Internet research goes live

" MICROSOFT, the world's biggest software company, says it has created a new research group called Live Labs to study the internet and create new products.

Live Labs will bring together the Redmond, Washington-based company's scientists and engineers with academic researchers around the world, Microsoft says ... "

http://www.smh.com.au/news/breaking/internet-research-goes-live/2006/01/30/1138469633638.html

Blokey auction disrupted by fake bids

" The four Sydney blokes auctioning a weekend of friendship on eBay were very rich men for a short time today as the site was hit with a flurry of fake bids reported to be as high as $45 million.

The amount began spiralling upward on Monday evening with a series of large international bids, said Mark Huts, one of the four blokes.

He said action had been taken on Tuesday to cut out the fakes, and those with no bidding history had been removed, bringing the bids down to $45,400. They have since risen to over $55,000 ... "

http://www.smh.com.au/news/breaking/blokey-auction-disrupted-by-fake-bids/2006/01/31/1138590469855.html

Yahoo!7 to make TV, web click

" SEVEN Network and Yahoo! say they are looking for new ways to integrate their media and online technologies including the delivery of live TV over the internet following the launch of their joint-venture web portal.

The launch of Yahoo!7 yesterday came as another traditional media player, Rupert Murdoch's News Ltd, unveiled a classified and directories search engine to rival Telstra's Sensis.

The newly titled Yahoo!7 combines Seven's television and magazine content with the internet giant's core search capabilities, giving both companies access to new revenue opportunities through selling advertisements across multiple platforms.

Ryan Stokes, chairman of Seven's magazine division, said the partnership was about keeping pace with shifting consumer habits, where more people than ever were accessing news and entertainment online ... "

http://www.smh.com.au/news/breaking/yahoo7-to-make-tv-web-click/2006/01/31/1138590464833.html

MSN Spaces, Kanoodle Ink Text-Ad Deal

" Kanoodle has signed a deal with MSN to distribute content-based text ads within MSN Spaces, the company's popular blogging tool.

In the deal, Kanoodle will provide companies the opportunity to advertise with text ads throughout the MSN Spaces' network of blogs. The ads will be targeted based on their relevance to the blog's subject matter.

Bloggers must agree to participate in this ad program, and those who do receive a percentage of the ad revenue generated by these links. MSN Spaces, which has already experimented with branding ads from Volvo, reaches 10 million unique users, according to officials ... "

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/interactive/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001920630

Evading the Google Eye

" The U.S. Department of Justice vs. Google tug-of-war has made all of us aware that we leave traces of ourselves when using the Internet. But there are ways to cover your tracks.

In 2000, Sun Microsystems CEO Scott McNealy famously said about life on the Internet, "You already have zero privacy -- get over it. "

http://www.technologyreview.com/InfoTech-Search/wtr_16216,308,p1.html

Don't Be Evil, Google

" A few years ago, I walked into an Internet room in Tibets capital, Lhasa. There were no Chinese soldiers in the room and no visible government censors nearby. A sign on the wall, however, reminded users that Chinas all-seeing eye had not disappeared. "Do not use Internet," the warning instructed, "for any political or other unintelligent purposes."

Since then, China's ruling regime has perfected the science of controlling what the Chinese can read or write on the Internet to such a degree that it has become the envy of tyrants the world over. We might have expected that from a regime that has proved it will do whatever it takes to stay in power. What we never expected was to see Google, the company whose guiding motto is "Don't be evil," helping in the effort ... "

http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/op_ed/hc-google0131.artjan31,0,1260388.story

Six Reasons Why Google is Kicking Yahoos Butt

" Will the same thing happen to Google? I'm no Jim Cramer, but I do know a few things about the two ad platforms that generate the bulk of each company's profits. Here are a few key differences I've noticed that influence revenue. All are related to their Pay Per Click platforms (Google Adwords and Yahoo Search Marketing) "

http://www.technologyevangelist.com/2006/01/six_reasons_why_goog.html

Stanford Guidelines for Web Credibility

" How can you boost your web site's credibility?

We have compiled 10 guidelines for building the credibility of a web site. These guidelines are based on three years of research that included over 4,500 people ... "

http://www.webcredibility.org/guidelines/index.html

Google Toolbar Beta 4 Launched

" Now you can make your Toolbar as unique as you are. You can add buttons and bookmarks; get instant search suggestions; share web pages with friends; and enjoy the Toolbar's pop-up blocker, web form filler, and spellchecker .. "

http://www.google.com/tools/toolbar/T4/index.html