Fear not, Tumblr users. Your porn isn’t going anywhere.

For the first time since the acquisition announcement, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer has made a clear decree on her company’s role in censoring content – mainly that they have none. During Yahoo’s new Flickr event Monday night in NYC, Mayer was asked directly whether she will restrict content on Tumblr.

“No, we won’t,” she said. “It’s the nature of user-generated content.”

She continued on to say that it’s important to have community tool like “NSFW” tags that Tumblr already has in place. There you go, folks, that’s about as definitive as you’re going to get.

Before those remarks, Mayer had been a little more vague about Tumblr’s porny bits.

“The width and breadth of content on Tumblr is what’s exciting and has allowed it to reach more users.” she said during a conference call Monday morning. She also said that Yahoo would have to make use of good ad targeting, to assuage any concerns from future advertisers. And there will be more ads inside Tumblr, that’s for sure.

“We promise not to screw it up. Tumblr is incredibly special and has a great thing going. We will operate Tumblr independently,” said Mayer during her announcement.

Starting today, subscribers will get access to prior seasons of NBC’s Grimm, Hannibal, and Smash, USA’s Suits and Covert Affairs, and SyFy’s Defiance, Alphas, Eureka, and Warehouse 13.

“We listen carefully to our customers to find out which TV shows and movies they find the most entertaining,” said Brad Beale, Director of Digital Video Content Acquisition for Amazon. “Our expanded agreement with NBCUniversal gives Prime members access to even more exclusive content that they can stream instantly, at no additional cost. Compelling shows like Covert Affairs, Defiance, Grimm, Hannibal and Suits are big wins for our customers and we look forward to adding more titles soon.”

The deal also bring a couple of kids shows to Kindle FreeTime Unlimited – Curious George and The Land Before Time.

Earlier this year, Amazon Prime added Food Network and Travel Channel shows, as well as FX’s hit series Justified and PBS’ Downton Abbey (which they nabbed exclusive rights to, snatching it away from Netflix and Hulu). Last month, Amazon released a series of pilots produced by Amazon Studios. Viewer feedback will determine which of the 14 shows are given a full run.

“When you help someone find a great article on your site, you’re not only making them happier, you’re inspiring deeper engagement and loyalty,” says Google+ product manager Mario Anima. “That’s why today, we’re bringing together elements of Google+ and Google Search to suggest the right content from your mobile website, at just the right time.”

Anima explains, “For example: Forbes visitors can now more easily discover other Forbes articles based on Search Authorship, signals and other articles with lots of Google+ activity (including +1′s and shares). In all cases, recommended content is based on the specific page the visitor is viewing, to boost the relevance of recommendations. And they only appear when people tap for more, so as not to interrupt their browsing experience.”

Recommendations will show up regardless of whether users are signed into Google+. When they’re signed in, they’ll just be more personalized, based on content that was shared or +1′d by people in their circles – not unlike Google’s personalized search results.

Documentation for implementation can be found here.

In a blog post, Forssell says that Hulu set a new record for revenue in Q1, and that for the first time ever, Hulu users streamed over 1 billion videos in a single quarter. Coming of a year when subscription to Hulu Plus doubled, Forssell says that Hulu’s premium service topped 4 million subscribers in Q1.

Forsell also has this to say about where Hulu users are streaming content:

“Mobile viewing is growing at a significant rate and will account for approximately 15% of Hulu’s consumed videos in 2013-2014. For context, mobile viewing was nonexistent on our service only two years ago. Living room viewing is also growing; it currently accounts for 29% of Hulu’s content consumption, and 80% of Hulu Plus subscribers have watched with someone else.”

With stats out of the way, Forssell went on to announce two new Hulu original series, Quick Draw and East Los High. The former is “a comedic half-hour western set in 1875 that centers on a Harvard-educated sheriff and his quest to introduce the emerging science of forensics to an unruly Kansas town,” while the latter is an all-Latino cast English language drama set in an inner city high school.

These new series joins nearly a dozen Hulu exclusive series heading to the service this summer. Also, Hulu just launched new seasons of All My Children and One Life to Live.

Of course, much of this patting itself on the pack is a direct pitch to advertisers. Mainly, “Look! We have 4 million Hulu Plus subscribers who are paying to see your ads!”

“Our advertising mission is to be the world’s most effective video advertising service, and we are well on our way. According to comScore, Hulu is #1 in engagement among top ad supported sites. Hulu viewers stay with us for 45 minutes per session—without fast-forwarding or skipping ads. Hulu is also #1 in market share of all premium online video providers, delivering 1 in 3 of all premium video ads in the U.S. Our reasonable ad load drives the highest recall and awareness for brands, which results in higher effectiveness for the video ads,” says Forssell.

But it’s a strong pitch, especially for a company that is in a highly-competitive industry. The streaming video sector is booming, and Hulu is staying above the fray and setting records.

Starting next week, logged-in users will see a new look to the homepage. It’ll put more videos from individual channel above the fold, replacing the one-video-per-line current format with one that puts multiple videos on each line.

Currently, here’s what the YouTube homepage looks like for logged-in users. The channels they subscribe to get one video per line in the recent activity stream:

And next week, users will see more videos, side-by-side, on each row on the homepage:

YouTube has also changed how updates from channels are displayed on the homepage. If a user has been watching a bunch of videos from a series, they may see an update telling them to watch the next episode in the series.

Also:

Also, to help someone find the next best thing to watch, we’re looking for patterns in how viewers use YouTube. We know that a lot of fans come back to watch every single video from their favorite channels, regardless of whether those videos were uploaded yesterday or last year. For those most loyal fans, we want to make sure that their favorite channels are always up top so they never miss a beat. And for those fans that watch mainly from their subscriptions, we’ll move their other recommendations further down so they can always see their favorite channels first.

These improvements will rollout next week, and YouTube says that there are more coming “to make the homepage smarter.”

Because the content is so good, people are willing to do just about anything to get to it. For some, that means paying over $100 a month for a cable subscription + HBO. For others who have cut the cord on cable, that usually means pirating it.

But that’s not because they’re cheap, or because they think that the content isn’t worth paying for. Quite the contrary, actually. At least one online campaign showed that people are more than willing to pay HBO, directly, for their content.

And until now, HBO has shut down any and all hopes of their content moving out from under the cable subscription umbrella. Until now.

HBO CEO Richard Plepler gave cordcutters a glimmer of hope this week. Speaking at the Game of Thrones season 3 premiere, Plepler said that offering HBO content (via HBO GO, the company’s on demand content hub) without requiring a cable subscription could maybe possibly might just may be an option, down the line, maybe.

“Right now we have the right model,” Plepler told Reuters. “Maybe HBO GO, with our broadband partners, could evolve.”

He went on to say that they would “have to make the math work.”

Not exactly a signal that HBO is planning to give up on the lucrative cable subscription-based model that has served them so well for so many years, but it sounds like Plepler is aware that the times may be a’ changing. Although abandoning the traditional distirubtion system system may be a shaky business call, Plepler seems to understand that there is an availability issue with HBO content:

“Doesn’t mean we are not mindful that the problem exists,” he said.

If HBO decided to go this route with an internet-packaged HBO deal, they know that they would have plenty of support for the venture. Last summer, a viral campaign saw hundreds of thousands of people take to Twitter and shout, “Take my money, HBO!”

The campaign was simple. Give us a standalone HBO GO service, free of cable requirements, and take our money. As in we’re ready to pay you for your content if you will just let us. People tweeted the price that they might pay for such a service, and the average was an impressive $12+ per month – a couple bucks more than Netflix. Some people even said that they would pay well over $20 per month for a cordless HBO GO service.

The effort received over 163,000 supporters in just two days.

Shortly after, HBO dismissed the whole thing with a single tweet, basically saying that their model was the right model for now. Thanks, but no thanks.

But these few words from HBO’s CEO gives cordcutters a little bit of hope that HBO could break at least a few of their ties with cable. It’s not like it would be a first for the company. Last year they launched HBO Nordic, a standalone streaming service like HBO GO, in Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Denmark. It’s available for under 10 euros per month.

Hope. Let me tell you something my friend. Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane.

Do you intend to encourage customers and readers to subscribe to your updates by email? Let us know in the comments.

As you probably know, Google has dealt a major blow to RSS by announcing that it will shut down Google Reader this summer. Also, as you probably know, a variety of other services are stepping up to the plate to try to become your next reader. Still, there is some debate about just how much longer RSS will continue to thrive, because when a major Internet force like Google calls it quits, how can we really know what to expect?

For a while, it looked like Google Reader wasn’t the only piece of the RSS puzzle that Google is killing. The RSS Subscription Chrome extension disappeared for a time, but apparently that was just a mistake, and it’s back up. Still, it’s clear that Google is actively trying to make people use RSS less (and Google+ more), and unfortunately for a lot of users, they’ll probably succeed. That doesn’t mean that many of us die hards won’t continue to use the format for as long as it’s around, but you have to wonder how many will use the Google Reader closure as a stepping stone to a completely alternative means of consuming content. Many casual users will probably take some time to better optimize their experiences on Twitter, Facebook, and other social services, and completely stop relying on RSS. Maybe that’s for the best (some think so). Maybe not. Either way, for a lot of people, it’s not going to be an easy transition.

Some of us are wondering if Google will continue to support RSS for Google Alerts, another important tool for bloggers.

