AOL Celebrates Third Anniversary With Weblogs

AOL celebrates the third anniversary of its acquisition of Weblogs, Inc. this month. In 2005,Weblogshad a large portfolio of niche blogs targeted at business and professional users, in addition to a general readership.Since then,Weblogs has honed itsportfolio to 29blogs focused on major consumer passion points such as technology, autos, finance, video games and travel.Since 2005, Weblogs hasseenworldwide unique visitors climbnearly 1,000% (122% annually, on average)and page views riseover 1,500% (154% annually, on average), according to August 2008 comScore Media Metrix.

Bill Gates launches new technology company

Bill Gates has yet again entered the shadowy world of the technology business, with the launch of bgC3, a mere four months after departing from Microsoft.

The details of what the company actually does are shrouded in mystery.

While TechRadar is hoping this means that Gates is re-branding himself as a real-life James Bond super-villain, the blogosphere believes that bgC3 is merely a business ‘think tank’ that will help create the next big ideas for the technology industry. How very boring.

Small business

Experts are dampening any promise that bgC3 will be as big as Microsoft, citing a recent letter to a Kirkland city official – where the new business will be based – where a Gates official explained that between just 40 and 60 people will be employed by the company.

This is the first major announcement of what Mr Gates has been up to since his departure from Windows in June of this year. Well, other than starring in the ill-fated Gates/Seinfeld Windows adverts.

Blu-ray has had little effect on business

Just as it rises its price to incoporate unlimited HD rentals.

The chief financial officer of Netflix has played down that the future of video rentals is in hi-def, after he commented that Blu-ray will have little effect on the company’s business this year.

Speaking to Home Media magazine, CFO Barry McCarthy explained that for 2008, the format won’t really bring in the money, stating that “It may grow after the holiday selling season, if sales are slow and prices are cut more aggressively.”

The company also recently revealed, according to the magazine, that the percentage of people renting the HD discs was in single figures.

Price rise

The comments come after news that Netflix is to make its membership more expensive to make way for unlimited rental of Blu-ray discs. The price of a monthly membership is being upped by $1 dollar (60p).

This will happen 5 November. Those who do not want to rent hi-def titles must adjust their membership via Netflix’s website.