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BBC Three to be taken off-air in the UK, reports BBC

Mar05
by on March 5, 2014 at 3:54 pm
Posted In: Around the Web

97366111 520x245 BBC Three to be taken off air in the UK, reports BBC

The BBC is reportedly planning to take its youth-focused BBC Three television channel off-air in order to save money and meet savings targets.

TV shows that would have been broadcast on BBC Three might still be available on iPlayer, but the channel as it exists today would no longer be available to watch on Freeview, satellite or cable.The broadcaster will announce its decision tomorrow (March 6), according to the BBC’s media correspondent David Sillito.

BBC Three was launched in 2003 to target teenagers and young adults with original, creative programming. Shows such as Little Britain, Gavin and Stacey and Being Human garnered sizeable followings there, although these days it’s arguably known for Family Guy reruns above all else.

Given the growth in iPlayer’s viewership, the move wouldn’t be too surprising – but to lose one of its flagship channels from conventional TV distribution platforms would still be a huge blow to many licence fee payers.

As Engadget notes, it’s worth remembering that the BBC also planned to close BBC Radio 6 back in 2010, but eventually abandoned the move following an eruption of public support for the digital radio station.

➤ BBC

Image Credit: Oli Scarff/Getty Images

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Eventbrite branches out into reserved seating with new drag-and-drop seating charts

Mar05
by on March 5, 2014 at 3:00 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Insider

Seat Map with Stage Dance Floor Bar 520x245 Eventbrite branches out into reserved seating with new drag and drop seating charts

Ticketing startup Eventbrite today added a major new feature to its platform with the addition of reserved seating options for ticket sellers.

Previously, Eventbrite only dealt in general admission tickets, but now you’ll be able to sell specific seats for your events. A Web tool allows hosts to drag-and-drop the layout of their venue in order to create seating maps. Once you specify where the focal point in the room is, Eventbrite can automatically calculate where the best seats are.

Tiered ticketing 730x620 Eventbrite branches out into reserved seating with new drag and drop seating charts

Eventbrite has kept its pricing the same for reserved seating. It takes a 2.5 percent cut plus 99 cents per ticket, not counting credit card fees. Free events will remain completely free of fees.

With the new feature, Eventbrite takes a substantial step toward challenging existing ticket sellers like Ticketmaster. While Eventbrite has gained adoption among smaller, independent events, its prior lack of reserved seating support held it back from use at larger venues and more formal events.

That’s not to say that Eventbrite’s growth has been stunted. Last year, the company topped $1 billion in gross ticket sales. Free tickets represented an additional 70 percent of its business.

Moving to reserved seating posed a technical challenge for Eventbrite, as each individual seat had to be managed as a separate inventory item. Issues like overselling, seat optimization, and keeping groups together had to be sorted out. Eventbrite says it overhauled its technology on the back-end in order to offer a quick and intuitive interface for seating and improve performance overall.

Ticket sales have traditionally led to terrible experiences for consumers, so it’s great to see a company like Eventbrite pushing for innovation. I’m relieved whenever I see that an event planner has chosen to use Eventbrite, and today’s new reserved seating features should allow it to support a whole new class of events.

See also: Inside the Event Graph: Here’s how Eventbrite helps you find new things to do

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Eventbrite branches out into reserved seating with new drag-and-drop seating charts

Mar05
by on March 5, 2014 at 3:00 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Insider

Seat Map with Stage Dance Floor Bar 520x245 Eventbrite branches out into reserved seating with new drag and drop seating charts

Ticketing startup Eventbrite today added a major new feature to its platform with the addition of reserved seating options for ticket sellers.

Previously, Eventbrite only dealt in general admission tickets, but now you’ll be able to sell specific seats for your events. A Web tool allows hosts to drag-and-drop the layout of their venue in order to create seating maps. Once you specify where the focal point in the room is, Eventbrite can automatically calculate where the best seats are.

Tiered ticketing 730x620 Eventbrite branches out into reserved seating with new drag and drop seating charts

Eventbrite has kept its pricing the same for reserved seating. It takes a 2.5 percent cut plus 99 cents per ticket, not counting credit card fees. Free events will remain completely free of fees.

With the new feature, Eventbrite takes a substantial step toward challenging existing ticket sellers like Ticketmaster. While Eventbrite has gained adoption among smaller, independent events, its prior lack of reserved seating support held it back from use at larger venues and more formal events.

That’s not to say that Eventbrite’s growth has been stunted. Last year, the company topped $1 billion in gross ticket sales. Free tickets represented an additional 70 percent of its business.

