Ramp.com

One of the nifty things our users like about PodZinger is how they can track specific terms by subscribing to automatic RSS feeds. For us, we like to track who’s talking about PodZinger and yesterday, we found a nice little segment of Andrew Baron (Rocketboom) on Beet TV.

Andrew is the producer of Rocketboom, one of the first and most popular video blog online. He was recently on Andy Plesser’s Beet TV to share some of things he has been working on for Rockeboom to make it more accessible and searchable for users. Besides using PodZinger to index every episode of the show, Andrew is also trying out another cool translation project where viewers can contribute and translate the episodes in a wiki.

Baron is one of the first partners and we have always been very impressed and privileged to work with someone who has such vision and tenacity to tackle challenges that independent content creators face.

Black Friday is usually the day that kick starts the holiday shopping season, but this year shoppers (actually, more like die hard gamers) went frantic a week earlier when Sony launched the much anticipated Playstation 3 last Friday. With only 400,000 machines for the initial launch, people across the country camped outside stores hours before they opened so that they could get a hand on a PS3, despite its high pricing of nearly $500 per console and an additional $60 per game.

Check out what we found on PodZinger on what CNET and others are saying about the PS3 shortage.

Kotaku, a popular gaming blog, now reports that a new shipment of Playstation 3 has landed and will be available in stores by Black Friday so we will start see the mayhem all over again this weekend.

Shortage of the console has created much mayhem among including two men holding two employees at gunpoint at an Ohio video game store for 5 games consoles. Nintendo Wii also launched last Sunday with a bit less fuss as reports state that there will be “five to 10″ times as many Wiis available at launch compared to Playstation 3.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – November 20, 2006 – PodZinger (www.podzinger.com), the world’s most powerful audio and video search engine and online advertising network, today announced the results of its proprietary research into consumer behavior and online video advertising viewing preferences. The study’s key findings reveal that not only will consumers tolerate advertisements that appear during their search for online audio and video content, they willingly accept that short 10 to 15 seconds ads, are “part of doing business” on the Web. PodZinger’s research findings underscore the need for brands and marketers to view online advertising as a new and distinct initiative, not merely as an extension of paid text advertising or television advertising. This research was conducted prior to the recent launch of PodZinger’s video advertising platform to ensure that consumers would be receptive to advertisements on the popular search engine’s site.

PodZinger’s research examined consumers’ attitudes, usage and acceptance of online video advertising. To gauge viewer reaction to the length and format of video ads, PodZinger commissioned market research firm Pathfinder Innovation to conduct one-on-one interviews in three major U.S. markets including Cambridge, Mass., Chicago and Los Angeles. In addition to featuring a comprehensive set of in-depth questions, consumers were presented demonstration sites to gauge their reaction to the length and format of video ads. The research revealed that consumers prefer 10 to 15 second ads in comparison to the typical 30-second television commercial. However, many expressed concern about the frequency of video ads, which, unlike banner ads, were considered “annoying” if repeated too often. Almost three-quarters of respondents viewed search-relevant advertisements positively and many viewed this as a unique level of web-site personalization.

These results, in combination with aggregated consumer behavior statistics for online content, further emphasize the importance of streamlined, targeted, non-intrusive video advertisements. By recording what audio and video content is played most frequently and examining the vast library of searchable content on PodZinger, the company captures unprecedented information, providing advertisers an in-depth view of what content consumers are interested in most. PodZinger also examined behavior patterns of consumers on www.podzinger.com to set the baseline for consumer behavior, discovering that:

• Consumers typically play only 15 percent of an entire online video or audio, which are 7.5 minutes and 22 minutes in length, respectively.
• Consumer attention span for online video is much shorter than audio – one minute vs. three minutes on average.
• Consumers are more likely to play content online than they are to download it by a factor of almost 6 to 1 (5.7 to1).
• Of all the categories tracked by PodZinger, five of these, including entertainment, technology, news and politics, music and sports, represent approximately 85 percent of all online activity (Table 1). Additionally, online activity does not track to the volume of content available, e.g. entertainment represents 36 percent of all online video play, but only 6 percent of available video.

