Former Google employees just launched a new Search Engine–Cuil (www.cuil.com). According to a Reuters article today, Cuil, which is being launched to compete with the Search giant, “goes beyond prevailing search techniques that focus on Web links and audience traffic patterns and instead analyzes the context of each page and the concepts behind each user search request.”

There is new layout and “psychology” to Cuil. It enables searchers to reference cross-topics in a more graphically engaging, social networking-intelligent manner.

Read more of the Reuters article (via Yahoo! Tech News) here.

Contentinople announced today that Yahoo! will open its search to external developers as “search-as-service”. This is an important trend: opening their search code and enabling search customization. Access to tools which will support truly personalized search is revolutionary, similar to the social media phenomenon of YouTube where video content became inherently socialized.

Read the article on Contentinople here.

Another negotiation between media giants — this time, between Hollywood and a web goliath — will further chip away at the current digital content delivery dividing lines.

According to an article published in today’s “New York Times”, by Media reporter, Brooks Barnes, “Google is experimenting with a new method of distributing original material on the Web, and some Hollywood film financiers are betting millions that the company will succeed.” Episodes of Seth McFarlane’s popular FOX Broadcasting animated series “Family Guy“ will be made available exclusively for online viewing.

Google’s expected distribution method extends beyond exclusivity, to innovation. The NYT article goes on to say that Google’s “AdSense advertising system” — dynamic video banners — will bring Family Guy episodes “to thousands of Web sites that are predetermined to be gathering spots for Mr. MacFarlane’s target audience” as well as on YouTube.

Google’s move is a wise one. Not only does will it utilize the web in new ways to reach new audiences, it will create a revolution in codifying advertising ROI.

I discussed with a wise colleague a couple of years ago what the then pre-Google YouTube would eventually become. He articulated plainly what was already in my mind, “television.” It is now here.

Today, a great article appeared on Light Reading’s ever-intelligent, entertaining Contentinople.com, the 2007-launched “website covering the rise of the digital media industry.” The article, by Contentinople contributor, Erin Barker, further demonstrates the connection between “Big Media” and Web 2.0.

According to the article, “Slide, producer of the Facebook/MySpace SuperPoke application” has joined forces with media giant, Vh1,  for an exciting syndication initiative. According to Barker, “10,000 SuperPokes will be randomly selected to air on Vh1, as animations with the sender and recipient’s names at the bottom. That’s right, on television.” This is a powerful endeavor, further demonstrating the power of Social Networking to reach wider audiences. It also envisions the future of media, where lines between online and television content will one day be erased and content pushed and pulled to audiences in many new and innovative ways.

Read the Contentinople post here.