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Internet & Digital Media Recent Headlines  Nielsen: Web Video Users Are Day Clickers Mediaweek Daytime is the Internet’s prime time, at least when it comes to video, according to a report by Nielsen Online. During the traditional work week -- Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. -- 65% of online video viewers streamed at least one piece of content in October. MPAA Reining in More Illicit Movie Sites Wired The Motion Picture Association of America has sued three allegedly illicit movie sites -- campusist.com, movies-on-demand.tv and sswarez.com -- bringing to 13 the number of MPAA lawsuits since 2007 challenging such services. Illegal downloading, however, continues to skyrocket. Joost Scraps Video App After Web Launch Multichannel News Joost, the Internet television venture, has said it will discontinue its original software application -- which had been central to its strategy of trying to reinvent television online -- and instead focus on its new Web version. Joost released its more accessible Web version in October. LinkedIn CEO Nye Resigns After Two Years Wall Street Journal LinkedIn CEO Dan Nye has resigned after less than two years at the helm of the social-networking site for professionals. He will be replaced by founder Reid Hoffman. The reasons behind Nye's exit are unclear, but LinkedIn remains far smaller than MySpace and Facebook. Twitter Posts Job for Manager of Revenue CNET Twitter has put out a job posting for a product manager to help with "revenue generation." The San Francisco startup, flush with venture funding and media hype, has yet to make a cent. The job description reads: "You will play a defining role in the formulation of Twitter's business." Yahoo Invests in Phone Directory Search PC World Yahoo has bought a 30% stake in Info Network Management Company, a firm in India that specializes in telephone directory search. Users in India will be able to access information about local businesses through Yahoo Web sites, as well as by phone through its own service. NY Gov Eyes 'iPod Tax' on Digital Content New York Daily News New York governor David Paterson, facing a $15.4 billion budget gap, has called for an "iPod tax" on the sale of downloaded music and other "digitally delivered entertainment." Movie tickets, as well as cable and satellite television, could also be taxed. Google Buys Four Buildings in Expansion San Francisco Business Google has bought four buildings in Mountain View, Calif., its home base, as part of the Internet giant's "long-term planning," according to a spokesman. "We like to have employees working in a dense campus cluster. We plan to stay in Mountain View for the long term." Ex-AOLer Miller Not a Yahoo CEO Candidate Bloomberg Despite speculation, former AOL chief Jon Miller isn't trying to buy Yahoo and isn't a candidate for the firm's CEO job. Rather, Miller is focusing on new-media investments as a partner in his Velocity Interactive Group. One of his projects aims to become "the Viacom of the Web." MySpace for BlackBerry Marks 1M Downloads BlackBerry Cool MySpace for BlackBerry, the News Corp. social-networking application "so cool with the kids these days," has been downloaded more than 1 million times, according to RIM. The number has been seen as impressive since the application was launched just a month ago. Midway Games to Lay Off 180 Employees Chicago Tribune Video-game publisher Midway Games has pared its operations as it fights to stay afloat, cutting 25% of its workforce and closing a studio in Texas. The cost cutting is said to have preceded Sumner Redstone's sale of his 87% stake in the maker of the "Mortal Kombat" franchise. Traditional Media Still Matter, Survey Says Ad Age So-called "digital influencers" actually get their information from old media, according to a survey by MS&L. Some 84% of digital influencers go online to find out more about something only after first learning about it from magazines, newspapers, television or radio. Poll: Internet, Cable News Sources on Rise UPI Among daily news sources, only cable and Internet news have shown significant gains in popularity since 2006, according to a Gallup survey. Online news sources had the biggest increase, with 31% saying they turn to the Internet for daily news -- a 100% increase since 2002. Ex-Vodafone Chief Rules Out Move to Yahoo Financial Times Arun Sarin, the former head of Vodafone, has decided not to pursue the possibility of becoming the next CEO of Yahoo. The Internet company had expressed an interest in Sarin succeeding Jerry Yang. One reason for his rejection was a perceived risk that Yahoo could be dismembered. Yahoo 'Most Trusted'; Google Not So Much San Francisco Chronicle Facebook and Yahoo for the first time have made an annual ranking of the top 20 most trusted companies in the United States. Google, however, dropped off the list, released by the Ponemon Institute and TRUSTe. Consumers are said to be "getting more astute" about privacy. Google Slams WSJ Net Story as 'Confused' Associated Press Google has denied that it reversed its stance on Net neutrality, dismissing a story in the Wall Street Journal on the subject as "confused." The Journal's report was "apparently based on a misunderstanding" of Google's offer to place edge servers within ISPs, said the Internet giant. Twitter Joins the Google Friend Connect Fold Wired Google has added Twitter to its Google Friend Connect service. Twitter's popularity is expected to make Google's Friend Connect widgets more appealing to site developers, which in turn could mean gains for Google in providing portable social tools on the larger Web. AOL's Home Page Sees Increase in Traffic WebProNews The new AOL.com home page is bringing advertisers record performance and is also driving increased user reach and engagement, according to AOL's Platform-A. Since AOL redesigned its home page in September, advertising click-through rates are said to have increased 30%. Pew: Mobile Internet Access to Rule by 2020 MediaPost Wireless devices will be the primary means of connecting to the Internet for most people by 2020, according to a report by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. People "won't think of these things as 'phones' either -- these devices will be simply lenses on the online world." Google Seeks Content 'Fast Lane' on the Web Wall Street Journal Google has approached major cable and phone companies that carry Internet traffic with a proposal to create a "fast lane" for its own content. But cable and phone companies are supposed to treat all traffic the same. "If we did this," said one cable exec, "Washington would be on fire." Facebook Book Eyed for Film by Aaron Sorkin Boston Herald Author Ben Mezrich's forthcoming book about the founders of Facebook, the hit social-networking site, has been scheduled for release by Doubleday next autumn. Veteran screenwriter Aaron Sorkin has already signed on to adapt the book into a movie, Mezrich has confirmed. IAC's Diller: No Revenues from Brown's Beast Washington Post IAC chief Barry Diller said he doesn't expect to make a dime on The Daily Beast, the new content site from Tina Brown, for two to three years, if then. "Can today's online economics support a venture like this? The answer is no." We're "developing new advertising methods online." Comcast Site Nabs Whoopi for Online Show Variety Whoopi Goldberg will star in "Strange," a sci-fi miniseries for FEARnet.com, set to debut both online and on video on demand. "Strange" will air in six five-minute weekly segments. FEARnet is a joint venture between Comcast, Sony and Lionsgate. YouTube Turns Videos Into Greeting Cards CNET YouTube has unveiled a holiday feature that lets users create hosted video cards to send to friends and family. Users can select this option from any YouTube video, or from a special page that houses selected community videos and links to a user's own clips. Google's New Mantra: 'Scarcity Brings Clarity' BusinessWeek Is Google too influential? "Our influence comes from the end-users and the trust that we've built," said Google VP Marissa Mayer. "We believe that more competition is better for the Web." Also: "The mantra we're hearing around the Googleplex is 'Scarcity brings clarity.'" Google-NY Times Acquisition Talk Increases TheDeal As the New York Times negotiates with lenders over its debt, speculation has been heating up in the blogosphere that Google could make a move to acquire the Gray Lady. One online observer has argued that cash-flush Google would be able to scoop up the Times for under $4 billion. Time Warner May Keep AOL Content Sites AllThingsD Time Warner is said to be considering selling off pieces of AOL after growing weary of its inability to complete a deal to sell the troubled Internet unit to Yahoo. The media giant may hold on to AOL's content properties, some of which are among the most trafficked on the Web. Washington Post CEO Joins Facebook Board Associated Press Washington Post chairman Donald Graham is joining the board of Facebook, connecting the popular Internet hangout with a media industry veteran. Founder Mark Zuckerberg has been bringing in more experienced leaders as he tries to capitalize on Facebook's massive following. HuffPo, Twitter See Post-Election Declines TechCrunch After showing significant growth leading up to the U.S. presidential election, Twitter saw a 47% decline U.S. page views from October to November. The Huffington Post saw a 20% drop in unique U.S. visitors during the same time period. HuffPo is advised to "broaden its coverage." Google in Push to Make U.S. Gov Searchable Washington Post For years, the U.S. government has been unwilling or unable to make millions of its Web pages accessible. But Google CEO Eric Schmidt aims to change that as an adviser to president-elect Barack Obama. Some federal officials have grumbled that Google's only interest is making money. Yahoo May See More Staff Reductions in '09 New York Times Yahoo began laying off 1,500 workers on Wednesday as part of a plan to slash expenses by $400 million a year. The cost cutting, however, may have to go deeper in the coming year. "There could be additional staff reductions next year," said a Yahoo spokesman. YouTube Pulls in Big Bucks for Some Users New York Times One year after YouTube invited members to become "partners" and added advertising to their videos, the most successful users are earning six-figure incomes. Michael Buckley, of Meriden, Conn., quit his day job after the profits of his YouTube show surpassed his salary. Hulu CEO Stresses Need for Syndication Hollywood Reporter Content is still king in the online video world, but content aggregation and syndication are important strategies, according to a panel of experts. Since media usage is impulse-driven, the News Corp.