RQDC

Three months ago we reported that Ads Had Come to Twitter and it was a pretty big deal - until Twitter promptly said the word "sponsored" was only appearing on the site in error. Now the "sponsored definitions" of certain Twitter "concepts" have appeared on the site again - and they sure look legit this time.

These first ads probably aren't going to bring in enough cash to fuel a micro-app acquisition spree by Twitter, but this is the first clear public indication of one way the company is bringing in revenue. It's funny - the ads have been live for about a week now and no one but a few small, alert blogs has written about them. It was big news three months ago and we believe it's still important.

Sponsor

So far the only two sponsored links we've seen cycle through our sidebars have been to the ad network Federated Media's Microsoft microsite ExecTweets.com (aggregating Twitter messages from corporate executives) and Universal Studios' CinemaTweets.com, promoting the allegedly offensive forthcoming gay-face movie Bruno. The ads only appear on the home page of Twitter when a user is logged in, not when looking at another user's profile page. Also included in the cycle is a link to a joint Twitter and Threadless.com microsite where visitors can buy Threadless t-shirts about Twitter. Apparently that doesn't constitute a sponsored link, but presumably money is changing hands somewhere. The whole world of Twitter is a green-field when it comes to rules of disclosure.

Perhaps these sources of revenue will help Twitter remain a viable company long enough for all kinds of questions about this brand new medium to be explored.

Dave Winer argued this Spring that people want to know how Twitter is going to make money because they might not like it. He told a story about learning while in college that Domino's Pizza used profits to fight Planned Parenthood. With all the time, energy and content people are investing in Twitter - many want to know how the company will monetize so they can decide whether it's an organization they want to continue investing in.

And so it has begun. There are ads on Twitter. What do you think?

Disclosure: Federated Media is also the ad network for ReadWriteWeb.

You can find ReadWriteWeb on Twitter, as well as the entire RWW Team: Marshall Kirkpatrick, Bernard Lunn, Alex Iskold, Sarah Perez, Frederic Lardinois, Doug Coleman, Jolie O'Dell, Dana Oshiro , Lidija Davis and Steven Walling.

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Two Bosses Enter ... but only One Boss Leaves, in WoW.com's series of fantasy death matches. This season's bosses come from the five-man instances of Wrath of the Lich King.

While last week's Two Bosses Moorabi/Trollgore matchup was downright gory, this week's battle appears no less likely to end up in a bloody mess. This week, we'll see King Dred of Drak'tharon Keep tear into Jedoga Shadowseeker and her minions inside Ahn'kahet: The Old Kingdom.

The ground rules:

• Assume that the opponents share similar levels, health pools and comparative overall damage output.
• In order to give Jedoga access to her minions, we'll set this deathmatch in her stomping grounds in Ahn'kahet - but we'll provide that King Dred arrives on the scene with a raptor posse of his own.
• Don't get caught up in gameplay mechanics and what actual players might do in each encounter.
• Focus on the three S's: style, story and scale.
  

Can a ruthlessly bloodthirsty priestess hold off a rampaging Devilsaur? Join us after the break to cast your vote for who you think will emerge this week's victor.

Continue reading Two Bosses Enter: Jedoga Shadowseeker vs. King Dred

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Features, Lore, Bosses, Two Bosses Enter

Two Bosses Enter: Jedoga Shadowseeker vs. King Dred originally appeared on WoW.com on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's Aloha Friday! Time for another virtual trip across the travel blogosphere. Shall we?

• 4th of July festivities are already underway. Bust out the barbecue and your picnic blankets! Oh yeah, if you're into fireworks check out Travel + Leisure's list for America's best fireworks displays.
  
• Is it possible to fly green? Well, not really, but you can fly greener if you follow these tips.
• Do you love sunsets? If you're like me and can't take enough pictures of the sky at dusk and you're in Asia or Australia, check out BootsNAll's handy list of sunset spots.
• Summer activities abound, and this article breaks down the America's best warm weather hobbies.

Surf's up here in Hawaii. 'Til Monday, have an epic weekend. I know I will!

More Gadlinks here.

Gadlinks for Friday 7.3.09 originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Peachtree Media Advisors has just released their latest report on digital media mergers and acquisitions. We posted their 2008 report back in January, and this is a mid-year 2009 update to that. According to Peachtree, there were 342 digital media transactions in the first half of 2009, which was 12.3% below the number of transactions in the same period for 2008. More notably, the total value of transactions was much less than a year ago. In the first six months of 2009, there were $4.2 billion in digital media transactions - a whopping 61% decrease from the same period in 2008. And that $4.2B figure includes $2.5B from the Live Nation - Ticketmaster merger this year.

