Category Archives: Technology

Yahoo! Introduces Search Direct – A Simpler Way to Find Answers Fast

*New Yahoo! search technology adds immediate, rich media content, going beyond just links* 

SUNNYVALE, Calif., March 23, 2011 – Yahoo!, the premier digital media company, today announced Search Direct, which delivers answers and direct access to websites before you complete a query, hit the search button, or go to a search results page. This search innovation supports Yahoo!’s strategy to fundamentally shift the way people experience the Web – by providing the richest, most integrated content faster and more efficiently. 

This new feature, currently in beta, taps into Yahoo!’s unique opportunity to combine content and structured data and to provide a rich search experience. Search Direct predicts search results as fast as a person types, character by character, and presents those results dynamically, generating a fast, simple search experience that goes beyond a list of blue links.  Search Direct rolls out in a public beta to Yahoo! users across the U.S. today, and will be available in other Yahoo! products and markets later this year.  (more…)

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Introducing Amazon Appstore for Android

*Customers Can Try Apps Before They Buy with New Test Drive Feature*

*Angry Birds Rio for Android Available Exclusively in the Amazon Appstore–Free for a Limited Time*

SEATTLE, Mar 22, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Amazon.com, Inc. today announced the launch of the Amazon Appstore for Android at www.amazon.com/appstore. Customers can now find, discover – test! – and buy Android apps using the convenient shopping experience that Amazon customers know and love. An innovative new feature called “Test Drive” will enable customers to test apps on a simulated Android phone. Customers control the app through their computer using a mouse. 

“Test Drive lets customers truly experience an app before they commit to buying. It is a unique, new way to shop for apps,” says Paul Ryder, vice president of electronics for Amazon.com. “Our customers have told us that the sheer number of apps available can make it hard to find apps that are high quality and relevant to them. We’ve spent years developing innovative features that help customers discover relevant products. By applying these features – plus new ones like Test Drive – we’re aiming to give customers a refreshing app shopping experience.”  (more…)

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Microsoft Pushes Private Cloud Computing Forward With System Center 2012

In-depth application management paves the way from virtualization to the cloud

LAS VEGAS — March 22, 2011 — Today at the Microsoft Management Summit, Microsoft Corporate Vice President Brad Anderson demonstrated how private clouds built with Microsoft technologies can help IT organizations meet their companies’ demands for more agile services. Anderson introduced the new System Center 2012, which will enable IT managers to deliver private cloud services that empower business teams, provide greater insights into application performance, and allow IT to carry forward current investments as they adopt public cloud computing. (more…)

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Retail Websites Now Reach 75 Percent of European Internet Audience Each Month

*U.K., France, Germany, Ireland, and the Netherlands Lead in Retail Site Visitation and Engagement* 

LONDON, UK, March 21, 2011 – comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, today released results from a study of online shopping in Europe. In January 2011, 270.6 million unique visitors in Europe visited sites in the Retail category, representing a market penetration of 74.5 percent of Internet users, up 8.5 percentage points versus last year. Retail sites also showed high penetration in individual markets, reaching at least 75 percent of the total online audience in 7 out of 18 European markets. In 2010, approximately one out of every ten Internet sessions in Europe included a visit to a retail site. 

Retail Penetration and Engagement Growth in Europe

In the United Kingdom, the Retail category reached 89.4 percent of the total online audience (up 6.3 points from last year), the highest penetration of any European market. France ranked second with a reach of 87 percent (up 10.5 points), followed by Germany at 82.1 percent (up 9.0 points). Ireland and the Netherlands round out the list of markets with highest penetration, with Retail reaching 80.7 percent in Ireland (up 15.8 percentage points) and 80.2 percent in the Netherlands (up 4.9 percentage points).  (more…)

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Latin America’s Internet Population Grows 15 Percent in Past Year to 112 Million People

*Venezuela and Colombia Web Populations Experience Highest Growth, Brazil Home to Most Engaged Users* 

*comScore Presents Complimentary Webinar “The 2010 Digital Year in Review: Latin America”*  

Santiago, Chile, March 18, 2011 – comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, today released the latest results from a study of the growth in the Internet audience in Latin America based on data from its comScore Media Metrix service. The study found that in the past year the Internet population in Latin America has increased 15 percent to 112.7 million visitors as the region’s digital ecosystem continued to grow and develop. The results of the study will be presented along with other key online trends via a complimentary, live webinar 2010 Digital Year in Review Latin America on Tuesday, March 22. For more information and to register, please visit: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/255678857 Note: Webinar will be presented in Spanish.  (more…)

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comScore Releases February 2011 U.S. Online Video Rankings

*Microsoft Sites Jumps to Second Place in Video Content Ranking* 

RESTON, VA, March 17, 2011 – comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, today released data from the comScore Video Metrix service showing that 170 million U.S. Internet users watched online video content in February for an average of 13.6 hours per viewer. The total U.S. Internet audience engaged in more than 5.0 billion viewing sessions during the course of the month. 

Top 10 Video Content Properties by Unique Viewers 

Google Sites, driven primarily by video viewing at YouTube.com, ranked as the top online video content property in February with 141.1 million unique viewers. Microsoft Sites captured the #2 ranking (up from #7) with 48.8 million viewers, followed by Yahoo! Sites with 46.7 million viewers. Facebook.com came in fourth with nearly 46.7 million viewers, while VEVO ranked fifth with 45.9 million viewers. Google Sites had the highest number of viewing sessions with 1.8 billion, and average time spent per viewer at 262 minutes, or 4.4 hours.  (more…)

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Yahoo! Shine Reveals Findings of “Alcohol and America” Survey in Time for St. Patrick’s Day

SUNNYVALE, Calif. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, Yahoo! Shine, one of the world’s leading women’s lifestyle websites, has released the results of its “Alcohol and America” survey. The survey asked 2,000 Americans in-depth questions about drinking habits, favorite kinds of drinks/alcohol, and overall views of drinking, as well as differences between men and women’s drinking habits. The results found that on average adults consume seven alcoholic beverages per week, and while most adults are responsible about their drinking, one in three has experienced negative effects of drinking.  (more…)

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