Wireless

While it's waiting to be gobbled up by Google, AdMob isn't sitting still.

The mobile ad company announced Tuesday that it will deliver interactive video ads to the iPhone and iPod Touch devices. The ads, set to run this week, will let iPhone users surf the Web and check out other videos while the video ad is playing. AdMob believes advertisers and developers will take advantage of the video format by serving up interactive ads designed to pull in consumers.

"AdMob's new Interactive Video Ad Unit brings together consumers' love of watching videos on their mobile device with advertisers' goal of providing an interactive, social experience for consumers," said AdMob Founder and CEO Omar Hamoui in a statement. "We are excited to create new ways for advertisers to engage with consumers on their mobile devices and for the developers behind the most popular and engaging iPhone applications to effectively monetize."

The video ads will automatically pop up as iPhone users access certain content and applications. The ads will also offer a video player so that people can control and interact with them. To make sure the ads run at a decent clip, AdMob uses a network of distributed servers to push them out. Each video is saved in different file sizes, with the most appropriate one streamed based on the connection type, such as 3G or Wi-Fi.

AdMob is one of the top advertising providers for the handheld and portable device market, a position that convinced Google to cough up $750 million in stock to buy out the company. With its multimedia capabilities and huge market share, the iPhone has proven a fertile ground for video ads, with the first ones popping up in early 2008 and growing since then.

Cisco Systems has bumped up its buyout offer to $3.41 billion for video conferencing company Tandberg.

The network giant's initial bid received a thumbs down from most of Tandberg's shareholders, who felt the initial $3 billion offer undervalued the company.

So far, more than 40 percent of Tandberg's stockholders, which includes investment firm OppenheimerFunds and Norwegian government pension fund Folketrygdfondet, have pre-accepted the new offer.

Cisco announced on October 1 that it was pursuing a $3 billion cash takeover of Tandberg, a major global supplier of video conferencing equipment with dual headquarters in Oslo, Norway, and New York City.

Increasingly important to companies looking to cut travel costs, teleconferencing is considered a growth industry. Cisco wants a bigger piece of that pie, and analysts didn't expect it to give up on Tandberg too easily.

The new bid expires December 1. Cisco said that if the bid isn't accepted by that deadline, it will withdraw the bid and look at other ways to expand its reach in the video conferencing market.

Cisco has been on a tear lately buying smaller niche companies, taking over a few firms earlier in the year and recently announcing plans to gobble up security software firm ScanSafe and wireless equipment maker Starent Networks.

Using VoIP-based mobile devices over Wi-Fi or IP video phones? Be careful.

Researchers plan to demonstrate this weekend how they can eavesdrop on voice over IP conversations made using an iPhone over a Wi-Fi network and snoop on video and audio communications between IP video phones.

These types of man-in-the-middle eavesdropping attacks aren't new, however these could be the first public demonstrations of them on these particular platforms.

This screen shot shows the user interface of UCSniff. The user can listen in on a conversation and see the video of two people talking on an IP-based video phone. The two video screens show what each of the video phones is displaying.

(Credit: Viper Lab, Sipera Systems)

In the VoIP demo at ToorCon in San Diego on Saturday, Jason Ostrom, director of Viper Lab at Sipera Systems will listen to the conversation of someone talking on an iPhone over an unsecured wireless network. The exploit targets smartphones that are using the SIP (session initiation protocol) for VoIP, he said on Friday.

Ostrom will use an open-source assessment tool called UCSniff to listen to and record the conversation. A new version of the tool will be released publicly on Saturday, he said.

In another demo, Ostrom will show an attack in which he can view and listen in real time to video and audio from a conversation made over an IP video phone.

At Defcon in July, Ostrom demonstrated attacks in which someone could eavesdrop on video conference calls and intercept surveillance camera video.

Sipera Systems will announce new security products next week that can help protect against the VoIP over Wi-Fi smartphone attack, said Adam Boone, vice president of marketing and product management at the company.

Your received video messages look just like an e-mail in-box.

