YouTube Will Win Live Video?
…well, maybe. It seems like every time we hold a daily poll, and one of the options in the poll is a subsidiary of Google, that option always seems to win. I’m not invoking Ron Paulism or anything, I’m just saying.
Actually, it’s not an unfair conclusion to draw. We asked the question today, now that YouTube seems to have declared that they’ll be entering the arena of live video ala UStream sometime this year: who do you think is going to end up being the eventual dominant force?
We’ve graphed the numbers, and overwhelmingly you feel that the current slew of competitors out there are going to be slaughtered.
Anyone who reads this blog for any period of time will draw the not altogether incorrect assumption that I’m a little bit of a UStream fanboy. For reasons stated the other day in a comment I posted to this story, they made a very good impression on me very early on, and I’ve got a bit of early adopter loyalty to the company (in much the same way you have Twitter loyalty - don’t judge me!).
Before I get too far into my own conclusions, I’m going to toss the mike over to the commenters, who had some interesting observations. Cramp had this to say:
There is an elephant in the room!
The only upside for these other poor companies is to hope that Youtube buy them to shortcut dev time. Otherwise they’ll end up the same as companies like Revver, Dailymotion, Stage6 etc. Lot’s of bandwidth bills and no ad revenue.
A very salient point, and it’s an elephant in the room not just for the live video services, but for YouTube itself, which is only around because of the money printing press that Google has in their basement. Internet Man of WebSiteMagazine agreed, and reiterated just how huge Google and YouTube are:
I’m going to have to say YouTube, as much as it pains me. Until another service unseats YouTube as a WHOLE, they will take the market share. Just like “Googling” has entered the English dictionary, people “YouTube” videos when they are looking for something.
That seemed to be the common stream of thought in the comments as well, except for Mike of TechTicker:
UStream has managed to do a pretty good job. Their video quality leaves some to be desired at times, but they have substantially better uptime to Yahoo and have held up in some high use scenarios like the UN Climate Change Conference.
As far as I’m concerned they’re the leaders in the field right now.
I tend to agree with them, based off their metrics as well as their proactive role they’ve taken in promoting what they do. UStream is the leader as of now. I rather dread, though, the sheer onslaught that a powerhouse like YouTube will bring to the marketplace, once they decide to do this.
There’s also another aspect to this that people aren’t considering (and I’m sure someone over at YouTube is thinking about this, but so far no pundits have really picked up on it). Live video takes up ten tons more bandwidth than non-live. By opening up that sort of video to the general YouTubing masses, they’ll be seeing a huge increase in the amount of resources they’ll need to devote to the system.
I’m sure that Google can probably still afford this, even after the significant market cap hit they’ve taken the last couple of weeks, but how long can they continue to sustain that level of expense in the face of a very limited ability to monetize their inventory. This is a situation where the smaller and more nimble companies will likely have a better chance at profitability. It doesn’t matter who you are, Mogulus, Justin, Ustream or YouTube - you’re going to have unsold inventory at this point. The one that is best set up to sell ads on that inventory without busting the bank paying for bandwidth will be the winner.
SiteHoppin’ and Beer Credits, For Other Nerds at Home on Friday Night
Not sure if you’ve heard of a site called SiteHoppin’ but the team behind it has just added a new feature, called Beer Credits (seemingly an attribute to the drunken stupor SiteHoppin’s team seems to always occupy). If you check out the site, you’ll see that SiteHoppin’ has taken an iPod shuffle approach to viewing sites from across the web. Actually, SiteHoppin’ works perfectly with your iPod Touch or iPhone, and this seems to be a primary consideration behind the design of the site.
While SiteHoppin’ seems kind of cartoony, the new beer credits system seemed at least somewhat worthy for a Friday, considering the rest of you are out partying and I’m home in front of my computer. Let’s start with a little background on SiteHoppin’.
