Web 2 LaunchPad Open For Submissions

The third annual LaunchPad, where we highlight cool companies in our industry, is open for submissions. The release is here.

This year we're doing something new - having a panel of VC judges who critique your presentation on stage. It's a great chance for a handful of companies - 6 to 8 - to present in front of all 1200 of the Web 2 attendees and press/bloggers.

Also, we are not charging a fee to enter or win, and the competition is open to any company that is pre-public - not just companies who are launching. If you want to enter your company, head here.

• Posted by John Battelle at 1:16 PM
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Yahoo ReOrgs, Again

Paid Content has an overview. Also NYT.

I am tired of Yahoo's internal focus. I think I speak for many of us. Get back to being Yahoo.

• Posted by John Battelle at 7:27 PM
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Hot LInks

Danny schools Scoble and shows us our own Gphone hype timeline.

FareCast launches hotels.

Google and MSFT hold hands on fair use.

A new news metasearch engine.

• Posted by John Battelle at 7:47 AM
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CFO Needed: Your Job: Not So Fun

Google CFO George Reyes is stepping down. He's, er, quite well compensated for his nearly six years of service.
He's got good timing. The future for Google's new CFO is going to be rough: Think Microsoft after Windows had its initial run. Ho to keep the Street happy when it expects double digit growth every quarter. Ick.

• Posted by John Battelle at 5:41 PM
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Boing Boing Adds Gadgets, Comments, New Design, More

Check it out!

• Posted by John Battelle at 10:35 AM
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Travelin' Back

It's the last days of summer. On my way back to the Vineyard for a few days before heading home. Wow, that summer went quickly...

• Posted by John Battelle at 9:21 AM
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Other Quick Updates

I am traveling today and won't be posting much, quick news:

Bloglines has updated. (RWW)

So has Yahoo Mail (TC)

Oh, and Orkut (Vbeat)

Go Speed Racer! (A pal of mine is working on this film)

• Posted by John Battelle at 5:19 AM
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It Starts With Deals Like This

And slowly, creators get a better deal. From the NYT coverage of the South Park creators's novel ad revenue split-based deal with Viacom:

But what is likely to draw the most attention in Hollywood is not the richness of the pact, but the network’s willingness to share its advertising revenue.

..“The landscape has shifted dramatically,” Mr. Herzog said. “The way of the Web seems to be, there’s a very low barrier to entry, so you don’t need, necessarily, a major media company to be in business, or a movie studio, or whatever it is — you just need to be able to set up shop and go. You’re seeing a lot of guys doing this, funnyordie.com being the best example.” (Funnyordie.com was started this year by the comic actor Will Ferrell and his production partner, Adam McKay.)

• Posted by John Battelle at 5:07 AM
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Social Graph Gets Scobelized

Scoble's got some bold predictions in video about the future of search here. TC picks up here. I don't buy the Techmeme or Mahalo claims, but FaceBook? Could do.

• Posted by John Battelle at 4:56 AM
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New Ad Models Abound

It's really a thrilling time to be in the media business. YouTube and now FaceBook are hard at figuring out conversational media. I shoulda posted on this Friday, when I did my voicepost on the YouTube ad model. I'll voicepost on FaceBook's, based on this Journal article, soon. The article is behind a pay wall, so I'll summarize and then riff. But not now, as I have 12 family members in a small cottage to feed...

• Posted by John Battelle at 3:06 PM
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For Me, This Means Vacation

• Posted by John Battelle at 9:44 AM
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Accoona's Underwriter Bails

Shocker.

(previously)

• Posted by John Battelle at 6:39 AM
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Mayer At SES: Google Mobile Bump

Google's got a bump in summer mobile traffic, Marissa says at SES (ars). I have to say, this is consistent with my usage - I use Google a lot on my BlackBerry.

I have to say, I don't see why a Gphone makes sense. Just ride the top of the platform that is already being built in mobile....

What do you guys think? You want a Gphone? You use Google a lot on your phones?

• Posted by John Battelle at 1:07 AM
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Voicepost: YouTube (and Google's) Approach to Video Ads, Thinking Out Loud

I have to just call out to HP, and say thanks for making this possible. It's a really cool way to market, by adding value to the conversation in a very real way.

Previous coverage of YouTube's new ad unit.

My main point: Innovative in execution: Yes, but like AdWords was - lots of stuff that already existed, but packaged and moved forward. Innovative in the business model? No. And for now, that's the right thing to do.

Have a listen:

• Posted by John Battelle at 10:12 AM
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The Web's End

One of my simple charms, those who work with me relate, is that I'm totally blind to obvious stuff when it comes to UI. It's like I'm interface handicapped or something. If there is a way I can break the interface, I break it.

With that in mind, is it really possible that no one in this great web world ever asked the question: "How Do You Create Comments In Adobe Reader?"

Apparently the answer is yes, no one ever has. Not even at Ask. Yeah, I know, lose the quotes and there will be more answers. But still.

Meanwhile, I am still wondering. Where is the flippin' comment tool?

Update: I love this, hours after I whined about no results:

• Posted by John Battelle at 12:19 AM
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Skrenta on Mahalo, SEO, etc.

Rich has chops in this space. A very good read.

We know this from experience: No one will ever go to Mahalo directly, just as no one ever went to About.com, dmoz, Tripadvisor, Nextag, IMDB or any other vertical or broad-but-shallow site. Google is where everyone starts and Mahalo's distribution strategy has to be SEO. Its traffic is going to live or die based on SEO skill and Google's continued favor.

• Posted by John Battelle at 5:04 AM
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Watch This Space: Microsoft Edges Closer to AdSense

Over at Ars:

Microsoft announced yesterday via the Windows Live Blog that it plans to extend its Content Ads beta program to all US customers who wish to advertise on MSN properties. Previously, the program was limited to a small selection of advertisers and the MSN sales team, but it will now be available to the public to test out starting on August 29. The ads will be displayed on select Microsoft properties—such as Real Estate, Money, MSN, and Windows Marketplace—and will eventually expand out to other Microsoft-owned properties and "premium partner sites." If Content Ads manage to take off as well as Google's AdSense program, then competition between Microsoft and Google could heat up and force both to offer even better options to advertisers and, eventually, publishers.

• Posted by John Battelle at 4:52 AM
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BlackHat Blog Soul Stealer

Watch and learn as Justin, an engineer at FM, figures out how to defang a sleazy blackhat!

• Posted by John Battelle at 4:43 AM
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Embeddable Maps from YouTube

It warms my heart to see functionality that once was reserved for Big Guys, like AOL, get spread out to everyone. Case in point: Used to be the only place you see embeddable maps was at large sites that had done licensing deals with MapQuest et al. Now, Google is making it possible for anyone to have embeddable maps.

This is great, but read the TOS. By using this, you are bound by Google's overall TOS, including I imagine its use of any

data your create through using this feature. And you are bound by some interesting Navteq policies (that's the data provider), which are, well, read the fine print. In short: Don't mess with them. They are particularly irritated by any hacking with regard to automobiles, thank you very much.

And don't even think about using this in a commercial manner. Er, but, what is commercial these days? I guess we'll see.

The strategy is clear. Local is a huge business play for any search driven company. And the more distribution you get, the better. Smart, eh?

• Posted by John Battelle at 4:32 AM
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You in Finance? Check Out Money:Tech

Paul and Tim are partnering up for Money:Tech in NYC this Feb. Sounds great!

• Posted by John Battelle at 3:48 AM
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