Sponsor

Despite the reduction in value of digital media deals, a couple of market sectors showed solid growth: Mobile and Enabling, Analytics and Ad Serving. However, the Social Media sector had the biggest drop, with blog/user generated and social networking deal values down.

Image by Peachtree Media Advisors

Discuss

According to GeekSmack, Microsoft will announce that Windows 7 has hit the Release to Manufacturing (RTM) milestone on July 13. Unsurprisingly, the July 13 date coincides with the kickoff of the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference, which is taking place in New Orleans. The date should give the software giant plenty of time to roll out the RTM build via its various business channels.

Last month, Microsoft announced that the day of General Availability (GA) for Windows 7 would be October 22 and that the build would go out to Microsoft partners in the last two weeks of July. It would seem that July 13 is actually a week sooner than expected, assuming that the date holds. One must remember, however, that the day of the announcement is only one of many during the final stretch to GA.

Such a quick RTM is surprising given that Microsoft is typically known for delays. Then again, Windows 7 is not a typical Microsoft release.

And you thought that Asteroids movie was a far-fetched idea? "Fringe" co-producer and writer Brad Caleb Kane will be writing a movie based on Fisher-Price's View-Master toy. Kane later confirmed the news on his Twitter adding that, "it'll be like the old 80's Amblin movies: Goonies, Young Sherlock… In that vein."

Filed under: Video, Game Show, Reality-Free

I could stay online all day long and watch clips from old game shows. Classic Television Showbiz posted this clip the other day of Orville Redenbacher on the original To Tell The Truth with Garry Moore. This was before all of those commercials and he wasn't as well-known as he would later become. Look at that panel! Bill Cullen, Peggy Cass, Kitty Carlisle, and Joe Garagiola!

 

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The big news in recalls this week was continuing recalls of Simplicity drop-side cribs. Since the company is no longer in business, in order to get the crib away from your children, return it to the retailer where it was purchased. Also, check your home for other problematic recalled Simplicity products.

Another big recall: four million Aqua-Leisure Baby Floats. The leg straps can break, and the baby fall into the water.

Wolfgang Puck Toaster Oven/Toasters - Heat element stays on after toast pops up; fire hazard.

Wagner Spray Tech Heat Guns - Heat element stays on after gun is turned off; fire hazard. That sounds familiar.

Campbell Hausfeld 20-Gallon Air Compressors (Walmart) - Thermal overload sensor doesn't work; unit can overheat and, yes, catch fire.

Epic Threads and Greendog Hooded Sweatshirts (Macy's) - Strangulation hazard

Children's Necklace and Bracelet Sets (crayons and shiny hearts) - Choking hazard

JGR Copa Body Boards - lead paint

SmartSpark Energy Systems Battery Equalizers - Fire hazard

Orangatang Skateboard Wheels - Blowout hazard; risk of injury

Poseidon Diving Wings - Air bladders can break.

Crane Whirlpool Bathtubs - Hair can get tangled due to drain cover design; drowning hazard.

Loyal Bedding Mattress Sets - Do not meet flammability standards.

DEWALT Framing Nailers - Can fling nails at user.

PowerPlus Generators - Can cause power surges that damage appliances and cause fires.

Tabletop Rope Cutters - Can overheat; fire and burn hazard.

Polaris Recalls Snowmobiles - Rider can lose control of and/or be ejected from the snowmobile.

Ionic Salt Lamps - overheating; fire hazard.

Intermatic In-Wall Timers - electric shock hazard when replacing the battery.

Knorr Chicken Vegetable with Pasta kosher soup mix - undeclared egg ingredients.

Stop & Shop nonfat dry milk - Possible salmonella contamination.

A rare copy of the Declaration of Independence has been found in England. The AP reports that British researchers discovered the "Dunlap print," named after a printer, in the National Archives several months ago but was only announced after it was cataloged (and just in time for July 4th).

There are only around 200 original copies and finding a new one in good condition is extremely rare, only around 26 Dunlap prints are believed to still exist. Officials aren't sure how the document ended up in the archives but it may have been on a ship that was intercepted by the British navy. It was discovered by an American bookseller doing research at the archives in Richmond, Surrey. The last Dunlap print found was sold at an auction for $8.14 million in 2000. The National Archives have no plan to sell this document.

Rare Copy Of The Declaration Of Independence Found originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Asia, China, Mongolia, Photo of the Day

Flickr user bellumdeos submitted this photo (click to enlarge) of a yurt in Inner Mongolia, China. Something about the vast steppes of Northern China and Mongolia has always attracted me to the region-- perhaps the way the nomadic families who live there can pack up and move yurts like these at a moment's notice.

It's proof that, to quote Joe Dirt, "Home is where you make it." Always important words for a traveler to remember.

Want your photo considered for Gadling's Photo of the Day? Submit your best shots here.

Photo of the Day (7.3.09) originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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