The big tech news of the day is Microsoft’s $44.6 billion offer to buy Yahoo. The story has ignited a blogstorm on Techmeme and Megite as you might expect. Yahoo has been trying a variety of things to get going over the past few years. None of them have worked especially well for the company. If you look at Yahoo’s list of recent acquisitions you will see content companies, social media websites and software companies. Yahoo is still a very ambitious company but they lack a clear focus. They bought both Flickr and Rivals.com. Are they a search engine, a traditional media company or a social media website? Jeff Jarvis calls them the “last old media company.” Part of the reason Yahoo seems to be flip flopping in its acquisition strategy is the complexity of creating an Internet business model that works. This is something Google has accomplished. Microsoft wants to take Google on and they see a Yahoo acquisition as the best way to do this. Whether or not Yahoo accepts the offer or not remains to be seen but the stock is really jumping on the news. The New York Times Bits blog calls it an offer Yahoo can’t refuse. Bits’ posts points to a Henry Blodget spreadsheet that shows MICRO-HOO’s combined balance sheet. DealBook has posted a copy of Microsoft’s letter to Yahoo. Microsoft’s press release can be found here. Ars Technica reports that the two companies combined would control “25 to 35 percent of the search market.” It is worth noting that neither company has a blog-specific search engine. Perhaps the combined companies could then turn around and nab Technorati or launch one of their own to compete with Google Blog Search. Search Engine Land has more on what the deal might mean for search engines. Don’t get too excited about the prospect of a Microsoft-Yahoo. Forbes is reporting that Microsoft execs have said they may have to compete with other potential acquirers to win Yahoo. The Forbes article mentions Ebay, News Corp, AT&T and Comcast as the other companies that might try to out bid for Yahoo. Updates Some Flickr users are creating graphics to protest the possible Microsoft acquisition of Yahoo. Some don’t like the idea of a Microsoft-owned Flickr. Aggressive Microsoft: BoomToom reports that Microsoft gave Yahoo just two days before going public with the news of their offer for Yahoo. Henry Blodget says there may be another bidder - a major private-equity firm Permalink | Recent Headlines | Twitter | WWFeeds.com

Target Won’t Talk to Bloggers
Target has been under fire for an ad that shows a young woman spreading her legs over Target’s target. The advertisement puts the woman’s crotch right in the bullseye. As you might imagine the peculiar advertisement has raised many questions. You can see some discussion of the ad here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here. Apparently, Target is refusing to talk to nontraditional media outlets (like blogs) about the unusual advertisement. The New York Times reports that Target told Amy Jussel, the founder of the ShapingYouth.org blog, to go away. “Targeting crotches with a bull’s-eye is not the message we should be putting out there,” she said in an e-mail interview. Target offered an e-mail response: “Unfortunately we are unable to respond to your inquiry because Target does not participate with nontraditional media outlets,” a public relations person wrote to ShapingYouth. “This practice,” the public relations person added, “is in place to allow us to focus on publications that reach our core guest,” as Target refers to its shoppers. Word of the exchange quickly spread and the blogosphere did not appreciate the slight. “Target doesn’t participate in new media channels?” asked the Web site for the Word of Mouth Marketing Association. Target “dismisses bloggers” commented the blog for Parents for Ethical Marketing. “Ahem! So bloggers don’t count!” Ms. Jussel chimed in on ShapingYouth. Target told the New York Times that they don’t currently deal with bloggers but they might make an adjustment. Yes, at least for now. “We do not work with bloggers currently,” said a company spokeswoman, Amy von Walter, who agreed to speak with this traditional media outlet. “But we have made exceptions,” Ms. von Walter said. “And we are reviewing the policy and may adjust it.” An adjustment would be a good idea. Despite what Target thinks there are many blogs that reach Target’s “core guest.” This is 2008. It is common knowledge now that engaging in conversations with new media outlets is a good strategy. It’s certainly a better marketing strategy than putting your core guest’s crotch right in the bullseye. Permalink | Recent Headlines | Twitter | WWFeeds.com

