Daily Marauder

ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
YouTube has long resisted selling search results, but it has now caved in. Now anyone can promote their YouTube videos for specific search keywords on a pay-per-click basis. This should generate substantial new revenues for Google. YouTube has a lot of search inventory. (Viewers search on the site more than 2.5 billion times per month). This should also generate a lot more spam results. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/11/12/more-sex-videos-for-everyone-youtube-sells-video-search-results-to-the-highest-bidder 11/12)

Google’s stock price closed yesterday at $291, the first time it has dropped below $300 since 2005. It’s 44% off of its 52-week high of $725. Most analysts think its cheap and getting cheaper – the average price target is still over $500. Former analyst Henry Blodget, however, thinks it could fall to $200 (I prefer the bullish version of Blodget myself). (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/11/13/google-analyst-worst-economic-environment-in-our-collective-lifetimes 11/13)

Comcast has struck a deal with four pop-culture blogs to provide recommendations on the content found at Fancast.com, the cable provider’s online video hub. As part of the deal, Fancast users will be able to have online conversations with the bloggers at sites such as Ask a Ninja, Boing Boing, Dooce and NOTCOT. TVWeek.com (11/12)

The days of buying packaged software loaded onto CDs are numbered. Today, Microsoft quietly drove another nail into the coffin of packaged software by launching the Microsoft Store on the Web. After testing the software download store in Europe and Korea, Microsoft opened up its U.S. version today. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/11/13/the-death-of-packaged-software-microsoft-store-opens-on-the-web-for-us-shoppers 11/13)

Microsoft has released the latest set of data for its controversial Live Search Cashback program, which offers users monetary incentives to click through and buy goods from the ads they’re shown. The results? Things seem to be looking good from a ROI perspective, as users are responding to the ads more than they typically do on other search engines (though this isn’t very surprising, as they are being offered money). More significant is the fact that Microsoft’s share of ad dollars has risen significantly, especially in proportion to its relatively weak market share (which has largely languished, despite the new program). (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/11/13/microsoft-cashback-the-traffic-needle-is-still-stuck-but-the-ads-are-rolling-in 11/13)

A year ago, one of the surprise holiday breakout hits on the Web was ElfYourself.com. It was a promotional viral video site created by OfficeMax that let people upload their pictures and create dancing elves that they could then send as e-cards to family and friends. ElfYourself turned out to be the fastest growing site last December, peaking at 39 million unique visitors in the U.S. (and attracting a total of 100 million unique visitors worldwide throughout the campaign). (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/11/12/this-christmas-officemaxs-elfyourselfcom-will-get-a-jibjab-twist 11/12)

News Corp.’s MySpace will be launching the “MySpace Primetime Application,” an app that allows users to embed, search and watch content from Hulu and MySpaceTV on their pages. The application is a product of a partnership with Hulu, Warner Bros and Sony. (Iwantmedia 11/13, http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2008/11/12/myspace-getting-ready-to-launch-primetime-application 11/12)

Microsoft’s Live.com portal will change significantly this evening. No longer will it be a simple search engine with a few other services bolted on. It’s now a social network, too, pulling in activity information and content from around the web. They’re also launching Windows Live Photos and Windows Live People, and other services. Check it out at Home.Live.com. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/11/12/sweeping-changes-at-livecom-its-a-social-network 11/12)

IBM has signed a contract with Huntsville, AL-based International Broadband Electric Communications to manage the installation of broadband systems to provide high-speed internet access to rural areas over the electrical grid. The contract is for an initial 13 cooperatives in 7 states according to the WSJ, with pricing set to start at $29.95/month. So-called Powerline carrier communications (PLC) has been successfully deployed in Japan but has failed to make much headway in the U.S., despite early industry efforts such as the HomePlug Powerline Alliance and endorsements from the FCC. (Cynopsis 11/13)