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Internet dating has always seemed a bit dicey – is LoveGod really the good-looking 30-year-old millionaire he claims to be, or just an acne-pitted 13-year-old? Now Yahoo Personals has taken steps to solve that dilemma. The second-most-popular personals site on the web will offer free voice and video greetings services to users starting this week. Yahoo says ads that include pictures get about eight times the response of non-illustrated ads. Nearly 4 million unique users log onto the Yahoo site per month, giving it about half the audience of category leader Match.com. The personals business became the industry’s paid content leader in third quarter 2002, according to comScore Networks and the Online Publishers Association. The two found that personals spending increased 37 percent versus the same period in 2001, to $87 million. About 17 million people used online personals last year, according to Jupiter Research. Although Yahoo allows users to browse the ads for free, it charges $25 per month or $100 per year to reply to the ads. Those who wish to use the new features must have microphones and webcams.
Microsoft loses appeal to dismiss anti-trust cases
The federal government may have gone easy on Microsoft during the settlement of its last anti-trust suit go-round, but it’s not backing down in the newest battle. A federal judge ruled Friday that three separate cases against Bill Gates’ computing giant may proceed. Microsoft had argued that the allegations were too similar to warrant separate trials. Sun Microsystems has already won a preliminary injunction in its case, which challenges Microsoft’s decision not to include Java programming language in the latest editions of the company’s Windows operating systems. Be Inc. and Burst.com have also filed suit, asserting that Microsoft engaged in anti-competitive practices. Be, an operating systems company, actually dissolved last year. Burst claims that Microsoft encouraged RealNetworks and chip-maker Intel Corp. not to cooperate with Burst.com on video-streaming software.
Most e-tailers up 10 percent or more for holidays
Eighty-one percent of online retailers recorded revenue increases of 10 percent or more during the holiday season compared to last year, finds a new report from Shop.org and Bizrate.com. The final installment of the Online Holiday Mood Study found that 31 percent of those surveyed recorded at least a 50 percent increase versus 2001. Eighty-four percent of shoppers were somewhat or very satisfied with their online holiday buying experience, and 72 percent of e-tailers were happy with the 2002 holiday season. The most successful online promotions during the holidays were email, attracting a 78 percent response rate; free shipping with conditions (62 percent); and search engine placement (37 percent). End-of-season clearance sale pages, product promotion and featured sale items provided the most buys from traffic already at the sites.
Judge says Kazaa copyright case can continue
A copyright infringement suit against music trading company Kazaa will move forward. A federal judge ruled Friday that, although parent company Sharman Networks is based in Australia and was incorporated outside of the U.S., American record companies and movie studios can still sue the company. The judge said that since much of Kazaa’s business is done in the United States, the company is fair game abroad. Sharman says that it will soon file a counterclaim, although a spokesperson did not specify exactly what the claim will be. This case is one of the largest international copyright infringement battles to go forward. The plaintiffs claim that Kazaa provides more than 20 million American users free access to copyrighted music and films. Napster lost a similar case in 2001.
New in cars: Massaging seats, minivan lounges
Innovations at the North American International Auto Show have moved beyond practical to the realm of pure whim. That’s pretty much the only explanation for new features that range from minivan lounges to seats that change position as the car accelerates, providing a massage effect. Last week’s show even included advancements in the way the cars were presented. The flat screen at the information stand for Ford’s Model U was operated by the point of a finger instead of a mouse. The Model U has tires made of corn-based filters, a sunflower seed oil-dependent engine and an internal combustion engine supercharged by hydrogen. Among the other new highlights: The Dodge Kahuna’s interior includes flip-around passenger seats and a fold-up table. The Audi Pike's Peak contains three rows of chairs with separate sunroofs; each seat has its own separate video screen. Honda’s Studio E contains a 42-inch plasma TV screen. And Ford’s Freestyle FX can be switched via a handheld remote from five-passenger sedan to five-passenger truck with cargo bed to six-passenger wagon.
January 14, 2003© 2003 Media Life
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