Daily Marauder

ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA

Google CEO Eric Schmidt says that a merged Microsoft-Yahoo could essentially “break the Internet and diminish choice.” Also: “I’m not aware of a proposal for us to buy the New York Times, but I’d never rule anything out. The more strategic answer is that we’d be picking winners.” (http://www.portfolio.com/executives/features/2008/03/14/Google-CEO-Eric-Schmidt-Interview  3/14)

One of the BEST visuals I have ever seen on the inner workings of what happens when you type in a search term in that beloved Google text box.  WELL DONE Portfolio.

 
When it comes to market share gains in advertising dollars, Google outstripped every other media company in 2007, whether you look at the Web, TV, print, or radio. Earlier this morning, Henry Blodget compared the advertising revenues of 17 major media businesses (including News Corp, Time Warner Cable, Viacom, Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, AOL,, the New York Times, and CBS Radio). (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/03/14/what-media-company-gained-the-most-market-share-in-2007-hint-it-starts-with-a-g  3/14)

 
Senior execs from Microsoft and Yahoo are said to have met Monday to discuss Microsoft’s takeover offer for the Internet company. The meeting, the first since Microsoft made its unsolicited offer Jan. 31, is seen as a breakthrough in communication between the two camps. (http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB120546367915835903.html  3/14)

 
Microsoft hasn’t yet snagged Yahoo, but it plans to acquire another company it hopes will boost its online advertising yields. Rapt, of San Francisco, sells tools for online media companies designed to predict demand for ads and optimize price and placement. (http://www.thestandard.com/news/2008/03/14/microsoft-buy-rapt-ad-management-tools  3/14)

 
Bebo, AOL’s new acquisition, is expected to position the Time Warner Internet unit as a stand-alone media company and could help it overcome Yahoo and Google in social networking. The acquisition “puts us squarely in a leading position in social media,” says AOL chief Randy Falco. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/13/AR2008031303665.html  3/13)

 
MySpace, Facebook, Bebo – Total Unique Visitors (000) Jan. 2008 vs. Jan. 2007
Total World Age 15+, Home and Work Locations
Property                                Jan-2007        Jan-2008       % Change
MySpace.com                          94,769         109,262           15
Facebook.com                         24,840         100,668           305
Bebo.com                                12,741           22,400           76
Total Internet: Total Audience   746,934         824,435          10
Source: comScore World Metrix

MySpace, Facebook, Bebo –  Average Minutes per Visitor January 2008
Total World Age 15+, Home and Work Locations
Property                                 Jan-2008
Bebo.com                                217.0
Facebook.com                          198.6
MySpace.com                           156.3
Total Internet: Total Audience   1,561.8
Source: comScore World Metrix

 
On the heels of AOL’s acquisition of Bebo, the Time Warner Internet unit is said to be considering buying widget-maker KickApps for $90 million. Earlier: “All the money on the Internet” will be in widgets, predicts KickApps chief Eric Alterman. “And traditional media will be a leader.” (http://kara.allthingsd.com/20080314/is-kickapps-next-to-board-aols-gravy-train  3/14,  http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003724645  3/12)

KickApps Most Recent Upgrade in Offering

 
Facebook got a lot of mileage out of widgets; let’s see what MySpace can do. MySpace launched an initial gallery of applications built upon the MySpace Developer Platform about 5 weeks after the site soft launched the OpenSocial-based program. There are game widgets, quizzes, a Twitter sync app, a SlideTV widget and plenty of other goodies being added by the minute.

As of this posting, the Ace Texas Hold ‘Em App is number one on MySpace.

 
Social network hi5 announced it too will launch a developers’ platform based on Google’s OpenSocial standards.

 
Microsoft chief Bill Gates says the coming years will bring rapid changes in media as television increasingly becomes a targeted medium, where viewers can select niche content for news, sports and entertainment. “TV will be based on the Internet; it will be an utterly different thing.” (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080313/ap_on_hi_te/microsoft_gates  3/13)

 
Vote for your favorite goofy videos in the 2007 YouTube Video Awards, broken down into 12 categories: Adorable, Comedy, Commentary, Creative, Eyewitness, Inspirational, Instructional, Politics, Music, Series, Short Film and Sports. Each user can vote once per day from March 13-March 19. Winners will be revealed on YouTube on March 21.

 
Yahoo is readying a new women’s content service called Shine, launching later in March, targeting women from age 25 to 54. Shine is discussing major partnerships with big publishers, including Time Inc. The site, run by former Jane editor Brandon Holley,  will also offer user blogs.