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Nov-05-2009Microsoft gives the MSN butterfly a makeover(topic overview)
CONTENTS:
- The new portal includes 50% fewer links than the existing MSN home page and simplified navigation tools. (More...)
- Updates from Facebook and Twitter are now central to people's information networks, much like bulletins from news wires or major dailies. (More...)
- In the formative days of the Internet economy, Microsoft ( MSFT ) put a high priority on its Microsoft Network, MSN. Time and again it repositioned the service, morphing it from a dial-up Internet access provider to an entertainment-oriented site and then to a jack-of-all-trades Web portal. (More...)
- Social Media is a relatively new web search method that determines the relevance of search results by considering the interactions or contributions of users. (More...)
- Obviously, since MSN.com is a Microsoft site, the default search provider for the site is Bing. (More...)
- The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites. (More...)
- The design is not live on a wide scale yet. (More...)
- MSN wants to deliver useful content across areas that it believes users find most important, Jorgenson said. (More...)
- A new study finds the Internet broadens our social circle, and Facebook gets particular credit. (More...)
- Yahoo users can build themselves a customized page to include instant messaging, stock quotes, e-mail, weather, calendar and other tools. (More...)
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The new portal includes 50% fewer links than the existing MSN home page and simplified navigation tools. Windows Live, Facebook and Twitter users can establish direct links to their social networking accounts that allow content sharing and feed aggregation between MSN and those sites. It also pulls content from several Microsoft partners, including Fox Sports, Hulu, and Hearst. "Customers told us they want the latest information from their favorite sources, their friends and the breadth of the Weband the new MSN home page delivers via a fresh new look and features," said Jorgensen. Microsoft is also hoping the new look will draw more users to its Bing search engine. [1] Described by Microsoft as 'the best home page on the Web,' the new-look MSN comes complete with the enhanced Bing search engine, breaking news headlines, access to a variety of user entertainment, support for some of the world's leading social networking destinations (Facebook and Twitter), and comprehensive geographically local information provided by the newly launched MSN Local Edition. Offered as a streamlined update designed so online MSN users can enjoy the convenience of less clutter and easier access to the information and services they care about, the homepage will begin its rollout from this week and will become widely available to customers (U.S.) during the early part of 2010.[2] More in-depth local information is offered on the new MSN Local Edition, which is the only local online source that smartly combines media with Bing search and provides access to real-time community news that is grouped by ZIP code. Convenient ways to communicate: Simplicity drove the clean integration of popular social networks, such as Facebook, Twitter and Windows Live '''What'''s New,''' which aggregates up to 50 Web activities, including Yelp, Flickr, Pandora and more, onto the MSN home page. People no longer have to jump from site to site to update their status, tweets or see what their friends are up to; the new home page makes it easy to view and update in-line.[3] Premium content is supplied through partnerships with MSNBC, FOX Sports, Hearst, Rodale, Meredith, Mayo Clinic and more, as well as bloggers and social media sites. The new MSN home page also offers a deeper search experience through powerful integration with Bing, helping people make faster and more informed decisions and easily find the information they want from anywhere on the Web. Bing is deeply integrated as the core search service throughout the home page, via key areas such as shopping, travel and local, and as a way of highlighting hot topics, trends or people. Convenient access to social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, is also available from the new home page, eliminating the need for people to jump from one site to another to update their status or see what their friends are up to.[4]
With a fresh new look, the new MSN is designed to be the best home page on the Web. With more than 600 million customers worldwide every month, nearly 100 million in the U.S. alone, MSN helps connect people to the information that matters most to them from familiar and trusted sources. In response to feedback from customers asking for easier access to the latest information from their friends, favorite sources and hot Web topics, the new home page provides quick access to powerful Bing search, favorite social networks, more relevant local information, and the latest news and entertainment information -- all in one location.[4] Redmond, WA. ( RPRN ) 11/05/09 -- The newly redesigned MSN.com just might be the best home page on the Web -- with easy access to Bing search, favorite social networks, more relevant local content, and the latest news and entertainment information from trusted sources. Microsoft today unveiled a preview of its new design for the popular MSN home page.[4]
The clean, new MSN is designed to be the best home page on the Web, with powerful Bing search, the top news and hottest entertainment, and convenient access to some of the most popular social networks ''' all in a fresh new look.[5] There is a clean integration of social networks like Facebook and Twitter, as well as Microsoft's own Windows Live "What's New," which aggregates up to 50 web activities from various places like Yelp, Flickr, Pandora, etc. "Customers told us they want the latest information from their favorite sources, their friends and the breadth of the Web -- and the new MSN home page delivers via a fresh new look and new features," Jorgensen said. "Today is an important transformation for MSN, and it's just the beginning."[6] Underneath that section, however, is a new tabbed module for browsing news and information by topic. Those tabs will change, for example, to focus on entertainment during the weekend and news during the week, Gurry said. Another new module features Windows Live, Facebook and Twitter right on the home page. Users can stay signed in and update their Facebook status or tweet their feelings without opening another Web site. The Windows Live "What's New" feature aggregates content from social sites such as Yelp, Flickr and Pandora.[7]
The site underwent some fairly radical design revisions during the ensuing years, but the end result was always the same. Sometimes, when your garage or tool shed is too crowded with years' worth of junk and bric-a-brac, it's simply not worth the time or energy to try to methodically clean it out piece by piece. Sometimes the best solution is to head down to the local gas station and buy a few gallons of premium unleaded in a can, then return to your own personal Augean Stables, burn them to the ground and start anew. This was the MSN's team approach to the new version of the home page. They hacked away at all those semiuseless links and put an emphasis on white space. They took a page from Yahoo's own recent Web-property revision and personalized the thing to the hilt: Now your Facebook and Twitter feeds can be displayed directly on the MSN home page, right next to the news report that Mickey Rourke drove a flaming police car the wrong way over the Brooklyn Bridge last night. It only took a combined threat from Yahoo and Google to turn Microsoft away from Web clutter. Then Yahoo decided to undertake its own site revision, as part of its $100 million "It's You!" rebranding campaign.[8] On Nov. 4 some of the millions of users of the MSN home page will see a less cluttered site that for the first time lets users access Twitter and Facebook feeds without having to leave the page. A section called MSN Local Edition provides news of local doings such as concerts, restaurant reviews, and weather and traffic reports which vary based on the user's location. "This is a much needed update to a site that hasn't been given much attention in a long time," says Altimeter Group analyst Jeremiah Owyang.[9]
SAN FRANCISCO — Microsoft is rolling out a revamped MSN home page that incorporates its new Bing search engine and easy access to trendy online services Twitter and Facebook.[10] MSN.com home page is an important economic engine for Microsoft's online business, as well as a significant source of search traffic for Bing. "We believe it's an important asset for Microsoft," said MSN general manager Bob Visse. The company's well-reviewed Bing search engine -- which has helped Microsoft gain some market share traction -- is more prominently integrated, and it will be easier for users to link their Twitter and Facebook accounts to the home page.[11]
