The folks at Microsoft are the latest in a long line of tech firms putting their chips on the OpenID project. For those unaware, “OpenID” is based around the theory that having one login ID for several sites is intrinsically better than having proprietary IDs for each site. Many analysts see addition of Windows Live users — all 400 million of them — as a major victory for the emerging web standard. While Microsoft might be the biggest company to embrace OpenID, it isn’t the first. Other notable firms that have pledged their support for the service include Yahoo, Technorati, and WordPress.

Pollster and security company FaceTime Communications has a few interesting things to say about social networking use in business. According to the report, roughly 79% use social networking and video sites at work for specific, “business-centric” reasons. In addition, 51% of those surveyed said that they visit social sites at least once a day. LinkedIn is by far the most popular social networking site among business people, with 62% saying that it is their favorite service. YouTube comes in second, with a 55% user rate.

In related news, video services such as YouTube have a new group to thank for their unparalleled growth — women. Roughly 54% of women over twelve said that they have watched at least one online video in the past month, a 9% increase from 2007. Men still lead the pack at 58%, but the gap is shrinking. “It appears the prevalence of streaming video online among younger males may be approaching a ceiling today,” Ipsos Media director Adam Wright recently told WebProNews. “The other demographic groups are driving the audience growth here.”

In other news, Kwanzoo is promising that even the smallest of quizzes can boost overall advertising revenues. The little startup claims that they can produce results ten times greater than traditional banner ads, and is using the success of partners Meebo and Glam Media to prove it. Kwanzoo is based around the idea that people are more likely to click on something that is interactive and fun than “boring” and traditional. Site owners can choose from over 50,000 questions for their own personalized “quiz widget,” or they can write their own. Kwanzoo is up and running now.

Finally, a few new Gadgets are coming to a Gmail account near you. New additions include a simple Calendar viewer (complete with so-called “meeting alerts) and a full-featured search engine geared towards Google Docs. “Gmail Labs has been a really fun way to easily try out new ideas and get some of our pet feature requests implemented quickly,” writes Gmail engineer Dan Pupius. “We wanted to take this to the next level.” The new Google Gadgets are available now, with many more to come in the near future.

MySpace has made the decision to go “in house” with their advertising. Called MyAds, the new service is designed specifically for MySpace users and the companies who target them. Potential clients will have the option of either uploading a pre-made ad, or making one on the fly using the service’s new advertising creation tool. “MySpace MyAds is a direct marketer’s dream,” said MySpace president of sales Jeff Berman in an interview with tech site Computerworld. “We’re giving businesses better ROI [return on investment]… and in today’s economy, that’s a must-have.” At launch, MyAds advertisements are limited to display ads only.

In other news, the folks at NBC Universal are beginning to see the value of a “local” audience. The media giant is putting the final touches on NBC Local, a collection of sites geared towards residents of specific urban areas. “These sites are about putting consumers first and giving them the content they’re looking for from the best available sources,” says NBC Local president John Wallace. Users can expect the sites to feature a distinct, “locals only” feel, with stories ranging from local politics to sporting events to nightlife. Cities selected for the new service include Chicago, Philadelphia, and Hartford.

Elsewhere,  it seems as if those behind the notorious peer-to-peer file sharing program Lime Wire are ready to go legit. Company officials are in talks with several major record labels about becoming a part of its latest venture, Lime Wire Store. The ultimate goal, according to sources at CNN, is to create a “music search engine” similar to MySpace Music. At press time, the only company to take Lime Wire up on their offer is independent label +1 Records.

In other music news, major label EMI has announced plans to launch their own online music store. The as-yet-unnamed service will feature a mixture of free and paid content, as well as a “Last.fm style” music discovery system. While those close to the project claim that the music giant has no desire of “[competing] with iTunes or Amazon,” many analysts believe that the service could be a major player if they play their cards right. An official launch date has not been announced.

Finally, we have a few interesting thoughts from StomperNet faculty member Andy Jenkins. According to Jenkins, most of the truly great marketers seem to have one thing in common — they are all great storytellers. By telling a compelling story, a salesman can do everything from create a bond with the audience to make the mundane seem exciting and new. A believable tale can also make the teller seem more approachable to the general public. Interesting to read and utterly fascinating, Jenkins‘ article shows you how to harness the power of an affable personality … and how to use that power for good.

