BlogActive

2003-11-27T23:29:00.000-08:00

Legal Music Downloads Double

Paid music services take off, with Apple's ITunes leading the
way.

2003-11-27T23:26:00.000-08:00

Apple Set to Open First Store in Japan

The Mac maker's first retail store outside the United States
is scheduled to open in Tokyo's Ginza shopping district.

2003-11-27T23:23:00.000-08:00

Phoenix Launches Trusted BIOS For Laptops

Phoenix Technologies has launched the first of its Core Managed Environment (cME) products, the first of the company's steps toward
trusted computing.

2003-11-27T23:20:00.000-08:00

Norton Antivirus: Activation is Seriously Broken

Once a loyal customer of Norton Antivirus, Loyd has switched to a competitor. Why? Because Norton's activation scheme breaks too frequently,
leaving his computer at risk.

2003-11-25T23:05:00.000-08:00

Times are Changing in Advertising - For Everyone

Ad expenditures are being scrutinized like never before. Ad spenders demand better results and new ideas from traditional advertising agencies as they slash their marketing budgets further. So what needs to happen? In a cry for radical change, Stephen Shaw explores the problems facing traditional advertisers in his article Game Over: New Rules for Advertising

2003-11-25T22:42:00.000-08:00

"Superbowl Not Sold Out?"

According to CBS, approximately 85 percent of the game is sold out, with CBS getting about $2.3 million per unit, as compared to last year's $2.1-2.2 million. Ticket prices have certainly rocketed if one is to believe this. It's not entirely true, we're talking about advertising of course. This year's Superbowl ads will come from mostly larger player with some of the regulars back again for example Gillette, Pepsi, FedEx and Visa (creative work by BBDO). Conversely, sources say M&M Mars, Charles Schwab, Hanes, Levi's and Reebok will not return from last year and others are still undecided (American Express, HotJobs and the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy).

Article

2003-11-25T22:20:00.000-08:00

McDonald's to Consolidate Global Media With OMD

Not surprisingly, another ad account giant has decided to consolidate its media duties. This time it is McDonald's, an estimated $1.3 billion ad account currenly serviced by OMD and Publicis Groupe's Starcom, will be consolidated with OMD.

Article

2003-11-24T23:04:00.000-08:00

Virtual Private Library Introduces Library of Subject Tracer Information Blogs

The Virtual Private Library has now introduced subject tracer blogs powered by multiple bots that constantly monitor and gather current information on the subject from throughout the Internet. Filtered and placed into the blog alphabetically, each subject tracer information blog has its own domain name and address, combining blogs and bots to create a dynamically generated subject information portal.

Current Subject Tracer Information Blogs include:
RestStress, Information Futures Markets, Internet Demographics, Internet Hoaxes, Internet Experts, Student Research, Deep Web Research, Knowledge Discovery, Bot Research, Healthcare Resources, Research Resources, Statistics Resources, Biological Informatics, Business Intelligence Resources, eCommerce Resources, Directory Resources, and ShoppingBots (latest).

Article

The Virtual Private Library

2003-11-24T22:41:00.000-08:00

Webcaster Alliance Inc. Petitions ICANN to Open GO DADDY Investigation

Webcaster Alliance is now formally petitioning the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to open an investigation into the domain registration practices of GO DADDY Software, Inc., for potential violations of the ICANN Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA).

Article

2003-11-24T22:31:00.000-08:00

The Ad Age Marketing 50, 2003.

Last week, Ad Age announced their "The Top Brand Success Stories of the Year," which includes consuer genius Apple's iPod/iTunes products and promotions and the team behind Bend it Like Beckham.

Full 12-page, 2003 Marketing 50 Report .pdf

Article

2003-11-24T22:18:00.000-08:00

ComScore and Nielsen/NetRatings Under Heavy Fire

Web publishers, marketers and media buyers are criticizing ComScore and Nielsen/NetRatings for inaccurate data and demands improved methods and better quality of samples used in studies. The inaccurate data is misleading and detrimental to the industry, critics say.

Article

2003-11-24T21:56:00.000-08:00

Starcom MediaVest Takes Home Coke Media Account ($350MM)

Coca-Cola Co. has consolidated its $350 million domestic media account at Publicis Groupe's Starcom MediaVest following an intense two-month review. "

Article

2003-11-23T19:42:00.000-08:00

Bronfman Group Set to Buy Warner Music

Time Warner Inc. (NYSE:TWX) plans to announce on Monday that it will sell its Warner Music business to a group of investors that includes former Seagram Chairman Edgar Bronfman Jr. for about $2.61 billion, people familiar with the situation said on Sunday.

Warner Music, home to Madonna, Kid Rock and Missy Elliott, is the No. 4 music company with about 11.9 percent of the global market share.