The concept behind this site is to let you peruse all that the web has to offer, without clicking or even typing in keywords. You can sit back and enjoy the show, or choose a category and run with it. There are some interactive options, like tagging and discussions, and overall the site is a bit similar to others like Web Hot or Not. The new beer credit system lets you earn credits every time you go site “hoppin” and you can use these collected credits to in turn promote your web page on SiteHoppin.
Now, since these web sites play as a show, or sorts, they display in an iFrame. So at it’s most basic level, these Beer Credits are a form of advertising for those wishing to promote their sites. I’m not exactly sure how SiteHoppin’ plans on monetizing this system, but I’m positive it involves real beer. Watch the clip below to see the inner workings of SiteHoppin’.
Movie Gadget Friday: TRON
Filed under: Features, Misc. Gadgets
Ariel Waldman contributes Movie Gadget Friday, where she highlights the lovable and lame gadgets from the world of cinema.Previously on Movie Gadget Friday, we traveled across war-torn galaxies in the 1978 version of Battlestar Gallatica. Moving forward a few years to 1982, we'll take a look inside the computational arcade culture of TRON. Saturated with neon suits and Pac-Man blips and bleeps, the sci-fi cult Disney film has achieved pop culture status over the years.
Using a matter transform sequence and a grid matrix, the ENCOM Digitizing Laser is able to transport physical matter into a digital space. The laser is able to lock on a target and dismantle the molecular structure on a cubic grid. When used for its original intentions, the molecules remain suspended in the laser beam. However, the Master Control Program is able to deviate this sequence into transporting the restructured molecules into a digitized computer game world where TRON resides. The molecules can then be shifted back safely into the physical world by selecting the run mode through the laser system. Surprisingly, the only side effects the laser has on humans is minor disorientation and temporary memory loss. Phew. More after the break.
Continue reading Movie Gadget Friday: TRON
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Sega Toys’ Body Trainer headset coaxes you into working out
Filed under: Wearables
[Via CNET]
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Technorati To Launch Blogger Advertising Network (Michael Arrington/TechCrunch)
Michael Arrington / TechCrunch:
Technorati To Launch Blogger Advertising Network — Through a variety of sources we've confirmed that Technorati is making plans for a major shift in its going forward strategy, and is also considering a number of corporate development transactions. — First, they've been pitching venture capitalists on another round of financing.
35 Ways to Stream Your Life (Josh Catone/ReadWriteWeb)
Josh Catone / ReadWriteWeb:
35 Ways to Stream Your Life — It's a pretty good bet that if you're not making a Twitter or Facebook application, you're probably making a lifestreaming application. Okay, so not everyone is into lifestreaming, but it is one of the hottest areas for development out there …
Baidu to Launch Chinese IM Service
Baidu has decided to enter the IM space today, announcing plans to launch something they’re calling “Baidu Hi.” According to CenterNetwork’s Allen Stern, they’ve been working on the project for about a year, and they’re currently anxious to get the thing out the door, ramping up their hiring efforts to get it done (though they haven’t yet disclosed when exactly that is going to be).
Baidu is the Chinese search engine with the most market share there, and much like all the American search portals, they specialize in site search and multimedia search. They’ve also got the Chinese version of Wikipedia pegged down with their own collaborative encyclopedia named Baidu Baike.
Most recently, Baidu has made headlines for getting sued for the ability for users to come to the site and search for unsecured MP3s on public servers (something you can do with just about any search engine in the world). The lawsuit [PDF] names numerous infractions and is seeking 7 million yuan ($1 million USD) in damages.
What is Fididel? $1 Million Richer.
I’ve seen this one crop up several places today, but most recently from Dean Takahashi at VentureBeat. Its being described as a stealth startup and its called Fididel, named after a Mexican restaurant the CEO went to this one time. The CEO is Hal Wendell and he is a ‘veteran’ of companies such as Hewlett-Packard and Nortel. This $1 Million is in addition to it’s $761,250 already previously raised from private investors.The website is sparse, and indicates very little of what it plans to do or how it plans to do it (though it bills itself as ‘the future of e-commerce’).
