertising from Google, the signing of new content deals and the creation of new distribution platforms reinforces Blinkx's value proposition and should drive growth/returns. Buy rating. Shares are +2.3% at 67p

Daniel Stewart BUY rating

Massive forward potential.

Lower down the market Blinkx, the video search engine business spun out of Autonomy, rose 12.25p to 65p as Samsung chose the company to participate in its SamsungApps offering. Analysts at Daniel Stewart issued a buy note, saying:

Blinkx has also developed a video app for the Android platform, which will be promoted via SamsungApps on its latest Galaxy S handset. Blinkx reports that the app, called , blinkx Beat, will be the only such video app to be featured in the SamsungApps offering, which comprises a playlist of the most popular videos available. Blinkx Beat will be made available globally via SamsungApps, whilst in the US the Galaxy S handset will be launched by Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint.

In our view this is a highly-significant development for Blinkx on three fronts; it ratifies the suitability of Blinkx video search technology for mobiles; it ratifies applicability to the Android platform; it is well-timed for what is forecast to be a surge in mobile content delivery, with the associated opportunity for advertising.

Blinkx’s Value Has Soared To £158 Million; Now What?

Blinkx may have posted another loss on investment in its annual accounts in May, but the report that actual income nearly doubled has set a rocket under the video search and advertising firm’s share price.

As our chart shows, Blinkx‘s price on London’s AIM market shot up more than three times following the earnings on May 19, and in the last few days reached farther, to a record of £0.57, not seen since Blinkx’s May 2007 IPO...

from paidContent.org

Blinkx Plc

blinkx Beat for SamsungApps

RNS Number : 3927P

Blinkx Plc

15 July 2010



blinkx App to Feature on Samsung's Galaxy S

blinkx Introduces Video App for Android Devices, Debuted onSamsungApps on the Galaxy S

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF.-July 15, 2010-blinkx, the world's largest and most advanced video search engine, today announced that Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies, has selected blinkx for participation in SamsungApps.

Under the terms of the agreement, blinkx has developed a video app for the Android platform, which will be promoted through SamsungApps on Samsung's new, highly acclaimed Galaxy S handset. The blinkx app, blinkx Beat, is the only video app to be featured in the elite SamsungApps offering.

blinkx Beat for SamsungApps is a never-ending playlist of the most popular videos from the around Web-hilarious bloopers, amazing stunts, ridiculous pranks and cute animals-a riveting channel of snackable video delivered straight to your smartphone. The blinkx Beat app also allows users to search across blinkx's entire index for mobile-compatible videos while on the go.

"We're thrilled to have been chosen as one of Samsung's featured apps for the global launch of its new Android phone. Through SamsungApps, Samsung improves the consumer experience by carefully selecting and promoting a world-class showcase of apps for its handsets, each developed by leaders in their respective verticals, so that users have immediate access to a rich array of functionality," said Suranga Chandratillake, founder and CEO, blinkx. "The Galaxy S is remarkable, delivering advanced technology and amazing functionality packaged in a sleek, beautifully designed handset. With these kind of advances, the mobile video experience is improving in leaps and bounds."

blinkx Beat will be available globally through SamsungApps. In the U.S., the Galaxy S is coming out with all four major carriers: Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint.

As the pioneer in video search technology, blinkx has built a reputation as the smartest way to find rich media on the Web. The company has made more than 720 partners and indexed over 35 million hours of video and audio content to date.

About blinkx
blinkx plc (LSE AIM: BLNX) is the world's largest and most advanced video search engine. Today, blinkx has indexed more than 35 million hours of audio, video, viral and TV content, and made it fully searchable and available on demand. blinkx's founders set out to solve a significant challenge - as TV and user-generated content on the Web explode, keyword-based search technologies only scratch the surface. blinkx's patented search technologies listen to - and even see - the Web, helping users enjoy a breadth and accuracy of search results not available elsewhere. In addition, blinkx powers the video search for many of the world's most frequented sites. blinkx is based in San Francisco and London. More information is available at www.blinkx.com.