Renovated home page contains many things including news, movies, weather, maps, social networking, stocks etc. but in a more organized and filtered way. Yahoo recently gave a makeover to its home page and was able to catch more users to its web domain with a 20 percent hiked time people use to spend on homepage, up until now. Newly fashioned look embed in it bit of every taste from business to social hub, from news to shopping it'''s Microsoft try to keep you enticed through their home page and they aim to bring in more traffic to its search engine Bing.[12] A limited release gives Microsoft the chance to gauge users' response, take feedback and tweak the new MSN until the master switch is flipped early next year, Gurry said. "Because it is a very different home page from what we've had before," she said, " we can't entirely predict how the design will fit in with customer behavior." That behavior has changed immensely as people get more and more adept at using search engines to find what they're looking for on the Web.[7] Microsoft hopes to enhance the popularity of MSN and drive traffic to Bing by weaving the search engine into home page features including shopping, travel, trends, people and "hot topics." MSN's "smart design" includes news and entertainment from online sources such as MSNBC, Fox Sports, Hearst, and Hulu.[10] Innovative search technology from Bing: Deeper Bing integration on the new home page helps people make faster and more informed decisions and easily find the information they want from anywhere on the Web. Bing is deeply integrated as the core search service throughout the home page via key areas such as shopping, travel and local, and as a way of highlighting hot topics, trends or people. Information and news people care about: The new home page delivers against the No. 1 customer request ''' simplicity and ease of use ''' through its fresh design and smart categorization. In-line high-quality, top news and hot entertainment from trustworthy sources such as MSNBC, FOX Sports, Hulu and Hearst, and comprehensive local information provide a compelling one-stop shop for people to use as their home base online.[3]
Photo credit: The new home page provides easier access to powerful Bing search, favorite social networks, more relevant local information, and the latest news and entertainment information -- all in one location.[4]
The newly-designed MSN homepage sports a clean, white background, organizes information that is more relevant to visitors, offers access to Microsoft's Bing search, integrates selected social networks, and displays the top headlines and entertainment news, revealed Microsoft on November 4.[13] Like a neglectful landlord playing catch-up, Microsoft is finally getting around to sprucing up some of its properties with fresh paint and the modern conveniences that the market has come to expect. With the rehabilitation and relaunch of its search site as Bing completed to good reviews, the company was able to turn its attentions to the MSN portal, which had not had a significant facelift in 10 years. The results can be seen in a preview of the homepage now being gradually rolled out -- an airy design much easier on the eyes than the crowded and busy previous layout (and with only half the links); simplified topic navigation; thorough Bing integration; better display of local information; and, in an effort to keep users from straying off to their social sites, the ability to pull in status updates from Facebook and Twitter.[14] New features include a cleaner design with fewer links, a column dedicated to social networking sites Twitter and Facebook, and a large search engine box. "More than half of people online start their sessions on sites like MSN and they told us they want simplicity - yet still want the latest information and their favorite services delivered together," said Lisa Gurry, senior director at MSN.[15] New features include fewer links, a column dedicated to social networking sites Twitter and Facebook, and a large search engine box. The company hopes the new look will drive more traffic to its Bing search engine, launched as a competitor to Google in June 2009. It will roll out in 2010 with a small group of U.S. users getting access now.[16] There would be new features and links for the worlds most loved social networking sites Facebook and Twitter. This is also done with the hope to make Microsoft'''s search engine Bing popular.[17]
Microsoft rolls out a revamped MSN homepage incorporating social networking features such as Facebook and Twitter feeds, and putting its Bing search engine at the interface's front and center. Microsoft's revamp follows Yahoo's own homepage revision in September, as both companies seek to compete more heartily against Google in the search and advertising space. Microsoft is following other online titans, such as Yahoo, that have revamped their homepages in the last few months to incorporate growing trends such as social networking.[18] Microsoft has decided to give the site a new haircut, and add some new features like integration with social networking sites, including Facebook and Twitter, according to Bob Visse, senior director of MSN, who met with PCMag.com staff last month to show off the new web information portal.[19] Microsoft is set to give its MSN portal a major upgrade, freshening up the popular destination with a new look and with social networking hooks such as integrated Facebook and Twitter feeds. This is no minor change, but a bold departure from MSN's previous presentation. Microsoft says that the main purposes of the update are to declutter the MSN homepage and to refresh its outdated look.[20] In executing the redesign, Visse said, Microsoft examined broad trends of online behavior, and, of course, social networking stood out prominently. That shows up in the new look, with a component that allows users easy access to their Facebook and Twitter accounts, as well as Windows Live communications tools and Hotmail e-mail accounts.[21] Microsoft has added live links to let users connect to Windows Live, Facebook and Twitter with two clicks. Those links, which might be commonly accessed given the popularity of social networking, are actually on the right side of the home page and may not be as easy to find as some users might wish. That could be especially important to users of smaller notebook PCs or netbooks who deal with relatively small displays.[22]
Bing's still there, as are Hotmail and Messenger, but the layout is just more pleasing to the eye. They are also featuring a link to their local editions up top. When I clicked on it, I got top local news stories, a weather forecast and recent lottery results, among other local features. MSN also decided to more fully embrace social media with their new iteration. Want to see your Facebook news feed? Or what's being tweeted in your Twitter account? You can sign in directly from the new front page and find out, along with being able to log in to Windows Live.[23] Social networking: Facebook and Twitter feeds, as well as Windows Live's "What's New," can be displayed on MSN's new page.[18]
For instance, a box in the lower right corner of the home page includes three tabs: Windows Live, Facebook and Twitter. The Facebook tab shows a list of friends' recent updates to Facebook and lets the user update their Facebook status from the MSN page.[24] The newly dressed home page has direct access to Twitter, Facebook, Window Live where you can sign in directly to read or update your new feeds and status of Facebook and real time tweets of your twitter accounts. This helps an easy short hand access to all three accounts from one single MSN.com home page.[12]
Microsoft is offering a sneak peak at its new redesigned version of its MSN.com home page that incorporates social media giants: Facebook and Twitter.[15]
"Microsoft is uniquely invested in search, media experiences and technical innovation. Combining these assets to deliver our new MSN home page is a tremendous win for customers and advertisers." Customers told us they want the latest information from their favorite sources, their friends and the breadth of the Web - and the new MSN home page delivers via a fresh new look and new features," Jorgensen said. "Today is an important transformation for MSN, and it's just the beginning."[13] 'Now is the time to clean up the mess on the Web ' people need less clutter and less hassle to find what matters most to them,' outlined Erik Jorgensen, corporate vice president at Redmond-based Microsoft. 'Microsoft is uniquely invested in search, media experiences and technical innovation,' he added. The preview page also provides 50 percent fewer links than the current MSN homepage, along with a simplified navigation platform for swift and easy access to categories such as news, entertainment, sports, money and lifestyle.[2] The new look site is not live today, but people can check it out by going to http://www.msn.com/preview.aspx?vv=650. Some of the more notable changes we see so far, include the dull blue background being replaced by a white background, and the removal of those blue links pointing to sites owned by Microsoft. Company officials say it should go live some time in early 2010, and that this is the first step in the revamping of the entire MSN network. Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.[25]
A preview of the new MSN home page is already live and accessible to users around the world, while for people outside the U.S., the actual MSN home page will continue to look the same as it did until now. We also included the new logo and a screenshot with the redesigned MSN portal in this article, in order to help you get an idea of just what Microsoft is trying to sell its customers.[26] Over dinner, Moore and Rick Eames, a former Apple ( AAPL ) designer, decided on the outlines of a simpler, more useful site. While users of Yahoo's MyYahoo site can configure their home page as they wish, the new MSN will automatically display local weather, news, and even winning lottery numbers in the local section. "It's like the local edition of the newspaper--a geographic lens on your life," Moore says. Another goal was to get more in step with the social networking craze.[9] The Bing integration with the new MSN is deeper. It's now used as the core search technology throughout the home page in areas like shopping, travel, and local. It is also used as a way to highlight hot topics, trends, and people.[6] As you may have imagined, there is decent emphasis on Microsoft's Bing search engine, which can be found almost anywhere you look on the page. The new MSN also incorporates something they're calling "Local Edition." Essentially, this is a personalized version of MSN (like iGoogle), with local news, restaurants, attractions, and so forth.[27]
