Daily Marauder

ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA

Google is planning an online file storage service. WSJ describes the “novelty” in some breathless detail. Says the story: “Along with a Web-based interface, Google is trying to let users upload and access files directly from their PC desktops and have the file storage behave for consumers more like another hard drive that is handy at all times.” Again, not new…many file storage services try to mirror the desktop directory structure. (http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-googles-pie-in-the-sky-file-service-to-launch-adding-to-hundreds-of-oth 11/26)

NBC Universal, Microsoft and Peacock Equity’s Firebrand.com launched as an online destination to view the best TV commercials via the web or mobile devices. Click through to on-demand ads from around the world or watch a live hosted show highlighting commercial programming from major brands.

This site has a really slick GUI which works seamlessly. Check out one of my favorite commercials below.

Nokia How to Make a Movie

News Corp.’s online social network MySpace plans to launch Facebook-style “news feeds” in the next 30 to 45 days, according to Fox Interactive Media head Peter Levinsohn. News feeds, which alert a user to what their friends and colleagues are doing, are a popular feature on Facebook. (http://www.reuters.com/article/MediaandCommunications07/idUSN2641609120071126 11/26)

The underwriters for Classmates Media, which operates Classmates.com, are busy setting terms for the company’s upcoming IPO. The company says its main competition comes from social-networking sites including Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Reunion.com and Monster.com’s Military.com. (http://www.techconfidential.com/money-out/blog/money-out/while-we-were-recovering-from.php 11/26)

News Corp.’s Internet division plans to launch an online network to sell advertising across Rupert Murdoch’s sprawling empire and even to other media companies. The launch of a broader ad network follows a buying spree of ad networks by Microsoft, AOL and Google. (http://www.reuters.com/article/MediaandCommunications07/idUSN2639276120071126 11/26)

Thanks to rising online viewership and the nature of broadband audience agreements with advertisers, the major TV networks have a lot more advertising to sell for their streaming programming, TVWeek reports. (http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-tv-networks-online-ad-inventory-unexpectedly-opens 11/26)

A blog set up to promote former Al Gore’s film, “An Inconvenient Truth,” has been hacked and is hosting links to Web sites hawking online pharmaceuticals. The links appear to have been created as part of a scheme to boost the Web traffic for sites that promote the drugs. (http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/11/26/Another-inconvenient-truth-Al-Gores-Web-site-hacked_1.html 11/26)

UK broadcasters ITV, BBC Worldwide and Channel 4 are to launch an on-demand content service in 2008 that will bring together more than 10,000 hours of programming. The three groups say the service will initially be Web-based and be available for distribution on other platforms. (http://www.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUSWLB369720071127 11/27)

Barry Diller’s online shopping empire, InterActiveCorp, which includes the HSN shopping channel and TicketMaster, was the top retail destination on Black Friday, followed by Amazon.com and WalMart.com. Also: Americans spent $700 million on Cyber Monday. (http://www.nypost.com/seven/11272007/business/web_wonders_866352.htm 11/27, http://www.newsday.com/business/ny-bzshop1127,0,499915.story 11/26)

Akimbo launched a VOD content service available to CenturyTel’s high-speed internet subscribers. Content in the anime, health & wealth, exploration & adventure, family & fun and sports categories are available for prices starting at 99 cents per download.