(Credit: Screenshot by Harrison Hoffman/CNET)

12seconds.tv, a micro video messaging service dubbed by some as "Twitter for video," is bringing the same short format to private video messaging in its second iPhone app, 12mail.

The basic gist of the app, released this week, is that you can record a video, up to 12 seconds, and send it off to one of your friends. Your friend then gets a push notification and can watch it.

Unfortunately, in order to take advantage of the video recording part of this app, you have to have an iPhone 3GS. Those with the 3G or original iPhone can take a photo and record 12 seconds of audio as an alternative. The app does not require a 12seconds account, but rather allows you to link with Twitter or Facebook. It then pulls down your contacts from either service and you can video message to your heart's content.

12mail is a great concept as a private video messaging app, but it seems to have missed the mark when it came to Facebook Connect implementation. When you send a video message to one of your Twitter contacts, it shows up as a direct message on Twitter and as a private message in the iPhone app. In contrast, when you message a Facebook contact, it posts it in public on that person's Facebook Wall and shows up in the iPhone app. The result of sending a video message in these two scenarios is very different. It would serve 12mail well to alert a user on Facebook by sending an Inbox message. In its current state, the Facebook integration just doesn't work as you would expect it to.

Despite some of these functionality issues (which can be worked out), I really like the idea of private video messaging or "video voicemail." It has a lot of great potential uses and opens up a whole new way of communicating.

You can download the app from the iTunes App Store here.

12mail's push notification.

(Credit: Screenshot by Harrison Hoffman/CNET)

12mail's Facebook friend list.

(Credit: Screenshot by Harrison Hoffman/CNET)

It's no secret that Japan has better mobile phones than the rest of the world. The country has also had access to better phone-based Internet services since the launch of NTT DoCoMo's i-mode service all the way back in 1998.

Recent data from japan.internet.com (translated by whatjapanthinks.com) suggests that Japan's mobile phones offer users enough functionality that 49 percent of the respondents to a recent survey say a "mobile phone is enough" when asked what kind of mobile device they would most like to carry.

• Mobile phone is enough 49.2 percent
• Smartphone 22 percent
• Netbook 16.3 percent
• Notebook computer 8.9 percent
• MID/UMPC 0.3 percent
• Other 0.3 percent
• Don't want to carry anything 3 percent

In addition to the wealth of services and games, with the character-based typing you really don't need an iPhone or other smartphone unless you need to access corporate e-mail. While this can also be delivered directly to mobile phones, in my experience most companies don't allow access unless it's through a VPN.

Those of us who pay to watch online video on our mobile devices are about to be joined by a lot more people.

The number of users globally paying for mobile video and TV services is expected to jump to 534 million by 2014, a five-fold increase from 2008, says a report released Thursday by market researcher Pyramid Research. Much of the recent growth has been fueled by increased bandwidth, lower data costs, and more advanced handheld devices, and that trend will continue.

(Credit: Pyramid Research)

In the report, mobile video includes paid video clips, music videos, TV episodes, TV programming, and online movies that are delivered directly to a mobile device.

In the U.S. alone, Pyramid estimates that revenue from mobile video services will reach $16 billion by 2014. However, much of the demand will come from Europe and Asia/Pacific.

"The availability of improved devices and networks are contributing to a higher level of adoption and spending on mobile video services," says Derek Medlin, senior analyst at Pyramid Research and author of the report. "Pyramid Research believes that a substantial proportion of mobile Net additions in the next five years will come from emerging markets, especially in Asia/Pacific, and will drive a 37 percent growth in total mobile subscriptions from 2009 to 2014."

In the Asia/Pacific region, countries such as Japan, Hong Kong, and South Korea already lead the way in the number of mobile video subscriptions. However, Pyramid also forecasts higher growth from India and the LATAM region over the next five years.

"Looking ahead, Asia/Pacific will remain in the top spot, attaining more than 281 million subscriptions by 2014," says Medlin in the report, "although we expect Latin America to grow at the fastest pace, increasing at a CAGR (compounded annual growth rate) of 39 percent from 2009 to 2014."

Research In Motion, maker of the popular BlackBerry smartphones, reportedly is preparing to announce a new video download service for its BlackBerry phones at the CTIA trade show next week in Las Vegas.

