Yahoo Replacing Its Search Add System With Google Add?
Yahoo will be displaying Google search ads in a small number in its search engine queries, a move likely to be interpreted as the latest in a series of Yahoo maneuvers to resist Microsoft’s acquisition attempt.
The test, expected for two weeks and be limited to up to 3 percent of Yahoo search queries in the U.S., is specifically for Google’s AdSense for Search service. In other words, Yahoo would be acting as one of the Web publishers that carry pay-per-click text ads from Google. The ads will appear only in Yahoo.com.
The announcement was first reported Wednesday afternoon by The Wall Street Journal, quoting anonymous sources. A broader agreement to outsource its search ads to Google could let Yahoo increase its cash flow, because Google ads generate more revenue per search, the Journal reported, referring to a consensus belief among financial analysts and Yahoo investors.
Yahoo noted that “the testing does not necessarily mean that Yahoo will join the AdSense for Search program or that any further commercial relationship with Google will result.” Yahoo will not comment on the nature or timing of any potential relationship with Google.
Microsoft, whose acquisition offer was rejected by Yahoo’s board in February, on Saturday said it will launch a proxy fight to attempt a hostile takeover if Yahoo doesn’t agree to the acquisition in the next three weeks.
On Wednesday, Microsoft blasted the Google-Yahoo announcement, saying that a broad outsourcing deal would inevitably run into regulatory trouble because it would give Google more than 90 percent of the search advertising market.
“This would make the market far less competitive, in sharp contrast to our own proposal to acquire Yahoo. We will assess closely all of our options,” said Brad Smith, Microsoft’s general counsel, in a statement.
“Is this real? Is Yahoo seriously considering replacing its search ad system with Google’s?” Weide said. “Or is Yahoo doing this merely to annoy Microsoft and drive Microsoft away from its acquisition attempt? It’s not clear.”
Should Yahoo enter into this deal with Google, it would be an acknowledgement that it has failed to attain its goals in search advertising, despite numerous efforts, including a significant upgrade of its system called Panama.
source:read
Yahoo, MySpace & Google Have Agreed to Form The OpenSocial
Yahoo, MySpace, and Google have announced they have agreed to form the OpenSocial Foundation in order to “ensure the neutrality and longevity of OpenSocial as an open, community-governed specification for building social applications across the web.”
OpenSocial, launched by Google last year, is a common set of APIs for applications across multiple websites that will allow for cross-platform widgets.
The companies say that Yahoo’s support of OpenSocial and role as a founding member of the new foundation are “landmarks” for the rapidly growing specification which will now offer developers the potential to connect with more than 500 million people worldwide.
This move could be seen to put pressure on non-members, such as Microsoft and Facebook, to sign up.
The OpenSocial Foundation will be an independent non-profit entity that will be in place by July 1, 2008.
source:pocket-lint
Apple’s Beatles Rumours May Come True Soon
The Beatles would go digital with their back catalogue in 2008. Cue a whole host of rumors, and, on Monday, his promise seemed to have come true with the story that the remaining Beatles had done a $400 million deal with Apple to put their entire back catalogue on iTunes.
But the very next day, one of the companies that owns the rights to a vast majority of the back catalogue denied the reports.
Sony/ATV Music Publishing, the joint venture owned by Sony and Michael Jackson, branded them “untrue”, adding that if a deal had been made, they would know about it.
And today, it’s Apple that has stepped up to deny the claims.
The computing giant has told Reuters that the story is “unsubstantiated speculation”, and added: “This is not news nor is it a scoop”.
source:pocket-lint
Silverlight be the next Microsoft technology to work on the iPhone?
Could Silverlight be the next Microsoft technology to work on the iPhone? Don’t bet on it anytime soon, said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.
Speaking in Las Vegas at the MIX 08 conference on Thursday, Ballmer said Microsoft wants to get its Silverlight technology, which allows developers to build and deliver multimedia applications on the Web, “everywhere,” and that putting it on the iPhone is certainly “interesting.”
“I can’t say there has been extensive discussion” with Apple CEO Steve Jobs about it, Ballmer said.
He said he was concerned about Apple’s plan, unveiled Thursday, to let developers sell applications for the iPhone on iTunes and take a 30 percent cut of revenues. Ballmer suggested that Apple might charge Microsoft similarly to get Silverlight on the iPhone, though there is so far no evidence to support this belief.
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