Game Publisher Take-Two in Play?

Shares of videogame publisher Take-Two Interactive Software closed up almost 5 percent today on speculation that the impending departure of CEO Ben Feder, announced this morning, will help clear the way for buyout bids. Possible suitors for the company, which just turned in a surprisingly good quarter, include Electronic Arts, Activision Blizzard, Ubisoft and various private-equity outfits.

Comcast Says Its Disappearing Subscribers Aren’t Cord Cutters

Comcast lost 275,000 cable subscribers last quarter, and has lost 622,000 in the first nine months of 2010. More evidence of “cord cutting”?

Nope, says the cable giant. It’s evidence that the economy sucks.

That’s the short version of the company’s explanation for the drop, during its earnings call this morning: It had a variety of reasons to explain the exodus of subscribers, but all of them revolved around money that their previous customers didn’t have or didn’t want to part with.

A “small number” of former Comcast subscribers did appear to be swapping out cable for a free, over-the-air signal, said Comcast Cable president Neil Smit. But based on exit interviews, he said, they don’t seem to be planning on using the Web or services like Netflix, Apple TV, Hulu, et al as a cable substitute.

On the one hand, that distinction seems to be pointless, since someone who isn’t getting cable anymore isn’t getting cable anymore. Which makes them a “cord cutter,” technically speaking.

But those customers aren’t the ones that worry cable companies and Wall Street–or excite potential disruptors and their investors: When those guys are talking about cord cutting, they’re thinking about customers using the Internet and “over the top” services to get what they want.

So we’re still stuck where we’ve been for a while: Lots of people–many of whom are the kind of people who read sites like this one–say that cord cutting is either here or inevitable. And the incumbent cable companies say they see no sign of it.

As always, I invite you to let me know why you have or haven’t cut the cord yourself in the comments below this post.

Back to Comcast’s earnings for a second: The company would like investors to note that the customers who do stick around are handing it more money than ever. The average video customer now pays Comcast an average of $130 per month, a 10 percent bump.

And while those 275,000 missing video subs are more than Wall Street expected, Comcast says that things are getting better on that front, too. It says subscriber trends started improving at the end of the third quarter, and have continued to pick up in October.

How to use Mac TS converter to convert TS to MP4, MOV, etc on Mac OS X

What is TS?
Transport stream(TS, TP, MPEG-TS, or M2T) is a communications protocol for audio, video, and data which is specified in MPEG-2 Part 1, Systems (ISO/IEC standard 13818-1). Its design goal is to allow multiplexing of digital video and audio and to synchronize the output. Transport stream offers features for error correction for transportation over unreliable media, and is used in broadcast applications such as DVB and ATSC. It is contrasted with program stream, designed for more reliable media such as DVDs.
TS format is a container format that encapsulates pocketsize elementary streams and other data.
Important elements of a transport stream: Packet, PID, Programs, Program Specific Information (PSI) , 1 PAT , PMT , PCR , Null packets

How to play TS files on Mac?
You need media player to play TS files on Mac OS X:
VLC media player is a highly portable multimedia player for various audio and video formats (MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DivX, mp3, ogg, ...) as well as DVDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols. It can also be used as a server to stream in unicast or multicast in IPv4 or IPv6 on a high-bandwidth network. It supports Mac, linux, Windows.
How to convert TS to MP4, AVI,MOV, etc on Mac?
You need a video converter for Mac to convert TS to MP4, AVI, MOV, etc on Mac. Then you can put them on iPod, iPhone, PSP, Xbox 360, iMove, other potable players.
Step 1: Download TS Video Converter for Mac:
We recommend you Aiseesoft Video Converter for Mac which can convert TS to MP4, Convert TS to AVI perfectly. This Mac TS Video Converter also can extract audio from TS and Convert to MP3, M4A, etc. Compared with other video converters, this TS video converter for Mac provides you with better output quality, more advanced functions and higher conversion speed. You can download free trial Version here: for Mac intel users, for Mac PowerPC users. Then install and run this program. The trial version should be fully functional for what you want to do.
Step 2: Load the TS files you want to convert



Click the "Add File" button to browse your computer hard disc and add the .TS files you want to convert to the program.
Step 3: Output Settings
After you added TS files, you can select an output format for each video file and specify a directory on your computer to save the output files.
The TS Converter for Mac supports comprehensive video formats including AVI, MPEG, WMV, MP4, XviD, 3GP, FLV, etc.
If you don't know what formats your device supports, you can just select the format according to the device name. Of course, if you don't want to use the default video and audio encoding settings, just click the "Settings" button to customize these settings.



