CIQ Headlines for April 19, 2007

CIQ Headlines

Crackberry Withdrawl–(NYT) Five million of the 8 million Blackberry users were left without service for 10 hours yesterday. Said one of the affected, “I quit smoking 28 years ago, and that was easier than being without my BlackBerry.” RIM, maker of the device, did not disclose the cause of the problem. But speculation is that the recently added 2 million users over the last year has stressed the system. CIQ: With all the hype about YouTube and MySpace it’s interesting we don’t hear about Berrys so much until there is an outage. A 33% growth in 1 year, devoted, even addicted users who joke about 12-step programs: The Berry proves a simple device that allow for a basic connection is still the “killer app.” 

Video Engagement is Over 4 Minutes–(Media Post) In this study produced by a provider of rich-media technology, users engaged with rich banners whose content could be 10 minutes long for a full 4.6 minutes on average. CIQ: We have long been curious about the “ideal length” of new forms of internet content. Our guess is 5-7 minutes. Nice to know it’s supported by this data point.

The Net Impact On Local TV–(CNet) Is online video a threat to local TV? Some cited in this article are refreshingly platform-agnostic. “It’s silly to focus on which formats or mediums are better,” said Diane Sutter, CEO of MyTv, Boston. “We should be focusing on enhancing viewer experience using broadcast, Internet, podcasts and whatever else we can.” CIQ: Right on. Click on an audio file at the New York Times and it says, “from New York Times radio.” Those who stay wedded to a delivery mechanism will suffer in the shifting media environment.