Filed under: Business, Developer, World wide web, Social Software, web 2.0

Meebo, the on the internet instant messaging platform with support for multiple protocols, has just released the API for meebo rooms and meebo network.

Meebo rooms are customizable spaces that integrate instant messaging with the sharing of web links and media, including videos and images. The meebo rooms API was created for large-scale implementations of meebo rooms for more massive community sites. The API also automates a big portion of the creation and configuration of meebo rooms.

Examples of implementation include:

• embedding a chat room on every “group” page of a social network
• live community groups for an artist or show
• a chat room in the “comments” section of a blog.

So why do all this? Two words: Muh-knee.

Each meebo room built with the API will run ads, and meebo will share 50% of the ad revenue with its partners (if you dry heave at the idea of an ad-supported meebo room, a yearly licensing fee option is also available).

In January alone, 18 million unique users visited meebo widgets distributed across the Web by partners and users. So if you’re looking to monetize your website, meebo rooms and widgets might be the way to go.

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Marketing experts encourage real estate agents to blog. A well-written blog, focused on local issues, they state, helps paint real estate agents as experts.

But a blog can also cause agents trouble. Just ask Lucas Lechuga, an agent with Esslinger-Wooten-Maxwell, a real estate brokerate in Coral Gables, Fla. Lechuga lost his job because of what he wrote on his blog. You can read the story, written by Patrick Danner of the Miami Herald, here.

Lechuga wrote on his blog that at least half of the buyers in a 635-unit condominium tower would default on their mortgage loans. He then wrote that the project’s developer had once declared banruptcy back in the 1980s.

Problem is, the developer never did declare bankruptcy. The developer filed a $25 million defamation lawsuit in Miami-Dade Circuit Court against Lechuga and Esslinger-Wooten-Maxwell. The brokerage firm quickly terminated its relationship with Lechuga.

How will the lawsuit play out? Who knows? The important point here’s that agents — anyone, really — who blog have to be mindful of what they put on their sites. We sometimes like to think of the Internet and blog sites as the one place where people can write about whatever is on their mind. But be careful, those words can come back to haunt you.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, mostly because of a recent post I wrote about a couple suing their real estate agent over the price they paid on their home. The post generated a lot of comments. Most of them were extremely insightful. Some, though, crossed the line and couldn’t be printed. Those posts usually were filled with insults about the couple at the center of the story. It’s unfortunate, because the posts often contained good points along with the unneeded vitriole.

I sat on one of the posts for a few days before finally approving it this morning. The post, by a writer named “Tom,” was rude. But it also made good several valid points about the lawsuit. After debating, I finally decided that the good points outweighed some of the post’s more troubling comments. In an best world, “Tom” would have left out the insults and name-calling, and focused on his valid arguments. But, of course, this is far from an best world.

If you’ve a chance to read Tom’s comment, which you can find here, and let me know what you think.

Tags: blogging, Coral Gables, Esslinger-Wooten-Maxwell, lawsuit

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Filed under: Earnings reports, Deals, Microsoft (MSFT), Sony Corp ADR (SNE)

For years Playstation revenue carried Sony’s (NYSE: SNE) earnings. The PS2 was one of the great selling consumer electronics products of all time.

Sony almost failed with the launch of the PS3. Microsoft’s (NASDAQ: MSFT) Xbox had taken too many customers and the Nintendo Wii became the world’s top game console. Sony’s CEO had to step down, and Sir Howard Stringer was brought in from the US to run the company.

Net income at Sony moved up 25% to $1.9 billion for the quarter ending December 31. Revenue rose nearly 10%. Some of this is due to the fact that for the first time in years Sony’s game division has finally gone into the black.

Television sales were the large winner for Sony during the quarter. Financially, the game unit which includes PS3 only made a modest contribution. But, it is no longer a drag on earnings. According to Reuters, “its game business swung to a profit after Sony cut production costs and retail prices of the PlayStation 3 game console and broadened its game software lineup.”

Sony waited a long time for the PS3 to work out. That may be paying off.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

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Filed under: Business, World wide web, News, Yahoo!

With its profits sagging, and a disappointing outlook for 2008, it seemed that Yahoo! had no choice but to announce the inevitable: a cut of 1,000 jobs, scheduled to take place in mid-February.

It seems that even a corporate giant such as Yahoo! can spread itself too thin. Along with the job cut, Yahoo! plans to focus more sharply on online advertising, that Xanadu of web companies everywhere, and deemphasize or discontinue a number of other services, including pics, podcasts, and its unsuccessful social network.

Yahoo! CEO Jerry Yang, maintains that the company will be focused on three goals: becoming the launching pad for consumers on the web, making Yahoo a top choice for on the internet advertisers, and opening Yahoo!’s technology to third-party development. To that end, Yahoo’!s focus has narrowed to search, mail, news, finance, and sports — services that are always in demand.

