Apple Unveils Ping and Starts Competing with MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter

September first brought new iPods, iTV and the newest iTunes 10 – and along with it, Apple’s new social network, Ping.

On the surface, it seem harmless enough.  You can sign in and share what music you like, and find friends to follow.  They can in-turn follow you and see what reviews you have written and what albums and music you have marked that you like.

Third Times a Charm for Google & AOL

Google and AOL have officially renewed their search and advertising partnership, leaving Microsoft slightly confused.  You see, Microsoft was thought to be in the running to take over on this partnership with it’s updated adCenter platform and built up Bing brand.  So while most people assumed they were gearing up for this very same merger they seemed to forget, Google has something Microsoft doesn’t… YouTube!  AOL will still be able to use Google’s paid for and natural search engine power in exchange for shares in their ad revenue.  Partnered since 2002, Google and AOL have agreed to remain search partners for the next five years and to sweeten the deal, AOL will now be contributing more video content on YouTube.

Facebook,Social Media And The Real World.

To the doubters and the protesters I say quit resisting social media marketing.

I hear too often:

“Is social networking important for a business? Is it something  I really have to do?”

“Do people really pay attention ?”

To you I answer this “YES” !

Social Media is has woven itself directly into the fabric of our culture.

Check this out . Starting Sept 5th 2010  Target will begin selling gift cards that can be used on Facebook!

Yahoo Starting Migration of Overture to MSN’s Ad Center

While just a week ago, I was mentioning how Yahoo had completed the transition of its search engine platform to MSN’s Bing, here comes the transition process for their paid platform, earlier than what was anticipated. As of today, whenever you login to your Overture account, you will be offered the opportunity to transition your account right away to MSN’s Adcenter.

Microsoft Spending Billions to Push Windows Phone 7

It has been 4 years since the first iPhone and 2 years since Android was released.  Android is now on many devices and the iPhone is in it’s third generation.  With both iPhone and Android already eroding Blackberry and Nokia’s marketshare, is it too late for the Windows Phone?

Microsoft is going to spend billions to make sure that doesn’t happen.  That is about half a billion to market it, while they are spending about a billion to develop it.

China, The New World Super Economy?

The question may be mute and may better be expressed as: “How long will it take for China to become the financial and economic center of of our world?

The writing seems to be on the proverbial wall.

China has just passed Japan becoming the worlds 2nd largest economy. The Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd is the largest bank in the world (figured by market value) .

Yahoo Organic Search Transition Now Complete

Yahoo just announced today in its blog that the transition of its organic results to the MSN/Bing platform is now complete. This means that, as of today, the Yahoo search engine results are getting powered by MSN’s Bing so you will get similar rankings in both search engines. This should make your search engine optimization effort easier since you will only have to focus on Google and MSN/Yahoo instead of 3 search engines.

Google Buys “Like.com”

Google recently purchased Like.com.  The Like.com homepage now has this to say:

“Like has been acquired by Google.

Since 2006, Like.com has been moving the frontiers of eCommerce forward one step at a time. We were the first to bring visual search to shopping, the first to  build an automated cross-matching system for clothing, and more. We didn’t stop there and don’t have plans to stop now. We see joining Google as a way to supersize our vision and supercharge our passion. This is something we are truly excited about.”

SEM Experts & Professionals Offer Help at NYC Conference

If you are one of those people who loves to learn and equally loves the Big Apple, then you should attend SMX East and immerse yourself in the world of search marketing – 3 days, 50+ sessions with SEM experts and professionals to give to you the SEM help that so many businesses need to excel their lead generation strategies. This SEM conference takes place October 4 -6, 2010…

The highlights include:

Business Book Review: Beginner’s Guide to WordPress

Bravo, three cheers and “Good show ol’ boy” to the British publishers, Imagine Publishing, for their brilliant accomplishment in the Beginner’s Guide to WordPress.  As one who qualifies as a beginner in the ability to build and design a WordPress blogging platform, I can say that this undoubtedly represents the best tutorial magazine I have ever seen on the subject.