The site has also dropped the trademark blue background for a simpler white page. The new design aims to address user feedback and complaints, said Erik Jorgenson, corporate vice president for MSN. Customers said they want a single site that is easy to use, he said. "What they don't like is too much clutter," he said. Users also said that they sometimes had a hard time finding what they were looking for, they were dissatisfied with search results prior to the launch of Bing, and they said the site had an outdated look and feel.[24]
Over time, MSN's featured News, Finance, Entertainment, Sports, and Lifestyle destinations will acquire a common interface. The fact that MSN is revamping its portal just as rival Yahoo is turning up the marketing heat with an "It's You" marketing campaign is probably no coincidence. It's also likely that Microsoft's official debut of the updated MSN site will occur at roughly the same time that Yahoo integrates the Bing search engine into its portal ; observers expect both things to happen early next year.[20] BELLEVUE, Wash. — Microsoft Corp. is giving its MSN Web portal a long-overdue makeover and says it hopes the new site will funnel more people to Bing, the software maker's search engine.[28]
After years of hating Microsoft's online presence, and loving Google's, I'm slowly being won over by Redmond's new products. With MSN's new redesign rolling out early next year, the capability to sync files across multiple computers with Windows Live Sync for both Mac and PC, 25GB of free online storage with SkyDrive, a revamped search engine, and the upcoming Microsoft Office Web Apps, there's really only one thing keeping me away from jumping to Microsoft services full time, and that's e-mail.[29]
"A large percentage of MSN users have been unaware of Bing," says Greg Sterling, an analyst at Search Engine Land who researches Internet trends. Microsoft can gain a larger slice of the search market through MSN than by other means, such as becoming the default search engine on Facebook, Sterling says. "There is a massive installed base of people that are loyal to the site," he adds. That's not to say that the redesign is anything revolutionary.[9] "Content is still the No. 1 area of consumption," Visse said, referring to the how the site focuses on what Microsoft considers core content areas. That contrasts somewhat with the other leading portals, Yahoo and AOL. The former offers technology and applications that allows users to personalize their page more, while the latter emphasizes numerous special interest sites that link from the main page. Another noticeable component is the prominence accorded Bing, which since its introduction to the market as an improved, newly branded search engine has won a good deal of visibilty.[21] Microsoft, along with Yahoo, currently finds itself battling Google for search and advertising dollars. As part of a $100 million "It's You!" rebranding campaign, Yahoo recently subjected its homepage to a similar top-down revision, allowing users to consolidate favorite content and sites onto single user pages, and adding new functionality to features such as search.[18] There is also a lot more white space, giving it a cleaner feel. It follows Yahoo!'s homepage redesign, which features links to sites including Facebook and eBay, and also lets users check emails from rival services like Google Mail or AOL. Erik Jorgensen, corporate vice-president at Microsoft, said: "Now is the time to clean up the mess on the web - people need less clutter and less hassle to find what matters most to them.[30]
The redesigned site carries links organized into five categories: news, entertainment, sports, money, lifestyle and "more". U.S. users will also be able to get local news from their area such as concerts, restaurant reviews, and weather and traffic reports which vary based on the user's location. "This is a much needed update to a site that hasn't been given much attention in a long time," says Altimeter Group analyst Jeremiah Owyang. MSN.com is still the top portal in about 25 of the 46 markets, with around 600 million unique users globally and 100 million in the U.S, where it's in the third spot behind Google and Yahoo.[15]
Looks like finally got some of that old-time simplicity religion: Today, the news hit that Microsoft would be rolling out a stripped-down and personalized version of its MSN homepage. This was no small feat; from the moment that the first version of the site rolled out a decade ago, MSN.com and Yahoo seemed in neck-and-neck competition to see which could clog its landing page with the most hyperlinks.[8] The site is moving towards offering longer-format video, rather than the few minutes people devote to YouTube, with content from MSNBC, FOX Sports, Hulu and Hearst. Using the New MSN On visiting the new home page, I was first struck by its cleaner look, with a larger expanse of white background rather than all of the blue framing in the current MSN.com.[19] I'm not to thrill with the new page cause it is way to bright and I cann't read the page I will be making a new home page on another web site if this problem isn't correct for the elderlyI have been with MSN for about 10 years and like the way the page appears and I can control the color options They have made changes about every 6 months in the last 2 yrs. to the old page but nothing that compares to the mess they have created now.[5] We think we've designed the best home page on the Web, said Scott Moore, U.S. executive producer, MSN. According to Moore, the new home page is designed to focus on four key areas of overarching consumer interest: video, social networking, search and local news/information.[31] The new MSN home page is less cluttered and better equipped to integrate Bing, Hotmail and popular social networks.[32] Some of what appears on the MSN home page will be picked by editors looking for top stories. They'll get an assist from new software that uses Bing to find hot topics just as they begin to simmer. Other stories on the home page will appear based on a Web surfer's location or other details gleaned from his or her browsing behavior.[28] Spurred by the ever-changing ways in which people use the Internet, Microsoft has unveiled a completely redesigned MSN home page. The popular Web portal is moving away from its more traditional format of a "link mall," as MSN senior director Lisa Gurry said, and going with a more simplistic design.[7] The buzz of the day is that Microsoft unveiled a new home page design for MSN. You can see the new design at preview.msn.com.[33] Microsoft calls the new design MSN's most significant home page redesign in over a decade.[6]
For instance, local information, like weather, movies, restaurants and traffic, that is easily accessible on Bing will be equally easy to find on MSN. "This is the biggest and most radical redesign for MSN and its home page in a decade," said Bob Visse, general manager for MSN's product management group. MSN, however, is not going nearly as far as Yahoo in its effort to integrate applications from other sources onto its home page. Unlike Yahoo and AOL, which have indicated that they plan to increase their production of original content, Microsoft will continue getting its content largely from partners like MSNBC.com and Fox Sports.[34] "Our No. 1 priority is to drive search market share," says Scott Moore, MSN's executive producer in the U.S. Bing represents one of the brightest glimmers of hope for Microsoft's beleaguered, loss-making Internet operation. The search engine has drawn praise for the relevance of its responses and for the inviting National Geographic -style photographs on its home page.[9] The revamped home page has a bigger Bing bar for you to search in your queries. Microsoft has changed its default blue colored background to a litter and soothing white color which enables clear visualization of various colored links for News, Entertainment, Sports, Money, Lifestyle and More. Another eye-catching moderation done to page is the slideshow of the top five news stories covering big photo and headline.[12] For instance, instead of being hit with a mess of uncategorized links on the top of the old MSN homepage, ranging from Airfares & Travel to Money to Yellow Pages, browsers of the new MSN will find the Bing search bar followed by six simple categories including "News," "Entertainment," "Sports," "Money," "Lifestyle" and "More." The featured articles are also prominently displayed near the top of the page on the left, making them much easier to find than having to look past a cluttered navigation column that runs almost the length of the left side of the page with the old MSN.[22] Head on over to http://preview.msn.com and you can get a glimpse of what the new MSN portal will look like. It's a complete change from the clutterred blue page we're used too, with plenty of white space, as well as the Bing search bar sitting pretty at the top.[35]
Deeper integration with Bing: The new MSN page includes multiple Bing-powered search bars, each devoted to subject areas such as Shopping, Jobs, Maps, Movies and generalized search.[18]
