Archive for November 13th, 2007
Google is teaming up with Nielsen to bring demographic data to Google TV Ads. The companies announced a multiyear, strategic relationship on Wednesday to leverage Nielsen’s experience in TV audience measurement to the Google platform.Google TV Ads is an online platform for buying, selling, measuring, and delivering television ads. Launched in May, the platform includes advertising inventory across hundreds of channels. By combining Nielsen demographic data with aggregated set-top box data, Google promises it can provide advertisers and agencies with information to help them create better ads and maximize the return on their advertising spending.
“As we continue to expand our TV advertising program, it is important that we provide advertisers and agencies with data that will help them reach their target demographic with the right ad,” Google CEO Eric Schmidt said in a statement. “Working closely with Nielsen, the industry leader, improves our measurement capabilities by adding a demographic layer on top of existing set-top box data.”
Click here to read the rest of this story on CIO Today.
November 13th, 2007
Opera Software announced its latest innovation on Thursday — Opera Link. The Norwegian company is promising its new technology will let users instantly access their bookmarks, Speed Dial, and personal bar wherever they are, whatever Opera browser they use, and whatever device they use it on.”We refuse to believe people should compromise their experience when they access the Web from different devices,” Opera CEO Jon von Tetzchner said in a statement. “With Opera Link, we give them a consistent experience uniquely suited to the way they want to use the Web.”
Opera Link forms a key cornerstone of two beta products released this week: Opera 9.5 and the newest beta of Opera Mini 4. There is also a Web interface for users of any browser at my.opera.com. The Opera Web remains free and is available for use with Windows, Mac, and Linux PCs.
Click here to read the rest of this story on NewsFactor.
November 13th, 2007
YouTube got some competition. Well, sort of. Online video service dubbed Hulu.com launched in beta on Monday. The site is jointly owned by NBC Universal and News Corp., and has been billed as a YouTube-killer. However, instead of user-generated content, Hulu.com offers premium content.Hulu makes hit shows, movies, and other content available from a cadre of Hollywood’s heavy hitters such as NBC, FOX, MGM, Sony Pictures Television, Bravo, E! Entertainment, and National Geographic. The content is distributed through Hulu partners AOL, Comcast, MSN, MySpace, and Yahoo. Google is noticeably missing from the distribution lineup.
“We’re excited to bring a wide selection of popular content to fans, on-demand and free — from full episodes and clips of hit shows like Heroes, House, The Office, and The Simpsons, to feature films like The Blues Brothers and Sideways,” Hulu CEO Jason Kilar said in a statement.
Click here to read the rest of this story on NewsFactor.
November 13th, 2007
While Google might not be interested in entering the mobile devices market, on Monday Skype removed all doubt that the eBay-owned VoIP 
software maker intends to do so.Skype announced a collaboration with Hong Kong mobile operator 3 to launch a handset that lets you make free Skype-to-Skype calls and send free Skype instant messages from the phone to other Skype users no matter where they are.
Dubbed the 3 Skypephone, the device is a fully featured 3G cellular phone with Skype built right in. The phone makes Skype calls and conventional wireless calls, and can be used to access 3′s Internet services.
“Skype is now truly mobile,” Michael van Swaaij, acting CEO at Skype, said in a statement. “It couldn’t be simpler — put Skype in your pocket and make free Skype mobile calls and send free Skype instant messages at the touch of a single Skype button.”
Click here to read the rest of this story on CIO Today.
November 13th, 2007
IBM claims it has discovered a way to recycle silicon wafers used in its computer chip manufacturing operations. Big Blue’s earth-friendly initiative would turn the chips into solar panels.The new reclamation process uses a specialized pattern-removal technique that was pioneered at IBM’s Burling, Vermont manufacturing facility. The process recently won the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable’s “2007 Most Valuable Pollution Prevention Award.”
“One of the challenges facing the solar industry is a severe shortage of silicon, which threatens to stall its rapid growth,” Charles Bai, CFO of ReneSola, one of China’s fastest growing solar energy companies, said in a statement. “This is why we have turned to reclaimed silicon materials sourced primarily from the semiconductor industry to supply the raw material our company needs to manufacture solar panels.”
Click here to read the rest of this story on Sci-Tech today.
November 13th, 2007
Google seems bent on claiming a larger piece of the wireless pie, but the search engine king could find some obstacles stateside. As the world awaits Google’s confirmation on just what its next steps will be, analysts are beginning to highlight the obstacles of making a Google-powered phone a reality in the U.S.According to the Wall Street Journal, Google is expected to announce advanced software and services designed to pave the way for handset makers to bring Google-powered phones to store shelves by the middle of 2008. The Journal cited sources familiar with the matter in its Monday report. Google could not be reached immediately for comment.
Google is reportedly working on a suite of applications — including maps, e-mail, social-networking features, and video — optimized for the wireless experience. But Current Analysis analyst Avi Greengart said that’s not a new revelation. Google has been developing its own suite of applications for some time.
Click here to read the rest of this story on NewsFactor.
November 13th, 2007
Microsoft is set to release three Windows Vista updates that offer performance improvements for Redmond’s newest operating system. The fixes are coming through Windows Update.The first update is designed to improve the compatibility, reliability, and stability of Vista. Specifically, it is designed to extend battery life for mobile devices, improve the stability of portable computers and desktop computers that use an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), and improve stability of wireless network services and Windows Power Shell.
The update also is designed to shorten Vista’s startup time and recovery time after a period of inactivity, and when users exit the photos screen saver.
Additionally, this update is designed to resolve an issue that affects some third-party antivirus software applications and an issue that occurs when a Vista-based computer uses certain network driver configurations.
Click here to read the rest of these stories on NewsFactor.
November 13th, 2007
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