Press Contacts for blinkx

Nicole Love

Marlin PR

+44 207 869 8328

nicole.love@marlinpr.com

Tim Turpin

Sparkpr

+1 (415) 321 1894

tim.turpin@sparkpr.com

NOMAD for blinkx

Charles Lytle

Citi

This information is provided by RNS

The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

END

--------

Comment: About bloody time Blinkx clued up to mobile. I've been saying it for nearly two years now - nice to see that the penny has finally dropped with Blinkx management...

Online Video Ad Segment Poised to Explode

The online video advertising market is poised for rapid growth over the next few years, according to eMarketer.

The research firm estimates online video advertising spending will grow more than 48 percent this year, reaching $1.5 billion. By 2014, it expects the video ad market will top $5.5 billion...

from Ad Week

YouTube Invites Users To Leanback, Visit Longer

YouTube is touting its new Leanback format, which picks out high-def clips most likely to grab attention and then automatically serves up one video after another. Getting people to stick around longer would give YouTube more opportunities to sell more ads. The formula will choose videos most likely to appeal to each individual viewer...

from CRM Daily

Comment: User profiling based on video views? We know a company that does that, don't we boys and girls?

Citigroup pushing Blinxk to its corporate clients?

This was posted by 'Dawnraid' on the LSE site. It purports to be part of an email summary that goes to its largest institutional fund managers:

"Citigroup  FOCUS on Online Video Advertising; Positive Readacross for Blinkx/Free TV — There is an intriguing article in the Wall Street Journal on the prospects for online video advertising. On the back of comments from Google and other players, the article suggests three key reasons why the prospects for online video are so encouraging: (1) video advertising (vs. traditional banner advertising) is engaging and better allows brands to build a relationship with a consumer; (2) technology allows advertisers to serve more relevant advertisements to users based on behavioural targeting; (3) advertisers are broadly familiar with the process of buying video, so the transition from offline to online is in principle easier to make. Unfortunately, for European media investors there is a dearth of direct ways to play this trend. The most direct is Blinkx, which we rate Buy/Speculative. This does, however, also support a more benign structural view on the Free-to-Air broadcasters. This is a key support to positive views on ITV and ProSiebenSat.1 (both Buy/High Risk). "

Coverage in the Daily Mail

Tuesdays Daily Mail.Market Report.

'There's no stopping Blinkx. Shares of the video search engine, which was spun off from Autonomy in 2007, followed June's leap of 35pc with a further rise of 7.75p, or 16.5pc, to a year's high of 54.5p.

It is in brokerage Killik's Top 10 Special Situation fund, and stock-picker Mike Savage says the shares are still a buy given the huge potential in internet video traffic, through which it can of fer highly targeted advertising'

"Global online ad spend will reach almost USD100bn by 2014"

"Global online ad spend will reach almost USD100bn by 2014 as the market returns to double-digit growth this year, according to figures from eMarketer. The research firm is forecasting that revenues from online advertising will increase by 12% year-on-year in 2010 to hit USD61.8bn worldwide. Growth is forecast to continue at rates of more than 10% a year over the next four years, with spending soaring to USD96.8bn by 2014.

"Despite the slow, uneven and fragile global economic recovery, online ad spend will grow at an 11.9% compound annual rate," says eMarketer analyst Jared Jenks. "These rates will be unmatched by other media."

from Strategy Eye, apparently, but they want a registration (which means you would have to register too to see it)...

$100bn by 2014, eh? And I bet video advertising takes a lion's share of that...

Eric Schmidt at the Sun Valley conference for technology and media moguls

'"The general answer on acquisitions is, yes we're in the business of buying companies that extend our consumer focus."

...

"Most people assume [this is a] battle to death," Mr Schmidt said of the competition between Apple's iPhone and Google's Android software for mobile phones. Instead, he said it was possible for two highly successful and divergent strategies. "Shockingly, yes," he said.

The subtext of the statement was that Google and Apple will divide the spoils of the future of media on mobile, on computers and, soon, on television.'