Audio	% of Total Plays	Avg Play Time (min)		Video	% of Total Plays	Avg. Play Time (min)
Technology	24%	3.16		Entertainment	36%	0.92
Music	18%	1.93		Technology	24%	1.29
Entertainment	18%	4.55		New s& Politics	15%	1.05
News & Politics	15%	2.70		Music	8%	1.52
Sports	8%	31.6		Sports	5%	0.85

Most Played Categories of Online Content, September 2006, www.podzinger.com Table 1.

Through speech-to-text technology, PodZinger automatically classifies all audio and video content and is able to tailor advertising based on this information. By recording the length and frequency that audio and video content is played, PodZinger is able to identify which content is more valuable based on the actual usage aggregated from consumers. Through the combination of PodZinger’s classification technology and data analysis algorithms of video advertisers, for the first time, advertisers are able to deliver relevant brand messaging in online video and audio content.”With Internet video consumption surging, advertisers are clamoring for a best-in-class solution for delivering branded and relevant online messages.” said Alex Laats, CEO of PodZinger. “To accomplish that, it is essential to develop a deeper understanding of what consumers are watching and listening. Our technology uniquely allows PodZinger to connect advertisers to consumers based on consumer intent, and the response in the marketplace has been overwhelming.”About PodZinger
PodZinger is the leading audio and video search engine and advertising network for brands, content providers and consumers. With PodZinger, consumers are able to find the most relevant content, content creators can monetize their online audio and video assets and advertisers can more effectively deliver their brand messages.PodZinger, based in Cambridge, Mass., was recognized as the Best Web 2.0 Application in 2006 by the Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange. PodZinger can be found at www.podzinger.com and through its network of affiliates.

###

Barbara Loonam	Kelby Troutman
PodZinger	Racepoint Group, Inc.
617-873-7655	781-487-4610
bloonam@bbn.com	ktroutman@racepointgroup.com

	Latest Updates
	Xconomy – 1/10/08 – Microsoft Passed Over Local Enterprise Search Firm Endeca Before Acquiring Norway’s Fast InternetNews – 1/9/08 – Will Microsoft’s FAST Buy Pay Off Long Term? Reel SEO – 12/30/07 – Google 411 – Future Plans for Video Search CommTopics – 12/11/07 – EveryZing: Audio & Video Text Search Wireless Speech Recognition – 12/08/07 – Speech recognition & AI, formatting your to-do lists? Alt Search Engines – 12/07/07 – CEO Spotlight on EveryZing’s Tom Wilde Reel SEO – 12/03/07 – EveryZing = Video SEO Solution for Media Companies Reel SEO – 11/15/07 – 2008 and Future Video Value Chain Predictions

To inform the launch of our new advertising platform, PodZinger did extensive research on consumer behavior and online video advertising viewing preferences. With increased discussion on video advertising, we thought we’d share some of the behavioral patterns of our users and the research highlights.

The Topic Matters
It turns out that approximately 85% of all online activities were concentrated on Entertainment, Technology, News and Politics, Music and Sports. As these top 5 verticals draw in the most audience, they will also be the top categories on which advertisers should focus on.

While technology is by far the most popular audio content, entertainment dominates the total % of video plays.

Average Play Time
Consumers typically play only 15 percent of an entire online video or audio. The average run time for video is 7.5 minutes and audio is 22 minutes. The following shows the average play time according to the top played categories we identified.

Other notable patterns indicate that:

• Consumers will listen to audio for almost 3 times longer as they will watch a video – an average of 3 min. versus 1 min.
• Consumers are more likely to play content online than they are to download it by a factor of almost 6 to 1.

Market Research

In addition to the data crunching above, we partnered with market research firm Pathfinder Innovation to conduct one-on-one interviews in three major U.S. markets including Chicago, Los Angeles and Cambridge, MA. The interviewees were given comprehensive in-dept questionnaires and presented with demonstration sites to gauge their reaction to the length and format of video ads.

