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New Media News Every Morning

New Yahoo Mail gets out of beta, launches today

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YahoomailYahoo takes their new web mail interface out of beta and makes it the default setting for all new accounts starting today.

While the new Yahoo Mail interface was available to all users in beta format for about a year, Yahoo is introducing new and improved features to the service. This includes enhanced search, rss reader, instant and text messaging, shortcuts, and unlimited storage, among others. The old version, however, is still available, giving users the option to choose as they prefer.

Yahoo Mail is a keystone application for Yahoo, so continuing to enhance it is very important for the company, because there is a good chunk of ad inventory they get there,” said Mike McGuire, a Gartner analyst.

Yahoo Mail remains a free service, but paying $19.95 per year takes graphical ads off your interface, and provides you additional features like POP access and email forwarding.

Via PCWorld.

Originally posted on August 27, 2007 @ 8:30 am

MySpace launches online animated series ‘Afterworld’

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MySpace is launching an “ambitious” web program that happens to be the most expensive series to run on the widely known social network to date.

The Afterworld, a 130-episode series “about a man who wakes up in the future to find that most of the human race is gone”, debuts on MySpace TV today, releasing the first 10 episodes to start off, with each episode lasting about 2-3 minutes.

Afterworld is an animated program created by the Electric Farm Entertainment, a digital studio based in Santa Monica, with an initial budget of $3 million. Although financial agreements were not disclosed, Electric Farm is reported to be getting a cut of whatever revenue MySpace generates from the program.

YouTube has made lonelygirl15 a household name. Could this be MySpace’s big break?

Via LA Times.

Originally posted on August 24, 2007 @ 5:39 am

DivX buys Veatros, launches Connected, invests on DeviantArt

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Whew. A lot of things are happening in DivX’s side of the web, so it seems.

First, we hear that this San Diego-based online video technology firm, has bought Veatros, a digital video processing startup whose technology they plan to integrate with their own multimedia project. Consequently, DivX also launches Connected, their very own media box to compete with the Apple TV, a project that was made possible using the Veatros technology.

“DivX is building a better media experience in partnership with the world’s leading consumer electronics companies, and innovative search and discovery technology will be an important piece of that solution,” said Kevin Hell, Acting Chief Executive Officer of DivX. “Veatros’s assets will add powerful capabilities to our Connected platform that will allow consumers to more easily find and enjoy digital media content, and effortlessly add metadata such as cover art, director, and actors to all their video titles.”

But wait, there’s more. Apparently, DivX was also reported to invest a full $3.5 million first round of funding to online art community DeviantArt. There was no disclosure as to where and how DeviantArt is going to use the funds, but one can’t help but wonder if this investment on a leading art community have anything to do with the video tech initiatives (and how?). One thing that’s obvious, DivX has got some surprises up its sleeves.

Originally posted on August 23, 2007 @ 5:24 am

Twitter launches people search

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Twitter, the startup that made social networking slash micro-blogging the ‘in’ thing on the web, launches the people search, an easy way to find twitter-ers to follow.

Whether you’re looking for a specific person (i.e., you can take the chance and search for the complete name), or you simply want to find people within a particular location, or with the same interests, twitter’s people search can work both ways. It searches through profile information such as name, location, bio, and url, and returns your query. The twitter people search field appears on the sidebar of your twitter homepage only when you’re logged in. Search results come out alongside a one-click follow button so you can immediately add people to your friends’ list as soon as you “found” them.

Along with this, Twitter also announces its partnership with MTV for the Video Music Awards next month. MTV Moonman, MWA’s very own icon, will be twittering from Las Vegas during the whole weekend before the music awards night, which will happen on Sunday, September 9.

With more and more micro-blogging platforms sprouting on the web and following its lead, Twitter sure is on a roll to secure its spot.

Originally posted on August 22, 2007 @ 3:49 am

May Google Video rest in peace

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Earlier, reports about the abrupt end of Google Video’s paid download and rental services spread across the web. Expectedly, this resulted to a wave of feedbacks and complaints on Google’s announcement that videos bought will be non-refundable and no longer be playable.

The web search giant was quick to act on its “mistake”, apologizing to everyone, and correcting their boo-boo with some good news for those who were affected by the change:

  • Google’s giving a full credit card refund to every video purchase made.
  • Google checkout credits that were already given away will not be taken back anymore, Google’s additional way of saying “we’re sorry we goofed”.
  • Videos bought from the service will remain playable for another six months.

“We make mistakes; we do our best not to repeat them — and we really do try to fix the ones we make. That said, the very least that our users should expect from us is that our mistakes be new and innovative, too”, the team says on the official Google blog.

All’s well that ends well. At least now we can all move forward and remember Google Video without the unnecessary bitterness.

Originally posted on August 22, 2007 @ 5:29 am