Step 4: Edit your TS files
This TS Video Converter for Mac set video brightness, contrast, saturation, crop video, trim video/audio and even merge multiple files into one file.

Step 5: Start the conversion
Click the Convert button to start conversion and then you can just go out for a walk or take a nap, and the conversion may have been finished when you come back: )

Modifications of transport stream specification for random-access media (M2TS)
Transport Stream was designed for tape and broadcast, but it required modifications for usage with random-access media devices like new generation of digital camcorders that record onto DVD disks, hard drives or solid-state memory cards.
Random-access based systems may save data packets into a temporary buffer if a storage device is not ready, for example on device startup. Packets are written out of order, and to keep track of them, a 4-byte timecode (TC) is added to standard 188-byte packets. The result is a 192-byte packet. This is what is informally called M2TS stream. Sony calls it "BDAV MPEG-2 transport stream". JVC calls it TOD (possibly an abbreviation for "Transport stream on media") when used in HDD-based camcorders like GZ-HD7.[9] M2TS transport stream is also used for AVCHD video files, which often have MTS extension.

New iPod touch 2G Guide

A big surprise turn up at 9th Sep for all iPod fans – the new iPod touch 2G and Nano 4G released. It’s really lucky and exciting to get a new iPod Touch 2G. And in order to help iPod users to learn more about it, I collected some information for this new iPod touch 2G guide. And it also includes how to enjoy the multimedia on you new iPod touch 2G such as download free video to iPod, convert DVD to iPod and transfer music video from iPod to iPod and iPod to computer.

Price:
As expected, the biggest news with Apple's second-generation iPod Touch is its drastically reduced price. The 8GB version of the iPod Touch 2G is now $229 (down from $299), the 16GB is $299 (down from $399), and the 32GB is $399 (down from $499).

Size:
The new iPod touch 2G is smaller and lighter than the original, 3.5 inch touch-screen, measuring 4.1 by 2.4 by 0.33 inches and weighing 4.05 ounces. With its rounded edges, flush display and curved, more compact design, the iPod touch 2G is promised to be more comfortable to hold and more portable than ever.

Game:
iPod touch 2G users can choose from hundreds of gaming titles such as "Spore Origins" and "Scrabble" from Electronic Arts, and "Real Football 2009" from Gameloft available on iTunes or directly through the App Store application on the iPod touch. The App Store works over Wi-Fi, enabling users to browse, purchase and wirelessly download applications.

Battery and “Genius”
The new iPod touch 2G promises up to 36 hours of music playback or six hours of video playback on a single charge. It also works with the new iTunes 8 Genius feature, allowing users to automatically create playlists while on the go. These playlists can also be synchronized with iTunes 8 servers.

Others features in new iPod touch 2G
Build-in accelerometer for casual listening; more convenient volume control button on the edge; the newest improvements “Nike+iPod” which can help you track your workouts by slipping a Nike+iPod sensor into you Nike+ shoes.

Then, Let’s talk about how to enjoy multimedia on your New iPod touch 2G
Part 1: How to free download video to your new iPod Touch 2G.
I always download free video and music from Youtube and limewire.
Youtube streaming videos are all FLV formats, so you need to play the video with a flash player programe on your computer, and if you want to put them on your new iPod touch 2G, use a iPod video Converter to convert FLV to MP4 format.
I got this totally free Youtube downloader, just enjoy.
http://www.aiseesoft.com/free-youtube-downloader.html

Limewire is a fast and popular freeware working on Windows, Linux and Mac OS. Through the P2P (peer-to-peer) network, you can free download various video and audio files by keywords searching. Most of its video formats is MPEG, so convert them and transfer to your iTunes then iPod touch 2G.
http://www.limewire.com/

Part 2: How to convert DVD to iPod Touch 2G
The new iPod touch 2G can only play MP4 and H.264 video, but DVD movie is MEPG, MPEG-2 video and CSS protected, so you need an application to convert DVD to MP4 video, then sync it to iPod touch 2G via iTunes.



To complete Part 1 and Part 2 I recommend you an iPod studio pack which includes a DVD to iPod converter and video to iPod converter.
You can get familiar with the apps by using this detailed step by step guide:
http://www.aiseesoft.com/article/download-dvd-pdf-youtube-videoto-ipod.html

Part 3: How to convert files back to your computer and transfer between iPod
Because iTunes prevents you from copying music or video from the iPod touch 2G back to computer, so you need a special tool to do that.
Yamipod, Aiseesoft iPod to Computer Transfer, Sharepod, iDump
And then re-add it to your iTunes library and sync it to other iPod touch 2G.