The only thing I can find on the web indicating any further details is that an employee called Kelly Williams is trying to recruit powersellers currently boycotting eBay to give the system a shot (with a free trial for six months - no listing fees!).
We give no reccomendation to the site (as we haven’t seen anything but their splash page), but if you want to take Kelly up on her offer, you can email her.
Startup Review: GirlsAskGuys, HDgreetings, TheCareerMole, FINVIZ
Below are four of the newest startups according to Killer Startups for the period ending February 29, 2008. Check out previous Killer Startups posts.
GirlsAskGuys - Two Sides... All the Answers
Mystified by guys? Wondering about girls? Need advice about sex, love or dating? Ask questions here and get honest answers from real-world guys and girls. GirlsAskGuys.com is a place to get and give advice. Topics are focused on love, sex, dating, breaking up and other relationship-related subjects. Questions and answers are mostly uncensored, so members can be completely honest and open with one another. read more »
Hdgreetings - Greeting Cards in HD
Hdgreetings allows you to send greeting cards to your friends, family, or clients in High Definition allowing them to watch crystal clear images in full-screen mode on their computer. This service allows you to chose from different categories of greeting cards and then to customize the greeting, the song, and the photo. With this service, artists can also submit cards and get paid each time their card is sent. read more »
TheCareerMole - Employee Referal Network
The idea behind TheCareerMole.com, is simple and effective. You are an employee who can help out and get helped from other employees just like you, that through referrals, go progressing in your career and in life. That's what it's all about. An employee referral network. read more »
FINVIZ - Stock Market Screener, Charts, Quotes
Are you an online trader and need constant market updates? FINVIZ.com could end up being something that really comes in handy. FINVIZ.com gives you everything you need to keep track of the stock market. There's a screener that FINVIZ claims to be the fastest on the internet. Besides just the screener, there are interactive market maps as well as several market intelligence solutions. read more »
Check out the printer we used for our business cards:
Social Media Crime Blotter: Takin’ Out the Trash Edition
The White House has and many other governmental organizations that deal regularly with the print media press have a term - it’s called “Take Out the Trash Day.” It refers to the fact that newspapers only have so many column inches with which to print stories, and if a bunch of bits of news are released on a Friday, less of those stories will see the light of day due to that limited space.
Enter the Internet. We don’t have pesky limitations like column inches. Yet it is still fun to call it take out the trash day - because a lot of these stories we wanted to get to, but other stuff got in the way over the course of the week - so we’re lumping them all together in the SMCB post.
In this issue:
Facebook Moderator Gets Subpoena in Wikileaks
You’re A Wanted Fugitive In The US And You Blog, Maybe Don’t Mention Plans To Travel To A US Territory
Facebook denies turning in Mourtada (more…)
Apple “actively courting” Sony for slot-loading Blu-ray drives?
We know, we're getting tired of Apple Blu-ray rumors as well -- they're right up there with refreshed Cinema Displays in terms of rumor persistence -- but until Steve and the gang actually shove a drive into a machine we're stuck with them. The latest says that Apple is actively pressing Sony for slot-loading BD-R drives but quality control issues are gumming up the plan. Reportedly, this latest ho-hum MacBook Pro refresh was to feature BD-R drives, but all Sony could muster up were Blu-ray / DVD±RW drives, which Apple refused. That seems a little odd, frankly -- now that the format war is over and the competition's already shipping mid-range laptops with slot-load BD-R drives, you'd think Apple would want to cash in that Blu-ray Disc Association membership card with whoever can supply the drives. As always, we'll see when we see -- it's gotta happen sometime, right?[Image courtesy of dadako.com]
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Google Invests In DNA Sequencing Project
Google has financially backed a project from a Harvard University scientist to unlock the secrets of common diseases by decoding the DNA of 100,000 people.
The project will be the largest human genome sequencing project in the world, and may lead to new cures for disease.
According to Bloomberg, the project will begin in the U.S., U.K., China and Sweden this year, initially deciphering the genetic makeup of 1,000 people at a cost of $50 million.