From the Financial Times, July 10/11 edition, p19

---------

Comment: It is really, really easy to make an utterly compelling case as to why Google should buy both Autonomy and Blinkx. It is Google' stated aim to organise the world's information: adding best-in-class corporate search and video search to their offerings would (subject to regulation) make them unbeatable and be a major step towards achieving their goal; streets ahead of Microsoft and able to go toe-to-toe with the world's largest media players (if Google can't already do so)...

And as for that last bit about television - stick around, things are going to get real interesting the next year or two...

Jesus, just look at those traffic figures...

Scaling the BBC iPlayer to handle demand

from the BBC Internet Blog

-----

Comment: I just hope Blinkx are involved with Canvas - if those traffic figures are anything to go by, and if video views (for BBC content and the rest of the content on Canvas) can be advertised against (if only for non-UK viewers for BBC content), it would be a bloody goldmine for everyone involved...

blinkx Serves Up Tasty Cooking Clips From Top Recipe Sites to Please Any Palate

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF.-July 6, 2010-blinkx, the world's largest video search engine, today announced partnerships with Food Wishes, Weelicious, Feed Me Bubbe and Cooking with Cathy to offer users a wide range of cooking-related programming that is sure to please every palate. Through the partnerships, content will be fully searchable and viewable at www.blinkx.com. Leveraging its unique AdHoc platform, blinkx will also place contextually relevant advertising against the videos and share resulting advertising revenue with the partners.

from investegate

-----------

Comment: not exactly a world-shaking RNS - I'd rather it has been the announcement of Cheep's launch - but every little helps...

Worth an official RNS?

ITN signs Iliffe News & Media ad video deal

"The deal will see Iliffe take a video package of UK, world, sports, entertainment and business news that will run on the 24 websites across its newspaper portfolio. Contextual advertising will run around video content and will be delivered by Blinkx, which splits revenues with ITN and partner publishers."

from The Guardian

Blinkx dividend this year?

This is a fascinating video:

http://iball.iii.co.uk/2010/07/02/blinkx-blnx

Who made it, and why now?

I consider its suggestion that Blinkx might pay a dividend this year to be at the outer limits of possibility - I'd settle for the company becoming unambiguously profitable as a start - but even the fact that anyone is suggesting it is very interesting.

Profitability should light a fire under the share price. And if it did announce a dividend, the sky's the limit and all bets are off...

Oh, and does the mention of Cheep mean that its release is imminent?

Hulu due for PlayStation 3 in July, Xbox 360 in 2011

While it might not quite be on artistic par as Europe's score with arthouse film streaming service MUBI, the announcement of Hulu Plus -- an ad-supported and subscription based alternative to the current TV streaming service -- has also brought word that both the PS3 and Xbox 360 will be getting their own on-dash version.

The guided tour of the $9.99 per month service notes that the PS3 version will launch in July with full seasons of current programming (full list here), along with full series archives of shows like Buffy, X-Files and Arrested Development (full list of those here, too). An Xbox 360 version will follow after the holidays. ..

from Boing Boing

Hulu CEO Jason Kilar: We’re No Cable Killer! We Swear!

If you’re planning on swapping out your expensive cable TV service for Hulu’s $10 a month subscription offering, Jason Kilar has advice for you: Don’t do it!

The Hulu CEO insists that his “Hulu Plus” service, which gives subscribers a deep catalog of shows they can watch on their computers or on gadgets like the iPad, isn’t meant to replace cable. Instead, he says, it’s meant to augment cable. Just like your iPhone doesn’t replace your PC...

from Media Memo

Google: Flash stays on YouTube, and here's why

Google has confirmed that Adobe Flash will continue to "play a critical role" on YouTube, saying the fledgling HTML5 video tag doesn't meet the site's needs.

"It's important to understand what a site like YouTube needs from the browser in order to provide a good experience for viewers as well as content creators," reads a Tuesday blog post from YouTube software engineer John Harding. "We need to do more than just point the browser at a video file like the image tag does — there’s a lot more to it than just retrieving and displaying a video."...

from The Register