-NBC video site Hulu has embedded its content into more than 60,000 Web sites. Google Adds Print Magazines to Book Search CNET Google has announced a partnership with several publishers to bring old magazines -- Popular Mechanics, New York, Ebony and others -- online with the same scanning process used for its Book Search product. Google will share advertising revenue with the publishers. AOL Readies High-Stakes Social-Media Debut Wall Street Journal Time Warner's AOL, which acquired the No. 3 social-media site Bebo last spring, is unveiling a relaunch. Among the new features, Bebo members will be able to receive feeds from outside sites, such as Twitter and YouTube. A media-recommendation tool will suggest TV shows and music. Yahoo, Electronic Arts Add to Growing Job Cuts CNNMoney Yahoo and Electronic Arts have added to the mounting number of job losses. Yahoo said it would begin handing out pink slips Wednesday. The toll could reach 1,400 job cuts. EA, the electronics gaming company, has also announced staff cuts but has not specified the number. Forrester: Blogs Rank Last in Consumer Trust WebProNews Forrester Research has released a report that details how much people trust different information sources. At the top of the list is email from people they know. At the bottom are personal and company blogs. Print newspapers come in at fifth place. NYU to Offer New Degree in Video Gaming Crain's New York New York University has announced that it has launched the NYU Game Center, which will offer undergraduate and graduate degrees in the research, design and development of digital games. NYU will become the first New York City college to offer a degree in video games. Fox News Among Top Google Searches in '08 PC Mag Google has released its Zeitgeist 2008, a comprehensive look at the top searches of 2008. Among the "fastest rising" U.S. searches in contrast to 2007: Obama, Facebook, Att, iPhone, YouTube, Fox News, Palin, Beijing 2008, David Cook, and Surf the channel. YouTube Attracts 100M Viewers in October CNET Google's YouTube in October pulled in 100 million viewers in the United States for an online video market share of almost 40%, according to new stats from comScore. Hulu, a joint venture between NBC Universal and News Corp., has edged its way into sixth place. MySpace, Google Team Up to Connect Users Associated Press MySpace is teaming up with Google in a campaign to extend the reach of the News Corp. social network and counter the expansion of their common rival Facebook. MySpace's "MySpaceID" is working with Google's "Friend Connect" to make the login system compatible with other sites. Twitter: Third-Party Developers to Add Ads Los Angeles Times Just because Twitter won't place advertising on its pages doesn't mean others aren't trying. Third-party services such as Twittad allow users to embed ads into the backgrounds of their Twitter pages. The service has attracted 170 advertisers since it launched in August. Hulu Ad Growth Said to Slow Dramatically MediaPost Online advertising growth at Hulu, the NBC Universal-News Corp. online video venture, had proved disappointing recently, said Jeff Zucker. "That marketplace has really, really slowed dramatically. It's still a growth area, but I don't think it's what we thought it would be." Google, Search Ads May Face Tough '09 MarketWatch Internet search could see its first-ever sequential decline in the first quarter of next year, according to a report by Citigroup analyst Mark Mahaney. In anticipation of tough times ahead, Google has made "significant" cost cuts including layoffs of temporary employees. Time Warner Invests in New Google Rival Telegraph Kosmix, a new Internet search site by Indian entrepreneurs that aims to compete with Google, has won $20 million in funding led by Time Warner. Kosmix's "innovations around the traditional online publishing model could represent a paradigm shift," said TW exec Rachel Lam. Yahoo Still Weeks Away from Finding CEO Bloomberg Yahoo is reportedly still weeks away from naming a successor to CEO Jerry Yang. A replacement for Yang isn't expected to be announced until January, or even later. Former Vodafone CEO Arun Sarin is believed to be among the people being considered. Microsoft Aims to Build a Rival to Google Wall Street Journal Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said he wants to build a "credible competitor" to Google by acquiring Yahoo's online search business. The software giant should strike a deal "sooner than later," he added. "I think good ideas are usually better done quickly than slowly." Diller to Shut Down, Sell Off IAC Sites Crain's New York Barry Diller's IAC/InterActiveCorp has decided to dismantle its programming division, which consists of Web sites like CollegeHumor.com and Life123.com. As a result, IAC will eliminate a layer of management and sell off or shut down sites that are not making money. Wowowow Wins $1.5M from Pilot, Rhime New York Post Bob Pittman's Pilot Group and the Rhime Group have teamed up to make a $1.5 million investment in Wowowow, the Web site aimed at women over 40. Wow was founded with a $1 million investment from founding partners Evans, Peggy Noonan, Lesley Stahl, Liz Smith and Mary Wells. News Corp's Chernin Eyed for Yahoo CEO AllThingsD Yahoo is said to have approached News Corp. president and COO Peter Chernin to replace former CEO Jerry Yang, but the well-known media exec declined to be interviewed. Chernin, currently in contract renewal talks at News Corp., has said he is not interested in the Yahoo job. IAC's Diller Sees M&A Opportunity in Downturn Reuters IAC chief Barry Diller expects his company will have up to $2.2 billion in cash by March 2009 and has no plans to use it for share buybacks, although he is keen for acquisitions. In media, "there's going to be a 'cascade' of acquisition opportunities." Microsoft Taps Yahoo Exec to Lead Web Biz Associated Press Microsoft has hired former Yahoo search exec Qi Lu to lead its online push, adding to the intrigue surrounding a possible search partnership between the two rivals. Lu spent a decade at Yahoo, where he oversaw "Project Panama," an effort that helped boost search advertising. RealNetworks Cuts 130 Jobs; 7.5% of Its Staff CNET RealNetworks, the media and music company, is reducing headcount by about 130 people, or 7.5% of its staff. Rhapsody America, a joint venture between RealNetworks and Viacom's MTV Networks, is rumored to be closing. RealNetworks has denied this report. Midway Games Hires Lazard Seeks Alternatives Chicago Tribune "Mortal Kombat" video-game publisher Midway Games has warned that it is danger of defaulting on $240 million in debt due in part to its change in ownership after Sumner Redstone sold his 87% stake. The company has hired Lazard to evaluate "strategic and financial alternatives." iVillage Not For Sale, Despite Banker Chatter WWD While one investment banker claims NBC Universal "has been quietly shopping iVillage for the past three months," the Web site for women is not for sale, according to NBC exec Lauren Zalaznick. The site did, however, let go 17 people this week as part of NBC's cost-cutting effort. Google Price Cut on Fewer Shopping Searches Bloomberg Google had its price target cut 23% by Bank of America as online shopping searches slow. Fewer people are looking for products online in the economic slump, said analyst Brian J. Pitz. Consumers are searching online "for news and commentary rather than Blu-Ray players and PCs." Yahoo Reported Takeover Bid Opposed by Icahn Dow Jones Billionaire investor and Yahoo director Carl Icahn said he had "no knowledge" of any effort by former AOL chief Jon Miller to buy all or part of Yahoo. "I'm still not sure what he's doing." He added that he would personally be against it as a shareholder. YouTube Clamps Down on Suggestive Content Associated Press YouTube is putting a tighter grip on content considered adult oriented or "gross." Videos with suggestive content will be age-restricted and available only to users who are 18 or older. The change "will benefit users, partners and advertisers," said YouTube exec Victoria Grand. Google Avoided Antitrust Suit By Three Hours American Lawyer Daily Google withdrew its proposed advertising partnership with Yahoo last month only three hours before the U.S. Justice Department planned to file a lawsuit to block the deal. Regulators concluded that a partnership between the No. 1 and No. 2 search engines would harm competition. Slate to Run Column by Former Gov Spitzer Reuters Former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, who resigned earlier this year, will write a column for the Washington Post's online magazine Slate about the economy and financial regulation. The column, which will be called "The Best Policy," will appear every other week. Wikipedia Wins Grant for User-Friendly Editing Associated Press The foundation that runs Wikipedia, the user-generated Web encyclopedia, is getting an $890,000 grant from the Stanton Foundation to try to make the editing process more user-friendly. Wikipedia's current process involves a jumble of coding that may turn away some contributors. Twitter Tracks Reports on How 'Media Is Dying' BusinessWeek For fast, up-to-the-minute company death watches, some are turning to Twitter. The microblogging service has a feed called The Media Is Dying, which is populated by quick, insider-y tips about casualties in the media business. The Media Is Dying feed has more than 1,000 followers. New Media Finding Success With Local Ads Dow Jones Web companies that offer advertisers cheaper, more accountable ways to reach consumers are thriving while the longtime dominators of that market -- newspapers, radio stations and television outlets -- are struggling. IAC's CitySearch sees "no discernible impact" from the economic downturn. Google Starts to Gear Down for Tougher Times Wall Street Journal Google is ratcheting back spending and cutting