The new investment takes Google further towards its quest to index any and everything on the planet, having invested in genetics testing company 23andme last year, and more recently preparing Google Health for launch.
Crunch Network: CrunchBoard because it’s time for you to find a new Job2.0
Love To Talk Jawbone headsets make your other ear jealous
Filed under: Cellphones
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MSI Motherboard Fan Powered Without Electricity [Peripherals]
Fans of green technology will undoubtedly be glad to hear that MSI has developed a working concept design that utilizes Stirling Engine Theory to power a motherboard fan. Instead of conventional electricity, the fan will harvest heat emanating from the processor to function.
Interestingly enough, during a recent visit to their HQ in Taiwan, MSI told TweakTown that they "would probably end up adding the world's first powerless air cooler to an Nvidia motherboard." Nvidia? No wonder MSI boards suck. [TweakTown via Boing Boing Gadgets]
Cellphone Makers Have No Idea Why We Hate Their Phones [Cellphones]
Cellphone makers like LG, Moto and Nokia are apparently laboring harder than ever over what we think about their phones (mostly not happy thoughts!). But guess what? Even with this newfound "concern" they still don't get it. Here's a couple of their ridiculous, out-of-touch ideas about how make us happy from a panel at MWC:
One panelist suggested that cellphone makers tap into consumers' "neural networks", while another said they should understand their subliminal needs.WTF?
I actually know what a neural network is. But WTF does it have to do with making a phone that's not crappy? This is all BS business-speak, and talking and thinking like that is why makers put out shitty, unintuitive phones. They should make a phone with how real people use phones in mind.
This "changed world" where "there is more relevance in what other consumers say than what the company is saying" isn't a bad thing, though the article implies that's how the handset makers feel. And as long as they feel that way, they'll keep trying to push crap into people's pockets. [NYT]
Eco Park Time Travel Mart: “Whenever You Are, We’re Already Then” [Time Travel]
David Eggers can now add time travel entrepreneur to his long list of literary and social accomplishments thanks to the Eco Park Time Travel Mart he recently opened in LA. Some of the humorous products available for purchase include: mammoth chunks, barbarian repellent, packets of shade and anti-robot fluid. More info after the break.
galleryPost('timetravelmart', 5, '');
As with the other novelty stores in Eggers stable, the time travel mart will be used to support his non-profit 826 chain of tutoring and writing centers. If I lived in LA, I know that I would be a generous supporter. After all, how many places can you say "I want that yesterday" and get your wish? [Product Catalog and 826LA via io9 via Boing Boing Gadgets]
This Week’s Best Posts [Highlights]
It's Friday, people! Let's celebrate with a look back at this week's most popular posts:
- Top 10 DIY Car Hacks
"Today we've rounded up 10 of our favorite car-related tips and tricks that work whether you're at one with your engine or regard your ride as a mysterious four-wheel transporter." - Give an Old Laptop New Life with Cheap (or Free) Projects
"Like a famed race horse or a classic book, you don't just throw away a laptop because it's banged up a little." - Coolest Cubicle Contest, Part the First
"...today we're kicking off our first Coolest Cubicle Contest, with $500 to Amazon at stake." - Dock Your Old Drives with the Hard Drive USB Dock
"Dock any internal SATA hard drive in this USB dock to turn any internal drive into an external drive on-the-quick." - Manage Your Online Reputation
"Are you happy with the results people get back when they Google your name?" - Browse and Play Your Ripped DVDs with DVD Play
"Browse and play the DVDs you've ripped to your hard drive with freeware application DVD Play." - Increase Your Morning Productivity with the 10 O'Clock Rule
"...weblog LifeClever suggests de-stressing your mornings and getting more done by setting your watch to beep every night at 10 o'clock (or whatever time works for you), then getting started preparing for tomorrow." - Get Mac-Like Window Tabs in Windows with Nubs
"...free Windows utility Nubs allows you to hide your inactive windows to the sides of your desktop using stylish, theme-able tabs."
