Friday, January 28, 2005

Ofcom examines possibility of internet regulation

Content on TV and the internet is set to move closer as the quality of video streaming technology improves
- should be fun to see how this pans out, every attempt to regulate has had difficulties so far, although when perpetrators are caught, there seems to be just a few offenders...


New Opera browser includes voice features
The latest version of the Opera internet browser.
OK so they can tick the box with another feature, but as it only works in certain situations, in a certain manner with a certain operating system - why bother - this is just a feature exercise for cheap PR


Ask Jeeves plans wireless search service
Ask Jeeves has revealed that it is currently developing a wireless search service for mobile phones.
Now this should be good, although I have read that the kids are using less mobile technology nowadays, but very obvious opportunity to get a fee per click and this can be shared with the operator, so this is a win / win. We'll see how this works, we might actually have an internet enabled feature that does something!


Amazon adds photographs to local search
Online retail giant Amazon.com has launched a new local business directory that supplements address and phone number listings with a photographic tour covering 10 major US cities, including Dallas New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Boston.
- Now this is big news, really big news, this adds something different to search where search is literally mapping the real world. Wow things are starting to happen.

Thursday, January 27, 2005

Microsoft tackles Windows piracy

Software giant Microsoft has announced that it is taking action against people running pirated versions of its Windows operating system.
Here we go again, haven't they got enough money?


Google browser rumours resurface

Google has hired a lead engineer from Mozilla's Firefox browser department - denies rumours about producing their own browser
- haw haw haw


Kanoodle appoints new CEO

Here is what he said: "I'm thrilled to be able to lead Kanoodle as we redefine the sponsored links industry and set the standard for product innovation, program execution and advertiser satisfaction." I hope it is comes true Mr Podell - we need you to succeed.


iTunes sales booming

Software company Apple Computers has announced that it has sold more than 250 million songs via its popular iTunes music service.
Go Apple - I have met Steve Jobs!

Tuesday, January 25, 2005

Yahoo & Google video it whilst toolbar boosts traffic

Yahoo! announces video search tab

Yahoo! has announced on its blog that the company is integrating video search into tabs on the Yahoo! front page.
Visit Yahoo! now and you can try it out for yourself. I typed my name into it and found a lot of David videos which surprised me.


Google planning changes to AdWords

Google is rumoured to be about to announce changes to its AdWords pay-per-click search business.
Elsewhere there is talk of Google launching Video services, sames like a familiar me too, but knowing Google, they will make a good go of it.


Blog Search Engine boosts traffic

The Blog Search Engine, one of the premier search engines for blog entry results, has recently announced that it has increased blog searches by over 10 per cent.
This reads more like an expose of how to promote toolbars, 700 downloads is an enviable feat, but still not so many as I would want to talk about.


IE losing ground to Firefox

An increasing number of web users are turning to alternative web browsers as a result of safety concerns over security flaws in Microsoft's Internet Explorer.
Go Firefox! I know the guy who designed your logo.

Monday, January 24, 2005

MSN Dumps Yahoo, Google changes and Advertising

MSN dumps Yahoo! In favour of search beta

Microsoft's search results are now being provided by MSN Search (beta) rather than Yahoo!
After AOL moves away from Google to Fast (Yahoo!) now MSN moves from Yahoo to itself. We will be looking closely to see if Inktomi or Overture results (both Yahoo!) are contained with in the results.


Google raises search word limit

Google has reportedly increased the maximum number of terms allowed in a search query to 32
- and that can't be a bad thing.


French court rules against Google in keyword case

A French court has ruled that Google must stop using the trademarks of Le Meridian Hotels and Resorts to trigger keyword ads.
This is a good thing.


Search users confused by paid listings

One in six internet search engines users are still unable to tell the difference between unbiased search results and paid advertisements.
Doh!