In the world of online advertising, it seems as if text ads just might have the edge over the competition. In a survey conducted by research company iPerceptions, only 11% of those polled said that they click on video-based advertising. Nearly one-third of those clicks were provided by people who identified themselves as “under 25.” By comparison, 25% stated that they click on text-based ads. “Our research shows that inexpensive banner and text ads are still preferred among web consumers,” said iPerceptions vice president Jonathan Levitt. “By having a direct dialog with consumers, we are able to know - with certainty - what consumers want and expect from their online experience.”

Speaking of advertising, those familiar picture-free ads are coming to a Google Map near you. The ads appear at the bottom of the screen and feature content relevant to the location in question. While a number of bugs and dead links have already shown their ugly faces, Google is confidant that the new ads will work properly in the near future.

Yahoo is entering the data analysis business. The embattled search giant recently released Yahoo Web Analytics, an Internet marketing tool similar to Google Analytics. Based upon IndexTools, Yahoo Web Analytics provides users with everything one could want in a data collection service, including real time updates and routine performance assessments. Users will also have the ability to add their own custom widgets to the service, thanks to Yahoo’s extensive development network. At press time, the Yahoo Web Analytics beta is being limited to only 13,000 users.

Next up, we have Fring. Fring allows you to use Skype, Twitter, and a host of other tools on a variety of mobile platforms, including the iPhone. Developers see their program as more of a “web 2.0 suite” than an as a run of the mill social service. Easy to set up and and even easier to use, Fring is the perfect tool for anyone who wishes to keep in touch on the go.

And to finish off the week, the Internet Marketing Blog has a new article up about using scarcity to bring in users. Scarcity is a marketing ploy used to make people act impulsively and buy right away. Author PV Raymond warns against what is known as “fake scarcity,” a tactic where people claim that something is hard to find when really it isn’t. Using fake scarcity can potentially get you into a lot of trouble. A great tip, both in marketing and in life.

CBS is joining the world of social video. Called the Social Viewing Room, this new service allows users to interact with others, all while watching various CBS programs. Aside from the standard chat interface, users can also answer quizzes about the show they are watching for points. The new service puts CBS’s new tech wing, CBS Labs, in direct competition with Lycos, which released a similar service three months ago. The Social Viewing Room is up and running now.

It seems as if yet another web 2.0 company has contracted the redesign bug. Last week we had Facebook updating massive portions of its website. Now Microsoft is rolling out a new and sparkly Hotmail. Average users can expect new drag and drop capabilities, new auto-fill capabilities, and better integration with Windows Live Profiles.

One feature that Microsoft didn’t add, however, is a way of checking to see if someone has been fooling around with your email account. With Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s email troubles still front page news, many people are becoming increasingly concerned about web mail security. Gmail users, however, have no reason to worry. Every time you log in, Gmail’s Activity Monitor tells you who has visited your account, and from what IP address. While it might not seem like much, the Activity Monitor is a great way to keep tabs on what is yours.

Speaking of Google, we here at the Free Line would like to wish the fine folks at Google a happy 10th birthday. To celebrate, the Google team has released the Time Machine — a specialized Google search that takes you back to January, 2001. Search the web old school style, looking at the internet as it was nearly eight years ago. While it might not help you in the present day, the Google Time Machine is a fun, interesting trip down memory lane.

And finally, StomperNet faculty member Andy Jenkins has written a great piece about using emotion and logic to sell more. In the article,  Jenkins covers some really good tips on writing focused, intelligent stories that sell. He backs it all up with some pretty cool examples, showing you step by step how to transform a doubting reader into a trusting consumer.

