Is Microsoft's Cashback putting pressure on Google Checkout?

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Although Google might not have much to fear from Microsoft, on the whole, could a new promotion in Google Checkout represent a response to Microsoft's Live Search Cashback feature?

In a new back-to-school promotion, Google is now offering a $5 to $10 discount on purchases made at partner sites that use its Checkout Service.

Unlike previous promotions from Google of this kind, the current one lets you use the discount as many times -- and on as many partner sites -- as you'd like.

Meanwhile, on the merchant side, Google allows participating sites to process orders and charge customers' credit and debit cards without fees.

Google has also been running additional promotions for merchants but on a limited time basis, such as offering 50 free AdWords to sites that agree to take part.

As previously reported in BetaNews, according to many accounts, Microsoft's Cash Back services -- which gives cash back to consumers buying products through LiveSearch -- seems to be faring well in helping to improve the company's search share , in recent figures from comScore.

To find online stores that accept Google Checkout, you need to search Google for items you're interested in buying. Sites participating in the Checkout program show up as sponsored links with shopping cart icons.






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Could Obama's VP pick have triggered millions in SMS traffic?

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If you do the math, using the best estimates available to you about text messaging (SMS) usage in the US, the results could be staggering: A single news announcement may mean a small windfall for telcos.

If Sprint's early estimates are accurate and if they're reflective of other carriers' traffic on the day Sen. Barack Obama announced his running mate, the resulting flow of text message traffic on the nation's networks could theoretically have generated more than $118 million in extra revenue for the nation's cell phone carriers.

Here's how the theory works: Analytics service Nielsen Mobile announced yesterday afternoon that, based on the billing activity of sampled customers, it believes some 2.9 million people were recipients of the 3am text message from the Obama campaign , announcing Sen. Joe Biden as his running mate.

That's actually not a lot of people. As the telecommunications industry trade group CTIA estimates , based on December 2007 sampling, some 48.1 billion text messages are sent by Americans every month. For the average day, that's about 1.58 billion SMS messages; so the Obama blast by itself would have only represented two tenths of one percent of the entire day's SMS traffic on US networks, for August 23.

That's not the bump Sprint reported, however. It says its SMS traffic levels ballooned to 250% of normal, which would have accounted not just for the initial blast, but for all the response from people who may not have been aware their phone also had a "talk" feature.

If you apply that 250% boost figure to the CTIA estimates (again, assuming Verizon Wireless, AT&T, and others received similar traffic boosts), that means some 3.95 billion text messages may have been processed that day, for about 2.37 billion extra messages on that subject alone.

With estimates of the average price per US-based SMS message at $0.05, that means $118.6 million in extra traffic may have been generated, perhaps in just a few hours' time. All this for discussion of a candidate who, after all was said and done after the final round of the Iowa Caucuses in January, could only muster less than one percent of caucus voters.

2:45 pm EDT August 26, 2008 - Nielsen Mobile Director of Insights Nicholas Covey told BetaNews this afternoon that he believes the 250% traffic boost figure may, in the end, only apply to the segment of the SMS network where Sen. Obama's "short code" messages were being trafficked.

"This makes a substantial difference in terms of the total carrier revenue that could potentially be attributed to this text message campaign," Covey wrote us.






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Active WebCam

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Active WebCam 11.0 is a WebCam Tool product from pysoft.com, get 5 Stars SoftSea Rating, Active WebCam captures images up to 30 frames per second from any video device including USB and Analog cameras, TV-boards, Camcorders and Network IP cameras. The software broadcasts live high-quality MPEG-4 video from your computer or uploads JPEG images to your FTP server. Broadcasting can be viewed using any Internet browser; no plug-ins or downloads required.
Active WebCam performs simultaneous recording and broadcasting from unlimited number of cameras. Your camera / cameras can be used as surveillance system. When the software detects motion in the monitored area, it sounds alarm, e-mails you captured images, starts broadcasting, or records video. Live broadcasting as well as recording can be password protected that all video and audio are scrambled and cannot be watched without valid password. The software has features to place image overlays and date/time stamps, adjust picture size / quality, and Pan/Tilt/Zoom control.
Key Features:
Works with all USB and Parallel Port cameras, Windows compatible Capture Devices and Framegrabbers, TV-boards, and with Network IP Cameras.
Broadcasts live MPEG-4 video and MP3 audio up to 30 frames per second.
Multiple cameras support. Simultaneous recording and broadcasting from unlimited number of cameras.
Dynamic IP Service, that gives a permanent internet address to your web camera whenever IP of your computer changes.
Time stamps captured video.
Broadcasts audio.
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Records password protected video clips.
Performs Live Recording that allows rewind and playback captured content at any time.
Has features to control camera's Pan, Tilt, and Zoom.
Helps you to create web page for your web camera.
Records video when a motion is detected.
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Sends Email and SMS when motion detected.
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Stealth mode makes the software totally invisible that it doesn't display any icon in the sys tool tray and it is not presented in the task bar tray.
Password protection from unauthorized usage.
Ability to run the software as Windows service that the software starts automatically at system boot and executes even when no user is logged on to the system. The license of this communication software is Free Trial Software, the price is $29.00, you can free download and get a free trial before you buy. If you want to get a full or nolimited version of Active WebCam, you can buy this communication software.