new projects that, according to CEO Eric Schmidt, "haven't really caught on." Some Google staffers will "get plucked off," he said. Priorities going forward include Web display ads, advertising on mobile phones and online business software. Ex-AOL Chief Seeks Funds -- But Not for Yahoo NYP / WSJ Former AOL CEO Jon Miller is trying to raise money -- but not to acquire Yahoo, as a report on Tuesday implied. Rather, Miller is said to be in talks to raise capital for Velocity Interactive Group, the investment firm he runs with former Fox Interactive Media boss Ross Levinsohn. Twitter: Our Revenues Will Be Product-Based CNET Twitter co-founder and CEO Evan Williams is hinting that the company will soon turn on its revenue-generating engines. The micro-blogging service is in talks with consumer packaged goods companies, he revealed. "We want revenues to be product-based. ... We're looking at Q1 for revenues." YouTube Exec Says Monetization is Coming Broadcasting & Cable YouTube is taking several approaches to build its revenue stream, according to content partnerships head Jordan Hoffner. The video-sharing site can carve a niche appealing to undiscovered audiences as well as try to find older content that otherwise would not be monetized, he said. MySpace to Deliver Video to Mobile Phones Reuters News Corp.'s MySpace online social network will start to make video clips from members' pages available for viewing on mobile devices. Members also will be able to view professionally produced video from TMZ, the Onion and others. The free service will be supported by advertising. Google Forecast to See Revenues Drop, Layoffs Barron's Google's advertising-driven consumer Internet business is going to be hit by "challenging macro-economic conditions," according to Global Equities Research analyst Trip Chowdhry. A new focus on cost reduction will result in up to "15% layoffs of full-time employees in 2009." MySpace May Acquire Web Startup, CEO Says Guardian MySpace co-founder Chris DeWolfe has highlighted an upside to the economic downturn -- digital media startups are on the market at knock-down prices. DeWolfe said he may look to strike some deals. There "may be some opportunities on the music side at some point." Digg No Longer For Sale; New Features Coming BusinessWeek Digg, the online news aggregation site, is no longer for sale, according to CEO Jay Adelson. The four-year-old startup is now focusing on building an independent business that will reach profitability "as quickly as possible." Among the new efforts: selling advertising on its RSS feeds. YouTube Holds 'American Idol'-Style Contest Associated Press Borrowing from "American Idol," YouTube has announced plans for a YouTube Symphony Orchestra, allowing aspiring musicians to submit video clips of their performances to be judged by experts, with winners selected to participate in a concert at Carnegie Hall in April 2009. HuffPost More Valuable Than Some Publishers Ad Age The Huffington Post's $25 million in new funding at a $100 million valuation means Arianna Huffington's news blog is now considered more valuable by its backers than quite a few publicly traded newspaper companies, such as Lee Enterprises, A.H. Belo and Media General. Blogs Attracting More Advertising, Report Says BtoB The majority of blogs in the United States currently have advertising and host an average of 18,000 unique visitors monthly, according to a new report from blog search firm Technorati Media. The most popular blogs see annual revenue from ads averaging more than $75,000. Yahoo Said to Deny Plans for Selling Search Biz Bloomberg Yahoo isn't planning to sell its Internet search business to a group of investors backed by Microsoft, people familiar with the situation said, denying a report in the Times of London that the software giant would put up $5 billion to back Internet vets Jon Miller and Ross Levinsohn. Google Earth Used by Terrorists in India Attacks Computerworld The terrorists who attacked various locations in south Mumbai last week used digital maps from Google Earth to learn their way around, according to officials investigating the attacks. The terrorists are said to have used satellite phones and global positioning systems. Twitter Becomes News Channel in Mumbai Attacks Financial Times Twitter has become a central channel for eyewitness accounts and news updates on the terrorist attacks in India, amid a local coverage black out. The service has been flooded with thousands of "tweets," some from people trapped in the hotels where the attacks were taking place. 'MySpace Suicide' Case May Expand Web Law Washington Post In what legal experts are calling the country's first cyber-bullying verdict, a Missouri mother has been convicted of impersonating a teenage boy online in a hoax that led to a young girl's suicide. The verdict, observers said, "puts the onus" on social networking sites to police users' activities. Facebook Extends Reach via Discovery, Hearst New York Times Facebook Connect, which allows the social network's members to log onto other Web sites, will be weaved into a number of prominent Web sites, including those of the Discovery Channel and Hearst's San Francisco Chronicle, the social news site Digg and the online video hub Hulu. 'Facebook for Millionaires' to Get Investment New York Post Frank DeRose, who runs private-equity firm Furrata Capital, plans to pump some $1 million of his own money into TotalPrestige.com, a 15-year-old social-networking company, in hopes of creating an invitation-only Facebook-style online community for millionaires. Huffington Post Raises $25M in New Backing CNET Liberal news outlet The Huffington Post has announced its latest venture funding round. The new $25 million infusion from the Palo Alto, Calif.-based Oak Venture Partners will be used to boost local news, more video and a fund for investigative journalism. Time Warner Launches 'Gaming 101' Site MediaPost Parents hit with pre-holiday pleas for "Grand Theft Auto IV" have a new source for sorting out which video games are appropriate with the launch of AOL's PlaySavvy.com. The new site offers parents a guide to games, from ratings and reviews to connecting with other parents. Google Pitches Digital Ads Amid the Slowdown Financial Times Google is telling clients that it can help them beat the recession and is urging them not to turn their backs on digital advertising as the economy slumps. "We are making a very explicit pitch to clients about using the Internet to speed up in a slowdown," said Google exec Nikesh Arora. Huffington Post Wins New Backing for Expansion Times of London The Huffington Post, the liberal-leaning news and blog site, will confirm within the next week that it has won $15 million in new support from investors. The money will help finance HuffPost's expansion into local news sites across the United States and into more investigative journalism. Facebook Eyes New Ad Programs, Acquisitions BusinessWeek Facebook sees a bleak economy as all the more reason to press ahead with growth plans. The social-networking site is said to be gearing up to make acquisitions. Options could include sites in Brazil, Germany, India or Japan, where Facebook is yet to have a strong presence. Hulu, Joost May Steal Viewers from Cable TV San Jose Mercury News Video Web sites such as Hulu, Joost and Veoh are starting to seen as an alternative to cable television, especially among young viewers. According to Forrester Research analyst James McQuivey, younger audiences are "more open to the idea that it's not even TV anymore." Yahoo Said to Continue Talks With Time Warner Bloomberg Yahoo, facing dimming prospects for a takeover by Microsoft, is continuing discussions to buy Time Warner's AOL business, people familiar with the matter said. Yahoo and Time Warner execs have met in the past few weeks and continue to negotiate over terms. Microsoft: We're 'Done' with Talks to Buy Yahoo Bloomberg Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said all acquisition talks with Yahoo are "done," even after Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang said he would step down. "We've moved on." Ballmer reiterated that a search partnership would be "an interesting possibility," but there are no talks about such a deal. Google, P&G Swap Jobs, Exchange Knowledge Associated Press Procter & Gamble, the world's largest consumer products company, said it has done job swaps with Google, while the Internet search leader's employees have been at P&G's Cincinnati headquarters helping with training. Digital is "definitely a focus" for P&G, the company said. Arianna Huffington to Publish Book on Blogs Amazon Simon & Schuster is publishing "The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging," by the editors of "the most linked-to blog on the Web." The book vows to offer "an A-Z guide to all things blog." According to Chapter One, a book about blogs "fits neatly into this juncture in communication history." MySpace to Offer McCartney, Guns N' Roses Reuters Ex-Beatle Paul McCartney and Guns N' Roses released their biggest hits on vinyl records and compact discs, but on Thursday, their new albums will debut online on MySpace. Members of News Corp.'s social network will be able to play the songs, but will not be able to download them. Microsoft to Let Zune Subscribers Keep Tunes Hollywood Reporter Microsoft is giving an early holiday gift to people who pay for all-you-can-listen access to the Zune digital music store: 10 songs to keep each month, included in the $14.99 monthly subscription fee. The decision may appeal to people who have been reluctant to test the subscription model. Google CEO: Lots of Worries About Revenue MarketWatch Google CEO Eric Schmidt said that conversations he has had with execs have centered on fear over revenue growth. "Basically, everyone is worried about revenue," he said at the Wall Street Journal CEO Council. He declined to comment on his revenue expectations for Google. Yahoo Investors Eye Outsiders for New CEO Bloomberg Yahoo investors say the search to replace CEO Jerry Yang should focus on a "turnaround artist" from outside who can draw Microsoft back into takeover talks. But industry figures like Peter Chernin and Meg Whitman may balk at joining a company "that's only being prepared for a sale." IAC's CitySearch to Add Social Networking Bloomberg IAC/InterActiveCorp redesigned