Google is adding commercials to selected YouTube videos. The ads in question only appear if the user does not click on the overlay ad that appears during the video. If the ad is not clicked, the advertisment will play after the designated video has finished. Many analysts believe that the ads are Google’s way of making money on a service that is heavy of fan support but light on monetary impact. At the present moment, these so-called “post roll” ads only appear on roughly 4% of the videos uploaded.
Sometimes finding out the “vital information” to a website is as easy as clicking a mouse. While there are several organizations out there that perform this service, most just pass along “basic” information like ownership stats and general tracking information. For something a little more in depth, we suggest you try Quarkbase. Quarkbase is a veritable one-stop shop for website helpful information, including who owns it, what its Alexa stats are, how many Diggs the page has, and which sub-pages are the most popular. Easy to read and even understand, Quarkbase is the perfect program for the occasional “web 2.0 background check.”

Zoho, an India-based company best known for its popular online Office Suite, has announced the creation of its own Application Marketplace. The aptly-named Zoho Application Marketplace allows programmers create their own Zoho-compatible mini applications and release them for free. The Application Marketplace puts Zoho in direct competition with Salesforce.com’s similarly themed AppXchange service. At press time, there are over 100,000 applications available on the service.

Next, we have Zapproved. Zapproved tries to take the slow, painful process of managing a group of people a lot more simple and streamlined. Anyone that has been in meeting hell knows that getting a small group of competent people to agree on any one thing can take forever. Zapproved moves this process along, and uses the power of web 2.0 to get it done.

And to finish off the week, we have a new video from Marlon Sanders. In the new video Marketing Minute, Sanders shows how you can double your “opt in” rate on a squeeze page. For those unaware, a “squeeze page” is the page where users can conceivably subscribe to a variety of services, such as a mailing list. The video is only ten minutes long, but it covers a lot of ground and gets some great ideas rolling.

Staying in touch with the news is important, especially in this day and age. The central problem, however, is deciding which source is worth your time. There are literally thousands of news sites on the web, each with their own point-of-view and spin. Luckily for us, there’s Mediascrape. Similar to social news sites such as Digg and Slashdot, Mediascrape is a hodgepodge of diverse news pieces from around the world. What sets Mediascrape is its format of choice — videos. Several of the world’s major news organizations are featured on the service, including the BBC, CBC, and the AP. Easy to use and interesting to watch, Mediascrape will let you see all sides of a developing situation in stunning detail.

Not everyone likes to get their news fix solely from news videos. Some of us still prefers getting our information the “new old-fashioned way” — a blog. As many longtime readers of the Free Line know, one of our favorite ways to access our favorite blogs is through Google Reader. Well it seems as if this venerable service has gone through a few upgrades in the last couple of days. New features include the ability to alphabetize your feeds, add a tag to a note, and improve support for the iPhone. The new and improved Google Reader is available now.

Elsewhere, we have TipJoy. TipJoy is a website designed to make microtransactions a breeze. What exactly is a “microtransaction,” you ask? A microtransaction is a quick and easy way to send and receive small amounts of money over the Internet. Microtransactions are used in situations where traditional money changing methods would be foolish, such as in online RPGs. With TipJoy, all you have to do is type the recipient’s website or email address into the text bar and press a button. Within seconds, the person will receive their small amount of money. While it isn’t exactly Western Union, TipJoy is perfect for those who want to throw their favorite blogger or guild member a few bucks.

Elsewhere, marketing expert Mark Widawer has created an interesting video showing you how to get more people to visit your blog. According to Widawer, the trick is to measure and track everything. By tracking everything, you can easily see what strategies work and which ones fall flat.  Enhance the good ones and jettison the bad ones. Do this, he says, and you’ll be ready for more advanced SEO and marketing techniques in no time.

Myspace Music launched last week to much fanfare, and a bigger music library than already planned. A lot of people are calling this an “iTunes killer,” but we here at the Free Line remain skeptical for now. It will undoubtedly be a huge hit at first, but without the power of a product like the iPhone to back it up, it might only be a flash in the pan. Like Hulu, Myspace Music is currently a “US residents only” release. Expect more countries to be added shortly.

Google is the undisputed king of web-based online video, thanks in large part to its subsidiary, YouTube. According to a recent comScore poll, a whopping five billion videos were watched on Google-related sites in July, giving the company a 44.1% share of the market. Google’s closest competitor, MySpace parent Fox Media, clocked in with 445.6 million videos watched and a 3.9% market share. Other video providers ranked include Microsoft, CBS, and Hulu.

