As you return to work, readers, with stuffed bellies and the vestiges of New Year revelry - or Hogmanay as we say here in Scotland - ebbing away, there's surely only one question on your mind: what's been happening with Google and the gang? Well, wonder no further... after a two-week hiatus the bigmouthmedia newsletter is back!
The festive season is traditionally quiet on the news front, but there have been a few big stories to grace the search world in the last two weeks. Firstly, in what seems like an obvious snub towards Google, Microsoft and Viacom penned an ad and content deal in December.
Then, the much-discussed Google-DoubleClick merger was granted approval from the FTC - an event that must have been a great Christmas present for the search giant. However, the subsequent privacy debate surrounding new features from Google Reader serves to show that Google's privacy woes have far from disappeared.
Predictably, the online retail industry witnessed a surge in activity in the run up to Christmas. In the UK, however, Boxing Day was reported as the busiest online shopping day of 2007, as consumers turned to the internet to avoid the stress of post-Christmas sales on the high street.
Earlier this week, Google announced the launch of Google Print Ads in the UK, an extension of Google AdWords that began in the US last year. And as Hitwise statistics reveal that Google Checkout overtook Paypal in the UK in December in terms of visitors, it looks like Google has entered 2008 riding a wave of success in Britain.
In addition, a special bigmouthmedia article shows that 2007 saw more people than ever begin to use the word "googled" as interchangeable with the concept of searching on any search engine, despite Google's specific warning against this practice. Nevertheless, this is unlikely to be a problem in South Korea, where new statistics show that South Korean search engine Naver is well ahead of Google and Yahoo! in domestic search market share.
So as you settle down to another year of work and play, let this - the 250th edition of the bigmouthmedia newsletter - help you on your way. Happy New Year!
Search engine Naver proves a hit in South Korea
Search engine Naver has proved so popular in South Korea that it has become the world's fifth-largest portal, according to figures produced by comScore.
Google 'to move into newspaper advertising in UK'
Google is currently in talks with a number of UK newspaper publishers to sell advertising space in their publications to its online clients, it has been reported.
UK consumers avoid Boxing Day scramble by shopping online
It seems that, despite a heavy Christmas dinner, people are still hungry for bargains. Hitwise has reported Boxing Day as the busiest online shopping day in the UK in 2007
Verb Wars: Google Not Winning
In 2006 Google asked the world to help protect its trademark and not use phrases like 'googled' or 'to google' as alternatives to searching online. 2007 has seen little slowdown in the use of the world famous trademark as a verb.
Chinese Google trademark lawsuit dismissed
A trademark lawsuit filed against Google earlier this year has been dismissed, it has been reported.
Yahoo! teams up with America Movil
Yahoo! has announced it has teamed up with America Movil, one of Latin America's biggest wireless carriers.
Google may join forces with DoCoMo
Internet giant Google may be set to partner with Japanese mobile carrier DoCoMo.
Alterations to Google Reader cause controversy
A recent change to Google Reader has sparked controversy among some of its users
PayPal 'overtaken by Google Checkout' in Britain
Despite being in the lead for the first couple of months of the holiday shopping season, PayPal has been overtaken by Google Checkout in terms of visits over the last two weeks, according to new figures.
Google-DoubleClick deal gets support from FTC
The controversial attempt to purchase internet advertising firm DoubleClick by Google has received approval from the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Google, Yahoo! and Microsoft pay price for illegal gambling ads
Three of the biggest internet companies have come to a settlement with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) over their alleged involvement in illegal online gaming.
Microsoft secures Viacom advertising and content deal
Microsoft and Viacom have announced a mutual partnership that will allow Microsoft to licence and use Viacom-owned content across their MSN network and Xbox online gaming system, while also advertising on Viacom broadcast and online services.
European online shopping 'hits high point' of festive season
The first week of December recorded the highest rate of cyber shopping activity so far this season in the UK, France and Germany, new research suggests.
