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Yahoo is giving people a sneak peek at their new BroswserPlus tool.

A note from their site…

Today we’re offering a preliminary look at BrowserPlus to the public in advance of opening it up to community developers. Please check out the current service APIs as well as these code samples and let us know what you think!

You can’t yet use BrowserPlus on your own site, but that will change soon. In the interim, if you think you have an exciting idea for an application of BrowserPlus, we’d love to hear from you.

Early this week Google announced third-party display ad tags will now be possible for image ads running through AdSense/AdWords.  This should boost CPM rates for publishers as the “qualified” third-parties are likely to be more sophisticated advertisers with larger budgets; the extra volume will help put pressure on ad rates too.

Here’s the email they sent out…

 Subject: Third-party ads now available on the Google content network

Greetings from Google!

We’re happy to announce that the Google content network now accepts display ads served from qualified third-party vendors.
During this initial release, only ads in English are eligible, although we look forward to offering more options in the future.

By accepting third-party ads, we can attract a greater variety of advertising on the Google content network, which we believe will
result over time in increased revenue for publishers and more relevant advertising for end users.

If you’re currently opted in to image ads, you’re already able to  receive third-party ads. If not, you can enable image ads to start
receiving third-party ads immediately. (Learn how to enable image  ads at
https://www.google.com/adsense/support/bin/answer.py?answer=9741.)

If you choose to allow third-party ads on your site, please update  your privacy policy to inform your visitors that third-party
vendors may serve ads on your site. Please also provide links to  these vendor websites and inform your users that they may opt out
of cookies (if the vendor offers this capability). For more  information about updating your policies, visit
https://www.google.com/adsense/support/bin/answer.py?answer=94150.

You’ll continue to have full control over which ads appear on your site with tools like competitive ad filtering and the Ad Review
Center. Also, only advertisers with whom we have proven relationships and who’ve clearly demonstrated commitments to our
quality standards may participate in this program. Our policies governing ad content and formatting remain unchanged.

To learn more about third-party ads, please visit our blog post at
http://adsense.blogspot.com/2008/05/introducing-third-party-ads-on-google.html
and our FAQ at
https://www.google.com/adsense/support/bin/topic.py?topic=14535.
If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to contact us at adsense-support@google.com.

Sincerely,

The Google AdSense Team

Hey look, it’s iWon.com and AllAdvantage.com all over again. Maybe. Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos must have had lunch.

Would I use this? Well, I am not sure. My first thought is to just go to Amazon or somewhere like PriceGrabber. But, I could be trained to use it, if I shop a lot, and pay attention to search engines (how much do “normal” people really think about this stuff?). A recession might help; we’ll call that wind at Microsoft’s back. I might use it. I might. But, in reality, I would probably go to Google and try a search there, see the results and ultimately the given products price…and then go to Live Search and try a search there to get the deal. That may be a stretch for most people, but, it is a habit that could be learned as it has common parallels in the physical world.

I will say I think this is really interesting! And give Microsoft props for trying it. Definitely something to watch. What is more significant is that this introduces a new value-add to search. We’ve seen vertical searches (images, news, etc.); we’ve seen multiple types of search results on one page (photos, blogs, news, shopping, plus the normal results); we’ve seen Flash used and cool effects/display. I think this is a cool idea. Will it work? Will I use it? I don’t know. One major problem: most people use Google, so first you have to get them to think about and then go to Live Search. A couple huge advantages: msn.com and Hotmail can introduce this very quickly to a lot of people.

A partial quote:

REDMOND, Wash. (AP) — Microsoft Corp. is offering cash rebates when people make purchases after using its search engine as the software maker begins to reveal how it plans to take on Google Inc. following the failure of its $47.5 billion bid for Yahoo.

Analysts and investors have been eagerly awaiting details about “Plan C” after Microsoft acknowledged that its Plan A of going solo was troubled but also withdrew its Plan B — acquiring Yahoo — because Yahoo executives sought more money.

Under the cash program revealed Wednesday, Web shoppers who sign up for an account and buy items found using Microsoft’s Live Search cashback site will receive a percentage of the purchase price deposited into their account.

When the total reaches $5, the shoppers can redeem their “cold, hard cash” via eBay Inc.’s PayPal. Microsoft said the rebates are funded with a portion of the money it collects from advertisers.

So far, more than 700 merchants, including Home Depot and Zappos.com, have listed products on the site.

