To compete with all the new social networking pretenders, MySpace has been launching a barrage of new features and products. Expect these to keep on coming.

Books

MySpace is trying to draw in more mature users with MySpace Books, which shows you the most popular books, plus a selection of featured material: a featured blog, several book groups, and recommended books. Watch out, Oprah -- MySpace Book Club is gunning for you!

Comedy

Like its Books section, MySpace Comedy is another content-pushing page featuring comedians with upcoming programs or tours. Less user interactivity than Books, with no featured blogs or groups -- just a list of comedy forums.

Movies

Bowing to the popularity of MySpace, each blockbuster movie has its own profile now, with photos, slick graphics, a trailer video, and a link to the official website. MySpace Movies gives you a one-stop shop for new theatrical releases, a box office chart, and ads to sell you things. Unlike MySpace Books, the movie site lacks interactivity: no featured blogs, groups, or forums are available, only pre-packaged perfection.

Instant messaging

Trying to keep you addicted by combining the two most addictive internet activities: networking and IM’ing with your friends. Now, you can IM with people you barely know, or who you know WAY too much about because you read their blogs and they blog about stuff they shouldn’t. MySpace will also IM you with instant alerts for when you have new mail, new comments, or requests. Still in Beta.

Pros:

• You can change your IM skin
• Block annoying users
• Instant updates from MySpace

Cons:

• Not compatible with other IM clients
• Not Mac-compatible
• No file transfer capability

Phone

MySpace is planning a mobile phone service with Helio, a joint venture between Earthlink and SK Telecom. Prices, phones, and service features have not been announced, nor has a release date.

Simply Hired

MySpace recently added job listings to the site. The search service, powered by Silicion Vally company Simply Hired, reported contains more than five million job listings across the country, all of them searchable by keyword and location. Better take some time to clean up that ol' profile before applying for any jobs ...

See also:

• Adding Features
  
• Blogs About MySpace
• Conducting Business on MySpace
• Getting Noticed
• MySpace Apparel
• MySpace Celebs (AKA Whores)

• MySpace Groups
• MySpace Lexicon
  
• MySpace Security
• Pimping Your Profile
• Widgets