Week of September 1, 2008

How Important Is A Single Character?

Friday, September 5, 2008

Well, it's plenty important if that single character is part of your user name on a large social network. Such is what Bebo is discovering after changing hundreds of its users' names for some undisclosed reason. Most of the changes are the addition of a single character, such as an underscore, but there are plenty of John Smith's unhappy that they are now John_Smith. It remains to be seen how big of a deal this will turn out to be, but it is certainly a reminder that there are few things more sacrosanct than a person's name--and in the online world, a user name is just that, a name.

Facebook Redesign Coming Soon

Thursday, September 4, 2008

As we have noted in our Pollack Media Confidential newsletter and elsewhere, the interactivity is the key drawing point of Facebook. It certainly isn't its layout and customization, which are boxy and rather plain-looking. That changes soon as Facebook prepares to roll out its significant new redesign.

While there are already users up in arms over the more customizable new design, consumers will ultimately be happy with the change. They can no make Facebook more like their own personal site, something they've been able to do on MySpace for some time.

Google Chrome Launches

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Google, which launches new projects fairly regularly is making plenty of headlines for its most recent launch: The Chrome browser. Based on the same engine as the Apple Safari browser, Chrome is intended to be a stripped down but very fast web browser, which will also be used in the upcoming Google phone OS, Android.

While the feature-minimal Chrome won't generate an immediate huge market share, word has it that it is already ahead of Opera, the No. 3 browser in the market.

TV Ratings Leaves Home

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Starting today, Tuesday Sept. 2, The Nielsen Co. and Integrated Media Measurement Inc. are partnering for the first Out Of Home TV ratings measurement service. This is a separate service from its PPM ratings. The first two clients of the new venture are ESPN and Zenith Media. Later this year a local version will be launched in 6 markets: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Houston and Denver.

Labor Day

Monday, September 1, 2008

HAPPY LABOR DAY!