Local information: The new MSN page uses Bing to deliver local information'such as weather and traffic'keyed to the user's ZIP code.[18] A box in the lower left corner of the page displays local weather, headlines and events. That page uses Bing search to draw in local news and information. It also displays more detailed weather information and a local map where users can view traffic data. The site draws on users' IP addresses to deliver local information to them.[24] Microsoft's Bing search is highlighted along with news and entertainment stories. It will also allow users to personalise the page with local information.[30]
Despite the new features, and a partnership with Yahoo that will see Microsoft add Bing to Yahoo's Web pages, Microsoft isn't having much luck catching Google in the search market.[1] Microsoft earlier in July that will allow Microsoft to add Bing search to Yahoo's Web pages.[15]
In July, Web search became a two-team race when Microsoft and Yahoo announced that the Bing technology would be used behind the scenes on Yahoo's sites as well. That deal is awaiting regulatory approval.[28]
Microsoft's Web portal MSN will on Wednesday (Nov. 4) unveil its most significant redesign in a decade, as the company looks to increase engagement on the property, while spurring more usage of its fledgling search product Bing.[36] Microsoft said MSN's new look was inspired by customer research that showed Web users want a simplified portal experience.[1] According to Microsoft, the new look MSN.com will not only have a face lift, but will include integrated Facebook and Twitter feeds aimed at improving the user experience.[25] BEIJING, Nov. 5 (Xinhuanet) -- Microsoft will introduce a new look for its MSN.com home page which Microsoft began previewing Wednesday before its official launch in early 2010, media reported Thursday.[11] Apparently Microsoft is introducing a new revamped look to their MSN.com home page in an attempt to stay relevant.[37]
Late Tuesday, Microsoft started rolling out the New MSN home page according to Microsoft will become widely available across the U.S. early 2010.[37] Microsoft late Tuesday began rolling out the new MSN home page opnbrktclick for preview ), which it says will become widely available in the U.S. early in 2010.[12]
The new MSN home page also incorporates comprehensive local information, offering more real-time community news than any other home page.[4]
Nearly 100 million people visit MSN monthly, and the home page has gained 10 million new users in past year, according to the Redmond, Washington-based technology titan.[10] Suddenly Yahoo's home page was stripped down, and personalized for the individual user. Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz stood up before a roomful of media at the NASDAQ MarketSite in Times Square and, after characterizing us assembled ink-strained wretches as cynical beasts, suggested that the new version of the site would boost both circulation and advertising dollars.[8] A "What's New" feature on the home page lets people channel in feeds from as many as 50 websites, including Pandora, Flickr, and Yelp. "People no longer have to jump from site to site to update their status, tweets or see what their friends are up to; the new home page makes it easy to view and update in-line," Microsoft said.[10] The new redesign brings some new features like deeper Bing integration, Facebook and Twitter access through the home page among other things.[3] Ranking Redundancy: Digg Launches Trending Stories Taking a page from Twitter, social news site Digg is testing a new feature highlighting trending stories that haven' t yet hit the home page.[38]
Video clips will play right from the home page. Of course, MSN will also jump on the social bandwagon, giving users the ability to check and update their Twitter and Facebook accounts.[34] Microsoft has tailored the revamped MSN home page to the needs of social networking users.[26]
By Miguel Helft Screen shot of MSN's revamped homepage. Three months after Yahoo revamped its home page, Microsoft will begin doing the same on Wednesday with the MSN portal.[34] Around 50 percent of MSN.com users already have Silverlight, Jorgenson said. Yahoo, Microsoft's biggest portal competitor, also recently redesigned its home page, but with different results.[24]
Once again, Microsoft has given a facelift to the MSN homepage. All Things Digital reports that the new page has started rolling out now. Microsoft's goal is to give roughly 10% of of their user base access to the new page by the time 2010 rolls around. At that point, the updated homepage will be available to all U.S. customers, with a worldwide release to follow.[39] Who knew that fall was the season of the new homepage--CNN, PCMag, and now MSN have unveiled fancy new front pages this season. For its part, Microsoft says that its new pages is "the most significant redesign. in over a decade." It's also apparently "designed to be the best homepage on the Web."[40] Microsoft is fooling around with a new homepage redesign for the 8th most popular site on the internet: MSN.[27]
Despite these quibbles, I have to say I'm impressed with MSN's new design. I like the overall functionality of the new site, and its clean look is a welcome change from the bloated 90s-style version of the current MSN. Microsoft also says it plans to roll out the new clean look across its other MSN properties over time.[29] The new design integrates Facebook and Twitter updates (along with Microsoft Windows Live) in the lower right corner of the page.[41] In a slim column on the right-hand side of the page, Microsoft displays Hotmail e-mails and status updates on Facebook, Twitter and Microsoft's own "Windows Live" service. People who have accounts on those services can log in to each to see a list of friends' updates and to post their own. This refreshed msn.com is rolling out to a small percentage of U.S. users on Wednesday but won't appear for everyone until early 2010.[28]
Look down to your right though on the new MSN homepage and where you once might have just seen your Windows Live ID email, you'll now be able to flick through what's going down on Twitter and Facebook too, and post straight away once you fire up your browser.[35] The new site looks easily navigable, and the layout is quite clear. If you're already using MSN as your homepage, this provides a nice upgrade that will give you one-stop access to news, Twitter, and Facebook. If you're not already using MSN though, there's nothing about this revamp that's going to make you want to switch.[39]
According to a report yesterday on the BBC, the new website will include fewer links, columns dedicated to Twitter and Facebook, and a prominent search box to help drive traffic to MSN'''s Bing search engine.[42] Microsoft executives said that MSN would also be more tightly integrated with some features of Bing, the company's new search engine.[34] Boston (DbTechNo) - Search engine MSN will be getting a make over thanks to Microsoft, who have finally decided to redesign the news portal after a decade.[25]
If the new MSN.com design attracts more users, or more frequent visits by existing users, it is also a good thing for Microsoft's Bing search engine.[41] About half of Bing searches originate on the current MSN.com, but a large swath of MSN users still use Google ( GOOG ) or another search engine.[9]
I've been playing around with the beta MSN. Here are some highlights. The additions are welcome, as they allow people to browse feeds and update status without having to visit Facebook, for example. Here is where MSN is leveraging its integration with Microsoft's Bing search engine.[20]
A big search box has been place. Bing is now open to select few users in the U.S. Lisa Gurry, who happens to be the senior director with MSN says '''More than half of people online start their sessions on sites like MSN and they told us they want simplicity - yet still want the latest information and their favourite services delivered together'''.[17]
The new look is the company's first update to MSN.com in a decade, and Microsoft is hoping that an uncluttered feel on the site will also help clear away any online advertiser hesitancy in what is becoming a very competitive search engine/Web portal marketplace.[11] Mumbai: Microsoft has now released the new look and feel of their flagship web portal, MSN.com.[17]
The preview of the new design appears to be less cluttered and confusing--which isn't easy to do when also trying to convey as much information at-a-glance on one page as possible. The format and layout are very similar to what Yahoo and Google provide with their web portals, and you can customize it to display the information you want to see in the order you want to see it.[41] In all, the new site is a step up from the previous MSN, and makes it easier to gather your interests onto one page, unless you're the type of tinkerer who likes to set up a Netvibes or My Yahoo personalized portal.[19] The new MSN site incorporates social networking and could breathe some life back into the mostly dead concept of web portals.[41] Microsoft is revamping its MSN portal to give it a modern look and new social networking tools.[20]
MSN Revamps Site with Focus on Social Networking Microsoft has unveiled a much-needed redesign of the MSN.com site which includes feeds from Facebook and Twitter.[41] Microsoft boasts around 600 million MSN.com users, and has stated that 52 percent of MSN users also use Facebook, while 14 percent also use Twitter. The numbers seem sketchy when you consider that Facebook only has around 300 million users so that would mean that every single one of them also uses MSN.com, but let's just say that a lot of MSN.com users also use Facebook.[41]