Here’s hoping that Yahoo!’s growing pains are quick and relatively trouble-free.

[via New York Times]

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There’s a positive side to everything, right? Sara Lin, a writer for the The Wall Street Journal’s on the web edition, found something good about the current housing slump: It’s easier, and cheaper, to find contractors to either build a home or renovate one.

 You can read Lin’s story here. Basically, she writes that the housing slump has pushed down prices on lumber, drywall, labor and design fees. Carpetners, landscapers and general contractors are no longer busy, and are looking for work. Architects on concurring to small projects that they would never have considered during the height of the residential housing boom.

Lin writes that some people in the building industry are even advertising their services on construction sites.

It’s a far cry from just two years ago. I remember trying to find a contractor willing to renovate a restroom in our previous home. Speak about Mission Impossible! It wasn’t a big enough project for most contractors to touch. Those that were slightly interested told me I’d have to wait six to nine months before they’d be available.

We finally did find someone, after several weeks of phone calls, and he did a great job. Today, though, I could probably find a contractor willing to take on a water closet renovation in just two to three phone calls.

Oh, how times have changed.

Tags: building a new house, remodeling, renovation, Wall Street Journal

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Filed under: Earnings reports, Deals, Good news, Bank of America (BAC), Countrywide Financial (CFC), Options, Technical Analysis

Countrywide Financial Corp. (NYSE: CFC) shares are rising today even though the company posted a fourth-quarter loss of $421.9 million, or 79 cents per share, much worse than analysts’ predictions of a loss of 32 cents per share. However, shares are trading higher as some analysts have speculated that by simply reporting and showing that it is still in business, CFC might be able to keep potential buyer Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) from rescinding its buyout offer. In fact, BAC CEO Ken Lewis stated after CFC’s earnings release that “everything is a go to finish this transaction.” If you think that the company won’t fall by too much in the coming months, then now could be a good time to look at a bullish hedged trade on CFC.

After hitting a one-year high of $45.19 in February, the stock hit a one-year low of $4.25 last week. CFC opened this morning at $6.35. So far this day the stock has hit a low of $6.07 and a high of $6.46. As of 11:45, CFC is trading at $6.21, up $0.26 (4.4%). The chart for CFC looks neutral and improving, while S&P gives the stock a neutral 3 STARS (out of 5) hold rating.

For a bullish hedged play on this stock, I would consider a March bull-put credit spread below the $5 range. A bull-put credit spread is an options position that combines the purchase and sale of put options to hedge risk in case the stock doesn’t do what you think but still leverage nice returns. For this particular trade, we will make an 8.7% return in just two months as long as CFC is above $5 at March expiration. Countrywide would have to fall by more than 18% before we would start to lose money.

CFC hasn’t been below $5 by more than a few cents in the past year and has shown support around $5.75 recently, now that BAC has expressed interest. This trade could be risky if the Fed doesn’t take bold action tomorrow, but even if that happens, this position could be protected by the support the stock might find around $5 where it has started to form a bottom.

Brent Archer is an options analyst and writer at Investors Observer. DISCLOSURE: Mr. Archer owns and/or controls diversified portfolios of long and short stock and option positions that might include holdings in companies he writes about. At publication time, Brent neither owns nor controls positions in BAC or CFC.

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Filed under: Business, Internet, Web services

Want to sell some old junk lying around the home on eBay, but don’t feel like putting up with listing fees? The company has announced plans to cut listing fees by up to 50 percent.

The cuts aren’t across the board. In fact, some fees will be raised. For example, if your items sells for less than $25, you’ll now be charged 8.75%, which is a 67% increase.

The new fees take effect on February 20th and are aimed at the US, although eBay plans to announce rate changes in the uK and Germany soon. The move comes at a time when eBay is struggling with flattening growth and competition from other on the internet auction sites.

Do you still use eBay to purchase and sell new and used items? Or have you started turning to other auction sites? What do you think of eBay’s current listing and transaction fees?

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Filed under: Business, Internet, Beta

KonoLive is launching a new “instant collaboration” service at DEMO this week. The company’s application looks a lot like an instant messaging client built on Adobe AIR. But while most IM clients allow you to do a few things besides chatting (like sharing files, images, and even video), KonoLive takes things to a whole new level.

Users will be able to share Office documents, PDF files, and digital media files with contacts without opening a web browser. Users can also comment on media, and keep track of various versions of a document.

The application is geared more toward business users than casual personal users. Most folks don’t really need yet another IM client littering their desktop. But if you’re looking for a way to collaborate with a team of people scattered across the globe, or even a typical office space KonoLive looks like an interesting option. The service is expected to launch in private beta on Wednesday.

[via Mashable]

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