Moshi TV will include cartoons of popular ‘moshlings’ such as Lady Googoo, Dustbin Beaver and 49 Pence, as well as users’ animations Moshi Monsters, the UK social networking website for children, has revealed plans to move into online television with a free iPlayer-style service. The website, which started in 2008, invites children to adopt a monster, play games and communicate with each other. The online TV player, Moshi TV, will include cartoons of popular Moshi characters, or “moshlings”, such as Lady Googoo, Dustbin Beaver and 49 Pence, as well as animations uploaded by users. Due to launch later this year, Moshi TV has the advantage of tapping into an existing audience of nearly 38m registered users worldwide, mostly aged between six and 11. Michael Acton Smith, founder of parent company Mind Candy, said there was a widespread demand among children for a safe, socially powered video website entirely for them. “That’s how kids want to enjoy media. They don’t want to sit and be broadcast to – they want to interact and share and comment,” he said. “We’re flipping traditional TV on its head and letting the kids decide what’s popular by voting things up and making them more discoverable.” Moshi employs 20 moderators and a safety officer, and insists it will vet every piece of uploaded content. Children will be able to upload their own animations and short films, but not footage of themselves or other children. Moshi Monsters is profitable: while signing up to the site is free, a subscription fee enables its members to collect more moshlings, and merchandise sales alone are forecast to reach $100m (£62m) in 2011. Acton Smith said Moshi TV was being spun off as a new business, and expects to have recruited nearly 30 staff by the end of the year. Rather than charging children or running adverts, Moshi TV may charge content owners to put their output on the site. Though Moshi claims rapid growth in the US, which now accounts for 35% of its total audience, it still faces an intensely competitive market. In the UK the Disney-owned Club Penguin dominates, with an estimated 1.224m monthly users in February, according to comScore. Moshimonsters.com recorded 927,000, Stardoll 754,000 and Habbo 481,000. Acton Smith said time and thought had been invested in creating a distinctive, edgy visual style of Moshi Monsters, initially created by illustrator Vincent Bechet. “Pixar is one of the companies we’ve been inspired by, and it puts hundreds of millions of dollars into each film,” he said. “Secondly, it’s the realisation that social is key – kids love to show off and communicate just as much as adults do, and we’ve built safe tools for them to do that.” He added: “The internet is a winner-takes-all market. Facebook has won social, LinkedIn has won business and Zynga has won social gaming. But no one has gone deep in the kids’ space, even though it’s a multibillion offline industry. We want to be the top player so we’re expanding rapidly.” Social networking Children’s TV Internet LinkedIn Facebook Pixar Disney Channel Jemima Kiss guardian.co.uk
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The Japanese and US military started a three-day intensive search Friday for people still missing three weeks after a quake-triggered tsunami wiped out a swath of coastal cities and towns in Japan’s northeast. (April 1)
Continue reading …In Republican Indiana, so-called rape victims might be faking it just so they can get abortions
April 1, 2011 No CommentTanya Somander at ThinkProgress brings us, from the floor of the Indiana House, the keen insights of Republican Rep. Eric Turner of Marion: TURNER: With all do respect to Rep. Riecken, I understand what she’s trying to do. But as you know that when the federal health care bill was going through Congress there was a lot of discussion whether this would allow for abortion coverage and of course we were all told it would not. And the bill, my house bill 1210, would prevent that for any insurance company to provide abortion coverage under federal health care bill. This [amendment] would open that window and I would ask you to oppose this amendment. I just want you to think about this, in my view, giant loophole that could be created where someone who could — now i want to be careful, I don’t want to disparage in any way someone who has gone through the experience of a rape or incest — but someone who is desirous of an abortion could simply say that they’ve been raped or there’s incest. The best part of this video, though, is the rebuttal from Democratic Rep. Linda Lawson of Hammond: LAWSON: I was a sex-crimes investigator for six years for the city of Hammond, Indiana. And I want to tell you what it looks like and what it sounds like when women are raped. Or six-year-olds are raped. Or 18-month-old babies are raped. Or 97-year-old women are raped. They don’t make it up! Then they have to go to court. They have to stand in a courtroom, and they have to face the person who did it to them. Women don’t make this up! My goodness! This is the state of Indiana! Obviously, Rep. Hammond did not get the memo that, under the current regime of our new Alien Overlords from Planet T-Par-T, all victims of crime are now considered suspicious characters at best and likely criminals. If there wasn’t something wrong with them, God wouldn’t let anything bad happen to them, right? Especially when it comes to accusing men. What were they thinking? Because, of course, the bill that Turner was defending was his own HB 1210, which among other restrictions would outlaw abortions after 20 weeks, and require abortion providers to tell patients that abortion carries risks, including the possibility of breast cancer. And they obviously listened to Turner’s logic, such as it were: The House also voted 42-54 against an amendment by Rep. Gail Riecken, D-Riecken, which would have exempted from the bill women who became pregnant due to rape or incest, or women for whom a pregnancy threatens their life or could cause serious and irreversible physical harm. Naturally, it passed the Indiana House shortly afterward. It’s a lock to pass the Senate, too, and to be signed into law by Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels. [H/t scarce]