Highlights of the market research:

• Not only do consumers tolerate advertisements that appear during their search for online audio and video content, they also willingly accept that short 10-15 seconds ads are “part of doing business” on the Web.
• Consumers prefer 10-15 second ads in comparison to the typical 30-second television commercials. However, many expressed concern about frequency of video ads and were considered “annoying” if repeated often.
• A high percentage of respondents viewed targeted advertisements that were relevant to their online search as positive and more personal

The combined research results emphasized the importance of streamlined and targeted, non-intrusive video advertisements. We’ve built these considerations into our new advertising platform where we classify all audio and video content through our speech recognition technology and tailor advertising to consumer interests.

We are continuing to improve and as always, we welcome and are very interested in all comments and feedback.

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and while it is often one of the most festive holidays, it can also be one of the most stressful. Cooking an elaborate fest, deciding what wine to pair with which course, looking for quick time saving tips or finding that perfect pumpkin pie recipe can all be daunting tasks.

Podcasts and online videos provide a quick and simple way to get easy ideas for the holiday season, no matter what topic you’re seeking. PodZinger, the world’s most powerful audio and video search engine and online advertising network, also makes searching for podcasts and videos a simple task. Scanning each and every word, PodZinger lets users pinpoint exactly what they are searching for – taking them directly to the key word they are seeking and saving them the time of listening to the entire file. It also allows for immediate playback so if you miss an ingredient in a pecan pie recipe you’re listening too, you can easily replay that portion with just one click. Download any of these podcasts or online videos and have a portable, compact Thanksgiving lesson of your very own.

Eat Feed – The food and cooking podcast that looks at Thanksgiving’s historical significance and how you can bring those traditions into your own home. In a special Thanksgiving podcast, author Sandy Oliver is featured, discussing the history of Thanksgiving traditions from her new book, “Giving Thanks: Thanksgiving Recipes and History, from Pilgrims to Pumpkin Pie.”

Chronicle Podcasts: Food for Your Ears – Podcasts from The San Francisco Chronicle’s award-winning food department. Learn about their favorite places to eat, excerpts from interviews with celebrity chefs and other scrumptious content. Its Thanksgiving podcasts provide various tips for the holidays, including for baking your turkey and pairing wines with dinner.

WNYC’s Leonard Lopate Show – Leonard Lopate hosts a diverse collection of great thinkers and talkers for smart, unpredictable interviews. For one of his Thanksgiving specials, Lopate hosts Gourmet Magazine’s editor, who discusses recipe swaps, as well as reveals some of her own specialties.

For more Thanksgiving podcast or online video suggestions, visit PodZinger.

Microsoft launched Zune today, hoping to be the next iPod killer (that’s what they all say). Many are anticipating Zune to be the next big thing for Microsoft after the success of Xbox 360. Reviews have been lukewarm including Ryan at Engaget who complains about installation issues and John Biggs of Crunch Gear seems to agree. Leo Larporte and gang also gave a relatively bad review on the TWiT’s show.

On the other hand Gizmodo gave ZUNE the thumbs up for a “relatively painless installation” and points out that it plays nicely with iTunes. Zing! us to check out what others have to say about Zune here.

Besides Zune, PS3 will also launched this Friday (November 17) and Nintendo Wii on November 19. Although both have different target audiences, there will still be a lot of chatter and comparisons as everyone anticipates Nintendo to be a comeback in the game console market after its huge success of DS Lite.

PodZinger recently announced a unique partnership with the Cato Institute, which selected the company to power audio and video search capabilities on its Web site. Cato’s partnership with PodZinger will allow the renowned Washington, DC-based think tank to provide its audience with improved access to information contained in its Web site’s daily podcasts. Specifically, PodZinger will provide audio and video search capabilities for Cato’s Events Podcast, Daily Podcast and the entire library of archived podcasts, enabling users for the first time to easily search the contents of these files for specific topics of interest. Cato joins the growing, diverse network of content creators that are utilizing PodZinger’s innovative technology to increase their contents’ value by enabling users to perform in-depth research of audio and video content.

Cato is a great site for anyone interested in public policy and we encourage people to visit the site and search for the issue that matters the most to them.

According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 26 million Americans looked to the Internet as a source of news and information during the mid-term election this August, compared to only 21 million during the general election in ’04 and 11 million during the mid-term election in ’02. The increase in online videos and podcasts contributed significantly to this increase.