Judge: Wikileaks gets its domain name back (Declan McCullagh/CNET News.com)
Declan McCullagh / CNET News.com:
Judge: Wikileaks gets its domain name back — Updated at 1:42 p.m. PST. — SAN FRANCISCO—Wikileaks is getting its domain name back. — After spending 90 minutes or so hearing arguments from a raft of attorneys—two representing the Swiss bank that fought to get the site's plug pulled …
How would you change Apple’s Penryn-based MacBook Pro?
Filed under: Features, Laptops
Nevertheless, the time came and went, and the re-opening of the online Apple store brought a whole heap of disappointment to many. Sure, folks still (somehow) enamored with the aging MBP design were thrilled to have access to a more potent, less scalding iteration of their favorite machine, but honestly, we're still using the GeForce 8600M GT? Really, Apple? Needless to say, this refresh likely did little to satisfy your desire for a revamped MacBook Pro, but we're interested in finding out exactly what it is you really wanted. An option for an SSD? What about a built-in Blu-ray drive? Would integrated HDMI make things more appealing? Or is a top-down case redesign the only thing stopping you from abusing your credit card in the name of Steve Jobs? Go on, we know you folks are chock full of good ideas, so let's hear 'em, shall we?
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RelaxStyle Lamp: Like Tripping at the Bottom of the Sea [Lighting]
Need to unwind? The RelaxStyle Room Palette Effect lamp can transport you to a tranquil undersea world at the push of a button. The lamp projects light onto walls or ceilings that resemble undulating waves—giving users the feeling of being submerged in shallow water, looking up into the sunlight. You can even set a timer that will automatically shut the light show down after 120 minutes. That way you can blissfully set adrift into sleep and peacefully pee your pants in the middle of the night. Available for $69. [Japan Trend Shop via Crave via DVICE]
Amazon Unbox HD Rentals Coming Soon? [Rumor]
Amazon's Unbox service might finally get some HD action. This screencap is from a survey sent out to their customer panel—notice the $4.99 pricepoint to rent an HD movie is the same as iTunes. Where's the "cheaper, plz" option? They also asked whether there's interest in subscriptions—like to "hit movies," or say, indie flicks. What say ye? [Thanks Michael!]
ONELink Wireless, Networked, Talking Smoke Alarms Tell You When to Get the Hell Out [Alarm]
If you are ever confronted with a fire or carbon monoxide situation in your home, it goes without saying that you would want an alarm that will give you the best chance to escape. That having been said, the ONELink system from First Alert does just about everything outside of physically carrying you out of the building. Because they can be wirelessly networked (up to 16 units), when one of the devices goes off, they will all go off, giving you more time to take action no matter where you are in a building.
The ONELink can also give you verbal alerts that define whether you are dealing with smoke or carbon monoxide and where the problem is occurring in your home. They can even be tested and/or programmed using your standard television remote. As you might expect, the ONELink is a bit pricey at $99 a unit, but if they work as advertised, it may be a small price to pay. [Smarthome and First Alert via Gizmag]
XP or Vista? [Reader Poll]
According to News.com, Microsoft is slashing prices on several versions of Vista, dropping upgrade versions of Vista Ultimate to $219 from $299 (full version drops to $319) and Home Premium from $129 to $159 for U.S. customers. Naturally, the price drop has raised a lot of eyebrows from Vista haters and XP die-hards, which got us wondering which our smarty-pants readers prefer:
Gawker Media polls require Javascript; if you're viewing this in an RSS reader, click through to view in your Javascript-enabled web browser.
Let's hear what's motivating your preference—whether your a die-hard who's sticking with XP or you're an early adopter who embraced Vista while it was still in beta—in the comments.
Weddinic: Barebones Wedding Planning Tool
Weddinic is a new wedding-planning site hailing from South Africa. The premise behind this site is to offer a web-based tool for everyone involved in the wedding process to stay on task. That includes the bride and the groom (i.e. the bride), the guests, and the vendors. The site is also geared towards wedding planners, especially those that are handling multiple events at once.
