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Top Internet Strategy, Marketing & Technology Links – Jan 12, 2009

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In a sign that Google’s negotiations with the Associated Press over a new licensing contract may have reached a standstill, new AP articles are no longer being hosted in Google (NSDQ: GOOG) News; Search Engine Land‘s Danny Sullivan, who first reported the development, says that new AP articles haven’t been hosted on the site since Dec. 24. Google isn’t providing an explanation

Google and the AP have been in a bit of a tiff this past year.  The AP doesn’t like that Google is linking to and hosting full articles and Google thinks the AP is overblowing the issue.  At stake is the content that costs companies to produce – the same content they hope to make money from (either from advertising or charging for).  Google, on the other hand, hopes to provide the best possible information to searchers – so they can place their own advertising around search results.  Most content sites receive a good portion of their traffic from Google, so they’re not without their own power in the argument.  It should be interesting to see how it pans out.

A decade ago, I was debating with my auto friends: What is the future of the console? Could automakers be technology companies? Or what’s more, media companies? Today, I think we’re starting to get our answer.The biggest news from the Consumer Electronics Show seems to be the rise of the automobile from a stereo on wheels to a ubiquitous entertainment productivity machine.

We talked about this a bit in this week’s sazcast, although more from the tech side.  Ford is acting like both a media and a technology company.  They’re thinking about how they can improve their products to help their customers – and to stay relevant.  With the open API they’re developing for sync, other companies will be able to develop technologies and products to work with the system.  Which only helps Ford grow.  By providing access to the Internet in vehicles, Ford is providing access to online, digital media – and the possibility for specialized media and marketing.

Earlier this week we saw the launch of the Google Nexus One, the second very high profile Android launch in as many months. And, as should be expected, the phone is drawing numerous comparisons to the iPhone — it seems you can’t find a related review, blog post, or tweet that isn’t gauging the device based on how it compares to Apple’s juggernaut. That’s as it should be. But for anyone considering making the jump to Android, you need to keep one thing in mind: many of these early adopters have been using their iPhones non-stop for years. And it takes days, if not weeks, to unlearn your iPhone habits and judge Android on its own merits.

I’ve actually heard a lot of good things about Droid from people who have used the phones for several weeks.  I agree that anyone will need to spend a few weeks learning the new phone before they can make an accurate evaluation, but the same was also true of the iPhone.  Most people who bought an iPhone either had a regular phone (like a razr) or a BlackBerry – both of which are very different in interface.  I think the Droid’s systems are similar enough to be familiar, but possibly also similar enough to have you trying iPhone actions for the first couple of weeks.  What interests me in the Droid and other Android phones is that it’s a more open architecture (whereas the iPhone is fully controlled by Apple).  The Nexus One, which is not tied to a cellular provider, is also appealing because it allows people to jump between providers without having to wait for the end of contract.  Maybe that will convince wireless providers to improve their customer service and stop the churn?

“Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg told a live audience yesterday that if he were to create Facebook again today, user information would by default be public”. That’s Marshall Kirkpatrick’s interpretation of Mark Zuckerberg’s comments in an interview with Mike Arrington at yesterday’s Crunchies event. While I’m a little hesitant about drawing a similar conclusion, the question of a user’s privacy rights is still being discussed weeks after Facebook rolled out their new privacy settings. The reason it’s still being discussed is that users no longer have complete control of their information, something that will continue to be a point of contention until resolved.

I can understand why Facebook wishes they had made updates public – real time search has become important and sites such as Twitter which have open updates are providing most of the information.  However, I think Facebook is missing the boat a bit.  People hang out on Facebook to communicate and keep in touch with Friends and Family – people who they trust.  Most of those relationships are fairly private.  But I think there’s an opportunity to do business and still protect people’s privacy (and keep their trust).  Instead of opening updates up to the public and abusing people’s trust, how about finding ways to make revenue within the terms you’ve already setup.  You have one of the largest social networks in the world.  You’re already making good revenue.  Take a stand. Be creative.  Be different.  Be trustworthy.  (Before people leave for somewhere better.)

Print may be a flat medium, but that has not stopped magazine publishers from trying to add dimension to their pages. For at least a decade, they have been experimenting with bar codes and icons that could take readers to Web sites, trying to add a bit of Internetlike interactivity to their pages.

I worked for a B2B “media” (read print) company for years running their Internet department and operations.  Print publishers think in print.  The idea that web pages don’t have set dimensions means that most toss out good print design and try to cram pages full of as much content and advertising above the fold.  Publishing, whether print or online, is about making profit – usually through advertising, but sometimes by charging for content.  In either case, publishers will always be looking for ways that they can squeeze more green from their content.  While bar codes and icons may seem like a way to add interactivity to print pages, in reality, it’s a way to provide the all important metrics to advertisers who demand them.  Bar codes in print isn’t anything new – and there certainly are some useful applications for readers – but what remains to be seen is how useful they are versus the information that is provided to advertisers.

What do you think?  How are these stories important to you?

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