WebSamurai Blog

I just started using this free service offered by Google which allows you to create, edit and store Word Docs and Spreadsheets online using your Google account. This is a great alternative to other products that are restricted to your desktop because you can share the docs over the Internet and access the information from different computers or allow other users to access the documents. It's easy to use and free. You can add it to your Google account if you already have one, or setup a new account in minutes and have access to this great suite of online office tools. Visit Google to learn more Welcome to Google Docs & Spreadsheets And Google will be adding Slideshow presentations to this feature soon. Learn more here Official Google Blog

Is this a very well crafted marketing strategy by the film makers or a serious copyright violation? At first the film makers were not complaining about the free press this story was generating and after all a marketing campaign is designed to increase public awareness about a product. Lion's Gate and Weinstein Co. have since expressed their disgust at the violation but Michael Moore the films creator is adamantly against copyright laws. Weinstein Co. cries malpractice over "Sicko" leaks As for the film itself, I doubt I will go to theaters to see it, but I'll probably rent it when it's released on DVD. Pirated "Sicko" surfaces on YouTube - Yahoo! News

At first glance it seems that Google would be the loser in the escalating drama between the two Internet giants. With Ebay pulling all advertising from Google investors at the Google camp are likely to be a bit edgy. We'll have to watch and see. However there is another third party interest group who may suffer as a result of this dispute. The Ebay merchants who work feverishly to optimize their product listings to get to the top of Ebays' listings so that search visitors who come in from Google will find their products first. Without Google driving search visitors to Ebay listings, Ebay merchants are likely to see a dramatic decrease in number of impressions their listings receive. Less visitors means less bid competition which could drive the final bid prices down for Ebay merchants. Good for Ebay bidders, not good for Ebay merchants. A strange observation I'm pondering. Ebay has been displaying ads delivered by Yahoo on their network for nearly a year now, yet Yahoo has

Ebay and Google locked in mortal combat over online payment solution? Google wants Ebay to offer their payment solution Google Checkout so they organize the Checkout Freedom Party . Ebay retaliates by pulling all their advertising from Google Adwords Network. Who will cave in first? Ebay is craftily managing damage control by stating the maneuver is part of a marketing experiment. At least this leaves the door open for them to return to Google later on and save face. Google has canceled the party which was scheduled to run at the same time as Ebay Live . How long will this last? It seems to me Google backed down pretty quick, But that doesn't mean it's over. This will be interesting to watch. Stay tuned.

Anyone who knows marketing has to be impressed with Apples' marketing strategy. By delivering funny, witty commercials and a competitive product line Apple is reaching more customers than ever. With the addition of the iPhone to their product line Apple is again increasing their customer base and opening the doors for a technology revolution. The iPhone is one of the most intriguing products to hit the market in a long time. Read the full story NewsFactor Network | Apple's iPhone Buzz Hits New Pitch

Will consumers benefit? Will the company benefit? Will advertisers benefit? Will stock holders benefit? These are the only 2 competing companies for the satellite radio audience. If they merge this becomes a monopoly. For some this would be a huge benefit. Share holders of each company would automatically own part of the competing company. Users of either service would have access to the competing companies services and advertisers would extend their reach to the competing companies consumer base. These are the obvious short range benefits that everyone would enjoy. On the darker side of things, this could mean higher subscription rates for listeners. However that is not likely to happen in the immediate future. There are plenty of alternate sources of broadcast entertainment available to consumers which creates indirect competition for the two companies. After all if the demand for satellite radio was so high that it made alternate services insignificant this merger would never have b