its CitySearch local-entertainment Web site, adding social-networking features to increase advertising sales and encourage users to share advice. Users will be able to highlight tips by friends at Facebook, under a deal between the companies. Dow Jones-IAC's FiLife Loses Top Editor AllThingsD FiLife, the troubled personal finance Web site co-owned by IAC and Dow Jones, has brought in Ezra Kucharz, formerly an exec at online games outfit Oberon Media and NBC's iVillage, as president. He replaces Dave Kansas, who will stay on as an editor-at-large. Daily Beast Holds Launch at Burger Joint New York Observer Tina Brown's new Web venture The Daily Beast held its launch party at Pop Burger in New York's meatpacking district -- a far cry from the celebrity-packed Liberty Island bash for the launch of her Talk magazine in 1999. Pop Burger is near the Web site's home at IAC, Brown explained. HuffPost Vows to Fund Journalism Projects Reuters Huffington Post co-founder Arianna Huffington said that the news and commentary site is going to raise money to fund investigative journalism projects. Details about the fund will come in another three months or so, she promises. HuffPost is run largely by unpaid bloggers. Internet Prized Over Cars, Washing Machines World Screen For 77% of European respondents of a new survey by research firm YouGov, daily access to the Internet is more important than the use of a car or washing machine. Furthermore, 51% had downloaded films over the Internet, while 43% had streamed movies online. Yahoo Adrift After Yang Resigns as CEO Dow Jones Embattled Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang has agreed to give up his position, leaving the struggling Internet giant without a clear leader and increasing the possibility an acquirer might seek to buy it. Also: Tech bloggers are chattering about the shakeup: "This was an unavoidable event." Mark Cuban Charged With Insider Trading CNNMoney Mark Cuban, founder of HDNet and owner of the Dallas Mavericks basketball team, has been charged by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission with insider trading. Cuban is accused of selling 600,000 shares of Mamma.com in June 2004 using non-public information. AOL Is Now a Media Company, Exec Says Crain's New York Time Warner's struggling AOL is kicking off a U.S. roadshow to promote its 75-plus Web properties, such as Asylum and Moviefone. The goal: convince the advertising community to spend their dollars on its sites. According to AOL exec Bill Wilson: "Now we are a media company." Indie News Web Sites to Pursue National Ads New York Times As newspapers shrink and shed staff, a new kind of Web-based news operation has arisen in several U.S. cities, forcing papers to follow the stories they uncover. The 11-person VoiceofSanDiego.org and its peers plan to form an association to lure national advertising and foundation grants. Google to Bring Voice Search to iPhone CNET The much-anticipated voice-activated Google Mobile application for the Apple iPhone has been released. The app knows when you bring the phone to your face to speak into it. It beeps, you talk, and it executes a Google search on what you said. The results are "freakishly accurate." Twitter, YouTube Protests Squash J&J Ad Ad Age Johnson & Johnson pulled an online advertisement for its pain pill Motrin after it triggered consumer protests -- via influential bloggers, Twitter and YouTube -- over "insensitivity." The incident illustrates how quickly consumer response on social-media sites can influence corporate behavior. Hulu Forecast to Surpass YouTube in Ads FT / Reuters YouTube is set to be upstaged in advertising revenues by Hulu, the video upstart backed by News Corp. and NBC Universal, according to media researcher Screen Digest. Google's amateur-focused YouTube is struggling to lure advertisers. Also: Hulu hopes to expand internationally. YouTube to Air Weekly Address from Obama Washington Post Barack Obama will address the nation each week via a "fireside chat" video posted on YouTube, his campaign has announced. The Obama White House will also hold online Q&As. Eric Schmidt, the CEO of YouTube owner Google, is a member of the U.S. president-elect's advisory board. AOL to Shut Down Its YouTube Competitor TechCrunch Time Warner's AOL is shutting down its user-generated AOL Video Uploads service this week. Users must move their videos prior to Dec. 18, when the service closes for good. AOL is shuttering a number of services, including XDrive, AOL Pictures, MyMobile and Bluestring. TiVo to Offer Domino's Pizza Delivery Service Bloomberg TiVo, the pioneer of digital video recorders, will launch a service to let subscribers order and track deliveries from Domino's Pizza through their televisions. TiVo has added shopping and video-on-demand features as cable and satellite companies roll out their own DVRs. Online Video Chips Away at TV, Study Says Hollywood Reporter Online video appears to be cannibalizing television consumption. After polling 2,800 people in six countries, IBM says 76% have viewed video online and 45% do so regularly. Of those who have watched online video, 36% say that as a result they watch "significantly less" TV. MySpace Japan Eyes International Growth Reuters Banking on the global appeal of Japanese pop and video games, MySpace said it would more than double the number of artists on its Japanese pages to get more clicks internationally. "We are uniquely positioned to clear barriers posed by language," said MySpace Japan CEO Atsushi Taira. Facebook, MySpace to Battle in Bookstores TechCrunch Two "tell-all" books about the world's biggest social networks are due to be published in 2009. Wall Street Journal editor Julia Angwin's "Stealing MySpace" is coming in March; Fortune senior editor David Kirkpatrick is taking a leave from the magazine to work on "The Facebook Effect." Google Wears Out Its Welcome in Europe IHT While Google's Street View mapping service is available in France, Italy and Spain, privacy laws are threatening its expansion elsewhere in Europe. In Germany, officials are threatening Google with fines and distributing stickers for homeowners to display warning Street View photographers. Yahoo CEO Yang Must Go, Economist Says Economist Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang, "a nice person and a pioneer of the Web," needs to step down at the floundering Internet company, according to The Economist magazine. Yang "has never even given a convincing answer to the question of what Yahoo's strategy should be in an ideal world." MySpace App Now Available for Blackberry ZD Net Research In Motion has released a native MySpace client for its Blackberry devices, allowing users to add comments and post photos, among other features. The move reinforces the company's push to take the Blackberry brand beyond its enterprise roots to target consumers. AOL Blog Sites TMZ, Asylum Break Records BetaNews AOL's blog-style sites -- Engadget, TMZ, Asylum and BlackVoices -- are breaking their own traffic records, and the company overall has reported its 21st quarter of year-over-year growth in unique visitors. AOL's rejection of its walled-garden strategy "seems to be working out." Huffington Post Traffic Explodes by 448% E&P The Huffington Post gained the most unique readers among all outlets on a list of top 30 news destinations in October. The site grew its uniques year-over-year by 448% to 8.1 million, surpassing sites such as Boston.com, and online services from the New York Post and New York Daily News. Google Shares Drop Below $300 for First Time Bloomberg Google fell below $300 for the first time since October 2005 after Citigroup said online advertising growth will slow and cut its profit estimates for the Internet search leader. Search marketers "almost universally expect" the fourth quarter to be "the weakest they have experienced." YouTube Lets Advertisers Buy Search Terms CNET YouTube is rolling out a new advertising platform called Sponsored Videos, which lets users promote their videos by bidding on keywords. Parent company Google has created tools that help users place bids for the keywords in an automated online auction. MySpace to Launch 'Primetime' Application WebProNews 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. Microsoft to Launch Online Social Network Reuters Microsoft's next release of Windows Live online services will integrate e-mail, instant messaging and Web applications from other outfits into a single platform similar to a social network. The new Windows Live plans to feature a main profile page that updates users to their friends' activities. News Corp Delays New Social Site for Books New Media Age News Corp.'s HarperCollins has delayed the launch of its major online social media play, Book Army, until next year. The site "remains in testing." The book recommendation site will list every book with an ISBN and aims to drive sales and build a community of readers. Study: Unlicensed Web Stories Steal Readers Associated Press The audience perusing online copies of newspaper and magazine articles on blogs and other "unauthorized" sites is nearly 2.5 times larger than the readership on their own Web sites, according to a study by Attributor. "The people creating all this content are not being justly rewarded." Hulu: Success is About Being 'Obsessive' NewTeeVee Hulu CEO Jason Kilar, speaking at the NewTeeVee conference, said that the strategy of the NBC Universal-News Corp. video site is to deliver "brain-spray" awesome quality. "The implementation is similar to when I worked at Disney. We obsess over each pixel on the screen." Yahoo Urges Ad Investments in New Tech New Media Age Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang has urged advertisers to continue to invest in new technologies despite the worsening economic situation. "I'm optimistic about mobile advertising and broadband TV advertising," he said. "But marketers need to be able to invest in new technologies." Google Adds Video, Audio to Gmail Service San Jose Mercury News Google is adding video and audio chat to its free e-mail service, joining Microsoft and Yahoo in a race to make Web communication more social. Video chat is also a popular feature of Skype, eBay's calling service, and has been the focus of a number of startups. Microsoft Battles Google for Verizon Search Wall Street Journal Microsoft is said to