Online video created a new meaning for mudslinging campaigns, with political staffs airing any humorous event or mistake of their opponent, even skewing footage to slander a challenger. One of the most talked about videos currently is from the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which put up a video showing Congressman Harold Ford Jr’s staff “freaking out” while a cameraman follows him. There is speculation that it was a set up by opponent Republican Bob Corker.

Podcasts are a relatively new source for information, but a significant factor driving people who look to the Web for election news. During the mid-term election in ‘02, podcasts were not even avaliable to the public. In 2003, they could only be found on well-known Web sites. By 2006, according to the Arbitron/Edison Media Research Internet and Multimedia survey, 11 percent of the U.S. population had listened to a podcast. Some of my favorite podcasts for election coverage include:

Midweek Politics with David Pakman – Politics, news, and current events with heartheissues.com’s David Pakman.

Vote 2006 | NewsHour with Jim Lehrer Podcast | PBS – Coverage of the 2006 Senate, House and gubernatorial races including analysis from NewsHour’s Political Wrap. Reports on election trends and policy issues, and documentaries from key regions of the United States.

CNN News Update – The latest news happening in the U.S. and around the world.

For more policatical online video and podcast suggestions, visit PodZinger.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – November 07, 2006 – PodZinger (www.podzinger.com), the world’s most powerful audio and video search engine and online advertising network, announced today that the Cato Institute has selected PodZinger to power audio and video search capabilities on its Web site www.cato.org.  Cato’s partnership with PodZinger will allow the renowned Washington, DC-based think tank to provide its audience with improved access to information contained in the daily podcasts the Web site promotes.  Specifically, PodZinger will provide audio and video search capabilities for Cato’s Events Podcast, Daily Podcast and the entire library of archived podcasts, enabling users for the first time to easily search the contents of these files for specific topics of interest.

“For listeners of our podcasts, the ability to search by keyword or topic is likely to enhance their experience, and I suspect encourage greater use of our podcasts by a national and international audience. This all supports our mission of broadening public debate on questions of public policy and the proper role of government,” said Jamie Dettmer, the institute’s communications director. “We are the only major think tank in the world that is currently offering daily news podcasts, and the uptake by the public has been extraordinary. We are delighted to have the assistance now of PodZinger.”

Cato joins the growing, diverse network of content creators that are utilizing PodZinger’s innovative technology to increase their contents’ value by enabling users to perform in-depth research of audio and video content.  Founded in 1977, the Cato Institute seeks to broaden the parameters of public policy debate to allow consideration of the traditional American principles of limited government, individual liberty, free markets and peace. Toward that goal, the Institute strives to achieve greater involvement of the intelligent, concerned lay public in questions of policy and the proper role of government.

PodZinger uses speech-to-text technology to create a text index of the audio, which enables users to find content anywhere within both audio and video podcasts and jump directly to the point where their keyword is spoken.  For Cato and others, PodZinger makes audio and video content more accessible, thereby improving the user experience and generating more exposure for visitors looking for the best online content.

“Many organizations like the Cato Institute have extensive libraries of audio and video content containing valuable information,” said Alex Laats, PodZinger’s CEO.  “PodZinger is able to connect the public directly to insights and commentary on public policy and politics around the world, helping individuals become more informed about issues affecting their daily lives.”

About Cato Institute
The Cato Institute was founded in 1977 by Edward H. Crane. It is a non-profit public policy research foundation headquartered in Washington, D.C. The Institute is named for Cato’s Letters, a series of libertarian pamphlets that helped lay the philosophical foundation for the American Revolution.

About PodZinger
PodZinger is the leading audio and video search engine and advertising network for brands, content providers and consumers.  With PodZinger, consumers are able to find the most relevant content, content creators can monetize their online audio and video assets and advertisers can more effectively deliver their brand messages.

PodZinger, based in Cambridge, Mass., was recognized as the Best Web 2.0 Application in 2006 by the Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange. PodZinger can be found at www.podzinger.com and through its network of affiliates.

###

Barbara Loonam	Kelby Troutman
PodZinger	Racepoint Group, Inc.
617-873-7655	781-487-4610
bloonam@bbn.com	ktroutman@racepointgroup.com