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Electronic Arts won't extend Take-Two deadline

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By BARBARA ORTUTAY, AP Business Writer
Mon Aug 18, 6:41 PM ET

NEW YORK - Video game publisher Electronic Arts Inc. is retracting its hostile bid for smaller rival Take-Two Interactive Software Inc., but a deal — and a friendly one at that — is likelier than ever.

Take-Two, best known for the popular "Grand Theft Auto" video game series, confirmed Monday it expects to sign a confidentiality agreement with EA to begin formal discussions about "strategic alternatives."

EA had said earlier it wouldn't extend the Monday night deadline for its $2 billion tender offer to buy Take-Two. The companies have been unable to agree on a price for the past six months.

Now, EA says that if it does buy Take-Two, it no longer believes it can combine the company in time for the holidays, when video game companies make most of their money. Because of this, EA said it needs to review assumptions made to support its offer price of $25.74 per share.

"They are both posturing," said Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter. "EA is saying `we want to pay less,' Take-Two is saying they want more. The important thing is that they are talking."

EA already has extended its deadline for the offer five times, mostly to let regulators continue their antitrust review. The company said it would let the offer expire at 11:59 p.m. EDT Monday, and added it "remains confident that antitrust issues will not prevent or delay a transaction." The Federal Trade Commission is scheduled to complete its review by Thursday.

On Monday, EA said it will entertain a financial presentation by Take-Two under confidentiality agreements. Take-Two's management said it plans to present EA with its three-year product release schedule, financial projections and other nonpublic information meant to support its claims of what the company is worth.

EA wants to buy Take-Two not just for the "Grand Theft Auto" franchise, the company's main source of revenue, but also for its sports business and critically acclaimed titles such as "BioShock," which is being made into a movie. Take-Two's sales for the most recent fiscal year, which ended in October, totaled $982 million. EA, meanwhile, reaped sales of $3.67 billion in the year ended March 31.

On Friday, EA Chief Executive John Riccitiello called Strauss Zelnick, chairman of Take-Two's board, to discuss the offer. Following further discussions over the weekend, EA agreed to hear Take-Two's presentation.

In a letter made public Monday, Zelnick said the company "has made significant strides since EA first expressed interest" in Take-Two. In a separate statement, Zelnick said his company's board remains "unwavering in its belief" that EA's offer price was too low.

Shares of New York-based Take-Two slid $1.09, or 4.4 percent, to $23.75. This is still well above $17.36, the stock's closing price on Feb. 22, the last trading day before EA announced its offer of $25.74 per share. This could signal that investors are confident a deal will go through, but the question is at what price, and when.

Pachter, for one, said if the companies' managements "are as smart as I think they are," this price will be somewhere between $26 and $27, and an agreement could happen this week. But if Take-Two decides to hold out for a higher price, like $30 or more, the analyst expects EA to go hostile again, and at a price closer to $20. This, Pachter noted, is less likely, given the "dearth of other bidders."

If a deal does happen, EA has said it would give Take-Two's creative teams — many of which have worked under a succession of CEOs over the past few years — a "stable management" that understands video games. Riccitiello took over at EA in April 2007 and has since reorganized the software publisher into a "city-state model," with four game divisions and distinct, independent development studios.

Still, EA has been under pressure from investors to improve its creativity and rely less on sequels of existing hits — something the Take-Two acquisition could help accomplish.

Zelnick took over as chairman of Take-Two after a March 2007 shareholder coup ousted most of the company's top executives and board members over poor results, accounting troubles and controversy surrounding violent and sexual content in games. Several former executives, including ex-Chairman and CEO Ryan A. Brant, pleaded guilty in 2007 to falsifying business records after a probe into backdated stock options.

Shares of Redwood City, Calif.-based EA fell 48 cents to $47.76.

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AP Technology Writer Anick Jesdanun contributed to this report.



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