Continue reading …In Republican Indiana, so-called rape victims might be faking it just so they can get abortions
April 1, 2011 No CommentTanya Somander at ThinkProgress brings us, from the floor of the Indiana House, the keen insights of Republican Rep. Eric Turner of Marion: TURNER: With all do respect to Rep. Riecken, I understand what she’s trying to do. But as you know that when the federal health care bill was going through Congress there was a lot of discussion whether this would allow for abortion coverage and of course we were all told it would not. And the bill, my house bill 1210, would prevent that for any insurance company to provide abortion coverage under federal health care bill. This [amendment] would open that window and I would ask you to oppose this amendment. I just want you to think about this, in my view, giant loophole that could be created where someone who could — now i want to be careful, I don’t want to disparage in any way someone who has gone through the experience of a rape or incest — but someone who is desirous of an abortion could simply say that they’ve been raped or there’s incest. The best part of this video, though, is the rebuttal from Democratic Rep. Linda Lawson of Hammond: LAWSON: I was a sex-crimes investigator for six years for the city of Hammond, Indiana. And I want to tell you what it looks like and what it sounds like when women are raped. Or six-year-olds are raped. Or 18-month-old babies are raped. Or 97-year-old women are raped. They don’t make it up! Then they have to go to court. They have to stand in a courtroom, and they have to face the person who did it to them. Women don’t make this up! My goodness! This is the state of Indiana! Obviously, Rep. Hammond did not get the memo that, under the current regime of our new Alien Overlords from Planet T-Par-T, all victims of crime are now considered suspicious characters at best and likely criminals. If there wasn’t something wrong with them, God wouldn’t let anything bad happen to them, right? Especially when it comes to accusing men. What were they thinking? Because, of course, the bill that Turner was defending was his own HB 1210, which among other restrictions would outlaw abortions after 20 weeks, and require abortion providers to tell patients that abortion carries risks, including the possibility of breast cancer. And they obviously listened to Turner’s logic, such as it were: The House also voted 42-54 against an amendment by Rep. Gail Riecken, D-Riecken, which would have exempted from the bill women who became pregnant due to rape or incest, or women for whom a pregnancy threatens their life or could cause serious and irreversible physical harm. Naturally, it passed the Indiana House shortly afterward. It’s a lock to pass the Senate, too, and to be signed into law by Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels. [H/t scarce]
Continue reading …In Republican Indiana, so-called rape victims might be faking it just so they can get abortions
April 1, 2011 No CommentTanya Somander at ThinkProgress brings us, from the floor of the Indiana House, the keen insights of Republican Rep. Eric Turner of Marion: TURNER: With all do respect to Rep. Riecken, I understand what she’s trying to do. But as you know that when the federal health care bill was going through Congress there was a lot of discussion whether this would allow for abortion coverage and of course we were all told it would not. And the bill, my house bill 1210, would prevent that for any insurance company to provide abortion coverage under federal health care bill. This [amendment] would open that window and I would ask you to oppose this amendment. I just want you to think about this, in my view, giant loophole that could be created where someone who could — now i want to be careful, I don’t want to disparage in any way someone who has gone through the experience of a rape or incest — but someone who is desirous of an abortion could simply say that they’ve been raped or there’s incest. The best part of this video, though, is the rebuttal from Democratic Rep. Linda Lawson of Hammond: LAWSON: I was a sex-crimes investigator for six years for the city of Hammond, Indiana. And I want to tell you what it looks like and what it sounds like when women are raped. Or six-year-olds are raped. Or 18-month-old babies are raped. Or 97-year-old women are raped. They don’t make it up! Then they have to go to court. They have to stand in a courtroom, and they have to face the person who did it to them. Women don’t make this up! My goodness! This is the state of Indiana! Obviously, Rep. Hammond did not get the memo that, under the current regime of our new Alien Overlords from Planet T-Par-T, all victims of crime are now considered suspicious characters at best and likely criminals. If there wasn’t something wrong with them, God wouldn’t let anything bad happen to them, right? Especially when it comes to accusing men. What were they thinking? Because, of course, the bill that Turner was defending was his own HB 1210, which among other restrictions would outlaw abortions after 20 weeks, and require abortion providers to tell patients that abortion carries risks, including the possibility of breast cancer. And they obviously listened to Turner’s logic, such as it were: The House also voted 42-54 against an amendment by Rep. Gail Riecken, D-Riecken, which would have exempted from the bill women who became pregnant due to rape or incest, or women for whom a pregnancy threatens their life or could cause serious and irreversible physical harm. Naturally, it passed the Indiana House shortly afterward. It’s a lock to pass the Senate, too, and to be signed into law by Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels. [H/t scarce]
Continue reading …In Republican Indiana, so-called rape victims might be faking it just so they can get abortions
