Daily Marauder

ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA

Google Analytics just got better. Google will begin rolling out a set of major upgrades today to the free Website measuring tool. The new features include the ability to create custom reports, better ways to look at audience segments, the ability to track and measure AdSense inside Google Analytics, an API (on it’s way), the introduction of cool bubble “motion charts,” and some user interface improvements. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/10/22/google-analytics-gets-a-major-ugrade-adsense-custom-reports-api-bubble-charts 10/22)

AOL has updated its webmail application to include a set of plugins that allow users to quickly access current news topics as well as third party services, most notably Yahoo Mail. Historically portals have been reluctant to give users access to their messages on other services, but they have been recently been opening up (which makes sense, given that they want to be a one-stop hub for all of your internet needs). Last month AOL gave users access to both their Yahoo and Gmail accounts from its homepage, and is now integrating the features into its main webmail client (Gmail hasn’t been integrated there yet, but it’s on the way). (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/10/22/aol-adds-yahoo-mail-to-your-inbox 10/22)

Comcast has established a beta site for subscribers in a number of its markets to test the speed of their Internet connections. A Comcast representative said the list of cities — which includes Philadelphia, Denver, Chicago, Detroit and Washington — did not necessarily mean that the company planned to roll out its DOCSIS 3.0 broadband service there. Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul) (10/21) , CED Magazine (10/2008)