Microsoft has just whipped the covers off a massive MSN homepage overhaul. Not content with throwing in a download and streaming service for the music tab, it's pared the whole thing down while adding brand new features like Facebook integration, right from your start screen.[35] "Advertisers follow consumers, and if you want to talk in sort of the parlance of advertising, you always need to build circulation," Bartz told the assembled media at the NASDAQ MarketSite in Times Square. "By doing this very personalized approach, get really good microinsights for our advertisers." Microsoft may very well be hoping that same logic will apply to its new MSN homepage.[18] The new MSN, now in beta preview, is less customizable, but also less cluttered than iGoogle, and MSN is more streamlined and easier to use than the newly redesigned Yahoo homepage. The new MSN isn't perfect, but it's pretty good as online portals go.[29] The new MSN page sports 219 external links currently compared to 186 on the old page. These figures are subject to change but it currently means an increase by almost 30 links on the MSN homepage.[5] Simplicity (a clean-looking navigation bar with News, Entertainment, Sports, Money and Lifestyle) will replace clutter (45 clickable links in the top two inches of the old MSN home page).[34] The new home page has 50 percent fewer links, and is focused on providing access to the information and services people care about most. It is designed for simpler navigation across the top five information areas for customers: entertainment, news, sports, lifestyle and finance.[4]
Based on customer input, the new design has 50 percent fewer links than the previous home page and a simplified navigation across news, entertainment, sports, finance and lifestyle.[5]
Does anyone really use a portal anymore. ? With the emergence of RSS, I mostly use feeds to get to my news links, and even using a low key search page as my home page is kind of useless as I almost always start a search in my browser's search box.[8] For news tips and press announcements, please use the e-mail links on the blog home page to reach our writers and editors.[34]
Microsoft is providing an online peek at the new home page at preview.msn.com and expects to complete the U.S. rollout early next year.[10] Microsoft Corp.' s MSN home page has been given its first makeover in over ten years.[13]
The Redmond company has limited the MSN redesign, which it catalogued as the most significant MSN home page revamp in over a decade, only to users in the United States, which, according to statistics, rise to approximately 100 million.[26] The company is fixing to launch what it calls a "refresh" of the MSN site built around a redesign of the home page.[21]
The newly redesigned MSN home page features tabbed browsing, social network integration and 50 percent fewer blue-text links.[7]
The new MSN has a great seciton for local news and weather, which is another obvious, yet great addition. I'd like the option to automatically set this section based on my computer's surrounding wireless access points, the way Google's My Location feature does. That would be a great option to automatically update you on your new surroundings when traveling, but I'd want to be able to manually change the local settings in case I want to keep an eye on things back home.[29] E-mail integration is of course an obvious feature for the new MSN, but I'd like to see the option to view more than just Hotmail. This will probably change when the new MSN officially rolls out early next year, according to All Things D.[29]
MSN has seen more than 10 million new users visiting for the first time during the last year. It also has around 100 million regular U.S. visitors heading to the site each month. Of those customers, many reported they wanted a more relevant website that was easier to navigate.[13] In related news, UK users will have access to relaunched online music store MSN Music from 4 November. It has a library of over 1 million tracks, with payment for downloads operating on a credit-based system.[16]
The new MSN Local Edition section provides local media and community news based on a user's ZIP code.[19] Microsoft believes the new MSN will help fill a void created by failing and struggling local newspapers.[32]
The big goal for the new MSN homepage seems to be increasing social networking functionality and pushing Bing as hard as possible.[39] For perspective, take a look at MSN homepage designs over the years, including the inaugural version from 1995 featuring the image of a bus for cruising the new Information Superhighway.[14] Absent are the current homepage's copious blue links to Microsoft-owned destinations focusing on everything from Autos to Real Estate/Rentals to Horoscopes to TV. MSN is opting for a sleeker look with a horizontal navigation bar containing drop-down menus that cover the topics of News, Finance, Entertainment, Sports, and Lifestyle. (To compare the current MSN homepage to beta MSN's homepage, click the image labeled "msn vs. msn" above.)[20]
Available for preview at 9 p.m. Tuesday and rolling out Wednesday to 10 percent of MSN's audience, the new site has half as many blue links, features tabbed browsing and integrates with Facebook and Twitter.[7] LONDON - MSN is introducing a new-look homepage that will let users sign in to and update Twitter and Facebook from one site.[30] The new homepage will be closely integrated with Bing. It will also enable users to directly access their Twitter and Facebook feeds directly on the webpage.[43] A big Bing search box is prominently featured next to the logo and above section tabs. That infamous powder blue has virtually disappeared. Users will now be able to update their Facebook and Twitter statuses from MSN.com while a module in the lower panel will feature geographically targeted links for jobs and headlines.[44] The incorporation of the Facebook and Twitter feeds provides MSN.com users with the ability to keep tabs on status updates and tweets all in one place rather than having to open separate web sites or applications for each one.[41] With all the clamor about Facebook and Twitter, people forget that there's a Web service that's been around longer and attracted over 600 million users worldwide: MSN.com.[19]
Now you can visit MSN.com, view your Facebook and Twitter feeds, and search the Web with Bing, which will include Facebook and Twitter posts. Its all one big, happy, Web 2.0 family.[41]
Updates from Facebook and Twitter are now central to people's information networks, much like bulletins from news wires or major dailies. [38] Given the popularity of Facebook and Twitter, it's no surprise that one of the major additions to the new MSN is integration of both.[29] The new MSN butterfly represents a fresh new approach for MSN and is the cornerstone of the new design.[4] "A large majority of users aren't willing to put time into customizing and personalizing," Jorgenson said. The new design represents a change in thinking at MSN. "We've moved away from the days of being an Internet directory of everything to everyone," he said.[24] The new design will be introduced to about 10 percent of MSN users in the United States on Wednesday.[34]
Theres little doubt that the new design is, by far, an improvement over the old MSN style, offering a fresh approach, less cluttered content, while simplifying navigation for visitors. Less complexity, in this regard, is synonymous with an increased focus on delivering information, and making the offered content more user-friendly.[26]
MSN local edition provides latest information on local weather, news, sports, entertainment and other things grouped by ZIP code.[3] The new site carries links organised into five categories: news, entertainment, sports, money, lifestyle and "more". U.S. users will also be able to get localised information about their area.[16] The portal covers embed links to many other news and information under various headings and categories. Similar to earlier page users can directly check in their hotmail in-box for the entrance page.[12]
The new page looks much cleaner and more interactive. Microsoft claims that they cut the number of links by almost 50% and while that may be true for the links that are displayed visually it is another story if you analyse all the links on the page.[5] Yep, Google co-founder Larry Page and CEO Eric Schmidt tell author and New Yorker scribe Ken Auletta that the search giant took a serious gander at the Grey. Microsoft Announces Third Round Of Cuts TechFlash et al. Marking the software giant's third round of layoffs this year, Microsoft is cutting another 800 jobs company-wide.[38] Data Novice: Google Proves Peace On Earth New York Times Writing in the Times, author and analytics novice Colson Whitehead employs Google search data to prove his theory that our country has officially entered an era of "postraciality." Noting that journalists, in his opinion, employ Google searches to lend credence. Expert: Windows 7 More Prone To Malware ComputerWorld At least one researcher is saying that Microsoft's decision to reduce the number of security messages that its new operating system, Windows 7, delivers when users install software makes its more vulnerable to "malware" infection[38]
Building off the new release of the Bling search engine, Microsoft will be updating its homepage to better reflect new online trends.[43] The biggest change is the increased prominence accorded Microsoft's five-month-old Bing search engine.[9]
