MySpace Profiles Follow Users to Twitter, eBay, Elsewhere

Reuters reports that MySpace users will now be able to share information on sites like Twitter, Yahoo and eBay. MySpace users may control what information — such as profile pictures and contact information — gets shared. The move is tied to MySpace's support of OpenSocial, which encourages interoperability of applications and tools between social networks […]

Posted: Friday, May 9th, 2008

Bill Gates Pursues Greener Pastures in 'Growth,' Sergey Brin Gloats

Following the withdrawal of its Yahoo bid, Bill Gates says Microsoft will focus on growing its online ad and search businesses. The Associated Press reports Gates express confidence about Microsoft's ability to compete against Google, which, he admits, has a "strong lead" in search and advertising. Microsoft is now rumored to be pursuing Facebook. And while Gates […]

Posted: Friday, May 9th, 2008

Performics: Ads Ignored On TV and Online

Half of DVR owners had watched shows online, but just four percent do so on a weekly basis, according to Performics. Google's DoubleClick Performics unit examined the commercial watching behavior of 500 viewers. 35 percent of DVR owners said they pay attention to ads seen on TV. But only nine percent said paid attention to ads online. […]

Posted: Friday, May 9th, 2008

Beware the Ides of Proprietary Rich Media Platforms, Mozilla Warns

Proprietary rich media techologies, such as Flash and Silverlight, threaten the open nature of the internet, warned the founder of Mozilla Europe this week. Mozilla's Tristan Nitot made the statements at London's Internet World conference on Tuesday, ZDNet reports. With upcoming revision of the HTML specification, HTML 5, Nitot said technology like Flash and Silverlight will no […]

Posted: Friday, May 9th, 2008

Facebook Soups Up Security, Partners with 49 Attorneys General

To buttress users against inappropriate conduct and content, Facebook has joined ranks with 49 Attorneys General. "Building a safe and trusted online experience has been part of Facebook from its outset," said Chief Privacy Officer Chris Kelly. "We are proud to join 49 states and the District of Columbia in affirming our commitment to these principles." Per its […]

Posted: Friday, May 9th, 2008

Microsoft Creeps Up Facebook's Skirt; Yahoo Suitors Drop Like Flies

A source for the Wall Street Journal claims Microsoft has asked Facebook whether it is interested in selling. Last year, Microsoft purchased 1.6 percent of Facebook for $240 million. Microsoft's investment bankers allegedly approached the social networking site around the time the company decided to withdraw its bid for Yahoo. Facebook's response to the proposal was not […]

Posted: Friday, May 9th, 2008

Industry Buzz & Snippets: 5/8/08

Ad Networks and Analytics: DoubleClick introduced a widget calculating tool that tells advertisers how much weight their widgets are pulling among users. Agencies and Execs: DG FastChannel and Enliven Marketing Technologies Corp. plan to merge in a deal valued at $98 million. Havas Media acquired interactive firm archibald ingall stretton and will integrate it into the agency. Larry Gerbrandt left […]

Posted: Thursday, May 8th, 2008

April US Social Networking Traffic Down 16% from '07

The market share of April US visits to a custom category of 57 of the leading social-networking websites increased 3 percent from March - but was down 16 percent from April 2007, Hitwise reports - via MarketingCharts. MySpace.com led in traffic, receiving 73.82 percent of the market share of US visits in April. Facebook ranked second […]

Posted: Thursday, May 8th, 2008

Search Rankings for Europe Issued, Russian Engine Beats Yahoo, Microsoft

Google leads in the European search market with more than 19 billion searches conducted in March - or 79 percent of the market - according to the comScore qSearch 2.0 rankings (via MarketingCharts). No. 3 Yandex of Russia outpaced both Yahoo and Microsoft, the data showed . Eastern Europe Search Players a Factor Google's top position […]

Posted: Thursday, May 8th, 2008

Clearwire, Sprint Partner for WiMax Venture; Telecoms Tag Along

Clearwire and Sprint Nextel are combining wireless broadband units, reports The Associated Press. The duo will operate under the Clearwire label and focus on the development and implementation of WiMax high-speed internet technology. WiMax is faster than standard Wi-Fi. Clearwire and Sprint believe this liaison will expedite its mainstream availability. Sprint Nextel will own about 51 percent […]

Posted: Thursday, May 8th, 2008

Spot Runner Scores $51M from Publishing and Other Media Firms

Video ad creation firm Spot Runner has secured $51 million in financing elicited from firms like Daily Mail, General Trust, Grupo Televisa, and Legg Mason Capital Management. The inclusion of the Daily Mail suggests Spot Runner may use its "war chest" to explore opportunities in print.

