Kafooey will start to place new blog posts. It’s been awhile, but we’re back!

FACEBOOK (BIRTHDAY, ADS, AND 400M USERS)

1.  Facebook is one of the largest sites on the internet. As a matter of fact, Facebook just celebrated it’s birthday. It’s been six years since the social website was launched, and the mega website has over 400 million users. Facebook has been making some changes to the design and function of their website. They even changed the advertising. Microsoft had a partnership with Facebook to show ads, but now Facebook is handling all of the advertisements on their own social network. The website will still use Bing for search results.

SCRAPBLOG (ONLINE SCRAPBOOK)

2. Scrapbooking  is a hobby that is transitioning from the real world to the world wide web. Scapblog is in the process of raising financing for it’s online scrapbooking site. Scapblog users will be able to build online scrapbooks and will launch after all financing and legalities have been taken care of. So far the company has raised 2.5 million.

Local advertising is becoming very popular. The Yodle network assists local businesses in online advertising, and the company is growing rapidly.

1. Local advertising is expanding rapidly. Citysearch helps people to find information on local hotels, shops, restaurants, and much more. Wouldn’t it make since for local businesses to directly advertise to people who are in their area? Well the people behind Citysearch has released Citygrid which will allow the opportunity for advertisers to promote their business to local consumers.

2. Social networks are huge. Millions of people use them everyday. Google recently released a social search site where users can browse a limited amount of information on profiles from social sites. Since sites like Facebook protect their members information, users will not receive someone’s full profile online.

3. Marketers like call leads. After a person sees an ad in the newspaper or on the internet and picks up the phone to call, it’s more likely that the prospective customer is willing to buy the product. Well guess who’s taking their Adwords advertising program and adding a mobile click to call feature to it? Who else could it possibly be? Google is giving it’s advertisers more options.

4. Ringtones are evolving again. Although video ringtones are already available, Vringo hopes that the popularity and profits will soar. Vringo is trying to raise enough money and go public with their video ringtone company.

5. iPhone is allowing its users to make calls from the internet. Users have more than one option to connect with the world.

6. Amazon.com sells everything. You could log on to buy books, computers, snacks, and many other products. It’s considered one of the largest online retailers. That’s why it’s no surprise that Amazon’s earnings are better than what was expected.

The most anticipated technology/business news was released on Wednesday when Apple announced it’s new product the iPad. Read more about the Apple tablet features at CNN.

1.  Cell phone users are outraged by the hefty fees they have to pay for early termination. In some cases, users are charged hundreds of dollars if they terminate their contract just days before it ends. The FCC is investigating whether or not it is lawful for users to pay these fees, and consumers want answers from the cell phone companies.

2. Google has been very busy. The search company released the Nexus One, a fast internet browser, and fought against censorship issues in China. Google has now released an app for the iPhone. What’s next for the search company, and will they have success in the mobile business?

3. China has a new Google. The conflict between Google and China over the censorship issue has made way for a new search engine. Goojje wants to claim the space left by Google’s absence.

4. Social networking has become very popular online. Millions of users join sites like Twitter and Facebook to socialize, as well as get caught up on current news events.  There are many issues concerning social networking, and the World Economic Forum held a panel where CEO’s talked about the power of social  communities.

It seems like everywhere you go, all you hear about is Facebook. The social network has become very popular during the last few years, and Myspace seems to have dropped in popularity. Despite Facebook’s surge in user registrations, Myspace is still a social network to keep an eye on.
MySpace Grew By 7 Percent Last Month, But Was Imeem’s Loss Their Only Gain?

Posted using ShareThis

Google updates their browser again. It appears that the search company wants to perfect the internet experience for users. Recently they added a feature that allows users to make phone calls from their browser. Now Google Chrome has added extentions and APIs to the browser.

The retail industry felt the effect of recent U.S. economy issues. Will it change soon? The 2010 forecast suggests that there may be a turnaround. Companies may see an increase in sales and earnings. Will this year bring a much needed boost in profits to U.S. companies?

1. AOL has been struggling recently and it looks like the company is trying to turn things around. America Online once dominated the internet service provider market, but it looks like those days are long gone. AOL is restructuring, and they recently purchased a video production company and plan to release online programming.

2. It seems like everyone is coming out with some kind of smart phone these days. You have the Blackberry, Nexus One, and now Verizon has released it’s Palm Pre Plus. There’s a lot of competition and it’s only a matter time before another mobile company releases a hot new product.

3. To tweet or not the tweet, that is the question. Where was the strangest place you sent a tweet? On the rooftop of your house? In a tree? Well, I don’t know if you could even come close to this tweet location. An astronaut sends a tweet from outer space. Twitter has gone intergalactic!

4. You can’t think of computers or the the internet without thinking about Bill Gates and Microsoft. It’s obvious he is an academic man, and he has fell in love with a new education website.  Bill Gates is in favor of online learning, and he believes that one certain company will revolutionize online education.

5. The internet isn’t always such a serious place, sometimes there is room for fun and games. Social sites have a large video game audience. Most people who frequented Myspace last year remembered the popularity of the Mobsters game. Break Media is releasing MMA FightPicker, and maybe they’ll dominate the social gaming market!

