Microsoft Still Not Interested in Acquiring Yahoo: MediaBytes with Shelly Palmer November 7, 2008

Steve Ballmer noted that Microsoft is not interested in acquiring Yahoo. Ballmer is quoted as saying "We made an offer, we made another offer.. We moved on." However, Ballmer did not rule out the possibility of a potential search ads deal.

Microsoft is trying to sign a mobile search and advertising deal with Verizon. Currently, Verizon is in talks with Google, however, Microsoft is offering Verizon a more generous revenue sharing plan and a higher guarantee. Microsoft sees a mobile search and ad deal with Verizon as a way to significantly increase its reach for mobile search.

Craigslist has reached a deal with 40 state attorneys to curb its "erotic services" listings. Craigslist, which is notorious for catering to sex-oriented businesses, now makes erotic service advertisers provide a phone number, which is called by an automate service for verification. The Internet classifieds site will also charge a small fee of between $5-10 for all erotic services ads.

Samsung has overtaken Motorola as the leading vendor of handsets in the U.S.. Samsung owns a 22.4% share of the market, compared with Motorola's 21.1% and LG's 20.5%. Samsung has increased sales by offering high end touch-screen phones, as well as lower-end phones given free to consumers who sign up for a new plan.

All My Children star, and notorious Emmy nominee (and one time winner), Susan Lucci was voted off ABC's Dancing with the Stars. Despite Lucci's "doble paso" being a hit with judges, Lucci and partner, Tony Dovolani, did not make the final five contestants.

Plus, today's consulting question, "What is white space?" Shelly has the answer on today's MediaBytes.

Shelly Palmer is a consultant and the host of MediaBytes a daily show featuring news you can use about technology, media & entertainment. He is Managing Director of Advanced Media Ventures Group LLC and the author of Television Disrupted: The Transition from Network to Networked TV (2008, York House Press). Shelly is also President of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, NY (the organization that bestows the coveted Emmy® Awards). You can join the MediaBytes mailing list here. Shelly can be reached at [e-mail]