Google Contacts Partners: We will Continue to Allow Adult Monetization of Domains

In a reversal of Google’s policy regarding Adult monetization for domains, Google is contacting its partners and letting them know that adult domains will continue to be allowed in the Google Adsense for Domains program.

“We are committed to maintaining a positive experience for end users and advertisers, in addition to partners. We have determined that continuing to allow adult domains in the program will be beneficial for advertisers and users, and our domain partners. In the coming months, we will continue to improve our policy on the technical implementation of adult domains, but we will continue to allow adult domains in the program for the forseeable future.”

Google was planning to have Adult domains completely out of the advertising mix at the end of May. It looks like they have changed their mind.

Google’s $100 Million Purchase of Feedburner - Confirmed

I recently had the chance to chat with someone close to the Google / Feedburner deal and they have said that we should see an announcement within 1-3 weeks on the details of the purchase. It looks like the deal will be for around $100 million and it will be an all-cash deal, with payment made within the first year. Google was smart in negotiating that the founders and other management key personnel stay with the company for a few years.

Poker.de Sells for $695,000 Euros

On the heels of Porn.com’s $9.5million private sale, Poker.de has been sold in the NICIT Auction for $695,000 Euros. This is the highest price ever paid for Germany’s .DE ccTLD.

Rumor: Microsoft wants to buy Yahoo!

Microsoft Corp. is resuming its pursuit of search engine operator Yahoo Inc. that could help it better compete with Web search leader Google Inc., published reports said Friday.

Yahoo shares surged more than 18 percent in morning trading.

The New York Post reported Friday that Microsoft has asked Yahoo to enter formal negotiations for an acquisition that could be worth $50 billion. Yahoo’s market capitalization was about $38 billion on Thursday.

The Wall Street Journal said executives of the two companies are looking at a merger or some other kind of matchup and said the talks appear to be early-stage discussions. It said the companies explored the idea of combining last year but the talks led nowhere.

The newspaper reports each cited unidentified people familiar with the situation.

Microsoft is feeling increasing pressure to compete with Google, which plans to beef up its portfolio with a $3.1 billion purchase of online advertising company DoubleClick Inc.

Microsoft currently trails both Yahoo and Google in the lucrative and growing business of Web search.

Google won a search advertising deal with AOL in 2005 that the Post said Microsoft wanted. In addition, Google is developing Web-based software that directly competes with Microsoft Office.

The Post story said Microsoft and Yahoo have held informal talks over the years and said Microsoft’s latest approach to Yahoo signals increased urgency.

Earlier this week, Yahoo said it would buy 80 percent of advertising exchange Right Media for $680 million, increasing its stake in that company to full control.

Yahoo shares surged $5.14, or 18.2 percent, to $33.32 in morning trading, while shares of Microsoft fell 57 cents to $30.40.

Yahoo is Hot on Google’s Heels

Yahoo Inc. added another weapon in its high-stakes duel with its richer Internet rival Google Inc. this week by snapping up online advertising exchange Right Media Inc. for US$680 million (euro499.82 million).

Although the cash-and-stock price is well below the US$3.1 billion (euro2.28 billion) that Google recently agreed to pay for online ad distributor DoubleClick Inc., Right Media did not come cheaply for Sunnyvale-based Yahoo.

Last October, Right Media was valued at US$200 million (euro147 million) based on the US$40 million (euro29.4 million) that Yahoo paid to acquire a 20 percent stake in the privately held company at that time. Yahoo is now paying more than three times Right Media’s valuation just six months ago to gain full ownership of an exchange designed to make it easier for Web publishers to show what they have to sell to online advertisers.

.TV Premium Sales Top $500k in Day 1, ME.tv Launches

Demand Media, Inc., the next-generation web media company, and its wholly owned subsidiary and largest wholesale registrar, eNom , announced today .TV domain names sold in the first 24 hours of availability, totaled in approximately $500,000 in sales, not including those pending payment. The premium TLDs were released to market late Monday afternoon after a five-month hiatus, and are available at www.domainsindemand.tv.

Examples of premium domains that were sold in the first day of availability include:

bands.tv
bridal.tv
earth.tv
fitness.tv
history.tv
Malibu.tv
punk.tv
realtor.tv
skateboards.tv
weekend.tv
yearbook.tv

The release of premium names on May 1st was timed in conjunction with the introduction of www.me.tv, the first integrated suite of proprietary social media tools that allows anyone to own, program, and share their own personal video-centric website with social networking features and content completely controlled by them. These tools are provided free with the purchase of a .TV domain name purchased through www.me.tv or through an eNom reseller.

Social Media Power Brings Down Digg

The founders of Digg.com – which has been rocked by an unprecedented user revolt over the release of an HD-DVD decryption code – accepted sponsorship from the organization behind HD-DVD last year.

Episodes of the DiggNation video show were sponsored by the HD DVD Promotion Group. DiggNation is produced by Revision3, a company run by Digg founders, Jay Adelson and Kevin Rose. Rose is also a co-host of the DiggNation show. The image below shows the HD DVD logo displayed at the beginning of one such episode.

During the past 24 hours, Digg administrators have apparently deleted dozens of stories which included references to the HD DVD decryption code. These included one story which appeared poised to become the most popular ever seen on Digg, with almost 16000 votes within 20 hours. Administrators have also apparently begun deleting stories criticizing their actions, and also banned numerous members – according to angry statements posted by Digg users on the site and elsewhere.
diggnation sponsored by hd dvd.jpg32 Dangerous Hex Digits

The 32 digit hexadecimal code can be used to make copies of HD DVD movies by using software such as BackupHDDVD. A number of websites and individuals have reported that they have been sent legal notices ordering them to remove the code from their servers. These notices have come from US lawyers representing the Advanced Access Content System Licensing Administrator LLC (AACS LA). Digg itself has not yet issued any statement on the case or its legal situation (but see update 2 below).

Digg, one of the world’s fastest growing social networking sites, recently celebrated its one millionth user account – although the number of active contributors is believed to be considerably smaller than this figure.

All Digg content is submitted by users, who then vote for the stories they like. The company has made much of the community-administered aspect of the site. However, some users are now complaining that the recent events cast doubt on this.

Digg co-founder Jay Adelson has now made a comment regarding Digg’s position on the HD DVD code, at the official Digg blog.

Digg is Down due to the HD DVD Fiasco

I just checked again tonight and Digg is down - did they pull the plug?

Digg HD-DVD Decryption Code Meltdown

Tuesday night Digg is being flooded people digging stories that tell the Decrypt keycode for all HD-DVDs that are currently in production. Basically, this is the key that you need to copy HD DVDs. The even bigger piece of the story is that Digg has said they will ban your account if you Digg the story. So what does a group of thousands of Geeky-Diggers do? — Submit Digg upon digg about the Decreypt. Currently the top 10 stories range in number of Diggs from 6,500 - 4,000 and they are all about the HD DVD code decrypt.