Google and Viacom have reached an agreement meant to ease privacy concerns about YouTube records being handed over to Viacom through a court order. However, there remain some questions about how exactly the “anonymizing” of these records will actually work. Until those are answered, I wouldn’t breathe a complete privacy sigh of relief yet.
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web.
Microsoft has once again put in an offer to buy Yahoo’s search assets — and once again been rejected. The latest offer was a joint one made by Microsoft and Carl Icahn. Yahoo slammed what it described was a “take it or leave it” offer and the one day deadline that came with it. But interestingly, Yahoo […]
Google’s finally added a privacy link to its home page, explaining in 613 words why the company apparently can’t have more than 28 words on its home page. So important is this number that adding the privacy link was an issue that had to go up two Google’s co-founders. Please. On the same day that […]
You have no privacy on YouTube. So effectively declared a US judge yesterday. And now somebody in the US government better stop grandstanding about search and privacy protection and actually get some laws enacted. Yesterday’s move might be the ultimate incentive, as US politicians realize that what they’ve watched on YouTube may now be open […]
Google has launched a new affiliate network named the Google Affiliate Network. In an effort to consolidate the DoubleClick acquisition, Google created the Google Affiliate Network and has announced the retirement of AdSense Referrals, which is part of Google’s Pay-Per-Action product. Google launched Pay Per Action ads in March of 2007. I saw first signs […]
My day started reading about how Google was reportedly censoring anti-Barack Obama blogs by shutting them down on Google-owned Blogger. I quickly did some debunking in a comment on our Sphinn site — but still, Google probably needs to do more to ensure its Blogger spam reporting tools aren’t being abused — especially given how […]
Google has launched Google Ad Planner as an invite-only beta. It’s designed to allow advertisers to identify sites with demographics they’re interested in — even sites that aren’t part of Google’s advertising network.
Are we watching an awkward transition at Yahoo or something more like a collapse? To declare my biases openly, I hope it’s the former. Yahoo and Google need strong competitors to keep them on their toes. But what’s happening at Yahoo certainly does not look good. The company has gone through several “reorgs” in the […]
Yahoo feels like a nation that won its independence only to see all its leaders immediately flee the country. The latest emigrants: Flickr cofounders Caterina Fake and Stewart Butterfield. Their departure is unlikely to stall Flickr, but it gives a terrible impression of Yahoo as a company in further disarray.
Today’s Search Biz is a nearly all Google column. Barry wrote about departures at Yahoo and Ask, which were originally part of today’s roundup. So today’s column is mostly culled from a series of interviews in which Google CEO Eric Schmidt opines about a range of topics, from Android-iPhone competition to whether Google has become […]
As we’ve covered earlier, Google’s updated its icon recently to one it said reflects a “simple, playful and unique” brand. Today, the company has blogged more about the design change and calls for ideas from others. Good. Sorry, that new icon is just ugly to me, no matter how much design work went into it. […]
I got a chuckle out of this one. It seems that Google sent their cars that do StreetView photography for Google Maps into a private neighborhood in Minnesota. That neighborhood, North Oaks, demanded that Google remove all the images. As the roads are private, Google potentially trespassed to take the pictures. Google’s complied in this […]
I’ve got no problem if Microsoft wants to “bribe” searchers to use its search engine. Even Google has done the same. But the Live Search Cashback program rolled out today seems a pretty inept way to do it, far more likely to disappoint and frustrate than woo searchers.
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web.
You can now search for past Techmeme articles directly on the site or at https://techmeme.com/search/. Techmeme’s founder, Gabe Rivera, announced the new feature today at his blog. He explained that the Techmeme search engine only searches full headlines on Techmeme, in reverse chronological order but not "discussions" listed under the headlines.
US Senator Joe Lieberman asked Google’s Eric Schmidt to remove terrorist videos, including those of Al-Qaeda, from YouTube. In response, Google has removed some of these videos. Lieberman, in his role as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, explained “Islamist terrorist organizations rely extensively on the Internet to attract […]
What would Sunday afternoon/evening be lately without more intrigue in the MicroHoo drama? Today was no exception as Redmond issued a cryptic statement that says it’s offering to join forces with or acquire some of Yahoo — potentially the search business — in a deal short of the total acquisition previously contemplated.