In the formative days of the Internet economy, Microsoft ( MSFT ) put a high priority on its Microsoft Network, MSN. Time and again it repositioned the service, morphing it from a dial-up Internet access provider to an entertainment-oriented site and then to a jack-of-all-trades Web portal. Eventually Microsoft turned its attention elsewhere. [9] Digit is understood to have worked on Microsoft'''s famous butterfly MSN logo, ahead of the brand'''s relaunch in the U.S. next year. Microsoft has launched the test version of its new-look Web portal, which Digit has worked on.[42] In a bid to stay current and relevant, Microsoft's web portal MSN.com has been given an extensive revamp for the first time in almost ten years.[15]
As MSN's biggest revamp since the 90s, Microsoft isn't just diving straight in, but testing it out via the preview page for the time being, with the aim to switch it out for the old MSN.com look some time next year.[35] Q+A Douglas Ferguson How will we consume media in five and 10 years' time? Ferguson: When everything is digitized and libraries offer materials, we will have access to anything and everything whenever we choose, at a trivial long-tail price. Q+A Lance Broumand How will get your news in a few years? Broumand: I think it's one page that looks a lot like what the Drudge Report looks like right now.[38]
The new home page looks clean, uncluttered and with lot of white space around.[3] In the lower center is Popular Searches (which the new Yahoo home page places way more prominently at the top), and the ability to create shopping-specific searches.[19] Home pages offered by rivals Google and Yahoo! eclipse MSN in terms of popularity, according to industry statistics.[10] The deep integration between Bing and the overhauled MSN home page is set up to solidify the Bing - MSN bridge.[26] Although still large, MSN.com became one of the most uninspired addresses on the Internet. It served as the ramp to the Internet mainly for the sort of PC buyers who never bothered to change their default home page. "The brand MSN has stood for so many things that it's somewhat muddied," says Kevin Lee, CEO of Internet marketing firm Didit.com. "It hasn't really stood for anything."[9]
The new home page offers inline high-quality streaming video, employing Silverlight technology, from more than 300 sources including Hulu, National Geographic and FOX Entertainment Group.[4] Rather than a bazaar of 33 separate tabs on the home page, there will be five, including news, entertainment, and sports.[9]
Microsoft will also be testing out a version of the home page that uses Silverlight. That page won't launch Wednesday, but in the future people who have Silverlight installed may begin seeing the page.[24] "We really changed the way the navigation works on the page. It's much cleaner, a much more simplified design, and we can dynamically load content from tabs, so that you don't have to click through to another page. One of the things that came through in all our research was that more and more people use their home page as a 5 to 7 minute "info snack."[19]
Sophisticated technology powers the home page to deliver personally relevant information and improved performance satisfies people'''s need for speed.[5]
To remove the clutter Microsoft reduced the number of links in the home page 50%.[3] The home page integrates links to leading social-networking community Facebook and wildly popular microblogging service Twitter.[10] The bigger fonts with lesser ingredients on the home page give it a confusion free look with easy access to other sub links though pop-down menus under main headings.[12]
Users who are visiting the old MSN page notice a lot of links and elements on the page leaving many users with the feeling that the page looks cluttered and confusing.[5] MSN is visited by 600 million people worldwide and 100 million people in U.S. every month. Along with the refreshing look MSN also redesigned its logo. The design is not yet live for everyone, they will rollout to users in next few weeks, and becomes widely available in the U.S. early next year.[3] Users will also notice a renewed focus on video. MSN will attempt to be a portal by which people find and watch videos, from those going viral to breaking news.[7] And, of course, users will also notice a new MSN butterfly logo.[7] The new MSN will be on view at preview.msn.com beginning on Wednesday, and will roll out to all viewers by early next year.[19]
Microsoft called Wednesday's launch a preview of the redesign, meaning it will appear for some people immediately but will become widely available in the new year. Those who don't immediately get the new site can visit preview.msn.com to see it.[24] Bundling will be available for synchronizing all three spots. Microsoft is introducing the new MSN.com to 10% of users this week and the redesign will reach 100% by January.[44]
Some analysts say, the company has come up short. While users can see their tweets and Facebook updates from friends, they can't directly access the apps they use on those sites. Yahoo, on the other hand, prominently features such apps. Microsoft executives say they will respond to other demands in the quarters ahead, including the release of a mobile version in 2010.[9] " was neutered. Google Connect Nips At Facebook's Heels eweek Google's Friend Connect accounts now let users share information about themselves for chance discovery, as well as a private email feature for users to connect with others they meet online through Friend Connected sites.[38]
You may as well have it open up to a site like MSN.com that gives you the information you need (including your Facebook and Twitter updates) in a clean and simple format.[41]
Visse told PCMag that 52 percent of MSN users also use Facebook, and 14 percent also use Twitter.[19] MSN will also still offer MyMSN, a customizable page, but Microsoft has found that not many people use it.[24] The company says 600 million people come to MSN each month, although many do so via Microsoft's HotMail e-mail service or the Windows Messenger instant messaging service.[9] In MSN's case, the company says, that amounted to 600 million unique visitors worldwide in August. "This is an important, valuable asset for Microsoft," Bob Visse, general manager of MSN Product Management group, said of the site. While Microsoft had tinkered with MSN over the past few years, it had not redesigned it to this extent in a decade, the company said.[21] MSN representatives say that the refreshed homepage will go live early next year and is the first step in a systematic process by the site to update the entire MSN network. (PC World is a content partner with MSN.)[20] Though the update is not live today, Microsoft is giving the public a sneak peek at the redesigned beta MSN site here.[20]
Microsoft has unveiled a fairly significant redesign of the MSN web site, the first overhaul the site has seen in about a decade.[41] The MSN redesign also shows Microsoft's growing interest in collaborating with operators of other popular sites, rather than simply trying to compete.[28]
Microsoft portal's redesign gives it a cleaner look and deeper integration with social networking sites.[1] To give Bing greater prominence, Microsoft will generate lists of popular topics based on what individual users have been searching for. Even the graphic design of the site takes its cues from the cleaner look and feel of the Bing site.[9] What does it take to be "the best?" For starters, less clutter (are you listening, Bing?). Microsoft is in the process of rolling out the page to all of its users, in the meantime, eager parties can check out a preview over at http://www.msn.com/preview.aspx.[40] According to the software giant, no less than 45% of all Bing users come from the MSN portal.[26] MSN is still number one portal in roughly 25 out of 46 markets and has roughly 600 million unique users across the world with 100 million in the United States where MSN still trails behind Yahoo in the popularity stakes.[37] While the portal lags rivals like Yahoo and AOL in the United States, it has nearly 100 million monthly users in the United States and a much larger international audience.[34]
The site is still the top portal in about 25 of the 46 markets, with about 600 million unique users globally and 100 million in the United States.[11] The new site is cleaner, with a white background and simple, colorful links for "news," "entertainment," "sports," "money," "lifestyle" and "more" lined up across the top. It's still clearly a portal, filled with blocks of headlines.[28] Frequent visitors to the site will immediately notice one major change: The new page has only half the number of links as the old one. That's a sharp departure from the previous design, which featured around 40 links on just the top third of the page.[24] The new design cuts links by 50 percent, and gives more prominence to Bing search and one main story in a rotating "carousel" of the day's top five news and lifestyle stories.[19] The new design pays significant focus to local, Bing, social networks, and news.[6]
Social Media is a relatively new web search method that determines the relevance of search results by considering the interactions or contributions of users. [45] Principally due to lower search and advertising revenue, News Corp.' s Digital Media Group saw its earnings decrease by $22 million year-over-year, the company said during its fiscal first quarter earnings call Wednesday. NAI Beefs Up Consumers' BT Opt-Out Option The Network Advertising Initiative will unveil a new tool on Thursday that allows people who want to avoid behavioral targeting to permanently preserve their opt-out cookies.[38] Ivanka Trump reached a quarter of a million followers on Twitter in less than three months during a promotion for her latest venture (of course, during this period she also had a highly publicized engagement to New York Observer publisher and fellow real-estate royal Jared Kushner going for her). Halogen Network created a microsite and Twitter campaign for the Donald Trump-scion to promote her Trump SoHo, a luxury hotel scheduled to open in February.[38]