April 1, 2011 No CommentTanya Somander at ThinkProgress brings us, from the floor of the Indiana House, the keen insights of Republican Rep. Eric Turner of Marion: TURNER: With all do respect to Rep. Riecken, I understand what she’s trying to do. But as you know that when the federal health care bill was going through Congress there was a lot of discussion whether this would allow for abortion coverage and of course we were all told it would not. And the bill, my house bill 1210, would prevent that for any insurance company to provide abortion coverage under federal health care bill. This [amendment] would open that window and I would ask you to oppose this amendment. I just want you to think about this, in my view, giant loophole that could be created where someone who could — now i want to be careful, I don’t want to disparage in any way someone who has gone through the experience of a rape or incest — but someone who is desirous of an abortion could simply say that they’ve been raped or there’s incest. The best part of this video, though, is the rebuttal from Democratic Rep. Linda Lawson of Hammond: LAWSON: I was a sex-crimes investigator for six years for the city of Hammond, Indiana. And I want to tell you what it looks like and what it sounds like when women are raped. Or six-year-olds are raped. Or 18-month-old babies are raped. Or 97-year-old women are raped. They don’t make it up! Then they have to go to court. They have to stand in a courtroom, and they have to face the person who did it to them. Women don’t make this up! My goodness! This is the state of Indiana! Obviously, Rep. Hammond did not get the memo that, under the current regime of our new Alien Overlords from Planet T-Par-T, all victims of crime are now considered suspicious characters at best and likely criminals. If there wasn’t something wrong with them, God wouldn’t let anything bad happen to them, right? Especially when it comes to accusing men. What were they thinking? Because, of course, the bill that Turner was defending was his own HB 1210, which among other restrictions would outlaw abortions after 20 weeks, and require abortion providers to tell patients that abortion carries risks, including the possibility of breast cancer. And they obviously listened to Turner’s logic, such as it were: The House also voted 42-54 against an amendment by Rep. Gail Riecken, D-Riecken, which would have exempted from the bill women who became pregnant due to rape or incest, or women for whom a pregnancy threatens their life or could cause serious and irreversible physical harm. Naturally, it passed the Indiana House shortly afterward. It’s a lock to pass the Senate, too, and to be signed into law by Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels. [H/t scarce]
Continue reading …In Republican Indiana, so-called rape victims might be faking it just so they can get abortions
April 1, 2011 No CommentTanya Somander at ThinkProgress brings us, from the floor of the Indiana House, the keen insights of Republican Rep. Eric Turner of Marion: TURNER: With all do respect to Rep. Riecken, I understand what she’s trying to do. But as you know that when the federal health care bill was going through Congress there was a lot of discussion whether this would allow for abortion coverage and of course we were all told it would not. And the bill, my house bill 1210, would prevent that for any insurance company to provide abortion coverage under federal health care bill. This [amendment] would open that window and I would ask you to oppose this amendment. I just want you to think about this, in my view, giant loophole that could be created where someone who could — now i want to be careful, I don’t want to disparage in any way someone who has gone through the experience of a rape or incest — but someone who is desirous of an abortion could simply say that they’ve been raped or there’s incest. The best part of this video, though, is the rebuttal from Democratic Rep. Linda Lawson of Hammond: LAWSON: I was a sex-crimes investigator for six years for the city of Hammond, Indiana. And I want to tell you what it looks like and what it sounds like when women are raped. Or six-year-olds are raped. Or 18-month-old babies are raped. Or 97-year-old women are raped. They don’t make it up! Then they have to go to court. They have to stand in a courtroom, and they have to face the person who did it to them. Women don’t make this up! My goodness! This is the state of Indiana! Obviously, Rep. Hammond did not get the memo that, under the current regime of our new Alien Overlords from Planet T-Par-T, all victims of crime are now considered suspicious characters at best and likely criminals. If there wasn’t something wrong with them, God wouldn’t let anything bad happen to them, right? Especially when it comes to accusing men. What were they thinking? Because, of course, the bill that Turner was defending was his own HB 1210, which among other restrictions would outlaw abortions after 20 weeks, and require abortion providers to tell patients that abortion carries risks, including the possibility of breast cancer. And they obviously listened to Turner’s logic, such as it were: The House also voted 42-54 against an amendment by Rep. Gail Riecken, D-Riecken, which would have exempted from the bill women who became pregnant due to rape or incest, or women for whom a pregnancy threatens their life or could cause serious and irreversible physical harm. Naturally, it passed the Indiana House shortly afterward. It’s a lock to pass the Senate, too, and to be signed into law by Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels. [H/t scarce]
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Anna Kendrick, Kristin Davis, Marilyn Manson, Christina Hendricks and Malin Akerman were among the stars at the West Hollywood opening of Vivienne Westwood’s first store in the United States. (Apr. 1)
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Two giant pandas finally made their public debut at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo on Friday, to the delight of thousands of visitors. (01 April 2011)
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Shakira celebrates rebuilding of Haiti school hit by 2010 earthquake; Billy Joel cancels his memoir; Michael Buble marries TV star Luisana Lopilato. (Apr. 1)
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