ABC to offer more TV content for iTunes

ABC early next year is planning to increase the number of television shows for iTunes, which are available for viewing on wireless and mobile devices -- such as Apple's fifth-generation iPod. Albert Chang, executive vice president of digital media for the Disney ABC Television Group indicated that efforts are underway to negotiate rights clearances from musicians, actors, writers, and others for shows that Disney does not produce itself, according to a report from imdb.com. "Now when we know a show will be good, we negotiate ahead of time to clear distribution on all platforms. We expect our mobile video subscriber business to reach 14 million in 2009, up from about 200,000 today," Chang said. Disney said it plans to re-launch its Movies.com site with additional editorial content, but without the feature films it originally planned to deliver online, according to the report.

SCAD offers daily film festival podcasting

The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) today introduced daily video podcasting of its film festival activities on iTunes. Podcasts will feature festival updates with the latest news and events, two to three interviews with special guests, "man-on-the-street" style interviews from festival attendees, film reviews by SCAD professors, and a calendar of events. The eighth annual Savannah Film Festival, hosted by the Savannah College of Art and Design October 29th through November 5th, presents films by studio independent and student filmmakers, as well as workshops and special guests from all areas of the film industry. Daily video podcasts will begin October 31st and run through November 4th. Guests include directors Sidney Lumet and Terry Zwigoff, actors Ellen Burstyn, Jeff Daniels, Natasha Richardson and James Franco, producer Alan Ladd Jr., film editor and sound designer Walter Murch and animators Don Bluth and Gary Goldman. Tickets and passes to the Savannah Film Festival will be available from the Trustees Theater box office in October for $5 per film.

Soldius1 charges iPod with solar energy

Soldius today rolled out the Soldius1 universal solar charger for iPod. Soldius1 charges iPod mini, the new iPod Nano, the iPod Shuffle, and over 250 mobile phone models, including Nokia, Samsung, Sony-Ericsson, Siemens and Motorola, and the new Motorola ROKR iTunes phone. The Soldius1 is the first device of its kind to fully charge iPods and mobile phones, without the need for an intermediary battery or an out-of-the-box charge. The Soldius1 is available with an iPod kit for $100, or for $110 with an iPod and mobile phone kit.

Xantrex Pocket Inverter offers mobile power...

Xantrex Technology has introduced the XPower Pocket Inverter 100 and 175, which allow people on the go to conveniently operate or charge a wide range of mobile devices such as a laptop, cell phone, iPod or Blackberry. The XPower Pocket Inverters convert 12-volt DC battery power from a vehicle or airplane into usable household alternating current (AC) electricity, to run laptops, portable DVD players and other mobile devices on the go. In addition to a standard wall outlet, these inverters include an integrated USB power outlet, which is perfect for recharging a cell phone, iPod, Blackberry and other mobile electronic devices. Weighing only 0.5 pounds, the XPower Pocket Inverter 100 is the lightest on the market, and with its slim design, it can easily fit inside a briefcase, vehicle glove box or laptop bag.