Web Business

Here are five reasons why interactive pre-rolls (Polite Pre-Roll, Ad Selectors, and In-Stream Takeovers) are redefining what video can achieve and why advertisers should continue to adopt these units.

You might have already heard about the Marketplace Fairness Act (MFA), also known as the “Internet Sales Tax.” It’s a bill that recently passed the United States Senate and will soon be before the U.S. House of Representatives. If passed through the House, the MFA would require ecommerce retailers selling over $1 million per year to [...]

Do Xbox 360 owners still play games on an SDTV? Minecraft players proved they do, but it looks like Microsoft will be ignoring them with the Xbox One. GimmeGimmeGames reports that the Xbox One only sports an HDMI out. That means the console will not be able to connect to displays with component or composite ins. Of course, there are converters that convert digital signals to analog for those still rocking a component connection, but Microsoft won’t be supporting it out of the box. It’s hard to imagine that gamers still play HD consoles on an SDTV in this day and age, but a number of examples prove they still exist. They also may be interested in the Xbox One. That interest will require them to upgrade to an HDTV before jumping into the next generation of gaming. Thankfully, HDTVs are not quite as expensive as they used to be. The last generation introduced digital audio and video to game consoles, but they still had support for analog connections. The Xbox One ditching analog signals may be a sign that the PS4 will be doing the same. We haven’t seen Sony’s hardware yet, however, so we don’t know if that will be the case. Lack of SDTV support isn’t the only issue facing Microsoft’s latest machine. The company has been sending mixed signals regarding its stance on used games with the Xbox One. We’re still waiting on a definitive statement, but signs are pointing to it allowing used games within certain parameters. We’ve reached out to Microsoft for confirmation on this specific issue, and will update if we hear back.

Photos of Marilyn Monroe which were supposed to go on exhibit at Prague Castle have been stolen, along with display cases and mannequins that were also to be included in the event. The items were collected by Italian museum creators last year in tribute to the 50th anniversary of Monroe’s death and included the star’s shoes, clothing, and diaries. Those in charge of the exhibition have not decided whether they will go on with the Prague show; it’s scheduled to move on to Tokyo soon, however. Monroe was one of the most photographed women in the world at the height of her fame; several pictures of her taken by friend and makeup artist Allan Snyder were auctioned off last year for a pretty penny. The movie star and beauty icon still holds our fascination, even decades after her death, and the PR firm handling the exhibition hopes to catch whoever nabbed the items so that they may be shared with the world.

Earlier this month, Abercrombie & Fitch caught heat for comments its CEO made in the past about the company’s marketing strategy. Mike Jefferies was quoted in a new book, saying that Abercrombie & Fitch markets to “cool and popular kids” and “good-looking people,” which is why its stores do not stock extra-large female clothing. The comments sparked a backlash online that reached evening news programs and even actress Kirstie Alley. A campaign to counter Abercrombie & Fitch’s message has also begun, with activists urged to clothe the homeless in Abercrimbie & Fitch clothing. Now, Abercrombie & Fitch is facing legal trouble over the layout of its stores. According to an Associated Press report, a federal judge in Denver, Colorado has ruled that Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister stores are “unfriendly” to disabled persons. Abercrombie & Fitch is the parent company of Hollister. The judge is now considering an injunction against the company. The lawsuit was filed by disabled Colorado consumers who claim to have had trouble getting into the stores through side doors and have complained that countertops in the stores are too high. The lawyer representing the disabled in the court case compared the use of side doors, rather than some type of access to the stores’ main entrance, with racial segregation. Lawyers for Abercrombie & Fitch have called this comparison “inflammatory” and have stated that the stores were constructed to standards in place at the time they were built.

Google announced some new features for Goals in Google Analytics, including a new set-up flow, new templates, and new verification capabilities. For setting up Goals, you now find a profile in your account, click the admin tab, and navigate to the account, property, and and profile of choice. From there, click Goals, and Create a Goal. From there, you will be guided further: New templates have been added to the set-up flow. “When you use a template, the Goal setup flow is prefilled with suggested values (based on your industry) that you can either keep or change as you walk through the process,” explains product manager Stefan F. Schnabl. “The templates are organized into four business objectives (Revenue, Acquisition, Inquiry, Engagement) to help you think about the purpose of each Goal, plus you can still create custom goals. Note that ‘revenue’ goals don’t necessarily imply a direct sale — these goals are user activities which have a strong impact on your desired business outcomes. Depending on your business model, a Revenue Goal could be a purchase, such as a completed checkout; or it could also be a successful lead submission, such as a scheduled appointment. Some Revenue Goals might lend themselves to Ecommerce tracking as well.” Templates are based on Industry Categories selected in your property settings. There are also twenty new categories. “In addition to the templates, we’ve added a way for you to check your setup before you save,” says Schnabi. “You’ll find a verify option at the end of the setup flow that lets you see what the conversion rate would have been for the past seven days had this Goal been setup. Using the verify option gives you immediate feedback, so you can decide to save or modify the Goal configuration you’re working on.” You can use the Goals Overview report under Conversions to see how goal completions happen over time. From there, you can also choose relevant metrics with the metric selector. The updates are now live in Google Analytics.

An attack in London has left one man dead, and two others injured, near a military barracks. The AP is reporting that two men attacked another man in London this morning. Those on the scene said that the attackers employed a number of weapons, but it’s unknown if a gun was involved yet. Police responded to reports of an assault where they found one man dead. The two other men were shot and taken to nearby hospitals. The above scenario may seem like a random act of violence, but the authorities aren’t so sure yet. An anonymous government official said that the attack may have been “terrorist-motivated” and that the authorities are investigating as such. While it may pale in comparison, this isn’t the first time London has suffered a terrorist attack. In 2005, suicide bombers attacked the public transportation system in London leading to the deaths of fifty-two civilians and over 700 injured. More details regarding this latest attack will likely emerge in the coming days. We can just be thankful that not more were injured or killed. Here’s a report with more details on the attack:

Ryan Gosling is a well-known Golden God these days, so it comes as a surprise that his film, “Only God Forgives”, was met not only with mixed reviews at Cannes this week, it was actually booed by the audience. Gosling couldn’t attend the festival this year because of a commitment to “How To Catch A Monster”, which he’s directing right now in Detroit. Luckily, he wasn’t there to hear the bad reaction, because I’m willing to bet there’s nothing sadder than a sad Ryan Gosling. “Can’t believe I’m not In Cannes,” Gosling wrote in a note to Cannes director Thierry Fremaux. “I was hoping to come but I’m on week three shooting my film in Detroit. Miss you all. Nicolas, my friend, we really are the same person in different dimensions. I’m sending you good vibrations.” The movie is described as a bloody noir, about a boxing club owner whose mother wants him to avenge his brother’s murder. It is directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, who paired up with Gosling for “Drive”. That film won him the Best Director prize in 2011. This year, he’s not having such luck. Some viewers said they were turned off by the graphic violence in the movie. “Art is an act of violence,” Refn said. “Art is about penetration. … I approach things very much like a pornographer. It’s about what arouses me. And certain things turn me on more than other stuff, and I can’t supress that. … I have surely a fetish for violent emotion and violent images and I can’t explain where it comes from.”

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Mumau Web Marketing’s first episode of its video gives you tips on product photography. Simple, well-lit shots will showcase the products you are selling onl…