Friday, January 21, 2005

Internet marketing news

Thursday, January 20, 2005

Internet marketing news commentary

Boom for legal music downloads sector
The market for legal music downloads has taken off
With Apple selling 4.5 million iPods in the last quarter, this is hardly a surprise - but where are Sony on this, the creators of Walkman culture... It never ceases to amaze me that Sony and all of their R & D building the very best Walkman allowed Apple to walk in and just start selling iPods from under their noses. We know now of course that Steve Jobs - yep - I have met him - had all the contacts via pixar/disney, but hey didn't Sony. Sony - there is still time! Bring it on


blinkx unveils TV search engine
Search company blinkx has launched the first search engine that enables personal computer users to search TV across news.
This is an interesting one, I love their smart folders, not that this is a particularly new idea, but it is great to see intelligent agents at work within software, as part of the overall package and the package itself leaving it up to us to work out just what it is that you do with it, like so many other software - I'll come back with an example on this when I next stumble across - limited intelligence. By the way, I hope I can't find an example and that will be a sign that we have moved on. I guess I can always produce a retro intelligent agent....


Search firms team up to tackle blog spam
Search giants Yahoo!, Google and MSN have joined forces in order to fight weblog comment spam.
I know I am criticising my own news here, but heck you don't think I write the news do you? Anyone, does anyone know what this story is about...


Advertising boom boosts Yahoo! profits
Internet firm Yahoo! has announced that its fourth-quarter profits more than doubled at the end of last year.
When I have looked really closely at Yahoo profits in the past I have found that their profits are boosted by what appears to be sales of banner ads... this er, press release says that too. Conventional wisdom my side of the pond tends to suggest that banner ads don't work. Sales houses have shrunk, double click has well, clicked and when I look through the site I don't see many banner ads - is it my IP address, am I blind or has my BS detector come on, and there is something else I should be looking at... Where are they getting that kind of revenue from really? I would understand more and find it a lot more palatable if they said that it was following the acquisition of Overture and all that pay per click revenue was pulling in the dollars, that would be great for them to say that. Is that the case and they are shying away? go figure.

Saturday, January 15, 2005

Blog Debut

As a coalface online marketeer, I've been blogging for years. I just didn't know it. By posting on tech forums such as Webmaster World where I am known as perlcoder and Search engine watch where I try to hide my true identity by calling myself davidatweboptimiser and my entries at Ecademy and Ryze where I am known as me, I have done all the things that blogging is. But this is more direct, so maybe there is a difference and now I enter the world of real bloggers!

If you knew me at any of these places, you would have done very well, as I have not posted often. My wife describes me as a workaholic and I am a fully fledged techy, man manager and business owner. I am time poor. Visit my search engine marketing site. So why now? I reckon it is now that I feel I have put so much into the Internet and know so much about the way it works that I should develop a voice that goes beyond just coding and business, some way of talking outside, in a way that should not affect my relationships with the bank, investors, customers, competitors, colleagues, former employees, bosses, sons, former and current spouse. (Note: when my wife read this, she started referring to me as her first husband... oops!) If any of you read this, hello and if I put my foot in it, call me first and I'll edit it out! To an extent you could say that this has been the big limitation behind not going public with my thoughts and feelings in the past!

So now I can talk out loud the first thing I would like to do is congratulate Biz Stone of Google for writing and publishing "Who let the blogs out ". I thought Biz was a woman, but my wife merely pointed to the undoubtedly masculine photo on the back of the book and raised her eyebrows.... Anyway, it brought me right up to date with all the core sites out there and inspired me to set up this blog - his objective, I think, and that is why I am here working on my Apple laptop in the living room wearing my Google T shirt, while listening to my Google radio, and illuminating the whole, happy scene with a Google light. (Later, I'll go out in my Google scarf, but that's enough of that!)- I only have two types of T shirt and they say either Apple or Google. I have met Steve Jobs. (Wife: 'you said what?)

So my blog, what is it about? I often read the news on my search engine optimization site ( I know shameless keyword laden plug - but that is what bogs are about - hyperlinks to stuff). Often I read it for the first time like you would on the site - I don't write it. I find it really interesting. We have some really good coverage going on there and have done for years, we lost the first few archives (doh) and so here we are building it up again and already we have 1000's of pages in Google, so it's doing its stuff and it's all real, genuine and original apart from the things we make up which mainly occur on April 1st. Anyway, the point is that my blog is about that news. I have other news sites too, try this one: UK sport news, but I am not really a sports fanatic, but I have loads of things I am always bursting to say about my industry - internet marketing. So now, like it or not, here I go. I plan to write about what I think needs to be said.

Naturally I hope you enjoy my blog. Thanks for reading, I look forward to seeing you again, soon.