Full story via AP.Google (yes, the irony caught me too! continue reading…)

Screenshots about it – from http://search.live.com/cashback

One interesting note: I first saw this as an AP story, which should be everywhere. I did a Google News search for the headline, and a Microsoft owned website did not have the story. ap.google.com did though. Google News only had 2 or 3 results depending on whether I used quotes around the headline. Microsoft Live Search produced just over a page of results; again, no Microsoft owned websites had the story. By this point I am thinking something must be wrong with the Force, Luke, (sorry), so I go to msn.com and do an MSN site search for the headline… and presto…. MSNBC.com has it. (I love MSNBC’s site) You know you are an Internet geek when you find this amazing. Microsoft: focus on making your search experience better and people will use it; get your content available via search too! Screenshots below.

Update:

And true to form… info on the economics of the Microsoft cash back gimmick from Silicon Alley Insider…

Whoa: Microsoft Cashback Google-Killer Generates NO Revenue For Microsoft

Google Exec: Hell No We’re Not Paying Anyone To Use Google

Today’s big news… CBS is buying CNet… becoming the 10th largest internet company (chart).

Here is the press release:

CBS CORPORATION TO ACQUIRE CNET NETWORKS, INC.

CBS to Become a Top Ten U.S. Internet Company with Unparalleled Content and Reach, Boasting Approximately 200 Million Monthly Unique Users Worldwide

CNET Networks’ CNET, ZDNet, GameSpot.com, TV.com, CNET News, UrbanBaby, BNET, CHOW and Search.com, Among Others, To Be Combined with
CBS Corporation’s National and Local Interactive Businesses

NEW YORK and SAN FRANCISCO, May 15 — CBS Corporation (NYSE: CBS.A and CBS) has entered into an agreement to acquire CNET Networks, Inc., it was announced today by Leslie Moonves, President and Chief Executive Officer, CBS Corporation. Under the terms of the agreement, CBS will make a cash tender offer for all issued and outstanding shares of CNET Networks for $11.50 per share, representing an equity value of approximately $1.8 billion. The acquisition will make CBS one of the 10 most popular Internet companies in the United States, with a combined 54 million unique users per month, and approximately 200 million users worldwide.

“There are very few opportunities to acquire a profitable, growing, well-managed Internet company like CNET Networks,” said Moonves. “CBS stands for premium content and unparalleled reach, and CNET Networks will add a tremendous platform to extend our complementary entertainment, news, sports, music and information content to a whole new global audience. Together, CBS and CNET Networks will have significant additional exposure to the fastest-growing advertising sector and can accelerate our growth through a number of new content, promotion and advertising initiatives. We could not be more pleased with the prospect of adding CNET Networks and its tremendous team of people to the CBS family. I look forward to working with Quincy Smith, Neil Ashe and the considerable combined talent at both companies, as we build upon our success.”

Based in San Francisco, CNET Networks owns many of the Internet’s leading entertainment, news and information sites including CNET, ZDNet, GameSpot.com, TV.com, mp3.com, CNET news.com, UrbanBaby, CHOW, Search.com, BNET, MySimon and TechRepublic. The company, which reported significant profits in 2007 on revenues of $406 million, has a large international footprint, particularly in China.

Upon closing, CNET Networks’ sites will be combined with CBS’s stable of dynamic and growing interactive businesses. These include CBS.com, CBSSports.com, CBSCollegeSports.com, MaxPreps.com, CBSNews.com, last.fm, Wallstrip, MobLogic, CBS Radio and CBS Television Stations digital media platforms, and the distribution network of the CBS Audience Network, which is made up of more than 300 partner Web sites and reaches 82% of all online users in the United States.

“The core businesses of CNET Networks and CBS Interactive represent near perfect category symmetry in premium online content,” said Quincy Smith, President, CBS Interactive. “Together we will have a terrific opportunity to not only grow our established businesses, but to build new attractive verticals of content as well. This is the beginning of an era for both CBS and CNET Networks; plus, it’s going to be great to work with Neil and his team, many of whom I have known for many years.”

“We’re thrilled to join CBS and combine our interactive media experience with CBS’s world-class content,” said Neil Ashe, Chief Executive Officer, CNET Networks, Inc. “CNET Networks operates some of the most important premium online brands, serving the most sought after online audiences. Today’s announcement brings together two organizations that complement each other and working with Leslie, Quincy and the talented people at CBS, we look forward to taking our business and our brands to the next level.”

“We look forward to completing the acquisition of CNET Networks and the terrific benefits it brings to CBS as Quincy, Neil and their combined teams build upon our success,” Moonves concluded. “At the same time our strong cash flow allows us to pay among the highest dividends in the industry, and we are committed to continue to pay our attractive dividend to return value to shareholders.”

