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Survey shows decline of TV as primary media device

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ibm.jpgA new IBM online survey of consumer digital media and entertainment habits shows audiences are more in control than ever and increasingly savvy about filtering marketing messages.

The global findings overwhelmingly suggest personal Internet time rivals TV time. Among consumer respondents, 19 percent stated spending six hours or more per day on personal Internet usage, versus nine percent of respondents who reported the same levels of TV viewing. 66 percent reported viewing between one to four hours of TV per day, versus 60 percent who reported the same levels of personal Internet usage.

Consumers are seeking consolidated, trustworthy content, recognition and community when it comes to mobile and Internet entertainment. Armed with PC, mobile and interactive content and tools, consumers are vying for control of attention, content and creativity. Despite natural lags among marketers, advertising revenues will follow consumers’ habits. [Read more…]

Originally posted on August 23, 2007 @ 10:12 am

Google Earth introduces the Sky

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googleearth.jpgGoogle announced the launch of Sky, a new feature that enables users of Google Earth to view the sky as seen from planet Earth.

With Sky, users can now float through the skies via Google Earth. This easy-to-use tool enables all Earth users to view and navigate through 100 million individual stars and 200 million galaxies. High resolution imagery and informative overlays create a unique playground for visualizing and learning about space.

To access Sky, users need only click “Switch to Sky” from the “view” drop-down menu in Google Earth, or click the Sky button on the Google Earth toolbar. The interface and navigation are similar to that of standard Google Earth steering, including dragging, zooming, search, “My Places,” and layer selection.

As part of the new feature, Google is introducing seven informative layers that illustrate various celestial bodies and events: Constellations; Backyard Astronomy; Hubble Space Telescope Imagery; Moon; Planets; Users Guide to Galaxies; and Life of a Star.

Sky was created by Google’s Pittsburgh engineering team by stitching together imagery from numerous scientific third parties including the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), the Digital Sky Survey Consortium (DSSC), CalTech’s Palomar Observatory, the United Kingdom Astronomy Technology Centre (UK ATC), and the Anglo-Australian Observatory (AAO). The initiative was born out of the University of Washington’s participation in the Google Visiting Faculty Program, which makes it possible for leading academic researchers to visit Google for 6-12 month periods. and Earth City Lights traces well-lit cities across the globe.

To access Sky in Google Earth, users need to download the newest version of Google Earth.

Originally posted on August 22, 2007 @ 10:37 am

MyLifeBrand launches in beta, offers new features and services

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mylifebrand.jpgMyLifeBrand, the new social platform which lets users aggregate and manage their favorite social networks, communities, services and friends on one site, announced the move to beta with a number of new features and services, including removing the invite requirement for members. MyLifeBrand now reaches over 500,000 members, is generating revenue and has hundreds of communities on board ranging across all interests

“We feel we are creating a social platform that connects not only people with their friends, social networks and services,” explains Jeff S. Jani, CEO of MyLifeBrand, “but also connects communities with tools to embrace the Web 2.0 transition and reach market segments and demographics across hundreds and eventually thousands of complimentary communities.”

Originally posted on August 22, 2007 @ 2:39 pm

Mom surfs the web surprisingly often

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performics.jpgDoubleClick Performics, the performance marketing division of DoubleClick Inc., unveiled data resulting from a search usage study targeting the “moms” segment and completed in cooperation with Microsoft and ROI Research, “Searcher Moms – A Search Behavior and Usage Study.” The data illustrate heavy search engine usage in support of online purchases, offline purchases, coordinating travel and many other planning activities among moms.

“Although we suspected much of what the study uncovered, we gained a much better understanding of just how much moms rely on search engines to accomplish a wide range of tasks, literally on a daily basis,” said Stuart Larkins, vice president of search for DoubleClick Performics.

“Of the nearly 1,000 moms surveyed, 89 percent use the Internet at least twice/day, and 90 percent have been using it for more than seven years. A whopping 86 percent of respondents said search engines are the most efficient way to find information.”

Other interesting findings of the study include: 70 percent use search engines to gather information before making any online purchase; 57 percent use search engines to gather information before making any offline purchase; and 64 percent use search engines to find out where to purchase products offline. DoubleClick Performics has prepared an overview of the study’s key findings. Those interested in a copy or people wishing to ask questions regarding the research can contact DoubleClick Performics.

Originally posted on August 21, 2007 @ 11:20 pm

Metacafe secures $30 million in Series C financing

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metacafe.jpgMetacafe, whose more than 25 million unique viewers each month make it one of the world’s largest video sites, announced it has raised $30 million in Series C financing. The round was led by new investors Highland Capital Partners and DAG Ventures. Existing investors Accel Partners and Benchmark Capital also participated.

“Metacafe is defining the next generation of online video, moving away from simple video sharing and hosting to delivering an exceptional entertainment experience for short-form content,” said Richard de Silva, Partner, Highland Capital Partners. “Its sophisticated approach to audience-driven programming is unique in the industry.”

“Over the past four years Metacafe has built a large and global audience, which has grown quite significantly throughout 2007,” said Tom Goodrich, Partner, DAG Ventures. “We expect the growth to continue as Metacafe rolls out new ways of tapping its community to customize the viewing experience for audience members in different regions around the world.”

The money raised will be used to support the company’s continued global growth, including expanding the breadth and depth of content – from emerging video creators through the Producer Rewards program and through partnerships with established media companies.

With their firms’ investments, both Richard de Silva of Highland Capital Partners and Tom Goodrich of DAG Ventures will join the Metacafe board of directors. With the close of this round, co-founder Arik Czerniak will step away from day-to-day operations to pursue other entrepreneurial endeavors but will remain on the board and continue to advise the company on strategic matters.

Originally posted on August 21, 2007 @ 1:14 pm