Walt Disney

Con 213 pesetas comenzó Ignacio Benedeti a construir una colección que constituye el leitmotiv de su vida. Toda ella gira en torno al cine. "Tenía 11 años y me compré en Foto Blanco, en A Coruña, mi primera película en súper 8, que era un reportaje sobre la vida en la selva de tres minutos", recuerda. A partir de ahí, el cine lo invadió todo.

Disney's decision to take a 30 percent stake in online video aggregator Hulu could be a significant milestone in the evolution of television. That's because Disney is adding its premium content to an already robust lineup from other Hulu stakeholders, including NBC Universal, News Corp., Sony Pictures, MTV Networks, Paramount and more than 100 others.

Could cable subscribers one day go to the Web to watch their favorite TV channel, much like they do today with their television sets? That day is coming, at least according to Walt Disney Chief Executive Robert A. Iger, who clearly wants his company to be among the first to offer the capability. "We are certainly open to exploring that possibility," Iger said in a keynote speech on Apr. 2 to the annual Cable Show in Washington, D.C.

Disney Media Networks is bringing its short-form content to YouTube. Walt Disney's television division inked a distribution deal with YouTube on Monday.

The agreement paves the way for Disney to launch several ad-supported channels that feature short-form content from ESPN and the Disney/ABC Television Group. Disney can either sell its own advertising inventory on those channels or sell ads from other companies.

Netflix and TiVo on Monday took their partnership to the next level. The companies announced that consumers who subscribe to both Netflix and TiVo Series 3, TiVo HD, or TiVo HD XL can access movies and TV episodes instantly streamed from Netflix directly to their TVs -- at no additional charge.

Fortune's Top 20 Most Admired Companies list is out and Apple took the top spot, beating out companies like Google, Starbucks and FedEx. The Mac and iPod maker also topped the Fortune most admired company for innovation list.

"It is a tribute to its CEO that Apple, which ten years ago seemed headed for the slag heap, is No. 1 on this list. Steve Jobs has always had a knack for weaving magic out of silicon and software," Fortune noted. "But who knew he could build a $24 billion (in sales) company on the strength of a portable jukebox and a computer with a single-digit market share?"

Darrin Caddes has his work cut out for him. In the dimly lit backroom of a ritzy Manhattan hotel, a dozen or so gadget bloggers and technology writers have gathered to meet with Caddes, vice-president for corporate design at headset maker Plantronics (PLT). But instead of the form-fitting ear pieces or business communications gear Caddes is known for, the soft-spoken, 43-year-old designer is surrounded by a range of gleaming iPod speaker systems, their LCD displays glowing blue and orange.

Disney World is going virtual. On Thursday, Disney and Google announced Walt Disney World Resort in 3-D.

All four theme parks and more than 20 Disney Resort hotels of the Orlando, Fla., tourist destination have been created and placed on Google Earth. Users, the Disney company said on its Web site, "can zoom down Main Street, USA, fly around Cinderella Castle, explore Spaceship Earth and climb the Tree of Life."

No Lines

On the heels of The Netflix Player by Roku announcement and in the face of rumors about Blockbuster preparing to announce its own set-top box for streaming videos, TiVo is inking some deals of its own.

TiVo subscribers will soon be able to download movies from the Walt Disney Studios to broadband-connected TiVo DVRs directly from the TV. Subscribers will also be able to receive recommendations for TV shows from the Chicago Tribune and have them automatically recorded.

Downloading Disney