MySpace, the social network site owned by News Corporation (NYSE:NWS.A) is launching tomorrow with a new look.  MySpace hopes to bring in new users and keep old users coming.  MySpace’s homepage will be revamped and there will the navigation will be easier.  MySpaceTV will be redesigned. And even the search tool will be more advanced.  The first rollout will take place on Wednesday. 

News Corp. is hoping that rebranding the site will increase ad revenues with the new look & feel.  News Corporation was hoping to reach $1 billion in revenues from FOX Interactive Media, a subsidiary of the company that runs MySpace.  Dani Dudeck, a spokeswoman for MySpace stated that a major advertiser.  The New York Times revealed that is the makers of the new Batman movie.

MySpace has over 118 million users (73 million American) and Facebook has 36 million.  Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) paid MySpace $900 million to run the advertising in the profile pages of MySpace.  That deal will be expiring in 2009. 

“Bringing Flektor’s unique Web-based tools to MySpace will enable users to make their profile even more unique than they already are,” stated Clint Brauer, VP of Marketing for Flektor. “The glitter text, slideshow creator and polling feature applications were developed by Flektor as another means of self-expression and we are thrilled to share them with MySpace users.”

Flektor, the profile enhancement tool built around MySpace profiles and is owned by Fox Interactive Media/News Corp. announced recently that they will be lauching several easy to setup applications called MySpace Apps.  These tools include Pimpin’ MySpace Slideshows, Truth Polls, and Glitter Text.  MySpace Developer Platform is powering the applications.

The widgets created through Flektor does not require users to import images or create separate Flektor accounts.  By using MySpace’s Developer Platform, Flektor is able to connect their own widgets to an individual’s MySpace user direct account.

Flektor applications will have safe access to a user’s friend list, interests, photos & photo albums, video, status, and moods.  Flektor was started in 2006 and is based in Culver City, Calif.  The company was acquired by News Corp./FOX Interactive Media in May 2007. 

Information Source:
[1] Business Wire: Flektor to Launch Glitter Text, Slideshow Creator and Poll Applications on MySpace

Banzai is a show that is produced by RDF Media’s Radar division. Banzai is a slapstick comedy that spoofs Japanese gameshows and encourages viewers to bet on the outcomes. Mr. Banzai, the show’s host is played by opera singer, Masashi Fujimoto.

The location of the Banzai video channel is available here.

Some of the betting contests include: wheelchair mop jousting, grandmothers playing chicken in wheelchairs, egg eating competitions, and amputee soccer. The stunts performed on the show is similar to MTV’s Jackass.

MySpaceTV, a division of the MySpace social network has won the exclusive rights to the show for the video channel. Through this deal, MySpaceTV will have access to the clips 30 days before they air on TV. Banzai sometimes airs on FOX, USA, Comedy Central, and G4 in the U.S.

Below is a clip of one of the more popular segments: squirrel fishing.
Squirrel Fishing

News Corporation (NYSE:NWS), the company that owns several Internet properties such as MySpace, Photobucket, Beliefnet, Hulu, Grab.com, and Scout.com is now interested in making it’s next acquisition.  The company is interested in purchasing online Flash-based video game company, Newgrounds.com through it’s IGN division. 

Newgrounds receives 500,000 unique visitors per day.  Newgrounds was started by 30 year old, Tom Fulp and it is the “the original – and still the largest – Flash portal on the web [About page].”  Newgrounds has been running independently since 1995.  Newgrounds collects millions in revenues and Fulp sounds uninterested in selling off.

Newgrounds is based in Glenside, Pennsylvania.  Newgrounds is primarily driven by user-generated Flash content and the front page features 12 movies and 12 games picked out by the Newgrounds staff.  Newgrounds has a popular rating system that helps submitters determine whether their designs will be a hit or not.

Newgrounds has received a lot of media attention, both positive and controversial.  Newgrounds hosted a Teletubbies spoof which resulted in a lawsuit from the BBC.  The Numa Numa dance first appeared on Newgrounds in 2004 and instantly made Gary Brolsma a viral hit. 

Newgrounds is also known for hosting games that revolve around tragic moments in American history.  There is a Flash game called Virginia Tech Shootout and Oklahoma City Escapades.

Information Source:
[1] ValleyWag: Valleywag: News Corp. wants to buy videogame website Newgrounds by Nicholas Carlson

“Anybody who’s been thinking about engaging in spam are going to say, `Wow, I better not go there,’” stated Hemanshu Nigam, Chief Security Officer of MySpace. “Spammers don’t want to be prosecuted. They are there to make money. It’s our job to send a message to stop them.”

MySpace has been the victim of spammers harrassing their user base by sending mass messages and stealing passwords. Sanford Wallace and Walter Rines were expected to show up in court, but missed the hearing. Therefore, MySpace has won $234 million in the hearing.

“MySpace has zero tolerance for those who attempt to act illegally on our site,” added Nigam. “We remain committed to punishing those who violate the law and try to harm our members.”

Back in the 90’s, Wallace sent over 30 million junk e-mails per day. Will MySpace actually be able to collect the money from the no-show spam kings? That’s the $234 million question.