While Weddinic is launching its public beta today, there are still a good amount of features that are not quite ready for prime time, such as the vendors section, which diminishes the potential for immediate use and adoption rate. Nevertheless, there’s enough functionality on the site to get a good idea of what you’ll be able to do on Weddinic.
First, you’ll need to load in the wedding info. Names and contact info for the brides and grooms, dates, etc. From there, you can create and manage guest lists, write blog entries, make seating charts, and more. You can create groups, ask friends for advice, set up email and SMS alerts for your bridal party, etc.
Though the Weddinic site is still pretty basic and doesn’t have much content yet, it’s clear that this space is continuing to grow. WeddingWire recently received a hefty investment from Martha Stewart’s media company, and sites like Planaganza are emerging to offer a more custom approach to dealing with the practicalities of planning an event.
What I think Weddinic is missing out on is the community effects that could potentially be layered into its service, from an attendee standpoint in regards to shopping information and resources or an online collaborative for sharing info before/during/after the actual wedding itself, or as an online resource for anyone involved in the wedding-planning process. However, once vendor information is added to the site, this latter point will be more appropriately addressed.
YouTube Personalized Homepages Now Live
You may have noticed that it’s a pretty big week for social networking profile pages. Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube…well, that’s about it, but still. It’s kind of a big deal. YouTube announced its new profile page a few days before it was actually available, but the new personalized profile page is finally here.
After logging in, click here to activate the new homepage. Unlike LinkedIn, it’s not made painfully obvious that you’re testing out a new personalized homepage, and the actual layout of the page itself isn’t all that different from what the normal homepage looks like. Replace the editor picks with personalized recommendations, and the featured videos with recent activity from your friends, and you can pretty well understand how the new personalization comes into play.
Below the new videos from your friends, you’ll also see the latest activity from your friends. There’s still room for promotional clips, like the video ad for Will Ferrell’s latest, or the other promoted clips from elsewhere on the site, as well as popular clips that show at the very bottom of the page. Check it out and let us know if you find the new layout to be helpful and more engaging.
NME says format war still on, it totally made out with a girl last summer in Niagara Falls
Filed under: Home Entertainment
[Thanks, Chris]
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Rumor: Apple Wants Sony Blu-ray Drives for MacBook Pros [Rumor]
AppleInsider says Apple is "actively" poking Sony (as opposed to other BR manufacturers) for slot-loading Blu-ray drives for MacBook Pros—Apple supposedly even wanted to offer BR SuperDrives with the new Penryn-powered machines, but "quality issues" meant Sony could only deliver combo drives. Apple said shno thanks for now.
Reasonably, summer wouldn't be a bad time to expect them to come through, especially with the even more efficient Montevina chipset to offset Blu-ray's battery-killing nature. But, Apple's official support for Blu-ray has been completely non-existent despite its exceedingly long rumor half-life.
On the other hand, Blu-ray's victory logically means we'll see them populating more computers in (sorta) short order, now that the risk of shipping machines with $300 drink holders is gone. [AppleInsider]
Technorati To Launch Blogger Advertising Network
Through a variety of sources we’ve confirmed that Technorati is making plans for a major shift in it’s going forward strategy, and is also considering a number of corporate development transactions.
First, they’ve been pitching venture capitalists on another round of financing. That’s not surprising - their last round, $10.5 million, was in June 2006. The company has raised a total of just over $20 million, and given that they have 25 employees, it’s time for another round. But we’ve also heard that they’ve hired Montgomery & Co. to shop the company to buyers, simultaneous to their funding pitches.
What’s more interesting, though is what we’re hearing on the product front. Technorati, under new CEO Richard Jalichandra, recently changed it site to focus more on its core blogging audience.
That change foreshadows the upcoming shift - which places the Technorati site itself as an anchor in a new blog advertising network.
Advertising networks are popular right now - Glam recently raised $85 million after transitioning, seemingly overnight, from a small web property focused on women to selling advertising for a variety of similarly-focused publishers. And John Battelle’s FM Publishing, an advertising network focused on technology blogs, recently hired investment bank Savvian to help them raise money or sell after turning down a $100 million buyout offer.
