Google Images has a new look as of last week. The new interface organizes images more in a more compact way and allows users to hover over them for more info. The page that is presented after the click now shows the image in a lightbox with the originating web page in the background.
Official Google [...]
The much anticipated Hulu subscription service launched last week. The service dubbed Hulu Plus offers additional content that is available on more platforms than the free service.
Hulu Unveils Subscription Service For $9.99 a Month – Media Decoder Blog – NYTimes.com.
Mapquest, once the leading online map service, has relaunched with more features, less ads and a focus on local search. Google Maps passed up Mapquest in terms of features and usage back in early 2009.
Mapquest Introduces New Look, New Capabilities.
MerchantCircle, a fast growing online local merchant business directory, has added functionality that allows its merchants to be rewarded with the title “Mayor” of their respective city. While similar to Foursquare, MerchantCircle’s Mayorship title is based on networking and other activity on the site itself.
MerchantCircle Adds Mayorships For Small Businesses.
Bloomberg.com has re-launched a new blog-like website. The service is targeting senior business executives and vows to continue as a free, ad-supported service.
Bloomberg.com Re-Launches, Waves Free Content Banner :: MinOnline.
Inform Technologies, a New York City startup, has raised a $4 million Series A round. Inform “enhances and organizes” content for other companies.
Semantic Web Startup Inform Technologies Lands $4 Million, New CMO.
Google is reportedly working on a new paid content platform for publishers, dubbed Newspass. Such a system could help ailing news services that are craving more online revenues to offset their declining print revenue, such as Rupert Murdoch’s Wall Street Journal.
A Google Paid Content System For Publishers May Be Coming By Year-End | paidContent.
Yummly, a powerful new recipe search engine, has accumulated over 500,000 recipes across the web. Yummly is betting that their advanced search engine will help it grab market share from existing recipe sites like All Recipes, Epicurious, Food Network, Food.com and Big Oven.
Yummly’s Semantic Search Engine Is The Ultimate Online Cookbook For Foodies.
Klout has launched a new tool, BirdBrain, to measure “influence” based on data from Twitter and Facebook. The service matches your Facebook interests with people on Twitter that it believes are influential on that topic.
Klout’s BirdBrain Measures Influence Based On Data From Twitter And Facebook.
Ning has announced partnerships with CafePress and Heyzap to offer monetization options for their customers. A few months ago Ning announced that they would no longer offer the service for free.
After Going Premium, Ning Adds E-Commerce And Gaming Revenue Channels For Networks.