Promising start for Microsoft adcenter labs

Microsoft see advertising as a major revenuw stream for the future, and have set up the adcenter labs project to research advertising data. The results are still at the proof-of-concept stage but this is definitely something to track.

Here are some highlights:

• Search funnel - having searched on a keyword, what keywords will the user try next to get to the results they need. This tool tells you. The keywords tracked are limited at present but it will be very interesting when the full database is built.
• Seasonal trends - shows you how the usage of a particular keyword varies over the year.
• Content categorisation - given a web site address the program gives you its best guess at the business areas it covers.
• Demogaphics - given a web site address give you the age ranges of people visiting the site.

and much more...

Emily

I got a call from Emily - a local Chiswick resident, who wanted to publicise her book - or at least get it published. As her knowledge of the web is zero and her budget about the same size we took it on pro bono - I think that is what lawyers call it.

Check it out all you publishers.

e-conveyancing - more madness

The first e-conveyancing pilot is being launched in October 2007. I am sure it will be successful. Participation is voluntary and therefore will only be used by technology early adopters and evangelists in larger law firms, with client who are keen to be at the forefront of technology.

I predict that the results will be published showing unbounded enthusiasm by users and great business benefits.

Wait until the thing goes live. Average punters are going to be told that they won't be signing their conveyancing documents because the technology for electronic signature is so complex that the solicitor (who probably doesn't fully understand it) has to sign everything on their behalf. This is for transactions involving 6-7 figure sums of money.

The first e-conveyancing transaction that goes pear-shaped will hit the front pages in the first year and the project will spiral out of control as people try and rescue their careers from disaster.

Digital TV - more madness

My trusty video recorder just packed in. I don't watch that much TV, but the few things I like tend to be on at inconvenient times so I like to record them. That is what VCRs were for.

They don't make them any more, and as far as I can make out the popular replacement item is a DVD recorder. However I have heard these are not that user friendly. Also as far as I can tell most of them don't have a digital tuner, so in the new world of digital television they will be about as useful as a housebrick for recording TV. I have a Freeview box but long ago gave up on trying to record from it. Switch it on, tune to the right channel, set the VCR to the right channel and hope that no-one comes along and switches channels in the meantime. It doesn't work.

But there is an answer. The PVR. These have a couple of digital tuners (so you can watch one channel while recording another) and record on a hard disk. Basically Sky+ but for free digital TV.

But Currys doesn't even have a PVR category on their web site. They stock about four models. Most other retailers are the same.

So here we are:

1. The digital conversion program completes in 2012 - just six years away
2. While some Televisions being sold now have a digital tuner almost no recording devices do.

Madness.