(Credit: Research In Motion)

The blog NewTeeVee, which reported the news earlier this week, said that the service will be offered as an unlimited monthly subscription service. And it adds that RIM has already signed several broadcast and cable partners to offer up content. But instead of streaming the video over the 3G wireless network, RIM is planning a service that will allow the videos to be downloaded using Wi-Fi connections, the site reported.

News of the TV service is expected to be announced Wednesday when Mike Lazaridis, co-CEO of RIM, is slated to give a keynote address on the opening day of the trade show and conference. The company is also expected to announce the availability of its new application store, called BlackBerry App World.

Representatives declined to comment about the launch of the BlackBerry App World and the new video service.

There are already several services available for watching video on cell phones. Qualcomm's MediaFlo has built its own broadcast network that streams live TV directly to handsets. The service is offered through AT&T and Verizon Wireless, but it requires special handsets. And to date, RIM's BlackBerry phones do not offer this service.

MobiTV also offers a streaming mobile video service. This service provides content from more than 40 channels, including several major networks, such as ABC, CBS, NBC, ESPN, and Discovery Networks. It also offers made-for-mobile videos and video-on-demand clips to more than 5 million subscribers on over 350 mobile devices. The service, which costs $10 a month, is currently offered on AT&T and Sprint Nextel networks the day after CBS broadcasts them on TV.

But instead of streaming video to handsets, RIM plans to allow users to download entire episodes over a Wi-Fi connection to the devices, the NewTeeVee blog said. Apple also requires videos from its iTunes store to be downloaded instead of streamed. But unlike RIM, which will use a Wi-Fi connection for downloading, iPhone users must download the video via their computers and then sync it to their iPhone.

Because video files are large, it makes sense that RIM would offer the service over Wi-Fi. But it does limit the usefulness of the service. If users can download video over the 3G cellular network, they can access video anywhere. Wi-Fi is limited to smaller hotspots and is not ubiquitous. What's more, not every BlackBerry device on the market offers Wi-Fi.

In fact, the BlackBerry Storm, offered exclusively by Verizon Wireless, does not support Wi-Fi. The Storm is RIM's only touch-screen device, and it offers the largest screen that would be ideal for viewing video.

But other hot BlackBerry models do offer Wi-Fi. The BlackBerry Bold and the BlackBerry Curve 8900, both of which have good screens, support Wi-Fi.

There are other BlackBerry devices, primarily offered by AT&T, T-Mobile USA, and Sprint Nextel, that support Wi-Fi. Here's a list of Wi-Fi-enabled BlackBerry devices and which carriers offer them.

•  BlackBerry Bold (AT&T)

•  BlackBerry Curve 8900 (T-Mobile)

•  BlackBerry Curve 8320 (AT&T and T-Mobile)

•  BlackBerry 8820 (AT&T and T-Mobile)

•  BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 (T-Mobile)

•  BlackBerry Curve 8350i (Sprint Nextel)

•  BlackBerry Pearl 8120 (AT&T and T-Mobile)

CNET Reviews editor Bonnie Cha contributed to this article.

A picture of the new Yankee Stadium in the Bronx set to open in April 2009.

(Credit: Marguerite Reardon CNET News/CBS Interactive)

NEW YORK--Cisco Systems is teaming up with the New York Yankees to offer baseball fans an interactive experience at the ballpark and eventually bring that experience to their living rooms.

At a press conference in Manhattan on Tuesday, Cisco CEO John Chambers unveiled details of a new network the company is building for the Bronx Bombers to help them integrate voice, video, and data into their new stadium, which is set to open in April 2009.

The new network, which is costing the New York Yankees about $15 million to $16 million to build, will bring high-definition video throughout the stadium as well as a level of interactivity that has never been seen previously.

Chambers emphasized the important role that video will play in making the stadium a cutting edge facility.

Cisco CEO John Chambers discusses technology innovations for the Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.

(Credit: Marguerite Reardon CNET News/CBS Interactive)

" Video is the key word here," he said. "This is where high tech is going. If you flash forward into the future it is going to change the fan experience entirely."