Technorati will certainly be competing head to head with FM, although sources say they’ll focus on the long tail of the market as well (FM only takes larger sites). The network will be a self-serve exchange for bloggers (and other publishers) as well as advertisers. Ad units will include both display and text ads, and will allow units to be charged on both a CPM and CPC basis. This self-service model looks a lot more like Adbrite than Glam or FM.
Technorati tags, which are very often used to describe blog posts with keywords selected by the author, would also be a natural way for Technorati to target advertising more effectively.
Technorati has also considered other strategies recently, including a blog rollup. But our understanding is that they’ve gone with the ad network idea, and are currently focusing engineers on finalizing the product.
Will the strategy work? As we’ve argued many times, ad networks suffer from fickle customers. Glam offers partners revenue guarantees based on page views (and lost $3.7 million last year on $21 million in revenue). FM has resisted guarantees to date, but lost high profile partner Digg last year to Microsoft. Others, including us, have simply sold advertising directly while continuing to work with FM. With Technorati entering the market, publishers will have yet more choices. That’s good for everyone except the ad networks competing for their business.
Crunch Network: CrunchGear drool over the sexiest new gadgets and hardware.
Google CTR Down Due To Click Area Changes
After Google’s stock took a hit based on reports that Google ads are not being clicked on as much as they use to be, comScore is reporting today that the market may have got it wrong
the evidence suggests that the softness in Google’s paid click metrics is primarily a result of Google’s own quality initiatives that result in a reduction in the number of paid listings and, therefore, the opportunity for paid clicks to occur.
In part this might be right, but what’s being ignored by most is a little decision in November that changed the way Google ads worked:
Google has made a small change to AdSense that may make a big difference in cutting out errant clicks and even your AdSense revenue. They’ve redefined the clickable region for Google AdSense from the entire boxed region, to just the text link.
I’ve been hearing first hand reports since then from publishers who have experienced a big downturn in CTR and Adsense revenue since that change was implemented. Well regarded online marketer Jeremy Schoemaker even recently told me in a podcast that Adsense was dead as a monetization strategy. It’s happening to big sites and small sites. Markus Friend from Plenty of Fish, one of the more famed and bigger free-making money from Adsense sites (January):
The CTR on text ads declined about 60% in the last 2 months with googles changes, Image ads on the other hand stayed the same. If you take a screen shot of a text ad and then run it as an image ad it will get 2 times the click thru rate.
You read that right, image ads with double the CTR of Google ads when showing the exact same thing.
SEO BlackHat gets it right February 27:
4 months later, that little back and forth in the Google Rec Room shaved about $85 Billion (with a B) in market capitalization.
But it wasn’t as stupid an idea as it might seem. You see, Adsense works in a Quasi-market place environment. The market will bid up the cost per click once the adjustment for accidental clicks is readjusted. Right now, marketers should be getting a better value per click as a higher percentage of the clicks are “real” or intentional. That will lead to higher bids per click and ultimately should be close to a break even for GOOGs bottom line.
The short story: the changes to the clickable area in Google ads has resulted in a decline in accidental clicks, resulting in the overall click rate to decline. If Google is seeing a decline in CTR it’s at least in part due to its November decision.
Crunch Network: CrunchBoard because it’s time for you to find a new Job2.0
Cap Your Browsing Bandwidth with Firefox Throttle [Featured Firefox Extension]
Windows only: Firefox extension Firefox Throttle caps your download and upload rates in Firefox so you can throttle the amount of bandwidth Firefox can use. The extension is full-featured, with options for excluding specific web domains and toggling the bandwidth throttle, along with some simple traffic stats for the current session. If you really want to take control of how your internet connection's bandwidth is used up, setting up Quality of Service rules on your router is by far a better solution, but if you just wanted to limit the amount of bandwidth your browser can eat, the freeware, Windows-only Firefox Throttle should do the trick.