Switching to the world of search engines, we bring you Gazopa. Instead of letting you search for an image using a keyword, Gazopa lets you search using a drawing. A crude drawing of a T-shirt, for example, will get you a list of shirts. Draw a pencil, and you’ll get a wide variety of writing implements. While it’s not a replacement for Google, Gazopa is proof positive that originality still exists in the world of search.

In social networking news, it seems as if the Facebook redesign has become permanent. Up until now, users had the option of either using the new design or going back to the older, more traditional look. Out the 40 million who gave the new look a try, only 10 million reverted to the classic layout. While many Facebook users are pleased with the change, there are some who are lamenting the loss of a choice. At press time, over 900,000 members have signed a position speaking out against the redesign.

Marketing blog Search Engine Watch has a great tutorial up about the benefits of using YouTube videos to both advertise your business and educate your potential clients. In YouTube-ery, writer Ron Jones explains that online videos are more than just disposable pieces of pop culture. According to Jones, organizations and corporations such as Proctor & Gamble, Western Governors University, and even the Free Line use YouTube to get the word out. The trick, he writes, is to constantly evaluate and improve your on content. While it might be “old hat” to some, this article is perfect for those who are just entering the world of online streaming video.

We have covered many social platforms in our day, from Qik to Blinklist and everything in between. We had thought that we had seen it all … then we ran into Devunity. Devunity is a social development platform that allows several programmers to collaborate online. Several popular web-based languages are supported by Devunity’s browser-based environment, including PHP, Python, and AJAX. Although it is still in its infancy, Devunity is already a great tool for those who want a second opinion on their projects or ideas.

Yahoo search just might be coming to a mobile phone near you. AT&T has announced recently that Yahoo oneSearch is now the default engine for its MEdia Net service, which allows users to search for news, weather, and Flickr from their phones. AT&T is just the latest carrier to jump onto the oneSearch bandwagon. At press time, oneSearch is available on sixty different mobile carriers worldwide, reaching upwards of 800 million people annually.

Baby boomers  seem to be catching the web 2.0 bug after all. According to a recent survey performed by the NPD Group, 61% of Internet users between 46 to 61 years of age have visited streaming video sites such as YouTube and DailyMotion, while 41% have visited social networking sites. Baby boomers who visit sites such these on a daily basis are also 15% more like to go to a movie theater or purchase a DVD.

Blogger Mark Jackson has a few interesting thoughts concerning the topic of domain acquisition. According to Jackson, there is more to the price of a domain name than what you see on your bill every month. A domain that costs $10 a year but is horrible in relation to your main keywords might actually lose you money in the long run. On the other hand, a $20,000 a year domain name that includes a few keywords could get more visitors which, in turn, means more money for you. The trick is weighing the actual cost against the money that could be made. Do that, he writes, and the rest is easy.

With all of the news surrounding Google Chrome, it’s tough not to overlook the achievements of other cutting edge web browsers. Early alpha releases of Firefox 3.1, for example, include support of the new video tag found in HTML 5. For those unaware, the video tag allows you to embed any type of video, no matter the format, in your site’s code. In theory, the combination of the video tag and Firefox could make the traditional “Flash embedded video” a thing of the past.

Controversial documentarian Michael Moore has announced that he will be releasing his new film, Slacker Uprising, online. The 97-minute documentary, which chronicles Moore’s 2004 campaign to get young people to vote, features musical performances by the likes of , Joan Baez, and Pearl Jam lead singer Eddie Vedder. The film, which Moore himself says is “not for John McCain supporters,” will be available in high resolution on Blip.TV for three weeks starting September 23rd.

Traditional businesses might not be as willing to adopt social networking practices as we once thought. According to media pollster Avanade, 60% say that their respective companies have no plans on embracing social networks. On the opposite end of things, only 18% of those interviewed say that their companies have clear networking strategies for its employees and clients. Out of the companies that have already adopted such practices, approximately 66% state that customer satisfaction has increased. Roughly 64% claim that their overall reputations have improved thanks to the implementation of these networks.