Bronfman and private equity firm Thomas H. Lee will lead the acquisition. Billionaire Haim Saban, the former children's programming magnate, had pulled out of the group over the weekend, but rejoined later on Sunday night, these people said.

Investment firms Providence Equity Partners and Bain Capital also are part of the group, they added.

Article

2003-11-23T19:14:00.000-08:00

"DoubleClick Initiates Stock Repurchase Plan"

DoubleClick plans to repurchase up to $100 million of its common stock intermittently on the open market or in privately negotiated transactions, the online ad technology company said yesterday.

At a trading price of $9, that amount represents about 1.1 million of DoubleClick's 137.6 million shares of outstanding common stock. The repurchased shares will be available to use for the company's stock plans and other corporate purposes.

November 21, 2003
Activeb:

2003-11-23T18:33:00.000-08:00

Digitas Approves Stock Buyback

NEW YORK The Digitas board of directors has approved a $20 million stock repurchase program under which the company is authorized to buy shares of its common stock in the open market or in private transactions over an 18-month period. The program commences on Dec. 13 and expires on June 30, 2005.

November 21, 2003

Article

2003-11-23T17:45:00.000-08:00

"House passes antispam bill"

The U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to approve antispam legislation that could end more than six years of failed attempts to create a federal law restricting unsolicited commercial e-mail.

President Bush has indicated he will sign the measure, titled the "Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act" (CAN-SPAM). On Friday evening, the Justice Department and the Commerce Department praised CAN-SPAM as "establishing a framework of technological, administrative, civil and criminal tools" that provide consumers with options to reduce the volume of unwanted e-mail.

CAN-SPAM appears to be a compromise that's not as far-reaching as some antispam advocates had urged. It permits, but does not require, the Federal Trade Commission to establish a "do not spam" registry, overrides many state laws, and imposes an "opt out" standard instead of a more stringent "opt in" requirement.

Article

2003-11-23T17:38:00.000-08:00

"Overture unveils ad-tracking system"

The commercial search provider last week introduced the "marketing console," Web-based software that lets advertisers measure the performance of their online marketing campaigns, including paid search, online ad banners and e-mail promotions that are delivered by third parties. Up to this point, Overture only allowed its advertisers to track how well consumers responded to their paid-search campaigns within its partner distribution network, which includes Yahoo and MSN.

The company will sell monthly subscriptions to the service. The system will cost marketers about $150 a month to track up to 40,000 ads in various channels, or about $250 a month for more than 100,000 different types of ads.

Article

2003-11-23T17:29:00.000-08:00

Rapid Growth Predicted for Online Advertising

Last week, Piper Jaffray released its forecast for the industry yesterday, predicting 20 percent compounded growth for the next five years. For 2004, Piper Jaffray expects the online ad industry to grow 21 percent, from $6.7 billion to $8.1 billion. The forecast mirrors a prediction of 20 to 25 percent growth released a day earlier by Smith Barney.

"Online advertising is growing, that's no secret," said Safa Rashtchy, Piper Jaffray's Internet analyst.

Article

2003-11-23T17:05:00.000-08:00

"AOL Cuts Agency Relations Job; Some Agencies Balk"

America Online is eliminating its director of agency relations position. Some agencies call the move a step backwards, while AOL comments: "everybody's job is agency relations."

November 19, 2003

Article

2003-11-23T17:01:00.000-08:00

"Online Content Spend to Grow 10.4 Percent"

eMarketer: Online Content Spending Hits $1.4B This Year
eMarketer reports online content spending will hit $1.4 billion in 2003, an increase of 10.4 percent over 2002. By 2005, it is predicted one fifth of Internet users will be online content buyers."

Article

2003-11-22T02:00:00.000-08:00

This site has quickly become the authoritative destination for everyone that is working with CSS.

CSS Vault - Unlocking creativity

2003-11-22T01:51:00.000-08:00

Center for Democracy and Technology

"The Center for Democracy and Technology works to promote democratic values and constitutional liberties in the digital age. With expertise in law, technology, and policy, CDT seeks practical solutions to enhance free expression and privacy in global communications technologies. CDT is dedicated to building consensus among all parties interested in the future of the Internet and other new communications media. "

The Center for Democracy and Technology

2003-11-22T01:47:00.000-08:00

Is the Internet Infinite?

The Last Page of the Internet

2003-11-22T01:20:00.000-08:00

Recess Dj'ing Hints and Tips

For those bedroom djs just starting out, this site is a must. All the help you will need to get your first mix right.

Dj'ing hints and tips by Recess

2003-11-19T22:20:00.000-08:00

"Microsoft Seems Ready to Settle Europe Suit "

Microsoft has given its strongest signal yet that it hopes to reach a settlement of the European Union's long-running antitrust case.

Article

2003-11-19T22:13:00.000-08:00

These Are Your Movies on Piracy

A series of public service announcements from the Motion Picture Association of America combat the idea that Internet file-sharing is a victimless crime.

Article