be moving closer to an agreement with Verizon to become the default search provider on the wireless carrier's cellphones, a deal rival Google has been seeking. Microsoft would share revenue with Verizon from ads shown in response to cellphone Web searches. Former AOL Exec Cleared of Fraud Charges Wall Street Journal Securities fraud charges against former AOL exec John Tuli have been dropped, ending another chapter of the Internet outfit's saga over its alleged revenue inflation during its merger with Time Warner. The charges stemmed from dealings between AOL and PurchasePro.com. Google Aims to Detect Flu Outbreaks Faster ABC News A tie-up between Google and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control has yielded an online tool that may help people know about flu outbreaks even more quickly than existing surveillance methods. The new Google Flu Trends tool will monitor large numbers of searches for flu terms. Twitter May Charge Firms to Send Coupons Bloomberg Twitter will explore ways of charging companies to reach its users, such as sending out coupons or promotions, so it doesn't have to ask venture capitalists for more cash, said CEO Evan Williams. The economy's tailspin has been tough on startups, he added. "Everybody's worth less." Technorati Boss Launches Travel Guide Site TechCrunch Technorati founder Dave Sifry is launching OffBeatGuides.com, a site that allows travelers to access information from various online resources, including data from Accuweather and articles by professional travel writers. It also guides users to maps, restaurants and attractions. YouTube Ventures Into Live Event Webcasts Reuters YouTube is set to venture into webcasting, in an effort to take the video-sharing site's popularity to a new level by showcasing the talent behind its most viewed videos. On Nov. 22 in San Francisco, it is launching "YouTube Live," a show featuring YouTube "sensations" like Esmee Denters. 'TroopTube' Launches Following YouTube Ban Associated Press The U.S. military, with help from Seattle startup Delve Networks, has launched a video-sharing Web site for troops, their families and supporters, a year and a half after restricting access to YouTube. The new TroopTube site will have uploaded videos screened by a Pentagon rep. Yankee Stadium to Be Wired for Mobile Video New York Post Cisco will wire New York's new Yankee Stadium so fans can use their cellphones for watching video replays or ordering food. Thanks to the 1,100 high-definition TVs to be installed throughout the stadium, never again will a trip to the concession stand mean missing a home run. Google's Rivals Fear Connection to Obama Politico Google CEO Eric Schmidt's close connection to Barack Obama "terrifies Microsoft," according to a Democratic lobbyist. Rivals worry that Google's relationship with the U.S. president-elect will give the Internet giant the muscle it needs to win possible disputes over future deals. Obama Eyes Google Execs for Tech Post San Francisco Chronicle Google CEO Eric Schmidt is just one of many names mentioned for the job of chief technology officer in Barack Obama's new administration. Schmidt colleague Vint Cerf, a Google VP and chief Internet evangelist, is said to be another possible candidate. YouTube to Run Shows from 'Idol' Producer Reuters "American Idol" producer FremantleMedia plans to produce programs to be shown exclusively on YouTube and to split the revenues with the Google video-sharing site. Also: "Sesame Street," now in its 39th year, will become available via YouTube, Hulu and iTunes. MySpace Lets Users 'Drag and Drop' Features WebProNews News Corp.'s MySpace has introduced Profile 2.0, allowing users to take control of several aspects of their presence on the online social network. A new drag-and-drop interface lets members rearrange entire profile modules in just about any way they please. Facebook Battles MySpace with 'Engagement' Wall Street Journal Facebook is testing a new ad format called "engagement ads" that blurs the line between marketing and social networking. The new ads prompt a user to do something within the ad. If the user completes the action, Facebook shares a notice about what the user has done with their "friends." Murdoch's BSkyB Launches Web TV Service Tech Radar British Sky Broadcasting is launching a service that will allow people to pay for and watch its satellite television content online, even if they are not subscribers. Opening up the online service is said to underscore former CEO James Murdoch's mantra that "content is king." Microsoft Steals Away UK Online Video Chief Financial Times Ashley Highfield, CEO of Project Kangaroo, an online video venture between the U.K.'s ITV, Channel 4 and BBC Worldwide, has left after just four months to join Microsoft as U.K. managing director of the online and consumer division. It's "an opportunity I couldn't turn down," he said. E-Bama's Transparency Heralds 'New Digital Age' New York Post Barack Obama's campaign posted on the photo-sharing Web site Flickr a series of behind-the-scenes pictures of him, his family and supporters awaiting Tuesday's election results. The U.S. president-elect "really understands how to leverage technology to communicate." Digg Founder: Timing is Ripe for Internet Startups AFP Digg founder Kevin Rose shined a light on a stormy economic landscape, saying the climate is right for launching Internet startups. Difficulty getting financing means fewer rivals, he told attendees at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco. It's "a great time to do something new." Google CEO: I Won't Be Obama's Tech Officer New York Times Barack Obama has said he intends to appoint a chief technology officer. But Google CEO Eric Schmidt, an Obama supporter and a member of the U.S. president-elect's transition advisory board, said he won't be a candidate: "I have no interest in serving as a government employee." AOL in Two-Day Google Phone Online Ad Push AdAge Mobile carrier T-Mobile is buying 1 billion ad impressions across AOL's Platform-A advertising network to promote the new Google phone. The two-day buy marks the single biggest online ad buy in Platform-A's short history. Ads will run on AOL sites such as Engadget and TMZ. Microsoft Taps Time Inc Vet Domeniconi for Ads ClickZ Microsoft has put Robin Domeniconi, a former media group president at Time Inc., in charge of domestic advertising sales for its vast media properties and network partners. Domeniconi is a former publisher and president of Time Inc.'s Real Simple magazine. YouTube to Offer MGM Movies, TV Episodes New York Times YouTube is announcing an agreement to show full-length television shows and films from MGM, the financially troubled 84-year-old movie studio. Google's video site is trying harder to make friends with Hollywood -- and emulate the appeal of Hulu, a joint venture of NBC and Fox. Microsoft's Ballmer Rules Out New Yahoo Bid Financial Times Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's chief executive, on Friday said emphatically his company would not bid for Yahoo again, following comments by Jerry Yang, the embattled Internet company's chief executive, which added to the belief that Yahoo was seeking a return to negotiations. Facebook Doesn't Need More Money, CEO Says Barron's Facebook doesn't need more money, according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who spoke Thursday afternoon at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco. The independent online social network has already attracted thousands of online advertisers, he said. Revenue is in the "hundreds of millions." Twitter Hints of Business Model: Corporate Use CNET In a panel at the Web 2.0 Summit, Twitter co-founder and CEO Evan Williams wouldn't concretely answer a big unanswered question: how the hit microblogging site plans to make money. He did hint, however, of a possible business model: corporate accounts for businesses. MySpace Could Develop Digital Music Player Reuters MySpace, the popular online social network owned by News Corp., could develop a digital music player in the future, pitting it against Apple's hot-selling iPod. However, "right now, we're just focusing on the service," said CEO Chris DeWolfe, speaking at the Web 2.0 summit. Google, Time Warner Bosses to Advise Obama Telegraph U.S. president-elect Barack Obama has appointed a team of advisers, including Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Time Warner chairman Dick Parsons, to help guide his thoughts ahead of taking office. Other members of the advisory team include billionaire investor Warren Buffett. Yahoo May Embrace Microsoft After Google Exit Bloomberg Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang will probably have to go back to the negotiating table with Microsoft, observers say. Yang's options are dwindling after Google scrapped its proposed advertising agreement. "The market does not believe that the company can turn around the business organically." Google Execs to Face Trial for Online Video Reuters A prosecutor in Italy is ordering four former and current Google execs to stand trial on charges related to a video of a taunted youth with Down syndrome posted on the Internet giant's Italian Web site. Google says it shouldn't be punished for the way its site is used by third parties. Google Kills Proposed Yahoo Search Ad Deal CNET Google is pulling the plug on its proposed search-advertising partnership with Yahoo, citing antitrust concerns and the risk of "a protracted legal battle." The demise of the deal is seen as a new blow to the struggling Yahoo, which says it is "disappointed" by Google's move. YouTube to Debut Ad-Supported Feature Films CNET YouTube will begin offering feature films produced by at least one of the biggest Hollywood movie studios possibly as early as next month, sources say. YouTube owner Google is in talks with the major film companies about launching an ad-supported, streaming movie service. Sprint to Launch Phone-Casts of NFL Games Wall Street Journal For the first time Thursday, a National Football League game -- the Cleveland Browns vs. the Denver Broncos -- will be broadcast on Sprint mobile phones as part of the wireless outfit's league partnership. Says Sprint exec Steve Gaffney: "Live compelling content is a game changer." Obama Expected to Be First 'Tech President' AFP Silicon Valley is looking forward to Barack