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The Inquisitr

Truth without favor

Google makes another content play with PoptubToday

Google quietly launched its on entry into the video blogging space in September with Poptub, a best of YouTube show, mixed with the occasional interview, and a dose of quirky blonde.

The Hollywood Reporter reports that the show is produced by Embassy Row, the production company run by “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” creator Michael Davies, and is sponsored by Pepsi. Embassy Row produced the “Cartoon Cavalcade of Comedy” previously for Google, a series that became a big hit on YouTube.

The new show is being promoted by Google through advertising on YouTube, and across the Google advertising network, including placements in video ad units.

While not the first original content ordered by Google for YouTube, Poptub is the first time Google has entered the person on screen show space, traditionally the domain of video bloggers, but more recently with professional backing and production, such as shows offered by Revision3. It also demonstrates Google’s growing creep into the content space, moving away from its core function of indexing the world, to actually become a content provider, best demonstrated by Knol.

The show is clearly being used as a way to highlight great YouTube content, and to increase user viewing rates. However, it’s a very slippery slope for Google. Holding a near monopoly in search, and a 70%+ share in online video means that Google is all powerful when it comes to content business and traffic. Google as a unique content provider may get an unfair advantage over existing players, and at a time Google’s market share is being looked at in several countries, this won’t help Google’s argument that it is a utility player alone.

WordPress Developer Acquires PollDaddyToday

WordPress developer Automattic has acquired online poll service PollDaddy, the company has announced, and has added an integrated poll creation tool for blogs hosted on WordPress.com. A plug-in has also just been launched for externally hosted WP blogs.

The deal will bring the two-person PollDaddy team on-board with WordPress immediately and will lead to greater stability and faster-loading polls, the companies say. They also promise growth won’t be limited only to WordPress; expanded support is also being developed for MySpace, Ning, Blogger, Typepad, Hi5, Orkut, and Piczo.

The decision came when the Automattic engineers started looking at building their own poll service, WordPress founder Matt Mullenmeg says.

“It became more obvious that, while on the surface it’s a very simple problem, there’s a lot of hidden complexi

Technorati acquires AdEngage, expanding ad mixToday

Technorati has acquired advertising service AdEngage, their first bolt on acquisition for their advertising network Technorati Media.

Founded in 2004, AdEngage offers a variety of self service advertising options, including 125px spots, text and “Photext” ads, which combine text and photos in the one ad unit. The site offers units at set rates or on a CPC basis, and serves over 12 billion impressions a month.

Technorati CEO Richard Jalichandra said in a post that Technorati would use the AdEngage platform to expand Technorati Media’s offering, starting with an expansion of their advertising business from higher traffic sites, deeper into the long tail. Technorati Engage will launch with a the text and Photext products, with the 125px spots to follow, and will be offered in a closed beta initially, until they’re ready to completely open it up. Blogs can apply here, and must meet Technorati Media guidelines detailed here.

Let me disclose in the post that Technorati Media is the exclusive pr

The Hills Frenemy Update: Lauren and Heidi Spotted HuggingToday

Right after Lauren revealed wishes to leave The Hills behind (and lamented those ripped-apart friendships), she was seen fraternizing with the enemy– Heidi Montag herself!

Usmagazine.com reports that the two made up for real after a STK dinner last night, with Heidi breaking the ice by asking L.C. if she could congratulate her on her clothing line. Us reports that Conrad talked about the encounter afterwards, saying:

“Yes, it’s true. Heidi was at STK. She came in to the after party to congratulate me on the show. It was nice of her. I appreciated it.”

This is going to buy Heidi some more time on The Hills before Lauren peaces out and leaves the show behind. Clever Heidi! Now why do I think that good old Spencer had something to do with this?

A Big Spam Bust - You Could Have Fooled MeToday

Spammers have to be the lowest scum on the Internet food chain. There must be a special place in hell and if there isn’t there should be. The current estimates put spam emails being sent out at 90 per cent on all email traffic. With a percentage like that it is no wonder that email has become a form of communication we all feel like we are fighting to control on a daily basis.

Well yesterday, the FTC wone a preliminary legal victory against one of these spam gangs that they say account for one third of all spam emails being sent out. HerbalKing the target of the legal action apparently sent out billions of email messages per day pushing such things as pharmaceutical drug, herbal pills and replica watches. Brad Stone of the New York Times tells of Marshal Software; a security firm who worked with the FTC, who estimated that one of the group’s main botnets was capable of pumping out 10 billion email messages a day.

As for making money from spam the FTC investigators who monitored the group’s finances said th