My six year old daughter has been forcing me to watch the film version of Fiddler on the Roof lately so pardon me if I complain a little . . . only a little. (Read with proper “shrugging” inflection.) I ask you, how can anyone be expected to have coherent insights into the parade of daily developments and announcements? I got briefed by no fewer than five companies today and six last Friday.
People tell me their announcement is under embargo. I tell them the best protection you have is that once we get off the phone I’ll forget everything you’ve said.
Joking aside, here are a few things that happened today that I don’t have a lot of time to go into:
InfoSpace, Inc. enhanced its GPS-enabled mobile search application Find It!. The company added spoken turn-by-turn directions (notice entry of voice interface into mobile here), a greatly expanded content library and a weekly update of content and listings. (I’m using the app now with more thoughts to come.) InfoSpace is also layering in relevant CPC/PPCall advertisers into search results. It offers a browse or search capability.
News Corp. is paying almost $190 million for a controlling stake in VeriSign’s Jamba/Jamster ringtone sales division. The company racked up $500 million in sales last year on the strength of the Crazy Frog ringtone (how is that possible?). MySpace + ringtones = $$. Here’s more from the WSJ (sub. req’d).
SpotRunner has another vertical partnership, this time with OrthoClear, Inc., a maker of orthodontics. According to press materials, “Spot Runner and OrthoClear will work together to help dental practitioners across the U.S. launch cost-effective and customized TV ad campaigns to promote OrthoClear’s invisible aligners in local markets.” SpotRunner has partnerships with ad agency JWT and Cendant Corp (owner of franchise real estate firms).
Right Media (of Right Media Exchange fame) has launched a private-label bidding platform for publishers Publisher Media Exchange (PMX) to auction “non-premium inventory” (stuff they have difficulty selling well). It enables the inventory to be more efficiently offered to a larger buying pool, including those in the the Right Media Exchange if publishers so desire. Clients for this product at launch include Community Connect, Fox Interactive Media, LookSmart, Six Apart, Tickle, Tribune and WomensForum. (There’s a very interesting discussion to be had about the emergence of these ad “exchanges.”)
Real estate seller review site Homethinking has upgraded and relaunched. Here’s the announcement. CEO Niki Scevak said in a note to me “We re-launched Homethinking.com around deeper map integration and have significantly expanded our coverage of real estate transactions to over 1.5 million. We are adding hundreds of thousands transactions a month and rapidly building up a useful data set on which to help consumers choose the best real estate agent.”
AT&T has launched a broadband TV (not IPTV) service. It costs $20 per month for any subscriber with a broadband connection. This is watching TV online. (But see AP-AOL survey.) Content is similar to that available on cable TV. No ads other than those that appear during the broadcasts. Somewhat strangely, mobile video content aggregator Mob is providing the content to the service.
LostRemote confirms Apple iTunes movie store, with some “on the one hand, on the other hand” from the Washington Post.
A new, cheaper ($150) smartphone from Nokia (E62) and Cingular hits the market. And finally, on the heels of the Loopt post, 3Jam launches one to many SMS. VentureBeat has more.
Is that enough for you? What do you want; I’ve got nothing left. Don’t ask . . .
Screenwerk 
September 12, 2006 at 7:26 pm
On the bright side, you won’t ever run out of things to do.
February 1, 2007 at 1:39 am
I like the homethinking.com site, it’s a new concept.