A random 10 percent of MSN's 100 million monthly unique U.S. viewers will see the new site Wednesday.[7] I don't visit MSN very often, but I like the new page a heck of a lot better than the overcrowded old one.[7] If you just can't wait to see what's new with MSN, a preview page is available here. My immediate impression of the new page is that there is quite a lot of white space.[39]
Video: The new page offers in-line streaming video, based on Microsoft's Silverlight technology, as part of its news and entertainment feed.[18] The redesign also reorganizes the site's content into areas of emphasis: news, sports, entertainment and local (which also includes a local events calendar).[21] Coinciding with the announcement of the redesign was the unveiling of MSN Local Edition. This is a section of MSN that gives you local news, weather, sports, movies and events, restaurants, gas, traffic, a directory, lottery numbers, etc.[6] A new section called MSN Local Edition will also emerge, providing local news, weather, and events in the area.[43]
Jeff Zucker Is Not Going Anywhere Jeff Zucker, CEO and president of NBC Universal, has been trying to turn digital dimes into digital dollars for years. Currently he's delivering tv programs online through Hulu, transforming nbc tv stations into hyper local Web destinations, and selling tv advertising based on the Internet's automated, targeted model. Jonathan Miller Preaches the Agnostic Gospel of the Cloud Jonathan Miller is more determined than ever to crack interactive media's money-making code in his new job as News Corp.' s digital chief. He's got plenty of learning experience to draw from, both as a partner at venture capital firm Fuse Capital and as the chairman and CEO of.[38] The nyc Wine and Food Festival had taken over half the Meatpacking District for the weekend, putting the focus. Trim Marks Original online video took a beating this year, but the shine hasn't quite worn off yet. Despite a string of high-profile broadband start-up flops earlier in the year, media companies like Alloy Media + Marketing, studios like Generate and Web destinations such as the Sony-owned Crackle continue to.[38] Q+A: Adam L. Penenberg Adam L. Penenberg is a journalism professor and assistant director of the Business and Economics program at New York University. His latest book, Viral Loop: From Facebook to Twitter, How Today's Smartest Companies Grow Themselves (Hyperion), will be on shelves in October. In the book, he explores trends. Q+A Lloyd Braun Who controls the media, and how (if it changes at all) does this control change? Braun: The consumer controls media.[38] The coolest new change is definitely the addition of a Facebook and Twitter sidebar.[39]
The combination of Facebook, Twitter, and Bing also complete a sort of Internet circle of life following Microsoft's announcement recently that Facebook updates and Twitter tweets would be indexed and included in Bing searches.[41] At the lower right, below a sizable display ad, is your mail and social networking control panel. The latter has three tabs for Windows Live, Facebook, and Twitter, and I was easily able to incorporate my Facebook updates into the module after granting a few permissions. The Windows Live stream, which you set up at live.com, can in turn incorporate many more social sources, such as Yelp, Flickr, and Pandora.[19] Here are some more screenshots of the Windows Live, Facebook, Twitter and Hotmail modules.[7]
Tabs for the two top social media networks will share real estate next to Windows Live in the redesign.[11] Bing has been integrated into the page, and on the lower right hand side you can see a hotmail and a Windows Live toolbar.[39]
Obviously, since MSN.com is a Microsoft site, the default search provider for the site is Bing. [41] While the old version has 25 categories up top, along with the Bing search module and links to Hotmail, Messenger, and other Microsoft products, now there are six primary categories, each of which has a drop-down menu.[23] Microsoft's share of the lucrative search market increased to 9.4% in September, from 8.0% before Bing's introduction, according to comScore ( SCOR ).[9]
Scott Moore, the executive producer for MSN in the U.S., said the site's main goal is to drive up Bing's search share.[28]
U.S. users will be first to access the site, with a full U.S. roll-out of the redesigned MSN planned to take place by early next year.[13] The new homepage will be gradually enabled for visitors from the United States with the option to access the preview MSN homepage at anytime and from anywhere.[5] Microsoft Corp. has this week revealed a preview of its newly revamped MSN homepage, which is set to arrive as the first major overhaul the American software behemoth has performance to its hugely popular online portal in more than a decade.[2] During Yahoo's September launch of that campaign, CEO Carol Bartz explained a philosophy behind the personalized homepage design that could just as easily apply to Microsoft's retooling of MSN.[18] Moore is an old Microsoft hand who left to lead Yahoo's media operations. The MSN revamp got under way after he returned to Microsoft in January.[9]
Microsoft has recently made the decision, after conducting surveys, that the MSN page needed an overhaul. That overhaul is now available as a preview.[5] "We spent thousands of hours talking with customers; testing hundreds of ideas; experimenting around the world and carefully evaluating what our users want and don't want," Erik Jorgensen, MSN corporate vice president, wrote in a Nov. 3 post on the MSN blog. His words seem heavily reminiscent of Microsoft's "I'm a PC and Windows 7 was my idea" campaign, which focused on how user input supposedly influenced the features and build of the latest Windows operating system.[18] WTF is the deal with Microsoft?!? They replace XP with Windows Vista, also known as Windows POS, and NOW they're attempting to "improve" MSN?!? Like an earlier post read.[7]
Microsoft is promoting the MSN redesign as part and parcel of the same philosophy that went into the building of Windows 7.[18] Microsoft today announced a redesign for its popular portal MSN, the most significant redesign came after a decade Microsoft says.[3] Microsoft has drastically overhauled the MSN butterfly logo and the portal that goes along with it, but not all of the website's 600 million visitors per month will be able to enjoy the changes.[26]
An improved MSN could accelerate the pace of Microsoft's gains in the search market. That's because MSN is gigantic by any measure.[9] Microsoft is not making any secret of the fact that MSN is one of the major traffic pillars for its Bing search/decision engine.[26] Microsoft has decided to pull the trigger on its most significant refresh of the MSN homepage in almost ten years.[29] Microsoft plans to start rolling out a redesigned MSN.com on Wednesday in the U.S., the first major update for the page in more than 10 years.[24] Microsoft is ditching the heavy blue background and stack of tiny text and menus across the top of the page that have defined msn.com ]] msn.com for a decade.[28]
Welcome to Microsoft Pri0: That's Microspeak for top priority, and that's the news and observations you'll find here from Seattle Times technology reporter Sharon Chan.[21] "Now is the time to clean up the mess on the Web; people need less clutter and less hassle to find what matters most to them," Microsoft corporate vice president Erik Jorgensen said in a blog post.[10] "We've made an emotional connection with people that we'd never even hoped for," says Yusuf Mehdi, senior vice-president for Microsoft's online business audience group. "That doesn't happen all the time with Microsoft.[9]
IPhone and iPod Touch owners have downloaded more than 2 billion applications since the App Store opened in July 2008. The chief executive of Infosys, a leading Indian outsourcing firm, says that technology is making his employees more efficient -- which ends up costing some of them their jobs. PayPal officially opened its platform to developers on Tuesday and start-ups are quickly coming up with new ways to let people pay online.[34]
The Yahoo page still includes a long list of links to other pages and otherwise mainly features a list of links to news stories.[24] Six clear links at the top offer "News," "Entertainment," "Sports," "Money," "Lifestyle," and "More". Resting the mouse over any of these drops down several subcategory choices, such as MLB (Major League Baseball) for Sports, and Travel under Lifestyles all the same links are there, but better organized. Those top choices let you drill down into more specific topics, but below the middle of the page, you encounter seemingly redundant choices "Latest," "MSNBC," "FOX Sports," "Celebs," "Finance," "Lifestyle," and "Games". These are tabs to the latest content from the source publications.[19] Gone are the sea of links at the top of the page, for things like Dating, Airfares, Horoscopes, Yellow Pages, and more.[19]
Under the initiative called Digg Trends -- hot stories will be posted at the top of the home page for 10 minutes at.[38] The redesigned home page can be viewed at preview.msn.com.[3] "Our goal really was focused on making it a simple, clear and fast home page," Gurry said.[7]
