National Security Brief: February 27, 2012

National Security Brief: February 27, 2012:


- Under U.S. threats to withdraw more than billion dollars in aid should it go on, the trail of 43 NGO workers — including 16 Americans — in Egyptian courts for violating a previously unenforced ban on foreign support funds was abruptly halted two hours after it started. The postponement to April, though, may not come in time for a U.S. State Department certification of progress due that month to release the aid.

- As Syrian forces continue their assault on the city

AOL Arrests Revenue Declines As Global Display Remains Up

AOL Arrests Revenue Declines As Global Display Remains Up:

AOL (NYSE: AOL) certainly went into Q3 with lowered expectations and it appeared to have beaten those benchmarks, as global display advertising grew for the third consecutive quarter and total revenues were down only 6 percent, the smallest decline in five years.

According to estimates from eMarketer, AOL’s share of U.S. online ad revenues will decline to 2.7 percent in 2011, down from 3.4 percent last year, as Google (NSDQ: GOOG) and Facebook continue to gain in $12.33 billion display marketplace. After peaking in 2005 at 7.2%, the company’s share of online ad revenues in the US has declined each year since.
In terms of AOL’s hold on U.S. display ad dollars, eMarketer predicts it will have a 4.2 percent share this year, down from 4.8 percent in 2010 and 10.6 percent in 2007. Facebook is expected to pass Yahoo (NSDQ: YHOO), once the undisputed leader in display, for the first time in 2011, as the social network’s share reaches 16.3 percent, up from 12.2 percent last year.
Overall, AOL’s relative success in slowing its total revenue decline and growing its global display revenues come as U.S. online ad spending grew 19.1 percent to $7.70 billion in Q3 2011, according to eMarketer stats. More to come

• Ex-MSLO Exec Janet Balis Returns To Chart AOL Ad Sales Strategy
• With Pressure On Display Sales, AOL Slips E-Commerce Into Devil Ads
• Macquarie: AOL's Homepage Ad Pace Appears 'Sluggish,' As YouTube Surges
• Armstrong: Shift In AOL Sales Heads Does Not Equal Change In Strategy
• Some Bright Spots For AOL, Yes, But Also More Gloom Ahea

Ready to Pre-Order Some Solid Snake? How about Cyborg Ninja? [Metal Gear Solid]:

Spotted at this year's Tokyo Game Show, there are Solid Snake and Cyborg Ninja figures incoming from Square Enix's Play Arts Kai line. Pre-orders are now underway! More »

Will the PS3 Overtake the Xbox 360? Will It Happen? [Sony]:

Nintendo rules this generation, leaving Microsoft and Sony to duke it out for numero two. So, which of those two

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 character changes, part two: Capcom characters

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 character changes, part two: Capcom characters:

Last weekend we took a look at the changes coming to Marvel's fighters in November's Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and now it's time to scrutinize the nerfs and buffs being administered to Capcom's side of the isle.
Jump past the break for the incredibly "inside baseball" list of adjustments and start planning your strategies accordingly. There's plenty of alterations being thrown around, but MvC3's tiers have been so well defined up until now, we doubt we'll see any fewer C. Vipers in tournament finals, especially now that she

Let's Talk About the 1,700 Pound Orc Shaman in the Room [Blizzcon 2011]

Let's Talk About the 1,700 Pound Orc Shaman in the Room [Blizzcon 2011]:

Lording over the Mega Bloks booth at BlizzCon 2011, Doomhammer held high, World of Warcraft's Thrall would have been much more impressive in block form if it wasn't for the long line of people waiting to get their picture taken with him. He's the savoir of two