Yahoo to Cut Jobs?
Silicon Alley Insider is reporting that Yahoo may be on the verge of cutting 1,500 to 2,500 jobs. A tipster believes Yahoo has created a list of 1,500-2,500 jobs that may be eliminated in the next two weeks. CEO Jerry Yang will reportedly make the decision to go forward with these layoffs–or not–next week. Jerry reportedly wants to announce the cuts with or before earnings (January 29th), but may not make them if the stock price recovers. Yahoo has been one of the companies acquiring social media websites over the past few years including Del.icio.us, Flickr and MyBlogLog. If the economy continues to tank this year then there will likely be many more layoffs at various tech companies to come this year. Those who saw the fallout after 2000 have been through this before. The companies with the highest burn rates are often the first to cut jobs. Permalink | Recent Headlines | Twitter | WWFeeds.com

Super Bowl XLII Roundup
This year’s Super Bowl will decide whether the New England Patriots will finish undefeated or not. Lose and their perfect season and Super Bowl dreams go down in flames. Win and they may be considered the greatest team ever. There is no team better to try and take it all away from the Patriots than the New York Giants who have been on a record winning streak. That’s Team Captain Spike pictured on the right. Here are some Super Bowl highlights from the blogosphere. The Super Bowl just barely beats out Super Tuesday as the most interesting event. Super Bowl over Super Tuesday by a late field goal 40 to 37. There’s no polling to help us find a Super Bowl winner like we can on Super Tuesday. Glosslip wants to know who is hotter: Eli Manning or Tom Brady? Brady may be taunted during the game with people wearing Bridget Moynihan masks. Mashup: This mashup from UrbanTailgate.com shows places you can watch the game in New York City. (via Google Lat Long Blog) Electronic Arts Madden NFL 08 video game simulates the game and predicts that the Patriots will win 38-30. See a video of the simulation here. ParentDish wants to know if you include your kids in your Super Bowl parties. Super Bowl snacks: Cooking for Dads video, Baking Bites, Slashfood, Nachos 101, Healthy Football Eats Don’t forget to watch this year’s Puppy Bowl. Deadspin has a post on Puppy Bowl IV. New York Giants Blogs: Giant Football Blog, Giants 101, Fanhouse, Big Blue Blog, Giants Locker, Giants Journal, Giants Gab, Big Blue View, Giants Bits, New York Giants Zone, NYGMen New England Patriots Blogs: Patriots Locker, Land of Patriots, Pats Pulpit, Fanhouse, Reiss’s Pieces, Patriots Gab, SouthCoast, Projo PatsBlog, PatriotsBlog.net, The Patriot Act President Bush is fired up for the game. “I’ll watch it as long as I can stay up,” Bush said in an interview with FOX Super Sunday. Tom Petty will be performing at the halftime show. Discussion here, here, here, here and here. The NFL is full of mystery and intrigue with spying allegations and a Spygate scandal. A study found that Americans were planning to purchase 3.9 million new TVs to watch the Super Bowl on. Ron Paul banners find their way into the Super Bowl. Speaking of TVs the NFL is apparently cracking down on large Super Bowl parties - like those at churches. Video: Super Bowl footballs being made. Have you seen Spike, the Super Ball? You can see him here on Deadspin. Spike’s also on the Arizona Super Bowl XLII website. Actually, his name is now Team Captain Spike because the NFL thought Super Ball was too close to Super Bowl. A Few Super Bowl Ads: Narnia, Justin Timberlake, Pepsi’s Bob’s House ad, Taco Bell, Cars.com, Sunsilk, Bridgestone, Garmin, GoDaddy Firebrand will be featuring the best commercials on its website. They also have some commercials of their own called the Road to Firebrand — see here. YouTube is also having a Super Bowl AdBlitz. Valleywag has posted ten memorable tech-related Super Bowl ads. There won’t be any political ads - Fox won’t allow it. Super Bowl tweets: Giants | Patriots | Super Bowl | Touchdown Official websites: Super Bowl XVII | New England Patriots | New York Giants | NFL | University of Phoenix Stadium | Glendale, Arizona Update Giants upset the Patriots 17 to 14 with touchdown in the final minute of the game. Posted in Sports Blogs Permalink | Recent Headlines | Twitter | WWFeeds.com Advertisement: Find flowers, greeting cards, candy, gift ideas and more in ShoppersShop.com’s Valentine’s Day Shopping section.

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