Daily Marauder

ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA

Google will let Windows users begin tooling around today with its new Google Chrome Web browser, a product for the video age and a test for rivals who designed their products for a time when text and graphics were king. Google, which has versions for Apple and Linux systems in the works, said it would open all of Chrome’s code to third-party developers. International Herald Tribune/Reuters (9/2)

Yesterday Google launched Google Video for business, a customized video platform aimed at businesses for internal use. Think training vides, HR videos, etc. (anything that isn’t outside facing). The product is included in Google Apps Premier Edition for free, with 3 GB of storage per user account. (Iwantmedia 9/2, http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/09/01/google-launches-video-for-businesses 9/1)

Hulu unveils its Fall TV Premiere Line-up today featuring full episode streaming of a number of new shows such as Knight Rider, Lipstick Jungle and Chuck and Life a week before they premiere on air. (Cynopsis 9/2)

In the anticipated release of Google’s new and improved Picasa, the company will offer facial recognition technology to help you identify friends and family in your pictures without requiring you to tag them by-hand each time you see them. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/09/02/picasa-refresh-brings-facial-recognition 9/2)

Apple will release an application next month that will provide users with interactive albums, which will include lyrics, behind-the-scenes images, and exclusive artwork.  According to Music Week, Apple will make the app available to users in tandem with the release of Snow Patrol’s upcoming album, A Hundred Million Suns. The app will add the extra features to more iTunes albums over time, but because it will be made available through the company’s App Store, it will only provide the extra content on the iPhone and iPod touch. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/09/01/apple-puts-one-more-nail-into-the-cd-coffin 9/1)

Microsoft is acquiring a Munich-based Web comparison shopping site and its parent company for about $486 million in cash. The software giant says the acquisition of Greenfield.com, which owns Ciao, a collection of European price-comparison sites, will boost its search presence. (Iwantmedia 9/2, http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/microsoft_greenfield_online 8/29)

Long form web TV show The B-Cast (which makes a home on Federated Media’s Breitbart.tv portal) will be broadcasting live from the Republican National Convention this week showcasing the new RayV livecasting platform. The B-Cast, which streams daily at 4 pm M-F ET, is co-hosted by Breitbart.tv editors Scott Baker and Liz Stephans and produced by Hot Metal Media. (Cynopsis 9/2)