Free Trial: Free download Aiseesoft DVD to iPod Suite

view the datail of ipod nano chromatic/touch 2 converter

How to upload videos to YouTube easily and quickly on Mac

Google has released basic software called Vidnik which is the quickest, simplest way to make movies using the built - in camera on your Macintosh and upload those movies to your YouTube account. You must first sign up for a free YouTube membership to upload videos. You can use Vidnik to create a video diary, or just to quickly record a video comment to attach to an existing YouTube video. Vidnik works with the built-in video cameras on recent Macs, with Firewire video cameras, and with many USB video cameras.

Part 1, use Vidnik to Record video segments using your iSight camera and upload them to YouTube.



To use Vidnik, run the app, then click the record button to start recording. Click it again to stop. Trim to just the golden moments you want to keep, as in the screen shot above. Fill in the required title, description, and so on. Click the upload button. That's it.

Part 2, Use Vidnik to upload videos to youtube
You can drag movies made in other programs onto Vidnik's column of movies, and then click the upload button. And to use another program to do a little post-production, use the Gear menu to show Vidnik's movie file in the Finder. Edit the movie in the other program, and then upload it.Vidnik can only support videos such as: 3GP, AVI, DAT, MOV, MP4, M4A, WAV, AAC. It does not support ASF, FLV, MPEG, RM, WMV, MP3, AC3.
You can use the video converter for Mac to convert your videos to the formats that Vidnik can run.
If you want to upload DVD to TouTube, you need to use DVD ripper to rip DVD to video formats supported by YouTube first. If you are Mac user, you can use this DVD ripper for Mac .

Lion in Wait: What’s Coming From Apple Today?

The invitations to Apple’s special events are usually pretty coy about offering clues to the subject matter, but given the image of the lion on the invite to today’s “Back to the Mac” unveiling, it’s a fairly safe bet that we’ll get a look at the next iteration of the Mac operating system, OS X Lion. Either that or Apple is announcing the creation of a wildlife reserve in Africa, but the smart money is on the former.

The question is what else Steve Jobs will trot out. A refresh of the MacBook Air has been much rumored, and some incremental updates to the MacBook Pros are also a possibility. New versions of iLife and iWork could make an appearance. And who knows, maybe we’ll get official confirmation of a Verizon-friendly iPhone. Or not.

In any case, join us right here at 10 am PT for liveblogging and photos, and we’ll all find out together.

Nick Denton’s New Yorker Profile–The Video Version (Bonus! One Paragraph Version, Too)

The New Yorker’s new profile of Nick Denton isn’t behind the magazine’s pay wall. So when you have time, you should read the whole thing. It’s good!

If you’re in a hurry, though, you can get a good sense of Denton, at least in present tense, via this clip. It’s an abridged version of my onstage chat with the Gawker Media founder at an Interactive Advertising Bureau event last month, and the editors have done a nice job of distilling it down to seven minutes. Bonus for you guys: This thing is so well-edited that I don’t appear in a single frame.

And if you’re in a real hurry, here’s the money quote, which I extracted from Denton by asking him if he thinks what Gawker does is “journalism”:

In the U.S., traditional media has killed itself. And it’s provided a great opportunity for organizations like us, because they have cared too much about the journalism, about the Pulitzers, about the respect of their peers–and too little about the entertainment of their readers.”

News Corp. Shuts Off Hulu Access To Cablevision Customers – And Turns It Back On [UPDATED]

UPDATE: That was fast. People familiar with the situation say that News Corp. is changing tactics and will turn on access to Fox.com and Fox programming on Hulu for Cablevision’s customers. This could take a “few hours” to roll out across the Cablevision footprint, I’m told.

EARLIER:
One new twist to the Cablevision/News Corp. fight: News Corp. has cut off Cablevision subscribers’ access to its shows on Hulu, the video site joint venture, as well as on its own Fox.com

Here’s a screenshot from Fortune.com columnist Seth Weintraub, taken this afternoon when he tried to watch a Fox show on the site, which is co-owned by News Corp., Disney’s ABC and GE’s NBC Universal:

News Corp.’s comment, via Fox Networks PR guy Scott Grogin: “Fox.com and Fox content on hulu is unavailable to Cablevision subscribers.”

