Top Items:
Henry Blodget / Silicon Alley Insider:
Whoa: Microsoft Cashback Google-Killer Generates NO Revenue For Microsoft — We're going to get a full download on the economics of Microsoft (MSFT) Live Search cashback tomorrow, but in the meantime, here's why Google (GOOG) was down 5% today (in part). — Cashback merchant partners—the advertisers—set the cashback percentage.
Discussion:
CenterNetworks, STARTUP CHATTER, Coop's Corner, Wall Street Journal and Search Engine Land
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Om Malik / GigaOM:
The True Fiction of Microsoft Live Search — Yesterday, I read a post on Google's blog about their focus on improving search quality. Today, I read a press release from Microsoft in which it said its Live Search product will be used to give “cash back” to those who use it to find and buy things.
Danny Sullivan / Search Engine Land:
Hey Microsoft: Bribing Searchers Is Fine; Frustrating Them Is Not! — 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 …
Discussion:
New York Times, Valleywag, Bruce Clay, Inc. Blog, Tech Tracks, Tech Beat, TechCrunch and Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Dan Farber / Outside the Lines:
Will Microsoft be directionless without Bill Gates? — Bill Gates will step away from the day-to-day activities at Microsoft in about a month to focus his estimable intellect and energy on his nonprofit work, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He will remain chairman of the company.
Om Malik / GigaOM:
Twitter VC Funding Done. Raises $15 MM — I spent most of the day digging up more information on Twitter and its new round of funding that I reported last night. The update is that Twitter reached an agreement with investors today to raise $15 million in funding at around $80 million pre-money valuation.
Discussion:
The Inquisitr, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, Valleywag, notes, thoughts …, MYBLOG by Ouriel, Furrier.org, Mashable! and The PhoneBoy Blog
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Jack / Twitter Blog:
I have this graph up on my screen all the time. It should be flat. This week has been rough. — We've gone through our various databases, caches, web servers, daemons, and despite some increased traffic activity across the board, all systems are running nominally. The truth is we're not sure what's happening.
Andrew Zaeske / Official Google Blog:
Google Sites now open to everyone — A few months ago we launched Google Sites exclusively as part of Google Apps for companies and organizations that wanted to use the service on their own domains. Now we've made it easy for anyone to set up a website to share all types of information …
Mike Ricciuti / CNET News.com:
Microsoft boosts support for rival formats in Office — Microsoft is opening up Office to other file formats, slowly but steadily. — On Wednesday, the company said it plans to add new formats to Office 2007, including the Open Document Format (ODF), Portable Document Format (PDF), and XML Paper Specification (XPS).
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Dare Obasanjo aka Carnage4Life:
Note to Web 2.0 Companies: Early Adopters are not the Mass Market — If you work in the technology industry it pays to be familiar with the ideas from Geoffrey Moore's insightful book Crossing the Chasm. In the book he takes a look at the classic marketing bell curve that segments customers …
Dieter Bohn / The iPhone Blog:
iPhone vs. BlackBerry Bold: Hands On (and Wait-a-Thon) — What happens when your Sister Site, CrackBerry.com, manages to score a BlackBerry Bold on eBay? What happens after they do their hands-on images, videos, and walkthroughs, that is? What happens is they start sending the beast around the the office.
Discussion:
The Boy Genius Report, Engadget, IntoMobile, CrackBerry.com blogs, CrunchGear, Gizmodo and Tech Blog
Steve Lohr / New York Times:
Google Says It Will Defend Competitive Rationale of a Yahoo Deal — How can Google, the Internet search and advertising giant, contend that teaming up with Yahoo in search ads would not invite an antitrust challenge? — Under a proposed partnership, Google would let Yahoo use …
Discussion:
paidContent.org
Marshall Kirkpatrick / ReadWriteWeb:
Facebook Censoring User Messaging: Spam Prevention or Unaccountable Control of Conversation? — Facebook and MySpace have replaced email for a substantial number of young people. Facebook, though, appears to believe that some things are better off not discussed in conversations between its members.
Heather Hopkins / Hitwise Intelligence:
Google Reader Slowly Closing on Bloglines — I use Bloglines as my RSS feed reader and it seems I am not alone. It is the most popular web-based feed reader based on share of US visits. However, Google Reader is growing in popularity and closing the gap to Bloglines.
Jeremy Toeman / Jeremy Toeman's LIVEdigitally:
16 Simple Ways to Improve FriendFeed — Despite my initial skepticism, I am enjoying using FriendFeed ("FF" from here out). I find interesting stories & news articles from my friends, I hear about news from colleagues, and am able to interact with them all in one place.
Paul McIntyre / Business News, ASX Stock Market News:
TiVo launch imminent, minus monthly fee — THE Seven Media Group will launch its TiVo digital video recorder in July after a strategic overhaul that includes a surprise move to scrap a planned monthly subscription fee for the broadband-enabled service. — TiVo's launch will be the first …
Discussion:
TiVo Lovers
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