Facebook Readying Location-Based Mobile Ad Product
Facebook Inc. (FB), owner the world’s largest social network, says it’s working on a location-based mobile-advertising product that will allow companies to target users with real-time data showing their whereabouts.
“Phones can be location-specific so you can start to imagine what the product evolution might look like over time, particularly for retailers,” Carolyn Everson, Facebook’s vice president of global marketing solutions, said in a telephone interview. “We’ve had offers being tested over the last couple of months.”
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-06-18/facebook-readying-location-based-mobile-ad-product.html
Why Nuance Is Giving It Away
In 2009, Nuance Communications (NUAN), one of the largest players in voice recognition software, licensed its technology for use in a small mobile app. That app was Siri, which Apple (AAPL) bought in 2010 and turned into a major feature in the latest iPhone, allowing users to speak all types of questions and get answers from a virtual personal assistant. Although the terms of Apple’s arrangement aren’t public and neither side will share details, it was clearly a big win for Burlington (Mass.)-based Nuance, which now powers voice recognition on millions of devices.
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-06-14/why-nuance-is-giving-it-away
Digital Media’s Ever-Swifter Incursion
Last Wednesday night on the rooftop of the Gramercy Park Hotel, all the signs of the classic magazine launch party were on display: an open bar ringed by thirsty media reporters, groaning trays of shrimp, a D.J. playing music just soft enough that it didn’t drown out the chatter. The proud editor showed off his new product, the woman who is its namesake held court a few feet away, and the Pulitzer Prize-winning contributor was surrounded by a cluster of partygoers.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/18/business/media/huffington-magazine-continues-digital-medias-incursion.html?_r=1
Online Tracking Ramps Up
Online tracking on 50 of the most-visited websites has risen sharply since 2010, driven in part by the rise of online-advertising auctions, according to a new study by data-management company Krux Digital Inc.
The average visit to a Web page triggered 56 instances of data collection, up from just 10 instances when Krux conducted its initial study, in November 2010. The latest study was conducted last December.
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052702303836404577472491637833420-lMyQjAxMTAyMDEwNzExNDcyWj.html
Netflix Quietly Smothers 3rd Party App Ecosystem
On Friday afternoon, Netflix published a blog post announcing a breaking change to their API, and dedicated a small paragraph to the fact that their API terms of use had been updated. On a technical level, these changes will cripple many apps currently integrating with Netflix, but the legal changes may be even more significant. Netflix customers should be aware of not only the upcoming changes to any 3rd party apps they might use, but what this says about Netflix as a business.
http://goodfil.ms/blog/posts/2012/06/18/netflix-quietly-smothers-3rd-party-app-ecosystem/
It’s Official: Michael Barrett Named to New Job as Yahoo Ad Czar
Yahoo has confirmed that it has hired Google ad exec Michael Barrett as its new chief of revenue.
As I reported earlier, Barrett will be in charge of advertising revenue and operations worldwide at the Silicon Valley Internet giant, including units in the U.S., Europe and Asia reporting in to him. Barrett will report directly to interim CEO Ross Levinsohn.
The move to hire the high-profile exec — who has been working at Google since it bought an ad tech company he ran a year ago — gives Yahoo a boost in its most critical area of business.
http://allthingsd.com/20120618/its-official-michael-barrett-talks-about-new-job-as-yahoo-ad-czar/
Files in the cloud: Feature, product or company?
A few months ago, Bill Gurley wrote apost about Benchmark’s investment inDropbox, and why Dropbox’s cloud-based file synchronization is a major disruptor. Many disagreed, quoting Steve Jobs’ assertion that file sync is a feature, not a product. As a feature, the assumption was that it would be folded into the architecture of the bigger players, once they came to market with a comparable offering.
http://gigaom.com/2012/06/17/files-in-the-cloud-feature-product-or-company/
Facebook Acquires Face.com
Facebook has acquired Face.com for an undisclosed amount, the Israeli startup announced Monday. The terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed.
In a post on Face.com’s corporate blog, CEO Gil Hirsch indicated that he and his team would be focused on building out Facebook’s mobile products.
http://mashable.com/2012/06/18/facebook-acquires-face-com/
Google acquires more than 50 mobile network technology patents from Magnolia Broadband
Looking to expand the mobile networking capabilities of devices running its Android operating system, Google has today completed the acquisition of more than 50 mobile network technology patents from Magnolia Broadband.
http://thenextweb.com/google/2012/06/18/google-acquires-more-than-50-mobile-network-technology-patents-from-magnolia-broadband/
