Search Headlines 01/17/2007

Free Microsoft Analytics Coming

Search Engine Guide reports (via Inside Microsoft) that Microsoft will soon be offering a free Web analytics tool called "Gatineau", which is said to currently be in top secret Alpha testing.

"Gatineau" is built off the technology Microsoft acquired through DeepMetrix last Spring. Project team member Ian Thomas says Microsoft hopes to launch an invitation-only beta to test the service in the next few months, with a mainstream release slated for later this year. Users will be added gradually as to avoid the problems competitor Google Analytics faced when it brought users on too quickly. Ian was tight-lipped about the functionality but did say this:

"The target audience for this project is broadly similar to the target audience for Google Analytics – though it’s emphatically not our intention simply to replicate the functionality within that product."

Yuh huh. We’re always in favor of "free" analytics programs but of course everything comes with a price. This time it means Microsoft gets access to user data.

A Third of Mobile Users Feel Lost Without Their Cell Phone

Greg Sterling reports on a comScore study which is a beautiful testament to why mobile Web adoption is a when, not if, scenario. Among the key findings were that 33 percent of mobile users "feel lost" without their cell phone and 14 percent of users have given up traditional landlines. I can proudly say that I fall into both of those statistics.

The shift from the computer Web to the mobile Web will be a natural one for most users. As Greg also notes, the technology and interest for mobile is there, we’re just waiting for prices to come down and for network speeds to improve. Once that happens, we’ll see mainstream adoption. Right now it’s a waiting game but I’m first in line for when I can actually afford to check my email and surf the Web while stuck in glorious Los Angeles traffic. Maybe then I’ll leave my house. [Bruce Clay, Inc. does not actually endorse checking your email or surfing the Web while on the 405. Keep your eyes on the BMW in front of you, please. –Susan]

101 Years In Jail For You!

This sparked a lot of giggles upon reading, but a 45-year-old California man was convicted on multiple counts of phishing last week and was sentenced to 101 years in prison. Heh, heh.

It seems Mr. Jeffrey Brett Goodwin was not only a fan of having two first names, he also enjoyed running elaborate phishing schemes and tricking AOL users out of their credit card information. Prosecutors say JB used hacked Earthlink accounts to email AOL users urging them to update their billing information or have their service canceled.

The Goodin conviction is the first by a jury under the Can-Spam Act of 2003, so spammers and phishers beware!

In the spirit of full disclosure: I once fell victim to a similar phishing scheme when I was in my early teens and blamed the password leak on my younger brother. Sorry, Chris. Lucky for me you don’t get jail time for being gullible.

Fun Finds

ProBloggers asks if you credit your sources when you blog. We say yes. Linking to where you found the good content, even if they’re just linking to where they found the good content, is an absolute must on the Web.

Danny Sullivan sits down for a Q&A with TechMeme founder Gabe Rivera. I heart TechMeme.

Lisa Barone is a writer, content marketer & VP of strategy at Overit Media. She's also a very active Twitterer, much to the dismay of the rest of the world.

See Lisa's author page for links to connect on social media.