And here’s Hulu PR rep Elisa Schreiber:

Unfortunately, we were put in a position of needing to block Fox content on Hulu in order to remain neutral during contract negotiations between Fox and Cablevision. This only includes Fox content. All other Hulu content is accessible to Cablevision internet subscribers. We regret the impact on Cablevision customers and look forward to returning Fox content to those users as soon as possible.

This is an important escalation from News Corp. (which owns this Web site) in its fight to extract more dollars from its cable partners.

In the past, cable subscribers who couldn’t get Fox shows during fee disputes have still been able to watch some of them via Hulu. I know that News Corp. has discussed shutting off access to the site during past fee fights, but as far as I know this is the first time they’ve actually done it.

It’s also a logical move, at least from News Corp.’s perspective.

If it’s trying to increase the pain felt by Cablevision and its subscribers, it may as well use every tool it has. And in the past, the Web has been used against programmers like Fox in these fights: Last year, when Time Warner Cable was fighting with News Corp., it prepared a video showing customers how to find their favorite shows on sites like Hulu.

But while the move is certain to rile up the digerati (astonished industry executive to me, over the phone, just now: “that is crazy!) I’m not sure how much real impact it will have in the fight.

News Corp.’s most valuable weapon is access to the Phillies-Giants playoff game tonight, and the New York Giants/Detroit Lions game tomorrow.

Both are scheduled to air on Fox, and many of Cablevision’s three million subscribers, all of whom live in the New York area, will holler loudly if they can’t see them. But they wouldn’t have ben able to see them on Hulu or Fox.com, anyway.

Instead, those sites are used to show reruns of Fox broadcast shows. That means Cablevision subs can’t see Sunday night’s episode of the Simpsons on Monday, but that’s not the same kind of impact.

How to watch and play Internet videos on iPod touch and iPhone(3G)

Why do iPod touch and iPhone(iPhone 3G) can not play internet video besides youtube? The reason you can't view videos from other videos sites besides youtube is that they run on something called "Flash". iPhones and iPod Touches can't support Flash because of their software. This is why Apple created the YouTube application on your home screen.
Luckily, someone has done their best to fix this problem.
iTransmogrify! is a bookmarklet for iPhone and iPod touch which transforms embedded Flash content into direct links to natively supported formats. That means YouTube videos and MP3s can now be played from the iPhone's Safari web browser with just a few clicks. The iTransmogrify! bookmarklet recognizes and converts a variety of embedded Flash content from web pages so they will play on iPhone and iPod touch.
Currently supported formats include: YouTube, embeds and YouTube pages, Blip.tv, Revver, TED talks and embedded TED talks, Many embeded flash MP3 players ,Kink.fm podcasts, Flickr badges (videos are unsupported) , The Test Suite has more sites.
To install the bookmarklet, just drag the link to your Safari or Firefox Bookmarks, IE users should right click and choose “Add To Favorites” After adding the link, sync your iPhone or iPod touch.



Grab it now: iTransmogrify!
You can also add iTransmogrify from your iPhone!
Then, whenever you find a broken video, just select the bookmark to convert it.
Now, you can watch and play internert videos such as Blip.tv, Revver, TED talks and embedded TED talks, Many embeded flash MP3 players, Kink.fm podcasts, etc on iPod touch and iPhone.
More information, source code and bug-tracking is available on the iTransmogrify Google Code page.

If you want to watch your own videos on iPod touch or iPhone, you can follow this step by step guide: How to convert all video files and extract audio from video on Mac OS X ?
If you want to play dvd movie on iPod touch or iPhone, you can follow this guide: How to rip DVD to all sorts of video and audio files on Mac OS X?

Recommended iPhone 3G Software Links:
DVD to iPhone 3G Converter for Mac
DVD to iPhone 3G Converter for Windows
iPhone 3G Video Converter for Mac
iPhone 3G Movie Converter for Windows
DVD to iPhone 3G Suite for Mac
DVD to iPod touch converter for Mac

How to Play all Video Files on Xbox 360 with Mac

This is a step by step guide on how to play any video file on your Xbox 360 from your Apple Mac computer.
How to play any video file on your Xbox 360 with your Mac – Only $35.00 Video Converter for Mac can clear up all your problem.

Here Is What You Will Need:
Xbox 360 - Preferably the Elite version… just because its black. And has black controllers.
Apple Computer - iMac, MacBook Pro, Apple Air, etc.
Video Converter for Mac Only $35.00 - Has a Free Trial!

