iTunes reached its one billionth download earlier this month.

Google has moved into web page design with its Google Page Creator utility. Currently only available to G-Mail users, it makes it easy to create simple Web pages.

Amazon is to launch its own digital music business to rival Apple's iTunes this summer.

Ofcom is proposing a code for Voice over IP as the new technology is becoming ever more popular as customers take advantage of low cost telephone calls.

The City of London has signed an agreement to blanket the square mile with wi-fi access.

Thomas Pink has designed a tie with space to keep your iPod.

Mobile operator Orange is getting into the landline business. The service will only be offered to business users.

Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines and Virgin Atlantic have launched ‘The Great Escapade’ – a website offering round-the-world air tickets.

Michael Winterbottom’s new film 'The Road to Guantanamo' will be released simultaneously in cinemas, DVD and online.

Sky TV is launching a new service that allows consumers to access e-commerce web sites via its interactive TV service.

The BBC is using ‘The Apprentice’ to trial its TV Plus service which aims to enhance the viewing experience using broadband and digital channel BBC Three.

Channel 4 is placing episodes of its new comedy the ‘IT Crowd’ online in the week before they are broadcast.

BMW had its German website blacklisted by Google after using cloaking in its search engine optimisation activity.

Share of search by engine

1. Google 46.3%
2. Yahoo! 23.5%
3. MSN 11.4%
4. AOL 6.9%
5. My Way 2.5%
6. Ask Jeeves 2.3%

Microsoft polishes new version(s) of Windows

Microsoft has unveiled details of its new Windows desktop operating system called Windows Vista. The new OS is due to be launched in the second half of 2006 after the longest period between releases of Windows.

Confusingly, there are to be six different versions of Windows Vista – Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, Enterprise and Ultimate. Microsoft says they are launching the various ‘flavours’ so that consumers won’t have to compromise which version they choose.

However, the Starter version will only be available pre-loaded on new PCs in emerging markets where lower powered PCs are used. The Enterprise edition will only be available to business users with a volume licensing deal.

Another complication is that due to a European Union mandate, European versions will not include Windows Media Player; these will be called Windows Vista Home Basic N and Windows Vista Business N.

Analysts are expecting some confusion amongst consumers unsure as to which version is best for them, and vendors such as Dell will be charged with educating consumers. Contrast this with Apple, whose operating system OS X is available in the following versions - OS X...and that's it. Seems so much simpler to us.

Bumper Christmas sales… and a sluggish January

Following our article last month on the great sales successes enjoyed over the Christmas period by the online retailers, a new survey has reported sluggish January sales due to technical problems.

According to hosting company Hostway, over 40% of customers found web sites sluggish, unresponsive or unavailable during the crucial January sales period.

Another study by SciVisum revealed that online customers are less then sympathetic to unresponsive sites, with a staggering 95% preferring to abandon their shopping basket rather than persevere. And over half of them would turn to a competitor’s web site, who on the web – unlike the high street - are only a click away.

This highlights the importance of ensuring that you have the infrastructure in place to cope with large peaks in demand such as those encountered at Christmas. Seasonal factors can also affect retailers in different ways of course, with chocolate and flower retailers experiencing the recent Valentines Day peak, for example.

And lost sales are not the only symptom of an unresponsive web site. Retailers also risk losing face and suffering damage to their brand. Disgruntled consumers can be very vocal on the web too, commenting on poor service on Blogs, forums or across their e-mail contacts.

This capacity shortage is blamed on online retailers underestimating the demand for their web sites and being put off by the large upfront costs of servers and hosting space. However, online retailers are learning that capacity planning is vital to succeed in e-commerce and the hosting providers are now better equipped to offer increased capacity and bandwidth on a short term basis.

Google Base goes commercial

Google launched Google Base at the tail end of last year, a service that offers those without web sites an outlet to post information that they wish to share for free.

Anyone can submit information and articles to Google Base and by adding Labels and Attributes, can help that information be accessed via the Google search, rather like keywords are used in standard search engines.

Google has now announced that you can purchase Google Base items for sale using your Google account. The announcement made on the Google Blog added “We hope this feature will make it even easier for people to use Google Base to post and distribute a wide range of content, whether information for sharing or goods for sale.”
http://base.google.com/base

Blatant plug:

We have just completed redesigning and developing the new web site for NCFE National Awarding Body. The web site interfaces with the NCFE’s qualification database and intranet and features a content management system.
http://www.ncfe.co.uk

Only on the web:

Can’t remember that song title but know how it sounds? This web site lets you hum (well tap) it, and they’ll find it!
http://www.songtapper.com/s/tappingmain.bin

About:

Esquared is a regular digest of news, opinion and developments within interactive communications which we find interesting and hope you will too. If you want more information about anything that we mention, or have any comments, please call us on 01992 500990 or e-mail esquared@experience-engine.co.uk.