News of the Day:

Microsoft reports 30% growth in revenue

Net profit in Microsoft's fiscal second quarter, thanks to strong Vista sales, rose to $4.7 billion from $2.6 billion. Revenue rose 30 percent to $16.37 billion.

The Online Services Business (MSN and Windows Live) reported a $245million operating loss for the quarter compared to $265million loss repoted in Q1. The company said the loss was due in part to increased costs of data centers and expenses related to its $6 billion acquisition of aQuantive Inc

Sales of Vista and its Office suite and video games helped lift quarterly revenue by 30%.

The company boosted its revenue outlook to between $59.9 billion and $60.5 billion, up from $58.8 billion to $59.7 billion before.

Microsoft expects strong growth across its five major businesses in coming quarters, Microsoft Chief Financial Officer Chris Liddell said in an interview after announcing the results. "We feel optimistic going into the second half,"

Microsoft shares were up 5.3% to $35 in after-hours trading after closing at $33.25, up 4.13%

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Industry Watch:

• Yahoo to offer MP3 Music Without Copy Protection (CNN Money)
  A record company executive said Yahoo is in talk with record labels over offering unprotected MP3 music for sale or for free as part of an ad-supported service.
  
  
• eBay reports strong fourth quarter results, shares dropped (The Wall Street Journal)
  Despite strong fourth quarter results, eBay's shares dropped $1.76, to $27.18 over concerns of slowing economy and listing fees reduction. The company also announced Meg Whitman retirement and John Donahoe, who is currently the president of eBay's auction unit will take her place.
  
  
• Google shares up despite downgrade (The Wall Street Journal)
  Google shares advanced 4.7% or $25.87 to $574.49 despite a downgrade by the Stanford Group to "hold" from "buy".
  Amazon gained 5% to $77.67 while Microsoft advanced 4.1% to $33.25.
  
  
• Google to kill Domain Tasting
  Google will stop monetizing all domains if they are less then five days old according to DomainTools Blog.
  Registrants used domain tasting to register any number of domains and place Google Adsense on them and test the marketability of a domain name.
  
  
• YouTube launches an Improved Version for Mobile (YouTube Blog)
  YouTube announced the official debut of YouTube for Mobile(m.youtube.com). The new site offers most of the videos available now on YouTube.com. Mobile phone uploads, access to your account. The mobile version is also available in UK, Italy, France, Spain, Netherlands, Poland, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, New Zealand, Germany, and Russia.
  
  
• NTT DoCoMo in talks on Android-based cell phone
  Japan's biggest mobile telecom carrier gave its strongest support to Google's Android platform on Thursday when it said it is considering a cell phone based on the technology.
  
  

Blog Watch:

• Optimizing the Fortune 100 - Enterprise SEO
  While the vast majority of search engine optimization projects performed by search marketing agencies are for small and medium sized businesses, SEO for large and complex organizations takes a unique combination of finesse and consideration.
  
  
• SetYourRate.com is Priceline for Local Services (Read Write Web)
  UK-based SetYourRate.com, which officially launched out of private beta on Tuesday, is attempting to bring Priceline-style economics to the local services industry.
  
  
• Google Health shows more signs of life (Googling Google)
  Philipp Lenssen and Tony Ruscoe from Google Blogoscoped noticed that Google has taken another step closer to launching Google Health.
  
  
• Google AdWords Relaunches Demographic Bidding (Search Engine Roundtable)
  Beu in Search Engine Watch Forums had the scoop on Google relaunching demographic bidding for AdWords and AdSense. The AdWords blog writes Demographic bidding beta test, and gives users a form to sign up for the beta test.
  
  
• Guarantee Top Search Placement Masked Through PPC Ads (Search Engine Roundtable)
  A High Rankings Forum member had a chat with a snakeoil salesman who promised to guarantee 3000 searches a month for a client's particular niche. How is this possible without using some shady tactics? Numerous possibilities arise. They could just be using "over-inflated Overture numbers," as forum administrator Jill Whalen explains. Moderator Randy says that it could just be numbers generated from collecting AdWords impression data. You could also get an idea about the number.
  
  
• Google AdWords Testing Click To Call Ads Again? (Search Engine Journal)
  According to Loren Baker at Search Engine Journal, Google is testing Click to Call ads again.