Posted: Wednesday, May 7th, 2008

Loss of Microhoo Draws Bad Blood from Advertisers and Stockholders

Those most disappointed by Microsoft's failure to buy Yahoo are the latter's advertisers and stockholders. Advertisers were as attracted to the increased capabilities of the combined entity as they were to a potential Google contender, Advertising Age reports. Currently, Google's lead in the search ad market is so significant that rivals like Yahoo generate little competitive […]

Posted: Wednesday, May 7th, 2008

Yahoo, McAfee Partner for Secure Search Experience

Yahoo is partnering with McAfee on a system that flags potentially unsafe search results. The system integrates McAfee's Site Advisor technology into results from Yahoo Search. Red text and other alerts will warn searchers if a site contains any malicious software or is affiliated with any other online fraud activity. The security offering was christened SearchScan […]

Posted: Tuesday, May 6th, 2008

Industry Buzz & Snippets: 5/6/08

Ad Networks and Analytics: Rise in revenue from its ad network were just enough to offset drops elsewhere at AOL. Analytics platform Media6Degrees raised $2 million in financing from Coriolis Ventures. Blinkx is licensing a toolset called Advanced Media Platform to publishers. The platform lets users manage video search ad inventory. New deals with both BlueLithium and Marchex will […]

Posted: Tuesday, May 6th, 2008

Zune Beefs Up with TV Shows; Films on the Way

Microsoft added hundreds of television programs to its Zune marketplace in a quest to contend with the versatile iTunes, reports Variety. Over 800 TV episodes were added to the Zune storefront from a variety of networks, including NBC and Turner. More deals will be announced over the long-term, and movies will be added sometime soon. The […]

Posted: Tuesday, May 6th, 2008

Microsoft Sweetens Yahoo Bid; Yahoo Again Declines; Microsoft Exits Stage Left

Following insider speculation that Microsoft had increased its bid for Yahoo "by a few dollars," resulting in merger talks, Microsoft announced Saturday that it is withdrawing its bid for the search company. The change of heart occurred when CEOs Steve Ballmer and Jerry Yang, as well as Yahoo co-founder David Filo and Microsoft online president Kevin […]

Posted: Monday, May 5th, 2008

Yahoo Exposes Cars.com to 'We Sell, You Sell' Model

Yahoo hopes to broaden its business relationship with Cars.com as it expands its power in vertical-friendly sites. The elaborated Cars.com liaison would follow Yahoo's newspaper consortium model: each party may sell inventory on another's site. Yahoo calls this the "We sell, you sell" model. This will broaden the advertising opportunities on Yahoo's recently-launched AMP ad platform. It […]

Posted: Monday, May 5th, 2008

Microsoft and Yahoo Get Their Merge On

Insiders reveal Microsoft increased its bid for Yahoo "by several dollars," which has — at long last — sparked active merger talks. The news brings closure to what appeared to be a public stalemate between the two giants, which in turn followed an emotional ultimatum by Microsoft — and Yahoo's cool decline. The original buyout offer valued […]

Posted: Monday, May 5th, 2008

It's So On: Microsoft Preps Hostile Bid; Yahoo Constructs Google Deal

The ongoing drama between the internet's biggest players enters a crucial phase as Microsoft, Yahoo and Google all plan their next moves. The Wall Street Journal and Time report Microsoft is moving forward with plans to mount a hostile bid for Yahoo after months of asking politely — at least in business terms — to buy […]

Posted: Friday, May 2nd, 2008

New Releases Now Available to Rent or Own on iTunes

Apple announced it will begin selling new release films on iTunes. The deal includes inked signatures from Fox, Walt Disney Studios, Paramount, Universal, Warner Bros., Lionsgate, Sony, and New Line Cinema — which currently also deliver rentals to iTunes users. The relationship is a fresh grievance for Wal-Mart, whose DVD division is expected to suffer. In February, […]

Posted: Friday, May 2nd, 2008