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May 2, 2008

May 2, 2008

More Micro-heuvering: WSJ Contracts Nasty Case of "Coulds"

Microsoft and Yahoo continue to negotiate heavily through the medium of the Wall Street Journal, forcing reporters Kevin Delaney, Matthew Karnitschnig, and Robert Guth into spastic repetition of the word "could."

Microsoft could announce it's backing out of the deal, we heard yesterday. The word this morning is it's leaning toward going hostile as early as today, but "could change tack." Meanwhile, Yahoo could announce an expansion of its Google search ad trial by next week. Such a deal "could go forward" even in the event of a hostile bid, WSJ promises.

What about Yahoo/AOL? Could happen. After all, it's been just three weeks since the firms were "closing in on a deal" to combine operations.

One thing's clear: All us losers that aren't the Wall Street Journal could have some real Microsoft/Yahoo news to report as early as any minute.

Posted by Zachary Rodgers at 12:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Times Online Opens U.S. Sales Office

To help monetize its substantial U.S. readership, Times Online has set up an ad-sales office in New York, reports NMA.co.uk.

The office will work closely with News Corps's recently acquired Wall Street Journal, and offer cross-selling advertising opportunities across both publications in recognition of the demographic overlap of their readerships.

Times Online's digital media publisher Zach Leonard said that behavioural targeting opportunities between the WSJ and Times Online were also being investigated.

Posted by Jack Marshall at 12:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Art for iGoogle's Sake

Google lined up nearly 70 artists, fashion designers, and other creative types to contribute art work for iGoogle pages. The move appears to be just another sign that Google is working to make its site a destination.

Marissa Mayer, Google VP, search products, unveiled iGoogle Artist Themes at a reception Thursday night in Manhattan's Meatpacking District, a few blocks away from Google's NY headquarters. Notable contributors include artist Dale Chihuly, U.K. rock band Coldplay, designer Philippe Starck, and choreographer Mark Morris.

For the occasion, Google brought in some heavy hitters in the art and design world: artist Jeff Koons, architect Michael Graves, designer Marc Ecko, photographer Anne Geddes, and Robert Mankoff, cartoon editor of "The New Yorker."

Were the artists paid for their contributions? If they were, it wasn't in Google stock.

"I thought you gave us Google stock," joked Graves after the other artists explained what working with Google meant to them.

"It's almost as expensive as Jeff's art," shot back Ecko, referring to Koons. (Koons' "Hanging Heart," reportedly sold for $23.4 million last year.)

Posted by Anna Maria Virzi at 8:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

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