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Because the [itvt] editorial team is busy working on The TV of Tomorrow Show (March 3rd-4th in San Francisco) and on our new EBIF Intensive event (March 5th in San Francisco), we will be covering most stories in summary/round-up form over the next few weeks. Here is a round-up of recent news in various categories:

A number of pieces of connected TV news came across [itvt]'s desk, Tuesday. Here is a brief--and by no means exhaustive--round-up (note: also see "Vudu Unveils Vudu Apps OTT Service," "ActiveVideo Networks in Deal to Provide Blockbuster with Cloud-Based User Interface," and "Showtime Networks, Betfair Launch Interactive TV Widgets"):

NBC last week announced the launch of a new social media game, called "Mission: Chuck Me Out" (http://www.chuckmeout.com), that is designed to reward viewers who use popular social networking sites to promote the network's returning action-comedy series, "Chuck" (note: the series' third season premieres at 9:00PM Eastern, January 10th, before the series moves to its regular day and time--Mondays at 8:00PM Eastern--on January 11th).

A UK company called 3View unveiled a hard drive-equipped, broadband-connected HD set-top box, Tuesday, that combines the ability to receive standard- and high-definition linear-TV programming from the UK's free-to-air digital terrestrial platform, Freeview, with various Internet/OTT capabilities. The company says that the box--which is slated to be available in retail in March--will allow users to receive a range of over-the-top video services, as well as browse the Web and use Facebook and Twitter. It bills it as "the world's first Internet-connected HD free-to-air set-top box."

Here is a round-up of some other interactive TV-related stories we didn't have room for in this issue:

Hallmark Channel last week announced various digital and social media offerings designed to drive interest in the 450 hours of holiday-themed programming it plans to offer under a promotion called "Countdown to Christmas." At the center of the off-network effort is Hallmark Channel's Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/HallmarkChannel), which it says will offer viewers exclusive videos, games, quizzes and opportunities to exchange virtual gifts.

Livestation, which streams live news from a range of international sources via browser and desktop player solutions, on Monday announced the launch of version 3.0 of its desktop software. New features, according to the company, include:

Oxygen Media--the company behind Oxygen, a US cable channel that targets a female demographic--on Monday announced the pending launch of a Web site, called OxygenLive (http://www.OxygenLive.com), which it says will add a two-screen social/interactive TV component to every one of its original series. "Fans no longer have to wait until the next morning to chat around the water cooler about the latest show gossip," the company says in its promotional materials for the new site. "Instead, OxygenLive is the first two-screen experience in which fans can socialize, interact and react in real time through a live chat, Facebook and Twitter (#badgirlsclub) all in one place while the show airs."

frog design--a 40-year-old San Francisco-based company which describes itself as "a global innovation firm" that "works with the world's leading companies, helping them to create and bring to market meaningful products, services, and experiences" and which says it maintains a staff of "more than 400 designers, technologists, strategists, and analysts (its clients include Disney, GE, HP, Logitech, Microsoft, MTV and Yahoo!)--contacted [itvt] last week to let us know about a new, Twitter-powered two-screen social/interactive TV application that it recently launched for the Apple iPhone/iPod touch.

Video rental company, Netflix, announced Tuesday that subscribers to its service can now instantly watch its streaming movie and TV show offerings on Sony Bravia connected HDTV's, on earlier Bravia models that are compatible with the company's Bravia Internet video link module, and on the Sony Network Blu-ray Disc Player.

At the NewTeeVee Live conference in San Francisco last week, Microsoft announced that it will launch Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm and "instant-on" HD video from Zune on its Xbox Live service, November 17th. "We're delivering some truly exciting social entertainment experiences to our members," Xbox Live general manager, Marc Whitten, said in a prepared statement. "Xbox Live's differentiator has always been our community, and we've already seen a tremendous response to these features in our public preview. It's the community that drives us forward and allows us to pioneer new ways of connecting people through the entertainment they love."

MTV Networks contacted [itvt] Monday to let us know that today's (Tuesday's) on-air finale of its multiplatform (linear TV, Web and mobile), interactive, supernatural mystery series, "Valemont," will feature a live Twitter component (note: for a detailed overview of the show and its various interactive elements, see the article published on itvt.com, September 27th).

Here is a round-up of some other interactive TV-related stories we didn't have room for in this issue (as well as some stories from last week's SCTE Cable-Tec Expo in Denver, which our editorial team was unable to attend):

"Misfits," a new drama series from Channel 4's digital channel, E4, that centers on a group of teenage superheroes, will offer a multiplatform experience by having two of its characters send out tweets during the course of each of its hour-long episodes, according to an article in The Guardian. The tweets for the show's first episode have been written in advance of its November 12th broadcast by a team led by the show's head writer, Howard Overman, and tweets will also be incorporated into the show's other five episodes, the show's producers say.

Here is a round-up of some other interactive TV-related stories we didn't have room for in this issue: