Nielsen//NetRatings has introduced VideoCensus, a syndicated online video measurement service that combines panel and census research along with data on audience size, demographics, engagement as well as competitive activity.

Although the deal has yet to be confirmed by either party, it appears that MySpace did, in fact, acquire Photobucket.  And although the figure $300 million has been mentioned, the terms of the arrangement (assuming such an arrangement exists) remain unknown.

Personal branding is something I get a lot of questions about. People often ask me what they should do in order to get an established name out there and be seen as a major influencer in their industry.

The reason they want this is because the second you accomplish this, the opportunities will come your way and you’d be amazed at the kind of business or money that just lands in your lap.

New research from the Pew Internet and American Life Project has some fascinating statistics on how Americans use technology.

According to A Typology of Information and Communication Technology Users (PDF download), half of all American adults are only occasional users of modern information gadgetry, while 8% are avid participants in all that digital life has to offer.

Last week, Chicago-based Ragan Communications launched MyRagan.com, a free service aimed at communicators around the world that’s a mix of social network, knowledge and information resource.

It’s captured a lot of imaginations and got off to a cracking start. When I signed up last week, there were about 250 members. Today, that number is over 500.

Also last week, London-based research and training firm Melcrum announced The Communicators’ Network, described as a business-grade professional networking community, that will be launching in June:

Matt has announced that Wordpress has released a stats plugin for self-hosted Wordpress uses that integrates your blog analytics into your dashboard.

The FeedBurner plugin has got a new name and a new owner. Steve Smith from OrderedList.com handed off the plugin to the FeedBuner crew.

Comcast.net’s online communications center called SmartZone will have applications provided by a number of companies for email, voicemail, and instant messaging.

It wasn’t too long ago that a possible Microsoft purchase of Yahoo would have spooked the living daylights out of everybody. Not anymore, not even close. Fear of Google, the FOG, rolls in so thick the folks enveloped within are looking to Microsoft for daylight.

Never mind the PBS crew – at a recent debate starring John McCain, neither Jim Lehrer nor Gwen Ifill served as the moderator.  Instead, Google’s CEO, Eric Schmidt, filled that role.  And this seems fitting, considering that the event took place at the Googleplex, in front of a crowd of around 700 Googlers.

NBC Universal and Viacom have filed a friend of the court brief that opposes YouTube’s attempt to dismiss a copyright infringement case brought by Los Angeles News Service operator Robert Tur.

That "Left," the code-named blogger behind StockLemon.com (which is now CitronResearch)doesn’t have many friends in the financial world isn’t what’s important. What is important that Left becomes the first blogger to be protected by Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) laws, at least in California. And The Munchkin Man (to be discussed later) isn’t happy.

It’s being billed as “[t]he most significant upgrade for Hotmail since it pioneered the webmail industry in 1996,” and it’s here: Windows Live Hotmail is rolling out globally.

New users should get an account immediately; MSN Hotmail customers will be presented with the option of upgrading. 

If there were any doubt new sites may be spending some time alone on part of the playground, a recent Google patent application seems to define a place where new documents go in their index.

Since receiving news from online sources is becoming increasingly popular, traditional media forms may have a challenge on their hands.

Om Malik and the Wall Street Journal are reporting that the much talked about Microsoft/Yahoo rumors won’t come to fruition and that the talks are off.

When it comes to how Americans use and view technology, a new survey classifies users into three groups.

I’m listening to Rich Karlgaard, publisher of Forbes talking to a group of the world’s top marketing executives in Cancun, Mexico. He’s running a panel on marketing ideas and strategies for big companies on the Internet. Also on the panel is the CMO of Siemens, the VP of Marketing for Symantec, the Director of Brand and Marketing Communications for DHL Express.