Here’s a quick way to learn about the small, black second-gen Apple TV introduced by CEO Steve Jobs at the Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) 09.01.10 event: »  How much does it cost? The device is $99, nearly a 67 percent cut from the original $299 price for the first Apple TV…

Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) is trying to close the loop between music discovery and iTunes Store’s music purchasing, by injecting a brand new social network in to iTunes itself. Integrated in to new iTunes 10 and in to the iTunes Store app on iOS, “Ping” lets users “follow” friends to see…

And here it is ... the pocket-rocket version of Apple TV with $4.99 first-run movies and $0.99 TV shows. The main content events: as expected, ABC (NYSE: DIS), Fox and Netflix (NSDQ: NFLX). And, as expected, it’s a heck of a lot cheaper: a much more competitive $99, down from…

Facebook Credits, the virtual currency that Facebook members can use to buy various extras for Facebook apps, will soon be available for purchase in brick-and-mortar stores. Starting next week, Target will be selling $15, $25, and $50 gift cards nationwide that buyers will be able to redeem for Credits. The…

Sony’s long-held ambition of providing a content service available to its game console and other devices is finally coming together. At the IFA show in Berlin on Wednesday, CEO Howard Stringer said the cloud-based *Sony* Online Services (SOLS) platform, which was hinted at in November, is being christened Qriocity, and…

The National Hockey League is looking to a programming vet from the National Football League to pull its content strategy together and execute it across all platforms. Charles Coplin is joining the NHL as EVP-content, a new position that reports to COO John Collins. Coplin’s responsibilities include NHL.com; NHL Network;…

As luck would have it, I was on the go when the U.S. leg of the tennis Grand Slam started Monday, providing a good chance to test the live streaming video for iPad and the new mobile features from USOpen.org. The USTA went iOS-centric with an iPad-optimized browser and an…

Google (NSDQ: GOOG) continues to buy up social-related firms in preparation for the launch of the new social networking effort it has under way. Its latest acquisition is mobile game startup SocialDeck, which is behind several very-addicting mobile games, including Shake & Spell, a spelling game that users can simultaneously…

YouTube will be broadcasting all Major League Baseball games on its site in Japan next year, in what the company is calling “the largest partnership for premium sports content” in its history.

Tennis fans should be able to get their fill of the 2010 U.S. Open with or without a TV, even if the weather is good. For the past two years, CBSSports.com streamed the men’s single finals free when weather delays pushed the matches to Mondays. This year, the site will…

When YouTube launched a US TV section in April 2009, with shows from CBS (NYSE: CBS), it came along with a Movies section, with flicks from MGM and Lionsgate. In the same way, the video site is now adding a UK movies section to the UK TV section it opened…

Some of the stories people are talking about this morning:»  Blockbuster (NYSE: BBI) is warning Hollywood movie studios about something they likely expected all along: the company is preparing to file for bankruptcy in the middle of next month. [LATimes] »  Newsweek is losing another top editor: Mark Miller, who…

There’s a comfortable routine with an Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) announcement. A week before the press conference, the Cupertino, Calif.-based company sends out invitations to the press. Reporters then work furiously to scour the internet to find a reasonably priced flight given the short notice. Next, the speculating begins as to…

It’s kind of anti-climactic at this point, but Netflix (NSDQ: NFLX) has extended its rental service to Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch, four months after making its debut on the iPad. Still, it is notable, given Apple’s intentions to drop its TV subscription plans for the moment and to concentrate…

LoveFilm, which is often regarded as the “Netflix (NSDQ: NFLX) of the Europe,” has struck a major deal with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios that gives its streaming rental service access to hundreds of classic movies and new home video releases. The deal comes as LoveFilm is trying to be seen as more…

Digital Chocolate, the game company started by Electronic Arts (NSDQ: ERTS) founder Trip Hawkins, is suing Zynga over the title of Zynga’s hit Facebook game Mafia Wars. Digital Chocolate has its own mobile game called Mafia Wars and wants Zynga to stop using that tile.

Playboy Enterprises (NYSE: PLA) is forming a new video game label this year as part of a wider digital strategy to make its brand more mainstream, Paul H. Lee, the company’s managing director for new digital ventures, told paidContent. The company hasn’t decided on a name yet, but it already…

It’s wrestled with legal issues, on-off label licenses and low income. Now in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the Playlist.com music service formerly run by Owen Van Natta owes $27.7 million to the major and indie labels for use of their songs. The figures are in a list of creditors obtained by…

WebMediaBrands (NSDQ: WEBM) is going in-house for its latest expansion, launching a MediaBistro spinoff called SportsNewser, which will feature “breaking news and analysis of the sports media business,” as well as “interviews with prominent broadcasters, athletes and industry executives.” It’s the first site WebMediaBrands has developed internally since launching future…