Google wins subsidies to build N.C. server farm

By way of quick expansion of its computing ability, Google is now opening a $600 million data center in Lenoir, N.C. State officials stated that this new server farm can create up to 210 jobs.

Further both search giants Google and Microsoft received kind subsidies from state and home governments. The city officials in Lenoir also agreed to waive 100% of Google’s business property taxes and 80% of its real estate taxes for coming three decades. Google is also getting a state grant that may be worth as much as $4.8 million.

Microsoft launches "Click for Cause"

GENEVA – UNHCR corporate partner Microsoft has recently launched an initiative to support an Internet-based campaign aimed at raising funds and to promote sports and education for millions of refugee children across the globe.

“Click for Cause” would support UNHCR’s global ninemillion.org campaign that was launched last World Refugee Day on June 20 with assistance from Microsoft, Nike and other corporate partners of the refugee agency.

MSN to launch new mobile beta homepage – MSN to go

The start of 2007 must see MSN taking back some of the spotlight from Windows Live.

First up is MSN goes with the new MSN Mobile service. Similar to its Windows Live counterpart, MSN also offers users a homepage for the mobile device, with both Windows Live Mail and Search integration where it differs although unlike the mobile Live.com. MSN to go do not carry all the customization options such as gadgets and feeds, instead focusing on providing MSN content such as news, sports and movie times.

The new MSN mobile homepage has the recent launch of the Soapbox mobile page, supporting the belief, which mobile is one of the areas where Microsoft’s online efforts are equal to, if not better than, its rivals.

Reveille, MSN open up debate

MSN now premiers a new online series in which two pop culture group debate the right and wrongs of today’s happening topics and ask for viewers’ votes on why their respective arguments are correct.

The Big Debate, MSN Originals’ the interactive comedy produced by LA indie Reveilli, allows the viewers to explore themselves in the popular matters of debate by reading and posting comments. Reveille and Microsoft partnership announced in May last year is now in result, they are on the way to develop “the next generation” of entertainment programming online.

Microsoft adCenter Labs Showcases Digital Advertising Breakthroughs at Third Annual Demo Fest

Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) provides a glance of its future online advertising this week at its third annual Demo Fest, a two-day gathering on Microsoft’s Redmond, Wash., campus. This event would spotlight breakthrough digital advertising tools by Microsoft (R) adCenter Labs (http://adlab.msn.com/), the originality engine for the Microsoft adCenter platform. The tools showcased at Demo Fest would come from a portfolio of nearly 60 technologies at different stages of improvement and represent Microsoft adCenter Labs’ seven new focus areas: keyword and content technologies, ad selection and relevance, audience cleverness, social networking, video, platforms, and devices.

This is actually developed by growing team of more than 120 Microsoft adCenter Labs researchers and engineers, technologies displayed are all planned to assist in providing the best advertising experiences for users, advertisers and developers. They include the following:

• Keyword Service Platform. The platform offers a set of web service APIs related to keyword technologies, with keyword recommendation, forecasting, categorization and monetization, enabling developers to build brilliant applications for online advertising and beyond.
• Commercial Intent Detection. Advanced keyword analysis to differentiate consumers who are looking to create an online buying from those who are searching for information about products or performing other tasks.
• Large display feedback. Vision based technology makes interactive public displays to measure the size of the audience, as well as track audience gestures and guess demographics.
• Social video sharing. This next-generation video sharing key features a synchronized “commenting” technology. The introduction of novel in-video, synchronized comments facilitates a new level of communication between users, opening up the video as a way for collaboration.
• Content classification: By precisely analyzing and matching the Web pages incorporated in search results, Microsoft adCenter Labs expertise helps increase the probability which the ads displayed during Web searches are relevant to consumers.

RCOM to offer Yahoo Instant Messenger

MUMBAI: Now Yahoo Instant Messages would appear on Reliance India Mobiles, as Anil Ambani and Yahoo India has recently finalized an agreement to offer these facilities across the country. The company would make the official announcement sometime in coming week. This is Yahoo’s first Wireless Village compliant implementation in Asia. This is been developed by ACL Wireless for Reliance and Yahoo.

Yahoo! TV to Preview Smallville Episode

In an attempt to plot its long time fans and attract new viewers, Yahoo! TV (http://tv.yahoo.com) would stream an extended foretaste of the first act of a key episode of The CW’s hit series Smallville the day prior to broadcast. Further a special photo gallery would accompany particular quotes from the stars of the series. The stream launched on 17th Jan, 2007, the “Justice” episode airs at The CW on 18th Jan, (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET).

Gotham Group, Yahoo! Team for Animation

Google’s popular viral video site YouTube competing with internet entity Yahoo! and extends its profile as a video content provider. Yahoo! Studios have teamed up with Gotham Group, a management firm, which represents animation and family entertainment talent and text content, to create and distribute original animated work on web. The productions would be made available across the Yahoo! Media Group properties, with Yahoo! Entertainment and Yahoo! TV.

Yahoo! Teams With Film Your Issue to Launch 3rd Annual Short Competition

Yahoo Inc. has teamed up with Film Your Issue (FYI) as the only online sponsor of the “Issue Film” contest, especially designed to engage youth. Beginning Jan 17, people aged between 16 to 25 in America and globally are invited to create: 30-60 videos, which focuses on contemporary issues. These videos would be hosted by Jumpcut.

As the only online partner of this initiative, Yahoo! would host the video entries, offering a voting platform, promote the film competition across the Yahoo! network and also offer online video editing and publishing tools through its recently acquired Jumpcut video platform.

Caldwell tries to land Google

State and local tax breaks attracts Google Inc, computer hub to the foothills of North Carolina to develop a search engine company. If Google brings 210 employees operation to Caldwell County, would come up the $100 million by next three decades. About $96 million of the total tax will be from state tax incentives.

The Mountain View, Calif., company’s proposed investment is approximately of half the tax base of the city. City and county governments further have also agreed to relinquish property and real estate taxes for 30 years if it moves to Caldwell County.