Media Bullseye

The Associated Press has announced a new service for iPhone users this week, with over 100 of the AP's member newspapers agreeing to syndicate their content. The news stories will be targeted according to location, with the iPhone user's zip code determining the content they receive.

Spike Lee has signed on to "direct" a film project consisting of footage taken from users cell phones. Lee is calling the project the "democratization of film". In reality, the Nokia-produced film is an attempt at using user-generated content to create a long-form advertisement while fostering a community based on brand loyalty.

What do you get when you cross Google maps, a mobile-based GPS for your friends and Twitter? FireBall! Leonard Lin, one of the founders of Upcoming.org, is releasing his latest project at the Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco this week, where conference goers can test out the new tool in beta. We are sure to hear more about this as buzz radiates through the blogosphere.

The latest buzz indicates that Apple has filed for a patent on an instant messaging (IM) program for the iPhone. Consumers are looking for more and more ways to use their phones. Not content with standard text messaging via mobile phones, Apple will be bringing IM into their suite of iPhone applications.

VoIP provider Fring has become the first company to offer VoIP capability for the iPhone. While the app is only available to jailbroken iPhones, and Fring is calling for customers to provide them with feedback as they prepare to launch a more widely available version.

If you are mulling the idea of jumping on the iPhone bandwagon, you might want to hold off. Rumor has it that Apple will soon release several snazzy new upgrades.

According to some reports, Apple is in talks with record labels regarding the possibility of offering access to the entire iTunes music library for a one-time (to be determined) payment, rather than the current model that allows users to purchase songs one at a time for 99 cents each.

Popular digital video recording (DVR) service Tivo announced this week that it would be teaming up with YouTube to bring the video-sharing website's content to Tivo subscriber televisions. The deal would allow broadband connected homes to log into their Tivo accounts through their televisions, accessing the site's various channels and popular videos.

According to BusinessWeek, market research is showing that iTunes has become the number two retailer of music in the United States. The online music seller especially popular among iPod users, lacks behind only Wal-Mart in overall sales, according to NPD research.

Microsoft has developed a new method for tracking the success of online advertisements. The tech giant's newest tool, dubbed Engagement Mapping, is said to take a comprehensive approach to measuring consumer interaction with advertisements before a sale is ultimately made.