Seattle-based start-up Pluggd.com has opened their podcast directory for public use. The service aims to make podcast listening easier for non-technical users. Pluggd crawls the Web for Podcast content instead of relying solely on user submissions. [24×7]
Microsoft Matchmaking
Microsoft should buy Yahoo! to catch up with Google in the $26 billion global Internet advertising market, a Merrill Lynch & Co. analyst said.
Buying Yahoo! — the most-visited U.S. Web site, with a value of about $44.2 billion — would instantly give Microsoft the biggest share of online advertising, San Francisco-based analyst Justin Post wrote Friday in a note.
eBay may also be a candidate for a Microsoft acquisition, Post said. eBay would give Microsoft an opportunity to sell more Internet search ads and use the PayPal online payments system for MSN.
Microsoft, Yahoo! and eBay representatives declined to comment. [24×7]
Boeing May Shop Connexion
Boeing Co. is attempting to find a buyer for its Connexion in-flight Internet service, which has operations in Irvine, according to a report in Thursday’s Wall Street Journal that cited unidentified people familiar with the situation.
Boeing may have invested as much as $1 billion to develop Connexion, but some satellite industry officials say the venture may be worth only $150 million or so today, the newspaper said.
It has been rumoured that the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks prompted American Airlines, Delta and United to drop plans to add the technology to their planes. [24×7]
Former Shutterfly CEO Joins PhotoWorks’ Board
Seattle-based PhotoWorks, an Internet-based digital photo-publishing company, today announced that Andy Wood, former President & CEO of Shutterfly, has joined its Board of Directors.
“Andy is an excellent addition to the team,” said Philippe Sanchez, President and CEO of PhotoWorks. “He has taken an online photography services company that was our size and grew it ten-fold. We’re glad to welcome a seasoned pro with a lot of solid experience that is directly related to our current growth trajectory.” [24×7]
Worktank Wins Bets in Class from Interactive Media Awards
Worktank, an award-winning interactive and video agency based in Seattle, Washington, today announced that it has been awarded Best in Class by the Interactive Media Awards™ for its work on the website www.seewindowsvista.com. The Best in Class award is the highest honor bestowed by the Interactive Media Council. [24×7]
MS Windows Phoning Home for Authenticity
Microsoft Corp. has acknowledged that it needs to better inform users that its tool for determining whether a computer is running a pirated copy of Windows also quietly checks in daily with the software maker.”
Lauren Weinstein, who is co-founder of People for Internet Responsibility was one of the first people to notice the daily communications to Microsoft. Weinstein understands and sympathizes with Microsoft’s desire to control widespread piracy of its flagship product. But he said it’s problematic that Microsoft did not disclose all the tools’ communications with the company. [24×7]
