Filed under: ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
Google has a name for its open application programming interfaces (APIs) it hopes will challenge Facebook’s dominance in incubating cool new applications. The first wave of OpenSocial APIs were posted yesterday, providing the code necessary to write widgets that access user profile data and friends lists from YouTube, AdSense, Sitemaps, Feedburner and dozens of other Google applications for use on other sites. (In that sense, Google has opened its doors even wider than Facebook whose applications work only within the Facebook environment.) Google’s Orkut, hi5, iLike, Linkedin, Ning and Slide are among the social networks supporting OpenSocial out of the gate. Facebook and MySpace are not.
Pushing ahead in the digital music space are Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails and … Bob Dylan? Yes Dylan is conducting a user generated video contest with Sony BMG and YouTube, asking fans to submit renditions of “Like a Rolling Stone.” The best bits, chosen by Bob’s editing team, will be spiced together to create a single video. It seems only the visuals matter, as Dylan himself will be doing the singing.
A coalition of privacy groups is calling for creation of a “Do Not Track” list to prohibit advertisers from tracking online movements of consumers. The proposal comes as online advertising revenues are growing rapidly, providing critical revenue to Google, Yahoo and others. (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-track1nov01,1,6308721.story 11/1)
AOL unveiled a new user interface akin to a digital do not call list that will allow users to opt out of targeted ads on its sites. The system, launched to coincide with a series of meetings the Federal Trade Commission is holding on how behavioral targeting affects consumers, will also encourage users to enter personal information that may be used to serve ads that may interest them. (http://www.informationweek.com/research/showArticle.jhtml;?articleID=202800905 11/1)
Project Gatineau, Microsoft’s answer to Google Analytics, is now inviting requests to participate in beta testing. Gatineau offers click and visitor tracking, market campaign reporting and demographic breakdowns for site visitors.
NBC Universal plans to shut down its comedy venture DotComedy.com just over a year after it launched. The Web site for clips from “Saturday Night Live” and other NBC fare is struggling to gain traction. NBC is now backing Hulu, the new online video venture with News Corp. (http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003665961 10/31)
Hulu.com, the new NBC-News Corp. online video venture, will pair traditional 30-second ads with long-form video, such as an airing of the NBC comedy “The Office” — but with only 25% of the ads one might have to sit through while watching television. (http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=121636 10/30)
Google is increasingly turning to videos on YouTube to explain its policies and even how to use its products. The Internet giant’s new YouTube privacy channel offers videos explaining what type of information is collected by Google servers when users conduct a search. (http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9808540-7.html 10/31)
FoodNetwork.com is now offering full episodes of The Next Iron Chef online for the first time. New episodes will be available every Monday, after airing on Food Network on Sundays at 9 pm ET/PT.
VH1 and the Broadcast Film Critics Association launched VH1′s eCritic, an online contest to find the best amateur film critic. Film aficionados are encouraged to upload a video of themselves reviewing a movie to VH1.com. The winner, determined by user voting, gets to serve as an honorary critic for the Critics Choice Awards airing live on VH1 on Jan. 7, 2008.
Truveo expanded its online video search presence internationally, opening up new online portals in France, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Spain, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. The sites will index video from Europe and Asia’s most popular video sites including L’Equipe from France, Berlin TV from Germany, KBC from Korea and BBC from The UK. Truveo plans to launch additional video search sites in Australia, Brazil, Italy, Mexico, The Netherlands, Russia and Turkey in the coming months.
UK-based white label video company Mydeo is powering a new user generated video site launched by Best Buy that charges users about $7 for hosting 100 minutes of personal video for sharing on web sites, blogs or via email. Best Buy also took a minority stake in the company.
Big Internet companies like AOL, Google, and Yahoo are acquiring advertising networks to boost ad revenue. But some Web site owners are expressing concern that the companies placing ads on their pages are now owned by some of their largest competitors. (http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/oct2007/tc20071031_089266.htm 11/1)
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