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My 2 featured articles for the week ending August 5, 2005:

Archived blogs for the week of August 1st, 2005

962 - August 5, 2005 - 8.28 AM EST

Yahoo testing blog search in South Korea

Yahoo started testing a blog search engine as part of its Yahoo South Korea portal. ZDNet suggests that this is a prelude to rolling out a similar service for the United States and the rest of the world.

Whilst this is possible, it ignores the fact that Yahoo is the 3rd largest provider of blogs in the South Korean market.

And that market is one of only 2 markets in which it hosts a pure blogging service (Japan being the other) as opposed to the social-networking come blogging service being provided to the rest of the world with Yahoo 360.

The real question then remains: if Yahoo! is going to launch a blogging search engine based on testing from South Korea, wouldn’t they also being thinking about rolling out Yahoo Blogs to the rest of the world as well?

Posted on Businessblog™

961 - August 4, 2005 - 6.15 PM EST

Yahoo launches Internet audio search service

Yesterday, Yahoo launched a free Internet audio search service that helps searchers find, hear and buy everything from music downloads and podcasts to interviews and specific newscasts.

Yahoo Audio Search ( http://audio.search.yahoo.com ) is still in testing and gives users access to more than 50 million audio files as Yahoo beefs up its entertainment offerings.

For example, a search for "Green Day" yields a list of the band's albums, song samples and links to download services, including Yahoo's own music service, Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes, Rhapsody from RealNetworks Inc. and Napster Inc.

The service also taps independent publishers and the Web, helping users find such things as music videos, reviews and photographs of the artists.

Yahoo and rivals such as Google Inc. and privately held Blinkx already have launched video search services as the Internet's role in entertainment grows and ad dollars follow.

The company has integrated Yahoo Audio Search with its video search service and has invited people to submit videos and music through Media Really Simple Syndication, so it can be found by the new audio search engine.

Posted on Businessblog™

960 - August 4, 2005 - 9.46 AM EST

Most users search to find Web sites and information

According to a Burst Media survey done recently, for the majority of Internet users at home, they rely mostly on search engines to find Web sites that are of interest to them.

More than 56 percent of respondents said when at home they use search engines to get to web destinations; other ways they get there consist of typing in the site's URL or using bookmarks (28 percent) and linking from other sites/advertisements (16 percent).

Among teens and those 18-24 years old, fewer than half (46 percent and 49 percent, respectively) say they use a search engine to navigate to websites.

Nearly 40 percent of teens and more than 34 percent of 18-24 year-old users say they navigate by typing the site's URL or using bookmarks. About 16 percent of teens as well as 18-24 year-olds use links on other sites or in advertisements to connect to websites.

Posted on Businessblog™

959 - August 3, 2005 - 2.59 PM EST

The Yahoo Publisher Network Self-Serve Beta

Yahoo has launched its beta network in the U.S. for small and medium-sized publishers. Currently available through invitation only, as Yahoo tests and refines the new platform, small- and medium-sized publishers can easily sign up online and access new revenue sources and enhanced Yahoo! content through our new self-serve platform.

Our goal is to extend the beta to more publishers by the end of the year. We spoke to many Web publishers throughout our alpha phase to get a sense of what you want out of a publishing platform.

Several things became clear: In addition to the obvious -- competitive revenue opportunities - you expressed a desire for more ways to enhance the content of your sites and connect with your users.

Posted on Businessblog™

958 - August 3, 2005 - 11.17 AM EST

More copyright infringement lawsuits

“Baidu's copyright infrigement issue has cast great uncertainty over Baidu’s future business models and revenue,” said Gu Feng, a technology analyst at Shenyin Wanguo Securities Co. in Shanghai. “This is something investors should take into account.”

The government, under pressure from the United States and Europe, is stiffening punishments for intellectual property theft. China on Dec. 21 made such piracy punishable by as much as seven years in prison.

Posted on Businessblog™

957 - August 3, 2005 - 8.20 AM EST

Dogpile adds MSN search to its index

According to InfoSpace, it is ready to add MSN search results to its Dogpile metasearch index. Dogpile already offers combined and separate results from Google, Yahoo and Ask Jeeves.

The idea behind Dogpile is that people can get the most comprehensive list of results using multiple search engines because they're not all scouring the same sites.

A new study from researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania State University seems to back up that theory that there is relatively little overlap between the major search engines.

Posted on Businessblog™

956 - August 2, 2005 - 8.25 AM EST

Former Microsoft executive barred by judge

A judge has reportedly barred a former Microsoft executive from performing any duties at Google that would be similar to those he did while he was employed at Microsoft.

The ban is said to be temporary for now. Washington state Superior Court Judge Steven Gonzalez on Thursday granted Microsoft's request for a temporary restraining order to prevent Kai-Fu Lee from violating his noncompete agreement.

Google announced on July 19 that it had hired Lee to lead a new research and development center in China and serve as president of its Chinese operations.

Lee was previously a vice president at Microsoft and played a key role in its operations in China. He also led development of some of its search technologies, Microsoft's lawsuit claims.

Posted on Businessblog™

955 - August 1, 2005 - 8.21 PM EST

Google rumoured to open an office in Moscow

According to a senior IT and Communications Ministry official, Google could be considering Moscow for a new IT park, where it could set up operations employing as many as 3,000 workers.

"We spoke with Google representatives and they seemed very keen on the idea," said Deputy IT and Communications Minister Dmitry Milovantsev on Friday, speaking after a meeting with the Bonch-Bruyevich St. Petersburg State University of Telecommunications, which would be a partner in setting up the IT park.

Google declined to comment on the issue but confirmed its interest in Russia's IT market.

"We are very interested in Russia and are working to learn more about this important market. We will continue ... exploring business opportunities in Russia," a Google spokeswoman said in a written response.

Google is the world's most widely used Internet search engine. Its revenues reached $3.189 billion last year.

Posted on Businessblog™

954 - August 1, 2005 - 4.54 PM EST

Sponsored listings auctions launched by Ask Jeeves

Earlier today, Ask Jeeves launched a new paid listings program, installing an automated, self-service auction system that resembles a lot to Google and Yahoo's similar offerings aimed at Internet marketers.

Paul Gardi, executive v.p. and GM of IAC Advertising Solutions, which owns Ask Jeeves, said the new system would allow "a larger network of advertisers to optimize their advertising spending on Ask Jeeves and our syndication network."

The Ask Jeeves Sponsored Listings system would make it easier for advertisers to buy, manage and optimize their paid search listings campaigns the company said.

Analysts say the open auction system is similar to the approach that both Google and Yahoo use to offer premium placement to advertisers.

The service replaces the existing "Premier Listings" offering, through which advertisers negotiate directly with the search site for placement on a static basis.

The new service is already being made available to existing advertisers on to company's search site, Ask.com, and the Ask Jeeves affiliate network and will be made generally available later this month.

The upgrade is the latest of several changes made since Ask Jeeves became part of the IAC/InterActiveCorp family of online businesses.

"The growth of search engine advertising is attributed to its unique targeting abilities, high degree of relevance, mass reach for advertisers and strong return on investment, and we look forward to more efficiently providing these benefits to our advertisers through a new automated system," Paul Gardi, executive vice president and general manager of IAC Advertising Solutions, said.

Posted on Businessblog™

Copyright © Serge Thibodeau 2005. All rights reserved.

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