In advertising news, getting your ad on television has never been easier, thanks to Google TV Ads. Spun off the immensely popular AdWords, TV Ads is a new service designed to get your advertisement on television quickly and effectively. Several major broadcast and cable networks are already on board, including NBC, CNN, and A&E. After the networks are chosen and an ad is uploaded, users place a bid on how much they are willing to pay for the airtime. Although new, several major companies such as Lenovo and TransUnion Interactive are already praising the service as a cost effective alternative to the more traditional ad agency approach.

Elsewhere, we have Timelope. Timelope is a new bookmarking service that single-handedly turns your browser’s history folder into a one-stop social spectacle. While there are several safeguards in place to protect from things like identity theft and malware, some believe that the potential risk is greater than the reward. At press time, Timelope is only available for Firefox users, with more browsers being added in the near future.

If you’re in the mood for a traditional spin on social bookmarking, give Blinklist a try. Blinklist is a new and creative way to keep track of and share your favorite websites. After signing up, you are given a special “blink” button to put inside your toolbar. If a certain site interests you, just click the button. The site in question will then appear on your own personal Blinklist page. Fun and easy to use, Blinklist is the perfect service for anyone who to join the bookmarking party, but wants to do it in a hurry.

With all the free web browser ballyhoo going around, you might forget that there is a lot of free software out there that doesn’t involve investigating the Internet. Today on the Free Line, we have four great programs that are not only free, but don’t include the words “web” and “browser.”

OpenOffice 3.0: “Exhibit A” for free software. Like Firefox, OpenOffice is heading forward into betas of version 3.0. Unlike the name brand equivalent, OpenOffice keeps the traditional menu/icon setup, giving users a more traditional, easier to use environment.

Miranda IM: A Windows-only instant messaging program, similar to Pidgin.

QuickTime Alternative: From the folks the brought you Real Alternative comes this one-stop replacement for Apple QuickTime. Version 2.7 has added support for the new QuickTime 7.5.5 file types.

jetAudio: A great media player from Korean PMP manufactuer Cowon. Some of its more notable features include the ability to record audio, shrink to the system tray, and a Windows startbar overlay function.

And for more free software suggestions, check out this handy article from productivity blog Lifehacker. You’ll be glad you did.

Yahoo Mash, a beta-only social network designed to take on the likes of MySpace and Facebook, is soon to be no more. While it is unclear as to why Yahoo has decided to shut down the service, some analysts say it is due to a combination of poor advertising and a general lack of interest in the project. Others believe it is simply due to the fact that Mash didn’t really do anything all that original or innovative. At press time, Yahoo Mash’s last day will be September 28th.

In election news, it seems as if modern politics and modern technology are crossing paths yet again. Republican candidate John McCain just launched a brand new social network called, appropriately enough, McCain Space. Powered by social networking platform KickApps, McCain Space is everything a McCain supporter would want in a social network and more. On the Democratic side, there’s my.BarackObama.com. MyBarackObama has many of the same features as McCain Space, only skewed to a more “Obama-leaning” crowd. It has yet to be seen how much, if any, impact strategies such this will have on the actual election.

Glen Stansberry has written a great article on how design can affect your online business. According to Stansberry, the key is create a simple web design high on relevant content, but relatively low on unneeded extras. Sites full extraneous information, he writes, tend to bother or frustrate the average user. By keeping things simple, you can effectively directly feature your product or service without the potential buyer becoming confused or distracted. Keep it simple … truly great words to live by no matter where you choose to do your business.

YouTube added a closed captioning option to their videos, allowing content creators to provide text for the hearing impaired. The closed captions are very easy to upload, and you can add as many languages as you want. If you’re watching a video and want to use the closed captioning, just press the closed captioning button on the corner of the video. Simple and easy, YouTube close captioning makes it easy for everyone to enjoy your videos.

While Craigslist is a great resource, it isn’t one of the easiest sites to navigate. Thankfully, the Indiana-based Motion Technologies is out to change all of that. With the aptly named Craigslist Reader, you can search through multiple locations and categories at once, allowing you to cross reference information in a way that you can’t currently do on the traditional Craigslist site. You can also set up notifications, alerting you to when Craigslist is updated. With Craigslist Reader, looking through the want ads has never been easier.