Why ESPN thrives where most cable networks fail

Media companies that define themselves by distribution channel instead of their content won't succeed.

FORTUNE -- Old media companies are falling behind because they're failing to adapt their business models to what consumers want. That was the consensus among those gathered for a panel on the future of publishing and broadcasting at Fortune's Brainstorm Tech conference on Thursday.

"There are these large institutions that feel like they have lost their way or MORE

Is P&G the next digital giant?

At Fortune's Brainstorm Tech conference, Procter & Gamble's top executives discuss the company's digital strategy.

FORTUNE -- As companies go, Procter & Gamble may be an old dog, but that doesn't mean it can't learn new tricks.

That's what CEO Bob McDonald is claiming, as he attempts to turn the consumer product giant into a model of business in the digital age.

To accomplish this, McDonald has formed a close alliance with P&G CIO MORE

Manilla: Making online bill pay into a better payoff

The new startup, incubated by Hearst and run by digital media guru George Kliavkoff, aims to incentivize customers and companies to give up their paper bills forever.

A new company called Manilla launches today and it could be the nail in the coffin for the US Postal Service. Its goal: To help businesses convert customers to paperless billing by giving consumers an easy tool for organizing and paying bills.

Manilla (as in MORE

The great iPhone migration

Analysts predict that at least 2 million AT&T subscribers over the next year will switch carriers now that the Verizon iPhone is available. Here's how the companies transfer a customer's phone number from one device to another.

1. An AT&T (T) customer walks into a Verizon Wireless store to switch to Verizon's iPhone -- but wants to keep his current phone number. He provides the number and personal identification.

2. Verizon (VZ) MORE

From MTV to Microsoft to Facebook

A newcomer to Fortune's 40 under 40 list decamps from the software giant to the social behemoth. Carolyn Everson's time at MTV may have helped pave the way.

Among the newcomers to Fortune's 40 under 40 list in 2010 was Carolyn Everson (No. 38), a rising star in the advertising world who had just taken over as head of global advertising for Microsoft (MSFT). Today, just nine months after stepping into MORE

One Kings Lane: Silicon Valley's newest obsession

The home décor site has a strong pedigree (backing from Kleiner Perkins and a founder named Pincus). Can it become the Groupon of throw pillows and footstools?

Online retail is hot again, thanks to the growing popularity of "deal-a-day" and private sale sites. The latest obsession of tech investors? Home décor site One Kings Lane, which will announce today that it has raised a $23 million second round of funding from MORE

Fortune's best networker

If you haven't tweeted with him yet, you may soon: Entrepreneur Adam Rifkin has taken connecting to a whole new level. We selected him by scouring LinkedIn to see who was tied to the most top people on Fortune's lists.*

*From 2010 Fortune 500 CEOs, Fortune's 50 Smartest People in Tech, Fortune's 40 Under 40, and Fortune's 50 Most Powerful Women.

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Building a better golf club

To design and manufacture its next generation of golf clubs, equipment maker Callaway teamed up with the University of Washington and automaker Lamborghini to develop a carbon-based material for the crown of its drivers and fairway woods, forged composite, that it claims is lighter and stronger than titanium. Here's a look at the technology in the new high-performance club.

1. In the mix

Instead of weaving carbon fibers together to create laminate MORE

eHarmony's algorithm of love

What happens when online matchmaking hooks up with predictive software? More online connections.

For years the "E" in eHarmony was a bit of a misnomer. Despite the company's success online -- the matchmaker says it is responsible for an average of 271 marriages a day --  it only recently started to seriously embrace the Internet. For much of eHarmony's 10-year history, the web was merely a platform for distributing its compatibility MORE

Turning fashion into a video game

Which styles will fly off the shelves this season? Customers who play a new online fashion game are helping big retailers find out.

With consumers still skittish, retailers need every edge they can get. Yes, when it comes to market research, walking the floor and setting up focus groups work -- to an extent. But Greg Petro, 46, a former Saks (SKS) executive, had a better idea. Why not use online MORE