Moving to reserved seating posed a technical challenge for Eventbrite, as each individual seat had to be managed as a separate inventory item. Issues like overselling, seat optimization, and keeping groups together had to be sorted out. Eventbrite says it overhauled its technology on the back-end in order to offer a quick and intuitive interface for seating and improve performance overall.

Ticket sales have traditionally led to terrible experiences for consumers, so it’s great to see a company like Eventbrite pushing for innovation. I’m relieved whenever I see that an event planner has chosen to use Eventbrite, and today’s new reserved seating features should allow it to support a whole new class of events.

See also: Inside the Event Graph: Here’s how Eventbrite helps you find new things to do

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Flipboard acquires fellow content aggregator Zite from CNN

Mar05
by on March 5, 2014 at 2:56 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Insider

flipboard android 2 520x245 Flipboard acquires fellow content aggregator Zite from CNN

Way back in March 2011, we covered the launch of Zite, a free, personalized iPad magazine that promised to get “smarter” the more you use it. And now, more than two years after Zite was acquired by CNN, its news aggregation competitor Flipboard has snapped it up in a deal thought to be valued at around $60m.

The news was revealed during a conference call this morning, which had representatives from both Flipboard and CNN in attendance. And although the big news is that Zite will be changing hands, this deal also heralds a new tie-up that will see CNN content pushed through Flipboard, including breaking news, entertainment, technology and business. Furthermore, Flipboard will serve up customized magazines for CNN programs. Symbiotic is certainly the key phrase here – CNN gets a massive boost on mobile, while Flipboard gets a ton of content in return.

FLipboard 730x351 Flipboard acquires fellow content aggregator Zite from CNN

For Zite, well, this ultimately means that its days are numbered. During the call, it was confirmed that Zite’s technology will be woven into Flipboard over time, with Zite ultimately ceasing to be. “We will also build a way for you to transition your data from Zite into Flipboard,” explained Zite co-founder and CTO Mike Klaas in a follow-up blog post. “Until then (for six months at a minimum), we will continue supporting Zite.”

On a related note, a number of key Zite staff will be moving to work in Flipboard’s Palo Alto offices – though interestingly it seems this won’t include Zite co-founder Mark Johnson. He says:

“Personally, my situation is a bit different and I won’t be joining Flipboard. I’m really glad that I ignored the odds and shepherded Zite through our CNN years. I’ve grown as a CEO and I’m very proud of my team. However, after being at four different successful startups, I’ve never started one myself and it’s time to change that. Though I’ve got a number of ideas, I haven’t settled on what I’d like to do next. So, I’ve decided to take some time off to think, hike, consult, travel, advise, meet, write, dream, read, study, and – probably most importantly – relax. For me, the best ideas come when I’m not looking for them.”

This is unquestionably a huge move in the content aggregation space. On the one hand, this will eventually lead to one less option for readers, but on the other hand, as Johnson notes: “The combination of our two teams is going to be an epic force.”

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Sweden (yes, the country) wants your ideas for a new breed of games

Mar05
by on March 5, 2014 at 2:06 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Insider, Product Launches

Sweden 520x245 Sweden (yes, the country) wants your ideas for a new breed of games

Sweden is calling on gamers around the world to participate in a collaborative effort to create a new breed of computer games.

The new Democreativity website, which launched yesterday, is an online tool that pairs concepts of democracy and creativity with the goal of promoting diversity and new ideas.

The initiative is being launched by Visit Sweden, the Swedish Institute, and Business Sweden in conjunction with that country’s computer gaming industry. The group seeks international input to develop games featuring alternative formats, characters, gameplay, story lines, heroes and heroines, and ways to win. The newly launched web site allows submissions including brand new game ideas or adding to the ideas of others.

DEMOCREATIVITY CONTROL BLUE YELLOW 520x312 Sweden (yes, the country) wants your ideas for a new breed of games

Democreativity is a web tool to gather alternative ideas about how to construct video games.

The games community and industry experts will eventually sort through the website ideas and bundle them into a creative brief that will be available to everyone who wants to create a game. It will also be shared with students at Sweden’s University of Skövde, who will be tasked with developing a number of games as part of their curriculum. 

No idea is too wacky, but all proposals must conform with Swedish law, respect peoples’ privacy, and not be spam.

If the past is any indication, Sweden, whose games industry is responsible for international hits like Candy Crush Saga, Battlefield, and Minecraft, has all the Democreativity prerequisites. Sweden has ranked first among nations for creative expression and impression—representing a high receptivity to new ideas.

This is hardly Sweden’s first foray into mass collaboration. Three years ago, the country began allowing its good citizens to take control of its official Twitter account.

Image credit: Shutterstock

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