Roundup: Display ads not so great online, Microsoft drifting into the clouds, and more
Display ads may be better left offline — Much of the internet’s growth in ad revenue is fueled by banner ads, but eye-tracking studies have shown that people tend to avoid even glancing at ads, according to Ad Age. The implication isn’t that the internet is a bad place for brand promotion. Rather, it’s that advertisers need to think about how to engage users, the real force behind the internet. Much more from Ad Age’s long article.
Will Microsoft finally start its surrender to the cloud? — Microsoft is gearing up to “re-pivot the center” of its business away from software and toward services that mesh with the growing online computing cloud, and is readying itself to lose its dominant position in the computing world, says Phil Wainewright in a lengthy ZDNet piece that quotes several interviews with Microsoft’s chief strategy officer. That view is consistent with Microsoft’s moves to diversify and grow its position in the online advertising space, in part by acquiring Yahoo.
Sixth-largest ad network may go for $800M — Tribal Fusion, which stands as being about the sixth largest ad network on the internet, may be on the block for $800 – $900 million, according to the Valleywag rumormongers.
More antitrust problems for Microsoft — The U.S. Supreme Court has turned down a Microsoft appeal to put Novell’s case against it to rest, which alleges that the software giant intentionally destroyed WordPerfect and Quattro, two once-popular programs made by Novell.
Nickelodeon to pay $100M for 600 branded games — Not satisfied with the popularity of Dora the Explorer and other children’s shows, cable giant Nickelodeon is going to shell out $100 million, in part for a network of websites and 600 games branded with its most popular franchises. Some parents, however, are worried about exposing their children to even more advertising. More at the New York Times.
Google intent on finding most annoying way to fire DoubleClick employees — Now that Google has managed to fully acquire DoubleClick, it’s pondering what to do with the smaller company’s employees. The lastest idea: Make them apply for their own job all over again, so that Google can determine whether they’re Google material, according to the Silicon Valley Insider.
Green buildings could cut greenhouse emissions quickly — A report released late last week suggests that making buildings green with better construction materials and techniques could be the most cost-effective way of lowering greenhouse gas emissions, although only a small percentage of new construction is considered green. [via London Free Press]
California democrats pondering Internet taxes — If Assemblyman Charles Calderon has his way, songs sold on iTunes may be taxed the same way that CDs are. Lawmakers have been grappling with the question of how to tax online interstate commerce for several years, but they’ll first have to assess the economic impact and prove, at least in California, that a tax won’t hurt innovation. [via KPBS ]
China’s Great Firewall still quite active — Concomitant with unrest and civil problems in its territory of Tibet, China has once again clamped down on YouTube, proving that the country, which now has the world’s largest population of internet users, is still willing to actively censor the internet.
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About the Author, Chris Morrison
Chris Morrison writes about cleantech and environmental issues for VentureBeat, with occasional forays into gaming and semantic technology. He got his start writing about tech for Business 2.0 magazine, but quickly realized new media was the ticket when that institution closed its doors in 2007. Chris has also covered public equities and regulatory issues. He originally hails from southern Virginia, graduated from Evergreen State College in Washington, and now lives in San Francisco.