Alliance Blog Reviews

paidContent reports today that private equity company Providence Equity Partners, one of the backers of Hulu, is rumored to be joining up with Baidu for a Chinese equivalent of the popular professional video content site. While China is the largest Internet population (350M) and a huge market for ad dollars in just about every online arena, it’s little wonder both the Chinese search giant and the American investment firm are interested. While Providence declined comment, other sources told PC the deal was already closed. Reuters reports that the new video site would launch in the first quarter of this year. Providence will back it with $60M, while Baidu is fronting $10M. A recently-departed China Mobile executive is rumored to be the CEO of the new site. Analysys International reports that the Chinese online video market was worth 162 million yuan ($23.73 million) in the third quarter of last year—again, little wonder these two companies are interested in the market. On the other hand, this is considerably less than the well-established US video advertising market, of which Hulu controlled some 10% (and commanded similar ad rates to TV). Could a Chinese Hulu take over the same proportion of the Chinese ad market (to the tune of $9.5M)? Hard to say, of course. Before Hulu came along, it seemed doubtful that a site with such a model could succeed—but now it does appear to be successful, as well as a major source for online video content. Naturally, Providence and Baidu would need Chinese television stations and studios to sign on to create the professional content. And while the US isn’t the best counterexample here, China has a reputation for rampant online video piracy that may diminish the appeal (and the restrictions) of a site like Hulu. What do you think? Can Baidu expand its empire successfully with this? Or is China just not the market for another Hulu? Pilgrim’s Partners: SponsoredReviews.com – Bloggers earn cash, Advertisers build buzz!

Excerpt from:
Baidu Getting into Video?

Tomorrow is the big day: the invite-only Google Android event . While we’ve all pretty much assumed they’re going to tout Android and reveal the Google-sold Nexus One phone, there’s always the possibility that Google will surprise us all. Google’s Nexus phone was first “leaked” in December after they distributed them at a Google party (no gag order in effect). Naturally, the phone created a free social- and mainstream media frenzy in pretty much no time flat. But employees were the only ones with sneak previews—until recently. Saturday, Engadget posted a video tour of the Nexus UI and a preliminary review —and the Nexus is not the iPhone killer: [I]s this the be-all-end-all Android phone / iPhone eviscerator? In two words: not really. The thing that’s struck us most (so far) about the Nexus One thus far is the fact that it’s really not very different than the Droid in any substantial way. Yes, we’d say the design and feel of the phone is better (much better, in fact), and it’s definitely noticeably faster than Motorola’s offering, but it’s not so much faster that we felt like the doors were being blown off. It is very smooth, though we still noticed a little stuttery behavior (very slight, mind you) when moving between home pages. Still, opening applications and moving between them was super speedy, as was Google maps, and any area of the phone where you’ve got to get through long lists. Don’t get us wrong, the phone cooks — but it’s not some paradigmatic shift for Android. So while it’s slick and cool, the Nexus isn’t a huge technological change—and it’s not changing the game the way the iPhone did. It’s a viable smartphone option, and probably typical of the second generation of Android devices. And then there’s the possibility Google will surprise us all. At Search Engine Land, where Danny Sullivan will be liveblogging the event tomorrow, Greg Sterling points out that if Google really wants to surprise us, they could introduce an Android tablet computer —effectively upstaging Apple’s event scheduled for January 26, where they’re anticipated to unveil their own tablet. Boringly, Google will probably just formally premiere the Nexus. Maybe they’ll be ready to sell it immediately, even. What do you think? Will Google go for the obvious or the surprise factor?

