Daily Marauder

AOL will test a free service that lets users consolidate on one Web site their personal photos, videos and music that are now scattered across multiple computers and Web sites. The new site, Bluestring, combines elements of YouTube, Flickr and AOL’s own Xdrive. (http://www.reuters.com/article/technology-media-telco-SP/idUSN1732383720070917 9/17)

AOL will carry a blog by Jim Cramer, host of CNBC’s “Mad Money” show, carried for free on the BloggingStocks Web site. AOL’s addition of Cramer’s blog, a paid feature of TheStreet.com, is an experiment, says Steve Elkes of TheStreet.com. “We’ll figure out what works.” (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aK_yjcBr_vXg 9/17) 

In an experiment to find new ways to sell music, Warner Music will allow U.S. consumers to listen for free to James Blunt’s new album from his MySpace page. If they like it, consumers can buy a download for $9.99 that will play on Apple’s iPod, and will receive a CD version in the mail. (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0d4f99ca-6579-11dc-bf89-0000779fd2ac.html 9/18)

I guess the question here is: How much do consumers still value the physical object that is the CD?  If a value is still placed on the material object (and my guess is that it is), this is of significant value to the consumer.  I can now buy a digital and CD version simultaneously for the same price.  I now, no longer, need to produce a playlist and burn the CD.  I also now receive a professionally produced CD with album art for no additional cost.  Smart. 

Warner Music chief Edgar Bronfman Jr. says he is looking to digital downloads, mobile distribution, international markets and a closer relationship between artists and fans to make up for the diminishing CD sale revenue stream: “We’re trying a variety of solutions … ” (http://www.techconfidential.com/vc-ratings/money-in/bronfman-the-rumors-of-the-mus.php 9/17) 

The New York Times is pulling the plug on TimesSelect, its premium online subscription service, at midnight on Tuesday. The decision reflects “a growing view in the industry that subscription fees cannot outweigh the potential ad revenue from increased traffic on a free site.” (http://www.portfolio.com/views/blogs/mixed-media/2007/09/17/now-its-official-timesselect-is-history 9/17) 

ABC will launch a video podcast called “Cavetalk” on Tuesday, September 18, to promote the Cavemen sitcom premiering Oct. 2 at 8 pm ET. Spokescavemen Joel, Nick and Andy have agreed to help clear up some widely held misconceptions about their race. Sign up for it on iTunes or ABC.com.

Cavemen Podcast

Lame.  Really lame.

Barry Diller’s IAC/InterActiveCorp is to announce that it is taking a majority stake in game developer GarageGames.com to anchor a soon-to-be launched gaming site, InstantAction. IAC also plans to announce a multimillion-dollar fund to develop new Internet action games. (http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB119007633146730597.html 9/18)

ESPN360.com kicks off its 61 game season coverage (September – May) of the international UEFA Champions League on September 18, including the quarterfinals, semifinals and the final from Moscow. Each Tuesday and Wednesday match day ESPN360.com will deliver soccer fans three UEFA Champions League matches, one of which will be a simulcast of ESPN2′s coverage. Two each week will be offered in both English and Spanish-language feeds. 

Viacom’s $1 billion copyright infringement lawsuit against Google and its video-sharing site YouTube won’t reach court until about 2009, says Michael Fricklas, the media giant’s general counsel. By then, “Who even knows what user-generated sites will look like?” (http://www.techconfidential.com/behind-the-money/blog/behind-the-money/viacomgoogle-case-wont-see-cou.php 9/17) 

Yahoo is buying white-label open-source e-mail and communications suite provider Zimbra, reports Kara at AllThingsD, citing sources. The price is around $350 million, the story says, which is a big premium on its latest valuation. The San Mateo, CA-based company has inv*stm*nt from Benchmark Partners, Redpoint Ventures and Accel Partners, and has raised a total of $30.5 million in three rounds. (http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-yahoo-is-buying-e-mail-and-communications-suite-zimbra-report 9/17) 

Hearst paid around $100 million in cash for the consumer health site RealAge.com, according to The New York Times. The site is built around a user survey that considers more than 100 health related issues to determine their “real age.” The site attracts about 2.1 million uniques a month and has annual revenue of about $20 million, according to Hearst.

TechCrunch40.com is the official website of this week’s TechCrunch40 new media conference hosted by the web 2.0 TechCrunch blog and venture capitalist Jason Calacanis. Besides covering the conference exhaustively, the site gives visitors a more intimate look at the 40 startups handpicked to exhibit (for free) at the show. Given the respect TechCrunch editor Michael Arrington and his cohorts are accorded in Silicon Valley, there just may be some future stars in this group of startups. The site also offers some cool social features such as the ability to rate the 40 new companies’ presentations.