Information Source:
[1] Associated Press:  MySpace tells AP it has won $234M spam judgment by Anick Jesdanun

“Social is in the air.”
-David Glazer, Director of Engineering, Google

Facebook and MySpace announced this past week that they are making profile data portable if a user chooses to.  MySpace is calling this feature Data Portability and Facebook is calling it Facebook Connect.   And now Google is launching the same feature, but calling it Friend Connect.  About two dozen sites will have access to Google Connect initially, but expansion will happen in the coming weeks.

“You’ll be able to see, invite, and interact with new friends or, using secure authorization APIs, with existing friends from social sites on the web like Facebook, Google Talk, hi5, LinkedIn, orkut, Plaxo, and others. And quite simply, you’ll be able to do things together,” wrote Mussie Shore, Product Manager of Google on The Official Google Blog.

On May 28 and 29, Google is holding a two-day seminar to discuss the OpenSocial initiative.  The event information is located at: http://code.google.com/events/io/.

Between Facebook, MySpace, and Google opening up this week, any guesses on who will be the fourth?  Microsoft?  Yahoo!?  Second Life?  My bet is on Yahoo!

Yahoo! Inc. has become the apple of every company’s eye. Microsoft, News Corp., AOL, Google, and Legg Mason are all interested in a deal with Yahoo!

AOL, subsidiary of Time Warner Inc. (NYSE:TWX)
Time Warner’s AOL LLC is looking to repurchase some of Yahoo!’s shares above Microsoft’s offer of $31 per share and essentially AOL would be folded into Yahoo! The deal would make AOL valued at $10 billion and the dial-up access business wouldn’t be included.

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) and News Corporation (NYSE:NWS.A)
Microsoft and News Corp. are planning to launch a joint bid together to buy Yahoo! While this partnership is not official yet, a Wall Street Journal source confirms that discussions are serious. If acquired, this would combine some of the Internet’s hottest properties such as Live.com, MSN.com, Yahoo.com, and MySpace.com. Yahoo! confirmed 3 days ago that they are interested in an acquisition if the deal is higher than what Microsoft had to offer.

Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG)
Yahoo! is launching a new advertising platform called AMP! but wants Google to be part of the action. Yahoo! is talking to Google about outsourcing ad search sales to them. This deal was made official yesterday in the form of a short-term test. Google would handle a limited percentage of Yahoo!’s web search queries. This test will be used to determine the feasibility of a longer term search-ad outsourcing agreement. It is in Google’s interest to work out this deal in the longer run to make Yahoo! less susceptible for a Microsoft acquisition.

Legg Mason Inc. (NYSE:LM)
Asset Management company, Legg Mason owns a large percentage of Yahoo! As a shareholder, it is in Legg Mason’s interest to capitalize as much as possible from any potential deal. CEO of Microsoft, Steve Ballmer wrote a letter telling Yahoo! that if they do not respond, then he’ll work directly with the shareholders. Legg Mason is only ready to support Yahoo!’s independence if the bid remains to be as low as it is now.

What happens to Yahoo! is anyone’s guess. Nobody said that running the #1 Internet property was easy.

Information Source:
[1] Wall Street Journal: News Corp., AOL Pursue Yahoo Deals by Matthew Karnitschnig, Kevin J. Delaney, and Merissa Marr

“We want to be very closely associated with online video, where we see a huge opportunity. There is a lot of online video available but very little is advertiser-friendly and even less of it is bought and sold on planner-friendly terms. We are going to capitalize on our knowledge of how television advertising is bought and sold, but adding the unique targeting and performance capabilities of online video.”
-Hernán López , President of .FOX Networks

News Corporation’s .FOX Networks division has acquired 56% in video advertisement company, UTarget. The Windsor, United Kingdom-based advertising company has 630 publisher websites with 15 second ads built in before the videos.

The acquisition price was undisclosed. Hernán López , President of .Fox Networks reported to paidContent that the its a “reasonable multiple” based on its revenue of the last 12 months: £5 million+. UTarget will now be called Utarget.Fox. UTarget ads will now be delivered to News Corporation’s subsidiaries such as MySpace in different countries.

Information Source:
[1] paidContent: Fox Buying Majority Of UK Video Ad Outfit Utarget by Robert Andrews

“Responding to the needs of our growing Hispanic membership, MySpace Latino offers content that is culturally relevant to Latinos in the U.S.,” stated Vice President Managing Director of MySpace Latino, Victor Kong. “Thanks to our strategic media and content partners, MySpace Latino will showcase the sports, entertainment, and video content that our users are most passionate about, while creating a truly U.S. Latino bilingual hub for our users online.”

Social networks are rushing to adapt to different languages and cultures around the world with MySpace and Facebook being no exception. Today MySpace officially unleashed their site in Spanish called MySpace Latino. MySpace has roughly 9.7 million Hispanic members using the social network.

One thing that MySpace beats Facebook at is catering their look & feel to the Hispanic community rather than just translating the language. MySpace Latino has several relevant partners such as ImpreMedia, the Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS), Billboard en Español, and Remezcla.com. MySpace Latino has several relevant partners such as ImpreMedia, the Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS), Billboard en Español, and Remezcla.com. MySpace Latino will also feature an exclusive show called Show Secreto that stars Tego Calderon, Locos por Juana, Circo, and a special guest.

Some of MySpace Latino’s newest communities include Acústico, Get Your Band, Backstage, La Oficina, Entérate, TodoFútbol and En Tu Ciudad.  Competitors include ElHood.com, Quepasa.com, MiGente.com, LatinosConnected.com, MyGrito.com, and Vostui.com