The rest is here:
Revving up for the Nexus

Earlier this month, Google announced that its Personalized Search results would come to even computers that weren’t signed in to Google accounts . With the opt-out system in place, many users and public computers can’t help but use personalized search by default—and it may be AdSense publishers paying for it. The logic goes something like this: if Google is now storing information about what you’re searching for even if you’re not signed in, it may also serve ads based on your search and browsing history, which you’re less likely to click on than ads only relevant to the page’s content. I’m not 100% sure that theory holds true (need more data!), but at least some AdSense publishers are seeing definite drop-off since Google threw the switch. A thread on WMW documents some of publishers seeing this problem—and others who haven’t. Among those who’ve spoken up, seven of eleven have seen some sort of decrease in December (the original poster cited a significant slide in CTR and clicks from December 5 versus prior years, with CTR down 12.3% to 22.6% of normal average and clicks down 22.8% to 35.2% of normal average). Of course, the personalized search change isn’t the only explanation in the first 30 messages of the WMW thread, alternate explanations offered include: the “Caffeine” update in Google’s index annual holiday decline (though the OP and some others note that this is more significant than previous years) the wider rollout of interest-based ads short sample skewing the results sector-specific slowdowns Interestingly, the original poster returned the day after posting and noted that his CTR had jumped that day. He hadn’t seen a dropoff in his earnings per click (though the new high day carried much higher earnings). What do you think? What could be behind a decrease—and have you seen one? Is personalized search affecting your AdSense results?

Read the rest here:
Is Personalized Search Killing AdSense Publishers?

I don’t quite ever remember a social network that I at first so loved, and then ultimately, so hated. Fortunately, the bad taste left in my mouth by MyBlogLog will likely go away at the beginning of the year–according to rumors that Yahoo will shutter the service. MyBlogLog had so much potential as a network that connected bloggers with their readers. So much, in fact, that Yahoo bought the company back in January 2007 . The ink was barely dry on the contract when the service simply started sucking: Removing MyBlogLog Widget – Too Slow Today MyBlogLog Reacts to Boycott, Reinstates Shoemoney MyBlogLog a Bunch of Schmoes? Forget Google, Now MyBlogLog Adds Friends without Your Consent That’s just a summary–and doesn’t include the now infamous event where a former Yahoo employee got egg on his face. You can argue that MyBlogLog suffered because of better solutions from Google and Facebook, but in the end, I believe the company’s former co-founder Eric Marcoulier hits the nail on the head: “So much of your company’s long term success when it’s acquired is based on the amount of executive juice it has. The only way it survives and flourishes is if you have an executive champion who promotes it internally. Shortly after we were acquired we were transferred away from our champion and under someone who didn’t feel the same way about MyBlogLog. In those circumstances, things simply slow down.” Or completely suck. I wonder how many other Yahoo products have suffered the same fate?

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MyBlogLog to Become NoBlogLog?

According to TechCrunch sources , Google is nearing the final stages of an agreement to acquire DocVerse , real-time Microsoft Office collaboration software company founded in 2007. Sources say the purchase price is $25M. The acquisition seems to make sense as Google and Microsoft square off for battle . The DocVerse website bears the title tag “Make Word, PowerPoint and Excel Work Like Google Docs.” Although Google Docs can already import Word, PowerPoint and Excel files, and already offers the real-time (or pretty close) collaboration, they could certainly improve, especially in the file conversion area. However, we can’t tell yet whether this will be enough as a competitor to Microsoft Office. Microsoft already has a stripped-down, cloud-based version of Word, PowerPoint, Excel and OneNote in testing with some Windows Live SkyDrive users, with public rollout to come in the next six months. Although the initial version of Word didn’t have real time collaboration, Excel did, and they hope to add more collaborative features in 2010. (And the online apps integrate with their offline counterparts, updating off- and online versions simultaneously.) On the other hand, as TechCrunch points out, this purchase will give Google Docs a direct connection to Microsoft Office documents. This could also become a feature for Google Wave, although Google recent bought a company (Appjet) with similar software (EtherPad), which they may integrate with Wave. They’ve already opened up the software code. What do you think? If the deal goes through, how will Google use DocVerse? Pilgrim’s Partners: SponsoredReviews.com – Bloggers earn cash, Advertisers build buzz!

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Google to Acquire DocVerse

Admit it. How many of you read that title and thought that your SEO career was about to come tumbling down? Yeah, I’m mean like that! Anyway, while I have you hear, can you tell me what you think of this: The “Guru” product is not showing for everyone, and apparently if you click the link it takes you…no where actually. Any guesses what it may be? A return of Google Answers perhaps?

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Why Being a Google Guru is a Dead End

Has anyone seen the new Twitter retweet link? Quick go check under your bed and see if it is hiding there. Because I can’t find it in my Twitter stream: And there’s no news from Twitter about its disappearance. A victory for those that hated the new feature? Or just a glitch?

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Twitter’s Retweet Function Vanishes! Victory for Those that Hate It?