Daily Marauder

ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA

Techcrunch has got multiple sources at both Yahoo and Microsoft telling us that official talks are back on between the two companies. But Techcrunch is hearing something different than CNET – the talks are about a full buyout again, not a sweetened search-only deal. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/06/24/sources-microsoft-and-yahoo-talks-back-on 6/24)

Fox television network is pairing with social networking service Passenger to launch an online community for audience feedback. Passenger already created a similar online resource for ABC, which is one reason why Fox didn’t turn to News Corp. sibling MySpace for the new site. (Iwantmedia 6/24, http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=85171 6/23)

Demo Video

Late Fragment, a groundbreaking non-linear interactive feature film based on a user interface model developed by Lars von Trier, will be released on DVD in Canada on July 8. The movie, written and directed by Daryl Cloran, Anita Doron and Mateo Guez, varies sequentially based on when and how often audiences decide to click “enter” on their remotes. (Cynopsis 6/24)

Check out the trailer by clicking below.  It’s a bit difficult to navigate but interesting none the less.

(Below) The recommended videos were pretty spot on in terms of things I would actually be interested in seeing.

YouTube officially launched its personalized homepage allowing users to manage subscriptions, connect with other users and view friends’ activities. One of the coolest additions is a Featured Videos section based on videos you’ve favored in the past – an example of how Google’s algorithmic genius is helping to improve the site. (Cynopsis 6/24)

Google plans to unveil a new service that measures Internet usage utilizing data from Web servers. The new tool, which aims to help advertisers find the best places to buy online ads, has the potential to be a major threat to comScore and Nielsen Online. (Iwantmedia 6/24, http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/google-unveil-service-measure-internet/story.aspx?guid=%7BA5D708DA%2D0EB4%2D4250%2DA733%2DDF0F9020E12B%7D 6/23)

Google News, six years after its start, is experiencing sluggish growth in traffic growth. With content is compiled entirely by computer programs, Google News still shows no ads, and there are no signs that Google is serious about making money from the site. (Iwantmedia 6/24, http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/24/technology/24google.html 6/24)

Internet video series like “Break a Leg” are luring millions of viewers — but little cash. While media analysts agree that the future of television will be online, no one knows how it will make money. One problem: audiences are accustomed to free content on the Internet. (Iwantmedia 6/24, http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/23/DDII10U5LH.DTL 6/23)

Ticketmaster plans to complete its spin-off from IAC/InteractiveCorp by late July or early August and borrow $750 million to give a dividend to the parent company. Other IAC subsidiaries, including HSN, will also pay dividends to IAC after completing anticipated spin-offs. Iwantmedia 6/24, (http://www.crainsnewyork.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080623/FREE/568774523/1084 6/23)

CNET shareholders approved CBS‘ $1.8 billion acquisition of the technology portal. The deal is expected to close during the third quarter. (Cynopsis 6/24)

As part of its recent Clearwire deal, Comcast will gain access to 5 MHz of spectrum that will be set aside for WiMAX femtocells, according to Dave Williams, Comcast’s senior vice president for wireless and technology. He added that any of the firms that joined in the Clearwire consortium would be able to use the spectrum, but it would be particularly appealing to cable firms looking to enhance subscribers’ wireless experiences. (Light Reading 6/23)

Viewers will be confronted with “a dozen video platforms a day” in the near future as the medium proliferates across devices and surfaces, according to a new report from Forrester Research provocatively entitled How Video Will Take Over the World. Total viewing time will increase from 4 to 5 hours a day by 2013, a majority of it viewed on demand:

OmniVideo Viewing Across Platforms, 2008-2013
Video Metric                                 Drivers                                         2008          2013
% viewed on demand            Cable, telco TV/VOD, online video, DVR        20%           45%
% delivered via IP                Online video, IPTV, over-the-top TV            10%           35%
% viewed via mobile device   Phones, personal/dockable media players        8%           15%
% personal video consumed  Cell phone/digital cameras, social net sites      2%           10%
Source: Forrester Research