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites. This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. [16] Startup Plans to Sell Magazines, Piece by Piece New York Observer A trio of under-30 former Wall Street analysts -- Ryan Klenovich, Jian Chai, and Steve DeWald -- plan to save the magazine business with a Web site called Maggwire.com.[38] According to Jorgensen, redesigned site is also meant to be more appealing to advertisers. "The simple, uncluttered environment of our new homepage also affords an advertising opportunity, unlike anything we've offered before," Jorgensen explained in his blog post.[18]
If you're going to include Twitter on your homepage, you should at least make it function like a barebones Twitter client similar to something like TwitterFox (now Echofon) or the Flock browser's Twitter sidebar. MSN doesn't have any significant Twitter functionality; instead it's basically a Twitter message viewer with the option to update your own status.[29] One final quibble: if you're typing in an update, you can't navigate away to copy a URL. If you do, MSN's Twitter client will reset itself and you'll have to retype your message.[29]
The design is not live on a wide scale yet. It will be rolling out gradually over the coming weeks. It is, however available as a preview here. On a related note, Microsoft is finally launching MSN Music this week. [6] Microsoft says the redesign is MSN's most significant in more than a decade.[7] According to CNET's Relevant Results, the redesign has been "in the works for months," and with MSN trailing Yahoo in popularity in the U.S., there's nothing like a little competition to inspire change.[23] The Bing presence (Visse said 45 percent of Bing searches come from MSN) was one of the things that underscored the redesign effort, Visse said.[21] Much more refreshing! As Greg Sterling noted, the MSN portal drives nearly 50% of Bing queries - that is significant.[33] The web portal has been replaced by the fact that 'Google' is accepted as a verb (as in 'just Google it'), and users can now 'Bing, and decide'.[41] There is too much data available and users are faced with information overload. People need a streamlined, at-a-glance, overview of the information that is relevant to them and the web portal delivers that.[41] Most people have dismissed the web portal as a dead concept. The Internet has evolved and users are more savvy and don't need their hands held America Online-style. They can forage their own way through the interwebs and find what they need.[41]
MSN wants to deliver useful content across areas that it believes users find most important, Jorgenson said. [24] The main areas we invested in are to fix the design, use technology to improve relevance, harness search, local content, video, and social networking."[19] If you haven't heard about LeapFish, you soon will. The latest version of this search engine that launches Thursday merges social content with traditional query data, images and videos.[38]
A new study finds the Internet broadens our social circle, and Facebook gets particular credit. [41] Wearing the undergarments present some practical problems, Rachel Dodes. Unilever Price Cuts Surprise Analysts; Soap Deal Lifts Costs Bloomberg When Paul Polman became CEO of Unilever at the beginning of the year, he promised to stoke sales growth. He's done so by boosting advertising, accelerating the introduction of new products and, it turns out, by cutting prices by as. After Mickey's Makeover, Less Mr. Nice Guy New York Times Concerned that Mickey Mouse has become more of a corporate symbol than a beloved character, Disney is re-imagining him for the future, Brooks Barnes reports.[38] After a year of steadily shaking up consumer habits in the supermarket, the recession has produced some clear winners -- and new research from Nielsen shows that most of them are on the edges of your local grocery store. JC Penney Promoting Joyful (And Affordable) Giving It's been said that "it's better to give than receive." JC Penney is looking to prove that with its holiday marketing effort that highlights the "Joy of Giving."[38] Q&A With Simon Applebaum Simon Applebaum is a media veteran whose work reporting television news and trends spans over 30 years.[38]
The Age of Consent Consumers may find it intrusive if not downright creepy, but marketers, under immense pressure to meet quarterly goals, depend on behavioral targeting to squeeze digital dollars out of dimes. The question is: Can it be done in such a way that is beneficial to everyone? DOA Q&A: Philip K. Dick At a time when the whole world feels like it's falling apart, who better to talk to than someone who suggested that might be the case? Church & State Can the news business survive once-sacred walls toppling? Work with me on this, because you, the reader, are an integral part of this story. I want you to pick up this magazine.[38] Scripps Networks Interactive is nearing an agreement to buy a majority stake in the Travel Channel for a pricey $975 million from Cox Communications, forming a new programming venture which will include the Food Network, DIY and HGTV.[38] It's the Vision 2009 tradeshow in Stuttgart, Germany this week, and Sony was on hand showing off some funky new tech making use of its cameras. It's a Minority Report style panel that responds to every gesture and lets you juggle windows around with simple flicks.[35] Content sections are streamlined down to five top-of-page links: news, entertainment, sports, money, lifestyle and "more."[11] What do you think of the new design? Share your opinions here.[6] The MSN Blog takes us back through the years, starting from 1995 through today - looking at the various MSN designs.[33] The new-look homepage is currently available to view as a preview on MSN and will be rolled out gradually in the U.S., before becoming widely available there next year.[30] With a release data of early 2010, the MSN homepage will feature a cleaner, less cluttered look.[43]
Portals such as MSN change over the years, but the one thing the big ones consistently try to do is to draw the most number of eyeballs possible.[21] According to data provided by MSN, it receives 600 million monthly visitors, making it a top Internet destination.[20] As many as 100 million people in the U.S. visit MSN.com each month, Microsoft said.[24] Windows 7 Upgrade Woes Mount: Endless Reboots and Product Key Problems Microsoft message boards are active with users complaining of upgrade problems related to Windows 7. Consumers Won't Pay $120 for Windows 7 Upgrade We've gotten used to free or cheap software, so Microsoft should offer some deals for its newest OS.[29] Windows PC users can hold their heads up high again - after the Vista fiasco Microsoft needed a big win, and Windows 7 might just be the ticket.[19]
Yahoo users can build themselves a customized page to include instant messaging, stock quotes, e-mail, weather, calendar and other tools. [24] A preview page is available at preview.msn.com, and users who are not part of the randomly selected 10 percent audience roll-out can view the redesign there, as well.[7]
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4. Revamped MSN Wants to Be Your New Home Page : RushPRNews - Newswire & Global Press Release Distribution
5. MSN.Com Gets An Overhaul After Ten Years
6. Microsoft Unveils Big Redesign of MSN | WebProNews
7. Microsoft rolls out redesigned MSN
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9. Microsoft Gives MSN an Overdue Face-lift - BusinessWeek
10. AFP: Microsoft overhauls MSN home page
11. Microsoft to introduce new MSN.com design_English_Xinhua
12. Refashioned MSN brings Twitter, Facebook to portal page | White Hat News
13. Microsoft cleans up the mess, makes MSN squeaky clean - News, Gadgets & Tech - The Independent
14. Remodeling brings MSN portal up to code | Good Morning Silicon Valley
15. Microsoft gives MSN.com first face-lift in 10 years - International Business Times -
16. BBC NEWS | Technology | Microsoft reveals new-look MSN
17. MSN gets makeover | Duniyalive.com
18. Microsoft MSN Homepage Revised for Bing, Social Networking
19. Microsoft Integrates Twitter into MSN Redesign - Reviews by PC Magazine
20. MSN Offers Public Sneak Peek at New Look - PC World
21. Microsoft Pri0 | Microsoft's MSN gets a makeover -- and how | Seattle Times Newspaper
22. Microsoft Refreshes MSN, Adds Social Networking Links - Software - IT Channel News by CRN
23. MSN Redesign Hits the Web - Tonic
24. Microsoft Launches New Version of MSN - PC World
25. Microsoft Announces Face Lift for MSN Home Page : dBTechno
26. Microsoft Overhauls MSN Logo and Portal - A preview of the new MSN homepage is already available - Softpedia
27. MSN Homepage Gets a Redesign | Erictric
28. The Associated Press: Microsoft redesigns MSN, adds Twitter, Facebook
29. The New MSN Homepage: A New Reason to Love Microsoft? - PC World
30. MSN declutters homepage adding Twitter and Facebook - Brand Republic News - Brand Republic
31. Untitled
32. Microsoft upgrades MSN - Technology Live - USATODAY.com
33. MSN Home Page Gets a Major Face Lift
34. Microsoft Simplifies a Cluttered MSN - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com
35. New MSN homepage adds Facebook and Twitter | Electricpig
36. Untitled
37. Microsoft MSN home page gets makeover
38. MediaPost Publications - Home of MediaDailyNews, MEDIA and OMMA Magazines
39. New MSN Homepage Launching
40. MSN Shows Off New Homepage - AppScout
41. MSN Revamps Site with Focus on Social Networking - Business Center - PC World
42. Digit works on MSN identity | News | Design Week
43. ToTheCenter - News: MSN Homepage Gets a New Look
44. MSN homepage gets a slick makeover » Adotas
45. Microsoft Preview Decluttered New Look MSN
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