Obama becoming a "tech president" that will champion Internet innovation. "The Valley invested heavily in Obama; millions of dollars," analysts point out. Obama has said he plans to appoint the nation's first "chief technical officer." Social Media Smash Records on Election Day Los Angeles Times Twitter, Digg and YouTube saw huge traffic spikes during the U.S. election. Twitter's peak messaging rate was nearly three times higher than its previous record. Digg also reported its highest traffic ever on Election Day. YouTube's Video Your Vote project netted close to 1,500 videos. Icahn Says Yahoo Should Team with Microsoft Dow Jones Billionaire investor and Yahoo board member Carl Icahn is reiterating his position that the Internet giant should consider striking a search deal with rival Microsoft. "We could save a fortune at Yahoo if Microsoft could do search for us," says Icahn, who once threatened to oust Yahoo's board. Google Denies CNBC Report of Hiring Freeze CNET A report by CNBC's David Faber claims that Google has an unofficial hiring freeze, but the search giant denies it. "We extended offers last week to 30 people," says a Google spokesperson. "We're hiring at a slower rate. We are continuing to hire carefully and strategically." AOL Launches When.com Local Events Site PC Mag AOL is launching When.com, a "local online event guide." The site is designed to be a place where users can find out about local sporting events, musical performances and other get togethers. When.com is "a powerful way for advertisers to reach and connect with a targeted audience." Diller's IAC Sitting on $1.3 Billion in Cash Dow Jones Barry Diller's IAC/InteractiveCorp is reporting a third-quarter loss amid costs related the company's August breakup into five public companies. IAC, now a collection of more than 35 Internet outfits, is yet to reveal what it will do with the $1.3 billion in cash wrung from its spin-offs. Web Sites Name Election Results Before TV New York Times While U.S. television networks were reluctant to report election results early, Web sites such as Slate, Huffington Post and Time.com showed much less restraint. "Obama Wins the Presidency," Slate bellowed at 9:27 p.m. ET, more than 90 minutes before the first of the networks. Twitter Explodes as Users Hail 'Pres Obama' Los Angeles Times Twitter, the microblogging service that has become the best way to take the instant temperature of thousands of online denizens, is exploding with a river of messages saluting Barack Obama. Typing in "president obama" to Twitter's search bar will produce a flood of Obama tweets. Undecided: Digital's Impact on the Election ClickZ Was Barack Obama's triumph determined by "Mad Men" or the "Next Gen?" CNN exec Jon Klein addressed the question at the Ad:Tech NY gathering Tuesday, comparing Madison Avenue's old-style media buying approach to the next generation's use of broad-based interactive tools. Warner Bros to Offer Legal Downloads in China Los Angeles Times In an attempt to make headway against rampant film piracy, Warner Bros. will distribute newly released films online in China. The studio is entering a deal with China's Union Voole Technology to offer new movies at rental prices ranging from 60 cents to $1. AOL Aggregates TV Morning Show Highlights New York Daily News AOL is launching "Morning Rush," a daily 5-minute video feature that aggregates highlights from television breakfast shows, such as "Good Morning America." Visitors will be able to vote on a best clip of the day and post comments. Video Games Immune to Slowdown, CEO Says Bloomberg / NYT Strauss Zelnick, CEO of "Grand Theft Auto" maker Take-Two Interactive, says sales of video games aren't being hurt by the economic slowdown. Entertainment products are often a "must have." Also: Zelnick promises "No More Gut!" as the cover model of Men's Fitness magazine. Yahoo, Google to Revise Search-Ad Deal Wall Street Journal Yahoo and Google are revising their proposed search-advertising agreement, hoping to win approval from the U.S. Justice Department. The companies agree to cap the revenue Yahoo can generate to 25% of Yahoo's search revenue and to shorten the deal's length to two years. Google vs Dolly Parton in Airwaves Battle New York Times Google and country-music star Dolly Parton are two of many combatants in a dispute over a portion of U.S. airwaves. The issue comes to a head on Election Day, when the U.S. Federal Communications Commission votes on a proposal to make "white spaces" available for public use. Yahoo Hires MSNer to Run Media Operations CNET Yahoo is naming former MSN media exec Jeff Dossett to head its media operations, as media exec Scott Moore departs. Dossett will oversee Yahoo News and other properties. Moore, who joined in 2005, is the latest Yahoo exec to exit. He is leaving to "pursue other opportunities." Current TV Teams with Digg, Twitter for Election New Media Age Current TV, the Al Gore-led online television service, is teaming up with both Digg and Twitter to cover the U.S. election from the voter's perspective. "Election All-Nighter LIVE" will include a streaming feed from Digg's aggregated news; Twitter will contribute users' real-time tweets. Twitter Allows Users to Follow Election News InformationWeek Twitter allows its users to follow breaking news without "having to wade through" commentary from pundits, analysts and bloggers. Many news organizations feed their headlines to Twitter. They include CNN, Fox News, New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Drudge Report. Obama Eyes Text Messages to Drive Turnout Bloomberg Barack Obama's U.S. presidential campaign regards cell-phone text messages -- an obsession of the young -- as a potent new weapon for Election Day. Says one political consultant: "Obama is reaching a generation that is trying to change the world in 160 characters or less." Google Book-Scanning Project Loses Harvard InformationWeek Harvard is refusing to join Google's book-scanning project despite a recent agreement to settle copyright-infringement lawsuits from book publishers and authors. The deal has too many potential limitations on electronic access to works, the Ivy League school says. Microsoft's Razorfish Cuts Staff, Buys Agency ClickZ Microsoft-owned digital marketing firm Razorfish is laying off 40 of its staff, citing the impact of the economic crisis, "particularly in New York." The firm remains "optimistic," however, and is expanding its European operations with the acquisition of Madrid-based digital agency Wysiwyg. Oprah Boosts Interest in Amazon.com's Kindle Ad Age Visits to Amazon.com rose 6% on Oct. 24, the day Oprah Winfey endorsed the online retailer's Kindle e-reading device on her television show. A 6% bump can translate into hundreds of thousands of visitors. Also, the word "kindle" saw a 479% bump in search traffic that day. MTV, MySpace Aim to Monetize Pirated Videos Los Angeles Times Viacom's MTV Networks plans to pair advertising with clips from "The Daily Show," "Punk'd" and other shows that MySpace users upload to the social network through a deal with Silicon Valley ad-tech firm Auditude. Says MySpace sales exec Jeff Berman: "This is a game changer." Google, Yahoo May Walk from Search Deal Wall Street Journal The prospects for a Web-advertising partnership between Google and Yahoo are dimming, with both sides said to be considering walking away from the deal. The two companies are believed to be unwilling to make compromises to address the U.S. Justice Department's objections. Wikipedia Boss Wales Predicts Web Closures Telegraph Jimmy Wales, the founder of not-for-profit reference site Wikipedia, expects Internet companies will suffer a "serious downturn" that could leave some "household name Web sites" floundering. "A lot of marginal players are going to have serious problems," he says. Many start-ups "will fail." Newser Founder Wolff Becomes a Blogger Newser Vanity Fair media columnist Michael Wolff is unveiling his own media blog on Newser, the online news aggregator site he founded. Wolff's new Off the Grid blog aims to provide "a look at the inner workings of desperate media ... and the true meaning of the news of the day." Blogs: A New 'Sizable Media Force' for Ads Media Life Half of blog readers say they find such sites useful for purchasing information, according to a new JupiterResearch study for BuzzLogic, the advertising network. Says BuzzLogic CEO Rob Crumple: Audiences are simply no longer "hanging out in traditional areas." MySpace: Internet Generation Favors Obama AFP Internet-age users overwhelmingly back Barack Obama for U.S. president, according to a poll by News Corp.'s MySpace. Survey data collected during a year of "unprecedented" online political discourse shows that 60% of the millions of eligible voters on MySpace prefer Obama. Google's Book Settlement Leaves Hurdles Financial Times As authors salivate over the possibility that Google's new settlement with book publishers will lay the groundwork for an "iTunes for publishing," big hurdles remain. The deal does not cover the latest bestsellers. Nor does it allow the purchase of a digital file readable on most gadgets. MTV Exec Holt Offered MySpace Music Job CNET MySpace Music is said to have offered its vacant CEO position to Courtney Holt, MTV Networks' executive VP of digital music and media. Holt's possible exit from MTV comes at a time of upheaval at parent Viacom. Holt's digital-media division is believed to be eyeing a reorganization. MySpace Top Draw For Young Movie Fans MediaPost News Corp.'s MySpace is the top Web destination for 15- to-24-year-olds looking for information on new movies, according to a Nielsen study. Nearly 30% of consumers in that coveted demo turned to MySpace first for movie searches, beating out Yahoo and Google, each with 23%. Yahoo, AOL in Due Diligence on Merger Reuters Yahoo and Time Warner's AOL unit are said to be looking at each other's books, indicating a merger may finally be on the way. While a deal is not believed to be imminent, the two companies are engaging in "meaningful" due diligence about a possible combination. Barnes & Noble Launches Social Network Crain's New York Book retailer Barnes & Noble is launching My B&N, an online social network that allows users to set up personal profiles and share their book tastes with each other. The launch, on barnesandnoble.com, comes two months after