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Yahoo Lives! Er, Yahoo! Live

posted on January 30, 2008

Earlier this month, Jerry Yang introduced Yahoo’s pending social-mail integration as “Yahoo Life” (though the company later clarified that the product was, in fact, nameless). But it looks like they’ll make sure the name, or something like unto it, goes to good use. Valleywag reports that Yahoo will launch a new “lifecasting” service called Yahoo Live.

According to Valleywag, Yahoo posted the following announcement on their intranet, Backyard:

Yahoo! Live is social TV, where you’re the star! Create your own social broadcasting experience. Start by broadcasting yourself from your webcam, invite your friends to chat with you, they’ll go live with you, and you’re all on candid camera!

. . .

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Pilgrim’s Picks for January 30th

posted on January 30, 2008

How about a round of applause for these news stories. They didn’t quite make it to their own blog post, but they get an honorable mention below:

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How Many Facebook Users Actually Read the Wall Street Journal?

posted on January 30, 2008

The fact that the WSJ and Facebook have just partnered on a new initiative to let Facebook users share their favorite news stories, surely demonstrates one of the following:

  1. Facebook is now dominated by 30+ -year old WSJ reading types.
  2. The WSJ is just desperate to attract some hip under 30-year old readers.
  3. Facebook is just completely selling out.
  4. Both companies are just desperate.

OK, so I’m teasing, but it really does just come across as a strange partnership. It’s almost as if both companies figured it would give each of them some buzz, so struck the deal without actually worrying if anyone would care to use it or not.

Anyway, if you’re simply salivating at the chance to share your favorite WSJ article with your Facebook friends, here’s what you’re getting:

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Sheep-Throwing Coming to MySpace?

posted on January 30, 2008

One of the things that I happen to find the most annoying about Facebook–externally developed junk such as "Zombie biting" and "Sheep Throwing"–will soon grace the pages of MySpace accounts.

Just as we reported back in October, News Corp’s MySpace will launch its own external developer platform, in an effort to keep a step ahead of Facebook.

As part of the February 5 launch, it has also promoted MySpace business development executive Amit Kapur to a new role as chief operating officer…Developers can register for more information at http://developer.myspace.com beginning on Wednesday.

No other details are available other than it will be open to developers in 28 countries.

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Only 200 Advertisers Sign on for Google TV Ads

posted on January 30, 2008

It’s been a long time since I’ve linked to Valleywag–I figure there are only so many romance gossip stories our readers can take–but they’ve redeemed themselves with news that Google TV Ads has only managed to attract 200 clients.

During a PR pitch to New York ad agencies this week, Long Ellis of Google revealed the astonishingly low number.

While even Google Radio has about 1,600 advertisers, Google TV advertising currently counts around 200. Why so low? Don’t be fooled by the brand name. Google TV advertising isn’t much of an innovation yet.

I wonder if the reason is as Valleywag suggests–performance based TV advertising already exists, so Google TV isn’t a huge innovation–or if it’s because the TV industry really doesn’t want Google muscling their way in and bringing down the costs of television advertising.

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For Online Advertising the Biggest Growth is Local

posted on January 30, 2008

Online advertising will continue to grow for years to come, especially local business advertising. JupiterResearch. According to the US Online Local Advertising Forecast, by JupiterResearch local advertising will grow 13% in 2007 to 2012. Online advertising generally is expected to grow 12 percent during that time. Advertisers will focus on local display and search advertising the most.

Compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) are expected to be 18 percent and 16 percent, respectively, during the next five years.

Online advertising is taking a larger proportion of budgets than in past years, but won’t replace traditional advertising.

“Although traditional media such as newspaper and local broadcast are facing new challenges regarding their business models, local advertising in these media mainstays is not a dying market. The ability to assemble relatively larger general audiences will remain a principal advantage of traditional media.”
- Lead Analyst Barry Parr, Media Analyst for JupiterResearch

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Linky Goodness, January 29

posted on January 29, 2008

I can’t tell you how linky and how good these links are. I just don’t have the energy. So just enjoy them!