“I have multiple alerts set up to alert me through Google Reader,” writes bradnod on reddit. “I do not want to change it to email because I have enough emails in my inbox already. I was just curious is Google is going to phase this feature out or allow the RSS feed to other feed readers.”

You don’t have to use Google Reader for this feature, but the question remains: will Google continue to support RSS for alerts? The odds seem a little better that they will keep the RSS option, now that the Chrome extension has come back, but we have asked Google about it, and so far, they haven’t responded.

The only other option for Google Alerts, as of right now, is email. Email. The time-honored method of online communication that just won’t die, no matter how many social services come out of the woodwork. Email continues to thrive, and doesn’t appear to be in much danger.

Email, like RSS, doesn’t rely on one company to continue working, which is probably one of the main reasons it has lasted so long. Some think this bodes well for the future of RSS too, and maybe it does, but RSS doesn’t have anywhere close to the user adoption that email has. RSS, while a fundamental part of the web for some of us, just isn’t required for the rest of the web and user identity like email is. Long story short, email has a lot more going for it, and it’s not going anywhere.

Could a significant percentage of Google Reader users turn to email as their alternative of choice?

“I think email alerts have been growing in popularity anyway, since they create a true one to one connection between the blog and reader with a daily use platform that is unlikely to ever go away,” TopRank Online Marketing CEO Lee Odden tells WebProNews. “Also, there’s very little competition in the RSS to email space, which is also growing. I’d be surprised if several of the RSS reader platforms don’t jump in to fill the inevitable void of FeedBurner’s RSS to email or at least to meet the growing demand.”

“The popular theory seems to be that people will move on to another RSS reader, and life will go on as usual,” writes Michael Surtees at Mashable. “I’m not that optimistic. RSS is not going to evolve, and I doubt it will get better. It’s basically dead now that Google has decided to stop supporting its Reader.”

“I’m looking for an option that doesn’t rely on RSS but can still tell me when a site has been updated,” he says. “The ideal service would then let me organize those sites into specific lists.”

Is it possible that email could be what he is looking for? Interestingly, he doesn’t mention this at all in his article, and the truth is, I totally get why. Many of us already have tons of email, and don’t want to add to that with all the content that is entering our Google Reader interface (even if that’s possible, which it probably isn’t). Still, email is the RSS alternative that works for virtually all Internet users. The only alternative. Why do you think it’s the only other option for Google Alerts? Not everybody is on Facebook (and certainly not the web’s other social networks), but just about everyone has email. You need email to sign up for the social networks.

It could be cumbersome, particularly if you’ve set up a lot of folders in Google Reader, but could it be possible to migrate to an email-based habit of news consumption? It’s not as if the concept is new or foreign to most. There’s a good chance you’re probably already subscribed to some email newsletters, but expect to see publishers and bloggers more heavily push for newsletter and alert subscribers with Google Reader going away. And don’t be surprised if a lot of blogs that don’t currently have newsletters suddenly start offering them.

Some of the most authoritative voices in social media and content marketing view email as a major piece of the alternative strategy. Chris Brogan had this to say on his blog:

“Turns out Google Reader is going away. As a user, I’m very sad. As a provider of content for you, I have to make sure I’m helping you. So, if you’re getting me via RSS, could I invite you to subscribe to my email newsletter? It really is where I share the best ideas I have.”

Copyblogger’s Brian Clark tweeted this after Google’s announcement:

Copyblogger’s Jerod Morris elaborates in a post on the site, “What you need to do is — by being awesome — sell your readers on why now is the best time to subscribe to your email list. Not for you, for them. And it’s precisely because of Google’s decision to drop Reader. All Google Reader users are feeling an immense lack of control right now. I know this, because I am (was) a user of Google Reader.”

Clark responds in the comments to a skeptical reader, “You can’t coerce anyone to do anything. But you can ‘invite’ them into your email channel. What would make it worth their while? What additional incentive would make them allow your content into their inbox while others are excluded?”

That’s truly something to think about. Now might be a good time to step up to the plate and give readers a little something extra in return for becoming part of your mailing list.

Morris adds, “And the idea here is not to coerce customer behavior. It’s to offer solutions to the problem and let people choose the one that works best for them. A lot of people will like the security and certainty of email, especially right now, but they may not consider it an alternative if not reminded that it is.”

In the same comment thread, Copyblogger’s Sonia Simone chimes in, “Opponents of email are vocal (and I hear you, I get too much email too), but bloggers who provide the opportunity to subscribe via both methods report that their email subscribers are consistently much more responsive. RSS is a great tool for many, but you want to make sure you’re providing both options.”

Bloggers have already been encouraging users to sign up for email newsletters since Google’s announcement, and not just Brogan. There are plenty of examples out there. Graham Cluley from Sophos writes, “Our stats tell us that many of our readers choose to follow Naked Security’s RSS feed via Google Reader. Of course, there are alternatives to Google Reader which you may want to try out – but if you want to ensure that you never miss a story from Naked Security, can we suggest that you sign-up for Naked Security’s daily newsletter? Our free daily email newsletter gives you access to all the stories we’ve written in the past 24 hours, and ensures that you never miss a thing.”

That’s just one of a many possible email formats – the one-a-day. Expect to see more options from more bloggers and publishers.

One major advantage of gaining more email subscribers is that you’re not relying on any one company to continue to support them. Email is universal. It’s going to be interesting to see how RSS gets along without an Internet giant like Google supporting it. Some feel there is plenty to be optimistic about – not just the resurgence in interest in the medium and the sudden rush for superior products from companies offering alternative feed readers, but the fact that one company isn’t dominating the landscape any longer. This is certainly one way to look at it.

Either way, I don’t think anyone would recommend that bloggers and publishers stop offering RSS feeds anytime soon. That doesn’t mean you can’t give readers a better email option or at least give them the option to consumer your content that way if they so choose.

By the way, email open rates were up year-over-year in Q4. For that matter, recent research shows consumers are growing more accepting of email marketing.

Is email a viable alternative to RSS for your needs? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Image: Chris Brogan’s blog

These deals will bring movies from Lionsgate, MGM, Paramount Pictures, Relativity Media, National Geographic, Little Pim, and Film Buff to the Nook HD and the Nook HD+.

“With the addition of these industry-leading studio partners, NOOK Video continues to expand its already robust offering, providing customers with an even wider selection of their favorite movies and TV shows,” said Jonathan Shar, Vice President & General Manager, Emerging Digital Content, NOOK Media LLC. “Combined with NOOK’s seamless UltraViolet™ integration, we are offering customers one of the most dynamic and accessible movie and TV show stores available.”

If you’re wondering what content, exactly, is coming to the Nook Video catalog – it’s some top-notch stuff.

The Hunger Games, the Twilight movies, Tyler Perry’s Madea Gets a Job, Skyfall, Rocky, Fargo, Flight, Paranormal Activity 4, Act of Valor, Safe Haven, House at the End of the Street; independent films from Film Buff’s catalog including Charles Swan and Exit from the Gift Shop; and TV shows like Mad Men, Border Wars, Great Migrations, Amazing Planet; as well as educational content via Little Pim, the leading foreign language learning program for young children, plus many more.

Barnes & Noble’s Nook division took a hit over the holidays and the company posted poor Q3 results. I guess snatching some great content for Nook Video is a start. I mean, it can’t hurt.

According to a report at TechCrunch, Facebook will debut new content-specific news feeds, as well as tweak image sizes and add image-based ads.

“Multiple sources” confirm that Facebook is adding a few new ways to sort posts from your friends in your news feed. The first one of these new categories is a photo-only news feed that will take from both Facebook photos and Instagram photos. This will be the first major Instagram/Facebook integration since the photo-filtering app was purchased by Facebook last year.

Another content feed that will launch is for music, and will feature info from Spotify, Rdio, and others. You will also find info on nearby concerts, new albums, and a consolidation of all the posts from artist’s pages that you like. It’s possible that there could eventually be more of theses content-specific feeds for things like videos or apps.

Alongside the new photo feed comes a bigger focus on images in general – and yes that means within ads too. Facebook will reportedly unveil larger images throughout the news feed – in both organic posts from friends and in advertisements.

These changes will first affect the desktop news feed, and could later expand to mobile.

As always, we’ll be covering the event on Thursday. Check back with us to see what happens during the big reveal.

The Guardian has a huge, and definitely read-worthy profile out right now, in which Yorke talks his projects both past and present. For a brief bit, he also talks about music as content in the internet age.

Here’s some interesting stuff from that interview:

“We were so into the net around the time of Kid A. Really thought it might be an amazing way of connecting and communicating. And then very quickly we started having meetings where people started talking about what we did as ‘content’. They would show us letters from big media companies offering us millions in some mobile phone deal or whatever it was, and they would say all they need is some content. I was like, what is this ‘content’ which you describe? Just a filling of time and space with stuff, emotion, so you can sell it?”

He went on to lament companies like Google and Apple “commodifying” music:

“[Google and Apple] have to keep commodifying things to keep the share price up, but in doing so they have made all content, including music and newspapers, worthless, in order to make their billions. And this is what we want? I still think it will be undermined in some way. It doesn’t make sense to me.”

Interesting words from Yorke, who in 2007 put the Radiohead album In Rainbows up online and let people choose how much they wanted to pay to download it.

[The Guardian via The Verge]