rival Amazon.com purchased reading social network Shelfari.com. AOL.com Highlights Social Media Sites CNET Social networks are front and center in the latest redesign of AOL's AOL.com home page. A tabbed interface, called "My Networks," offers updates from five social-networking and messaging services: AOL's own AIM and Bebo, MySpace, Twitter and Facebook. Netflix, TiVo to Deliver TV, Films via DVR Wall Street Journal Netflix and TiVo are teaming up to deliver movies from a Netflix Internet service to TiVo digital-video recorders, part of an industry push to link television sets with online entertainment. Users of TiVo's latest DVRs will be able to access movies and TV shows from 12,000 Netflix titles. Glam Media Partners with TheFind.com DMNews Shopping search engine TheFind.com is partnering with women's content network Glam Media. The venture will enable Glam.com and sites within the network to have access to TheFind's shopping search when searching for boutiques, item type or a particular label. TheStreet.com Ups Cramer to Chairman TheStreet.com TheStreet.com is naming co-founder Jim Cramer as chairman, saying its board decided to separate the roles of chairman and CEO. The change will allow Thomas Clarke Jr., who previously held both positions, to "focus on navigating the company" through difficult times as CEO. Google Knol Roll Outs International Editions TechCrunch Google Knol, which has been likened to a monetizable Wikipedia, is releasing three international versions, enabling French, German and Italian speaking "experts" to contribute. Many similar services monetizing crowdsourced content have yet to release international versions. Viacom Responds to Google's Book Settlement CNET Google's $125 million copyright settlement with book publishers and authors is moving Viacom -- which has its own $1 billion suit against the search giant -- to issue a statement: "We hope that Google comes more quickly to respect movies and television programming." Hulu, on First Anniversary, Lures 'Fewer' Ads New York Times Hulu, the online video joint venture of NBC Universal and News Corp., is celebrating its first anniversary Wednesday as the leader in ad-supported TV and movie streaming. Only one ad is shown during each segment break, making them "memorable" and allowing Hulu to charge higher rates. Strike TV to Serve as Incubator of TV Pilots Wired Strike TV, a video site conceived during the Hollywood writers strike, is officially launching, with original Web shows written by veterans of hits like "The Office." Creators will retain all rights to their work, enabling the site to act as a low-cost "nursery of television pilots ripe for the signing." Google: $125M to Settle Book-Scan Lawsuits Associated Press Google will pay $125 million to settle copyright lawsuits filed by publishers and authors over its book-scanning project. Google's payment will help create a Book Rights Registry that will allow U.S. copyright holders to get a cut of Internet advertising revenue and online book sales. Internet Giants to Set Free-Speech Principles Wall Street Journal Google, Yahoo and Microsoft are agreeing to a common set of principles on how to do business in nations that restrict free speech, as they seek to combat criticism that they have helped enable censorship. The tech titans vow to protect users' personal data, among other moves. Google Eyes Investments in Energy Sector New York Times Google is considering large investments in projects that generate electricity from renewable sources. "We want to make money," says Google exec Dan Reicher, "and we want to have impact." Google engineers plan to unveil tools to help consumers make better decisions about energy use. Viacom 'Copyright Cop' Targeted by Google MarketWatch Google is seeking internal documents from BayTSP, a firm hired by Viacom in its $1 billion copyright infringement lawsuit against the search giant. Google claims that the documents will prove that Viacom uploads its own content to YouTube while asking BayTSP to avoid flagging it. Study: Blogs Beat Social Nets for Influence CNET Purchases are more likely to be influenced by what consumers read on a blog versus recommendations from "friends" on social-networking sites like Facebook, according to a study from Jupiter Research. Blogs are "important" when it comes to making purchasing decisions. AOLer Wins Funding for Sports Blog Network SportsBusiness Journal Former AOL programming chief Jim Bankoff is securing a mid-seven-figure sum of venture capital for SB Nation, a startup network of sports blogs, from several tech luminaries. Bankoff is structuring equity swaps for each of the participating sites and the bloggers will share advertising revenue. Twitter May Charge for Premium Services Wall Street Journal Like blogs and social-networking sites, Twitter is starting to cross into the mainstream, as a wide range of people find interesting uses for the free microblogging service. Co-founder Biz Stone says the company might begin charging for premium services in the future. Yahoo CEO Yang: I Won't Talk About AOL AllThingsD Everyone knows Yahoo is in talks with Time Warner's AOL. But what is the thinking here? "I am not going to comment specifically on AOL," says Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang. He adds, however: "We have no debt. We have a strong cash position. And we think we can be opportunistic." Google May Be Hurt by Obama Presidency BusinessWeek If Barack Obama is elected U.S. president, Google could see increased antitrust resistance to its proposed search tie-up with Yahoo. Also, Obama's campaign is said to be considering stealing away Google CEO Eric Schmidt to appoint him the country's first chief technology officer. YouTube: Advertisers May Prefer Rival Hulu USA Today Advertisers are reluctant to spend big dollars on YouTube, says Forrester Research. Instead they prefer sites such as Hulu and ABC.com. "If you're an advertiser, where will you put your money? In front of content you're not sure about, or behind a series like '30 Rock,' a known brand?" Huffington Post: We Don't Expect Layoffs CNET The Huffington Post, like other news sites, could see a drop in traffic after the U.S. presidential election. Will the site have any layoffs? "We don't anticipate that," says HuffPo CEO Betsy Morgan. 'We've had a really good year, ad-wise. We've seen the brand really grow to top of mind." Daily Beast Cost Causing Tension at IAC New York Times The cost of the starting Tina Brown's The Daily Beast -- reports have placed the figure at $18 million -- is causing tension within Barry Diller's IAC/InterActiveCorp, which is financing the site. Online programming chief Michael Jackson is said to be raising questions about the cost. Dotcom 2.0 Crash Seen Likely in Two Years IHT Internet advertising will be hit hard by the economic downturn, experts say. Some advertisers are sticking to "less risky" old media like print and television. One venture-capital exec predicts that as many as a third of VC-backed Internet startups worldwide could fail over the next two years. TMZ's Levin: A Star Watcher With Star Power New York Times TMZ.com, one of the most successful online ventures of the last few years, attracts 10 million unique visitors a month. "Almost all of them want it," says managing editor Harvey Levin, of the celebrities who show up on the Time Warner site and related television show. "This is a business." Twitter a Tool for Terrorists, U.S. Army Warns Wired Twitter doesn't have an effective business model, but the hit microblogging service could become a killer app for terrorists, according to a draft report by U.S. Army intelligence. Terrorists could use Twitter as a tool to coordinate attacks by "tweeting" each other in "near real time." Hulu Debuts Season Premiere of '30 Rock' Wired Fans of the Tina Fey sitcom "30 Rock" don't have to wait until next week for NBC to premiere the show's third season. The News Corp.-NBC video site Hulu is offering the first episode for a full week -- until the network airs the show on prime time television. MySpace Adds Indies to New Music Service Associated Press A month after irking independent music reps by launching its online music service mostly with major labels, MySpace Music is making a deal with the Independent Online Distribution Alliance to almost double the amount of indie tunes offerings. More than 1 million tracks will be added. Media Giants vs Google on White-Spaces Plan Bloomberg News Corp., Disney, CBS and other media companies are urging U.S. regulators to delay a vote on a Google-backed plan to free up unused television airwaves for Internet access. Allowing "poorly conceived" mobile devices to use the "white spaces" might thwart TV signals, they say. Google Blocked from Buying Russian Ad Service Associated Press Russian authorities are blocking Google's planned acquisition of the online advertising service ZAO Begun from Rambler Media, which runs one of the most popular Web portals in Russia. A brief statement by Russia's anti-monopoly authority does not elaborate on the reason. Apple Targeted by Teen in Bogus CNN iReport Bloomberg A fake CNN iReport.com story that Apple CEO Steve Jobs had suffered a heart attack was posted Oct. 3 by a teenager, and investigators have not found evidence he tried to profit from driving down the company's stock. U.S. authorities continue to examine the 18-year-old's motives. Google Protects Profit Through Hedging Bloomberg Google is depending on hedging against fluctuations in exchange rates to prevent international profits from Web search ads and YouTube videos from evaporating. The Internet giant used hedging to net a $34 million gain that helped offset potential negative effects to third-quarter revenue. Is a Yahoo-Lions Gate Deal in the Works? Portfolio Yahoo director Carl Icahn is doubling his stake in film studio Lions Gate. "If Yahoo buys a traditional media company like Lions Gate, all of a sudden that takes it to a whole new level," says one media investment advisor. Yahoo could develop "a profitable online distribution system." News Corp-NBC's Hulu Surpasses CNN, MTV Wired Hulu, the News Corp-NBC Universal online video site launched earlier this year, is already making big strides. Hulu is now the sixth most watched video site, clocking in more than 142 million streams. Hulu ranks ahead of media brands including ESPN, CNN and MTV