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Yahoo! Search is making several changes to provide a more functional, useful and visually appealing experience to is users.  As of July 31, they’ve introduced more structured data into their results from LinkedIn, Yahoo! Local and Yelp with the use of SearchMonkey apps.  With the automatic inclusion from these site, users no longer need to go into the search gallery and add them manually.

In May of 2008, Yahoo! announced SearchMonkey, a new developer platform, to open up their search to website owners and all third-party developers.  This platform uses data web standards and structured data and is a key part of their attempt to embrace the semantic web and open standard.

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Google has officially launched their Google App Engine for full-stack, automatically scalable, hosted web application platform as of 9pm PST last night. The architecture offered consists of Python application servers, BigTable database access, and GFS distributed data file servers.

Obviously, this service is intended to go toe-to-toe with the Amazon suite of web services; more specifically S3 for data storage, EC2 for virtual servers, and their SimpleDB for database access.

Robert Scoble and Mike Arrington were at the event last night. Scoble posted several videos from the event. Arrington, as always, expatiates on the functionality, usage and monitoring of the service. Google also posted their official video from their announcement as well as a demonstration video.

From Google:

Run your web applications on Google’s infrastructure.
Google App Engine enables you to build web applications on the same scalable systems that power Google applications.

• No assembly required.
  Google App Engine provides a fully-integrated application environment.
• It’s easy to scale.
  Google App Engine makes it easy to build scalable applications that grow from one user to millions of users without infrastructure headaches.
• It’s free to get started.
  Every Google App Engine application can use up to 500MB of persistent storage and enough bandwidth and CPU for 5 million monthly page views.

The real question for me is whether this will truly be for business and enterprise level applications or for the small, supplemental apps developed on a tight deadline.

This morning, News Corp announce that it will be restructuring its Fox Interactive Media unit which includes the departure of its Chief Revenue Officer Michael Barrett and the launch of its online advertising network. This is seen as an attempt to flatten out its interactive sales organization by combining their advertising technology, operations and sales into a single unit which, in turn, will oversee sales of for both Fox’s and third-party sites.

In a memo issued to FIM on Thursday, President Peter Levinsohn said:

“By integrating the sales teams in this way, each operating unit will be empowered to assume responsibility for its revenue, growth and profitability. Further, each operating group will be afforded greater flexibility to implement processes and programs that meet the unique needs of their respective markets.

“Since the sales teams will now be integrated with their respective brands, we will no longer have a separate FIM Revenue Group.”

After nearly 12 years with Herald Media, I’ll be leaving at the end of March continuing my career in new media as the Regional Internet Director for east coast operations with LIN Television, one of the largest television station groups in the country.

I believe this to be the right moment to step away as both Herald Interactive and the Boston Herald have started the long but imperative process of synchronizing their courses. The newsroom is becoming more nimble and adept at technologies long associated with online, and the interactive division is skilfully producing quality content that immediately serves our readers on both a local and national scale.

The Herald, I believe, has accepted the knowledge that new media and traditional media are not at odds, but rather complimentary in the most significant way. Only through fully leveraging the talent, skills and expertise of both divisions can they (and all main-stream media) not only withstand the economic pressures currently endured, but ultimately prevail by reaffirming the newspaper as the definitive source for in-depth, enterprising, local news, opinion and information.

It is with a heavy heart that I leave a company that has afforded me so many opportunities. The Purcell family has been nothing short of generous to me over the years, and I will miss all with whom I have worked. Between now and April 1st, I will work diligently with everyone at Herald Interactive and the Boston Herald to ensure continuity during this period of change and the realization of goals in which we as a company are vested.

As I make this transition I will be, more likely than not, reaching out to you for advice and philosophy. Please feel free to contact me as well at billgaffney@gmail.com.

This is a challenging time for all mainstream media, newspaper and television alike, but I’m excited at the opportunity to work for LIN Television, an organization with an infectious entrepreneurial and enthusiastic ethos.