Daily Marauder

ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA

Today Facebook added Microsoft Live Search to your Facebook search experience (for people in the US). This is the first step in giving you the ability to find content from across the web while using Facebook. (http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=33443992130 10/7)

Here’s a little example of what the search looks like.  As I’m in San Jose and it’s almost dinner time, I typed in “best restaurant San Jose CA”.  I have the opportunity to search Facebook or search the web as now powered by Microsoft Live Search.

And here are the search results.  Interesting new feature set and positions Facebook as a destination site for so much more than social networking.  A portal to all things online perhaps?  Well played Facebook.

MySpace has partnered with computer giant Hewlett-Packard to introduce a number of new print options to the popular social networking site. Beginning in November, users will be able to click an HP-branded “Print” box embedded on their MySpace pages to access a printer-friendly version of any portion of their profile that can be printed from their home printer. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/10/07/myspace-and-hp-team-up-to-help-you-print-out-those-drunken-photos 10/7)

Citing the severe economic climate, Netflix reduced its earlier fourth-quarter predictions, saying that its subscriber base will end up 1% to 5% lower than its July estimates of 9.1 million to 9.7 million and that revenue will come in 1% to 3% below its target. For the third quarter, the online DVD-rental company reported 8.672 million customers, about 3,000 to 203,000 under its estimates, saying August was “unusually weak.” The Wall Street Journal (10/7) , Reuters (10/6)

Tech stocks continue to get creamed this morning, led by Google, whose stock is now officially a dropping knife (i.e., good luck catching it). Shares are down 5 percent so far today to about $353 (at one point they dipped as low as $350. That’s more than a $50 drop since Friday and the lowest the stock has traded since March, 2006. The question on investor’s minds: How low can it go? (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/10/07/how-low-can-you-go-google-drops-another-5-percent-to-350-territory 10/7)

(Below) Incredibly smart deal.  Perfect target demo.  An audience in need of media to distract them from the discomforts of air travel.  Love it.

Public space Wi-Fi provider Boingo Wireless cut a deal with MLB Advanced Media (MLBAM) to provide access to live MLB playoff games in 23 participating airports courtesy of TBS, which holds the broadcast and third party digital rights. Boingo customers will be able to purchase a special $4 four-hour pass for a special “Airport Edition” of MLB.TV to watch every Division Series and American League Championship Series game live or on demand without blackout restrictions. Subscribers will also be able to use the pass to watch any regular season or postseason game from the MLB.com archives on-demand. (Cynopsis 10/7)

Check out this new SouthParkStudios minisite. Fans of South Park’s Cartman character can satiate their desire with free screensavers, ringtones and a (coming soon) Cult of Cartman T-shirt creation contest. The site was put together to promote a DVD bundle of the best Carman episodes, coming out today. (Cynopsis 10/7)

MoviesWithoutPity.com, the silver-screen-focused spin-off of Bravo’s TelevisionWithoutPity.com, has launched a new original online video series: “Trailers Without Pity,” out to humorously deconstruct the trailers for upcoming theatrical releases each week. (Cynopsis 10/7)

At just under 4 minutes, this new series attempts to deconstruct movie trailers.  So. . .like. . .did anyone ever really need each movie trailer decontructred?  Yah, didn’t think so.  But if you REALLY do need the Quantum of Solace trailer explained in pain-staking-albeit-funny-at-times detail, click below.  

Dada Entertainment, a joint venture launched last year between Dada USA and Sony BMG, will be adding exclusive DRM-free tracks and ringtones to dada.net from Universal Music Group acts such as Xtreme, Pussycat Dolls and Lil Wayne. (Cynopsis 10/7)

The number of electronic devices equipped with Wi-Fi chips could more than triple by 2012 from the 294 million in the market in 2007, according to a report from In-Stat, a research firm that cited mobile handsets as the fastest-growing such product. In-Stat said lower prices on Wi-Fi-equipped devices and more robust batteries had been the key ingredients in the technology’s growth. CNET (10/6) , Cartt News Service (10/6)

Traffic to online trading sites is spiking as users check more often to see what’s left of their stock accounts. Visits grew by an average of 30% for the week ending Sept. 21 when news of the financial crisis started to make headlines, according to Nielsen Online. (Cynopsis 10/7)

Meanwhile traffic to leading financial site Yahoo! Finance reached its highest traffic numbers to date during the week ending Sept. 15, surpassing the previous record by more than 27%. Interestingly users also took time to watch video about the crisis as views of the video show Tech Ticker reached an all-time high over the past two weeks. On Sept. 15 alone, the show drew more than 2.5 million streams. September saw an increase in monthly streams by close to 40% above its previous high according to Yahoo. (Cynopsis 10/7)