Networks. Comcast Launches 'Extreme' Internet Service WebProNews Comcast will begin rolling out ultra-fast Internet service in some of its larger markets and will offer faster connections to all of its subscribers over the next two years. The "Extreme 50" service will enable subscribers to download a television show in a matter of seconds. TiVo Broadband to Offer Disney Movies Hollywood Reporter TiVo is set to announce that hundreds of movie titles, most significantly from Disney, will become available to its broadband subscribers. TiVo is seeking to reposition itself as a retriever of entertainment content wherever it resides, as opposed to a simple recorder of TV shows. Twitter, Fueled by Press, Sees Big Growth CNET The biggest social network in the United states is still News Corp.'s MySpace, according to new figures from Nielsen. However, MySpace's traffic has only grown by 1% since September 2007. Twitter, fueled by loads of press coverage, is seeing 343% growth since a year earlier. Yahoo Closes In on AOL; Cuts 1,500 Jobs Bloomberg Yahoo says it is socking away cash for potential acquisitions, fueling speculation that a deal to buy Time Warner's AOL is close. The Internet company also plans to cut at least 10% of its work force in a bid to save $400 million a year. The move will eliminate 1,500 workers. Google, Yahoo Extend Justice Dept Talks AFP Google CEO Eric Schmidt says the company has agreed to keep talking with the U.S. Justice Department about its proposed online advertising deal with Yahoo. Asked for an update on the deal, Schmidt says: "We agreed to extend our discussions." AOL Hit With Lawsuit Over Ads in Email MediaPost A California resident is filing a lawsuit against AOL for inserting "annoying, confusing, intrusive and misleading" ads in his email. AOL subscriber Frank Cecchini alleges that his emails should not contain ads because he pays the company $25.90 a month for his account. Akamai Preps Move Into Online Ad Space TheDeal Akamai Technologies is taking a step beyond its base of Web and content delivery network services by agreeing to acquire an online ad technology company called acerno for $95 million. Acerno grabs online purchasing data and shares it among online retailers. Google: We're Vulnerable to Slowdown Bloomberg Google will make fewer acquisitions and slow hiring amid the global economic turmoil, says CEO Eric Schmidt. "All of us are vulnerable," he adds. "It's a race between a contraction in advertising, which would affect everybody, and a very positive shift from offline to online." Netflix Sees Half Million Blu-Ray Subscribers Reuters DVD rental company Netflix says it expects about 500,000 of its 8.7 million subscribers will be Blu-ray subscribers in the current quarter. Netflix this month began adding $1 to monthly membership fees to provide unlimited access to high-definition Blu-ray movies. Lala Launches New Digital Music Service New York Post Lala.com is set to unveil a new song streaming service that offers online ownership of tunes for 10 cents apiece and many albums for less than $1. The service, backed by Warner Music and others, aims to bridge the gap between the models used by iTunes and Rhapsody. Facebook to See Competition from Blogs Portfolio Blogs will evolve into niche social networks, predicts Chris Alden, CEO of blog software firm Six Apart. Blogs will start competing against Facebook in the same way they began competing with media properties a half-dozen years ago. "Social networking and blogging are converging." U.S. Movies Set for Shakeup by Internet, 3-D WSJ / FT With competition growing to get into U.S. movie theaters, more indie filmmakers are taking their work straight to the Internet. Also: Some $1 billion is to be spent on the installation of digital systems in North American movie theaters, paving the way for the mass adoption of 3-D cinema. Facebook CEO Looks to Old Media for Mentor Times of London Making money is not Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's prime motivation, he insists. "The goal of the company is to help people to share more in order to make the world more open." Zuckerberg says his mentor is Washington Post CEO Donald Graham. "He takes a long-term view on business." Twitter Vows to Unveil Business Model in 2009 Wired New revenue models for Twitter will be unveiled in the first half of next year, says Bijan Sabet, a general partner at Spark Capital, one of the backers of the popular microblogging service. A number of new products and services are currently in the works, he says. Glam Women's Web Net Gets Brash for Men Financial Times Glam.com, which claims to be the biggest Internet network for women, is launching a venture for men, Brash.com. The new network will feature original content and lifestyle, entertainment, car and gadget information from partners including Time, Rolling Stone and CNET. Time Warner, Yahoo Lower AOL Value in Talks Wall Street Journal Yahoo is expected to announce layoffs this week that could exceed 1,000 jobs. The troubled Internet company continues to discuss a combination with Time Warner's AOL. The two sides are said to be valuing AOL below the $8 billion to $10 billion that had been on the table before. Google is 'Neutral,' But CEO Supports Obama Wall Street Journal Google CEO Eric Schmidt will hit the campaign trail this week for Barack Obama, giving the Democratic presidential candidate's campaign a boost from a highly desirable constituency. Schmidt, an advisor to the Obama campaign on tech issues, notes that "Google is officially neutral." Google Says Hard Times Will Drive Business Ars Technica Google is shrugging off the global economy's current spasms, as its third quarter revenues rose more than 30% year-over-year. The Internet search giant's execs are voicing a bit of cautious optimism that economic hard times may make many Google services more appealing. YouTube Ads Won't Boost Google Until 2011 Reuters YouTube will need at least two years to start making a meaningful contribution to parent Google's revenue, analysts say. The concern for investors is that as Google's revenue growth starts to decelerate there will be renewed focus on YouTube's huge bandwidth and hosting costs. DoubleClick Boss to Join Google Ad Effort New York Times Google is naming former DoubleClick CEO David Rosenblatt as president for global display advertising, a new position. His appointment signals that Google, whose business is built mostly on small search-result text ads, is preparing an aggressive push into the display-ad market. Britain's Prince Philip Embarrasses Googlers Times of London During a royal visit to Google's London HQ, Prince Philip asked the search giant's reps to pull up an image of their own offices via Google Earth. The request produced a blank screen. "Do you know where it is?" he asked. Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth II posted her first video on YouTube. Microsoft: We're Not Interested in Buying Yahoo Barron's Microsoft is issuing statement saying it has "no interest in acquiring Yahoo" after CEO Steve Ballmer said a combination of the two companies would "make sense." Ballmer's remark caused Yahoo's stock to jump. "There are no discussions," Microsoft says. Yahoo Rumored to Prepare Cut of 3,500 Jobs Valleywag Yahoo is said to be preparing to eliminate some 3,500 jobs in early December. Supposedly the announcement will be made Dec. 10, four days after the Internet company's holiday party. Rumors of layoffs have been rampant since Yahoo hired Bain & Co. last month to find efficiencies. Facebook Eyes Entering Digital-Music Business New York Post Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg is plotting a possible push into the digital-music business in the wake of MySpace's launch of MySpace Music last month. The social-networking giant is talking to a number of song-streaming services and music community sites about an outsourcing deal. Twitter Enters 'New Phase'; CEO Steps Down CNET Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey is switching roles with chairman Evan Williams, as the fast-growing microblogging service enters "a new phase" with "new kinds of challenges ahead." Twitter remains Silicon Valley's poster child for hyped companies without revenue models. Bebo Follows TV-Network Model with 'Originals' Hollywood Reporter Time Warner social-networking site Bebo plans a minimum of six original productions for 2009 under a newly created program banner dubbed "Bebo Originals." The move makes Bebo's efforts similar to that of television networks that commission, schedule and promote shows. News Corp Launches Web Site for Gamers Mediaweek News Corp.'s IGN is quietly rolling out Green Pixels, a new content Web site geared for the fast growing universe of casual gamers. The site is aimed at the mainstream game player -- both men and women. Games are "no longer just a past-time for adolescent(-acting) boys." Google, Yahoo: Cutbacks Depress Web Ads Bloomberg Google and Yahoo can't shrug off the slowing economy anymore, as advertisers are forced to extend their budget cuts to the Web. The online-ad industry is forecast to lose $6.7 billion in sales through 2010. "The weakness is happening in search and display advertising and everywhere." Google Redesigns Home Page for Queen BBC / Guardian An image of Queen Elizabeth II is being incorporated into Google's U.K. home page logo to mark her visit to the Internet giant's London offices. Also: Google is relaxing its global ban on gambling advertising by allowing companies to target Web users in England, Scotland and Wales. Murdoch's MySpace Seen as Smart Buy TechCrunch Three years ago, Rupert Murdoch bought MySpace for $580 million -- which appears to be money well spent. The social network is estimated to be worth between $3 billion and $20 billion. MySpace parent Fox Interactive Media is projected to pocket $1 billion in revenues next year. YouTube: Media Must Embrace Change Screen Daily YouTube CEO Chad Hurley, seeking partnerships with content owners, claims the difference between old and new media is merely "semantics." Perhaps alluding to Viacom's copyright lawsuit, Hurley says: "Do you circle the wagons and push back change, or do you embrace it?" Google Said to Profit From Typo-Squatting Wired Google is profiting from millions of typo-squatting Web sites that earn advertising from the search giant's Adsense advertisi |