Microsoft Buys Video Social Networking Startup, WebFives.com

Last friday, Microsoft took another step in improving its online consumer platform by purchasing WebFives.  Webfives is an online rich-media blogging/social networking site geared towards filmmakers, musicians, and charities.  It's technology is unique in that the site provides "digital-TV" quality content available for streaming as well as the ability to consume content easily on mobile phones.  This is in contrast to the often grainy quality offered by most YouTube videos.  CNet has the full article.

My speculation is that this will be a strong component of Microsoft's next-generation consumer offerings around the artistic community, a community that has empirically been dominated by Apple.  There is no way to tell how the technology will tie into the Microsoft ecosystem but if I were a betting man, I would put my money *stupid exchange rate* on Zune.  Speaking of Zune, have you seen the new ones yet?  Go on a psychedelic journey no shrooms required. --VT