Dear Carl. We here at Yahoo got your letter telling us how much we suck. We think you suck more And let us tell you why. That’s the short summary of Yahoo’s response to Carl Icahn’s letter yesterday telling Yahoo he will fight to oust their board and do a deal with Microsoft, assuming Microsoft […]
More rumors about yesterday’s news that Carl Icahn may want to take control of Yahoo. He apparently plans to nominate 10 directors to replace Yahoo’s board later today, reports the Wall Street Journal, using an unnamed source. But Microsoft might no longer be interested in Yahoo. Plus, that Google-Yahoo ad deal? Turns out Google might be nervous that Yahoo might […]
Reports are that Carl Icahn has acquired about 3 percent of Yahoo’s shares, apparently in hopes of taking over the company. And then? Well, you know — maybe go back to Microsoft. Except Microsoft may no longer want to talk, plus that poison pill of a Google-Yahoo ad deal still lurks out there. More below, […]
After nearly two years in the making — and plenty of hype — Powerset has finally rolled out a "natural language" search engine. It’s not a Google killer. It’s barely a business model right now. But at least it’s something the world can finally play with, and under the hood, there’s lots of potential. By […]
It’s going to be harder for Google to spin they haven’t lost their mojo to Facebook with news of the latest exec to depart the Big G — that being chief spinmaster Ellliot Schrage bailing from being vice president of global communications at Google to become VP of communications and public policy at Facebook. Both […]
With the first day over since Microsoft bailed on Yahoo, I find myself chuckling with agreement over Valleywag’s "Post-Microsoft, Yahoo shares ‘plunge’ from $19 to $24.60" headline. Yahoo fared far better than many had predicted. Part of that may be due to thoughts that it is not all over yet for a Yahoo-Microsoft marriage or […]
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web
The question of the day seems to be how low will Yahoo go when the US stock market opens later today. Even I, optimistic about Yahoo’s chances on its own, don’t expect it to rise. But maybe the latest blog spin from Yahoo, along with formal news of a deal with Google, will help slow […]
If Microsoft’s walkaway from the Yahoo deal is indeed a ploy to save $5 billion, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer may have proven himself pennywise and pound foolish. He was prepared to spend billions to finally make Microsoft a serious rival to Google. For a bit more, he may have destroyed Microsoft’s chance to get there. Despite what I’m about […]
Microsoft has decided to withdraw its offer for Yahoo and not pursue a hostile takeover bid, according to a letter from Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, just released: “Clearly a deal is not to be.” This marks an amazing turn in the MicroHoo drama. When the acquisition bid was first announced in February, it was discussed […]
According to the Wall Street Journal, Yahoo is ready to formally announce a deal to incorporate Google AdWords into its search results — potentially within a week. The deal could be part of a larger “open” system in which Yahoo serves the most lucrative ad in search results from its own platform, AdWords, or potentially […]
CNBC news anchor Maria Bartiromo interviewed Google CEO Eric Schmidt on Tuesday and discussed a wide range of topics, from MicroHoo to advertising on YouTube, mobile, and Googlephobia. There are no real surprises and nothing especially new (other than the statement about new ad products for YouTube this year). However, it you have time it […]
A Google Prototype for a Precision Image Search from the New York Times covers a new research paper (PDF format) from Google that talks about a way of ranking images based on analyzing "visual links" between them.
News from the first day of our SMX Social Media Marketing conference. Mahalo is now doing microformats as a way to enhance its search results and allow local businesses to be added to your address book. Wikia Search has gone to "Alpha 0.2" with new features. And other conference coverage, below.
Millward Brown, a unit of mega ad agency WPP, has named Google the world’s top brand in its annual “Top 100 Most Powerful Brands” survey (report available here). The Guardian UK also covers the study. Millward Brown calculates the ranking based on corporate earnings, consumer survey data, projected future growth, and a host of subjective […]
Earlier we reported about the new Microsoft Live Search News being launched. The Official Live Search blog has posted about the revamp. Below are are more details about the service and how it works.
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web.
Google Seeks a Leading Role in China from the Wall Street Journal reports that Google China’s president, Kai-Fu Lee, wants Google to be a market leader in China in five years. Kai-Fu Lee said, “Certainly, we would like to aspire to be a market leader in five years.” His plans to achieving that goal is […]
The final quote in Miguel Helft’s NY Times article on the deepening alliance between Google and CRM software provider Salesforce.com says it all, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend, so that makes Google my best friend.” It’s attributed to Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce.com. Basically, in a deal announced this morning, Salesforce is […]
So Yahoo’s going to partner with Google for a test of search ads? Better be only a test, Microsoft seems to be saying. Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith just put out a statement suggesting that any partnership would likely be opposed on regulatory grounds, as Google would get more than 90 percent of the ad search market:
Yahoo has confirmed a Wall Street Journal report that it will be testing Google’s paid search ads alongside its own for the next two weeks and involving no more than 3 percent of Yahoo’s search pages in the United States. From the Yahoo statement
Google offers Google Analytics. Microsoft has its "Gatineau" or recently renamed Microsoft adCenter Analytics service in beta. So I suppose it was inevitable that Yahoo get in on the web analytics action. The company announced today that it is acquiring Tensa Kit, which produces the IndexTools analytics service.