Week of November 28, 2005

Paying To Load Your Video iPod

Monday, November 28th, 2005

There are already plenty of companies that will take your CD collection and do all the grunt work in loading up your iPod for you, and now there is a company that will pre-load DVDs into your video iPod when you buy it. The company, TvMyPod, offers TV shows and DVDs for sale, along with the video iPod. When you buy your video iPod, you select which shows and movies you would like to be loaded, and, for a fee, the company sends you the iPod with the content you want.

The company is also planning on providing the service for people who already own video iPods, including the ability to buy a subscription that will regularly provide new video content.

AOL Continues To Push It's AIM Messaging Platform

Tuesday, November 29th, 2005

While getting some pressure from angry users, AOL has continued to aggressively push its messaging platform as a critical part of its future revenue, including things like advertising robot "buddies" on the top of users' buddy lists. The aggressive inclusion of advertising has reaped impressive results for AOL, which has seen the advertising revenue on its AIM service triple while at the same time drive record traffic to its AOLMusic site.

AOL Expands AIM Feature Set

Wednesday, November 30th, 2005

Yesterday we talked about the importance of AOL Instant messenger (AIM) as a platform to grow revenue and traffic for AOL. Part of the strategies for this development has been making AIM an all-encompassing messaging platform. With the release of AOL Triton, AIM is nearly there. The Triton release of AIM includes E-mail, instant messaging, text messaging, voice messaging, and video messaging. The software's tag line says it all: "I am everything you need to communicate."

Clear Channel Goes To Yahoo For Content

Thursday, December 1st, 2005

In this case for outdoor video content. Yahoo and Clear Channel Outdoor have created a joint venture which will have Yahoo providing video content to planned large video screens developed by Clear Channel Outdoor. Clear Channel plans to roll out screens (think Times Square) in over 200 malls in the next two years.

Who Says Advertising Is Down?

Friday, December 2nd, 2005

You certainly don't say it if you are in the Internet business. A recent IAB/Pricewaterhouse Cooper survey found that third quarter 2005 Internet ad revenue is up over 33% from the third quarter in 2004. The third quarter was also the first time that online advertising surpassed $3 billion. If the fourth quarter expands on this total, total Internet advertising could surpass $12 billion for 2005.