As part of its network, which will also include typical IP infrastructure equipment, Cisco also plans to mount 1,100 high-definition IP monitors throughout the stadium in luxury suites, restaurants, bars, and even the bathrooms so that fans won't miss a minute of the action. The monitors, which will all be managed from a central location, will be able to provide various views and angles of the game.

And when the game ends, the monitors will help direct Yankee fans to the nearest exits and provide information about traffic and subways. In the event of an emergency, the monitors will be used to provide evacuation instructions.

Initially, most of the cool technology will be available only in the luxury suites. In these suites fans will be able to change the view of the game on their high-definition IPTV, call-up instant replays, and order food and beverages right from a Cisco IP phone in the suite.

But Chambers said it wouldn't be long before these other features are added throughout the ballpark and available to fans either on individual terminals at their seats or via their cell phones. The Yankees are already working on a widget that can be downloaded onto cell phones to provide some enhanced content.

He said fans will eventually be able to order concessions from their seats as well as Yankee merchandise. They might also play Yankee trivia games or get other tidbits of information about the team pushed to their phones. Fans will also be able to get information about tickets to future games or ways to swap tickets with friends. The technology will also allow fans to chat with others both inside and outside the stadium.

Hal Steinbrenner, Yankees executive vice president, treasurer, and general partner, said he is excited and impressed with the technology made available through Cisco. But he admitted he doesn't really understand it.

"Some of this is technology that I didn't know even existed," he said. "But we want to give our fans this ultimate experience."

Chambers said that the experience won't stop at the stadium. He said he believes that within the next two years many of the interactive features and functionality could be made available to fans at home.

"It's too early to say when we'll see this technology used at home," he said. "But if past experience is any indication, it will happen faster than we think. So within the next two years is reasonable."

For its part, Cisco is already planning to introduce new interactive video products into the home. Chambers told reporters during the question-and-answer period after the press conference that Cisco will announce a scaled down version of its telepresence video conferencing solution within the next 12 to 15 months. He said he believes that the cost of providing the service will be well within a consumer electronics budget. And with new high speed broadband offerings like Verizon's Fios service, he said that consumers have plenty of access to high capacity broadband connections for such services.

The Yankees also plan to use Cisco's corporate telepresence solution in the new stadium. And the organization plans to partner with a local school or library to bring players and other Yankee personnel to children in the community.

Chambers said the company is working with other Major League Baseball teams and that some of the new technology found in the new Yankee Stadium will likely be used in other stadiums, including the new Cisco Field, a stadium project in the San Francisco Bay Area city of Fremont that is expected to become the future home of the Oakland Athletics. Cisco, which is based in San Jose, Calif., announced in 2006 that it had sold a 143-acre parcel of land to the A's for the purpose of creating a state-of-the-art baseball park that would include housing, restaurants, and shops.

(Credit: Qik)

California mobile video company Qik on Sunday announced the alpha release of version 1.0 of Qik for BlackBerry. The free, downloadable application (covered here and demoed here) lets cell phone filmmakers stream video live from their mobile phone to Qik.com, social networks like MySpace, Orkut, and Facebook, and to any personal blog.

When you're done filming, Qik also plays a post-production role by auto-publishing the recorded video stream to YouTube or Seismic. You can opt out by turning the feature off before or during the stream.

At the outset, Qik's alpha download will only be available for the BlackBerry Pearl 8120 and 8130, and for the BlackBerry Bold. Qik plans to follow up with support for the BlackBerry Pearl Flip and the Curve.

Initially, one of Qik's signature features will be absent from all BlackBerry models: the ability for viewers watching real-time videos to interact via instant messages. Qik tells us that the live chat feature is running into a "text and camera app issue." In Qik, the incoming instant message lays over the video, something that's not built in to the BlackBerry platform.

Qik's inclusion of the BlackBerry platform brings the company's mobile presence up to six major phone manufacturers, including the iPhone, many HTC models running Windows Mobile, and Symbian-revved Nokia handsets. The complete list of cell phone models that Qik's live streaming video application supports can be found here.