Comcast Roundup: TV Everywhere balloons, Shaq and Stein are back and More

Every Thursday morning, find all the stories you need to know about your friendly telecommunications giant in the Comcast Roundup.

Seventeen more cable TV networks have agreed to put their content on Comcast’s TV Everywhere, the proposed online video service that would be offered to subscribers only. That brings the total to 23, according to the Associated Press.

Though some public discourse has remained skeptical of the authentication model, Comcast has continued to move forward with its unprecedented experiment of paid content on the Web.

HBO is in that number of participants. The cable channel recently announced it will put at least 750 hours of its programming on the service scheduled to be rolled out for 5,000 trial subscribers in coming weeks, as reported by the Philadelphia Business Journal. That’s nearly as high profile as the thunder heard after CBS announced it was following suit, as reported by MediaMemo, which followed Time Warner becoming the first big fish in the pond with Comcast. Others, like Starz, added their own buzz.

Details on the security of the system aren’t yet clear, but it’s unlikely 23 networks, including major players like Time Warner, CBS and HBO would join so quickly if something wasn’t clear.

After the jump, more social media praise, a Comcast technician turns to crime and six other stories for the faithful.

In order of importance for your ease:

• TUAW reviews Comcast’s new iPhone and iPod touch mobile application, which syncs the company’s e-mail and voice mail and shows onDemand movie trailes and more.
• The Inquirer’s Bob Fernandez reports on what will be the latest iteration of Comcast’s advertising campaign featuring Shaq and Ben Stein. It’s a Starsky and Hutch spoof that you can expect to see after Aug. 3.
• Keystone Edge runs something of a recap of the ongoing battle between Verizon and Comcast in the Philadelphia region. We’ll try to forgive the Rocky lede.
• Business Week shares some business Twitter tips from Comcast ahead of another New York Times story praising the telecommunications company’s social media public relations campaign.
• Multichannel News reports that a Comcast technician in Oregon allegdly robbed a check-cashing store of $3,000, jacked a female employee with a crowbar and bailed. [Insert your punchline in the comment field below]. H/T Philly Tech News.
• MediaWeek reports that Comcast is tossing up a host of Spanish–language content in North Carolina. Cambie el programa.
• Corporate blog Comcast Voices is running big with the company’s recently introduced partnership with One Economy on the Comcast Digital Connectors program, a technology literacy program for underprivileged children. Read the press release for more, or peep the below video introduction.

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When there is just too much Comcast news to follow, the Comcast Roundup will be there to fill your every Comcast desire or fantasy.