How to play any video file on your Xbox 360 with your Mac:
Step 1, Convert videos to mp4 format that compatible with Xbox 360.
Choose a small video to test for you first video, as encoding and conversion times can be lengthy if you choose a full movie. Try downloading a trailer for a movie in your favorite format that the Xbox 360 can’t read. Like: AVI, and a lot of other weird formats.
Open up Video Converter for Mac. Video Converter for Mac is a phenomenal video conversion tool, it can convert video formats from one to another with perfect output quality and high conversion speed for Mac OS X users. It supports all popular video formats including flv, MPEG1, MPEG2, MP4, 3GP, 3G2, AVI, M2TS, MPEG TS/TP (for HD Video), M4V, etc.
At the bottom of Video Converter, it shows the format we can convert to. Choose MP4. It is the best.
Choose output folder such as “Open Folder”.



At the bottom right, click on the “Start” button. Then wait… , And the conversion speed is out of your surprise.

Step 2, connect your Mac and Xbox 360
Before you start configuring, open up Terminal (in Applications -> Utilities) and type "ifconfig en0" (zero, not a capital-o). You're looking for the bit that says "inet xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx". In my case, the number I get here is 192.168.2.1 Second, note down the IP address of your wireless router, which in my case is 192.168.0.1

On your Mac
1. Connect your Mac to your wireless internet connection
2. Connect your Xbox 360 to your Mac via Ethernet
3. In System Preferences -> Sharing, enable Internet Sharing between your Airport and Ethernet connection

On your Xbox 360
1. Start up your Xbox and navigate to the Network settings menu
2. Under IP address, enter the number you got from the "ifconfig en0" command earlier on, but with the final number one place higher. In my case, I take the 192.168.2.1, and input 192.168.2.2 in the IP address box on my Xbox 360.
3. Under subnet, input 255.255.255.0
4. Under router/gateway, enter the number you got earlier from the "ifconfig en0" command. In my case, that's "192.168.2.1"
5. Move onto DNS. Enter the IP address of your wireless router (in my case, "192.168.0.1") in both the primary and secondary IP address fields
6. Leave PPPoE and advanced settings blank (i.e. OFF and Automatic)
7. You should now be able to connect to Xbox Live via your internet sharing Mac

Step 3, Play Video File on Xbox 360:
First, on your Mac, open up your new file in VLC and in QuickTime. Make sure it can play in both (Not necessarily at the same time). If you have done that, now it is time to move to your 360. Follow these instructions:
Turn on your Xbox 360



Navigate over to the “Media Tab”, and select the “Videos” option.



Note: Since the Xbox 360 Dashboard update of about 6 months ago, once you click on”Videos” it will just show you all of the videos on your Xbox 360 hard drive. So presses “X” to change the current source. Then browse down to your Apple / Mac computer. Mine is an iMac.

Click on the “Movies Folder”. That is where you should have saved the file there earlier.
Now browse through your video files and select your sweet, newly converted video file, and play it!

All the operations is just like pie. So you can watch any your favorite video on your Xbox 36o from your Mac easily Now. Watch and Enjoy it!

The iPod Family(Part 1)

We're hard pressed to say the iPod family's fallen on particularly hard times, but being under such excruciating public scrutiny can take its toll on any dynasty; especially in a year like 2005, the family shaken to its core by so many tragic deaths. From the humble beginnings of the iPod that began the legacy so many years back, all the way up to the tragic loss of the iPod mini just yesterday, we felt it might be time to take a visit to the iPod family cemetary on this early autumn afternoon.


iPod family Tree

2001


The first generation iPod-October 2001 - July 2002

2002

The second generation iPod-July 2002 - April 2003
But a few mournful months after the passing of the 5GB iPod and the birth of the 10GB iPod, came a new 10GB iPod and the 20GB, which started at $499. Perhaps one of the least well-remembered of the iPod family, this iPod included the first non-mechanical (solid state) scroll wheel, though the center and circumference buttons remained tactile. Perhaps most groundbreaking was the official Windows support (via Musicmatch Jukebox, ironically), though the wired remote, calendar, and artist search were all significant as well. Eventually this iPod would undergo tattoos by Beck, No Doubt, Madonna, and Tony Hawk before being committed to history in April of 2003.

2003

The third generation iPod-April 2003 - July 2004
This was the iPod—born of humbler pedigree—that grew up, provided for itself a higher education, and made its own way in the world. The third generation of the family rid itself entirely of mechanical buttons on its body, shed some of its baby fat around the waist down to 4.1 x 2.4 x 0.62-inches, and came forth at $299 for 10GB, $399 for 15GB, and $499 for 30GB. This was also the first iPod child to feature a remote connector and dock connector—which finally enabled USB 2.0. In September the 30GB iPod was priced at $399, and a 40GB model was released for $499.