The Board of Directors of CNET Networks has unanimously approved the merger agreement and unanimously recommends that CNET Networks stockholders accept the tender offer and tender their shares.

The transaction is subject to customary conditions and is expected to be completed in the third quarter of this year.

I admit, I have not jumped on the iPhone bandwagon.  I know, loser.  But, I like the Verizon network and the Blackberry keypad (I type a ton); it really comes down to typing mass quantities, and the Blackberry is the clear winner.  So, when I saw this on Crackberry.com… I jumped out of my chair.  Maybe I can have my cake and eat it too.  Read the blog post…he did a nice job.  I’m also still hoping for an iPhone with a killer keypad.

While image search is better than it was 10 years ago (okay, that’s not saying much), it could certainly be better and applied in more ways.  Google has released new information on its image search advances… with a new VisualRank algorithm that parallels PageRank.  Read more here.

Time to rant…

I can’t count the times I’ve watch a presentation and heard the presenter mention RSS… and follow it by “RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication.”  And then there is the awkward pause that may or may not be acknowledged –  some are probably still thinking “huh?” and others “why do you keep saying this?”.  Let’s face it… RSS is not that simple.  RSS has a branding issue, and its origins come from technologists (we won’t even get into the version issues).

We should have the folks at P&G, Target, McDonalds or NBC give it a rubdown (you know, people who position to the mainstream)… then maybe people would call it something simple like… an Online Subscription (”sign up for our free online subscription with your online reader”) … or MyHeadlines… or Linker (”add us to your Linker”)… Peek (”sign up for our sneak peek”)… or something, anything.  Heck, call it FRED and stop explaining what it is.  No one explains the names Google, Yahoo, Amazon, Facebook, Apple, iPod, mp3, etc, etc.  Thank you Yahoo for allowing people to add stuff to their MyYahoo page; that sounds easy.

Thank you Mashable for hitting the point today; yes, it does need and easy button.  I couldn’t agree more… or pass up the opportunity to finally post my own rant on this.

I hope you all enjoyed reading this via your RSS reader … doht!

CBS Interactive is doing it right by setting up an office in Silicon Vally (Menlo Park). This world has changed and Tech plays a big role. Today, people don’t need to start their morning with a newspaper, listen to the radio to/at/from work or watch the evening television newscast; although, most still do out of habit. Today and tomorrow, tech will enable media/audiences/advertising in so many ways. Compare how these technologies affected our world: printing press, transistor, AM/FM, UHF/VHF, microphone, video camera. And then consider how many new technologies have rolled out in the past 2, 5, 20 years. Many of those technologies affect information flow, and therefore cut into the role traditional media has played. And, I suppose if Tech companies can become media companies (a la Google), then the opposite can be true (if a book seller like Amazon can sell tech services to small businesses, why can’t media companies enable audiences to ____ , or at the very least, to enable media to continue to evolve). Although, I doubt CBS wants to be a Tech company; rather just enough to grow audiences, audience engagement, and revenue from subscriptions and advertising.

The CBS Interactive M&A and dealmaking team will have their eye (sorry for the pun) on these areas:

• Personalization: I want my news topics, my shows, my music, my friends, my lifestyle… my way… and advertisers’ ROI will improve as their targeted ads increasingly reach the right people (throw away that notion of “50% of my ad budget is working; I just don’t know which half”…it is aging fast, and it will create winners and losers).

• Distribution: web, email, IM, mobile, gaming, television (here comes the internet connection), in-car, digital signage, digital readers, etc.

• Engagement/participation: rating stuff, giving feedback, recommending, forwarding, remixing, watching, linking, embedding, interacting, learning, analyzing, creating, editing, deleting, etc.

Evolving on these fronts will complement CBS’s current content/product portfolio, and, its relationships with audiences and advertisers. Keep an eye (sorry, again) on the parallels between product and advertising; each of the above points has many potential plays on both sides.

Read more on the CBS Interactive move here

Newspaper continues upward, online that is, with 12% growth in web traffic.  Another cool number is that 40% of all U.S. web users visited a newspaper website in Q1.  Here is more info…

We’ve all seen the plethora of reports and headlines about the video ad business over the past few years. The IAB continues their efforts to help us all face the right direction. That’s cool because bumping into awkward ad sizes just isn’t what it once was (hey man, the animated gif eye sore days are over; get with the program, and make some money). Check out their guidelines and give them feedback. Click here. Doo it. Doo it.