Tuesday, May 24, 2005 4:00 AM
So, I took a dive into the blawgosphere this weekend, and per usual, it led to a diverse and interesting set of postings which reflect the buzz (and strategic investment) that weblogs, RSS feeds and their derivatives continue to fuel. Here is a random sampling of my stops along the way:
Microsoft's foray into online RSS feed aggregation services continues to move forward at MSN's Start.com.
The RSS Weblog reports on another new aggregator called MediaTuner, which incorporates a video blog (or 'vlawg,' for the legally inclined) watching functionality as part of its feature set.
Back to Microsoft, it continues to acquire small technology start-ups that are developing RSS-related technologies, a recent one being Messagecast, whose product has apparently already been incorporated into the MSN Alerts system. It seems that, in many cases, Microsoft is really just acquiring programming code or an idea rather than a money-making company. It is probably a smart move to strike early and often.
On the topic of Mergers and Acquisitions, Mike Jarvis points out that Yahoo! is looking to hire somebody for a job entitled "Manager Mergers and Acquisitions," which might point to its strategic direction.
Listening to podcasts continues to get easier with Steve Jobs announcing that iTunes will now support podcasts [see Charlene Li at Forrester Research's posting on the matter].