Related theme:
The iPod family(part 2)
The iPod family(part 3)
The iPod family(part 4)
The iPod family(part 5)

Recommended Products For you:
DVD to iPod Converter for Mac
It's a specially designed iPod conversion program to Convert DVD to iPod touch, iPod classic, iPod nano, convert DVD to iTunes on Leopard.
iPod Video Converter for Mac
It can convert MP4, MOV, 3GP, AVI, RM, MPEG, ASF and FLV to iPod video with high output quality and various features .

A Sick CEO’s Full Disclosure

Everyone at Pacific Biosciences knew something was up when CEO Hugh Martin called for an all-hands meeting on a Thursday. The company always held its big meetings on Friday, and it was rare that the staff didn’t know the agenda in advance.

Read the rest of this post on the original site

MediaMemo by Peter Kafka The MediaMemo FeedFollow Peter on Twitter Conan O’Brien Really, Really Wants Some Twitter Followers

I follow Conan O’Brien on Twitter. So do 1,677,799 other people.

But that’s not enough for O’Brien. Or, more likely, it’s not enough for Time Warner’s (TWX) TBS channel, which is paying big money to bring O’Brien back to TV next month. In any case, someone is paying Twitter* to make @TeamCoco a “Promoted Account”–one of the first that Twitter has rolled out today.

Here’s what that looks like (via my “New Twitter” homepage):

A little redundant, and I’m probably not going to follow two different Conan accounts. But whatever. It doesn’t have any material impact on the way I use Twitter, which remains both free and useful to me. (Except when it breaks, as it seems to have done just now.)

My hunch is that I’m going to feel the same way as Twitter starts to carve out increasing amounts of real estate for ads and other revenue-generating products on its platform. That’s what media companies do, after all.

And in fact, here’s another small ad move coming out of Twitter at the same time. It has moved up its “Promoted Trends” product from the bottom of its topics list to the top, where I’m more likely to see it.

Or at least it says it has: My Twitter Trends feature, which is set to “New York,” doesn’t show me any Promoted Trends at all. If and when they do show up, the fact that they’re up higher won’t make much difference to me, because I almost always ignore Trends in general.

And that’s the real risk for Twitter here–not that users will be turned off by ads, but that they’ll ignore them, just as they do throughout most of the Web. When’s the last time you clicked on, or even looked at, a Gmail ad from Google (GOOG)?

*It is possible that no one is actually paying Twitter to promote TeamCoco, and that the company is throwing it in as a promotional freebie, as it did in some cases when it rolled out “Promoted Tweets.”

New HP Chief Apotheker and New Chairman Ray Lane Talk About Their New Gigs!

Here is a little fact about Léo Apotheker, the former CEO of SAP (SAP), who is now the new Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) CEO: He speaks five languages.

Other than that, Apotheker was not very detailed in a short interview this afternoon with BoomTown about his plans to take over as the head of one of the world’s largest tech companies, saying, “I won’t presume to offer deep insights into HP…until I hear from its workforce.”

Apotheker said he will travel around the massive company first to get an idea of the best way to manage it going forward.

He also said he hopes to have good relations with Oracle (ORCL), which hired former HP CEO Mark Hurd after his ouster.

As to the controversy related to Hurd’s departure, Apotekher said, “HP is a strong and resilient company.”

That was echoed by Ray Lane, a former president and COO at Oracle, who was named HP’s non-executive chairman of the board today. Lane is currently a managing partner at VC powerhouse Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.

He has, of course, tangled with rambunctious Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, but noted that the database giant was “one of many great partners and also tough competitors.”

Lane said he had been asked to be on the board of HP many times and decided to finally jump when he was approached last week.

“I’ve thought long and hard over the years about joining the board,” said Lane. “And I thought it was time.”

He said that he and Apotheker have known each other since 1992 and that they have had a “mutual respect,” despite often being business rivals.

Lane said he would focus on being a board member and will not be involved in any day-to-day management at HP.

That will be Apotheker’s job, of course, and he said he was happy to have it: “It’s a great privilege to run this company.”

Apotheker, who called himself a “global citizen coming to a global company,” said he has been “living on an airplane in seat 1D, if you really want to know.”

Now, he added, he’ll soon settle in Palo Alto, Calif., to be close to HP’s Silicon Valley HQ.