1. Google Chrome has some interesting features. Chrome is reportedly faster than other internet browsers. Google is competing against the very popular Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. There’s been a new extention added to the Google browser which may lead some to swich from Explorer or Mozilla to Chrome. People are now able to call a phone number directly from their internet browser.

2. Rumors are swirling about the Apple Tablet release. Will the new features be impressive, or will it leave people unsatisfied? With the introduction of smartphones, there is alot of speculation that the Tablet will have similar features to that of the Droid or iPhone. It will not be known for sure what the Apple Tablet has to offer the public until there is an announcement by the Apple company.

3.  Google is a hot commodity in the stock market, but it looks like there is a plan for the co founders of the search company to sell their shares as part of a trading plan. This isn’t necessarily an indication that there is a problem. Google’s share prices may have dipped a bit, but the year has just begun. We’ll have to wait and see where this decision will take Google.

Facebook is ready to lease office space for a data center.  The very popular social site is ready for some changes. Millions of people use facebook, and it’s the desired destination for people looking to chat or connect with old friends.

With so much news about Google lately, it’s a suprise to hear that the search company had a 10 percent decline in the Nasdaq so far this year. Perhaps that is to be expected, and there is no need to panic. Prices in the market fluctuate constantly. What could the decline mean? As the year continues, it will be evident which direction Google will take.

1. Google decided to pull out of China. Search results weren’t censored and Google was unwilling to comply with China’s rules regarding censorship. Motorola raised a few eyebrows with their introduction of an application store in China despite  their relationship with Google.

2. The mobile market is a huge and profitable business. There are many successful companies, but find out who came out on top.

3. Search Engines have started to provide search results which include real time results from sites like Twitter and Delicious. Everyone pretty much knows about Bing and Google, but there are other other options available. Real time search engine alternatives are available and Computerworld names the top five.

4. What is the best internet browser? By default, Microsoft Internet Explorer is already included on most computers. Google Chrome caught the eye of many web surfers who wanted a quicker download time for web pages. The race isn’t over! The new release of a popular browser is causing one company to refer to their own product as the best.

Opera has been doing some shopping. The company purchased Admarvel which is a mobile advertising platform. It’s a multimillion dollar deal.

Ebay continues to soar as shown by their earnings in the fourth quarter.

Microsoft’s Bing search engine has taken off in popularity very quickly. Now Microsoft has added some important privacy features to the engine.

The New York Times is very, very close to making you pay to read the news.

New York Times to Charge for Online Content — Finally.

Many people use their cell phones to play games and download ringtones. Advertisers are looking to market to these individuals. The mobile application business is a very profitable one, and advertisers would like to target app users.Ads to Play Bigger Role in Future Mobile Apps, Says Gartner – PCWorld Business Center

Posted using ShareThis

Yahoo supports Google in their China decision.Alibaba Calls Yahoo’s Support of Google ‘reckless’ – PCWorld Business Center

Posted using ShareThis

Google adds local search results to it’s mobile application
Google Mobile Search Adds Location-Based Results.

The Associated Press is close to winning a fight to get search engines and news aggregators to share the online advertising wealth. The Wall Street Journal reports that the nonprofit newswire is nearing a deal with Yahoo that would impose…
AP Close to Making Yahoo Pay More for News.

Ex Apple executive lands a new job. Will he find the same success that he had with Apple?
Elevation Partners Hires Former Apple Executive – ABC News.

Facebook is looking out for it’s users.
Facebook offering six months trial of McAfee Internet Security Suite.

IBM leads the list of the top ten patent companies.
IBM # 1 Patent Winner.

Microsoft has serious competition from Google. It looks like that’s the reason for the delay of Windows 7.
Windows Mobile 7 Delayed Until 2011?

Posted using ShareThis

Webmasters are always searching for ways to make money. A new affiliate program backed by Google might help webmasters achieve financial success.
With Google backing, VigLink to help content sites make money off links | VentureBeat.

Has phishing become a problem with the release of the Android phone?
Phishing attack hits the Android Marketplace.

Chinese search site baidu.com ran into some issues when it was attacked by hackers. How did this happen?
Baidu.com probably attacked from U.S. domain registrar, says researcher

Posted using ShareThis

AOL isn’t the powerhouse it once was. Layoffs and a dwindling customer base leads people to wonder about the future of AOL. Read more about it.
Layoffs to hit AOL Wednesday – Washington Business Journal:.

Google’s trying to expand beyond the internet and search engines. What other plans does the internet giant have in store?

via Google getting into power market – Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:.

There’s a glitch in the matrix. Microsoft had a little trouble at the consumer electronics show. There were power issues during a Windows 7 presentation. Was it the black screen of death?. Read more…..
Never Before Seen ‘BSOD’ Debuts at Microsoft CES Keynote?

Posted using ShareThis

Google introduced their new phone the Nexus One. Phones are available for T – Mobile. Should Google buy the cellular company? Read more…
Should Google Buy T-Mobile? – PCWorld Business Center

Posted using ShareThis

Online sales always increase around the holidays. This year an estimated 30 billion was spent online. Read more…

Shopping Spree: Total Online Holiday Spending Nears $30 Billion

Posted using ShareThis