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MySpace courting record labels for ad-supported music service

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myspace-music.gifBad news for Apple’s iTunes! Rumor has it that social networking giant MySpace is courting major record companies to develop an ad-supported music service which enable its users to listen to music free of charge.

According to FT, people familiar with this deal confirmed the talks with Universal Music, Sony BMG, Warner Music and EMI. Whether the negotiations are just preliminary or already in the advanced stage remain a big mystery.

Under the agreement, MySpace users can stream music for free. As for the record companies, it will give them massive exposure to millions of users and provide easier way to discover music.

A possible deal breaker here is the ongoing copyright lawsuit between MySpace and Universal Music. According to some rumors, a possible settlement is in the works.

Other online stores such as Wal-Mart and Amazon.com are already offering this free music service. If this plan will push thru, MySpace will compete with other Web 2.0 sites like Spiral Frog, LastFM, Qtrax and Imeem in developing ad-supported service. Then again, it has an unfair advantage given its massive subscriber base and strong association with music.

Originally posted on February 20, 2008 @ 9:32 am

Bill Gates denies ongoing negotiations with Yahoo!

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bill-gates.gifContrary to Yahoo’s fantasy that Microsoft would raise its unsolicited bid after the initial rejection, chairman Bill Gates said there are no ongoing private or secret negotiations with the struggling company. After all, Microsoft deems the offer “full and fair”.

“We sent them a letter and said we think that’s a fair offer. There’s nothing that’s gone on other than us stating that we think it’s a fair offer. They should take a hard look at it,” said Gates, in a news article.

It means Yahoo will still have to further talks with News Corp and possible advertising tie-ups with Google in order to stay afloat.

Still, most analysts speculate this is not yet the end of the controversial drama, citing Microsoft’s inability to close the gap with Google despite heavy investments on advertising and search engine technologies

Originally posted on February 19, 2008 @ 9:33 am

Pageflakes.com targets education and social communities

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pageflakes-elections.gifPageflakes is another customizable and movable homepage which helps heavy Internet users personalize and organize information without rummaging through many Websites every single day.

If you think this is somewhat similar with My Yahoo and iGoogle, you’re right. Why not, Pageflakes CEO Dan Cohen was the mastermind behind these two popular customizable homepages.

Now, the company is actively working on different customizable web pages or “pagecasts” education and social communities. The first one is focused on local schools and boards to help educators sort out class schedules, calendars, grades, exam timelines and message boards. You can check out samples of homepage platform, grade tracker, and message board.

Moreover, Pageflakes has developed several pagecasts for ongoing social events or campaigns such as the 2008 Elections, St. Patrick’s Day, marathons, and Easter. Anyone can see these from clicking the links or signing in and looking in the community section.

Originally posted on February 19, 2008 @ 6:15 am

Kayak.com enhances its Fare Alerts tracking system

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kayak.gifKayak.com, the largest Travel 2.0 in the world, has improved its infamous Fare Alerts system to help savvy travelers track fares on all destinations around the globe.

Now, users can track fares for a specific date or monitor the best prices for a timeframe such as an upcoming weekend or a given month. The new Fare Alerts email will also include the following:

  1. Dollar amount that a fare has increased or decreased since the alert was created
  2. Best Fare Trend Graph which displays airfare history for the requested route based on searches by Kayakers over the past 90 days
  3. Snapshot of prices in Kayak.com’s matrix view which enables users to quickly compare prices by carrier and number of stops
  4. Ability to search for updated prices and availability, edit the alert or delete the alert.

One of the exciting features of this travel search engine is its Trip Idea intended for users who do not have specific destination to go to. Some of its popular categories include “Best Nude Beaches”, “Most Romantic Cities”, and “World’s Sexiest Islands”.

Originally posted on February 19, 2008 @ 5:16 am

The healthy side of social networking

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social-networks.gifHere’s one reason why social networking matters. A new study suggests that having a large social network size minimizes pain and anxiety before and after surgical operations.

Published on The Journal of the American College of Surgeon, this study aims to validate the role of social connectedness to overall health and well-being. It involves 605 patients scheduled for abdominal or chest operations.

Those who have large network of family and friends had “lower preoperative pain intensity, unpleasantness, and state and trait anxiety.” On the other hand, those who have smaller social network stayed longer on the hospital.

Though it tackles social networking in general (online and offline), the study validates the age-old importance of human relationship and our desire to belong.

via NYT

Originally posted on February 19, 2008 @ 4:37 am