Yahoo! Mail – the Social Inbox

Yahoo! Mail has launched a newly designed Welcome page with a much heavier focus on social activity and less on news and messages, i.e. why you might traditionally access your inbox.

New feature “My Connections” contains messages from your most regular contacts, with the option to keep updated with their activities. Yahoo! properties such as Flickr will become an integrated part of the page, while the space will soon be opened up to third party applications.

Expect to see an influx of new applications once Yahoo! opens up their new smarter inbox in early 2009.

Check out the four minute video at the bottom of the article for a walk through of the changes.

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081215-yahoo-begins-rolling-out-social-extensible-e-mail-inbox.html

- Sam

MySpace Launches its own Open Platform

Following on from the launch of Facebook’s Facebook Connect and Google’s Friend Connect, MySpace is launching its answer to open ID, “MySpaceID.”

Consisting of two core components, Open Standards and Google Friend Connect, MySpaceID’s purpose is to serve as a tool to aggregate web spaces across MySpace, just as Facebook Connect does across Facebook. Users will be able to publish activities from MySpace partner sites such as Eventful, Flixster, and new partners Vodafone and Netvibes — all of which are developing MySpaceID implementations.

Content will become increasingly personalised due to information provided by users, increasing options for consumers and marketers.

For the full post, click here:

- Sam

Google to Lift Advertising Ban on Spirit Brands

Following on from the decision to lift its ban on advertising gambling sites, Google is to lift its restrictions on advertising alcoholic spirits on Google UK.

From January 2009 spirit brands will be allowed to run search campaigns relating to brand advertising but not direct response and demand generation campaigns that promote sales.

For the full story click here

- Sam

YouTube Launches its own Symphony Orchestra

Check this out for the world’s first ever collaborative online orchestra: www.youtube.com/symphony

Digital and classical music come together in a truly credible and original way with the YouTube Symphony Orchestra. Musicians of all ages and abilities from all around the world are invited to audition by submitting video entries for a collaborative virtual performance. YouTube’s global audience, along with a judging panel, will vote for the best musicians who will win the chance to perform for real at New York’s Carnegie Hall in April 2009.

Musicians select their instrument to access the sheet music, by renowned composer Tan Dun of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon fame, and then rehearse with the conductor. They can watch playlists, check out the competition and get performance tips from lead instrumentalists from the London Symphony Orchestra.

Thumbs up to the YouTube camp for this compelling initiative.

-Sam

Amazon Launches its Anticipated UK Digital Music Store

The UK music market got even more competitive today with the launch of Amazon’s UK digital music store, as a direct rival to Apple’s iTunes.

www.amazon.co.uk is offering over 3m DRM-free tracks from only 59p and albums from only £3 each – including new releases - with music from all four major and a host of independent labels.

The prices undercut those of market leader Apple iTunes, whose tracks start at 79p each. Amazon’s UK MP3 store succeeds the US version which launched previously. The long-awaited UK version should shake up the UK marketplace and provide some healthy competition.

- Sam

Phorm faces more hurdles

Differences of opinion over strategy have been cited as the main reason behind the Chairman, COO and two non-executive directors walking out on the controversial behavioural targeting technology company, Phorm.

The news was announced by Phorm in a statement. One of the employees, Stephen Heyer, the non-executive chairman, only joined the company in August.

Three non-executives have already been replaced with former chancellor of the exchequer Norman Lamont, former Ofcom chief policy partner Kip Meek and investment banker Stefan Allesch-Taylor. The CEO commented, “They bring extensive experience on government, business, regulatory matters and financial markets."As we move into the next phase of our development, the priority will be to build momentum in the rollout of our strategy."

Phorm has faced a number of hold-ups since the launch of its behavioural tracking system, the OIP (Open Internet Exchange), due to concerns it breaches the privacy of internet users, but it appeared to be on track after receiving backing from the UK Government in September (see blog posting on 22nd September '08). Watch this space for more Phorm updates when we have them.

- Sam